In Remembrance of Her

It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; for they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”

While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. Mark 14:1-11 

In Remembrance of Her

She was someone's sister, mother
friend, daughter, lover and aunt
one alabaster jar and kindness
love demostrated changed history.

She had no name in Mark's telling
her name is generous and miracle
the mark of love out poured is hers
forever her beauty will inspire us.

Some will hate her now for waste
some will shame her now as lowly
others will find her simply foolish
yet she will never be forgotten.

There are so many nameless women
who gave of themsleves for love
who didn't eat so children could
who wouldn't sleep til all were home.

We must live as those who remember
love's touch, love's fierce embrace
the sacrificial love that is heedless
love which casts out all fears.