Enkindle in Them the Fire of Your Love: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Liturgical readings

2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13
Psalm 32
Galatians 2:16, 19-21
Luke 7:36--8:3

"Your sins are forgiven...Go now in peace."

In the Jerusalem Bible translation, the passage for Sunday Mass, June 13, is presented in two parts: first part is subtitled "The woman who was a sinner", and the second part is subtitled "The women accompanying Jesus". The first part tells the story of a sinful woman who weeps for her sins at Jesus' feet, then wipes these with her hair, kisses the feet of Christ, and finally anointing them with ointment. Even when the Pharisees saw this action in a bad light, Jesus instead saw the woman's sincere repentance and forgave her so that she would be freed from her bondage from sin. The second part of Sunday's gospel simply reports that some women provided from their own means what Jesus and His companions needed in their mission.

Bible scholar Karris tells us that the story of the sinful woman presents to us an image of God who does not restrict His love and mercy to the righteous, but extends it in a special way to sinners. He goes on to explain that even if the action of Christ to the sinful woman disturbed the Pharisees, Jesus still takes the side of the woman, and tells the Pharisees that this woman had shown greater love compared to their hospitality and kindness. The mission of Jesus was thus made clear in this gospel scene: that He is to reveal to Israel that God is a God who is filled with boundless mercy to all sinners who repent sincerely from their sinfulness.

Such expression of repentance and sorrow in public which the sinful woman did is very rare in our modern times. As author Karl Menninger in his book "Whatever Became of Sin?" says, we live in an age where the sense of sin is not important anymore to our everyday living. But acceptance of our sinfulness is the first step towards healing. Many of our ailments are caused by a lifestyle or a sinful direction we sometimes are not aware of. We need not wait for a serious ailment or misfortune to jar our senses and make us realize the sinful path we have been treading. By slowing down, taking stock of where we are, and trusting in God more than our intelligence and strength, we can redirect our path to Him.

Points for reflection: Where is my life headed at this point in time? Am I like the Pharisees who disdain sinners and those marginalized by society? Or am I like the sinful woman who redirects her life to God by repenting from her sinfulness? What step can I take so that I can trust fully in God's mercy and pardon?