Our Venerable Father Xenophon and his wife Maria.
1 John 2:7-17. Mark 14:3-9.
Read Mark 14:3-9
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
What a beautiful act of love this anonymous woman—who some fathers of the Church considered Mary of Bethany—offers the Lord. It seems the reason this woman remained anonymous was to draw the reader of the Gospel to identify with her. Each of us are blessed beyond our comprehension, not just materially, but most importantly spiritually. The gift of salvation that we receive from the Lord is priceless, which all the money in the world cannot purchase. What can we offer in return to show our gratitude? Venerable Bede reflects on this question:
We anoint our Lord’s head when we cherish the glory of his divinity, along with that of his humanity, with the worthy sweetness of faith, hope and charity, [and] when we spread the praise of his name by living up-rightly. We anoint our Lord’s feet when we renew his poor by a word of consolation, so that they may not lose hope when they are under duress. We wipe [the feet of) these same ones with our hair when we share some of what is superfluous to us [to alleviate] the wants of the needy. (Homilies on the Gospels, Homily 2.422)