Be Extravagant, Be With Him!!
Drawing from the Palm Sunday Passion Narrative from the Gospel of Mark, we see two unusual inserts into this account. You can listen to my homily about these here.
The Woman’s Extravagance
“When he was in Bethany reclining at table
in the house of Simon the leper,
a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil,
costly genuine spikenard.
She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head.
There were some who were indignant.
“Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil?
It could have been sold for more than three hundred days’ wages
and the money given to the poor.”
They were infuriated with her.
Jesus said, “Let her alone.
Why do you make trouble for her?
She has done a good thing for me.
The poor you will always have with you,
and whenever you wish you can do good to them,
but you will not always have me.
She has done what she could.
She has anticipated anointing my body for burial.
Amen, I say to you,
wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world,
what she has done will be told in memory of her.” (Mark 14:3-9)
Whenever we come to “be with our Eucharistic Lord,” we are, indeed, “with Him” in a profound way. Why would we “only do this” or “only do that” when we are with Him? Think of the early settlers of this great nation. They could barely make ends meet, yet they would build beautiful churches for our Lord. Were they unwise? Were they too extravagant? No. We are called to give our very best in the churches we build, the liturgies we offer, and how we prepare for and approach our Eucharistic Lord. When it comes to God, Be Extravagant!!!
He Left His Garment Behind
“And they all left him and fled.
Now a young man followed him
wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body.
They seized him,
but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked.” (Mark 14:50-52)
The young man is you and me, if we are not careful. These are incredibly challenging times for “standing with the Lord.” Beginning with abortion and contraception. Yet, now if we stand with our Lord in protecting traditional marriage, we will be persecuted … “You are a bigot! You are discriminating! You are no different than the KKK!” How HARD it is to stand with the Lord. Even the word “traditionalist” has become something ugly, in the eyes of the world that is so polarized. Why is it polarized? Those who are “traditional” have simply chosen to stay, while the world is moving farther and farther away. Sadly, when they leave, they leave their baptismal garment behind. They all left! Not all … Mary stayed … John stayed … will you stay?
