JUDAS Iscariot is grandstanding. He pretends to love the poor and bewails the expensive perfumed oil wasted to anoint Jesus’ feet. The evangelist says that this pretender will betray Jesus. As treasurer, Judas is a thief who will make more money when he hands Jesus over to the authorities.
Jesus reacts and allows Mary to continue what she is doing. She is anointing him in view of his burial and will again visit him in his tomb bringing oil.
Mary is focused on Jesus on his last days and his death. Judas is identified as an insider who will facilitate the arrest of Jesus. He never shows love for the poor. After Jesus is gone, Mary and the apostles will help the poor who are always with them.
True religion is helping the poor. Along with elaborate worship and expensive decorations in the church, a substantial budget must be aside for assistance to the poor.
Gospel: Jn 12:1-11
Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2018,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
