Humility
Monday of Holy Week
Happy Monday, dear reader! Today we are taking another step into Holy Week. In our readings, we are reminded that we are in humble servitude to God, but we do this willingly because of His unending love for us.
The reading in Isaiah foretells that God is sending us a servant. But not just any servant. He will be someone who will save those who believe in God, who will glorify His name and that He will bring peace and unity to those who wait for Him.
It also mentions the fact that before this happens, God will send a messenger to announce this arrival and that the things He has said will happen will be confirmed, “See, the earlier things have come to pass, new ones I now foretell” (Is 42:9, NAB). God is saying “look, I kept my word. Did these things not happen already? There are also new things to come.” This instills in us our belief that we can trust in God’s words and promises. It gives us a hope to hold on to as we move forward. It’s sort of a cliffhanger! We need to hold on so we can see how this all ends.
John’s Gospel tells the story of the woman who comes to anoint the feet of Jesus. She uses an oil that is very expensive, and this angers Judas. This is the same man who will betray Jesus. So we already know what a lowlife he is. Judas wanted the money that the oil would bring, for himself. Jesus quietly and calmly explains that the oil is not wasted. This will be the same oil that will be used to anoint His body upon His death, “So Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, buy you do not always have Me.’” (Jn 12:7–8). Jesus saw that this act was important to Mary (not Mary, His mother). He also knew that the oil would be needed upon His death, as Jewish tradition called for the anointing of the dead. Again, He is prophesying His death.
Our readings today are rather heavy. But, that’s a good thing, as it gets us thinking. And Holy Week is a good time for that. We reflect on those things that we gave up for Lent, we reflect on our faith and the suffering that Jesus endured, we reflect on what’s really important in this life. We see how far we’ve come, but also how much further we have yet to go. Let this week remind you that nothing comes easy, especially when it comes to our faith. The next time you grumble about how unfair life is, remember Jesus on that cross. An innocent Man killed because of the injustice of man. An innocent Man put to death so that you can be free. Kind of puts things in a different light, doesn’t it?
Be blessed, dear reader. And, as always… be a nice human. 😇
Here is Father Bill’s reflection on today’s readings:
Even though this is a Christmas song, I thought it rather appropriate for our readings today:
If you’d like to look back on my other posts for Lent, why not stop by my blog?
