The gravity of our sins is weighed by the sincerity of our hearts

11^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 16, 2013

Year of Faith

First Reading: 2 Sam 12:7-10, 13

Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11

Second Reading: Galatians 2:16, 19-21

Gospel Reading: Luke 7:36-8:3

The same with our Lord Jesus Christ, the gravity of our sins is weighed by the sincerity of our hearts in amending/correcting the wrong we have done.  He did not look at us whether we sinned small, like the Pharisee or great like the unnamed woman who washed the feet of Jesus.  But, the action in doing penance is more important.  Jesus accepted the Pharisee’s invitation to dine with him who thought he was not a sinner (see Luke 7:36), but Jesus knew his sin – pride and indifference towards others, especially the poor and marginalized of the society.  Though it is small, venial sin, yet still it is sin against God’s commandment of love.  The unnamed woman whom Jesus already met, talked and forgiven, because of her great gratitude to Jesus for the forgiveness she received and experienced from him and was very happy, came at the Pharisee’s house to serve Jesus totally in return.  “A sinful woman,” as Luke described her, “. . . 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” (Luke 7:37-38).  She did not stop in thanking the Lord after receiving forgiveness, but rather she continued following Jesus Christ even at the house of this Pharisee, named Simon, (Luke 7:40) who disgusted and detested her.  Simon 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” (Luke 7:39).  He judged her by her appearance and manner of living for her daily food, but as teacher and leader of his community, he did not see her heart and soul and her suffering because of her condition and status in society.  What he saw was “that she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39).  Later on, after citing the parable of debtors and creditor, Jesus compared Simon to the unnamed woman from the perspective of forgiven sinner.  Because “her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven,” like the Pharisee, his “loves little” (Luke 7:47).  Our sins also are forgiven on the quality and quantity of our faith and sincere sorrow for our sins, and the readiness to sin no more, and returning back to God with thankful hearts.  Jesus said to her and to us, "Your sins are forgiven . . .  Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:48, 50).  Amen.  Thanks be to God!