Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 446
Lectionary: 446
Beloved:
Let no one have contempt for your youth,
but set an example for those who believe,
in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you through the prophetic word
with the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.
Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,
so that your progress may be evident to everyone.
Attend to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in both tasks,
for by doing so you will save
both yourself and those who listen to you.
Let no one have contempt for your youth,
but set an example for those who believe,
in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you through the prophetic word
with the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.
Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,
so that your progress may be evident to everyone.
Attend to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in both tasks,
for by doing so you will save
both yourself and those who listen to you.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 111:7-8, 9, 10
R.(2) How
great are the works of the Lord!
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
prudent are all who live by it.
His praise endures forever.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
prudent are all who live by it.
His praise endures forever.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
AlleluiaMT 11:28
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 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."
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."
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Januarius, please
go here.
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)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, LUKE 7:36-50
Weekday
(1 Timothy 4:12-16; Psalm 111)
Weekday
(1 Timothy 4:12-16; Psalm 111)
KEY VERSE: "Her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love" (v. 47).
TO KNOW: As Jesus reclined at table in the home of a Pharisee (Simon the Leper in Mk 14:3-9), a woman entered the room and anointed him with oil. She was weeping in gratitude for the forgiveness she had received. The Pharisee was critical of Jesus for allowing this woman, a known sinner, to touch him. Jesus told his host a story of a money lender who forgave the debts of two people. The one who was most in debt was more grateful to his creditor than the one who owed less. Jesus reminded his self-righteous host that he had not provided the normal courtesies due a guest: giving a kiss of peace and bathing his feet. By contrast, the woman graciously kissed Jesus' feet and poured out her love by anointing him. Because her many sins had been pardoned, she was able to be generous in return. Her deed prefigured Jesus' role as God's "anointed one" (Greek, Christos, Hebrew, Mashiach). Her action can also be viewed as preparation for Jesus' death and burial.
TO LOVE: What acts of kindness is the Lord asking me to do today?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be grateful for the mercy you have shown to me.
Optional Memorial of Saint Januarius, bishop and martyr
Januarius was a Fourth century bishop of Benevento, Italy during the Emperor Diocletian's persecution. He was arrested while visiting imprisoned deacons, and later martyred with his companions, c.304 at Naples or Pozzuoli (sources vary). Januarius was first thrown to wild beasts, and when the animals would not attack him, he was beheaded. Januarius' body was brought to Naples, and there interred in the church. His blood was kept in a phial of glass, which was set near his head. Since at least 1389, it is said that the blood liquefies on his feast day.
Optional Memorial of Our Lady of La Salette
On September 19, 1846, Mary appeared to two young cattle herders, Melanie Mathieu and Maximin Giraud, on the mountain of La Salette in the French Alps. Speaking tearfully, she told the children that people must repent of their sins or endure coming chastisements. She promised Divine Mercy if they amended their lives. The distinctive La Salette Cross with the hammer and pincers is the unique sign of the Missionaries of La Salette. Worn by Mary at her apparition, it symbolizes the La Salette's work of reconciliation, helping people turn from sin and letting the world know of God's peace and compassion. Mary's call for reconciliation with God inspires us to be reconcilers ourselves: to heal hurts and deepen awareness of God's call to repentance.
Thursday 19 September 2019
1 Timothy 4:12-16. Psalm 110(111):7-10. Luke 7:36-50.
How great are the works of the Lord! – Psalm 110(111):7-10
‘She has shown great love’
How great are the works of the Lord! – Psalm 110(111):7-10
‘She has shown great love’
This is one of the most moving scenes in the gospels. Simon the
Pharisee and an unnamed woman respond so differently to the presence
of Jesus who points this out to Simon and the dinner guests. The woman,
known as a sinner, sensing and anticipating a special moment, welcomes Jesus
and Simon does not.
In return, the woman receives an outpouring of love. She had
sensed acceptance and forgiveness and hence her love follows. Jesus’ words,
given with a voice of authority, offer forgiveness, and he tells her to go in
peace. She is transformed by the experience. Simon is not judged, but the
contrast is there for all, including us, to contemplate. We know from human
experience that love always follows forgiveness.
Lord Jesus, help me tend to others’ needs with
appropriate self-care. I care for each person as a way to reverence
your Holy Spirit within people.
