From: Luke 7:36 - 8:3

The Woman Who was a Sinner

[36] One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pha-
risee’s house, and sat at table. [37] And behold, a woman of the city, who was
a sinner, when she learned that he was sitting at table in the Pharisee’s house,
brought an alabaster flask of ointment, [38] and standing behind him at his feet,
weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears; and wiped them with the hair
of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. [39] Now
when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man
were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who
is touching him, for she is a sinner.” [40] And Jesus answering said to him, “Si-
mon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?”

[41] “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii and the
other fifty. [42] When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of
them will love him more?” [43] Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom
he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” [44] Then tur-
ning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered
your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her
tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You gave me no kiss, but from the time
I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. [46] You did not anoint my head
with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. [47] Therefore I tell you,
her sins, which are many, are forgiven little, for she loved much; but he who is
forgiven, loves little.” [48] And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” [49] Then
those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this,
who even forgives sins?” [50] And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved
you; go in peace.”

The Holy Women

[8:1] Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages; preaching and bring-
ing the good news of God. And the twelve were with him, [2] and also some wo-
men who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities; Mary, called Magdalene,
from whom seven demons had gone out, [3] and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, He-
rod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of
their means.

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Commentary:

36-40. This woman, moved no doubt by grace, was attracted by Christ’s prea-
ching and by what people were saying about him.

When dining, people reclined on low divans leaning on their left arm with their
legs tucked under them, away from the table. A host was expected to give his
guest a kiss of greeting and offer him water for his feet, and perfumes.

41-50. In this short parable of the two debtors Christ teaches us three things—his
own divinity and his power to forgive sins; the merit the woman’s love deserves;
and the discourtesy implied in Simeon’s neglecting to receive Jesus in the con-
ventional way. Our Lord was not interested in these social niceties as such but
in the affection which they expressed; that was why he felt hurt at Simeon’s ne-
glect.

“Jesus notices the omission of the expression of human courtesy and refinement
which the Pharisee failed to show him. Christ is ‘erfectus Deus, perfectus homo’
(”Athanasian Creed”). He is perfect God, the second person of the Blessed Trini-
ty, and perfect man. He comes to save, not to destroy nature. It is from him that
we learn that it is unchristian to treat our fellow men badly, for they are creatures
of God, made in his image and likeness (Gen 1:26)” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of
God”, 73).

Moreover, the Pharisee was wrong to think badly of this sinner and of Jesus: re-
ckoning that Christ did not know anything about her, he complained inwardly.
Our Lord, who could read the secret thoughts of men (which showed his divinity),
intervened to point out to him his mistake. True righteousness, says St Gregory
the Great (cf. “In Evangelia Homiliae”, 33), is compassionate; whereas false righ-
teousness is indignant. There are many people like this Pharisee: forgetting that
they themselves were or are poor sinners, when they see other people’s sin they
immediately become indignant, instead of taking pity on them, or else they rush
to judge them or sneer at them. They forget what St Paul says: “Let any one who
thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12); “Brethren, if any man
is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit
of gentleness [...]. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”
(Gal 6:1-2).

We should strive to have charity govern all our judgments. Otherwise, we will ea-
sily be unjust towards others. “Let us be slow to judge. Each one see things from
his own point of view, as his mind, with all its limitations, tells him, and through
eyes that are often dimmed and clouded by passion.... Of what little worth are
the judgments of men! Don’t judge without sifting your judgment in prayer” (St. J.
Escriva, “The Way”, 451).

Charity and humility will allow us to see in the sins of others our own weak and
helpless position, and will help our hearts go out to the sorrow of every sinner
who repents, for we too would fall into sins as serious or more serious if God in
his mercy did not stay by our side.

“It was not the ointment that the Lord loved”, St Ambrose comments, “but the af-
fection; it was the woman’s faith that pleased him, her humility. And you also, if
you desire grace, increase your love; pour over the body of Jesus Christ your faith
in the Resurrection, the perfume of the holy Church and the ointment of charity
towards others” (”Expositio Evangelii sec. Lucam, in loc.”).

47. Man cannot merit forgiveness for his sins because, since God is the offended
party, they are of infinite gravity. We need the sacrament of Penance, in which
God forgives us by virtue of the infinite merits of Jesus Christ; there is only one in-
dispensable condition for winning God’s forgiveness—our love, our repentance. We
are pardoned to the extent that we love; when our heart is full of love there is no
longer any room in it for sin because we have made room for Jesus, and he says
to us as he said to this woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” Repentance is a sign
that we love God. But it was God who first loved us (cf.1 Jn 4:10). When God for-
gives us he is expressing his love for us. Our love for God is, then, always a res-
ponse to his initiative. By forgiving us God helps us to be more grateful and more
loving towards him. “He loves little”, St Augustine comments, “who has little for-
given. You say that you have not committed many sins: but why is that the case?
[...] The reason is that God was guiding you [...]. There is no sin that one man
commits, which another may not commit also unless God, man’s maker, guides
him” (”Sermon”, 99, 6). Therefore, we ought to fall ever more deeply in love with
our Lord, not only because he forgives us our sins but also because he helps us
by means of his grace not to commit them.

