Monday of Holy Week

Key Verse : John 12 : 1 – 11

Meditation :  “….. you do not always have me.”

How often do these words occur to us as we try to pray ? we are kneeling in church or sitting quietly, ready for prayer, but nothing happens. “[Y]ou do not always me.”

 Here we can thank God for the example of Mary of Bethany. Through her, Jesus illustrates the two ways of devotion found in the Great commandment : besides prayer, which is service of God, there is service of neighbor. Jesus said to do both equally well with the whole mind, will, heart, and strength. 

 

Jesus is foretelling his imminent departure – preparing his friends to continue selflessly as Mary was serving him, washing his feet and drying them with her hair.

Today’s reading from John suggests that our Lord knows that we will more opportunity to serve others than we will have to pray. He also understands that we will often be disappointed in prayer. He will not always seem present to us, but our brothers and sisters are always with us. In understanding this, we are blessed by the example of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Her personal letters reveal that this is exactly how things were for her. She did not always feel Jesus present in her prayer, but she found him present in the needy. Jesus asks us also to squander our attention on him in the poor. Such generosity will enrich our prayer.

Prayer : Lord, you assure us that we will always have the poor with us because we ourselves are poor. We are often poor in the things of the spirit. We struggle to be virtuous and we struggle to pray. Consolations in prayer are few and far between, while distractions and weariness are common companions of our prayer. Teach us to fill up our spirit by emptying ourselves of all that does not serve you. Amen.