Monday in Holy Week: Year B

Reading 1

Here is my servant whom I uphold,my chosen one with whom I am pleased,Upon whom I have put my Spirit;he shall bring forth justice to the nations,Not crying out, not shouting,not making his voice heard in the street.A bruised reed he shall not break,and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,Until he establishes justice on the earth;the coastlands will wait for his teaching.Thus says God, the LORD,who created the heavens and stretched them out,who spreads out the earth with its crops,Who gives breath to its peopleand spirit to those who walk on it:I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,I have grasped you by the hand;I formed you, and set youas a covenant of the people,a light for the nations,To open the eyes of the blind,to bring out prisoners from confinement,and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. Is 42:1-7

Gospel

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oilmade from genuine aromatic nardand anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,and the one who would betray him, said,“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wagesand given to the poor?”He said this not because he cared about the poorbut because he was a thief and held the money bagand used to steal the contributions.So Jesus said, “Leave her alone.Let her keep this for the day of my burial.You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,whom he had raised from the dead.And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,because many of the Jews were turning awayand believing in Jesus because of him. Jn 12:1-11

Prayer for Monday in Holy Week:

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who fail through weakness in so many difficulties, may be relieved through the Passion of Thine only-begotten Son: Who with Thee liveth and reigneth.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Missal

Today meditate on the first Sorrowful mystery - Jesus' agony in the Garden. We remember his pain and anxiety as he awaited Judas to betray Him and bring about all of His suffering and His death.