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.”

Mercy

1. Invited. I often say I’m a recovering Pharisee because I used to care more about appearances and enforcing Christ’s rules than about having a real relationship with Him. Little by little, I’m learning to live more like Jesus. Even now, there are times when I invite Him into my life just to show off what I do for religion, instead of truly sharing my life with Him and letting Him see who I really am. We still see this in the Church today: people offering Jesus a résumé instead of their real selves, focusing on achievements and impressive moments while hiding their weaknesses. But it’s only when we bring Him the whole truth of our lives that we realize Christ wants to be part of all of it.
2. Woman. In her, we see goodness and simplicity, because our flaws often come to light in ordinary, everyday moments. The goal is to be honest with ourselves. When I show up as I truly am, I can experience the depth of His forgiveness. Watching this woman fall to her knees reminds me that when we recognize our own limits, true greatness can begin to emerge.
3. Thought. We’re often quick to assume the worst about others, and that kind of thinking can become toxic. We end up judging people, labeling them, and reducing them to what they’ve done. It’s something we all need to work on, remembering that none of us has everything figured out or gets a free pass. Life is a step-by-step journey. Any of us can move from sinner to saint, but not because of our own achievements or merits. It happens when we recognize our weaknesses and admit our need for grace.

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.