Monday in Holy Week: Extravagant love - the Anointing at Bethany

Artist: Daniel F. Gerhartz www.danielgerhartz.com

FIRST READING (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 coastlands 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.”

GOSPEL (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.

REFLECTION 

Extravagant love for Jesushttp://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2018/mar26.htm 

(Word of Life Community) 

FURTHERMORE . . .

“Before the triumphal procession moved towards Jerusalem, Jesus stopped at the home of His friend Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. There were two persons at the supper that distinguished themselves by their behaviour: Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and Judas, the disciple of Jesus, whose surname was Iscariot.

“Mary, sensing somehow that the earthly ministry of Jesus was drawing to a close, takes a pound of pure and expensive alabaster and anoints the feet of Christ, wiping them with her hair. The house was soon permeated by the sweet fragrance of the alabaster.

“Judas, however, always acutely conscious of the monetary value of everything, censured the pious act of Mary, charging her with the wanton waste of that which ‘might have been sold for much, and given to the poor’ (Matthew 26:9). We then see Jesus in His role as Defender of the poor and the oppressed. Chrysostom remarks that the piety of Judas here is certainly hypocritical, as is his condemnation of Mary.

“St. Paul tells us that Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. (II Corinthians 11:14). Judas is unsuccessful at hiding his real motive; he would have liked to have stolen the ointment, and sold it for his own personal profit. Many of us today are guilty of this sin of Judas, particularly those that would rob the church of its liturgical appointments, condemning them as luxuries. Not that they would steal from the church; but whenever a new chalice is needed for Holy Communion they will object that the money is being squandered foolishly, and the same with vestments, icons, and even with Bibles for the Sunday School. Any money spent for religious purposes, and especially for bringing others to the saving faith of Christ, is, according to these people, not necessary. It would be superfluous to comment upon the spiritual condition of these avaricious souls.”

Rev. George Dimopoulos 

“. . . anointing with such expensive oil was the traditional practice reserved for the deceased, the dead. But Jesus was not dead yet, he was very much alive. Then why did all this happen now, you may ask? Mary was foretelling the crucifixion of our Lord on the cross, and His burial in the tomb by her simple actions motivated purely by love. Our Lord specifically states that ‘she (Mary) has kept this for the day of My burial.’ (Jn 12:7). Here the actions of Mary teach us that Jesus was already dead to this world and to His human temptations. We too who attempt to live a life in Christ must also be dead to this world if we ever want to receive Christ.”

Kosmas Damianides

PRAYER

Alone to sacrifice thou goest, Lord,

giving thyself to Death

whom thou hast slain.

For us thy wretched folk is any word?

Who know that for our sins this is thy pain?

For they are ours, O Lord, our deeds, our deeds.

Why must thou suffer torture for our sin?

Let our hearts suffer in thy Passion, Lord,

that very suffering may thy mercy win.

This is the night of tears, the three days’ space,

sorrow abiding of the eventide,

Until the day break with the risen Christ,

and hearts that sorrowed shall be satisfied.

So may our hearts share in thine anguish, Lord,

that they may sharers of thy glory be;

Heavy with weeping may the three days pass,

to win the laughter of thine Easter Day.

- Peter Abelard (1079-1142)

Today's readings and reflection

FIRST READING  (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 coastlands 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."

GOSPEL  (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.

REFLECTION

Extravagant love for Jesus - Servants of the Word 

FURTHERMORE . . .

"Before the triumphal procession moved towards Jerusalem, Jesus stopped at the home of His friend Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. There were two persons at the supper that distinguished themselves by their behaviour: Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and Judas, the disciple of Jesus, whose surname was Iscariot.

"Mary, sensing somehow that the earthly ministry of Jesus was drawing to a close, takes a pound of pure and expensive alabaster and anoints the feet of Christ, wiping them with her hair. The house was soon permeated by the sweet fragrance of the alabaster.

"Judas, however, always acutely conscious of the monetary value of everything, censured the pious act of Mary, charging her with the wanton waste of that which 'might have been sold for much, and given to the poor' (Matthew 26:9). We then see Jesus in His role as Defender of the poor and the oppressed. Chrysostom remarks that the piety of Judas here is certainly hypocritical, as is his condemnation of Mary.

