Gospel: Luke
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.”
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Reflection:
Do you
believe that Jesus would forgive you of your many sins? The woman in the gospel
who is a big time sinner and presumably a prostitute believe in her heart that
Jesus would forgive her. Uninvited she went to the house of the Pharisee where
Jesus was. And there she humbled herself before Jesus by kissing his feet,
washing the same feet with her own tears, anointing it with an ointment and
wiping it with her own hair.
What the
woman did is a humble gesture of repentance and submission. It was her way of
telling Jesus that she now wants to lead a new life. A life free from any form
of sin, her gesture is also a gesture of love and repentance. Thus, she was
forgiven by Jesus and thereafter renewed by the power of forgiveness by Jesus.
All of us
commit sin and through this sin that we commit we also offend Jesus. But we
have nothing to fear for all of our sins can be forgiven and thereafter wiped-out
by Jesus. All we have to do is to humble ourselves before Him, tell Jesus our sins
and ask for His forgiveness.
Perhaps
you’re asking yourself this question: How would I be forgiven by Jesus of my
many sins? Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation/ Confession we are also
forgiven by Jesus with our many sins.
Do you
want to lead a new life? A life free from the enslavement of the devil a life
free from sin and guilt? If your answer is yes, humbly submit yourself to this
Healing and liberating sacrament. The moment you do you would feel that
something heavy and burdensome has been taken-off from your back.
Would you
have the humility to submit yourself to this process of healing and renewal? – Marino
J. Dasmarinas
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