We read today the story of Mary anointing Jesus with an unbelievably costly perfume. When disciples object, saying the money could have been given to the needy, Jesus responds with words about the poor that are often tragically misused. Instead, Jesus wants us to hear our calling to seek a just world, and also to accept his priceless gift of life eternal.

Jesus contends with a problem that has perplexed human beings since the dawn of time: if God loves us, and God is all-powerful, why do bad things happen? While we may never settle this debate with theological language, Jesus points us to what we can do: let our hearts be transformed by God's love so that we can faithfully respond to any suffering and evil in our world, and ultimately, put our hope in Jesus's solution to the problem of evil, which comes not in words but in actions...