Saint Januarius
Saint of the Day for September 19
(c. 300)
 |
| The Martyrdom of Saint Januarius | Neri di Bicci |
Saint Januarius’ Story
Little is known about the life of Januarius. He is believed to
have been martyred in the Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of 305. Legend has
it that Januarius and his companions were thrown to the bears in the
amphitheater of Pozzuoli, but the animals failed to attack them. They were then
beheaded, and Januarius’ blood ultimately brought to Naples.
“A dark mass that half fills a hermetically sealed four-inch
glass container, and is preserved in a double reliquary in the Naples cathedral
as the blood of St. Januarius, liquefies 18 times during the year…Various
experiments have been applied, but the phenomenon eludes natural explanation….”
[From the Catholic Encyclopedia]
Reflection
It is defined Catholic doctrine that miracles can happen and are
recognizable. Problems arise, however, when we must decide whether an
occurrence is unexplainable in natural terms, or merely unexplained. We do well
to avoid an excessive credulity but, on the other hand, when even scientists
speak about “probabilities” rather than “laws” of nature, it is something less
than imaginative for Christians to think that God is too “scientific” to work
extraordinary miracles to wake us up to the everyday miracles of sparrows and
dandelions, raindrops and snowflakes.
Saint Januarius is the Patron Saint of:
Blood Banks
Naples
Naples
Lectio Divina: Luke 7:36-50
Lectio Divina
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
our creator and guide,
may we serve You with all our hearts
and know Your forgiveness in our lives.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
our creator and guide,
may we serve You with all our hearts
and know Your forgiveness in our lives.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - 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."
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel presents the episode of the woman with the
perfume who was accepted by Jesus during a feast in house of Simon the
Pharisee. One of the aspects of the novelty of the Good News of Jesus is the
surprising attitude of Jesus toward women. At the time of the New Testament
women lived marginalized. In the Synagogue they could not participate in the
public life and they could not be witnesses. Many women, though, resisted this
exclusion. From the time of Ezra, the marginalization of women had been increasing
on the part of the religious authority (Ezr 9:1 to 10:44), and the resistance
of women against their exclusion, also increased, as we can see in the stories
of Judith, Esther, Ruth, Noemi, Suzanne, and the Sulamite and others. This
resistance found echo and acceptance in Jesus. In the episode of the woman with
the perfume there is inconformity which springs up and the resistance of the
women in the life of every day and the acceptance of Jesus.
• Luke 7:36-38: The situation which breaks out the debate. Three completely different persons meet with one another: Jesus, Simon, the Pharisee, a practicing Jew, and the woman, whom they said that she was a sinner. Jesus is in the house of Simon who has invited Him to dinner with him. The woman enters, and she places herself at the feet of Jesus, and begins to cry, bathing Jesus’ feet with her tears, and dries them with her loose hair. She kisses His feet and anoints them with perfume. To get the hair loose in public was a gesture of independence. Jesus does not draw back, nor does He send the woman away, rather He accepts her gesture.
• Luke 7:39-40: The reaction of the Pharisee and the response of Jesus. Jesus was accepting a person, who, according to the custom of the time, could not be accepted, because she was a sinner. The Pharisee, observing everything, criticizes Jesus and condemns the woman: “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”. Jesus uses a parable to respond to the provocation of the Pharisee.
• Luke 7:41-43: The parable of the two debtors. One owed 500 denarii, the other 50. Neither one was able to pay, both of them were forgiven. Which of them will love their master more? Response of the Pharisee: “The one who was let off more, I suppose!” The parable presupposes that both, the Pharisee and the woman, had received some favor from Jesus. By the attitude that both take before Jesus they indicate how much they appreciate the favor received. The Pharisee shows his love, his gratitude, by inviting Jesus to eat with him. The woman shows her love, her gratitude, by her tears, the kisses and the perfume.
