Gospel of April 7 2020 with comment

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John 12,1: 11-XNUMX.
Six days before Easter, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead.
Equi made him a dinner: Martha served and Lazarus was one of the diners.
Then Mary, taking a pound of very precious nard-scented oil, sprinkled Jesus' feet and dried them with her hair, and the whole house was filled with the perfume of the ointment.
Then Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who was then to betray him, said:
"Why didn't this scented oil sell for three hundred denarii and then give it to the poor?"
This he said not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and, as he kept the cash, he took what they put in it.
Then Jesus said: «Let her do it, so that you will keep it for the day of my burial.
In fact, you always have the poor with you, but you don't always have me ».
Meanwhile the large crowd of Jews learned that Jesus was there, and rushed not only for Jesus, but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead.
The high priests then decided to kill Lazarus too,
because many Jews left because of him and believed in Jesus.

Saint Gertrude of Helfta (1256-1301)
bandaged nun

The Herald, Book IV, SC 255
Give hospitality to the Lord
In remembrance of the affection of the Lord who at the end of that day went to Bethany, as it is written (cf. Mk 11,11: XNUMX), by Mary and Martha, Gertrude was fiery with a keen desire to give hospitality to the Lord.

He then approached an image of the Crucifix and, kissing the plague of his most holy side with deep sentiment, made the desire of the Heart full of love of the Son of God enter the heart, and begged him, thanks to the power of all the prayers that could never flow from that infinitely loving Heart, to deign to go down to the tiny and unworthy hotel of his heart. In his benevolence the Lord, always close to those who invoke him (cf. Ps 145,18), made her feel his presence so desired and said with sweet tenderness: “Here I am! So what will you offer me? " And she: “Welcome, you who are my only salvation and all my good, what am I saying? my only good. " And he added: “Haimé! my Lord, in my unworthiness I have not prepared anything that would be suitable for your divine magnificence; but I offer my whole being to your goodness. Full of desires, I beg you to deign yourselves to prepare in me what can most please your divine goodness. " The Lord said to her: "If you allow me to have this freedom in you, give me the key that allows me to take and put back without difficulty all that I will like both to feel good and to remake myself". To which she said, "And what is this key?" The Lord answered, "Your will!"

These words made her understand that if someone wishes to receive the Lord as a guest, he must give him the key of his own will, completely returning to his perfect pleasure and totally entrusting himself to his sweet goodness in order to work his salvation in everything. Then the Lord enters that heart and soul to accomplish all that his divine pleasure can demand.