11th Sunday in Ordinary Time2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13 Galatians 2:16, 19-21 Luke 7:36-8:3 The gospel this weekend is this: Luke 7:36-8:3 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." 8:1 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 2 and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources. The first reading is this: 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13 Then Nathan said to David: "You are the guilty man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I anointed you king of Israel. I rescued you from the hand of Saul. 8 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. 9 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. 10 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.' looking down.'"… 13 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. The second reading is this: Galatians 2:16, 19-21 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… 19 For through the law I died to the law, that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20 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. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing. MEDITATION: The readings this Sunday praise the mercy of God. He even accepts you and I as his children and siblings… and friends! The Pharisee reckoned that Jesus should have known that the woman had been a sinner, and of course Jesus did know, but he knew much more. He knew that she had woken up to the merciful love of God and that she had a humble loving heart and in that sense had the potential to become a very good woman. Remember that the ex-prostitute Mary of Magdala became 'Saint Mary Magdalene' (mentioned as a companion of Jesus at the end of today's Gospel). In the first reading the prophet tells of the fact that King David's sin (organizing a man's death as a soldier so that he could have his widowed wife) was known to God and yet forgiven by God. David then became even more successful. And the second reading is of Paul praising the fact that he had been healed of his official 'Judaism', he had actually persecuted Christians. Of course sin upsets Christ, but his merciful love is much stronger. It's relevant that the person that first saw the angel outside the empty tomb was the ex-prostitute of Magdala (Mt 28). In the Old Testament when Joshua sent two guys to 'reconnoiter' the land near Jericho (as spies), the guys used the house of a harlot (Rahab) in order to fulfill their secret mission (Josh 2:1). And it's relevant that the ones who had condemned Jesus to his awful death had been the official dignified Jews! Official Judaism made the mistake of reducing man's relationship with God to a matter of obeying the rules of religious practice. They call it 'the law'. What God longs for is true love, so Jesus went through his passion on Calvaryprecisely as a way of winning our hearts from a cold fulfilment of rules without love. St Paul was a very educated leader of Jews and he persecuted those strange followers of Jesus but he eventually turned the corner to Christianity with thanks: 'Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who gets tied to the tree'' (Gal 3:13). Asking for pardon needs humility and the Trinity long for that in their family. They would like if people weren't trying to think of excuses for their own failings and trying to criticize others for theirs, but rather trying to overcome their own failings and to help heal others with love! There's a lot for the Trinity to criticize but they choose to pardon (per-donar 'give more than is owed'). They want to cure us of those 'demonic' accusers. The best way to thank them for their merciful love is by imitating them. In fact we should respect the fact that all of our brothers and sisters have the potential to become very loving people… 'living Christs' (Gal 2:20 - 'It's no longer I but Christ who lives in me'). The call to be forgivers may at times be very challenging, especially whenever someone has done you harm, so it's fundamental that we don't just accept it as a challenge, but rather that we marvel at the way Christ has forgiven us... and has invited us to an Eternal Life in heaven. It's something that none of us won for themselves. It's precisely because of that knowledge that the ancient Christians made a big impact on the public of ancient Rome. They were known as 'the forgivers'! The