50. Jesus declares that it was faith that moved this woman to throw herself at
his feet and show her repentance; her repentance wins his forgiveness. Similar-
ly, when we approach the sacrament of Penance we should stir up our faith in
the fact that it is “not a human but a divine dialogue. It is a tribunal of divine jus-
tice and especially of mercy, with a loving judge who ‘has no pleasure in the
death of the wicked; I desire that the wicked turn back from his way and live’
(Ezek 33:11)” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 78).

1-3. The Gospel refers a number of times to women accompanying our Lord.
Here St Luke gives us the name of three of them – Mary, called Magdalene, to
whom the risen Christ appeared beside the holy sepulchre (Jn 20:11-18; Mk 16:
9); Joanna, a lady of some position, whom we also meet among the women who
went to the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection (Lk 24:10), and Susanna,
whom the Gospel does not mention again. The role of these women consisted
in helping Jesus and his disciples out of their own resources, thereby showing
their gratitude for what Christ had done for them, and in cooperating his his mini-
stry.

Men and women enjoy equal dignity in the Church. Within the context of that
equality, women certainly have specific characteristics which must necessarily
be reflected in their role in the Church: “All the baptized, men and women alike,
share equally in the dignity, freedom and responsibility of the children of God….
Women are called to bring to the family, to society and to the Church, charac-
teristics which are their own and which they alone can give – their gentle warmth
and untiring generosity, their love for detail, their quick-wittedness and intuition,
their simple and deep piety, their constancy. . . . A woman’s femininity is gen-
uine only if she is aware of the beauty of this contribution for which there is no
substitute – and if she incorporates it into her own life” (St. J. Escriva, Conver-
sations, 14 and 87).

The Gospel makes special reference to the generosity of these woman. It is nice
to know that our Lord availed himself of their charity, and that they responded to
him with such refined and generous detachment that Christian women feel filled
with a holy and fruitful envy (cf. St. J. Escriva, The Way, 981).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

First reading	2 Samuel 12:7-10,13 ©

Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord the God of Israel says this, “I anointed you king over Israel; I delivered you from the hands of Saul; I gave your master’s house to you, his wives into your arms; I gave you the House of Israel and of Judah; and if this were not enough, I would add as much again for you. Why have you shown contempt for the Lord, doing what displeases him? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, taken his wife for your own, and killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. So now the sword will never be far from your House, since you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”’

David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die.’

Psalm	Psalm 31:1-2,5,7,11 ©

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,

whose sin is remitted.

O happy the man to whom the Lord

imputes no guilt,

in whose spirit is no guile.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

But now I have acknowledged my sins;

my guilt I did not hide.

I said: ‘I will confess

my offence to the Lord.’

And you, Lord, have forgiven

the guilt of my sin.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

You are my hiding place, O Lord;

you save me from distress.

You surround me with cries of deliverance.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord,

exult, you just!

O come, ring out your joy,

all you upright of heart.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

Second reading	Galatians 2:16,19-21 ©

We acknowledge that what makes a man righteous is not obedience to the Law, but faith in Jesus Christ. We had to become believers in Christ Jesus no less than you had, and now we hold that faith in Christ rather than fidelity to the Law is what justifies us, and that no one can be justified by keeping the Law. In other words, through the Law I am dead to the Law, so that now I can live for God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in this body I live in faith: faith in the Son of God who loved me and who sacrificed himself for my sake. I cannot bring myself to give up God’s gift: if the Law can justify us, there is no point in the death of Christ.

Gospel Acclamation	Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Or	1Jn4:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

God so loved us that he sent his Son

to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

Alleluia!

EITHER:

Gospel	Luke 7:36-8:3 ©

One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to a meal. When he arrived at the Pharisee’s house and took his place at table, a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town. She had heard he was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment. She waited behind him at his feet, weeping, and her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them away with her hair; then she covered his feet with kisses 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 this woman is that is touching him and what a bad name she has.’ Then Jesus took him up and said, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Speak, Master’ was the reply. ‘There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed him five hundred denarii, the other fifty. They were unable to pay, so he pardoned them both. Which of them will love him more?’ ‘The one who was pardoned more, I suppose’ answered Simon. Jesus said, ‘You are right.’

Then he turned to the woman. ‘Simon,’ he said ‘you see this woman? I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. For this reason I tell you that her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love. It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Those who were with him at table began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man, that he even forgives sins?’ But he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

Now after this he made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources.

OR:

Gospel	Luke 7:36-50 ©