Episode Details

We read in the gospel today about that Mary who "wasted" an expensive perfume used also for anointing corpses in Jewish culture, on the feet of Jesus. This gesture was evidently one of love and affection. Mary was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Jesus frequented their home in the town of Bethany. Jesus praised her for that gesture, hence, the title of this homily. But He did that after Judas Iscariot emitted a complaint and criticism of that gesture. He feigned concern for the poor in letting out the comment that that perfume should have not been wasted on Jesus, but sold to the poor to raise some money for them. It was nothing of that actually, St. John tells us in the same gospel text. Anyhow, Jesus praised Mary's gesture and He continued to prophesy about His own demise and that His body would need that perfume.