Who Do You Say That I Am?

September 28, 2018

Today’s gospel captures a special piece of my heart. It begins with, “Once, when Jesus was praying in solitude…” This is how I begin each day and it just warmed my heart that Jesus, who is God, also prays in solitude, in fact He meets me here for coffee everyday. It gives me a glimpse into His heart that reminds me that He is the lover of my soul and He wants to spend time with me in prayer. It also says his best friends were with Him. We all have an intimate group of friends or perhaps family that we let into our circle of trust. This detail in the story also warms my heart because it shows Jesus’ love for his friends. So as I was reading it occurred t me that perhaps Jesus was asking His disciples the question, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” more from His human side. I know that in my prayer time, I am often pensive about who I am and what others think of me. Prayer time engages our hearts to ponder the spirit and that often leads us to self-examination. I wonder if Jesus was in this same kind of space when he asked the question. I always used to picture it like a teaching session, but it seems like He was truly pondering this in prayer. I just love that thought. 

Anyway, maybe the answer given about what others thought of Him, John the Baptist, Elijah, etc., served as a benchmark for where He still needed to go in His ministry. Like shouldn’t the crowds already know that I’m the Christ? I guess I still have work to do. This is a very human thing to do isn’t it? I’m constantly checking my progress on things that I’ve poured my heart and soul into. Shouldn’t I be a better singer by now? Shouldn’t I have learned how to say no by now? Shouldn’t 100’s of people be reading my blog? Shouldn’t I be published already? I guess I still have work to do. 

Today I can imagine Jesus asking His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” still in that quiet intimate place of prayer. Was He a bit weary that the crowds had not gotten it yet and needed some affirmation that if at least His best friends got it then He could continue on with His mission. Doesn’t this thought give this gospel such a different feeling? I love the thought of Jesus truly wondering if He was reaching anyone because I wonder that every single time I publish this blog. It comes from a place of longing and wanting to share the message of love with everyone and the reality is that it is only shared with a few. I get where He’s coming from. So when Peter answers with all his Peter gusto, “The Christ of God” perhaps it was a bit too enthusiastic and broke into the intimacy of this quiet prayer space that they were in. Have you ever known someone that changes the energy of the room with one sentence? Because this was their private time together (like grouping in Cursillo: what happens in grouping stays in grouping), Jesus asked them not share it yet as it was still His mission to do so at the right time. Their mission would come at Pentecost. 

Then from this place of prayer, Jesus tells them what is going to happen to Him. I imagine it was shared from His heart and perhaps He was scared, or anxious, or deeply focused. I wonder if there were any tears or wringing of His hands. I know that when I am faced with impending challenges I shed lots of tears. Today’s gospel shows me a piece of Jesus’ heart that I find to be so tender. He wants intimacy with us in prayer so that He can ask us, “Who do you say that I am?” This is the only question that matters really. My prayer time should be focused on my answer to this question. Obviously, He is the Christ of God, but what does that mean in my life? I encourage each one of us to spend prayer time in solitude to ponder this. He will meet you there and you can work it out together. It is well with my soul.

Reading 1 ECCL 3:1-11

There is an appointed time for everything,
and a time for every thing under the heavens.
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

What advantage has the worker from his toil?
I have considered the task that God has appointed
for the sons of men to be busied about.
He has made everything appropriate to its time,
and has put the timeless into their hearts,
without man's ever discovering,
from beginning to end, the work which God has done.

Responsorial Psalm PS 144:1B AND 2ABC, 3-4

R. (1) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
my mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
LORD, what is man, that you notice him;
the son of man, that you take thought of him?
Man is like a breath;
his days, like a passing shadow.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Alleluia MK 10:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'"
Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God."
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,

and be killed and on the third day be raised." 

Keep Trying To See Him

September 27, 2018

Have you ever been completely intrigued by someone? For whatever reason, negative or positive, you just can’t help being interested in them. Not in a creepy stalker kind of way, but a deeper wanting to see what makes them special kind of way. Today’s gospel has a simple but powerful message. Herod found Jesus extremely captivating and the last line of the gospel sums it up, “He kept trying to see him.” 

