An Anointing by Mary
By Junchol Lee
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In John 12, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anoints the feet of Jesus with a pound of costly oil. Jesus accepts this as an act of love and devotion, but Judas Iscariot is upset by Mary's act. Judas argues that it is a waste to use oil in such a way, and it would have been better to sell it and spend the money for the poor. Love of God and love of the neighbor, how do these two important loves relate one to another?
(References: Arcana Coelestia 482)