The Shifting Attention!

Monday, March 25, 2024

Is 42:1-7; Jn 12:1-11

Today’s Gospel invites us to focus on the shift in the attitudes of Mary and Judas. 

Mary’s act is highly symbolic. 

Maybe she wanted to thank the Lord for giving back her brother Lazarus. Or, as we understand, she foreshadowed Jesus’ impending death. In this sense, she was certainly aware of the plot to kill Jesus. 

The heaviness of her heart is shown in the way she was overwhelmed with grief and expressed it symbolically. 

As with women, Mary’s overflowing love, grief, and gratitude for Jesus do not take into account the material value of the perfumed oil. 

Something in her compels the gesture, and she manifests it in action.  

Whereas, Judas disregards the importance of Mary’s gesture and justifies the claim with his fake concern for the poor, just as the Gospel describes. His ‘charitable attitude’ was only a cover for his greed, which we also witness in his betrayal of Jesus later. 

Threats to Jesus’ life never seem to bother Judas, which may be because he was one of those to plot his death. 

When we evaluate the attitudes of Mary and Judas, we discover something. 

Mary diverts her attention from money to Jesus. That is why the costly imported oil is nothing in front of her love for Jesus. Mary uses the material to enhance the spiritual. 

On the contrary, Judas diverts his attention from Jesus to money. He uses the spiritual to enhance the material. 

Judas also represents those who undermine the goodness of others by citing a cheap reason. 

When things do not go their way, such people rob noble intentions from an act and twist the facts.  

The Lord recognizes Mary’s intention while brushing aside the superfluous comment of Judas. 

We learn from Mary the art of honoring the Lord for who He is to us. 

Let us follow the example of Mary to celebrate the mysteries of Holy Week!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar