Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 93
Lectionary: 93
Nathan said to David:
“Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
‘I anointed you king of Israel.
I rescued you from the hand of Saul.
I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own.
I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah.
And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.
Why have you rejected the LORD and done evil in his sight?
You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword;
you took his wife as your own,
and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.
Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have looked down on me
and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’”
Then David said to Nathan,
“I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan answered David:
“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.”
“Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
‘I anointed you king of Israel.
I rescued you from the hand of Saul.
I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own.
I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah.
And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.
Why have you rejected the LORD and done evil in his sight?
You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword;
you took his wife as your own,
and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.
Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have looked down on me
and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’”
Then David said to Nathan,
“I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan answered David:
“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.”
Responsorial
PsalmPS 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11
R. (cf. 5c) Lord,
forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Reading 2GAL 2:16, 19-21
Brothers and sisters:
We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Christ Jesus
that we may be justified by faith in Christ
and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law no one will be justified.
For through the law I died to the law,
that I might live for God.
I have been crucified with Christ;
yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God
who has loved me and given himself up for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God;
for if justification comes through the law,
then Christ died for nothing.
We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Christ Jesus
that we may be justified by faith in Christ
and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law no one will be justified.
For through the law I died to the law,
that I might live for God.
I have been crucified with Christ;
yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God
who has loved me and given himself up for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God;
for if justification comes through the law,
then Christ died for nothing.
Alleluia1 JN 4:10B
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
God loved us and sent his Son
as expiation for our sins.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God loved us and sent his Son
as expiation for our sins.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 7:36—8:3
A 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
because 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."
Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others who provided for them
out of their resources.
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
because 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."
Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others who provided for them
out of their resources.
A 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 day's 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
because 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."
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 day's 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
because 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."
11th
Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13
The books of Samuel have varied in name and shape throughout their existence. Originally, they formed one book, as attested to by Jerome and Eusebius. The partition into two books seems to have first been made in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament done around 250 B.C.) where these books are called 1 and 2 Kingdoms and what we now call 1 and 2 Kings were called 3 and 4 Kingdoms. The designation of 1 through 4 Kings carries through the Douay-Rheims translation (A.D. 1609-1610).
Our Old Testament reading for today is about David’s adultery with Bathsheba. The prophet Nathan has just told the parable of the ewe lamb and David has risen to the bait. Nathan then confronts David with his sin and David’s ability to acknowledge his sin is a key point. One cannot really be forgiven until one has acknowledged the sinful act.
7 [ ] Nathan said to David: “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king of Israel. I rescued you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own. I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more. 9 Why have you spurned the LORD and done evil in his sight? You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you took his wife as your own, and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.
David had apparently taken over Saul’s harem (verse 8) and now he has taken the wife of one of his soldiers.
10 Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’
The rest of the court story (chapters 13 through 15) bears out the statement that the sword shall never depart from David’s house.
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
David’s frank confession is an acknowledgment of sin “against the Lord.”
Nathan answered David: “The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die.
The sin has been forgiven, but the temporal punishment for the sin still remains. The child which was born of this adulterous relationship dies.
2nd Reading - Galatians 2:16, 19-21
At the beginning of his third apostolic journey, around the year A.D. 53 (Acts 18:23), Saint Paul passed through Galatia to visit the Christian communities he had established in the area (Acts 13:14ff). The communities in question, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Derbe and Lystra, were in the southern part of Galatia. The Galatians had responded very well to Paul’s apostolate and were flourishing when last visited by Paul (on his second apostolic journey) but this time he is very surprised to find that the Galatian Christians – many of whom came from a Gentile background – had been led astray by “false brethren”, Judaizers, who made out that Christians should conform to the Mosaic law and, therefore, should be circumcised and obey all the dietary regulations. When Saint Paul reached Ephesus he wrote the Galatians a letter refuting the errors involved, in which he goes into the whole question of the relationship between the Gospel and the Mosaic law, between the Old Covenant and the New. He tries to get them to see that the key point is this: accepting Mosaic doctrine would mean in practice renouncing the justification won for us by Christ – and therefore denying the value of the redemption; it would imply renouncing freedom, because they would be submitting to the yoke of the Law, which is slavery; it would mean rejecting the grace and salvation which faith in Jesus Christ brings with it. The Judaizers have ignored the decisions of the Council of Jerusalem (A.D. 50) which has gone into this whole question and with whose teaching Saint Paul is in line (Acts 15:28-29).
16 [We]
Primarily Saints Peter and Paul, but in effect all who attended the Council of Jerusalem.
know that a person is not justified by works of the law
Obedience of the ritual requirements of the Mosaic law.
but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ
For Saint Paul, “faith” is not simply belief, but is instead total personal commitment. One accepts the divine revelation make known through Christ and responds to it with a complete dedication of their personal life to Him.
and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Implicitly quoting Psalm 143:2, Saint Paul appeals to the conviction shared by him and Saint Peter at the time of their conversion that a Jew fully realizes his inability to achieve uprightness by the “works of the law.”
“Some say that if Paul is right in asserting that no one is justified by the works of the law but from faith in Christ, the patriarchs and prophets and saints who lived before Christ were imperfect. We should tell such people that those who are said not to have obtained righteousness are those who believe that they can be justified by works alone. The saints who lived long ago, however, were justified from faith in Christ, seeing (John 8:56) that Abraham saw in advance Christ’s day.” [Saint Jerome (A.D. 386), Commentaries on the
Epistle to the Galatians 1,2,16]
19 For through the law I died to the law, that I might live for God.
Christ, by His total obedience of the law, became the one perfect sacrifice which could bear the covenant curse brought upon mankind by the sin of Adam. The result of that one perfect sacrifice was that heaven was opened and mankind could approach God and have their sins forgiven.
I have been crucified with Christ; 20 yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh,
Through baptism, one dies to sin and rises a new creation (Romans 6:3-11).
I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.
Christ now lives in him which is the perfection of Christian life.
21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
The Judaizers, by insisting on the legal obligations of the law, implied that Christ’s sacrifice on the altar of the cross was ineffective. Saint Paul asserts that the opposite is true: because of Christ’s surrender, the Mosaic law is no longer in effect and the grace of God shines through.
“The law could not give remission of sins, nor triumph over the second death nor free from captivity those who were bound because of sin. The reason for Christ’s death was to provide those things that the law could not. He did not die in vain, for His death is the justification of sinners.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366 - 384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles, Galatians 2,21]
Gospel - Luke 7:36 - 8:3
Like our 1st reading, our Gospel reading for today focuses on repentance of sin. To be forgiven, sin must first be acknowledged. Then we must still live with the results of what we have done. Grace and forgiveness are powerful, but they do not come cheaply.
7:36 A Pharisee invited him [Jesus] to dine with him,
Because of the hostility of the Pharisaic sect to Jesus, it was courageous of this one to invite Jesus to dinner. Not only does Luke frequently portray Jesus as a dinner guest (5:39; 10:38; 19:5) but on three occasions his host is a Pharisee (7:36; 11:37; 14:1). For Saint Luke, many of Jesus’ most important teachings occur on the way to a meal, at a meal, or immediately after a meal.
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 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, 38 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.
She intended simply to anoint His feet with a flagrant ointment, but as she leaned over, tears gushed forth, which she ingenuously wiped away with her long hair. Completely overcome, she repeatedly kissed His feet.
39 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.” 40 Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
While Simon silently condemns Jesus for not divining the character of the woman, Jesus proves Himself to be a prophet by reading the secret thoughts of Simon.
“Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. 42 Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
We can still feel the insolent frigidity of the speaker.
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment.
When dining, people reclined on low divans leaning on their left arm with their legs tucked under them, away from the table. Oriental hospitality required a host to give his guest a kiss of greeting and offer him water for his feet, and perfumes.
47 So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love.
This text is a classic text for showing that perfect charity has the power of forgiving sin. Her sins are forgiven because she loves much.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
“He loves little who has little forgiven. O you say that you have not committed many sins: why have you not? by whose guidance?... The reason is that God was guiding you. ... There is no sin that one man commits, which another may not commit also unless God, man’s maker, guides him.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (between A.D. 391 - 430), Sermons 99,6]
48 He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
This is an action which only God can do.
50 But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Jesus declares that it was faith that moved this woman to throw herself at His feet and show her repentance; her repentance wins His forgiveness.
8:1 Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve 2 and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Such possession can indicate only a very serious illness. There is no reason to identify Mary Magdalene (from Magdala, a city at the halfway mark along the western coast of the sea of Galilee) as the sinful woman in the preceding epic. She is introduced here as someone new.
3 Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Possibly a source of information about Herod Antipas for Saint Luke. If Chuza is the royal official of John 4:46-53, then we can understand why he would permit his wife to minister to Jesus.
Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13
The books of Samuel have varied in name and shape throughout their existence. Originally, they formed one book, as attested to by Jerome and Eusebius. The partition into two books seems to have first been made in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament done around 250 B.C.) where these books are called 1 and 2 Kingdoms and what we now call 1 and 2 Kings were called 3 and 4 Kingdoms. The designation of 1 through 4 Kings carries through the Douay-Rheims translation (A.D. 1609-1610).
Our Old Testament reading for today is about David’s adultery with Bathsheba. The prophet Nathan has just told the parable of the ewe lamb and David has risen to the bait. Nathan then confronts David with his sin and David’s ability to acknowledge his sin is a key point. One cannot really be forgiven until one has acknowledged the sinful act.
7 [ ] Nathan said to David: “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king of Israel. I rescued you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own. I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more. 9 Why have you spurned the LORD and done evil in his sight? You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you took his wife as your own, and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.
David had apparently taken over Saul’s harem (verse 8) and now he has taken the wife of one of his soldiers.
