By Mark Ranieri, contributing writer
In our readings for Palm Sunday, we see that details matter to Jesus.
Jesus is precise when arranging both his entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and preparations for the Last Supper on Holy Thursday. He attends to the specifics such as the location of the donkey he will ride on and what to say to its owner, as well as what the man is like who will provide the setting for the Last Supper.
Mark Ranieri
Details such as these were very important to Jesus, and we should take heart in that, because love is in the details.
Any man who has proposed to his fiance can tell you that the tiniest details make the proposal more meaningful. Likewise, a person who works in the hospitality industry knows that failure to attend to the details of an order could quickly result in the loss of a customer. And every parent knows that parenting isn’t just the yearly family photo; it is also the countless diaper changes, breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and the times of staying up all night to care for a sick child.
Jesus doesn’t just attend to the details when working with others; he also appreciates when others attend to the details of Him. A sense of false pride can prevent us from allowing others to minister to us. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” we might mumble to others, in response to an offer of assistance.
Jesus shows us a better way. In the beginning of today’s Gospel, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, breaks open an alabaster jar of spikenard oil to anoint Jesus’ head. Spikenard was considered extremely valuable. As a plant native to the Himalayas, it needed to be carefully harvested, crafted and then brought thousands of miles to Palestine. Mary destroys the lavish product in order to pour the entire contents on the head of Jesus. Jesus appreciates this act by her and issues his disciples a stinging rebuke when they criticize Mary: “Amen, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
Let us be mindful this Holy Week of the many ways in which Jesus attends to the details in our lives. Far from being insignificant to Him, Jesus wants to be present in even the mundane aspects of our lives. And let us ask Jesus what detail of Him that He wants us to pray about. After all, love is in the details.
Mark Ranieri is Youth Minister at Spirit of Hope Parish in Madison County.
