Reflection for March 30 Monday of Holy Week: John 12:1-11

Gospel: John 12:1-11

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 oil made from genuine aromatic nard and 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' wages and given to the poor?" He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and 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 away and believing in Jesus because of him.

+ + + + +  + +

Reflection:

Do we sometimes allow hatred, greed, and envy to quietly take hold of our hearts? And when we do, where do these lead us?

The chief priests allowed these dark desires to rule over them. Blinded by fear and pride, they saw in Jesus a threat to their power and position. Instead of seeking truth, they chose to silence Him. At all costs, they resolved to remove Him—and they succeeded. But in doing so, they surrendered themselves to something far more dangerous: they allowed evil to take root within them.

Hatred, greed, and envy are not merely emotions—they are subtle traps that slowly pull us away from God. When we entertain them, even in small ways, they begin to shape our thoughts, our decisions, and ultimately our actions. We see this in the world around us: leaders who cling to power at any cost, relationships broken by unforgiveness, hearts hardened by jealousy and resentment.

And if we are honest, we may also see traces of these in our own lives.

We know where these led the chief priests—they were driven to destroy the very One who came to save them. In their minds, they believed they had finally rid themselves of Jesus.

But they were mistaken.

Through His resurrection, Jesus triumphed over their hatred and exposed the emptiness of their actions. What they thought would bring them security only led to deeper unrest. What they believed would give them control only revealed their inner bondage.

And the same can happen to us.

When we allow hatred, greed, and envy to take root in our hearts, they do not give us peace—they rob us of it. They distance us from God and from one another. But the Risen Christ offers us another way—a way of love, humility, forgiveness, and freedom.

What are we allowing to grow within us—and are we willing to surrender these to Christ so that His love, not our hidden darkness, may truly reign in our lives? – Marino J. Dasmarinas