"[Mary] broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head" (Mark 14:3 NIV).

My brother in law died this morning. He was ill and we knew that his time was coming, but still it was a shock. As my husband and I drove to New Smyrna to see his wife I started thinking about the brevity of life, and I shared with my husband the Latin proverb that was seared into my heart and mind when we saw the movie Dead Poets' Society: CARPE DIEM. "Seize the day!" In the movie Robin Williams tells his young and hopefully impressionable students to seize the beauty and love of each moment while we may.

What truth there is in this advice: Carpe Diem! Seize this moment of the sunrise and sunset, the unexpected letter of love, the joy of your child as he discovers the joy of his children...! Oh, seize the moment, dear friends, for tomorrow there may not be another moment to seize. Phillips Brooks wrote something years ago that applies to this thought of seizing the moment: "Oh, my dear friends, you who are letting miserable misunderstandings run on from year to year, meaning to clear them up some day, if you only could know and see and feel that the time is short, how it would break the spell! How you would go instantly and do the thing which you might never have another chance to do!"

Mary seized the moment and poured perfume of Jesus' head. There are many "carpe diem" moments in the Bible but this is an outstanding one of love sitting in the driver's seat. Please, dear friend, seize this moment now for doing or saying that which cannot be said or done tomorrow. Your loved one may not be here tomorrow! There are times when common sense tells us to set aside common sense. Perhaps today we can pour perfume on someone in a "carpe diem" moment!