By Mother Rebecca
The Anointing at Bethany
Come close with Mary, Martha, Lazarus,
So close the candles stir with their soft breath,
And kindle heart and soul to flame within us,
Lit by these mysteries of life and death.
For beauty now begins the final movement,
In quietness and intimate encounter,
The alabaster jar of precious ointment,
Is broken open for the world’s true lover.
The whole room richly fills to feast the senses
With all the yearning such a fragrance brings,
The heart is mourning but the spirit dances,
Here at the very centre of all things,
Here at the meeting place of love and loss
We all foresee and see beyond the cross.
Malcolm Guite, from Sounding the Seasons: Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year
“How’s your Lent going?”
Mtr. Amy Heller posed this question this past Wednesday evening in her homily. The question – though not delivered as forcefully as the slap heard round the world – jolted me, bringing me face-to-face with the reality of my response: “Not as well as I’d hoped.”
“At this point,” Mtr. Amy continued, “I’m thinking many of us have run that cycle of keeping to our Lenten disciplines and then not and then taking them up again and then not …”
“Exactly,” I though in dismay, swatting away the shame demons buzzing around my head and heart.
Ever gentle in her care of our souls, Mtr. Amy reminded us that Lent is not over yet and, more importantly, that the invitation to a holy life is always open, unrestricted to a season of the church calendar. Like the father in the parable of the Prodigal last Sunday, God is watching and waiting for us to appear on the horizon, always ready to throw arms of love around our necks before we can even choke out our words of repentance. Grateful for Mtr. Amy’s words, I rose this morning and rededicated myself to one of a spiritual discipline from which I’d fallen away, with the intention of practicing that discipline every day for the remaining two weeks of Lent.
In these remaining two weeks, our lectionary readings bring us ever closer to the cross. This Sunday, we will – as Malcolm Guite describes in his sonnet – “come close with Mary, Martha, [and] Lazarus.” Jesus chooses to spend his last night before entering Jerusalem in Bethany. This truly is “the meeting place of love and loss”; for tomorrow Jesus will rise, enter the city to cries of “Hosanna!”, then walk steadily toward his passion. Tonight, however, he shares a meal with friends he loves. Martha serves the meal (no surprise there). Lazarus joins Jesus at the table. And Mary, in a moment so intimate and tender, brings a pound of nard – worth a full year’s wages – anoints Jesus’ feet, and wipes them with her hair. Aware that this may be the last meal they share with Jesus – the last time they’ll be able to do anything for the one they love – each of the three offer the best of themselves to him: Martha, the gift of her service; Lazarus, the gift of himself alive and well again; and Mary, this extravagant gift of anointing.
This Sunday, as we pull up a chair at that dinner table, we can learn from Martha, Lazarus, and Mary what it looks like to offer ourselves to Jesus. This Sunday, I encourage you to listen deeply to the account of this meal which “begins the final movement” of Jesus’ life and to discern how God might be calling you to offer yourself to Jesus in these remaining weeks of Lent.
On Ash Wednesday, each of us was invited to a holy Lent by self-examination, repentance, prayer, fasting, self-denial, and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. I hope you’ve accepted that invitation in some way – made a commitment for the season that’s been hard to keep – sought in your own way to journey to the cross with Jesus. If you have not yet accepted the invitation, know that it is open-ended; it is never too late to turn toward God – never too late to offer ourselves.
One way we can consider offering ourselves is to commit to coming to each of the remaining services in Lent and Holy Week. Come this Sunday, then commit to return for Palm Sunday, when we leave the beauty and calm of Bethany, enter Jerusalem with Jesus, and hear the account of his Passion and death. Make plans to participate in Eucharist on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week, where we will hear Jesus teach in the Temple. Commit to come to Tenebrae on Wednesday of Holy Week, where we will pray psalms, hear readings, and respond in music that draw us into Christ’s Passion. Then begins the Triduum – the great three days – including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. If you commit to nothing else, commit to participating in our services during these three days. You can learn more about these opportunities, including services for families with children and youth, on our website at http://www.transfiguration.net/holy-week.
So, as Mtr. Amy asked on Wednesday evening, I now ask you: how’s your Lent going? How will you accept the invitation to a Holy Lent in the coming weeks?
I look forward to seeing you soon and often.
Mother Rebecca