I pray that Jesus captivates your heart today and that you keep trying to see Him. You may be surprised as to where you find Him. As for me, I see Him in the distressing disguise of heartbreak, in the hopeful promise of love’s recovery, and in the sweet and fragile elderly that I serve. Yesterday I saw Jesus in my 97 year-old friend, Neil, with Parkinson’s. His mobility is extremely compromised these days and his hair was standing straight up in the air. As I took his breakfast order I simply brushed his hair down into place with my fingers. He looked me in the eye, unable to articulate anything, but as his dignity was restored through one gentle stroke of his hair, I saw Jesus.  I hope you see Him in the small things, in the ordinary things, in the big things, or in the extraordinary things, but keep trying to see him.

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
Lectionary: 452

Reading 1 ECCL 1:2-11

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
What profit has man from all the labor
which he toils at under the sun?
One generation passes and another comes,
but the world forever stays.
The sun rises and the sun goes down;
then it presses on to the place where it rises.
Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north,
the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
All rivers go to the sea,
yet never does the sea become full.
To the place where they go,
the rivers keep on going.
All speech is labored;
there is nothing one can say.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing
nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.

What has been, that will be;
what has been done, that will be done.
Nothing is new under the sun.
Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!"
has already existed in the ages that preceded us.
There is no remembrance of the men of old;
nor of those to come will there be any remembrance
among those who come after them.

Responsorial Psalm PS 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 AND 17BC

R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Alleluia JN 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
"John has been raised from the dead";
others were saying, "Elijah has appeared";
still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."
But Herod said, "John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?"
And he kept trying to see him.

Shake If Off

September 26, 2018

Today Jesus sends the twelve out on a mission trip. It’s time for the Apostles to get their feet wet, experience the real world, and learn the ropes of preaching, healing, and yes, being rejected. Jesus commissions them in the beginning of this reading by giving them the power and authority to drive out demons and to heal the sick. Guess what, friends? We received this same authority at our Baptism and those gifts were shaken and stirred at Confirmation. How cool is that? The catch to this mission trip is that they must travel completely free of stuff! “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.” Are you kidding me, Jesus? At least in Mark’s version of the story, Jesus let them take a walking stick to maybe lean on, or fight off lions and tigers and bears, but in this account, zip, nada, nothing. So what’s up with this? 

Jesus wanted the Apostles (and he wants us) to focus on the Word, the Message, and the Name of Christ. Stuff only gets in the way of relying on that power and authority. If I need to reach into my bag to find my lip-gloss instead of tending to the soul right in front of me, I have missed an opportunity to share the Living Word, I have missed an opportunity to bring Jesus into someone’s life. Jesus wants us to be free. Free to roam about the cabin, free of things that weigh us down, free of distractions, free of having stuff in our hands so we can use those empty hands to heal others. 

Next thing Jesus tells them is, “Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” There is no “if” in this sentence. There will be those that do not welcome us, and there will be those that do not welcome Christ. Jesus tells us that it’s OK to shake it off (YES, insert Taylor Swift song here!!! Because the haters gonna hate, hate, hate!! Come on, I could NOT resist that one). He doesn’t tell us to have words with them, or to post passive aggressive tweets against them, or to say anything at all. Just leave there and shake it off. This seems like some sort of apostolic super power doesn’t it? Don’t say ANYTHING, just shake it off and leave???? I don’t know which is more challenging for me, to PACK nothing or to SAY nothing!!! I have a lot of work to do in both areas for sure. The Apostles did well on their mission trip it seems, “Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.” 

Let’s make every effort to be free today. Carrying a bunch of useless stuff around with us only weighs us down and takes our minds off the Good News. Let’s remember the power and authority that is found in the Name of Jesus, and let’s just shake it off when we are not welcomed. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 PRV 30:5-9

Every word of God is tested;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Add nothing to his words,
lest he reprove you, and you will be exposed as a deceiver.

