Use some or all of this reflection to help guide your personal journey through this week of Lent.
Reflect
‘Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love’
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa, 1910-1997 and Brian Kolodiejchuk. 2007. Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light : The Private Writings of the “Saint of Calcutta”. New York, Doubleday.
Read
1“Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’”
John 12:1-8 (NRSVUE)
Ponder
We are moving closer to Easter.
- This is a story charged with emotion, full of physicality , hard words and individual agendas…where would you have been in this story? Can you imagine watching Jesus while this was unfolding?
- How do you think Jesus might have been at this point in the journey?
- How are you?
- What did the service of Martha and Mary have in common, and how do they differ?
- Do you have times you are like Martha? Like Mary? Can you notice when and why?
- Things got in the way for Judas. He didn’t want to accept the love so boldly on display as the ultimate act…
- Was Judas ‘being a thief’ the only reason he got angry?
Do
- Are there any ways (one or more) that you can offer acts of love this week?
- Perhaps notice when it feels more like Martha’s love and when it feels like Mary’s love.
- Is there a difference for you when you offer those acts?
Prayer
This week can you hold this prayer as your own. Perhaps this week, the best we can do is to ask for the courage to be able to pray such a prayer.
Jesus, show me the way to truly follow you on this path towards Life…whether it asks that I toil like Martha, or adore like Mary.
Give me the same courage you are finding, to be truly myself, to be truly loving, to be truly yours. Amen
Listen
Here’s a lovely meditation in song, Little Things With Great Love by Madison Cunningham
In the garden of our Savior
No flower grows unseen
His kindness rains like water
On every humble seed
No simple act of mercy
Escapes His watchful eye
For there is One who loves me
His hand is over mine
In the kingdom of the heavens
No suff’ring is unknown
Each tear that falls is holy
Each breaking heart a throne
There is a song of beauty
On ev’ry weeping eye
For there is One who loves me
His heart, it breaks with mine
Oh, the deeds forgotten
Oh, the works unseen
Every drink of water
Flowing graciously
Every tender mercy
You’re making glorious
This You have asked us
Do little things with great love
Little things with great love
At the table of our Savior
No mouth will go unfed
His children in the shadows
Stream in and raise their heads
Oh give us ears to hear them
And give us eyes that see
For there is One who loves them
I am His hands and feet
For a printable PDF of the text of this reflection please click on the link below.
