June 16, 2013 Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

[이안드레아]

2013년 6월 16일 연중 제11주일

제1독서

사무엘기 하.12,7ㄱㄷ-10.13
그 무렵 7 나탄이 다윗에게 말하였다. “주 이스라엘의 하느님께서 이렇게 말씀하십니다. ‘나는 너에게 기름을 부어 이스라엘의 임금으로 세우고, 너를 사울의 손에서 구해 주었다. 8 나는 너에게 네 주군의 집안을, 또 네 품에 주군의 아내들을 안겨 주고, 이스라엘과 유다의 집안을 주었다. 그래도 적다면 이것저것 너에게 더 보태 주었을 것이다.
9 그런데 어찌하여 너는 주님의 말씀을 무시하고, 주님이 보기에 악한 짓을 저질렀느냐? 너는 히타이트 사람 우리야를 칼로 쳐 죽이고, 그의 아내를 네 아내로 삼았다. 너는 그를 암몬 자손들의 칼로 죽였다. 10 그러므로 이제 네 집안에서는 칼부림이 영원히 그치지 않을 것이다. 네가 나를 무시하고, 히타이트 사람 우리야의 아내를 데려다가 네 아내로 삼았기 때문이다.’”
13 그때 다윗이 나탄에게 “내가 주님께 죄를 지었소.” 하고 고백하였다. 그러자 나탄이 다윗에게 말하였다. “주님께서 임금님의 죄를 용서하셨으니, 임금님께서 돌아가시지는 않을 것입니다.”

제2독서

복음

루카.7,36ㅡ8,3<또는 7,36-50>
짧은 독서를 할 때에는 < > 부분을 생략한다.
그 때에 36 바리사이 가운데 어떤 이가 자기와 함께 음식을 먹자고 예수님을 초청하였다. 그리하여 예수님께서는 그 바리사이의 집에 들어가시어 식탁에 앉으셨다. 37 그 고을에 죄인인 여자가 하나 있었는데, 예수님께서 바리사이의 집에서 음식을 잡수시고 계시다는 것을 알고 왔다. 그 여자는 향유가 든 옥합을 들고서 38 예수님 뒤쪽 발치에 서서 울며, 눈물로 그분의 발을 적시기 시작하더니 자기의 머리카락으로 닦고 나서, 그 발에 입을 맞추고 향유를 부어 발랐다.
39 예수님을 초대한 바리사이가 그것을 보고, ‘저 사람이 예언자라면, 자기에게 손을 대는 여자가 누구이며 어떤 사람인지, 곧 죄인인 줄 알 터인데.’ 하고 속으로 말하였다.
40 그때에 예수님께서 말씀하셨다. “시몬아, 너에게 할 말이 있다.”
시몬이 “스승님, 말씀하십시오.” 하였다.
41 “어떤 채권자에게 채무자가 둘 있었다. 한 사람은 오백 데나리온을 빚지고, 다른 사람은 오십 데나리온을 빚졌다. 42 둘 다 갚을 길이 없으므로, 채권자는 그들에게 빚을 탕감해 주었다. 그러면 그들 가운데 누가 그 채권자를 더 사랑하겠느냐?”
43 시몬이 “더 많이 탕감받은 사람이라고 생각합니다.” 하고 대답하자, 예수님께서 “옳게 판단하였다.” 하고 말씀하셨다.
44 그리고 그 여자를 돌아보시며 시몬에게 이르셨다. “이 여자를 보아라. 내가 네 집에 들어왔을 때, 너는 나에게 발 씻을 물도 주지 않았다. 그러나 이 여자는 눈물로 내 발을 적시고 자기의 머리카락으로 닦아 주었다. 45 너는 나에게 입을 맞추지 않았지만, 이 여자는 내가 들어왔을 때부터 줄곧 내 발에 입을 맞추었다. 46 너는 내 머리에 기름을 부어 발라 주지 않았다. 그러나 이 여자는 내 발에 향유를 부어 발라 주었다. 47 그러므로 내가 너에게 말한다. 이 여자는 그 많은 죄를 용서받았다. 그래서 큰 사랑을 드러낸 것이다. 그러나 적게 용서받은 사람은 적게 사랑한다.”
48 그러고 나서 예수님께서는 그 여자에게 말씀하셨다. “너는 죄를 용서받았다.” 49 그러자 식탁에 함께 앉아 있던 이들이 속으로, ‘저 사람이 누구이기에 죄까지 용서해 주는가?’ 하고 말하였다.
50 그러나 예수님께서는 그 여자에게 이르셨다. “네 믿음이 너를 구원하였다. 평안히 가거라.”
<8,1 그 뒤에 예수님께서는 고을과 마을을 두루 다니시며, 하느님의 나라를 선포하시고 그 복음을 전하셨다. 열두 제자도 그분과 함께 다녔다. 2 악령과 병에 시달리다 낫게 된 몇몇 여자도 그들과 함께 있었는데, 일곱 마귀가 떨어져 나간 막달레나라고 하는 마리아, 3 헤로데의 집사 쿠자스의 아내 요안나, 수산나였다. 그리고 다른 여자들도 많이 있었다. 그들은 자기들의 재산으로 예수님의 일행에게 시중을 들었다.>

