She poured the alabaster jar of perfumed oil on his head.
MATTHEW 26:7
Where I grew up in Michigan, the Lenten and Easter time of year aligned with the end of winter and first rains and new life of spring. Where I live now in Tanzania, just south of the equator, Lent and Easter do not align with the spring season the way they align in the northern hemisphere.
The most spring-like season in Tanzania is when the dry season ends with the first rains of the year, usually in late October. The first rain here, after a hot dusty three to four-month dry season, are a relief. Water falling from the sky is a wonder of nature and gift from the heavens. After the rains begin, the landscape quickly changes from dusty brown to a lush green.
Artisans who make fragrance oils agree that the smell of fresh rain is the best smell in the world. Many have tried to duplicate the scent of fresh rain (it could be lucrative for perfumes, especially if added to detergents and household cleaners) but none have ever succeeded in replicating it. The reason they often give for their failure is the complexity of the smell.
The smell of fresh rain, known by its technical name petrichor, combines so many elements. Water droplets create fine aerosols on impact, lifting oils and organic compounds exuded by plants and soil into the air. Some of the component smells are seemingly undesirable–spilled oil on a blacktop road, for example. In short, artisans say the smell of fresh rain is too complex to reproduce or capture in a bottle.
Though we read it every year, the story of Christ’s Passion and Resurrection comes as a fresh relief, like the first rain of the season. And like the smell of fresh rain, life is a mixture of many elements, some of them undesirable. Without suffering, would I recognize joy? Without sin, would I know my need for salvation?
In today’s gospel reading, we hear about the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume, infuriating some men who argued that she could have helped poor people by selling it for profit. But Jesus said “She has done a good thing for me. The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them, but you will not always have me. She has done what she could. She has anticipated anointing my body for burial. Amen, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
We all can relate to the woman’s impulsive idea. There is research about our thoughts that theorizes that we do not have much control over the many things that “pop into our heads.” Maybe grace raining down onto that mixture of thoughts in our minds can mix them into something beautiful. We don’t need to suppress them—just let God’s love rain on them.
- by Stephen Veryser
Questions for Reflection
- Are there areas of your life, or in the natural world around you, in which undesirable elements coexist with the more pleasant ones?
- Can you imagine God’s grace transforming them together into something beautiful?
Prayer
Refrain: Praise be to you!
Father, we praise you with all your creatures.
They came forth from your all-powerful hand;
they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love. ℟
Son of God, Jesus,
through you all things were made.
You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother,
you became part of this earth,
and you gazed upon this world with human eyes.
Today you are alive in every creature
in your risen glory. ℟
Holy Spirit, by your light
you guide this world towards the Father’s love
and accompany creation as it groans in travail.
You also dwell in our hearts
and you inspire us to do what is good. ℟
Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love,
teach us to contemplate you
in the beauty of the universe,
for all things speak of you.
Awaken our praise and thankfulness
for every being that you have made.
Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined
to everything that is. ℟
God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money
that they may avoid the sin of indifference,
that they may love the common good, advance the weak,
and care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light,
help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom
of justice, peace, love and beauty. ℟
Amen.
- Prayer in Unison with Creation, Laudato Si’
Fast
Fast from technology. Turn off your cell phone, computer, television. Use that time to care for your relationship with God, the earth, yourself, and others. Go for a walk, explore nature, seek out conversation with neighbors, especially those who are lonely.
Action
March 22 is World Water Day. Learn about the sacred role of water for all life: http://bit.ly/MaryknollWater
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This reflection was published as part of our 2024 Lent Reflection Guide. The guide is also available in Spanish.
Photo of Maryknoll Lay Missioner Stephen Veryser’s son Justin harvesting produce from the family farm courtesy of the author. Photo of Maryknoll Lay Missioner Kathleen Bond outside of Eibingen Abbey in Rhein, Germany courtesy of Kathleen Bond.