Luke 7:36-50

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Psalm 118:1b-2, 16ab-17, 28

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for the gift of your mercy. You have forgiven my many sins by sending your Son to redeem me and call me to repentance. May I be reconciled with you when I fall and restored to life with you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Jesus, The One Who Can Forgive Sins: All four Gospels present Jesus as the one who can forgive sins. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the healing of the paralytic, a miracle that shows that Jesus has the power to forgive sins (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26). In John, John the Baptist bears witness that Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:26). The author of the Letter to the Hebrews argues that Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross takes away our sin: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). Unlike the high priest who entered the earthly sanctuary with the blood of animals, which cannot take away sin, Christ our High Priest entered the heavenly sanctuary with his own blood, which does take away sin. We, then, have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all (Hebrews 10:10). In the power of the Spirit, Jesus offered himself without blemish to God. He was perfected human nature through his sacrifice and communicates that perfection to us who believe in him (see Vanhoye, A Different Priest, 286). Christ’s blood purifies our conscience and enables us to serve God (Hebrews 9:14).

2. In the House of Simon the Pharisee: In the Gospel, Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus into his home, but refused to believe in him. He felt no need to treat Jesus as an honored guest; he was blind to his sinfulness in the presence of his Lord. The woman, on the other hand, sought out Jesus not to satisfy her curiosity, but to be freed from her many sins. She expressed her faith in Jesus and love for him by washing and anointing his feet. Simon mistakenly thought that he was justified by his works and meticulous fulfillment of the Old Law. But his works were devoid of faith and love. The woman, however, understood that her righteousness comes not from herself but from God. Only works of love informed by faith in Jesus and united to him can justify us.

3. The Forgiveness of Sins: The Gospel message is one of forgiveness, salvation in Christ, mercy, and love. It was the Gospel that Paul received and handed on to the many churches he served. Christ, he writes, died for our sins and was raised on the third day. Through Christ, we receive the grace of God that purifies our sins and introduces us into the family of God. Paul understood that Christ’s sacrifice had taken away his sins. Because of this, he enjoyed the freedom of the children of God – a freedom that enabled him to serve Christ in his brothers and sisters. We, too, have been freed from our sins through the Sacrament of Baptism and can be freed from the sins we commit after Baptism through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Through Baptism, we die with Christ and rise with him to new life. Through Reconciliation, we place ourselves before the throne of God’s mercy and are restored to God’s grace and reconciled with the Church. “In this sacrament, the sinner, placing himself before the merciful judgment of God, anticipates in a certain way the judgment to which he will be subjected at the end of his earthly life. For it is now, in this life, that we are offered the choice between life and death, and it is only by the road of conversion that we can enter the Kingdom, from which one is excluded by grave sin. In converting to Christ through penance and faith, the sinner passes from death to life and ‘does not come into judgment’” (CCC, 1470).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you sit at the right hand of the Father on the throne of mercy. I approach this throne with confidence today, knowing that you will welcome me. I come before you today with a humble and contrite heart and ask for the strength to overcome the temptations to sin.

Living the Word of God: When was the last time I celebrated and received the Sacrament of Reconciliation? How have I lived since then? How can I better examine my conscience before receiving the sacrament?