Mary's Offering

Preparation for today’s experience…
Instead of a purely contemplative practice, today will be a sensory experience centered on the sense of smell. Take a few minutes to gather an item with a fragrance you enjoy—a scented candle, perfume, cologne, or even something from the kitchen like freshly brewed coffee. Set this item before you and be sure you can smell it from where you are seated.

Begin in silence…
Close your eyes and begin to breathe deeply and slowly. Notice the scent of your fragrant item. Hold your breath for a moment and allow the fragrance to linger in your nose. Open your eyes as you continue to pay attention to the scent.

Background on the passage…
Today’s scripture reading focuses on Mary of Bethany and her fragrant offering to Jesus just days before his crucifixion. The story appears in three of the Gospels with slight variations. The account in John identifies Mary by name and includes Martha, Lazarus and the disciples at a dinner honoring Jesus. In Matthew and Mark, however, the setting is the home of Simon the Leper. Most scholars believe that the woman in Matthew and Mark is Mary because the timing of each is exactly six days before Passover.

In John, Mary pours perfume on Jesus' feet, while in Matthew and Mark, the woman pours perfume over his head. Either way, she prepares his body for burial with this expensive offering. Jesus proclaims in both Mark and Matthew that what she has done will be remembered wherever the gospel is told.