“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.” (Cf. John 12:1-11)
Before we gaze upon the beauty of Mary’s love in Bethany, let us first pause and turn our eyes to Jesus—his heart, his context, and his quiet courage. The days of his earthly journey were drawing to a close. To come to Jerusalem for the Passover was not merely a religious act—it was an act of great bravery. The religious authorities had already made their intentions clear: they wanted him dead (John 11:57). Jesus knew what awaited him. And yet, he did not run. He came, step by step, with a heart full of courage, preparing himself for the cross.
Now, we return to Bethany—this small town, this quiet dinner table—and we meet Mary. Of all those who knew Jesus, she loved him deeply and purely. The biblical scholar William Barclay calls her offering “Love’s Extravagance”—the kind of love that gives everything it has, and if it could, would give even more.
It reminds me of a mother I once met. She worked two jobs to support her child’s education. She skipped meals to buy textbooks, returned home late and weary, yet still found time to listen, to teach, to care. She never complained. Her only sorrow was that she could not do more. Her love, too, was extravagant.
Mary’s act was not practical. It wasn’t economical. It wasn’t even logical by worldly standards. But love rarely is. She didn’t come to ask for anything. She didn’t wait for a miracle or come in a time of crisis. She came to give, not to receive. She came simply to be with Jesus, to listen, to honor him, and to pour out her heart in the only way she knew how—through beauty, humility, and tenderness.
“The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” What a line. I love this sentence. It lingers not only in the room at Bethany, but in our hearts too. St. John isn’t only describing the physical scent of nard. He’s pointing us to something deeper—a spiritual fragrance. A truly loving deed leaves behind a scent that time cannot erase. It blesses the space it touches. It perfumes the air with grace, tenderness, and beauty. And as many Fathers of the Church have said, “The whole Church is filled with the sweet memory of Mary’s action.”
Dear friend, As we begin Holy Week, we are invited not only to reflect on the sufferings of Jesus, but also to respond to his extravagant love with our own. Jesus gave everything. He held nothing back—not even his life. All he desires in return is our heart, our honest love, our presence.
May Mary’s example awaken something in us—a deeper love for Jesus, and a more generous heart toward others. May our homes, our actions, and our lives be filled with the same fragrance of love that filled the house in Bethany.
Little-pencil 