“St. Paul tells us that Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. (II Corinthians 11:14). Judas is unsuccessful at hiding his real motive; he would have liked to have stolen the ointment, and sold it for his own personal profit. Many of us today are guilty of this sin of Judas, particularly those that would rob the church of its liturgical appointments, condemning them as luxuries. Not that they would steal from the church; but whenever a new chalice is needed for Holy Communion they will object that the money is being squandered foolishly, and the same with vestments, icons, and even with Bibles for the Sunday School. Any money spent for religious purposes, and especially for bringing others to the saving faith of Christ, is, according to these people, not necessary. It would be superfluous to comment upon the spiritual condition of these avaricious souls.”

Rev. George Dimopoulos 

". . . anointing with such expensive oil was the traditional practice reserved for the deceased, the dead. But Jesus was not dead yet, he was very much alive. Then why did all this happen now, you may ask? Mary was foretelling the crucifixion of our Lord on the cross, and His burial in the tomb by her simple actions motivated purely by love. Our Lord specifically states that 'she (Mary) has kept this for the day of My burial.' (John 12:7). Here the actions of Mary teach us that Jesus was already dead to this world and to His human temptations. We too who attempt to live a life in Christ must also be dead to this world if we ever want to receive Christ.”

Kosmas Damianides

PRAYER

Alone to sacrifice thou goest, Lord,

giving thyself to Death

whom thou hast slain.

For us thy wretched folk is any word?

Who know that for our sins this is thy pain?

For they are ours, O Lord, our deeds, our deeds.

Why must thou suffer torture for our sin?

Let our hearts suffer in thy Passion, Lord,

that very suffering may thy mercy win.

This is the night of tears, the three days' space,

sorrow abiding of the eventide,

Until the day break with the risen Christ,

and hearts that sorrowed shall be satisfied.

So may our hearts share in thine anguish, Lord,

that they may sharers of thy glory be;

Heavy with weeping may the three days pass,

to win the laughter of thine Easter Day.

- Peter Abelard (1079-1142)

Today's readings and reflection

FIRST READING (Ezekiel 37:12-14)

Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel.  And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done it, says the Lord.”    

SECOND READING (Romans 8:8-11)

Brethren: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if  the Spirit of God dwells in you.  Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.  

But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness.  

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.  

GOSPEL (John 11:1-45) 

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 

But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” 

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.  Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” 

The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if any one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep.” 

The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 

Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 

Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 

Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. 

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.” 

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 

Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; and he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”  

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. 

And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me.” 

When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” 

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him.

REFLECTIONS 

Jesus - the Resurrection and the Life - Servants of the Word  

Eye to Eye - FrAlexander Tefft

"Loose him and let him go . . ." - Spurgeon preaching in 1872 

FURTHERMORE . . . (by Fr Robin Gibbons)

Though our society prides itself of being 'real', liking to discover things, pushing known boundaries to new frontiers, we still cannot deal with physical death. That is one place we hesitate to go to, even though we pretend we can cope. I'm reminded of this so often in my ministry, whether formal or informal, for death stalks us each day.

Amongst the communities I deal with a number of young men have died tragically over the past two years, the most recent two weeks ago. It is painful to see the numbing experience of the young grappling with the emptiness of a space no longer filled, of a friendship no longer there. I say little these days, except to smile, and listen, and say as I often do, 'go very gently with yourself', for they are fragile persons with a whole known world cut away. Multiply that many times in the lives of so many and you can see the need for some way to bring a message of hope.

So this Gospel about Lazarus is timely for us; here the Lord Jesus does not pretend or shy away from the reality of death. We know so little about Lazarus, except he was a friend and Jesus loved him. The two sisters seem passively aggressive in their way for they, as we do in grief, lay a blame on somebody blameless, 'If YOU had been here, he wouldn't have died'. Doesn't that form of words echo so many wretched cruelties we afflict on nearest and dearest in the rawness of our own grief? For our grief can be utterly selfish, utterly cruel, if we do not sometimes check it with loving compassion! Even the disciples fail to understand what this death is all about, the world of John's Gospel is a world of symbols and dreams of the utterances of God, who shouts at us through events and encounters rather than in reasoned arguments. Here in the Lazarus story we have not so much a tale as a pointer to our own death and its real meaning.

