The Perfume of Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalane

(Reflection for Monday of the Holy Week)

“Leave her alone. Was she not keeping it for the day of my burial? (John 12:7)

Excerpts from the Gospel:

Then Mary took a pound of costly perfume made from genuine nard and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume… Jesus spoke up, “Leave her alone. Was she not keeping it for the day of my burial?... (John 12:3, 7)

Reflections:

On one of the homilies I have heard, I learned that the perfume of Mary Magdalene was so precious. It was contained not in an ordinary bottle. That perfume was sealed in a closed glass bottle and that there was no need for a covering cap. To open that, it should be broken and cannot be sealed again. For such reason, such perfume would only be used in a grand event.

On the night of the last supper of Jesus together with the twelve apostles, Mary Magdalene came with her perfume. Without hesitation, she broke the bottle and wore it to the Lord. She knelt down before Jesus and put the perfume on his feet through her hair. With all of her heart, she gave the best to the Lord. She was filled with so much praise and thanksgiving. She realized that even the most precious perfume on earth was not enough in return to the greatness of Jesus. Within her was great happiness as she experienced the glorious love, mercy and forgiveness that were shown to her by Jesus even if she was a sinner. She had found the hope in Christ. Though a sinner that she was, she gained again acceptance and was brought to life again.

In the book entitled “The Little Prince”, it was emphasized that “What is essential is invisible to the eye.” It is heart that can perceive the most important things in life. When we have found it, all the things in our life will be just secondary. Mary Magdalene had seen it in the form of what is called “Love of God”. When we will use the eyes of our heart, we will find the most essential. When our hearts have felt it, all things we can sacrifice just to have it. Finding it would be same as finding the greatest treasure of our life because such thing would already our new life that we cannot live without. When such thing would happen to our life, the fragrance of our renewed life will fill the whole community as our spirit and hearts are transformed by the grace and love of God. We, then, will be served as living fragrance of the world.

Is Mary Magdalene still present today? How about us? How do we find Jesus in our life? Are we also ready to break our precious perfume for Him? How do we find God’s love, mercy and pardon? Do we find Him as the most essential to our life? Are we fragrance to the world? What things can we offer for the death of Jesus as He was crucified to save us?