From today’s Scripture: “Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair.”—Jn 12:3

Mary and her sister, Martha, were sisters of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. Jesus was a friend of the family and used to stay with them when he went up to Jerusalem for feast stays.

Nard (or spikenard) is a rare, expensive perfume used by the people of the Middle East. With the amount of perfume Mary used, the cost was about $40,000 to $50,000. That amount sounds so extravagant to me, but we also spend on a person according to our relationship to them. How much am I willing to spend on Jesus?

Let us pray: Jesus, you gave everything for me. Help me to give what I have to others without counting the cost.

Today’s author is Father Frank Ruff, former president of Glenmary, mission pastor, and Catholic representative to the Southern Baptist Convention.

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