10 Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’
The rest of the court story (chapters 13 through 15) bears out the statement that the sword shall never depart from David’s house.
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
David’s frank confession is an acknowledgment of sin “against the Lord.”
Nathan answered David: “The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die.
The sin has been forgiven, but the temporal punishment for the sin still remains. The child which was born of this adulterous relationship dies.
2nd Reading - Galatians 2:16, 19-21
At the beginning of his third apostolic journey, around the year A.D. 53 (Acts 18:23), Saint Paul passed through Galatia to visit the Christian communities he had established in the area (Acts 13:14ff). The communities in question, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Derbe and Lystra, were in the southern part of Galatia. The Galatians had responded very well to Paul’s apostolate and were flourishing when last visited by Paul (on his second apostolic journey) but this time he is very surprised to find that the Galatian Christians – many of whom came from a Gentile background – had been led astray by “false brethren”, Judaizers, who made out that Christians should conform to the Mosaic law and, therefore, should be circumcised and obey all the dietary regulations. When Saint Paul reached Ephesus he wrote the Galatians a letter refuting the errors involved, in which he goes into the whole question of the relationship between the Gospel and the Mosaic law, between the Old Covenant and the New. He tries to get them to see that the key point is this: accepting Mosaic doctrine would mean in practice renouncing the justification won for us by Christ – and therefore denying the value of the redemption; it would imply renouncing freedom, because they would be submitting to the yoke of the Law, which is slavery; it would mean rejecting the grace and salvation which faith in Jesus Christ brings with it. The Judaizers have ignored the decisions of the Council of Jerusalem (A.D. 50) which has gone into this whole question and with whose teaching Saint Paul is in line (Acts 15:28-29).
16 [We]
Primarily Saints Peter and Paul, but in effect all who attended the Council of Jerusalem.
know that a person is not justified by works of the law
Obedience of the ritual requirements of the Mosaic law.
but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ
For Saint Paul, “faith” is not simply belief, but is instead total personal commitment. One accepts the divine revelation make known through Christ and responds to it with a complete dedication of their personal life to Him.
and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Implicitly quoting Psalm 143:2, Saint Paul appeals to the conviction shared by him and Saint Peter at the time of their conversion that a Jew fully realizes his inability to achieve uprightness by the “works of the law.”
“Some say that if Paul is right in asserting that no one is justified by the works of the law but from faith in Christ, the patriarchs and prophets and saints who lived before Christ were imperfect. We should tell such people that those who are said not to have obtained righteousness are those who believe that they can be justified by works alone. The saints who lived long ago, however, were justified from faith in Christ, seeing (John 8:56) that Abraham saw in advance Christ’s day.” [Saint Jerome (A.D. 386), Commentaries on the
Epistle to the Galatians 1,2,16]
19 For through the law I died to the law, that I might live for God.
Christ, by His total obedience of the law, became the one perfect sacrifice which could bear the covenant curse brought upon mankind by the sin of Adam. The result of that one perfect sacrifice was that heaven was opened and mankind could approach God and have their sins forgiven.
I have been crucified with Christ; 20 yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh,
Through baptism, one dies to sin and rises a new creation (Romans 6:3-11).
I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.
Christ now lives in him which is the perfection of Christian life.
21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
The Judaizers, by insisting on the legal obligations of the law, implied that Christ’s sacrifice on the altar of the cross was ineffective. Saint Paul asserts that the opposite is true: because of Christ’s surrender, the Mosaic law is no longer in effect and the grace of God shines through.
“The law could not give remission of sins, nor triumph over the second death nor free from captivity those who were bound because of sin. The reason for Christ’s death was to provide those things that the law could not. He did not die in vain, for His death is the justification of sinners.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366 - 384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles, Galatians 2,21]
Gospel - Luke 7:36 - 8:3
Like our 1st reading, our Gospel reading for today focuses on repentance of sin. To be forgiven, sin must first be acknowledged. Then we must still live with the results of what we have done. Grace and forgiveness are powerful, but they do not come cheaply.
7:36 A Pharisee invited him [Jesus] to dine with him,
Because of the hostility of the Pharisaic sect to Jesus, it was courageous of this one to invite Jesus to dinner. Not only does Luke frequently portray Jesus as a dinner guest (5:39; 10:38; 19:5) but on three occasions his host is a Pharisee (7:36; 11:37; 14:1). For Saint Luke, many of Jesus’ most important teachings occur on the way to a meal, at a meal, or immediately after a meal.
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 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, 38 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.
She intended simply to anoint His feet with a flagrant ointment, but as she leaned over, tears gushed forth, which she ingenuously wiped away with her long hair. Completely overcome, she repeatedly kissed His feet.
39 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.” 40 Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
While Simon silently condemns Jesus for not divining the character of the woman, Jesus proves Himself to be a prophet by reading the secret thoughts of Simon.
“Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. 42 Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
We can still feel the insolent frigidity of the speaker.
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment.