Lazarus is a short form of Eleazar, meaning God helps! The place Bethany means 'House of affliction', the two are very clearly put together and shine on what Jesus is doing. He helps those in affliction, those whom he loves, like Lazarus. We also are Lazarus - death cannot be hidden and here John almost throws its rawness, grief, loss, disturbance, decay, tomb all in our faces!

That's death, but it's not all. For Lazarus is us, all of us loved by God. Here death is defeated and it will be totally through the hastening death of Jesus, who with grave clothes dropping off him, rises from the tomb in new life. This is Jesus who is the Life of the world. But he is also the Word, for as to Lazarus, so he will call us from our physical death. "Come out', he will shout, and with the trappings of death falling away, we too will walk into Life.

PRAYER  (From the ICEL proposed Missal of 1998)

Merciful God,

you showed your glory to our fallen race

by sending your Son

to confound the powers of death.

Call us forth from sin’s dark tomb.

Break the bonds which hold us,

that we may believe and proclaim Christ,

the cause of our freedom

and the source of life,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

holy and mighty God for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus at Bethany - Anointed for his burial

Artist: Daniel F. Gerhartz www.danielgerhartz.com

FIRST READING (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 coastlands 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.”

GOSPEL (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.

REFLECTIONS 

Extravagant love for Jesus 

(Word of Life Community) 

The "foolishness" of faith 

(Presentation Ministries)

FURTHERMORE . . .

“Before the triumphal procession moved towards Jerusalem, Jesus stopped at the home of His friend Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. There were two persons at the supper that distinguished themselves by their behaviour: Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and Judas, the disciple of Jesus, whose surname was Iscariot.

“Mary, sensing somehow that the earthly ministry of Jesus was drawing to a close, takes a pound of pure and expensive alabaster and anoints the feet of Christ, wiping them with her hair. The house was soon permeated by the sweet fragrance of the alabaster.

“Judas, however, always acutely conscious of the monetary value of everything, censured the pious act of Mary, charging her with the wanton waste of that which ‘might have been sold for much, and given to the poor’ (Matthew 26:9). We then see Jesus in His role as Defender of the poor and the oppressed. Chrysostom remarks that the piety of Judas here is certainly hypocritical, as is his condemnation of Mary.

“St. Paul tells us that Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. (II Corinthians 11:14). Judas is unsuccessful at hiding his real motive; he would have liked to have stolen the ointment, and sold it for his own personal profit. Many of us today are guilty of this sin of Judas, particularly those that would rob the church of its liturgical appointments, condemning them as luxuries. Not that they would steal from the church; but whenever a new chalice is needed for Holy Communion they will object that the money is being squandered foolishly, and the same with vestments, icons, and even with Bibles for the Sunday School. Any money spent for religious purposes, and especially for bringing others to the saving faith of Christ, is, according to these people, not necessary. It would be superfluous to comment upon the spiritual condition of these avaricious souls.”

Rev. George Dimopoulos 

“. . . anointing with such expensive oil was the traditional practice reserved for the deceased, the dead. But Jesus was not dead yet, he was very much alive. Then why did all this happen now, you may ask? Mary was foretelling the crucifixion of our Lord on the cross, and His burial in the tomb by her simple actions motivated purely by love. Our Lord specifically states that ‘she (Mary) has kept this for the day of My burial.’ (Jn 12:7). Here the actions of Mary teach us that Jesus was already dead to this world and to His human temptations. We too who attempt to live a life in Christ must also be dead to this world if we ever want to receive Christ.”

Kosmas Damianides

PRAYER

Alone to sacrifice thou goest, Lord,

giving thyself to Death

whom thou hast slain.

For us thy wretched folk is any word?

Who know that for our sins this is thy pain?

For they are ours, O Lord, our deeds, our deeds.

