During this Holy Week, we meditate on the Passion and Ressurection of Christ. Along with our special prayer, we have some special saints in this week.
St. Mary of Bethany
At the beginning of Holy Week, Mary came to Jesus with an alabaster flask of ointment. She opened her jar and poured out the costly scent. As one of the disciples complained, “What a waste”? But Jesus took it as for his forthcoming funeral. Mary of Bethany is a symbol for us in this Holy Week, if we repent, God will take care of us and surely we will be taken into his grace always.
St. Peter
Imagine yourself at Peter’s side when he denied Jesus once and again and still a third time. Feel the anguish over his failure. Meet the eyes of Jesus, as St. Luke tells us Peter did, and imagine the expression there: disappointment, perhaps, but compassion. Love. Can you picture Jesus’ loving face looking at you in your darkest moments of sin? Can his gaze draw you back to his heart? Can it draw you to the confessional?
St. Mary Magdalene
Mary didn’t leave his side though all the rest had fled. Even though she came to the tomb early morning due to her love towards him. She doesn’t like to leave him at any cost even though Jesus was buried. The attitude of Mary has to be kept in us always. Without any expectations or reasons, we should have to love Him and follow him always.
And ask yourself: do you love him like Mary Magdalene did? If there were no resurrection, could you go on? Or would you, too, decide to curl up to weep in the tomb until death took you as well?
St. Nicodemus
Saint Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night and walked away again, who tried (but not too hard) to temper men’s rage against Christ but always kept his distance, who didn’t betray him or deny him, just stayed a little too far away for Jesus to ask anything of him. Confront your complacency, wonder at your refusal to follow and then make your choice. You who could not rejoice with him when he raised the dead and gave sight to the blind, look on his battered, bloody corpse and choose him. Stand with him. Declare yourself his man, here in his utter defeat, and join Joseph of Arimathea in giving him a king’s burial. Pour out your coffers for him as Mary poured out her oil. Give him your heart, expecting nothing in return.