갈라티아서 .2,16.19-21
형제 여러분, 16 사람은 율법에 따른 행위가 아니라, 예수 그리스도에 대한 믿음으로 의롭게 된다는 사실을 우리는 알고 있습니다. 그래서 우리는 율법에 따른 행위가 아니라 그리스도에 대한 믿음으로 의롭게 되려고 그리스도 예수님을 믿게 되었습니다. 어떠한 인간도 율법에 따른 행위로 의롭게 되지 않기 때문입니다.
19 나는 하느님을 위하여 살려고, 율법과 관련해서는 이미 율법으로 말미암아 죽었습니다. 나는 그리스도와 함께 십자가에 못 박혔습니다. 20 이제는 내가 사는 것이 아니라, 그리스도께서 내 안에 사시는 것입니다. 내가 지금 육신 안에서 사는 것은, 나를 사랑하시고 나를 위하여 당신 자신을 바치신 하느님의 아드님에 대한 믿음으로 사는 것입니다. 21 나는 하느님의 은총을 헛되게 하지 않습니다. 그런데 율법을 통하여 의로움이 온다면 그리스도께서 헛되이 돌아가신 것입니다.

Sunday, June 16, 2013 Daily Mass Reading

June 16, 2013
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

2 Sm 12:7-10, 13

Nathan said to David:

“Thus says the LORD God of Israel:

‘I anointed you king of Israel.

I rescued you from the hand of Saul.

I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own.

I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah.

And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.

Why have you spurned the Lord and done evil in his sight?

You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword;

you took his wife as your own,

and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.

Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house,

because you have despised me

and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’

Then David said to Nathan,

“I have sinned against the LORD.”

Nathan answered David:

“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:

you shall not die.”

Responsorial Psalm

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

R. (cf. 5c)Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away,

whose sin is covered.

Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,

in whose spirit there is no guile.

R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

I acknowledged my sin to you,

my guilt I covered not.

I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”

and you took away the guilt of my sin.

R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;

with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.

R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;

exult, all you upright of heart.

R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Reading 2

Gal 2:16, 19-21

Brothers and sisters:

We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law

but through faith in Jesus Christ,

even we have believed in Christ Jesus

that we may be justified by faith in Christ

and not by works of the law,

because by works of the law no one will be justified.

For through the law I died to the law,

that I might live for God.

I have been crucified with Christ;

yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;

insofar as I now live in the flesh,

I live by faith in the Son of God

who has loved me and given himself up for me.

I do not nullify the grace of God;

for if justification comes through the law,

then Christ died for nothing.

Gospel

Lk 7:36—8:3 or 7:36-50

A 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

because 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.”

Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another,

preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.

Accompanying him were the Twelve

and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,

Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,

Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,

Susanna, and many others who provided for them

out of their resources.

http://www.evangeli.net/gospel/gospel.html

You gave me no water for my feet when I entered (…), you didn't welcome me with a kiss (…), you provided no oil for my head

Today, Gospel story can be noted that no one who met Jesus could do so with indifference. Why did a rabbi invite him to a nice dinner and then treat him discourteously by neglecting to give him the customary signs of respect and honor? Luke draws a sharp contrast between the arrogant and self righteous Pharisee, who keeps all the rules but does not have the sensitivity to perform the basic acts of kindness toward a guest, and the woman who has a reputation for sinfulness but who receives Jesus with loving service (cf. Lk 7:45-46). There is no doubt that she understands the importance of loving service just as the Pharisee is totally lacking of such sensitivity. The Pharisees shunned the company of “public sinners” and in so doing they neglected to give them the help they needed to find healing and wholeness.

As humans, it is so difficult to be truly loving and forgiving persons, and we are tempted to take care of the appearances and thereby to acquire a reputation for virtuous living as we continue to spoil our tendency to be judgmental and unforgiving. In many of the Gospel stories we hear about the attitude of Pharisee and publican. Now, if we try to describe what Pharisees would look like if they were living in today society, one may note, for example, that they would certainly attend Mass and fallow all the rubrics of the mass but, on the way home, they would not hesitate to do a critical and negative assessment of other people. It is indeed laudable to attend Mass and to observe all the rules of Christian conduct, but all of this careful observance is of no value if it is not accompanied by a genuine spirit of love and forgiveness.

According to Benedict XVI, «Christianity's new worship includes and transfigures every aspect of life (…). The Eucharist, since it embraces the concrete, everyday existence of the believer, makes possible, day by day, the progressive transfiguration of all those called by grace to reflect the image of the Son of God».

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

PRE-PRAYERING

There are various forms of conversations which we have in our ordinary days. We can have “adult”, “business”, “romantic”, “casual”, or “argumentative” interactions all within one day.

We can have the same kinds of conversations with life and with God as well. The Eucharistic liturgy is a form of conversing in which Jesus continues a divine and never-ending relational interchange with us, but we come to the liturgy in various modes of communication. We can prepare for each liturgy by our being attentive to the ways we have been conversing with others, with God, and with ourselves between liturgies. We can check how we have been listening and speaking in these important areas of our lives. Arguing, pouting, romanticizing and shutting down are all forms of our not desiring or entering into real relating. We prepare for our attending to Jesus’ being the Word of Life, by our being attentive to the way we converse with life.