Why must thou suffer torture for our sin?

Let our hearts suffer in thy Passion, Lord,

that very suffering may thy mercy win.

This is the night of tears, the three days’ space,

sorrow abiding of the eventide,

Until the day break with the risen Christ,

and hearts that sorrowed shall be satisfied.

So may our hearts share in thine anguish, Lord,

that they may sharers of thy glory be;

Heavy with weeping may the three days pass,

to win the laughter of thine Easter Day.

- Peter Abelard (1079-1142)

Wrestling With Christ - Luigi Santucci's masterpiece

I am fortunate to have had a wide range of godly influences in the shaping of my faith as I grew into adulthood. One of the most important was Father Austin Day, who over the years gave me a large selection of books, often reflecting his own theological interests and devotional reading. Those books are among my most cherished volumes - currently being stored by a friend in Brisbane. 

In 1979 Father Austin bought me a copy of Wrestling With Christ by Italian mystic, novelist and dramatist, Luigi Santucci (1918–1999), translated from the Italian by Bernard Wall. As he excitedly thrust it into my hands he said that Santucci was on a par with Dorothy Sayers (and for Fr Austin that was REALLY saying something!) in terms of bringing alive the subtle characterisation in the Gospels of those who cross their pages.

I have read and re-read this book over the years. Fortunately it can still be obtained easily second-hand, and I encourage you, dear reader, to spend a couple of pounds or dollars and buy one for yourself.

Over the next few days I will share with you some of Santucci’s most memorable passages.

JESUS’ HONEY

- Luigi Santucci  

. . . and a woman called Martha welcomed him in her house. She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet and stayed listening to what he said.

If I’m to turn Calvary upslde down and side-step the garden of Gethsemane where he was to sweat blood and wrestle with his agony, perhaps I’d make use of that little house in Bethany, with its clayey soil, roses and Sycamore trees. His drop of joy, his earthly possession. 

A house, for the man who’s never had a stone to rest his head on. The noise of pots and pans, of bread-bins being opened and closed, of water on the boil; and happy, lazy cats in warm corners. For company, two women. One always busy, queening it over things and yet being their handmaid at the same time, with the cheerful yet slightly aggressive attitude of housewives who are always behindhand; the other sitting at his feet and listening, accepting the tiny cowardice of becoming a child again, of surrendering to the lazy ecstasy of story-time. 

Neither Martha nor Mary was in love with Jesus, although he came so often to their house and although he was Lazarus’s friend (and falling in love with your brother’s friend is a tender and inevitable pastime when you’re young). And yet it was as if they were in love with him - if it be true that admiration, devotion, affection, gratitude and every heart-beat, in anyone born a woman, are none other than chaste metaphors of love: that continuous and bewitched self-offering. 

In those hours, those afternoons when Lazarus was out working, Jesus enjoyed the essence of womanhood in those two creatures; the honey of life. Dreamy Mary was the pale nectar of the garden, agitated Martha a bitter honey from the Alps. 

Christ’s honey: Woman. Transcending the senses. The Samaritan woman at the well, the forgiven adulteress, the Magdalen of the perfumes, the mothers to whom he granted miracles for their sons, all of them; and first and foremost Mary of Nazareth. They were his secret holiday, a sort of good news within the good news, the gospel in undertones without anger or nails: it was he who discovered woman, thousands of years after she’d been created, and by so doing inaugurated the soul of the modern world. 

‘Lord, don’t you care when my sister leaves me to do the housework alone? Tell her to come and help me.’ This intimiste picture from the palette of Luke, painter and doctor, ends up in an affectionate bandinage: ‘Martha, Martha . . . you get bothered by too many things . . . Mary has chosen the better part.’

To be sure Mary chose the better part: Christ’s feet, that edge of matting on the stone floor where all the world – springtimes, waters, loves, celestial gardens - was gathered together at the sound of his voice. But Martha, the busy one, wasn’t all that different, she wasn’t outside the circle, she was a woman like Mary. She came in and out, keeping the kitchen door open; and when her hands were in the flour she listened with one ear, and loved.

Luigi Santucci (1918–1999)