"You always have the poor with you,
but you do not always have Me.”
(John 12:8)
Jesus is more valuable and worthy than all the riches of the world combined. Our offering expresses our love and devotion to Jesus. What the world may see as a waste, God sees as a valuable sacrifice. A life spent in selfless devotion to Jesus is not wasted, but a life spent on self is totally wasted. These lessons inspire us to live a life of devotion, sacrifice, and service, recognizing Jesus’ worth and the impact of His miracles. They warn us of the existence of evil intentions and remind us of the value of living our lives for Jesus.
1 Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. 3 Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, 5 “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” 6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. 7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9 The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, 11 because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him. (John 12:1-11)
More valuable than all riches combined is Jesus, in Him true wealth we find. Our offerings express our love so deep for the Shepherd who cares for His sheep. What the world may see as a waste, to God, is a sacrifice, beautifully graced. A life spent in selfless devotion to Him is never wasted but filled to the brim. Yet a life spent on self, in worldly chase is totally wasted, lost in space. These lessons inspire us, in every way to live a life of devotion, come what may. Recognizing Jesus' worth, so divine and the impact of His miracles, truly benign. They warn us of evil intentions, so sly, and remind us of the value of the Most High. Living our lives for Jesus, our King brings us joy that makes our hearts sing. So, let's live a life of sacrifice and service for Jesus who gave His life for us.
Dear Lord Jesus, You are more valuable and worthy than all the riches of the world combined. Our offerings to You are expressions of our love and devotion. What the world may see as a waste, You see as a valuable sacrifice. A life spent in selfless devotion to You is not wasted, but a life spent on self is totally wasted. These lessons inspire us to live a life of devotion, sacrifice, and service, recognizing Your worth and the impact of Your miracles. They warn us of the existence of evil intentions and remind us of the value of living our lives for You. Help us to always remember these lessons and to live our lives according to Your will. Guide us in our journey of faith and help us to always trust in Your love and mercy. In Your Holy Name, we pray, Amen.
The servant, a clear reference to Jesus, is described by His humility and meekness. He shows tenderness to weak and ignorant persons and displays courage. Jesus is not only a servant but The Servant. He serves us every day through His constant love, care, guidance, and intercession. He brings justice to the nations. He does not destroy the weak but cares for them. These lessons inspire us to live a life of humility, service, compassion, and justice, and to place our trust in God. They remind us of the transformative power of faith and the importance of caring for the weak and oppressed. Change and transformation are possible with God’s help. Let us trust the Lord so that we will have nothing to fear for God is with us, strengthening us, and upholding us.
1 Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, 2 not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, 4 until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spreads out the earth with its crops, who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk on it. 6 I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. (Isaiah 42:1-7)
In humility and meekness, He stands, a servant, yet the Servant of all lands. Tenderness He shows, courage He displays, to the weak and ignorant, He lights the ways. Not just a servant, but The Servant indeed, through love, care, guidance, our needs He'd heed. Every day He serves, in His constant grace, in our hearts, His love leaves an eternal trace. Justice to the nations, He brings forthright, yet the weak He spares, in His gentle might. Lessons from His life, inspire us to see humility, service, compassion, the key. In God we trust, placing faith above, reminded of the power of transformative love. Caring for the weak, the oppressed, the low echoes the teachings He did bestow. Change and transformation, with God, begin, a journey of faith, shedding the skin of sin. Fear not, for the Lord is with us, we find, strengthening, upholding, in body and mind.
Dear Lord Jesus, You are the Servant, a clear reference to Your humility and meekness. You show tenderness to the weak and ignorant, and display courage. You are not only a servant but The Servant. You serve us every day through Your constant love, care, guidance, and intercession. You bring justice to the nations. You do not destroy the weak but care for them. These lessons inspire us to live a life of humility, service, compassion, and justice, and to place our trust in You. They remind us of the transformative power of faith and the importance of caring for the weak and oppressed. We know that change and transformation are possible with Your help. We trust in You, Lord, so that we will have nothing to fear for You are with us, strengthening us, and upholding us. We thank You for Your unending love and grace. May we continue to grow in Your likeness and serve others as You have served us. In Your Holy Name, we pray, Amen.
Everything starts and ends with God and not with problems we face or people we encounter. Even if we are in a bad situation or got to experience ten times worse, the Lord would still be there for us. God is our guide and savior, leading us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. He is our strength, protection and the one true source of all our blessings. God has a perfect plan for our lives, we should patiently wait on Him. Let us live a life of confidence, trust, and faith in God as our as our guide, savior, and strength.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? 2 When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies themselves stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust. 13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14)
In the circle of life, where all things start and end, it's not with problems or people, but God, our true friend. Even in the darkest hour, when hope seems to wane, remember, ten times worse, yet His love will remain. God, our guide and savior, our beacon so bright, leads us from darkness, into His marvelous light. He is our strength, our shield, our blessings' source, guiding us gently along life's winding course. God has a plan, perfect in every way, patience we must have, as we wait and pray. In His time, His plan will unfold, a story of love, waiting to be told. Let us live a life, full of faith and trust in God, our guide, savior, and strength, as we must. For He is our rock, our fortress, our might, guiding us always, in His eternal light.
Dear Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that everything starts and ends with You. We are reminded that our focus should not be on the problems we face or the people we encounter, but on You, our Lord and Savior. Even if we find ourselves in a bad situation, or if things seem to get ten times worse, we know that You will still be there for us. You are our guide, leading us out of darkness and into Your marvelous light. You are our strength, our protection, and the one true source of all our blessings. We are confident in Your perfect plan for our lives, and we patiently wait on You. Help us to live a life of confidence, trust, and faith in You as our guide, savior, and strength. May we always remember that You are with us, and that with Your help, we can face any challenge that comes our way. In Your Holy Name, we pray, Amen.
Pericope:
II: The Book of Signs
THE ANOINTING AT BETHANY
John 12:1-11
B: The Book of Consolation, I: The Lord's Glory in Israel's Liberation
THE SERVANT OF THE LORD
Isaiah 42:1-25
First Book of Psalms 1-41
TRUST IN GOD
Psalm 27:1-14
