Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 7, 36-50
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Greatly forgiven
1. The Pharisee. The Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him. There’s nothing harder than trying to change someone who believes they have the monopoly on the truth and can’t be convinced they are wrong. How often do we harden our hearts, believing that those around us owe us something? Some people try to make you feel like you are in their debt and even that your achievements or positive qualities are solely due to them. Don’t let anyone influence your actions or decisions by offering you a “meal” or any kind of favor. Don’t tie yourself to people because of favors or money, and don’t let people use you just to gain some prestige.
2. The sinful woman. Someone who gives their heart is generous and doesn’t need to ask for anything in return. This attitude is often lacking in our society and our Church. We need to be more willing to show up and give of ourselves just as we are. The woman gives what she has, and most importantly, she shows her true self. This is because “God forgives every repentant heart,” and God’s presence is always alive in every person who humbly accepts their limitations.
3. Go in peace. How beautiful it is to feel forgiven, to know that God can give you peace so that you can look into his eyes again. Forgiveness and peace are the two sides of the same coin. Whoever feels truly forgiven from the heart lives in peace. The key to living in peace is to recognize and accept who you are, but also to be clear about who you are not. Living in peace means having the humility to accept your smallness. It means having the clarity to know you can’t be what others want you to be. If you are clear on these things, you can continue to nourish your inner peace.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