When dining, people reclined on low divans leaning on their left arm with their legs tucked under them, away from the table. Oriental hospitality required a host to give his guest a kiss of greeting and offer him water for his feet, and perfumes.
47 So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love.
This text is a classic text for showing that perfect charity has the power of forgiving sin. Her sins are forgiven because she loves much.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
“He loves little who has little forgiven. O you say that you have not committed many sins: why have you not? by whose guidance?... The reason is that God was guiding you. ... There is no sin that one man commits, which another may not commit also unless God, man’s maker, guides him.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (between A.D. 391 - 430), Sermons 99,6]
48 He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
This is an action which only God can do.
50 But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Jesus declares that it was faith that moved this woman to throw herself at His feet and show her repentance; her repentance wins His forgiveness.
8:1 Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve 2 and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Such possession can indicate only a very serious illness. There is no reason to identify Mary Magdalene (from Magdala, a city at the halfway mark along the western coast of the sea of Galilee) as the sinful woman in the preceding epic. She is introduced here as someone new.
3 Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Possibly a source of information about Herod Antipas for Saint Luke. If Chuza is the royal official of John 4:46-53, then we can understand why he would permit his wife to minister to Jesus.
Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.
Meditation: "Which will love him
more?"
What
fuels the love that surpasses all other loves? Unbounding gratitude for sure!
No one who met Jesus could do so with indifference. They were either attracted
to him or repelled by him. Why did a Pharisee invite Jesus to his house for
dinner and then treat him discourteously by neglecting to give him the
customary signs of respect and honor? [This account has some similarities to
the account of Simon the leper in Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3, as well as the
account in John 12:1-8.] Simon was very likely a collector of celebrities. He
patronized Jesus because of his popularity with the crowds. Why did he
criticize Jesus' compassionate treatment of a woman of ill repute - most likely
a prostitute? The Pharisees shunned the company of public sinners and in so
doing they neglected to give them the help they needed to find healing and
wholeness.
The
power of extravagant love and gratitude
Why did a woman with a bad reputation approach Jesus and anoint him with her tears and costly perfume at the risk of ridicule and abuse by others? The woman's action was motivated by one thing, and one thing only, namely, her love for Jesus - she loved greatly out of gratitude for the kindness and forgiveness she had received from Jesus. She did something a Jewish woman would never do in public. She loosened her hair and anointed Jesus with her tears. It was customary for a woman on her wedding day to bind her hair. For a married woman to loosen her hair in public was a sign of grave immodesty. This woman was oblivious to all around her, except for Jesus.
Why did a woman with a bad reputation approach Jesus and anoint him with her tears and costly perfume at the risk of ridicule and abuse by others? The woman's action was motivated by one thing, and one thing only, namely, her love for Jesus - she loved greatly out of gratitude for the kindness and forgiveness she had received from Jesus. She did something a Jewish woman would never do in public. She loosened her hair and anointed Jesus with her tears. It was customary for a woman on her wedding day to bind her hair. For a married woman to loosen her hair in public was a sign of grave immodesty. This woman was oblivious to all around her, except for Jesus.
Love
gives all - the best we have
She also did something which only love can do. She took the most precious thing she had and spent it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but extravagant. In a spirit of humility and heart-felt repentance, she lavishly served the one who showed her the mercy and kindness of God. Jesus, in his customary fashion, never lost the opportunity to draw a lesson from such a deed.
She also did something which only love can do. She took the most precious thing she had and spent it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but extravagant. In a spirit of humility and heart-felt repentance, she lavishly served the one who showed her the mercy and kindness of God. Jesus, in his customary fashion, never lost the opportunity to draw a lesson from such a deed.
The
debt of gratitude for mercy and forgiveness
Why did Jesus put the parable of the two debtors before his learned host, a religious Jew who was well versed in the Jewish Scriptures and who would have rigorously followed the letter of the Law of Moses? This parable is similar to the parable of the unforgiving official (see Matthew 18:23-35) in which the man who was forgiven much showed himself merciless and unforgiving. Jesus makes clear that great love springs from a heart forgiven and cleansed. Peter the Apostle tells us that "love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). It was love that motivated the Father in heaven to send his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, to offer up his life on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. The woman's lavish expression of love was an offering of gratitude for the great forgiveness, kindness, and mercy Jesus had shown to her.
Why did Jesus put the parable of the two debtors before his learned host, a religious Jew who was well versed in the Jewish Scriptures and who would have rigorously followed the letter of the Law of Moses? This parable is similar to the parable of the unforgiving official (see Matthew 18:23-35) in which the man who was forgiven much showed himself merciless and unforgiving. Jesus makes clear that great love springs from a heart forgiven and cleansed. Peter the Apostle tells us that "love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). It was love that motivated the Father in heaven to send his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, to offer up his life on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. The woman's lavish expression of love was an offering of gratitude for the great forgiveness, kindness, and mercy Jesus had shown to her.
