Moment of Oneness, March 13, 2024 -co-created by Sophia, the Holy Spirit, and Rev. AndreaGrace

Praying with the Women Who Anointed Jesus

Welcome!

Today, we will be praying with the women who anointed Jesus. There are actually three different stories in the Gospels of women anointing Jesus with expensive oil. 

In Luke 7:36-50, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, we read about a woman who was a sinner who anointed Jesus at the house of Simon the Pharisee in Galilee. She was crying, washed his feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet and then anointed them with fragrant oil.

In John 12:1-8, we read that six days before the Passover, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed Jesus at a home in Bethany. She used a pound of costly oil, anointed his feet and also wiped them with her hair. 

In Matthew 26:6-13 & Mark 14:3-9, we read that on the Wednesday of what we know as Holy Week, Jesus was eating at the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany. An Unnamed Woman entered and poured very expensive oil from an alabaster flask on Jesus’ head as He ate. Jesus affirms that she has come to prepare his body for burial and that she will always be remembered. In the book, The Final Week, the authors, Borg & Crossan, suggest that the dinner at Simon The Leper’s home happened on Wednesday of Holy Week. They capitalize her name, Unnamed Woman, in order to acknowledge her. 

Their stories have often been confused and conflated, combined into one, through the centuries. 

Tonight is our opportunity to keep Jesus’ command and to remember – that we may carry on their legacy. 

Let’s prayerfully ponder these women.

Opening Prayer:

Divine Love

Thank you for the gift of faith

For the people through the centuries who have recognized you and 

shared their faith – especially the Unnamed Women.

Through our prayerful pondering tonight,

May we come to know Your love more intimately and be 

transformed to share it more abundantly.

Amen.

Song: The Alabaster Jar by CeCeWinans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qMwmM-VuJM 

Reading: A Reading from the gospel known as Mark chapter 16 verses 1-9

 In only two days the eight-day Festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. “We don’t want the crowds up in arms,” they said.

Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. “That’s criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year’s wages and handed out to the poor.” They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial. And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly.”

These are the anointed words of the gospel writer and we affirm them by saying:

ALL: Amen.

A Litany for the Unnamed Women and all who carry on her example

After each phrase, we will pause for the Holy Spirit, Sophia, to bring to mind people that we would like Jesus to anoint

 
Divine Love, we thank you…

For the Unnamed Women, Mary and all who recognize God Personified in Jesus and others. 

For the Unnamed Women, Mary, Simon the Leper, and all who are transformed through Jesus and follow The Way of Love

For the Unnamed Women, Mary and all who have the courage to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, Sophia

For the Unnamed Women, Mary and all who create Holy Interruptions

For the Unnamed Women, Mary and all who are willing to go into new places to touch God Personified

For the Unnamed Women, Mary, Simon the Leper, and all who live the gospel through their actions – without words

For the Unnamed Women, Mary, Simon the Leper, and all who generously give what they have 

For the Unnamed Women, Mary and all who anoint others in a myriad of ways

For the Unnamed Women, Mary and all who prepare others for journeys and missions

For the Unnamed Women, Mary and all who recognize when someone is leaving this earth soon and tend to their care

For the Unnamed Women, Mary and all who do what they can, when they can

For these and all the people in Jesus’ circle of love and all the people who have carried the faith and all those in our circles of love

We thank you.

We bring to you all of these people trusting that You, Jesus – the Messiah – the Anointed One – will anoint each and every person. Amen.

Closing Song: You are a Blessing by Karen Drucker

https://youtu.be/s4V1bMYnGwU?si=6OqJmU-Qevj9Ho2B

fade out after the verse about “we are…” around 2:20