11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 13, 2010

2 Sam 12, 7-10.13
Gal 2, 16.19-21
Lk 7, 36-50

King David, Paul of Tarsus, and the unnamed “sinful” woman in the gospel share a similar lot – they made a mess of their lives. Fortunately their stories have a common twist. On the account of God’s mercy and love all three turned their lives around for the better. David, who accepted his wrongdoing, abandoned everything to the justice of God (2 Sam 12, 7-10.13); Paul, saved by grace, claimed “I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me…” and willingly endured all sacrifices and sufferings of an apostle for the Gospel (Gal 2, 16.19-21).

The unnamed “sinful woman” stunned everyone when she came in uninvited to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears, kissed his feet and anointed them with perfume (Lk 7,36-50). The crowd was all the more stunned when Jesus simply let her touch him. Simon judged Jesus a fraud for having no idea at all that she was a woman of ill repute. But more than anything else it was an instance where Simon misunderstood Jesus’ prophetic ministry and overlooked his own sinfulness.

The woman was an image of wholehearted gratitude. What she did was a great gesture of love. Forgiveness had set her free to love. Her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. “Gratitude is the memory of the heart,” Jean Baptist Massieu correctly observed.

On the other hand, Simon is an image of self-sufficiency. He saw no reason to be thankful as he was not indebted to anyone at all – de didn’t rely on anyone. All that he had in life he attributes to nobody else but to himself. He doesn’t have to amend his ways, he held himself righteous and holier than the rest; hence, he didn’t need forgiveness from anyone. No wonder because of that self-concept he did away with the customary ritual of courtesy usually given to a special guest – it was too lowly of him, he must have mused, to render such kind of cordiality.

Fr. Nilo Cantilado, SVD
Provincial Superior, PHC
The Word in Other Words