W
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Cycle C
2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13; Gal 2:16, 19-21; Lk 7:36-50

The greater one loves, the greater will be the forgiveness.
The greater the forgiveness, the freer one is to love.
And perfect love drives out all sin!

In our Gospel, we are confronted with this scene:  A woman comes to the house of Simon the Pharisee because she had heard that Jesus was going to eat there. She came at first to simply anoint him. She probably thought she could slip in and out of the dining room unnoticed.  Perhaps she'd be seen as one of the many servants this rich Pharisee had.  But when she bent down to do so, she is overcome by tears.  She began crying so hard that her tears were able to wash Jesus' feet. She dried them with her hair. Can you imagine the intensity of her wailing to produce those kind of tears? 

This woman, who was overwhelmed by a sudden awareness of her sin and a sudden awareness of the presence of the love of Christ, took her sin and brought it to the feet of Jesus.

She took her sin and loved him.

She believed that she would be forgiven if she would show him love.

The greater one loves, the greater will be the forgiveness.
The greater the forgiveness, the freer one is to love.
And perfect love drives out all sin.

God is perfect love. Sin cannot remain in the presence of God. God destroys sin. In its place he leaves freedom and love. 

God is the love that forgives sin.

Why does the Church recommend frequent celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Not so we become so focussed on our sin that we are fearful and guilt-ridden and bound up, but so that we may be free, truly free, to love more deeply.

Why does Jesus promise to forgive us in this sacrament? To free us from our sin. To give us freedom to love others. 

Why does Jesus tell us to forgive others seventy times seven times? So that others may be freed to love.

We are to be like Jesus. 

Jesus gained nothing by forgiving the woman in today's Gospel. He gained nothing in forgiving his executioners as he hung upon the Cross.

He forgave them so that they would be free...... to love.

This is what Redemption and Salvation is all about -- being in the presence of  Love itself, the presence of God and being free from sin through forgiveness to go out and live in love, the New Law of Christ.

That is why it is so important that we bring ourselves to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So that we are not caught up in our sin and be bound by it; so that we put ourselves at the feet of Jesus, put ourselves in the presence of God's love and be freed to go forth and love others.

Jesus told Simon that he had not loved enough.  He hadn't washed his feet. He hadn't kissed him.  He hadn't anointed him. Simon knew the sin and the guilt and the law but he was blind to love.

He couldn't see it when it was right in front of him.

The woman was not blind.  She saw and understood.

The woman also knew her sin. (You can imagine what it may have been.  The scripture scholars think it was prostitution, or maybe having been married to a public sinner such as a tax collector) But she loved.   

She took her sin and brought it to the feet of Jesus by acts of love.

And she could do so because she believed.  She believed she could be forgiven.

Jesus said, "Your faith has saved you; now go in peace."

She was free.

We hear those words at each time we confess our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation: "Your sins are forgiven; now go in peace!"

We are freed. 

We are freed to love, as the woman in the Gospel.

We are freed to forgive others, as Jesus forgave.

The greater the love, the greater will be the forgiveness.
The greater the forgiveness, the freer one is to love.
And perfect love casts out all sin!