Two things I ask of you,
deny them not to me before I die:
Put falsehood and lying far from me,
give me neither poverty nor riches;
provide me only with the food I need;
Lest, being full, I deny you,
saying, "Who is the LORD?"
Or, being in want, I steal,
and profane the name of my God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163

R. (105) Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
From every evil way I withhold my feet,
that I may keep your words.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Through your precepts I gain discernment;
therefore I hate every false way.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Falsehood I hate and abhor;
your law I love.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.

Alleluia MK 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 9:1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them."
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere.

We Are Family

September 25, 2018

I’m sure you’ve heard the quote, “Ohana means family, family means no one is left behind or forgotten…” from the movie Lilo And Stitch. I grew up knowing exactly what Ohana was because my family is actually from Hawaii. Ohana is not limited to your own immediate family and/or even your blood relatives. Ohana is beyond that circle and extends itself into a larger network. We grew up basically addressing every adult as either Auntie or Uncle, and only half the time were they actually related, but because I identified them with a title implying family, they seemed all like family to me. There are many cultures that have similar practices, however, mainland USA is not one and I feel very blessed to have been raised with this understanding of Ohana.

Today’s gospel is one of those that may give us a wrong impression about Jesus; he almost seems like kind of a jerk. Mary and his brothers were trying to get closer to him, but the crowd was too big. I picture the crowds that assemble at the Vatican every week to hear Pope Francis. Imagine if his mom and siblings were in that crowd trying to reach him…crazy. But Jesus recognized an opportunity to teach them and he took it. Basically, he gives us a definition of eternal Ohana, when he was told that his mom and family were standing outside wanting to see him, he said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” While it can seem like Jesus was blowing off his mom and family, what he was actually doing was inviting US to be his Ohana.

We have the opportunity to accept or deny this invitation. Acceptance means that we will hear the Word of God and practice it. I find great comfort in the word “practice” because it implies that I am still learning the lines, or the blocking, or the choreography, or the sports play, or the notes, or the tune, or the rules, or the fundamentals, or the process, or the meaning. With practice comes growth and one day, after I’ve practiced enough, I will be ready to apply what I’ve practiced to my life. Living the word of God will eventually be as natural as breathing because I’ve been practicing. This will not ever be a reality unless I understand that “the practice” is really a relationship with God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and being part of our Ohana. 

Ohana means no one is left behind or forgotten and these are the family members on the margins, the unlovable, the already forgotten, the sinner, the shamed, the cranky ones, the ones that disagree with us, the ones that don’t fit in, the ones that don’t know the word of God yet, etc. “My mother and brothers (siblings) are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” So as long as we are practicing the things we hear in the Word of God, we will not be forgotten. I love that Jesus calls me his sister today. I love that Jesus calls you brothers and sisters today. Just like any family, we might be a little crazy and dysfunctional, but at the end of the day, we continue to love one another as the Good Good Father loves us. Let us not forget who we are and whose we are and it is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 PRV 21:1-6, 10-13

Like a stream is the king's heart in the hand of the LORD;
wherever it pleases him, he directs it.

All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,
but it is the LORD who proves hearts.

To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart–
the tillage of the wicked is sin.

The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,
but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.

Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue
is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.

The soul of the wicked man desires evil;
his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes.

When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser;
when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

The just man appraises the house of the wicked:
there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin.

He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself also call and not be heard.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44

R. (35) Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Alleluia LK 11:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers 
are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

This Little Light Of Mine

September 24, 2018

Today’s gospel hit me in a new way. It comes right after the parable of the sower and the seed, and it occurred to me that Jesus continues the metaphor of the word being seed, but in today’s case he uses the image of light. Once we have received the light of knowledge of the Word, the revelation of God’s presence in our hearts, the recognition that love is a verb, the living faith that the miraculous exposes, the workings of the Holy Spirit, the call to holiness, the sound of His voice, the prompting of His Spirit, the need for mercy, the desire to serve others, and/or the treasure of great price, then we cannot hide it. It will be seen. Have you ever tried to hide light? It is the one thing that cannot really hide. God radiates us with these gifts of grace and revelation. As we receive them they charge the light within us so that it spills out unable to hide. 

