THE SEASON OF LENT
40 Days and 40 Nights

John 12:1-8

Mary Anoints Jesus
1 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.  3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said,  5 `Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’  6 (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.)      7 Jesus said, `Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.  8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’

(Other texts:  Isaiah 43:16-21;  Psalm 126;  Philippians 3:4b-14)