The
stark contrast of attitudes between Simon and the woman of ill-repute
demonstrates how we can either accept or reject God's mercy and forgiveness.
Simon, who regarded himself as an upright Pharisee, did not feel any particular
need for pardon and mercy. His self-sufficiency kept him from acknowledging his
need for God's grace - his gracious gift of favor, help, and mercy. Are
you grateful for God's mercy and pardon?
"Lord
Jesus, your grace is sufficient for me. Fill my heart with love and gratitude
for the mercy you have shown to me and give me joy and freedom to love and
serve others with kindness and respect."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus the Physician brings miraculous healing to the
woman's sins, by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD)
"Healing
the sick is a physician's glory. Our Lord did this to increase the disgrace of
the Pharisee, who discredited the glory of our Physician. He worked signs in
the streets, worked even greater signs once he entered the Pharisee’s house
than those that he had worked outside. In the streets, he healed sick bodies,
but inside, he healed sick souls. Outside, he had given life to the death of
Lazarus. Inside, he gave life to the death of the sinful woman. He restored the
living soul to a dead body that it had left, and he drove off the deadly sin
from a sinful woman in whom it dwelt. That blind Pharisee, for whom wonders
were not enough, discredited the common things he saw because of the wondrous
things he failed to see." (excerpt from HOMILY ON OUR LORD
42.2)
ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, JUNE 12, LUKE 7:36--8:3 OR 7:36-50
(2 Samuel:7-10, 13; Psalm 32; Galatians 2:16, 19-21)
SUNDAY, JUNE 12, LUKE 7:36--8:3 OR 7:36-50
(2 Samuel:7-10, 13; Psalm 32; Galatians 2:16, 19-21)
KEY VERSE: "And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (Lk 7:50).
TO KNOW: Jesus was a dinner guest at the home of a Pharisee (Simon the Leper in Mk 14:3-9). Jesus was reclining at table (in the fashion of the Greeks), when a woman came into the banquet room and threw herself at Jesus' feet, anointing him with costly perfume. Her act was symbolic of Jesus' role as God's "anointed one" (Greek, Christos, Hebrew, Mashiach). It can also be viewed as preparation for Jesus' death and burial. As the host of the banquet, the Pharisee had not provided the normal courtesies for his guest (greeting Jesus with a kiss and bathing his feet). His hospitality seemed to be mixed with hostility. The Pharisee was critical of Jesus' acceptance of the touch of a woman, an unclean, known sinner. Jesus addressed the unspoken thoughts of his host with a story of a money lender's treatment of two debtors. Although both had reason to be grateful for the mercy accorded them, the one with the greater debt was even more thankful that his debt was forgiven. Likewise, the woman showed great love because of the compassion shown to her.
TO LOVE: Do I act with kindness toward someone I feel is indebted to me?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be show mercy to others because of the mercy you have shown to me.
Sunday 12 June, 2016
Sun 12th. 11th Sunday in
Ordinary Time.
2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done—Ps 31(32):1-2, 5, 7, 11. Galatians 2:16, 19-21. Luke 7:36 – 8:3.
2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done—Ps 31(32):1-2, 5, 7, 11. Galatians 2:16, 19-21. Luke 7:36 – 8:3.
Reputation
and forgiveness.
I have often
wondered about the atmosphere in that room as the woman entered. Did some
people avert their faces in case she recognised them as clients? The looks of
dismissal and contempt would have been enough to send a weaker person running
back out the door. Instead, she was single-minded, and resolutely did what she
had decided to do. She poured out her sorrow and love on the one person she
trusted, and Jesus responded as she had hoped he would. He cherished her
gestures of loving care and turned the tables on her accusers.
A colleague talks with women
world-wide who are trafficked and in prostitution and who are mothers. He
learns of their difficulties accessing ante-natal care, trained support when
giving birth and caring for their children. Jesus would have helped
these women.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
Exuding Joy
|
Joy is the light that radiates from our faces when we know that
our relationship with God is a forever one. It is the light we've been called
to pass on to others.
June 12
Blessed Jolenta (Yolanda) of Poland
(d. 1298)
Blessed Jolenta (Yolanda) of Poland
(d. 1298)
Jolenta was the daughter of Bela IV, King
of Hungary. Her sister, St. Kunigunde, was married to the Duke of Poland.
Jolenta was sent to Poland where her sister was to supervise her education.
Eventually married to Boleslaus, the Duke of Greater Poland, Jolenta was able
to use her material means to assist the poor, the sick, widows and orphans. Her
husband joined her in building hospitals, convents and churches so that he was
surnamed "the Pious."
Upon the death of her husband and the marriage of two
of her daughters, Jolenta and her third daughter entered the convent of the
Poor Clares. War forced Jolenta to move to another convent where, despite her
reluctance, she was made abbess.
So well did she serve her Franciscan sisters by word
and example that her fame and good works continued to spread beyond the walls
of the cloister. Her favorite devotion was the Passion of Christ. Indeed, Jesus
appeared to her, telling her of her coming death. Many miracles, down to our
own day, are said to have occurred at her grave.