This light radiates as a special something, or a joyful twinkle in the eye, or the strong resolve to reach out to the poor, or the compassion to hold the broken hearted, or the bold faith to pray for the sick, or acts of kindness toward the unlovable, or peace that surpasses understanding, or patient waiting for God’s timing and will, or the ability to find God in all things, or the gift of living in the present moment, and all the things that show that we know and belong to our Good Good Father. Once we know, we know, and when we know it shows. We can try to hide it and sometimes I know for sure that I try to hide it because it requires me to do the right thing, which is often the hard thing, or to reach out to those on the edges, which is scary at times, or to constantly be shiny, which can be exhausting. However, once we know, we know, and when we know it shows, so I can try to hide it all I want, but it still breaks forth, spills out, radiates, warms, and reveals His presence in my life, and thank God it does. Sometimes the light is little and sometimes the light is big and bold, but it always pierces the dark.

Today I pray that we stop trying to hide the light of love that has been lavishly given to us. I pray that we will let this revelation light shine for all to experience. It says that nothing will be hidden from us, which means that God reveals everything we need in His Son Jesus. When we take care to hear Him, we are given the tremendous privilege to be beacons of what we know. Beacons point others toward the right way. Once we know, we know, and when we know it shows. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, and it is well with my soul.  

Reading 1 PRV 3:27-34

Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim
when it is in your power to do it for him.
Say not to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give,” when you can give at once.

Plot no evil against your neighbor,
against one who lives at peace with you.
Quarrel not with a man without cause,
with one who has done you no harm.

Envy not the lawless man
and choose none of his ways:
To the LORD the perverse one is an abomination,
but with the upright is his friendship.

The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
but the dwelling of the just he blesses;
When dealing with the arrogant, he is stern,
but to the humble he shows kindness.

Responsorial Psalm PS 15:2-3A, 3BC-4AB, 5

R. (1) The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

Alleluia MT 5:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 8:16-18

Jesus said to the crowd:
"No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away."

Please Pass The Guacamole

September 21, 2018

One practice of the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius is when meditating on Scripture, particularly the gospels, we are encouraged to put ourselves into the story, picturing as many details as we can, and letting our imagination be an instrument of piety always drawing us closer to Christ. So, today’s gospel was a very easy one for me to do that with. 

The super paraphrased gospel according to my own imagination for the purposes of understanding the heart of Jesus and applying it to my own life….(did I mention this is super paraphrased???)

As Jesus passed by, he saw a woman named Jen sitting at Starbucks (duh!). He said to her, “Follow me.” And she got up and followed him (I mean this is the guy that I’ve been madly in love with for years, of course I’m going to follow him immediately!). While he was at table in her house (how cool is that??!!), many of Jen’s sinner friends (I won’t mention any of my sinner friends’ names! Wink wink!)came and sat with Jesus and his disciples (The dinner menu? I’m thinking chips and guacamole of course, beer, with a main course of everyone’s favorite Mexican food from Lolita’s in Chula Vista! This is my meditation, so I get to imagine it with all my favorites!). The churchy people saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with Jen and her friends, doesn’t he know about the terrible things she has done in her past and that her friends are somehow guilty just by association?” Jesus heard this and said, obviously, Jen needs a Savior more than you do because of what she has done, and those sinner friends of hers have shown Jen mercy in her darkest hour, so my mercy and companionship are even more abundantly theirs. A doctor’s purpose is to heal and attend to the sick and Jen’s soul needs healing, and that need for healing is exactly why she dropped everything to follow me. Her need for a Savior is why she invites me into her home. The guilt and shame of her sin is the very thing that allowed her to respond immediately to my call. When people are in need of healing, they are moved to do whatever it takes to become well and Jen recognized that spending time with me and introducing me to her friends was the best way for her to find peace and wellness. I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners, like Jen.

