At the end of the Christ funeral Service, the crowd around the deacons (wearing yet their black dalmatics) thronged into joy. Dozens of hands were drawn tight with a rosary in the hollow of their palms, others with a handkerchief and other bare hands were hoping not to stay long that way. The deacons do not know where to turn to meet the demands and distribute ... one brought aromatic herbs, another brought incense, and the last two myrrh and perfume. For the first time, this year the perfume and myrrh were blessed before the celebration, during a pilgrimage to Bethany (abode of Lazarus, Mary and Martha) on Monday of the Holy Week.
The universal Church proposed John's Gospel 12.1 – 11 as the text of the day. "Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, place of Lazarus whom the Lord brought back to life". And six days before Easter, the Custody was gathered around this precious scent.
As recalled the Custos in his homily, six days before Passover, Jesus is aware of what he will have to endure and he assumes it with an absolute freedom. When in this Gospel passage, we witness something called "the anointing at Bethany" in which Mary poured on her feet a perfume of great value, the disciples were shocked because of this waste. The liturgy of this blessing provided an explanation of this gesture. The anointing foreshadows the death of Jesus, and the blessing of oils and perfumes foreshadows the Good Friday liturgy. Both episodes and the two liturgies are intimately linked.
Before that myrrh and perfume, the Custos invited to reflect on their human and strong intellectual dimension. They are signs of death (myrrh which is used for embalming) but also of joy (we perfume ourselves on feast days) and finally of healing (the oil as seen in the episode of the Good Samaritan is useful to heal wounds).
The Custos invites the faithful to become the fragrance of Christ (2 Cor 2:15). Christ has brought us from death to life, He is our joy, He heals our physical and spiritual wounds. By receiving this fragrance we must in turn become anointing for everyone wounded around us, we must be the fragrance of Christ and spread joy. We must be His image leading to true liberation all the deleterious.
At the end of the celebration, when the Custos poured a few drops of perfume in the palms of the faithful, he said: “Be fragrance of Christ". That same scent was distributed on the faithful hands after the funeral. May the faithful who enter the silence of Holy Saturday become "the aroma of Christ".
To find the funeral service, see the photo album that speaks for itself. You can also read the following text:
Good Friday 2008: the funeral procession of Christ
The universal Church proposed John's Gospel 12.1 – 11 as the text of the day. "Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, place of Lazarus whom the Lord brought back to life". And six days before Easter, the Custody was gathered around this precious scent.
As recalled the Custos in his homily, six days before Passover, Jesus is aware of what he will have to endure and he assumes it with an absolute freedom. When in this Gospel passage, we witness something called "the anointing at Bethany" in which Mary poured on her feet a perfume of great value, the disciples were shocked because of this waste. The liturgy of this blessing provided an explanation of this gesture. The anointing foreshadows the death of Jesus, and the blessing of oils and perfumes foreshadows the Good Friday liturgy. Both episodes and the two liturgies are intimately linked.
Before that myrrh and perfume, the Custos invited to reflect on their human and strong intellectual dimension. They are signs of death (myrrh which is used for embalming) but also of joy (we perfume ourselves on feast days) and finally of healing (the oil as seen in the episode of the Good Samaritan is useful to heal wounds).
The Custos invites the faithful to become the fragrance of Christ (2 Cor 2:15). Christ has brought us from death to life, He is our joy, He heals our physical and spiritual wounds. By receiving this fragrance we must in turn become anointing for everyone wounded around us, we must be the fragrance of Christ and spread joy. We must be His image leading to true liberation all the deleterious.
At the end of the celebration, when the Custos poured a few drops of perfume in the palms of the faithful, he said: “Be fragrance of Christ". That same scent was distributed on the faithful hands after the funeral. May the faithful who enter the silence of Holy Saturday become "the aroma of Christ".
To find the funeral service, see the photo album that speaks for itself. You can also read the following text:
Good Friday 2008: the funeral procession of Christ