You're listening to Catholic Sprouts, the anointing at Bethany.

A reading from the Holy Gospel, according to John.

Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet

with her hair and the house was filled with the fragrance of perfume but judas one of his

disciples who was intending to betray him said why was this perfume not not sold for 300 denary and given to the poor?

Now he said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief.

And as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.

Therefore, Jesus said to him,

Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.

For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Look at the image of the anointing at Bethany.

Imagine that you are there in this home, sitting at this table, enjoying a nice meal.

The room is filled with conversation and the aroma of cooked meat and spices.

Dishes clatter. Out of the corner of your

eye, you notice that a woman has snuck into the room. She wasn't invited and she seems to be

crying. You don't pay much attention to her. In fact, you hope that she will leave. You go back

to your food and your conversation,

but suddenly something catches your attention. It's not something you see or hear this time,

it's something you smell. The whole room is flooded with the beautiful aroma of expensive oil.

You wonder who is using this expensive oil and so much of it

that the smell has filled the room covering the smell of the food.

...