And there you have it…feel free to insert yourselves into the story. Thank you, God, for sending your Son to save people like me and my friends. Jesus, because of my own weakness and sin, you feel compelled to fellowship with us and I am more than grateful to break bread with you. Please keep saving me. Please keep calling me. Please keep healing me and it is well with my soul.  

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
Lectionary: 643

Reading 1 EPH 4:1-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ's gift. 

And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ. 

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Alleluia See Te Deum

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 9:9-13

As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

Lessons From A Sinful Woman

September 20, 2018

Have you ever come before Jesus in tears? Have you ever been broken? Have you ever let your hair down and gotten real with the Lord? Have you ever physically reached out to God, just needing to feel him in your life? 

Today we learn our lesson from a “sinful woman”. I wish I knew her name because the label of “sinful woman” just doesn’t seem fair to be known as, oh, you know for all eternity! Jesus was dining at the Pharisee named Simon’s house and a woman that everyone in the village knew had been a sinner (one can only imagine the nature of the sins that she was known for…) felt compelled to encounter the man she had heard so much about. It makes me wonder if she was friends with other “sinful women” that told her stories about his compassionate way, his merciful heart, and his tenderness. Was she there the day they tried to stone the woman caught in adultery? Was she next-door neighbors with Mary Magdalene? Whatever it was, moved her so much that she was willing to risk it all by showing up uninvited to a dinner party, and then exposing herself in such a way that could and would be interpreted as scandalous. Raise your hand if you have ever felt so strongly about something that it caused you to recklessly abandon protocol. 

Our first lesson from the “sinful woman” is that she showed up. Sometimes all I can do is show up in my prayer and there are no words or fancy things for me to say, and all I can do is be (“still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10). She was brave enough to show up even though the host and dinner guests did not welcome her. Sometimes Jesus is surrounded by unwelcoming and off-putting people, but he wants us to ignore them and focus on him. Upon showing up, she stood behind him and cried at his feet. This woman was in need of healing and forgiveness and tears are God’s precious way to help us fall down the cheeks of mercy, paving the path to wholeness with the very things that hold us back. Her tears flowed as a sign of surrender. 

The “sinful woman’s” next lesson for us is to break ourselves open at the foot of the cross. An alabaster jar filled with perfumed oil would have been an extremely expensive and precious gift and we have to go all in in order to get all out. We need to be willing to give our best and most precious selves in service to Jesus and often times that requires us to be broken so that we can be poured out. Perfumed oil is used to soften the dryness, wash away the dirt, and to freshen the stench in our lives. We all need soft, clean, and fresh hearts in order to surrender ourselves to God. 

Once we show up, surrender ourselves, break open our hearts and allow them to soften, then it’s time to let our hair down and be real with God. God already knows us and has counted every hair on our head, so we might as well let it all down, shake out the stiffness, and in that vulnerability, Jesus will meet us where we are at. When we are real before the Lord, we can use that to get rid of or dry off any excess worries from our lives. 

Showing up and surrendering, open hearted, and completely real at the feet of Jesus will lead us into an intimate and personal relationship with him where feet washing are a beautiful and mutual exchange between us and our Savior. Jesus uses this intimate and scandalous encounter to teach the judgmental Pharisees about mercy and forgiveness, and the “sinful woman” with no name is used as a model of grace for all of us to learn from. I recently figured out what the sinful woman’s name is: it’s my name, Jen, and because of God's undeserved mercy toward me, I want to show up, surrender, break myself open, get real, serve Jesus in whatever way He calls me, and it is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 446

Reading 1 1 COR 15:1-11

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,
of the Gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
Through it you are also being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
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;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, 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.
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.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed. 

Responsorial Psalm PS 118:1B-2, 16AB-17, 28

R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
"The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
You are my God, and I give thanks to you;
O my God, I extol you.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Alleluia MT 11:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 7:36-50

A certain 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;
hence, 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."