REFLECTION

King David had sexual intercourse with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba and she became pregnant. To cover up his sin, he had Bethsheba sent to lie with her husband who was fighting for Israel. He refused to have intimacy with her as long as he was with his troops. So David had Uriah hung out to dry by having him in the front lines and then having the rest of the troops fall back leaving Uriah to be killed.

This sounds like quite a modern script. What we hear in the First Reading for this liturgy is the narrative of Nathan’s prophetic word to David from God. Nathan relates all that God has done for David and given to him, yet this was not enough. God says that David, in lust and even more in greed, took what was not his, what was not given to him by God. David took Uriah’s wife and Uriah’s life. It is all very clear.

David replies humbly and simply that he indeed has sinned.

In response to this admission Nathan has one more thing to say from God. “The Lord has forgiven your sin, you shall not die.” It is all very clear, but not quite. What about justice! What David did was terrible!

The Gospel has two distinct parts. The first is set in a dinner party. Simon, righteous as God, invites Jesus, but to be roasted rather than toasted. Simon the Pharisee does not extend the usual mannerly welcome to Jesus. Jesus in turn does His usual welcome to a woman of “her kind”.

For a woman, whom it is assumed, is a public sinner enters the scene and wordlessly welcomes Jesus with signs of tender and gentle care. They are attracted to each other: she for his reputation of kindness, and he for her reputation of injured violation.

Simon is not attracted to either and murmurs to himself. Jesus offers Simon a little story to demonstrate what exactly is going on here. Then Jesus sends her away, not banishing or dismissing, but returning her to her dignity by being forgiven for whom ever she had been in the past. He sends her back to living without regret or shame. Of course the others at the table want to shout out about “justice!” but they murmur and question, which is in fact an affirmation about who this is who forgives sin.

The second section of today’s Gospel is about a group of women who follow Jesus and who take good care of him and the apostles. These women, as with the woman of the first section of this narrative, were cured of body and spirit. These two different sections are about Jesus and women.

I am going out on a limb with what I offer now. Here at our University it is well documented that more women students attend retreats, receive spiritual direction, and join groups who say the rosary and adoration groups as well as assist at the Eucharist. This is not unique to our campus. I have just started climbing further out on the slippery limb.

I am a male who is envious of many aspects of the female gender. Women have a deep longing for belonging. Relating, sharing, receiving, cherishing, and holding sacred all seem to them as natural as breathing. Yes, injuries can disturb these sensitivities, but women seem to know the importance for living of these awarenesses.

Men hold sacred other awarenesses, that is very true and they are good ones as well. I do not have to explain them: not to women who know them well, nor to men who display them when they eventually learn them. Men want to fix, be important for what they do, and get on to the next “town and village” as did Jesus after leaving Simon and his dinner guests still murmuring.

Jesus seems more attractive to women than to men, because they seem to receive his ways of dealing with human frailty better than we men. We like to do our own fixing of ourselves, thank you, and then have Jesus approve the project. Women journey in today’s Gospel. Women journey more deeply and long for the depth of the relationship, even with mystery. Women seem to deal more gracefully with mystery, the unknown. Men tend to put their nickel down when we see the completion, the outcome. Yes, it is true that men like to gamble more than women. The men have a sense that they have figured it out, whether it be the stock market or the basketball game or horse racing.

Simon and his male guests have Jesus figured out and so does this woman who is available for the mystery of her being forgiven and released for deeper living. I am way out in the leaves of the limb now. Perhaps these readings today are about Jesus’ dealing with women, and how receptive they are to his relating with them, not just healing, but inviting them to life. Jesus is also dealing with us men, inviting us to let go of murmuring, fixing, and our projects. We tend to demand “justice” rather than receive mercy, in regard to ourselves as well as others. We all are the woman and the Pharisee and Jesus doesn’t shout anything at us, but sends us out to live more deeply.

“There is one thing I ask of the Lord, only this do I seek: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life:

http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/

"Which will love him more?"

What fuels extravagant love? Unbounding gratitude for sure! No one who met Jesus could do so with indifference. They were either attracted to him or repeled by him. Why did a rabbi invite Jesus to a nice dinner and then treat him discourteously by neglecting to give him the customary signs of respect and honor? Simon was very likely a collector of celebrities. He patronized Jesus because of his popularity with the crowds. Why did he criticize Jesus' compassionate treatment of a woman of ill repute – most likely a prostitute? The Pharisees shunned the company of public sinners and in so doing they neglected to give them the help they needed to find healing and wholeness.

