When Mary Poured a Rich Perfume

Representative Text

When Mary poured a rich perfume on Jesus’ weary feet,
Her caring filled that humble room; the fragrance there was sweet.
But full of anger, Judas said, “We could have used this more!
Why was her gift not sold instead, and given to the poor?”

The Lord replied, “Leave her alone! She bought it for this day.
This caring love that she has shown is faithful to God’s way.
The poor will always be with you, but you will not have me.”
He blessed her and he thanked her, too, for giving lavishly.

O Christ, what can your people bring to show you thanks and love?
You need no fragrant offering; for now you reign above.
Since there will never cease to be the poor throughout the land,
May we, your church, serve faithfully by offering them our hand.


Source: Songs of Grace: new hymns for God and neighbor #25a

Author: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has been a pastor in rural, small town, suburban, and city churches; she has also served as a hospice chaplain, a hospital chaplain, and a school bus aide helping children with special needs. She and her husband Bruce are pastors of the First Presbyterian Union Church in Owego, NY. Carolyn is a gifted hymn writer who has written over 400 hymns. These hymns have been sung by congregations throughout the United States and around the world — from the Washington National Cathedral to St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland to St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town, South Africa to small town churches and small household congregations; they have also been sung at national church and international ecumenical meetin… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: When Mary poured a rich perfume ;on Jesus' weary feet
Title: When Mary Poured a Rich Perfume
Original Language: English
Author: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2001)
Meter: 7.6.7.6 D
Language: English
Publication Date: 2001
Copyright: Copyright © 2001 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved

Tune

ELLACOMBE

Published in a chapel hymnal for the Duke of Würtemberg (Gesangbuch der Herzogl, 1784), ELLACOMBE (the name of a village in Devonshire, England) was first set to the words "Ave Maria, klarer und lichter Morgenstern." During the first half of the nineteenth century various German hymnals altered the…

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FOREST GREEN

FOREST GREEN is an English folk tune associated with the ballad "The Ploughboy's Dream." Ralph Vaughan Williams (PHH 316) turned FOREST GREEN into a hymn tune for The English Hymnal (1906), using it as a setting for "O Little Town of Bethlehem." Shaped in rounded bar form (AABA), FOREST GREEN has th…

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Instances

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The Cyber Hymnal #9829

Text

Songs of Grace #25a

Text

Songs of Grace #25b

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