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| Image by Alcides Ota |
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A GREETING
O God, look on the face of your anointed.
(Psalm 84:9)
A READING
Mary 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.
(John 12:3)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
(Psalm 51:6)
A POEM PRAYER
O fire of the Paraclete,
the life of every creature's life:
you are holy in giving life to forms;
You are holy in anointing the severely injured,
holy in cleansing
loathsome wounds.
from "O Fire of the Paraclete," by Hildegard of Bingen
found in The Flowering of the Soul: A Book of Prayers by Women
Edited by Lucinda Vardey
VERSE OF THE DAY
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
(Psalm 23:5)
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| Image by Denni Schnapp |
Three times in the events of Holy Week, we hear stories of anointing and/or showing care for the body of Jesus and others. One time takes place before the entry into Jerusalem, when Jesus experiences the lavish nard of Mary of Bethany while dining with his friends. The second time takes place on the evening of his arrest, when Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. The third time will come after Jesus has been taken down from the Cross and his friends anoint him for burial. How can these three different moments help us to frame the events of the week?
In today’s music, we hear the women of Trio Mandili singing Psalm 51 in Aramaic. Jesus and his friends spoke Aramaic, along with some Greek and some other forms of Hebrew. It was common then (and still is) for those who were preparing a body for burial to sing psalms while anointing them. In the coming days, how can we hear the singing/chanting/crying of the women of the Cross as a kind of nard, a pouring out of the voice like anointing spices?
We are told that Mary’s nard fills the room with its aroma. And when Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb on Easter morning, she will be bringing spices to anoint Jesus again. But instead, she will find the linen cloths discarded. These cloths, in such short time since the burial, would still be carrying the perfume of the pounds of precious spices that were brought by Nicodemus and others to lavish on Jesus. The perfume of anointing oils and spices fills this week.
Despite their absence from the narratives, this week is marked in many ways by the myrrh-bearers, the women of the Cross and their friends. How can we keep their plaintive voices in our ears, as we walk through these days? What are the songs that speak most to you of the anguish and fear that arise in Holy Week, that you can sing with passion during these days?
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| Image by Alcides Ota |
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LC† Awakened by the Spirit is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!