Mary’s selfless act foreshadows Jesus washing His disciples’ feet only a few days later. It also anticipates His death; anointing the feet that will be forced to support Him as He carries the Cross – feet that will be pierced through in less than a week’s time.
There is so much that we can learn from Mary. She knew that her Lord was going to suffer so she sacrificed her time, her dignity, her possessions, and her entire self for Jesus – the very same Jesus who would completely empty Himself out on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins and raised us to an infinite dignity as “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
I cannot help but ask myself if I’m willing to give to Jesus as abundantly as Mary did. If I truly believe that Jesus is the one who died for my sins on the Cross, why do I struggle so often in making small sacrifices in my life, especially since he made the ultimate sacrifice? When I think about my faith life, I like to tell myself that I’m like Mary, but really, I am completely lacking.
The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World #24 reminds us that “man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.” With only a few days left in Lent, this is a great time for us to recommit to our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Perhaps through these practices, we can be a little more like Mary. If we commit to doing just a little bit better today than we did yesterday, perhaps we can eventually reach the point where it’s easier to give of ourselves completely.