Why did a woman with a bad reputation approach Jesus and anoint him at the risk of ridicule and abuse by others? The woman's action was motivated by one thing, and one thing only, namely, her love for Jesus and her gratitude for forgiveness. She did something, however, a Jewish woman would never do in public. She loosed her hair and anointed Jesus with her tears. It was customary for a woman on her wedding day to bound her hair. For a married woman to loosen her hair in public was a sign of grave immodesty. This woman was oblivious to all around her, except for Jesus. She also did something which only love can do. She took the most precious thing she had and spent it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but extravagant. In a spirit of humility and heart-felt repentance, she lavishly served the one who showed her the mercy and kindness of God. Jesus, in his customary fashion, never lost the opportunity to draw a lesson from such an incident.

Why did Jesus put the parable of the two debtors before his learned host, a rabbi and teacher of the people? This parable is similar to the parable of the unforgiving official (see Matthew 18:23-35) in which the man who was forgiven much showed himself merciless and unforgiving. Jesus makes clear that great love springs from a heart forgiven and cleansed. "Love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8), "for love is of God" (1 John 4:7). The woman's lavish expression‎ of love was proof that she had found favor with God. The stark contrast of attitudes between Simon and the woman of ill-repute, demonstrate how we can either accept or reject God's mercy. Simon, who regarded himself as an upright Pharisee, felt no need for love or mercy. His self-sufficiency kept him from acknowledging his need for God's grace. Are you grateful for God's mercy and grace?

Jesus traveled widely during his three years of public ministry. Luke tells us that a band of women accompanied Jesus and the twelve apostles (Luke 8:1-3). This was a diverse group of women. Some came from rich and prominent families, some had lived loose lives as adulterers and prostitutes, and others had been tormented with mental and spiritual afflictions. We know that Mary Magdalene had lived a very troubled life before Jesus freed her from seven demons. He healed her tormented mind and troubled conscience, and filled her with the joy of knowing God's love and forgiveness. She was privileged to be the first to meet Jesus as the risen Lord after he had died on the cross and his body laid in a tomb for three days. Another devoted follower who served and traveled with Jesus and the apostles was named Joanna. She was the wife of King Herod's chief financial officer and a wealthy lady of the court. It's unlikely that these two women would have ever met under other circumstances. What brought them together and united them in a bond of friendship, service, and loyalty to Jesus? Certainly Jesus and his message of the kingdom of God had transformed them. Unlike the twelve apostles, who took great pride in being the chosen twelve, these women did not seek position or demand any special privileges. Jesus had touched them so deeply that they were grateful to do anything for him, even menial humble service. They brought their gifts and resources to Jesus to use as he saw fit.

Are you more like the status-conscious apostles who were concerned with promoting their own position, or like the women who were content to serve Jesus humbly and generously with their own personal resources (Luke 8:1-3)? Our fallen human nature is self-centered and selfish. It seeks to receive rather than to give, to be first rather than last, and to be served rather than to serve. Only the Lord Jesus can set us free from our unruly desires and self-centered ambitions. The Lord Jesus sets us free to love others whole-heartedly as he loves and to serve with a generous and grateful spirit. Through the gift of his Holy Spirit he gives us a servant's heart that seeks to put the interests and concerns of others ahead of our own personal interests. Jesus is our model who "came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom" for us (Matthew 20:28). The gospel honors these women who imitated Jesus in his selfless sacrificial love and humble service of others. Do you know the joy of serving the Lord Jesus in company with others who love and serve him with a willing spirit?

"Lord Jesus, fill my heart with love and gratitude for the mercy you have shown to me. Give me freedom and joy in loving and serving others with a generous spirit."

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

1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; then you forgave the guilt of my sin.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html

The readings this Sunday underline the importance of our faith--faith in the dying and rising of Jesus Christ for our sins, and faith in the mercy of God toward sinners. God is much more concerned about our faith than He is about our sins!

The common theme of God's unbelievable mercy ties together the First Reading about King David's plea for forgiveness and the Gospel which is all about the uninvited woman who bursts into the Pharisee's house to anoint the feet of Jesus!

David, the best king in all of Israel's history, had nevertheless given in to lustful desires. His desire for Bathsheba was so uncontrolled that he deliberately had her husband murdered, then took this attractive woman for his own pleasure. When the prophet, Nathan, very bravely confronted David about this sin, the King broke down and begged forgiveness of God. Considering all the great favors God had bestowed on David--protecting him from Saul, providing divine assistance against David's enemies, and giving him a glorious kingdom--the king had already seriously offended God by his ingratitude. Add to this his serious sins of murder and adultery, and we are amazed that the Lord still loved David, and forgave him!

The Gospel concerns Jesus at a banquet in the house of Simon, the Pharisee. A woman comes into the banquet room uninvited, and shocks the whole gathering by her actions. Bursting into tears, she falls at Jesus' feet. She breaks every social rule by letting down her hair, touching this man, and even kissing his feet. Then, she pours soothing oil over those feet. Jesus not only allows her to do this, but even explains to Simon that her great faith has merited God's forgiveness for her sins. Then, Jesus concludes with a very human touch. Jesus points out to Simon that his neglect of providing water and oil for his guests as they arrived has been more than made up for by the behavior of this woman (whom Simon obviously despises).