Comment:
Jolenta’s story begins like a fairy tale. But fairy tales seldom include the death of the prince and never end with the princess living out her days in a convent. Nonetheless, Jolenta’s story has a happy ending. Her life of charity toward the poor and devotion to her Franciscan sisters indeed brought her to a “happily ever after.” Our lives may be short on fairy-tale elements, but our generosity and our willingness to serve well the people we live with lead us toward an ending happier than we can imagine.
Jolenta’s story begins like a fairy tale. But fairy tales seldom include the death of the prince and never end with the princess living out her days in a convent. Nonetheless, Jolenta’s story has a happy ending. Her life of charity toward the poor and devotion to her Franciscan sisters indeed brought her to a “happily ever after.” Our lives may be short on fairy-tale elements, but our generosity and our willingness to serve well the people we live with lead us toward an ending happier than we can imagine.
LECTIO: 11TH SUNDAY OF
ORDINARY TIME (C)
Lectio Divina: Sunday, June 12, 2016
Jesus
welcomes and defends
the
woman with the ointment.
Poor
people’s trust in Jesus
Luke 7:36 to 8:3
1. Opening prayer
Lord
Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind
that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the
Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in
the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed
to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of
resurrection.
Create
in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the
Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May
your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may
experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are
alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you,
Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit.
Amen.
2. Reading
a) A
key to the reading:
The
text of this Sunday’s Gospel puts before us two related episodes. The first
episode is quite emotional. A woman who was thought to be a sinner in the city,
has the courage to go into Simon’s house, a Pharisee, during a meal, to meet
Jesus, wash his feet and cover them with kisses and ointment. The second
episode describes Jesus’ community of men and women.
As
you read the text, imagine being in the Pharisee’s house at table and look
carefully at the attitudes, actions and words of those present, the woman,
Jesus and the Pharisees. Read again the brief information that Luke gives
concerning the community that grew around Jesus and try to examine carefully
the words used to show that the community was made up of men and women who
followed Jesus.
c) A
division of the text to help with the reading:
Luke
7:36-38: A woman washes Jesus’ feet in the house of a Pharisee
Luke
7:39-40: The Pharisee’s reaction and Jesus’ reply
Luke
7:41-43: The parable of the two debtors and the Pharisee’s reply
Luke
7:44-47: Jesus applies the parable and defends the girl
Luke
7:48-50: Love generates forgiveness and forgiveness generates love
Luke
8:1-3: The men and women disciples of Jesus’ community
c)
Text:
Luke
7:36 to 8:336 One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to a meal. When he arrived at
the Pharisee's house and took his place at table, 37 suddenly a woman came in,
who had a bad name in the town. She had heard he was dining with the Pharisee
and had brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 She waited behind him
at his feet, weeping, and her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them away
with her hair; then she covered his feet with kisses and anointed them with the
ointment.
39
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this
man were a prophet, he would know who this woman is and what sort of person it
is who is touching him and what a bad name she has.' 40 Then Jesus took him up
and said, 'Simon, I have something to say to you.' He replied, 'Say on,
Master.' 41 'There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed
him five hundred denarii, the other fifty. 42 They were unable to pay, so he
let them both off. Which of them will love him more?' 43 Simon answered, 'The
one who was let off more, I suppose.' Jesus said, 'You are right.' 44 Then he
turned to the woman and said to Simon, 'You see this woman? I came into your
house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears
over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but she
has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. 46 You did not
anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 For
this reason I tell you that her sins, many as they are, have been forgiven her,
because she has shown such great love. It is someone who is forgiven little who
shows little love.' 48 Then he said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.' 49 Those
who were with him at table began to say to themselves, 'Who is this man, that
even forgives sins?' 50 But he said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go
in peace.'
8:1
Now it happened that after this he made his way through towns and villages
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. With him went
the Twelve, 2 as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and
ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3
Joanna the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided
for them out of their own resources.
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so
that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to
help us in our personal reflection.
a)
What struck you most in the text? Why?
b)
What does the woman do and how does she do it?
c)
What is the Pharisee’s attitude towards Jesus and towards the woman: what does
he do and say?
d)
What is Jesus’ attitude towards the woman: what does he do and say?
e)
The woman would not have done what she did unless she was absolutely certain
that Jesus would welcome her. Do present day people who are marginalized have
the same certainty in our regard as Christians?
f)
Love and forgiveness. Who are the women who follow Jesus? What binds them
together?
g)
Jesus’ community: Who are the women who follow Jesus? What do they do?
