Shopping for Spices © Jan L. Richardson
In some of the medieval mystery plays that depicted the events around Jesus’ death and resurrection, there developed an imaginative scene involving Mary Magdalene and two of her friends. In this scene, which elaborates upon details offered in the gospel texts, Mary Magdalene goes with Mary the mother of James and with Salome (known in the Middle Ages as Mary Jacoby and Mary Salome) to pay a visit to the spice merchant. As the Marys purchase what they need to prepare Jesus’ body for burial, and deal with challenges along the way, the scene offers an intriguing window onto these women whose devotion to Christ extended beyond the cross.
In their grief and loss, in their uncertainty over the future, these women focus on finding what they can do. They prepare themselves to minister to Jesus in the only way left to them. Like the woman who anointed Jesus before his death, the three Marys who seek to anoint him after his death “do what they have the power to do.”
Soon they will go, laden with spices, to the tomb. And there they will be stunned by what awaits them. But not yet. Now they must wait. And on this day, we wait with them, breathing in the space between.
Text: Luke 23:52-56
Shabbos
We had spices under our fingernails
as we baked the Sabbath bread.
The smell of ointment haunted us
as we lighted the Sabbath fires.
We tasted other wine as we breathed,
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-olam,
borei p’ri ha-gafen.
Blessed are you, O God, Ruler of the Universe,
who creates the fruit of the vine.
We tasted other suppers as we whispered,
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-olam,
ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz.
Blessed are you, O God, Ruler of the Universe,
who brings forth bread from the earth.
But our cup of blessing lies poured out,
scarlet on the ground;
our sustenance lies broken,
still to return to earth.
We wait with one another
in this uneasy rest.
Creator, spread your arms;
draw us to your Sabbath breast.
Poem from Sacred Journeys © Jan L. Richardson.
Excellent. Just excellent.
Thank you Jan. Isn’t that what we still do at the loss of someone we care greatly for? We try to do something in our regular routine to help us cope with the loss as we try to find something “normal” that makes sense to us; but nothing is the same. As the scent of spices and ointments linger on our hands, so too does the grief.
But waiting, to do what we can, what a surprise is in story for the women as they go to the tomb!
Thank you for sharing this with everyone, it’s beautiful. I will pass it on to share with others as it was passed to me by one of my sisters in Christ.