FORGIVING ENCOUNTER – claretonline

September 16, Thursday

TWENTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

In antiquity, maturity was supposed to come not earlier than the age of fifty. Timothy must have been about thirty only when Paul wrote his first letter to him. Paul advises him to develop the charisma he had received at his ordination, through the imposition of hands.

A woman with a bad reputation, which she apparently deserved, comes to Jesus and shows in a rather extravagant way that something in her cries out for a purer kind of love than she had experienced in life. Her encounter with Jesus in faith and love led to forgiveness, to the scandal of the good practicing people. For us too, Jesus’ encounter with us is always forgiving.

First Reading: 1 Timothy 4:12-16

Dear brother, don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.

Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.

Gospel: Like 7:36-50

One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him.”

Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Oh? Tell me.”

“Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”

Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.”

“That’s right,” said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”

Then he spoke to her: “I forgive your sins.”

That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: “Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!”

He ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Prayer

Patient and loving Father,
you sent Jesus your Son among us
to heal what is broken and wounded.
He touched us with his goodness
and did not break the crushed reed.
Forgive us our sins,
let your Spirit continue in us
the work of conversion
and make us patient and understanding
with those who love us and those who fail us.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Reflection:

As much love, so much forgiveness

Today’s Gospel is set in the background of a meal. Every meal that Jesus shared says something to us about Christian community. His ‘last supper’ for example was one of many. The word ‘Pharisee’ means ‘separated one.’ As the name suggested, they were separated with the authority to teach in the meeting places. Jesus is in the house of a pharisee by name Simon. It is a story found only in Luke. Could Jesus be so rude to tell Simon the pharisee who invited him for the meal that he was not a good host and that he was not polite enough? Could a woman of bad reputation have easily walked into the house of a pharisee without being stopped on the way? Such questions will help us to look beyond what is given in the passage of the gospel. Luke must have been giving his community a lesson on humility, love and forgiveness. Be humble in service to obtain forgiveness. The speciality of this meal was that, here is someone who would normally have been stopped at the door of the house became the principal guest. The woman comes to the meal with some precious gift to offer to her Master. It was a meal of giving something precious of oneself. Her tears were external signs of her real self. Every Eucharist is a meal with Jesus. In spite of our unworthiness to dine with Jesus, no one will stop us at the door, rather we are welcomed to the table of the Lord. At the table, we are all equal in dignity as children of God. The woman gave of herself, from her heart and Jesus saw her heart. So he turns to Simon, his host and says, “She has loved much.” As we gather around the table of the Lord, will Jesus say the same about each of us – he loved much, she loved much? We bring the gifts of our hearts at Mass. The Gosepl passage brings us so much comfort to our burdened hearts. It invites us to go to the table of the Lord with all the burden of sin and pour out our hearts’ miseries before him. And Jesus gives from his overflowing heart — forgiveness and healing. There is only one condition recommended for obtaining his forgiveness: Love. Whoever loves little, little is forgiven, greater the love – greater the forgiveness! As much love for our brothers and sisters is so much love for God! As the woman left the table better than she came in, and so we too leave the Mass better than we came in.

Video available on Youtube: As much love, so much forgiveness

Reflection:

As much love, so much forgiveness

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