Where does the second reading from Galatians fit in? St. Paul's words declare that it is faith that merits God's forgiveness. Without faith, David would never have asked for God's forgiveness. Neither would have the penitent woman of this Gospel, whose great faith and love so pleased Jesus. Without faith, we cannot expect to enter God's heaven.

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SIN-SENSITIVE

"Little is forgiven the one whose love is small." 뾎uke 7:47

All great saints seem to have so many sins, not because they're great sinners, but because they're great lovers. We all commit many sins, but some are aware of it, while others are not. Love makes a person sin-sensitive. The more we love God, the less sins we commit, but the more we are aware of sins. "I tell you, that is why her many sins are forgiven � because of her great love" (Lk 7:47).

As long as Christianity is perceived to be a rule book, a moral code, or a theology, we are not aware of many sins. However, when it is a personal relationship with a living Savior, then every moment or circumstance is an opportunity for love or a sinful rejection of love. For example, Nathan reminded David that the Lord anointed, rescued, and blessed him. Then he brought up David's sin. Conscious of God's love, David confessed: "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Sm 12:13).

Think about how much Jesus loves you. He really died and suffered for you. Count your blessings. As love wells up in you, you suddenly notice that you haven't thought of God for three hours, didn't say anything about Him at lunch, let fear stifle the Spirit at work. You have sinned; you have been insensitive to His love and constant presence. Ask Jesus to pour out His love in your heart (see Rm 5:5). Then repent.

Prayer: Father, may Your love sensitize me.

Promise: "I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me. I still live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me." 뾉al 2:19-20

Praise: Praise You, risen Jesus! You live in us, and we live in You (Jn 6:56; 17:23). Glory be to You forever!

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Homily from Father James Gilhooley
11 Ordinary Time

Year C
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 7:36-50

"There are two types of people in the world. The first are those who bounce into a room and shout, 'Rejoice, I am here.' The second are those who come into the same room and exclaim, 'Ah, there you are." So has a pundit written correctly about us. Simon the Pharisee is the former. The woman sinner is the latter.

Clearly Luke was not a male chauvinist. No one speaks more favorably or more often than he about women with the exception of his Master. His work is properly called the Gospel of Women.
But it is equally correct to call it the Gospel of Forgiveness. None of the Evangelists speaks as frequently as Luke about the forgiving spirit that motivates the Nazarene. There is no virtue that Jesus recommended that Plato and Cicero had not run up the flagpole before Him. But what makes the Christ an original is His power to forgive sins.

The story is told with such bold strokes that it supports the tradition that Luke was an artist. It is said he painted a portrait of Mary. Imagine what a price such a picture would command in the auction houses of London and New York City.

There is mystery about the tale. His is the only Gospel to tell the account. He does not tell us the time or place of the incident. That is unusual. And who was the Simon the Pharisee? We have no clue. Simon was a common name. It is mentioned eight times n the New Testament. Why was Luke so stingy on the facts? He wouldn't get a job on the History Channel.

Though prostitute, the woman is clearly the hero of the story. Unlike Simon, she is not named. What is likely is that Luke wants to deliberately protect her identity from any possible detractors. Again is evidenced his concern for women.

Simon from his manners or, better, the absence of them did not invite Jesus out of a spirit of hospitality and bonhomie. He just wanted to check Him out. He probably had heard much about this wonderworker. Notice in verse 40 he, tongue in cheek, addresses his guest as "Rabbi." He was patronizing. Luke infers that though he could buy and sell most of us, he was in spirit a very small guy. He was hardly a "mi casa tu casa" host.

Christ was aware of the contempt in which Simon held Him. He had not given Him the traditional welcome kiss on the cheek. He had not offered Him any water to wash the heavy dust of the roads off His sandal-covered feet. He had not poured perfumed olive oil on His Perspiration covered head. As He sat down to supper, Christ must have felt physically uncomfortable and unclean. But He kept His silence. There would be time enough for a tete-a-tete with Simon before the night's meal became history. Christ would have the last word.

To take advantage of breezes, the meal would be held in a courtyard. It was the air-conditioning machine of the day.

Traditionally the poor were allowed to come in and gape at their betters. They would keep their mouths firmly shut. This was their peculiar idea of a night out.
Luke pointedly tells us the prostitute stood behind Jesus. Had she walked out of the house into the courtyard? She seems to know her way about the mansion. Also Simon knows what she does for a living. Is Luke telling us he has used her services? If so, Simon is not merely a coarse prig but also a hypocrite.
She speaks no words to the Teacher. Nor does she presume to touch His head though it needs anointing. Rather, she washes His dirty feet with her tears and perfume and then dries them with her long hair. It was the gravest of offenses for a Jewish woman to appear publicly with her hair loose. But for the Christ it was all systems go. The sky was the limit. For her beau geste, Jesus forgives her sins. He compliments her. He knows "compliments fall lightly, but they carry great weight."
Jesus works Simon over with His sharp tongue. He must have caused him serious indigestion. Simon quickly realized that whatever this Rabbi might b e, He was no nerd. He had misjudged the Man. He would never go mano a mano with Him again.