sinful woman today kisses the feet of Jesus with tears of thanks. Wouldn't it be great if we humbly appreciated that we've sinned also, ("I confess to almighty God..."), and then celebrate 'Eucharist' ('thanksgiving'), and then receive communion in our mouths as if kissing Christ with tears of thanks. Please forgive me for any spelling mistakes… and for any other ones also! …………… Dara. En ESPAÑOL: Domingo 11º: 2º Sam 12:7-10, 13. Gal 2:16, 19-21. Lc 7:36-8:3 Las lecturas este domingo están alabando a la misericordia de Dios. ¡Aún nos acepta a nosotros todos como sus hijos y hermanos… y amigos! El Fariseo contó que ese Jesús debe de haber sabido que la mujer había sido una pecadora, y claro Jesús supo, pero él supo mucho más. Él supo que ella había despertado al amor misericordioso de Dios y que ella tenía un corazón amoroso humilde y en ese sentido la potencia para llegar a ser una mujer muy buena. Recuerde que la ex-prostituta María de Magdala llegó a ser 'Santa María Magdalena (mencionada como un compañero de Jesús al final del Evangelio de hoy). En la primera lectura de este domingo el profeta cuenta que el pecado del Rey David (organizando la muerte de un hombre como soldado para que él pudiera tener su esposa viuda) era sabido por Dios y sin embargo perdonado por Dios. David después llegó a ser aun más exitoso. Y la segunda lectura es de Pablo alabando el hecho de que él se había sanado de su 'Judaísmo' oficial que aún había perseguido cristianos. Claro el pecado perturba a Cristo, pero su amor misericordioso es mucho más fuerte. Es pertinente que la persona que primero vio el ángel fuera de la tumba de Jesús vacía era la ex-prostituta de Magdala (Mt 28). En el Antiguo Testamento cuando Josué envía a dos hombres para examinar el país cerca de Jericó (como espías), los hombres utilizaban la casa de una prostituta (Rahab) para cumplir su misión secreta (Josué 2:1). ¡Y es pertinente que los que habían condenado a Jesús a su muerte horrible eran los judíos oficiales ‘dignos’! El Judaísmo oficial cometió el error de reducir la relación de la humanidad con Dios a una materia de obedecer reglas de práctica religiosa. Lo llamaban 'la ley'. Lo que Dios anhela es el verdadero amor, y es precisamente por eso que Jesús pasó por su pasión en el Calvario como una forma de rescatar nuestros corazones de un cumplimiento frío de reglas sin amor. San Pablo era un líder muy educado de judíos pero él llegó a ser un líder agradecido de cristianos: 'Cristo nos rescató de la maldición de la ley dispuesto a ser una maldición para nosotros y por eso es escrito, 'Maldito sea él que acaba colgado de un árbol '' (Gal 3:13). Pedir perdón necesita humildad y la Trinidad lo anhela a esto en su familia. Les gustaría si la gente no estuviera buscando excusas para sus propios fracasos y no intentando criticarles otros, sino intentando superar sus propios fracasos ¡y ayudando sanarles a otros con amor! La Trinidad tienen muchas razones para qué criticarnos pero escogen perdonar (‘dar más que debería'). Ellos quieren curarnos de aquéllos 'demonios' que acusan. La manera mejor de agradecerles por su amor misericordioso es en imitarles. De hecho deberíamos respetar el hecho de que todos nuestros hermanos y hermanas tienen el potencial para llegar a ser personas muy amorosas… 'Cristos vivos (Gal 2:20 - 'Ya no vivo yo mismo sino es Cristo quien vive en mí'). La llamada a ser persones que perdonan a veces puede ser muy desafiante, especialmente cuando alguien realmente te ha hecho mal, entonces es fundamental que no la aceptemos simplemente como un desafío, sino más bien que nos maravillemos en como Cristo nos ha perdonado a nosotros… y nos ha invitado a una Vida Eterna en el Cielo. Eso es algo que nadie ha ganado por si mismo. Es justamente por saber esto que los Cristianos tuvieron tanta fama en el antiguo Imperio Romano. ¡Eran llamados ‘los perdonadores’! La mujer pecadora hoy besa los pies de Jesús con lágrimas de gracias. Apreciemos humildemente que nosotros también hemos pecado, ("yo confieso a Dios todopoderoso... "), y entonces celebraremos 'la eucaristía' ('la acción de gracias'), y entonces recibiremos la comunión en nuestras bocas como si estuviéramos besando a Cristo con lágrimas de agradecimiento. ¡Por favor perdóneme por cualquier error de la ortografía… y por cualquier otros también!
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