That towel served mostly as a decoration for a few years until one of my daughters accidentally used it to clean the car. The commemorative towel has been scrubbed with stain remover and sent through the washer, but it's indelibly marked by grease and grime. At first I was miffed at having my memento used to wash hubcaps and bumpers. But then I began to see that towel as a picture of myself, and it caused me to ask some questions. My little towel now serves as a reminder that self- preservation will keep me untouched but completely useless in my service for Christ.
Real servants get dirty every day.
Doing our daily vocation is service to God, period. It is honorable and needed. Lazarus was sitting at the table with Jesus and then something quite unexpected happened. And as we see later on in the text, this anointing was usually done for a funeral. I think this act of Mary's was an act of love.