Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
June 12, 2016
Gospel: Lk 7:36 - 8:3
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 (1),
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 (2)
to a certain creditor
(3); 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 (4)." 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.usccb.org)
The difficult words
(1)A prophet is
a person who speaks in the name of God.
(2)To be in debt is to owe
someone something, such as money.
(3)A creditor is someone who
lends money or objects.
(4)To forgive a debt means to say that a person no longer needs to pay you back what he owes
you.
This week’s spotlight
Sin
A sin is an offense against God. We sin whenever we
think, do, or say something that hurts love. Sin sets itself against God’s that
hurts love. Sin sets itself against God’s love and turns our hearts away from
love for one another. There are many kinds of sin, including jealousy,
selfishness, fighting, stealing, and disobedience. We sin when we choose
something wrong on purpose. God wants us to return to him and to receive his
forgiveness.
God's forgiveness
When we realize that we have sinned, we can go to God
for forgiveness. God calls us to seek the forgiveness of those who are hurt by
our sin, and to make amends for the evil we have chosen. Since choosing evil
always hurts the whole family of God, it is fitting that we seek forgiveness
through ministry of the Church. Jesus gave his Priests the power to forgive
sins in his name. This is a great gift to us as Catholics, since we can hear
with our own ears God's words of healing and mercy.
Reflection
Actions speak louder than words
In this week's Gospel, a woman appears before Jesus
while he is having lunch in the home of a Pharisee. She kneels before him,
washes his feet, kisses them, and perfumes them. She does not say a word, but
her whole body is speaking. With her gestures, her tears, her kisses, she
expresses how much she is moved and overwhelmed by actually being with Jesus.
She shows respect and love for Jesus whom she recognizes as being the Messiah.
Without saying a word, she asks Jesus for forgiveness. She wants to be washed
and purified herself. She knows that Jesus is not just one more prophet. He is
the Son of God, he who comes to save all men. Like the woman. Jesus invites us
to welcome him into our lives. It doesn't matter if we have sinned a little or
a lot - Jesus takes us as we are.
Discussion questions
1.Who had the greatest amount of sin in this gospel passage?
2.What are the parallels between the people in the gospel and the people
who owed money in the parable Jesus told?
3.What did Jesus try to point out to the Pharisee about his sinfulness
and the woman’s sinfulness?
4.What was Jesus trying to show by accepting the actions of the woman who had sinned?
5.How does the Church help us receive God’s forgiveness?
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Your Son
has shown us the way to forgiveness. May this Communion in his Body and Blood
teach us not to condemn, but rather to be generous with one another, for we are
all children of God. In this Year of Mercy, make me a vessel of mercy for
others.
This week…
Doing some spring cleaning in our lives
Think about the arguments you may
have had with your best friends or with other classmates during the school
year. Write down on a piece of paper how you worked the situations out with
them. Was it with a letter, through words, or with a friend who acted as a
peacemaker?
Kneel down before the
Lord
Kneeling is a way of saying to the Lord that we are
small and his love is great. In the evening, in your prayer corner, kneel down
to pray. Don't hesitate to ask the Lord for forgiveness for the times during
the day when you did not love very much and ask him to help you get back on the
right track.
Crossword Puzzle
