**** Many Chinese Christians Held Hostage And Tortured **** See this story today: **** Now online at Monday's Page of Join My Journey: **** http://homepage.mac.com/ojoachim The Catholic Calendar for Monday, April 9, 2001 Monday of Holy Week Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word: Isaiah 42:1-7 Psalm 27:1-3,13-14 John 12:1-11 Full text: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm A Reflection on Today's Scripture: "The House was Filled with the Ointment's Fragrance . . ." We enter Holy Week with Palm Sunday. These first few days are deceptively upbeat. There is the triumph in Jerusalem, the 'hosannas' to the Son of David. And now we have a quiet domestic scene in the house of Lazarus, the dear friend of Jesus who has been raised from the dead. Mary has purchased an expensive ointment, a gift fit for a king. She puts it on Jesus and wipes it away with her hair -- an act of true adoration and devotion, an act of selfless giving. This is the beginning of Holy Week and the shadows of Good Friday are cast over all the days. "The poor will be with you always, but I am here only for a short time." But, the loving, prayerful act of Mary fills the room with the sweet fragrance of the ointment. Mary's act is made fragrant in the ointment she uses; and in that she becomes the symbol of us all. Our prayers and good works are the ointment we lovingly place upon Christ -- upon the poor who are always with us. Our acts of reparation and repentance are the devotions of Mary. Our prayers fill our daily lives, the house of worship, with the deep, sweet smell that rises even to the altars of God in the presence of the Angels. Let us be sure that our prayers and repentance are gifts fit for our King. - JuandelaCruz, TOC (c)2001 The Way, The Truth, The Life. Permission granted to make reprints or to post on any web page, except for profit. YOU can help to evangelize the Word of God: Recommend to your friends the Daily Meditations online at: http://homepage.mac.com/ojoachim ARCHIVED Meditations at: http://members.xoom.com/abcsoffaith/quiet1.htm http://www.mail-archive.com/dailymed%40saturn.nibcomp.com/maillist.html For ALL communications, including SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
