FIRST REALIING
“He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street.” (First song of the servant of the Lord)
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 42: 1-7)
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the islands wait for his law. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 27: 1.2.3.13-14 (R. 1a)
R/. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
whom should I dread? R.
When those who do evil draw near
to devour my flesh,
it is they, my enemies and foes,
who stumble and fall. R.
R/. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart would not fear.
Though war break out against me,
even then would I trust. R.
I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong;
be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord! R.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Hail, our King: you alone have had mercy on our failings!
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
GOSPEL
“Let her keep it for the day of my burial.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 12.1-11)
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, “Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
The mission of prophet Isaiah would be to bring justice for the poor and the marginalized. Somehow, that was in line with the complaint of Judas about the ointment that Mary “wasted” on Jesus, when it could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. The response of Jesus implies that the poor could still be taken care of even after the ointment had been poured on him. Pouring the ointment on him did not stop anyone from caring for the poor if they wanted to. People should not use the excuse of doing one good to avoid doing another equally important good.