Holy Week: Monday

Lectionary readings for today:  Isaiah 42:1-9, Psalm 36:5-11, Hebrews 9:11-15, John 12:1-11.

Monday:  And so we begin the end of the journey to the cross.  It may only be a few days in time, but all of Lent has led us here.  A dark week to be sure, but I found myself focused on one particular passage in John.  "Mary took a pound of costly perfume... anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 'Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?' (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)  Jesus said, 'Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.  You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.'"

Just like any other living being, Jesus will not always be physically on this earth.  And while we cannot and should not ignore the poor or those who need our help, it is also important to recognize and appreciate those who are with us now.  We should take the time (and perhaps some expense) to not just care for but show our gratitude to those who have influenced us or made our lives better.

On this Monday of Holy Week, how can we show our appreciation to an individual (or individuals) who have helped make us the people we are today?