The story of Jesus having his feet anointed is one of the few stories that occur in all four gospels. However, the details differ dramatically, particularly in Luke’s account. This illustrates that the stories of Jesus were carried by the community in memory and re-telling for the fifty years between when the events occurred and when they were written down. The term we use for these memories is “tradition.” Even St. Paul, who had a personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, was dependent on the traditions he inherited from those who had gone before him. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received. While divine revelation was closed with the last book of the Bible God continues in act in the lives of Christians. We should not be reluctant to share with others our own story of grace for we too are part of the ongoing tradition of the Church.
