Tuesday of Holy Week

Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 70(71):1-6,15,17; John 13:21-33,36-38

Mary, our spiritual guide to Holy week, seems absent in todays readings - but she would have been there, as were the other women, Martha in particular. At the supper, they would have been serving our Lord in practical ways. The dish prepared for all to share, would be provided by them, the bread dipped in the dish made by them, in the days before machinery a very physical, immersive and time consuming task. The symbol of our work for the Lord, has in a moment become the sign of one's betrayal. Uniquely in John's gospel that person is identified - in the others we are able to identify ourselves with the one who betrays through our actions. For example in Mark 14:20 gives 'it is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread in the same dish as me" - so a collective act.

Mary would have known well the words of the prophet Isaiah. Like her we are called to serve. Today let us ponder on the song from Isaiah 49, and be comforted by the promise to all servants that our service of whatever kind - parent, teacher, reader in church, chorister, driver, visitor, nurse, healer, carer, cleaner, maker, manager, friend - these will will all act as a light to the nations.

He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel)
in whom I shall be glorified’;
while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain,
I have exhausted myself for nothing’;
and all the while my cause was with the Lord,
my reward with my God.
I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,
my God was my strength.
And now the Lord has spoken,
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
to gather Israel to him:
‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’
Posted in Daily Reflection.