Refract on Sunday's Reflection
You can watch the reflection here.
April 6, 2025, Fifth Sunday of Lent
John 12:1-8 (NRSV)
In Here and Now: Living in the Spirit, Henri Nouwen writes, “… to listen to the voice of the One who calls us the ‘beloved’, is to learn that that voice excludes no one. Where I dwell, God dwells with me and where God dwells with me I find all my sisters and brothers. And so intimacy with God and solidarity with all people are two aspects of dwelling in the present moment that can never be separated.”
- How does the One calling you “beloved” shape the way you see yourself? Does it correct anything? Reinforce anything?
- Why are intimacy with God and solidarity with people inseparable? How does intimacy with God inspire/require solidarity with people?
- How can we show our “solidarity with people” when we’ve experienced intimacy with God?
Martha’s brother is dying, and Jesus doesn’t rush to get there before he dies. When Martha hears that Jesus is finally on his way, she goes and meets him, and says to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). When Jesus goes to her brother’s tomb and says, “Roll away the stone,” Martha says, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days” (John 11:39). At home, we find Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to what he was saying while Martha is “distracted by her many tasks.” She comes to Jesus and says, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?” (Luke 10:39-40).
- Martha is frustrated by the Lord. She is frustrated by her sister. Why?
- What does “distracted by her many tasks” mean? From what are these tasks distracting her? Where should her attention be? Would nothing get done if she put her attention where it should be? Would things be done differently? How?
Mary takes a pound of expensive perfume, anoints Jesus's feet, and wipes them with her hair. She is chastised for her extravagance (and probably for her inappropriate PDA with Jesus), but Mary is moved to give this valuable possession to Jesus for the next part (the penultimate passion stage) of his ministry.
- What is it about Jesus that moved her?
- What is it about Jesus that moves you?
- What is Jesus’ ministry today, and what valuable possession(s) can our faith community give to Jesus for this ministry?
