She Knew: The Quiet Wisdom of Mary of Bethany
A Lectio Reflection on Today's Gospel - John 12:1-11
I love this Gospel (John 12:1-11) today regarding Mary of Bethany. A few things struck me as prayed through this text. Mary of Bethany is a contemplative—a mystic. She has a spiritual seeing that does not rely on argument or spectacle but flows from the heart's union with Christ. Of course, there is no recorded speech in this passage from Mary—only a lavish, symbolic action that comes from deep love and understanding.
She knows something without being told. This isn’t imagination or sentimentality. It is the fruit of contemplation.
St. John Paul II, spoke of this sort of gift given to woman; a sensitivity to persons and to the inner reality of things. There is a feminine genius that receives before it analyzes, nurtures before it conquers, and loves with a depth that perceives mystery.
Luke says that Mary chose the better part (Lk 10:42). What does that mean?
It means she placed herself not just at Jesus’ feet physically, but spiritually—in a position of receptivity. And that posture unlocked an understanding hidden from many others. In her act of anointing Christ with expensive perfume, she perceived that Jesus was going to suffer. She saw the path of love He was walking, and she responded in kind.
In Scripture, anointing is reserved for kings, priests, and the dead. Mary’s action fulfills all three: She anointed the King of Kings before his enthronement on the Cross; She prepares the true High Priest for His sacrifice; and she anticipates His burial, knowing in her heart the Passion is near.
Jesus seems to affirm this when He says,
“Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial.” (John 12:7 RSV)
Mark goes further,
“And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” (Mark 14:9 RSV)
So, What did she know?
Perhaps she didn’t grasp every detail intellectually—but in her interior union, born from love, silence, and attentiveness, she perceived the trajectory of Jesus' mission and responded in a way that harmonized with His heart. The perfume she poured out was the fragrance of love united to suffering.
I have been married to my sweet wife Pam for 39 years. I’ve had the blessing of knowing many holy Christian women. I have come to appreciate how women bear a unique, incarnational sensitivity—an embodied awareness of what is hidden from plain sight.
This is not about sentimentality or romantic notions of femininity. Its a real theological truth that receptivity is not passivity, but an active, fruitful openness to the mystery of the other—especially the divine Other. (Edith Stein, I believe wrote about this?)
Women just know things? Don’t they?
Lastly, I believe there is something deeply liturgical unfolding in this Gospel. This moment feels like a quiet vigil before the Passion—a kind of interior Gethsemane of love. And in this vigil, Jesus is not alone.
The Father's will is being embraced not only by Christ—but also by His friends, those who have entered into His heart.
Mary stands with Christ before the Passion in a way not even the Apostles could not yet do. She represents a union of hearts so deep it sees through the veil. She anticipates the Cross—not with fear, but with adoration.
© 2025, Lawain McNeil, Mission Surrender, LLC.