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TODAY’S WORD…

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Six days before the Passover,

Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was,

whom He had raised from the dead.

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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.

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– John 12:1-3 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus pays another visit to Bethany

to see His friends, siblings Lazarus, Martha and Mary.

It is very touching to see this friendship,

at once divine and human,

expressed in the form of frequent contact.

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This anointing of Jesus, by Mary, had a particular meaning

and should be seen in the context of Eastern hospitality.

The cost of the flask of perfume

would have amounted to a year’s wage

and Judas is recorded as having lamented this `waste’ of so valuable a perfume

– in his greed, he totally missed the significance

and had only been calculating the price.

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Are we so welcoming and generous with Jesus, like Lazarus, Martha and Mary,

or are we stingy and calculating with Him, like Judas?

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Do we give Jesus

the time and the special attention He deserves as our Lord and God,

or do we, in spite of our declarations in church and in prayer,

treat Him just like, or even worse than, everybody and everything else,

and take Him for granted…

unless we want something from Him?

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And last but not least,

am I prepared to express and let others see how much I love Jesus,

and how special He is to me?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, my Lord, my God, my Saviour, my Friend,

I welcome You into my heart!

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