• Luke 7:44-47: The message of Jesus for the Pharisee. After having received the response of the Pharisee, Jesus applies the parable. Even if He was in the house of the Pharisee, invited by him, Jesus does not lose the freedom to speak and to act. He defends the woman against the criticism of the practicing Jew. The message of Jesus for the Pharisees of all times is this one: “The one who is forgiven little, loves little!” A Pharisee thinks that he is not a sinner because he observes the law in everything. The personal assurance that I, a Pharisee, create for myself many times, in the observance of the Law of God and of the Church, prevents me from experiencing the gratuity of the love of God. What is important is not the observance of the law in itself, but the love with which I observe the law. And using the symbols of the love of the woman, Jesus responds to the Pharisee who considered himself to be in peace with God: “you poured no water over My feet; you gave Me no kiss, you did not anoint My head with perfumed oil! Simon, in spite of the banquet that you have offered Me, you have loved very little!”
• Luke 7:48-50: The word of Jesus to the woman. Jesus declares that the woman is forgiven and then adds: “Your faith has saved you, go in peace!” Here we have the novelty of the attitude of Jesus. He does not condemn but He accepts. It is faith which helps the woman to encounter herself and to encounter God. In the relationship with Jesus, a new force springs up in her and makes her be born again.
• Luke 7:36-38: The situation which breaks out the debate. Three completely different persons meet with one another: Jesus, Simon, the Pharisee, a practicing Jew, and the woman, whom they said that she was a sinner. Jesus is in the house of Simon who has invited Him to dinner with him. The woman enters, and she places herself at the feet of Jesus, and begins to cry, bathing Jesus’ feet with her tears, and dries them with her loose hair. She kisses His feet and anoints them with perfume. To get the hair loose in public was a gesture of independence. Jesus does not draw back, nor does He send the woman away, rather He accepts her gesture.
• Luke 7:39-40: The reaction of the Pharisee and the response of Jesus. Jesus was accepting a person, who, according to the custom of the time, could not be accepted, because she was a sinner. The Pharisee, observing everything, criticizes Jesus and condemns the woman: “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”. Jesus uses a parable to respond to the provocation of the Pharisee.
• Luke 7:41-43: The parable of the two debtors. One owed 500 denarii, the other 50. Neither one was able to pay, both of them were forgiven. Which of them will love their master more? Response of the Pharisee: “The one who was let off more, I suppose!” The parable presupposes that both, the Pharisee and the woman, had received some favor from Jesus. By the attitude that both take before Jesus they indicate how much they appreciate the favor received. The Pharisee shows his love, his gratitude, by inviting Jesus to eat with him. The woman shows her love, her gratitude, by her tears, the kisses and the perfume.
• Luke 7:44-47: The message of Jesus for the Pharisee. After having received the response of the Pharisee, Jesus applies the parable. Even if He was in the house of the Pharisee, invited by him, Jesus does not lose the freedom to speak and to act. He defends the woman against the criticism of the practicing Jew. The message of Jesus for the Pharisees of all times is this one: “The one who is forgiven little, loves little!” A Pharisee thinks that he is not a sinner because he observes the law in everything. The personal assurance that I, a Pharisee, create for myself many times, in the observance of the Law of God and of the Church, prevents me from experiencing the gratuity of the love of God. What is important is not the observance of the law in itself, but the love with which I observe the law. And using the symbols of the love of the woman, Jesus responds to the Pharisee who considered himself to be in peace with God: “you poured no water over My feet; you gave Me no kiss, you did not anoint My head with perfumed oil! Simon, in spite of the banquet that you have offered Me, you have loved very little!”
• Luke 7:48-50: The word of Jesus to the woman. Jesus declares that the woman is forgiven and then adds: “Your faith has saved you, go in peace!” Here we have the novelty of the attitude of Jesus. He does not condemn but He accepts. It is faith which helps the woman to encounter herself and to encounter God. In the relationship with Jesus, a new force springs up in her and makes her be born again.
4) Personal questions
• Where, when, and how are women despised or rejected by the
Pharisee of today?
• The woman certainly would not have done what she did if she was not absolutely certain that Jesus would accept her. Do the marginalized and migrant persons have the same certainty today?
• The woman certainly would not have done what she did if she was not absolutely certain that Jesus would accept her. Do the marginalized and migrant persons have the same certainty today?
5) Concluding Prayer
For Yahweh is good,
His faithful love is everlasting,
His constancy from age to age. (Ps 100: 5)
His faithful love is everlasting,
His constancy from age to age. (Ps 100: 5)
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