20250414 PREPARING FOR THE SERVICE OF THE LORD
First reading | Isaiah 42:1-7 |
Here is my chosen one in whom my soul delights
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom my soul delights.
I have endowed him with my spirit
that he may bring true justice to the nations.
He does not cry out or shout aloud,
or make his voice heard in the streets.
He does not break the crushed reed,
nor quench the wavering flame.
Faithfully he brings true justice;
he will neither waver, nor be crushed
until true justice is established on earth,
for the islands are awaiting his law.
Thus says God, the Lord,
he who created the heavens and spread them out,
who gave shape to the earth and what comes from it,
who gave breath to its people
and life to the creatures that move in it:
‘I, the Lord, have called you to serve the cause of right;
I have taken you by the hand and formed you;
I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations,
‘to open the eyes of the blind,
to free captives from prison,
and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 26(27):1-3,13-14 |
The Lord is my light and my help.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
The Lord is my light and my help.
When evil-doers draw near
to devour my flesh,
it is they, my enemies and foes,
who stumble and fall.
The Lord is my light and my help.
Though an army encamp against me
my heart would not fear.
Though war break out against me
even then would I trust.
The Lord is my light and my help.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
The Lord is my light and my help.
Gospel Acclamation |
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Hail to you, our King!
You alone have had compassion on our sins.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Gospel | John 12:1-11 |
'She had to keep this scent for the day of my burial'
Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those at table. Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was full of the scent of the ointment. Then Judas Iscariot – one of his disciples, the man who was to betray him – said, ‘Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contributions. So Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.’
Meanwhile a large number of Jews heard that he was there and came not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, since it was on his account that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.
14 April 2025, Monday of Holy Week
PREPARING FOR THE SERVICE OF THE LORD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [IS 42:1-7; PS 27:1-3,13-14; JN 12:1-11]
In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, we have the first of the servant songs. Clearly, this servant song is chosen to indicate to us how the Messiah will carry out His ministry. “He does not cry out or shout aloud, or make his voice heard in the streets. He does not break the crushed reed, nor quench the wavering flame. Faithfully he brings true justice; he will neither waver nor be crushed until true justice is established on earth, for the islands are awaiting his law.” The Messiah will proclaim the message of salvation with compassion and gentleness. Unlike the prophets of the past, he does not need to shout or cry out. The Messiah will give courage and strength to those who are weak and weighed down by their past, their sins and social pressure. Slowly but surely, he will restore the harmony between human beings and with God. In other words, he will bring true justice on the earth.
Most of all, the Messiah will be “as covenant of the people and light of the nations, ‘to open the eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison, and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.'” This Messiah will not only save the people of Israel but he is called to be the light for all of humanity. His salvific work therefore goes beyond Israel. As the light, he is called to open the eyes of the blind, free captives from prison and deliver those who live in the valley of death. Such is the work of the Messiah. He is truly the saviour of the world.
Now, who could this be if not our Lord Jesus Christ? The servant songs anticipate the mission of the Messiah in the gospel. Indeed, the evangelists took pains to link the servant song with Jesus in the gospel. In today’s first servant song, the opening lines are used in the baptism of the Lord when the prophet wrote, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have endowed him with my spirit that he may bring true justice to the nations.” The evangelist affirms that at His baptism, Jesus is that chosen servant of God and the one whom the Father is well pleased. Jesus, at the inauguration of His ministry, cited the same text that was read in today’s first reading, “to open the eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison, and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.”
Accordingly, the gospel invites us to share in the mission of Christ. How can we support Christ in His ministry? We have the example of Mary who felt with Jesus in His ministry, especially in the final days of His life. Jesus as a man must surely have felt sad at the rejection of the people. He must have also been tired after relentlessly trying to explain to the religious leaders His identity. And thanks to Mary, she was there to be with Him and to feel with Him. Again, we have Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, a symbol of attentive listening to the Lord. That availability of her presence to our Lord as He poured out His heart surely must have given Jesus strength in His final days. Indeed, often in our ministry, we need support, understanding and encouragement. We know that people cannot take away our pain or undertake the responsibilities on our behalf, but that they can give us their support is already half the battle won.