The Pharisee is a moral midget. The woman a moral giant.
It is said if want to be like the woman, adopt Luke's ten point program. Pray Big. Think Big. Believe Big. Act Big. Dream Big. Work Big. Give Big. Forgive Big. Love Big. Laugh Big.

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Homily from Father Joseph Pellegrino
http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html
11 Ordinary Time

Eleventh Sunday: A Love Infinitely More Powerful than Our Sins

AARP just won’t give me a break! Every few weeks I get notices taking it for granted that I should be joining them. I neither need nor want their rotten Modern Maturity magazine. And they can keep their lousy discounts because I don’t follow most of their politics and don’t want to be numbered with them. Besides, I’m not that old yet. If you consider the life spans of giant turtles, I’m only early middle-aged. Granted, there are a lot of things that I can’t do anymore, like scuba dive, or play tennis, or run, but I still am young enough to do a lot of other things. I can change the TV channel without even using a remote. I am also adroit at putting DVD’s into the player. AARP needs to leave me alone.

Still, old age is creeping up on me. A while back, I was chairing a meeting of the priests’ council. The bishop was recovering from surgery; so he couldn’t attend. Now, he would normally lead the blessing before lunch, but he wasn’t there. So, when it was time for lunch, I announced that the oldest member of the priest council should lead the grace. And then I looked around and said, “Oh no!......Bless us O Lord....”

Aside from the deterioration of the body and brain, one of the things I’ve noticed is that as I get older I tend to dwell on the past way too much. This can be upsetting, particularly when I start thinking about the times in my life when I was far from my best in my living my Christianity and ministering as a priest. I might be wrong but I think that the older you get the more you say, “I can’t believe that I was that dumb!” (I would appreciate it if you do not respond, “Sure, Father, I can believe that you were that dumb.”)

Maybe some of you feel the same way when you reflect on your lives. I am sure that everyone here goes through periods of feeling very upset over their past sins.

The readings today are meant for all of us. They are telling us that God’s love is far more powerful than our sins. Our focus needs to be on God, not on our past sins, not on ourselves.

Consider that first reading from the Second Book of Samuel. David had sinned horribly. He thought he had covered it up well. But in the reading we learn that David’s sin was no longer secret. Nathan told him that God knew what he did to Uriah, committing adultery with his faithful soldier’s wife and then sending word for Uriah to be deserted by his comrades during a skirmish so he could be killed. David thought he had outsmarted everyone. But God saw. And God knew. David was the leader of the Chosen People. He was hand picked by God and promised a progeny that would last forever. His sins were so much worse than anyone else’s sins due to his position and the blessings God gave him. And yet, in today’s reading when David seeks forgiveness, God immediately forgives him.

Consider that woman who washed Jesus’ feet. She was a known sinner. She was probably a prostitute. Perhaps she was just a loose woman who had no respect for herself and easily gave herself to others. She certainly was not a woman of virtue. But she was repentant. And she was forgiven.

Their sins and our sins are not what matters. God’s forgiveness is what matters. God’s love is what matters. When we feel overwhelmed by our past sins, sins that we have confessed and received absolution for, we are acting as though God did not forgive us. That is wrong. We have been forgiven. Are we doubting God’s power, or His compassion and His mercy? Do we think that we could possibly have done something that was so evil that even God could not forgive it?

Wouldn’t that be incredible arrogance on our part?

If we live in our past, we will be ignoring our present and eliminating the possibility of having a future. If we are so concerned about our past sins that we continue to focus on them, then we will miss what is happening around us. We will miss the opportunities to bring the mercy and compassion of God that we have received to others. God forgives us out of love, but His love is not just meant for forgiven sinners. He forgives us because He loves others. He knows that there are others we can lead to Him by providing them with Christian compassion and mercy. We can’t do that if we are all wrapped up in our own self pity. We can’t do that if we refuse to recognize that we have received God’s love. That is why I said that if we are bogged down in our past we will miss our present, what is happening around us right now. A lot of people do this. I’ve done this. We say, “I’m not good enough to speak about God to others.” He has made us good enough. He has made us good enough by forgiving us; all so we can proclaim is compassion and love to others.

Have our lives come to an end? Do we have no future? I certainly hope we all have a future, particularly an eternal future. But how can we prepare for our own participation in the Kingdom of God in heaven if we refuse to be active members of this Kingdom right now? We need to recognize the infinite power of God’s forgiveness, the fact that we live under His mercy, and allow this mercy to flow through us to others.

AARP has gotten nowhere with me because I refuse to let them into my life. Sometimes being stubborn is a good thing. But sometimes it is not. It is never a good thing to be stubborn when it comes to our relationship with God. We need to let Him into our lives by acknowledging and accepting His forgiveness. St. Paul told the Galatians and us in today’s second reading, “I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.” St. Paul, quite a sinner in his past life, went on to convert people all over the Western part of the Roman Empire. He did this because he was forgiven.

And so are we.

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Homily from Father Phil Bloom
http://stmaryvalleybloom.org/
* available in Spanish - see Spanish homilies
11 Ordinary Time

What David Did Not Say
(June 16, 2013)

Message: We have all sinned. Like David we face a choice. We can try to justify ourselves. Shift the blame. Say nobody can tell me what to do. Those things lead to death. Or like David - or the woman in today's Gospel - admit the simple truth, "I have sinned."

