Please press here to listen to the homily or download
Thursday – Twenty-fourth week – OT2
Readings: I Cor 15:1-11; Lk 7:36-50.
1/ First Reading: NAB 1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. 2 Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; 4 that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; 5 that he appeared to Kephas, then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God (that is) with me. 11 Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
2/ Gospel: NAB Luke 7:36 A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 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, 38 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. 39 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.” 40 Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. 42 Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. 47 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.” 48 He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
I. THEME: Recognizing what is necessary and what is supplementary.
People are often confused between what is necessary and what is supplementary. The wise people are those who know how to differentiate them.
Today readings give us two examples of different kinds of people. In the first reading, St. Paul showed his faithful what are necessary and important points of the Gospel. In the Gospel, Jesus rebuked Simon, a Pharisee, about his manner of welcoming and criticizing him while praised the sinful woman about her sincere repentance.
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: “I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received.”
1.1/ The importance and necessary of the Gospel: St. Paul wanted to summarize what he wrote to the Corinthians after he explained for them in details. The core of what he preached is the Gospel which is handed to him from Jesus himself and he handed it to them.
(1) The Gospel I preached to you which you indeed received: No one invents the Gospel, all are receiving it. And no one can proclaim if isn’t entrusted to preach it.
(2) In which you also stand: The first profit of the Gospel is it helps a hearer to stand in his two feet. Living in the world with so many different doctrines, people are confused because they can’t recognize what is the truth. The Gospel helps the faithful to recognize the truth which they must follow.
(3) Through it you are also being saved: Faith must be accompanied with actions. St. Paul emphasized on practice one’s faith in order to be saved: “If you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.”
1.2/ The essences of the Gospel: St. Paul listed out three necessary things which require all the faithful to believe:
(1) Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures;
(2) He was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures;
(3) He appeared to Kephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.
1.3/ The role of preachers: Though each has a different role but all preach the same Gospel.
– St. Paul’s role: He confessed that he isn’t one of the Twelve, but is also an apostle of the Gentiles because he was sent by Jesus himself. He also confessed his bad past and emphasized God’s grace on him, “For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.”
– Other apostles’ roles: St. Paul respected Peter’s role in governing of the Church, and together with other apostles who preached the Gospel to the Jews. Each has a different work, but all contribute to the preaching of one Gospel. And he concluded: “Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”
2/ Gospel: “The one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
We try to skim through the attitudes of three main characters in today Gospel. First, Simon. The fact that he invited Jesus to his house is rare because he is a Pharisee, the kind of people who often criticized Jesus’ teaching and behaviors. The Gospel didn’t give a reason for his invitation of Jesus. He was surprised about the sinful woman’s presence in the table. Next is the woman, she is a courage woman. She knew her sinful life and also knew those who live in a city knew who she is. She must also knew who is Jesus so she can have courage to express her repentance without fearing of his rejection. Last is Jesus, he let the woman do all weird things under the host and the guests’ scrutinizing eyes and forcefully dedended her.
2.1/ Jesus criticized Simon’s way of welcoming him: Under Simon’s eyes, Jesus became unclean because he let the sinful woman touch him. He also suspected of Jesus’ power by questioning in 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 saw through his mind and he politely gave an example of two debtors: one who owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. The readers are easy to recognize that Jesus was reminding both Simon and the woman are sinners before him, and both also need his loving forgiveness. The woman’s sins are clear while Simon’s sin is the sin of pride. He considered himself as the righteous and had a right to judge other. Jesus’ question for Simon implied that he wanted to emphasize on love, not the sins of those who were forgiven: The one who is forgiven much shall love much.
2.2/ Jesus praised the woman’s way of welcoming him: Jesus compared Simon’s and the woman’s way of welcoming him. Jesus was Simon’s important guest; his way of welcoming Jesus didn’t show that he was welcomed Jesus as an important guest. While the woman is only the passer-by, she welcomed Jesus in a way that never happened in the history of humankind: “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.”
To reward for the woman’s loving and courage acts, Jesus said to her: “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– If we can’t grasp what is essential, we shall be easily confused before so many worldly doctrines. In order to overcome this confusion, understanding of the Gospel is necessary for us to stand in our two feet. Though preachers may have different style of preaching, they must preach the same Gospel.
– When we invite God to our home, we must prepare to deservedly welcome Him. One of our first preparation is our humble attitude to recognize that we are unworthy before His immense love. The improper way to welcome Him is our pride and criticizing of others as Simon in today Gospel.