In Bethany, as Jesus dines with friends,
And Martha sees to it that all are fed,
Her sister to the Lord alone attends,
Anointing him for coming days of dread.
She breaks the jar as love and duty meet;
Her worldly wealth she gives no thought to spare.
With precious oil she gently bathes his feet;
She kisses them, and dries them with her hair.
He gives his broken body for his sheep;
His precious blood upon the earth is spilled.
And for himself no portion does he keep—
His glory is his Father’s will fulfilled.
The fragrance of the nard now fills the room,
Announcing to the earth new Eden’s bloom.
—Joseph Mirra
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
A Culture of Parricide
I learned a new word the other day: déploration. It’s the French, directly from the Latin, for “lament.”…
The Chariot Burials
Wheeling through the clotted earth, / Bronze, bone, and leather clumped in clay...
William of St. Thierry
“Where love and understanding join, hearts are tranquil, / They rise above the turmoil of this world…