Before I give this homily I want to wish all our dads a Happy Father's Day. I am praying for the dads in this congregation, those who are at a distance from us and those who have gone to the Lord. I am also praying for those who, like myself, are striving to be spiritual fathers. We will have a blessing at the end of Mass for all dads present.

Today's readings provide encouragement for all of us, but particularly for dads - those aware of their weakness, but also their great responsibility. The Old Testament reading presents a remarkable scene. On one side stands a supreme ruler, a king, a man who has killed men in armed combat. On the other is a man named Nathan. He has no political authority - only moral authority. He says to the king, "You have done evil."

Now, an amazing things happens. The king does not strike down Nathan. Any other ancient ruler would put death a person who dared him. But this king is different. He admits his guilt: "I have sinned against the Lord."

The king, of course, is David. He is the greatest of the kings of Israel. David's greatness does not come so much from his victories or from setting up his capital in Jerusalem or from bringing the Arc of the Covenant to the capital. Those accomplishment were huge, but David's true greatness comes from the fact that he repented. "I have sinned against the Lord."

What sin did David commit? He betrayed his trusted general, Uriah, by sleeping with the man's wife, Bathsheba. When Bathsheba got pregnant, he arranged for Uriah's death. Two terrible sins: adultery and murder. When Nathan confronted David, he admitted his guilt. "I have sinned."

Now, David could have reacted like many other rulers. Instead of saying, "I have sinned," he could have said, "I am the king. Nobody is going to tell me what to do. I make the laws." That's what Henry VIII and hundreds of other kings did.

David did not put himself above God's law. There were other things he did not do. He didn't say, "Well, that's the way I was made. I can't help it." Nor did he say, "It was her fault. She tempted me." No, David said, "I have sinned against the Lord."

Why is David so different from other rulers - or other men. It's this: He know how human beings were made. From Moses he learned that God made man in his own image. He created us with freedom and intelligence. We can use those gifts for good or evil. But the choice is ours. Because humans bear the image of God, we have no right to take a human life (except in self-defense). David knew that murder is a great sin.

And David knew that we are not only created in the image of God, but that "male and female he created them." Besides bearing the image of God, we have the gift of masculinity or femininity. God wants us to use those gifts, not selfishly for selfish pleasure but so we would become good mothers and fathers. David misused the gift of masculinity by committing adultery - a grave sin that leads to lies, deception, even murder - and of course misery to children.

David committed a great sin, but he did not despair. With the help of Nathan, he placed himself under the Divine Mercy. Many Psalms come from David, for example, the one we heard today: "Blessed is the man whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered."

We know today that David could only say such words because of of his descendents. In the Gospel they call Jesus, "Son of David." Jesus descended from David, the great king. Today people ask this question about Jesus the Son of David, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" You and I can forgive people who offend us, but Jesus forgives offenses. In some way every sin, every offense is against him. How this can be we will talk about in another homily.

St. Paul tells us that we are justified in Christ - not by any work. Pope Francis stirred some reactions when he said that Christ's redemption applies to all, including atheists - and he invited atheists to meet us in doing good work. But of course, he did not mean that an atheist can be saved by works. None of us can. Only by faith in Jesus - through prayer and the sacraments.

The facts are these: We have all sinned. Like David we face a choice. We can try to justify ourselves. Shift the blame. Say nobody can tell me what to do. Those things lead to death. Or like David - or the woman in today's Gospel - admit the simple truth, "I have sinned." And perhaps with the help of someone like Nathan, place ourselves under the Divine Mercy. "Blessed is the man whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered." Amen.

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Homily from Father Andrew M. Greeley
http://www.agreeley.com/homilies.html
11 Ordinary Time

June 16th 2013 A.D.

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 7:36-50 and Luke 8:1-3

"Which will love him more?

Background:
Though he appears often in the New Testament, John the Baptist is still a man of mystery. We see him through the lens of the early Christians with only a hint that the Baptist’s disciples would argue that he was superior to Jesus. But the Baptist’s followers were lost in the waves of history, so we know very little about them or about him, save what the Gospels.

Were they really relatives?

The question is not relevant. Jesus did seek out John’s baptism, though such ceremonies of renewal were common in the Second Temple era. John, we should be confident, was contemporary of Jesus whose life and work reflected the need of that time for a new era. John’s plea for metanoia - change and renewa - anticipated Jesus. But John did not claim as Jesus did that the kingdom of heaven was at hand.

Story:
Once upon a time, there was this parish director of music, a young woman just out of musical school. She found a children’s choir which everyone loved, an adult choir which no one liked because they sang too long, a scola cantorum which sang Gregorian chant, which some people liked a lot, and a teenage choir that “jammed for Jesus,” which the young people liked totally, and they were by their own admission the only ones that counted.

