Rodrigo Marin, LC
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Christ, our King.
Thy Kingdom come!
Preparatory prayer (to put me in the presence of God)
Lord, you have given me so much! Today I want to ask you to help me experience the sweet perfume of your presence in my life. Let me sit at your feet and listen to what you want to say to me today. Teach me to love you more each day.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to John 12:1-11
Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom He had raised from the dead. There they gave him a supper; Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of spikenard, anointed Jesus“ feet with it and wiped them with her hair, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Then Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, the one who was about to betray Jesus, exclaimed, ”Why has not that perfume been sold for three hundred denarii to give to the poor?“ This he said, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and since he had charge of the purse, he stole what was put into it. Then Jesus said, ”Leave it. This I had laid up for the day of my burial; for the poor you will always have with you, but me you will not always have." Meanwhile, the crowd of Jews, who heard that Jesus was there, came, not only for Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom the Lord had raised from the dead. The chief priests were deliberating to kill Lazarus, for because of him many Jews were separating themselves and believing in Jesus.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
We are a few days away from the passion of the Lord. Jesus goes to a house where he is received by his friends. It is Mary who throws herself at his feet and pours on them the very expensive perfume that she had surely acquired with much effort.
What is the perfume that we have, the one that we have obtained with so much effort, the one that has cost us sweat and blood to obtain and that Christ is eager for us to pour it on his feet?
God always rewards the generosity with which we act in our lives. This Holy Week that is beginning is a week to give, to accompany Christ, to love him.
Let us ask Mary to give us the grace to give her all that God wants from us.
«Let us think of the sinner in Simon's house: she went in there, in despair, weeping, disheveled, with perfume in her hand. And Simon looked at her and said, “You impudent woman, if only this man were a prophet and knew who this is!” That woman ran the risk of being judged. As the Samaritan woman risked when she began to argue with Jesus: as an adulteress, she risked and found salvation. Women risk more than men: it is true, they are more good and this we must recognize. To follow Jesus is not easy but it is beautiful and it is always risky, and many times it becomes ridiculous. But you find one important thing: your sins are forgiven».
(Homily of Pope Francis, January 13, 2017, in Santa Marta).
Dialogue with Christ
This is the most important part of your prayer, prepare yourself to talk with much love with the One who loves you.
Purpose
Propose a personal one. The one that involves the most love in response to the Beloved... or, if you believe that this is what God is asking of you, live what is suggested below.
In a visit to Jesus I will ask Him to be the only perfume in my life.
Farewell
We thank you, Lord, for all your benefits, you who live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Christ, our King!
Thy Kingdom come!
Most prudent Virgin, Mary, Mother of the Church.
Pray for us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
