In the gospel of today’s Mass Jesus travels through Bethany as he makes his final journey to Jerusalem. In Bethany, Jesus is welcomed into the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary (John 12:1-11).
We are left to consider how comforted and grateful Jesus must have been for these friends and their hospitality knowing the fate that awaited him in Jerusalem. We hear that Jesus especially appreciated Mary’s loving act of devotion and adoration as she anointed him with perfumed oil.
And as it was for Mary, Marth, and Lazarus it is for us also, maybe especially during this Holy Week.
Jesus reaches out to us just as he did to Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Jesus desires that we invite him into our lives, open our hearts to him, be attentive to him, feel his loving presence, and respond to his love. Jesus desires that we devote ourselves to him, that we devote ourselves to each other, that we live lives of love, out of love for him.
Jesus wants all of us to walk together with him on his journey to Jerusalem this week. He wants us to be at his side as he endures the horrific events of his passion, as he suffers for us. And maybe, especially this week, we are called to respond to Jesus’ invitation. Maybe especially this week we are compelled to offer him all our love and thanks for his selfless, redemptive work, for all he suffered on our behalf. And we know that if we remain close to him through his sufferings, as well as our own sufferings, if we walk with him this week and die with him on Friday, we will also rise with him on Sunday.
So, this week, as we make our way to Jerusalem with Jesus, we try to put our anxieties and distractions aside. Like his friends in Bethany did, we focus on Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We remain very close to him and allow him to break open our hearts with his redemptive love. We pray that we can return that love as we give ourselves to each other out of love for him.
We walk with Jesus this week. We ready ourselves to participate in Jesus’ suffering and death. We look forward to rising with Jesus on Easter Morning.