We spent time yesterday
praying and reflecting on the Last Supper.
Today, Good Friday,
we will recall one other supper
held a week before the Last Supper,
as recounted in the Gospel according to John.
It was a dinner thrown for Jesus
by his close friends from Bethany–
the sisters Martha and Mary,
and their brother Lazarus.
Just barely a week
before his arrest and crucifixion,
Jesus attended what might well have been
an advanced farewell party.
But in this one scene,
we see how our Lord elicited
such a wide variety of responses
from the different people around him.
Read the Scripture passage mindfully and contemplatively.
Try to imagine the scene using your five senses:
What do you see, hear, touch, feel–even taste?
Take your time, and pay attention to the different people present.
With whom do you find yourself identifying with the most?
If desired, play this instrumental music as you read the text.
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Painting: Anointing of Jesus/ From Augustine’s “La Cite de Dieu”, book I-X