(Optional Memorial for Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the
Church)
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| “Feast at the House of Simon” (detail) Paolo Veronese, 1567-70 |
Reading 1: 1
Timothy 4:12-16
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.
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Commentary on 1 Tm 4:12-16
In this selection
from St. Paul St. Paul
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
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!
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Commentary on Ps 111:7-8, 9, 10
We continue with
Psalm 111, a song of praise. Creation and salvation flow from the Heavenly
Father and his faithful rejoice in his promise.
CCC: Ps 111:9 2807
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Gospel: 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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Commentary on Lk 7:36-50
This passage from St. Luke’s
Gospel gives us an excellent example of the relation between forgiveness and
love. Jesus uses the radical actions of the sinful woman to demonstrate the
extreme pardon the Lord will bestow on those who love him. He contrasts this
with the lukewarm acts of love demonstrated by the Pharisee who should expect
even less in return.
In the story, the strong
moral point is made about the depth of the love of God and its relation to all
peoples; for none are free of sin. The Pharisee clearly does not believe he is
a sinful person and looks with disdain on the woman who humbly washes the
Lord’s feet with her tears and dries them with her hair. The Lord tells the
story of the two debtors to illustrate his point that the magnitude of sin
forgiven stimulates a corresponding level of gratitude and love in return.
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Homily:
It is ironic that many of the
teaching stories of Jesus; those generally directed at the Pharisees (the
hypocrites) have such a significant warning to the fervent Catholic
Christian.
In the story from St. Luke’s Gospel
today we see Jesus attended by a woman of dubious character. If we put ourselves in the same situation as
that Pharisee, let’s say for example our Bishop or Priest came to dinner and a
prostitute or worse – say a politician tainted by graft or some other sin came
to the door and wanted urgently to see him.
In most cases, unless we were overruled by our guest, that person would
never see the inside of our house. We
would be protective of our guest. And if
we let that person in and they were received with intense love, would we not be
scandalized? This big sinner was
receiving love from the person we thought should be holding the flock to the
highest possible standard. Wouldn’t we
be suspicious? Would we not feel that
our guest was being more compassionate and loving toward this undeserving
low-life than to us, their host and admirer?
We can deny it all we want,
but human nature and the urgings of the evil one are parts of our character
that are frequently given more reign in our lives than they should. That is why it is so important for us that
the Word of God be in front of us. We
are constantly asked to balance righteous indignation with compassion and
consolation.
Jesus calls us to a high
standard. He tells us with his word and
shows us with his actions that we must meekly submit to God and at the same
time stand courageously against the evil of the world. And when a person makes an effort to come to
the Lord in faith, even if we think that person undeserving of forgiveness, we
must remember Christ’s words “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.”
Pax
[1]
S.S
Commemoratio
[2]
The picture is “Feast at the House of Simon” (detail) Paolo Veronese, 1567-70
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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