The 'Subito Piano' Following Palm Sunday

Lent begins quietly. We fill our days with prayer, confession and meditation. We give up habits and treats all for the sake of remembering the sacrifices of Jesus.

Palm Sunday arrives and the dynamic changes. The crescendo of praise begins, and our voices are lifted to honor the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

(This week's blog has been published by Good Faith Media. You can read the rest of the article at https://goodfaithmedia.org/lenten-lectionary-the-subito-piano-following-palm-sunday/ )

The Gift of Holy Love

Yesterday, I walked out of the house, arrived at my destination, and realized that I had forgotten to put on my jewelry. When that happens, I always feel a bit incomplete.

I wear four bracelets on my right arm. Each one was given to me by a person that I love. The bracelets are symbolic and hold a special meaning for me. Wearing them daily is a reminder of my relationship with the one who gave me the bracelet and of the occasion when I received the gift. Forgetting to put them on yesterday was a gentle reminder of how significant these gifts are to me.

For the fifth Sunday of Lent, the gospel reading is John 12:1-8. In this story, we find Jesus receiving a significant gift.

Jesus is at the home of his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He is there for a dinner where he is the special guest. As the friends and guests are gathered at the table, Mary stands and breaks open a jar of expensive perfume. She kneels beside Jesus and begins to pour the perfume on his feet.

When I close my eyes and picture this scene in my mind, I imagine the hush of the room. I hear people murmur, “what is she doing?” I imagine that Jesus looks down at her with love, and then he looks at the others with a glance that says, “let her be – let her give this gift to me.”

Mary’s gift is not practical. It is lavish. Her gift is loving, symbolic, and meaningful.

Jesus receives her gift and quiets those who would protest this offering. He accepts this anointing and wears the fragrance of the nard on his body as he travels his journey to the cross.

The memory of Mary’s gift will be reflected in Jesus when he kneels at the feet of his disciples and washes their feet, offering to them a gift of love that they will carry with them in the days ahead.

Jesus will wear the memory of this beautiful gift all the way to the cross. The scent of the perfume will linger on his body, but only as a reminder that the real gift was love – love poured out by Mary to the Christ who loved her.

Let Holy Love Hold You

When our children were toddlers, they would walk up to me and my husband, lift up their arms and say,

"hold you!" Even as toddlers, they knew that what they wanted was for us to pick them up and hold them in our arms. They were just a bit confused about their pronouns.

After we picked them up, our children would then proceed to grab our cheeks and turn our faces to look directly into their faces. Usually what followed were giggles and kisses. In those moments the love that was shared between us felt sacred and holy.

Spiritual Director and author, Judy Cannato says, "Everywhere the Holy One is shouting and whispering, 'Let me love you.' And all that is asked of us is to receive. In reality that is our life's work. Nothing more and certainly nothing less."

Our children wanted to be held and to receive our love. We wanted to hold them and show them the depth of our love. I believe that God wants to do the same for us - that in reality, God is desperate to love us. Like our children, God stands before us with open arms and says, "Hold you...I will hold you and give you my love." With all of the correct pronouns, that is God's promise to us.

May we respond to God's invitation. May we receive God's embrace, and may our hearts beat with holy love.