Day Eight: Thursday, September 17, 2015

Theme: Faith in her Son can save us

Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time: Lectionary: 446

Reading 1: 1 Timothy 4:12-16

Beloved:Let no one have contempt for your youth,but set an example for those who believe,in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.Do not neglect the gift you have,which was conferred on you through the prophetic wordwith the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,so that your progress may be evident to everyone.Attend to yourself and to your teaching;persevere in both tasks,for by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Alleluia: Matthew 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: Luke 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 citywho 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 weepingand 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 tearsand 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.”

La Salette Scripture Reflection: Thursday of the Twenty-Fourth Week of the Year  

Luke 7:36-50: The Lord said, "You have judged rightly."

Jesus's message here seems blunt and unmistakable. We have no right to criticize since we ourselves are certainly not free of faults.

Whenever we go shopping, we can pick and choose. Those of us who are asked to give presentations tend to pick out favorite topics for elaboration. The Lectionary – the book of readings for Mass – does not permit us to do selective shopping with God's word. Some days we are faced with concerns that we might first wish to avoid.

Msgr. Andy Cusack of Seton Hall University gave the La Salette Missionaries a retreat a number of years ago.

He left us with the suggestion, “We are invited not to judge others and not to belittle ourselves.” Msgr. Cusack's test is this: for thirty days do not say anything negative about your neighbors. If you can do that, you will most likely not say anything negative about yourself either.

Mary's message at La Salette was a positive one. It was about returning to penance, prayer and zeal. Mary gently asked the children, “Do you say your prayers well?” There is no privilege offered to pick and choose. We are all called to be good evangelizers – a people of penance, prayer and zeal. If we are to remain such people, we must be people of right judgment.

A Reflection Question: Do I tend sometimes to judge other people unfairly? Perhaps I should try the 30 Day Test mentioned above.