Reflections on Plam Sunday in a garden

The work in the garden continues.  Although the severe thunderstorms and tornado watch early this evening cut into my time!  I would have been there earlier but today was Palm Sunday so we were at Mass.  I must say I still chafe under that long reading!  But then, I reflected on what it was telling me.  Here was this man who contrary to his times, actually gave himself to others.  Think about it.  Everyone but the Romans are poor.  Nobody cares about them.  The only way to get ahead is to collaborate.  And you know where that's going to get you with your neighbors.  Yet, Jesus comes along, preaches a new gospel...God loves you????  the same God that wreaked vengeance on anyone who crossed him in the Old Testament?  Who is this guy?  He gives up home and possessions and asks others to do the same.  And he gets these fishermen to go along with him.  Must be pretty dumb guys, right?  And who takes care of him and his groupies?  A bunch of women of course!  Notorious Mary Magdalene, and a few others who go unnamed (of course they are only property in those days).  So I thought about the unnamed woman with the alabaster jar in today's reading.  She shows up, breaks open this very expensive jar of oil that was worth a year's wages, and anoints Jesus.  Gutsy lady.  Jesus tells her she will be remembered forever.  Yet we can't name her.   We know the name of every Tom, Dick and Harry that ever met or talked with Jesus.  We have a woman who ministers to him in a way deserving of his being the Son of God and we have no name.  I know.  Put it into contextual meaning.  No woman had a name in those days.  They were all pieces of property.  And many woman today are in the same position.  So today as I worked in my garden, I reflected on the fact that women still to do the anointing.  We minister, we nurture.  And most of our names will never be known.  But we know.

So I give thanks to all the women who minister without our knowing their name.  I call you sister.