5. For those who wish to go deeper into
the theme
a)
The literary and historical context of the text:
In
chapter 7 of his Gospel, Luke describes the new and surprising things that
happen among the people since Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God. In
Capernaum, he praises the faith of the foreigner: “Amen I say to you, not even
in Israel have I found such great faith! (Lk 7:1-10). In Naim he raises the
widow’s son from death (Lk 7:11-17). The way Jesus proclaims the Kingdom
surprises the Jewish brethren so that even John the Baptist is surprised and
sends word to ask: “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
(Lk 7:18-30). Jesus criticises the wavering of his adversaries: "They are
like children who do not know what they want!" (cfr. Lk 7:31-35). And here,
at the end of the chapter, that is our text (Lk 7:36 to 8:3), something else
that is new begins to appear and to surprise in the Good News of the Kingdom:
Jesus’ attitude towards women.
At
the time of the New Testament in Palestine, women were marginalized. They took
no part in the synagogue nor could they witness in public life. From the time
of Ezra (IV century B.C.), resistance towards women kept growing as we note in
the stories of Judith, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Susanna, the Sulamite woman and
many others. This resistance towards women did not find an echo in Jesus who
welcomed them. In the episode of the woman with the ointment (Lk 7:36-50) we
see anti-conformism in Jesus’ welcome of the woman. In the description of the
community that was growing around Jesus (Lk 8:1-3), we see men and women
gathered around Jesus, equal in standing as disciples.
b) A
commentary on the text:
Luke
7:36-38: A woman washes Jesus’ feet in the house of a Pharisee
Three
totally different persons meet: Jesus, a Pharisee and a woman who was said to
be a sinner. Jesus is in Simon’s house, a Pharisee who had invited him to eat
in his house. A woman comes in, kneels at Jesus’ feet, weeps, bathes his feet
with her tears, loosens her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet, kisses them and anoints
them with ointment. The act of loosening her hair in public was a sign of
independence. This is the scene that causes the debate that follows.
Luke
7:39-40: The Pharisees’ reply and Jesus’ reply
Jesus
does not retreat, does not reprove the woman but rather welcomes what she does.
The woman is someone who, according to the observant Jews of the time, could
not be welcomed. Seeing what was going on, the Pharisee criticises Jesus and
condemns the woman: "This man, were he a prophet, would surely know who
and what manner of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a
sinner!" In reply to the Pharisee’s provocation, Jesus tells a parable; a
parable that will help the Pharisee and all of us to see the invisible call of
the love of God who reveals himself in that scene.
Luke
7:41-43: The parable of the two debtors and the Pharisee’s reply
The
parable recounts the following: A creditor had to debtors. One owed him 500
denarii and the other 50. A denarius was equivalent to a day’s wage. Thus the
wages for fifty days! Neither of the two could pay. Both were forgiven. Which
of them will love him more? The Pharisee replies: "He to whom he forgave
more!" The parable presupposes that earlier, both the Pharisee and the
woman had received some favour from Jesus. Now, in their attitude towards
Jesus, they show their appreciation for the favour received. The Pharisee shows
his love, his gratitude, by inviting Jesus to his house. The woman shows her
love, her gratitude with her tears, with kisses and with the ointment. Which of
these actions shows a greater love; eating or the kisses and ointment? Does the
measure of one’s love depend on the size of the present offered?
Luke
7:44-47: Jesus applies the parable and defends the woman
When
he had received the correct answer from the Pharisee, Jesus applied it to the
situation which arose with the coming in of the woman during the meal. He
defends the sinful woman against the criticism of the practising Jew. What
Jesus is saying to the Pharisees of all times is this: "He to whom little
is forgiven, loves little!" The personal security that I, the Pharisee,
create for myself because of my observance of the laws of God and of the
Church, frequently prevents me from experiencing the gratuitous love of a
forgiving God. What matters is not the observance of the law as such, but the
love with which I observe the law. Using the symbols of the love of the sinful
woman, Jesus answers the Pharisee who considered himself just: «You see this
woman? I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she
has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. You
gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I
came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with
ointment. For this reason I tell you that her sins, many as they are, have been
forgiven her, because she has shown such great love. It is someone who is
forgiven little who shows little love». It is as if he said: "Simon, in
spite of the banquet you offer me, you have little love!" Why? The prophet
Jeremiah had once said that in the future, in the new covenant, “no longer will
they need to teach their friends and kinsmen how to know the Lord. All, from
least to greatest, shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their
evildoing and remember their sin no more”. (Jer 31:34). It is awareness of
being freely forgiven that makes one experience the love of God. When the
Pharisee calls the woman a “sinner”, he is considering himself to be a just man
who observes and practices the law. He is like the Pharisee from the other
parable who said: “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men,
robbers, dishonest, adulterers, or even like this publican” (Lk 18:11). Simon
must have thought: “O God, I thank you because I am not like this sinful
woman!” But the one who went home justified was not the Pharisee but the
publican who had said: “Be merciful to me a sinner!” (Lk 18:14). From the
beginning, Pharisees always consider themselves sinless, because in all things
they observe the law of God, they go to Mass, pray, give alms and pay their
taxes. They place their security in what they do for God, not in the love and
the forgiveness of God towards them. That is why Simon, the Pharisee cannot
experience the gratuitousness of God’s love.
