Scripture Verse

Mary took a pound of spikenard ointment, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. John 12:3

Introduction

Words: Sa­rah E. Hen­shaw, 1878.

Music: Be­ra John E. Gould, 1849 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Sarah E. Henshaw (1822–1894)

Lyrics

illustration
Mary Magdalene’s Box of Very Precious Ointment
James Tissot (1836–1902)

Lord, when in Si­mon’s house of yore,
Thou with Thy friends didst sit at meat,
Mary the pre­cious spike­nard bore,
And poured it at Thy sac­red feet.

Like in­cense sweet, the per­fume rare,
Rose through the house, and sought the skies;
And Thou didst own with bless­ing there
A wo­man’s lov­ing sac­ri­fice.

So un­to Thee, O Lord, this day,
A year of la­bor here we bring;
So at Thy feet the gift we lay;
Accept, O Lord, the of­fer­ing.