Monday, March 14, 2016

Orthodox Great Lent begins

π Day (Pi Day 3.14…) Bake a pie! Write a Pi-ku:  3 syllables, 1 syllable, 4 syl.

John 12-:1-8

John 12:3 “Mary took a pound of costly perfume… anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.”

            Kings were anointed. Priests were anointed. Prophets were anointed. The rich dead were anointed. Sacrifices were anointed. The healed and sick were anointed. Which of these was Jesus?

            Heads were anointed. The healed parts of the sick were anointed. Why, then, Jesus’ feet?

            Priests anointed priests. Priests anointed offerings. Priests anointed kings. Prophets anointed prophets. Why Mary?

            Here is a new thing: a woman anoints a prophet, priest, and king, but on his feet. Why?

            Poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, “You must learn to love the questions themselves.”

O God, our springtime, even when we think we know, we do not know. Help us to love the questions themselves. Amen

·       Place a small amount of olive oil in a bowl. Anoint your eyes, your forehead, your lips, and any other parts of your blessed body with the sign of the cross. Give thanks to god.