Daily Readings - Mon Mar 26 2018

First Reading - Isaiah 42.1-7

¹Behold my servant, I will uphold him, my elect, with him my soul is well-pleased. I have sent my Spirit upon him. He will offer judgment to the nations²He will not cry out, and he will not show favoritism to anyone; neither will his voice be heard abroad³The bruised reed he will not break, and the smoldering wick he will not extinguish. He will lead forth judgment unto truth⁴He will not be saddened or troubled, until he establishes judgment on earth. And the islands will await his law⁵Thus says the Lord God, who created the heavens and expanded it, who formed the earth and all that springs from it, who gives breath to the people in it, and spirit to those walking on it⁶I, the Lord, have called you in justice, and I have taken your hand and preserved you. And I have presented you as a covenant of the people, as a light to the Gentiles⁷so that you may open the eyes of the blind, and lead out the prisoner from confinement and those sitting in darkness from the house of incarceration

Gospel - John 12.1-11

John

Chapter 12

¹Then six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethania, where Lazarus had died, whom Jesus raised up²And they made a dinner for him there. And Martha was ministering. And truly, Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at table with him³And then Mary took twelve ounces of pure spikenard ointment, very precious, and she anointed the feet of Jesus, and she wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment⁴Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was soon to betray him, said⁵"Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the needy?⁶Now he said this, not out of concern for the needy, but because he was a thief and, since he held the purse, he used to carry what was put into it⁷But Jesus said: "Permit her, so that she may keep it against the day of my burial⁸For the poor, you have with you always. But me, you do always not have.⁹Now a great multitude of the Jews knew that he was in that place, and so they came, not so much because of Jesus, but so that they might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead¹⁰And the leaders of the priests planned to put Lazarus to death also¹¹For many of the Jews, because of him, were going away and were believing in Jesus

Sermon

The first reading from Isaiah presents a vision of God’s servant, a figure of humility and justice, who is chosen and upheld by God. This servant is not one who cries out or breaks the bruised reed, but one who gently leads forth judgment and brings light to the nations. The passage emphasizes the servant’s mission to open the eyes of the blind, free the captive, and bring hope to those in darkness. This is a prophecy of the Messiah, who will fulfill this mission with compassion and integrity. In the Gospel, we see a vivid contrast between Mary’s extravagant act of love and Judas’ criticism of her generosity. Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with costly ointment, an act of devotion that prepares him for his burial. Judas, on the other hand, feigns concern for the poor but is actually motivated by his own greed. Jesus defends Mary, reminding us that while we can always serve the poor, we do not always have him physically present among us. This moment in Bethany is a turning point, as the raising of Lazarus has drawn attention to Jesus, and the religious leaders begin to plot against both Jesus and Lazarus. These readings invite us to reflect on how we respond to God’s presence in our lives. Mary’s actions show us the value of selfless love and surrender, while Judas’ reaction warns us against allowing our hearts to grow cold or selfish. Like the servant in Isaiah, we are called to be instruments of justice and light in the world, but this begins with a deep personal relationship with God. As we navigate our daily lives, may we choose to love extravagantly, serve humbly, and trust in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems to prefer darkness over light.