The Woman And The Ointment

Accessit ad eum mulier, et reliqua. Mulier ista Maria Magdalena fuit, quae alias adhuc peccatrix pedes rigavit, nunc vero justificata, caput illius oleo santo perfudit. Alabastrum est genus candissimi marmoris, variis coloribus intertincti, in quo unguenta optime incorrupta servare perhibent: et nascitur circa Thebes Aegyptias and Damascum Syria caeteris candidius, probatissimum vero in India. Porro unguentum illud Mariae juxta alios Evangelistas ex nardo principali arbore in unguentis esse perhibetur, et pusticum, id est fidele, eo quod solent aliqui medicorum similibus herbis unguenta adulterare; πίστις enim Graece fides dicitur, unde pisticum derivatur; et a Marco spicatum asseritur, id est, non solum a radice nardi, sed etiam quo prestiosius esset, spicarum quoque et foliorum adjectione odoris ac virtutis illius erat accumulata gratia. Mystice haec devotio Mariae fidem sanctae designat Ecclesiae, quae caput Salvatoris unguento sancto perfundit, cum potentiam divinae virtutis ejus digna reverentia confitetur et praedicat. Cum vero assumptae humanitatis ejus mysteria indigna suscipit reverentia in pedes utique Domini unguenti nardi pisticum, id est, fidele ac verum profunditur. Sanctus Beda, In Matthaei Evangelium Expositio, Caput XXVI Source: Migne PL 92 111

'There came to Him a woman,' etc  1  This woman was Mary Magdalene, she who while a sinner wet His feet, 2 she who now justified, poured sacred ointment on His head. Alabaster is a type of very white marble, interwoven with various colours, in which the best of ointments is kept to preserve them from corruption, and it is found around Thebes in Egypt and Damascus in Syria, and in other places it is more white, most so in India. Further Mary's ointment according to the other Evangelists is principally nard, 3 the ointment being named from the plant, and it is also named pisticum, that is pure, because some are accustomed to mix the ointment with other herbs for the use of physicians, and 'pistis' in Greek means faith, from which pisticum is derived; and Mark calls it spikenard, that is, it is derived not only from the root of the nard, but even from what is more precious, the seeds and the leaves, which added increases the scent and potency of the ointment. In spiritual terms the devotion of Mary is the faith of the holy Church, and the holy ointment which she pours over the head of the Saviour, is when with worthy reverence the power of His Divine virtue is confessed and preached. However when she receives the mystery of the assumption of His humanity with humble reverence, as onto the feet of that Lord the 'pisticum' of the ointment, that is, the true faith, is poured. 4 Saint Bede, from the Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Matthew, Chap 26 1 Mt 26.7 2 Lk 7.36-38 3 Mk 14.3 4 Jn 12.3