Daily Catholic Lectio
Mon, 30 March 2026
Monday of Holy Week
Isa 42:1–7. Jn 12:1–11
Six days before
“Six days before the Passover…” – With these quiet words, today’s Gospel text begins. We are standing at the threshold of the Passion. Today’s gospel reading portrays six persons – six faces, six attitudes, six ways of being in the world.
First, Lazarus. A man who has received life twice. Once by birth, and again by grace. He does nothing in this Gospel—he simply is there, alive, a witness. His very presence speaks: life is a gift. Life can be restored. He reminds us that everything begins with what we receive from God.
Second, Martha. She serves. Quietly, faithfully. No words, just service. She represents the hands that give, the heart that attends to others. She teaches us that love often looks like simple, concrete service.
Third, Mary. She gives extravagantly. She pours out costly perfume, wipes the feet of Jesus with her hair. No calculation. No hesitation. Only love. She gives not from abundance, but from the depth of her heart. She shows us that true love always goes beyond measure.
Fourth, Judas Iscariot. He speaks of the poor—but his heart is elsewhere. He calculates, criticizes, and ultimately takes. He is concerned not with persons, but with possession. He represents a subtle danger: appearing generous yet inwardly closed.
Fifth, the crowd—the Jews. They come, they see, they believe—but some also begin to plot. They are divided. They stand between admiration and rejection. They represent the instability of the human heart—drawn to truth, yet afraid of its consequences.
And finally, Jesus. At the centre. Calm. Aware. The shadow of the Cross already falls upon Him. Yet He receives Martha’s service, Mary’s love, Lazarus’ presence. He does not resist the moment. He lives it fully. He gives life. He accepts love. He walks steadily toward the Cross.
From these six persons, a simple truth emerges: The world is divided into two kinds of people—those who give, and those who take. Martha gives. Mary gives. Jesus gives—He gives even life itself. Judas takes. The hostile crowd wants to take—even life.
To give is to be centred on others. To take is to be centred on oneself. Those who give see people as more important than things. Those who take value things more than people. Those who give live with trust. Those who take live with suspicion.
And the first reading from Isaiah presents to us the Servant of the Lord—gentle, quiet, not breaking the bruised reed, not quenching the dimly burning wick. A servant who brings justice, not by force, but by compassion. This Servant is fulfilled in Jesus. He is the one who gives without measure, without noise, without self-assertion.
Then comes a striking word from Jesus: “You will not always have me.” Jesus knows. He knows what is coming. He knows that His time is near. This is not a casual visit to Bethany. It is a farewell of love.
And this brings us to a beautiful image: Bethany. Nazareth was His beginning. Jerusalem will be His end. But Bethany—Bethany is where He rests. Bethany is the place of friendship. The place where He is received, understood, loved. The place where He can simply be.
In the tiredness of His mission, in the growing tension, Bethany becomes His refuge.
And here is the invitation for us: In a world that often takes, become those who give. Give time. Give attention. Give forgiveness. Give presence. Give love—even when it is costly.
And more deeply still: Let God be your Bethany – in your fatigue, confusion, and wounds.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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