She was also going on for her master’s degree and had a boy friend, who was a baseball pitcher without a future because he played for the Cubs. The pastor was delighted with the young woman’s talent and work ethic. After her first year he recommended to the financial council that she receive a fifty percent raise because, as he said, “She works harder than any priest I know.” We’re not considering a raise, they said. She’s only a kid. Let’s not give her a raise till she asks for one. If we do pay her more, she’ll be back in two years for more. More likely she will be out of here, said the pastor. This is a case of commutative justice said the pastor, who was kind of old and remembered these words from his social ethics courses. They still said no.

He gave her the raise. Finance committee complained to the bishop who said that if she didn’t get a raise he’d hire her for the Cathedral. That was that.

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Homily from Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe,Pa
http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org/sunday_homily
11 Ordinary Time

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Luke 7:36-8:3

Gospel Summary
Luke’s gospel is notable for its portrayal of Jesus as one who represents the compassion and forgiveness of God. No doubt this sensitivity of Luke for the generous nature of Jesus came from his own experience as a native of the city of Antioch where he noted the extremes of wealth and poverty and where he noted also that the rich tended to be self-righteous and judgmental and therefore to assume that the poor were sinful just because they were poor.

In this gospel story, Luke draws a sharp contrast between the smug and self-righteous Pharisee who keeps all the rules but does not have the sensitivity to perform the basic acts of kindness toward a guest and the woman who has a reputation for sinfulness but who receives Jesus with loving service. The woman’s reputation for sinfulness could be no more than her inability to keep all the prescriptions of the Law due to her poverty. However that may be, there is no doubt that she understands the importance of loving service just as the Pharisee is totally devoid of such sensitivity.

Jesus makes his point by telling a story about two debtors who owed very different amounts but who were both forgiven. The one who was forgiven more was more likely to be more grateful and loving also, We all need to be forgiven at one time or another, and God is more than ready to forgive us also, but the consequence should be loving gratitude and better behavior in the future and especially more ready to forgive others.

Life Implications
Since it is so difficult to be consistently loving and forgiving persons, we are tempted to take care of the appearances only and thereby to acquire a reputation for virtuous living as we continue to indulge our tendency to be judgmental and unforgiving. I had occasion one time to give a homily on the gospel story about the Pharisee and the publican. To make my point more forcefully, I tried to describe what Pharisees would look like if they were living today in one of our parishes. I noted, for example, that they would certainly attend Mass on Sunday but, on the way home, they would not hesitate to do a critical and negative assessment of other people they had seen at Mass. After the Mass, a man came to the sacristy and said to me: “Father, I think I may be a Pharisee.” I was at a loss to respond at first but then I said to him: “My friend, take courage. What you have just said is something that a real Pharisee would never say!”

It is indeed laudable to attend Mass and to take seriously all the rules of good Christian conduct, but all of this careful observance can be spoiled if it is not accompanied by a genuine spirit of love and forgiveness
Demetrius R. Dumm, OSB.

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Homily from Father Cusick
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html Meeting Christ in the Liturgy
11 Ordinary Time

ELEVENTH Sunday
Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 91; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34

Brethren in Christ,
When you prayed in public last, did you make the sign of the cross, and did you look around to see if anyone noticed?
When you witness in action to the Gospel by prayer you become the fertile soil in which the Kingdom takes root. Your witness to the Kingdom will be undeniable. Such is of the Kingdom of God which all may see and so find shelter under its spreading branches.

The seed is the Word of God. When the Word takes root the Kingdom grows. We are called upon receiving the Word to meditate upon it in prayer so that it way take root in us and bear fruit in joy and virtue. The Catechism teaches the principles of meditation.

"Meditation is above all a quest. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking. The required attentiveness is difficult to sustain. We are usually helped by books, and Christians do not want for them: the Sacred Scriptures, particularly the Gospels, holy icons, liturgical texts of the day or season, writings of the spiritual fathers, works of spirituality, the great book of creation, and that of history--the page on which the 'today' of God is written. (CCC 2705)

"To meditate on what we read helps us to make it our own by confronting it with ourselves. Here, another book is opened: the book of life. We pass from thoughts to reality. To the extent that we are humble and faithful, we discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart and we are able to discern them. It is a question of acting truthfully in order to come into the light: 'Lord, what do you want me to do?" (CCC 2706)

There are as many and varied methods of meditation as there are spiritual masters. Christians owe it to themselves to develop the desire to meditate regularly, lest they come to resemble the three first kinds of soil in the parable of the sower.' (Mark 4:4-7, 15-19) But a method is only a guide; the important thing is to advance, with the Holy Spirit, along the one way of prayer: Christ Jesus. (CCC 2707)

The principles of Christian prayer rule out some Eastern forms of meditation, sometimes called 'centering prayer' which deny the Incarnational aspect of prayer in which Christ sanctifies the whole person, thoughts, words, and actions. All of one's gifts are to be used in authentic prayer, including mental reflection. To attempt to escape one's thoughts in prayer, to attempt to escape the self in any way, is to deny the offering of that gift to God in prayer.

"Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him." (CCC 2708)

I look forward to meeting you here again next week as, together, we "meet Christ in the liturgy", Father Cusick

(Publish with permission.) http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/

(For further reading on today's Gospel see also the following paragraphs in the Catechism of the Catholic Church

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