Isaiah speaks of the suffering servant, the one who suffers silently, "he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street."
The silence of Jesus on the cross empowers us to speak out for justice. Only in entering the silence of our redemption are we able to hear what needs to be heard and thus become heralds of the gospel of life for all.
In the gospel Jesus is anointed by Mary at Bethany. The fragrance of the oil fills the house. This costly perfumed oil was poured upon Jesus' feet.
What of this anointing?
The anointing of oil was, especially at death, meant to preserve life. The fragrance of the oil was to drive away the stench of death. Here Mary at Bethany in an act of love and faith seeks to preserve the life of Jesus. She seeks to drive away the stench of death, the very thing that will save us.
Yet, it is not wasted.
Mary shows to us what faith and love are about. The justice from faith and love must always seek to drive away the stench of death and preserve life for all.
Only in the sacred exchange, Jesus takes upon our death so that he may give us life are we empowered to anoint the world with the aroma of Christ and thus preserve life for all.
As St. Augustine reminds us, "Accordingly, Jesus effected a wonderful exchange with us, through mutual sharing: we gave him the power to die, he will give us the power to live. "
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