Having observed up to that point the observances of the old Passover, he brought them to perfection, and he handed over the new sacraments to his disciples to be observed henceforth.^[1] . . . Our Lord is the counterpart of the paschal lamb. Five days before he entered upon his suffering, he came to the place of his passion to teach that he was the one Isaiah^[2] had predicted.

We should not doubt that this was that same woman, once a sinner, who, as the Evangelist Luke reports, came to our Lord with an alabaster vase of ointment and, standing behind him at his feet, began to bathe his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment.^[1] This is the same woman, but there, she bent over and anointed only our Lord’s feet, and she did this amid her tears of repentance. Here amid the joy of her righteous action she did not hesitate both to anoint his feet and to stand up to anoint his head also.

This woman is outside the temple and carries with her a jar of ointment containing nard, genuine nard, from which she has prepared the ointment.^[1] This is why the faithful are called genuine or pure nard. The church, gathered from the nations, is offering the Savior the abounding faith of believers. The alabaster jar which had been sealed^[2] is broken that all may receive its perfume.

It was compounded from spikenard which was pure (that is, untainted and unadulterated with other different kinds), and which was precious, to imply the chastity of perfect faith and action.

His head, which Mary anointed, represents the sublimity of his deity. His feet indicate the lowliness of his incarnation.^[1] We too anoint his feet when we proclaim with due praise the mystery of the incarnation which he took upon himself. We too anoint his head when we venerate the loftiness of his divinity with a consent fitting to him.

Just as the grain of wheat, unless it falls into the ground and dies, does not bring forth any fruit,^[1] so, also, unless the alabaster jar be broken, we cannot spread its fragrance.^[2] HOMILIES OF ST.

What is accomplished here is what the bride glorifies in the canticle of love, While the king was resting [on his couch], my spikenard gave forth its fragrance.^[1] Here it is clearly shown that what Mary once did as a type,^[2] the entire church and every perfect soul should do always.

This woman has a very special message for you who are about to be baptized. She broke her alabaster jar that Christ may make you christs, his anointed. Hear what it says in the Canticle of Canticles: Your name spoken is a spreading perfume, therefore the maidens love you. We will follow you eagerly in the fragrance of your perfume!^[1] HOMILIES OF ST.

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,^[1] [and] when we spread the praise of his name by living uprightly. 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.^[2]

To him [Judas], it seemed to be wasting the ointment because the jar is broken, but, for us, it was a great good because the perfume spread throughout the world. Why are you indignant, Judas, because the alabaster jar is broken? God, who made you and all the nations, is blessing us with that precious perfume. You wanted to keep the perfume sealed up so that it would not reach others.

The traitor Judas, who in appearance championed the cause of the poor, said with indignation, This ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.^[1] But in reality he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it.^[2] If, then, any one in our time who has the money box of the church speaks like Judas as if speaking for the poor, but steals what is placed there, let there be assigned to him the same portion along with Judas.

When the apostles^[1] pleaded that the ointment was being wasted, they were rebuked by the voice of the Lord. Christ did not need the ointment, nor do martyrs need the light of candles. Yet that woman freely poured out the ointment in honor of Christ, and her heart’s devotion was accepted. . . . Hence throughout the whole Eastern Church, even when there are no relics of the martyrs, whenever the gospel is to be read the candles are lighted although the dawn may be reddening the sky, not of course to scatter the darkness, but by way of evidencing our joy.

[Jesus] was going to remain bodily with the church for but a brief while, whereas the poor, for whom alms could be provided, were always to be found in it.

As though Judas was asking an innocent question, our Lord simply and gently explained the mystery of what Mary’s action meant, namely that he himself was about to die, and that he was to be anointed for his burial with the spices. . . . This is to say clearly, She will not be able to touch my body once I am dead; she has done what she was able to do; she has anticipated, while I am still alive, the performance of the duty of burying me.

The Persians, the Indians, Scythians, Thracians, Samaratians, the race of the Moors and the inhabitants of the British isles celebrate a deed, performed in a private family in Judea by a woman who had been a sinner. THE GOSPEL OF ST.

He is sold, and cheap was the price—thirty pieces of silver;^[1] yet he buys back the world at the mighty cost of his own blood.^[2] A sheep, he is led to the slaughter^[3]—yet he shepherds Israel^[4] and now the whole world as well.^[5]

And Judas Iscariot, who was one of us, rose up and went his way to betray him.^[1] And Judas came with the scribes and with the priests of the people, and betrayed our Lord Jesus.

Now this was done on the fourth day of the week. And in the night they seized our Lord Jesus. And the next day, which was the fourth of the week, he remained in ward in the house of Caiaphas the high priest. And on the same day the chiefs of the people were assembled and took counsel against him. And on the next day again, which was the fifth of the week, they brought him to Pilate the governor. And he remained again in the ward with Pilate the night after the fifth day of the week. But when it drew on (towards day) on the Friday, they accused him much before Pilate; and they could show nothing that was true, but gave false witness against him. And they asked him of Pilate to be put to death; and they crucified him on the same Friday.

He suffered, then, at the sixth hour on Friday. And these hours wherein our Lord was crucified were reckoned a day. And afterwards, again, there was darkness for three hours; and it was reckoned a night. And again, from the ninth hour until evening, three hours, (reckoned) a day. And afterwards again (there was) the night of the Sabbath of the Passion.

The Passover affords a more than usually solemn day for baptism. For that is the day when in effect the Lord’s passion, into which we are baptized, was completed.

Nor will it be incongruous to interpret figuratively the fact that, when the Lord was about to celebrate the last Passover, he told the disciples who were sent to make preparation that they would meet a man bearing water.^[1] He thus points out the place for celebrating the Passover by the sign of water.