Mary, Martha, and Lazarus recline with Jesus, they share intimacy with Him, serve Him and anoint Him. Lazarus is gratefully aware that the Master raised him from the dead and wants to share that joy with others as he invites friends to a banquet in his home to meet Jesus. Mary lavishly shows her love and affection for Jesus by anointing his holy feet with expensive perfumed oil and drying his feet with her hair.
But not Judas. Judas snickers, Judas sneers, Judas mocks. Judas envies. He covets.
The Church, of course, is to embody the spirit of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary: serving Jesus, bringing people closer to Jesus that they may share with him in the banquet of life, lavishly pouring out our very best, our very selves to honor and love Jesus.
Very often, we encounter the spirit of Judas Iscariot, though, don’t we, sneering and snickering at the Church’s most holy expressions of love for Jesus—our liturgy, our care for the poor. The Church is mocked sometimes by her own members for if that unholy spirit can infiltrate the twelve, it can certainly infiltrate the Church. It is a whisper that even many devoted Catholics have heard in their own hearts—don’t serve Him, it’s too costly, you have more important things to do. The Spirit of Judas is always trying to turn people away from the lavish love of God.
What seems like an incredible waste of time, money, and effort to the world—our service, our worship, our prayers, are to be offered in a spirit of profound and lavish charity, like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in the Gospel today. Judas cries out that all this is a waste. But we know better. Our lavish expressions of holy friendship with Him, our love of Him, our expressions of gratitude for how he has blessed us, and for the immensity of what he suffers for us, are holy to God.
So, we must not be embarrassed in our lavishly loving Him, we must not hold back from lavishly serving him, and we must not be hesitant in inviting those who hunger for his goodness, his truth, and his beauty, to the table of the Lord. Yes, there are many Judas’ out there, but there are also many on the fringes, who are yearning to meet Him, know Him, and love Him.
Each of us does well today to reflect upon how we can show our gratitude to the Lord, how we can serve the Lord, and how we can bring others to know the Lord, even perhaps to soften the hearts of the Judases of the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.
That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.
For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.
That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.
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