Monday of Holy Week, April 2,2007

Isaiah 42:1-7. Psalm 27:1-3,13-14. John 12:1-11. Lectionary # 258

For our Jewish brothers and sisters, Passover begins this evening (April 2,
2007). In our Catholic liturgy we, however, celebrate a reading that takes
us six days before the last Passover of Jesus on this earth. It is John
who gives us three Passovers in the life of Jesus whereas the Synoptics
seem to have only one. John, in his symbolic-theological perspectives,
sees Jesus as the Paschal Lamb for he has Jesus being led out to his Cross
at the same time the lambs were being prepared for the Passover--which
coincided in his Gospel with a great and solemn Sabbath. I personally like
the fact that John gives us a chronology for these last days of Jesus
historical life. It helps me to imagine the sequence of events that are
essential to what he lived through during that first "Holy Week." Jesus
will be victorious over the anger, the envy, and the cruelty of those who
were involved with his crucifixion. He will be lifted up, that is,
symbolically enthroned upon the Cross in a victory that conquers sin,
pride, power, evil, death, and above all the Prince of Darkness or evil
personified, the Devil. John has Jesus willingly and knowingly that he is
the one in charge of what will happen to him during this week. His
divinity and humanity are so closely united with the Father's will that he
and we are assured of his victory of death. Resurrection will be the last
second in what John calls the "hour"-- a symbolic term for his suffering,
death, and glorious resurrection. Chapter twelve ends the Book of Signs in
the Fourth Gospel. The seven signs were completed with the bringing back
to historical life Jesus' friend Lazarus. This is the greatest of the
seven signs and completes the first part of the Gospel of John which is
meant to lead us to commit ourselves personally and communally to Jesus
with decisive faith. This theme of believing in Jesus with absolute
commitment is mentioned over ninety times in the Fourth Gospel and it
predominates the Book of Signs. Each sign is a theology of deepening our
faith in Jesus as the Revealer and Apostle of God. The reading opens with
the anointing of Jesus' feet by Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha--his
devoted and intimate friends of Bethany. Lazarus is there alive and well
after being released just a day or two from the bonds of burial cloths.
When Jesus rises from the dead he will not need anyone to unbind his burial
shroud. It is neatly laid aside for John and Peter on Easter Sunday. The
anointing of Jesus' feet is a preparation for his death and burial which is
anticipated in a subconsious symbolism of Mary who loved him so deeply and
realizes he may be gone in a few days. Jesus is relaxing and bringing
some reality to Judas Iscariot who is concerned about the wasteful act of
Mary who spills all of the precious perfumed oil on Jesus' feet. He was
concerned with the poor (the irony of the Evangelist shines forth in this
complaint of Judas who was a thief). The story is immersed in Jesus as
Life and Jesus as Light. His victory is soon to be realized as Easter
Sunday approaches. We are called to follow the last days of Jesus once
again. We are fortunate in having to do it so many times in our life so
that we finally let it seek in. He had to do it only once for his love was
all encompassing and left none of us aside. As one holy woman said in
prayer as she approached her death, " all souls are saved. All souls are
saved." Amen.