We are also told of Mary’s extravagant love for our Lord, not just spending so much money on the ointment but also wiping His feet with her hair, which was unbecoming of a woman in public. But Mary’s intention was pure, to prepare the body of Jesus for burial, although she did not know exactly that she was anticipating His passion and death. But she gave Jesus the best that she possibly could, because there is only one Lord Jesus Christ. As the Lord defended the action of Mary when He said to those who criticized her act of kindness and generosity, “Leave her alone; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.” In the gospel text in the synoptic gospel, Jesus even commended her and prophesied that she would be remembered in history for her action. Indeed, when it comes to honouring the Lord, there are no holds barred.
In contrast, we have Judas who was unhappy with the generosity and extravagant love of Mary. He saw the whole matter in monetary terms, although he tried to cover up his real motives by suggesting that the money could have been given to the poor. In truth, there were suggestions that he was using the funds for his own selfish purposes. It also reveals the shallow love Judas had for Jesus. When we truly love, we do not think in terms of money. We give all we have to make the life of our loved ones comfortable. The story of the widow’s mite is a clear instance of what love of God will drive us to do. She gave all that she had to live on. Indeed, when our love for someone is calculated, it means that our love is measured. Again in contrast, the love of Jesus is without measure. As John’s gospel said, “Out of his heart shall flow living waters.”
Mary was perceptive of what Jesus was doing. A worthy response to unconditional and total love calls for a similar giving of oneself. Indeed, whilst Mary did not know the full significance of what she was doing for Jesus, she knew it was the right thing to do because she understood something of the mind and heart of Jesus. Mary could sense the spirit of Jesus because she was one with Him. The secret of sharing the heart of Jesus is to sit at the Lord’s feet listening to His word. Indeed, Mary, by her example, has opened the path for us to enter the heart of our Lord. As we sit before the Lord listening to His word as we read the scriptures, we will gradually attune ourselves with the mind and heart of Jesus as we discern how, where, and in what ways we can serve Him.
From Mary too, we learn to be perceptive, knowing when to act, and to act decisively. The perfume was kept for this moment. If she had kept it for another time, she would have lost the opportunity. And the truth of life is that it is full of uncertainties. As St James says, we do not know what is in store for us tomorrow. (Jms 4:13f) Hence, St Paul urges us to do good whilst we have the time. (Gal 6:10) Jesus also tells us to seize the opportunity when it is offered to us before it is taken away. “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” (Jn 9:4) We too must not delay, otherwise we will live to regret that we did not seize the opportunity to do some good. Life is full of regrets when we lose the opportunities given to us. There is the story of the woman who was invited by the Magi to follow them to see the Messiah. But she was too busy doing her household chores to follow them immediately. By the time she was ready, it was daylight and the star was no longer to be seen.
Finally, we take heart from Mary, learning how each one of us can be fruitful in our service to the Lord. We do not have to do great things to achieve great things for the Lord. It does not mean that only those who lead organizations, teach and preach are doing great things for the Lord. The truth is that simple acts of devotion can transform as many lives as those who preach to large crowds. That simple act of devotion and love for our Lord filled the house with the fragrance of the perfume. St Mark’s gospel recorded Jesus saying that what she had done will be told wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world. (Mk 14:9). So what is asked of us is sincerity of heart and love of Jesus. Only sincerity in our devotion can touch lives. Others will be blessed by us when we serve Jesus in humility and sincerity as in the case of Mary. Indeed, as the Lord teaches us, God does not need us to do great things to bring about conversion, but we must do small things with a big heart. This is why, the Lord said, “whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.” (MK 9:40)
Today, we are called to be vigilant in our service to the Lord. Whilst we must be extravagant in our support and love for our Lord, we must ensure that we are not motivated by egoism and ambition but by genuine devotion. On the other hand, we can be overly cautious that we lose touch with the extravagance of the heart of Mary when it comes to loving the Lord. When our love is calculative, we forget that He deserves all we have. For the glory and honour of Jesus who is worthy of all our love and devotion, we must be ready like Mary to sacrifice everything, even at the risk of being criticized and opposed by others. We need fortitude and courage in expressing our love for the Lord and announcing Him to the world.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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