Fifth Sunday of Lent

The Sweet Smell of the Perfume Filled the House

John 12: 5

Palestine is a desert country, so, from earliest times, the people who lived there used oils and lotions to keep their skins moist, and they also used special balms to heal diseases of the skin.

Obtain a pretty bottle with a good cap or stopper for each child in the class.

Let the children decorate the bottles if they like. Buy unscented hand lotion at the beauty supply house or the 99-cent store.

Add small amounts of scented oil or perfume (you may want to use an eyedropper) to the lotion and, using a funnel, pour it into the bottles.

People of Bible times would have been familiar with lemon, orange blossom, frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, and rose - let the children mix the scents a drop at a time, if you like.

The nard (or spikenard) that Mary used was very expensive then and may be extremely difficult to find now.

Cap the bottles tightly, and they will make wonderful gifts.

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