The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with and provide guidance to living out our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet and leader.
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah presents the Suffering Servant, a Light to the Nations.
* [42:1–4] Servant: three other passages have been popularly called “servant of the Lord” poems: 49:1–7; 50:4–11; 52:13–53:12. Whether the servant is an individual or a collectivity is not clear (e.g., contrast 49:3 with 49:5). More important is the description of the mission of the servant. In the early Church and throughout Christian tradition, these poems have been applied to Christ; cf. Mt 12:18–21.
* [42:3] Bruised reed…: images to express the gentle manner of the servant’s mission.
* [42:4] Coastlands: for Israel, the world to the west: the islands and coastal nations of the Mediterranean. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 42 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 27 is a Triumphant Song of Confidence.
* [Psalm 27] Tradition has handed down the two sections of the Psalm (Ps 27:1–6; 7–14) as one Psalm, though each part could be understood as complete in itself. Asserting boundless hope that God will bring rescue (Ps 27:1–3), the psalmist longs for the presence of God in the Temple, protection from all enemies (Ps 27:4–6). In part B there is a clear shift in tone (Ps 27:7–12); the climax of the poem comes with “I believe” (Ps 27:13), echoing “I trust” (Ps 27:3). (Psalms, PSALM 27 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Mary anoints Jesus and the plot to kill Lazarus emerges.
* [12:1–8] This is probably the same scene of anointing found in Mk 14:3–9 (see note there) and Mt 26:6–13. The anointing by a penitent woman in Lk 7:36–38 is different. Details from these various episodes have become interchanged.
* [12:3] The feet of Jesus: so Mk 14:3; but in Mt 26:6, Mary anoints Jesus’ head as a sign of regal, messianic anointing.
* [12:5] Days’ wages: literally, “denarii.” A denarius is a day’s wage in Mt 20:2; see note on Jn 6:7.
* [12:7] Jesus’ response reflects the rabbinical discussion of what was the greatest act of mercy, almsgiving or burying the dead. Those who favored proper burial of the dead thought it an essential condition for sharing in the resurrection. (John, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)
Nancy Shirley (2014) reflects that Mary “gets it” – she understands the value of Christ in her life right there and then.
Whenever I read this passage, I have to reflect upon whether I am keeping “first things, first.” Do I allow the busyness of the world to overshadow what is most valuable to me and my salvation? Of course, there are commitments to be filled and work to be done (especially if we wish to be paid!). I am constantly challenged to keep my priorities in mind and to balance my life. It is so easy for me to be all consumed with the demands of work and my profession. I struggle at times in the choices I make and need to consciously remind myself of what is most important in the grand scheme of life. (Shirley, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “God first loved us,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Fulfill the commandments out of love. Could anyone refuse to love our God, so abounding in mercy, so just in all His ways? Could anyone deny love to Him Who first loved us despite all our injustice and all our pride? Could anyone refuse to love God Who so loved us as to send His only Son not only to live among human beings but also to be put to death for their sake and at their own hands?." (excerpt from Catechetical Instructions 39) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 12:1-11 asks where did Mary’s understanding and her deep faith come from?
This week before Easter can be very busy. But it’s still Holy Week! Try to imitate Mary over the next few days. Even if you can spare just an extra five or ten minutes in prayer each day, do it. Choose the “better part” by sitting before the Lord in quiet, listening to his word. Surrender your plans to him. Pour yourself out to him in love and worship, and let him fill you with his love and his grace.
“Jesus, help me to slow down this week so that I can hear your voice and surrender to you.” (Meditation on John 12:1-11, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler sets the stage of the exiles in Babylon and the connection of the Deutero-Isaiah description of the suffering servant to their situation. Jesus' identification is with the suffering servant and the Son of God named in Daniel 7. Friar Jude reminds us that loving the person in front of us is the choice of Mary and was also the choice of Mother Teresa.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Theologian Jennifer Garcia Bashaw who describes how the Gospels are liberating for the excluded and scapegoated. Jesus’ death compels us to join in solidarity with the scapegoated.
Without a clear comprehension of Jesus’s pattern of life and death, those of us who follow Jesus can unknowingly become the ones who scapegoat rather than the ones who follow the scapegoat. When we enter the story of Jesus with an eye on society’s victims, however, we can grasp more fully the life, ministry, and death of the scapegoat that was supposed to end all scapegoats—Jesus. Maybe then we can stop creating scapegoats and work on their behalf instead. [3] (Bashaw, n.d.)
We ponder the response presented today of humble surrender, service and extravagant love in people close to Divine Presence.
References
Bashaw, J. G. (n.d.). A Gospel According to Scapegoats. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-gospel-according-to-scapegoats/
Isaiah, CHAPTER 42 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/42?1
John, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/12?1
Meditation on John 12:1-11. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/03/25/920662/
Psalms, PSALM 27 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/27?1
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Extravagant Love for Jesus. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=mar25
Shirley, N. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/032524.html
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