JUDAS AND MARY

"Judas and Mary" brings the Gospel story of the anointing at Bethany straight into the choir loft. It is a narrative hymn that unfolds as a conversation, contrasting Judas’s cold calculation with Mary’s extravagant outpouring of love. As we sing through the verses, the melody carries the tension of the moment—the complaint about wasted silver and gold, met by Mary’s simple desire to honor the Lord before He suffers.

For a choir, this piece is especially powerful during Lent and Holy Week. The text moves beautifully from the historical moment in Bethany to a profound teaching on charity and the Eucharist. When Jesus speaks in the later verses, reminding us that "the poor of the world are my body," it challenges the congregation to see Christ in those who suffer. It is a gentle but striking piece that draws everyone into the quiet intimacy and sorrow of the days just before the Passion.