Luke
7:48-50: Love generates forgiveness and forgiveness generates love
Jesus
says to the woman: "Your sins are forgiven you." Then the guests
begin to think: "Who is this who even forgives sins?" But Jesus says
to the woman: "Your faith has saved you. Go and sin no more!" Here we
see Jesus’ new attitude. He does not condemn but welcomes. It is faith that
enables the woman to know herself and to accept herself and God. In her
exchange with Jesus, a new force breaks forth in her that enables her to be
reborn. An important question comes to our mind. Would the sinful woman in the
city have done what she did had she not been absolutely certain that Jesus
would welcome her? This means that for the poor people of Galilee in those
days, Jesus was someone to be trusted absolutely! “We can trust him. He will
welcome us!” Do the marginalized people of today have this same certainty
towards us Christians?
Luke
8:1-3: The disciples of Jesus’ community
Jesus
went to the villages and towns of Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of the
Kingdom of God and the twelve were with him. The expression “following Jesus”
shows the condition of a disciple who follows the Master seeking to imitate his
example and sharing in his fate. It is surprising that besides the men there
were also women who “followed Jesus”. Luke places the men and women disciples
on an equal level. He also says that the women served Jesus with their goods.
Luke also mentions the names of some of these women disciples: Mary Magdalene,
born in the city of Magdala. She had been delivered of seven demons. Joanna,
the wife of Cuza, Herod Antipa’s procurator, who was governor of Galilee.
Susanna and many others.
c)
Further information:
i)
Luke’s Gospel has always been considered the Gospel of women. Indeed, Luke is
the one who most records occasions that show the relationship of Jesus with
women. However, the novelty, the Good News concerning women, is not simply
because of the many citations of their presence around Jesus, but in Jesus’
attitude towards them. Jesus touches them, allows them to touch him, without
fear of being contaminated (Lk 7:39; 8:44-45.54). The difference between Jesus
and the masters of the time is that Jesus accepts women as followers and
disciples (Lk 8:2-3; 10”39). The liberating force of God, which acts in Jesus,
raises women to assume their place of dignity (Lk 13:13). Jesus feels the
suffering of the widow and joins in her sorrow (Lk 7:13). The work of the woman
who prepares food, is seen by Jesus as a sign of the Kingdom (Lk 13:20-21). The
persevering widow who fights for her rights is presented as a model of prayer
(Lk 18:1-8), and the poor widow who shares her meagre goods with others is
presented as the model of gift and of dedication (Lk 21:1-4). At a time when
the witness of women was not considered valid, Jesus chooses women as witnesses
of his death (Lk 23:49), of his burial (Lk 23:55-56) and of his resurrection
(Lk 24:1-11.22-24).
ii)
The Gospels record different lists of the names of the twelve disciples who
followed Jesus. The names are not always the same, but there are always twelve
names, evoking the twelve tribes of the new people of God. There were women who
also followed Jesus, from Galilee to Jerusalem. Mark’s Gospel defines their
attitude in three words, three verbs: following, serving, going up to Jerusalem
(Mk 15:41). The Evangelists do not give a list of the women disciples who
followed Jesus, but their names are known to this day through the pages of the
Gospels, especially of Luke, and they are:: Mary Magdalene (Lk 8:3; 24:10);
Joanna the wife of Chuza (Lk 8;,3); Susanna (Lk 8:3); Salome (Mk 15:45); Mary,
James’ mother (Lk 24:10); Mary, Cleophas’ wife (Jn 19:25); Mary, the mother of
Jesus (Jn 19:25).
6. Prayer: A hymn to Love (1 Cor
13:1-13)
Above
all, love!
1
Though I command languages both human and angelic -- if I speak without love, I
am no more than a gong booming or a cymbal clashing.
2 And
though I have the power of prophecy, to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge,
and though I have all the faith necessary to move mountains -- if I am without
love, I am nothing.
3
Though I should give away to the poor all that I possess, and even give up my
body to be burned -- if I am without love, it will do me no good whatever.
4
Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or
conceited, 5 it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not
take offence or store up grievances. 6 Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but
finds its joy in the truth. 7 It is always ready to make allowances, to trust,
to hope and to endure whatever comes. 8 Love never comes to an end. But if
there are prophecies, they will be done away with; if tongues, they will fall
silent; and if knowledge, it will be done away with. 9 For we know only
imperfectly, and we prophesy imperfectly; 10 but once perfection comes, all
imperfect things will be done away with.
11
When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and see things as a child
does, and think like a child; but now that I have become an adult, I have
finished with all childish ways. 12 Now we see only reflections in a mirror,
mere riddles, but then we shall be seeing face to face. Now I can know only
imperfectly; but then I shall know just as fully as I am myself known.
13 As
it is, these remain: faith, hope and love, the three of them; and the greatest
of them is love.
7. Final Prayer
Lord
Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will
of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength
to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your
mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign
with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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