Magnitude of God’s love and mercy

September 19, 2024 Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time    
Daily Readings: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 7:36-50

The gospel unfolds at the house of Simon the Pharisee, who invited Jesus to dinner. At this gathering, a woman known for her sinful life enters with an alabaster jar of perfume. She stands behind Jesus, weeping, using her tears to wet His feet, wiping them with her hair, kissing them, and pouring perfume on them. 

Jesus’ response to the woman offers us incredible hope. He says to her, “Your sins are forgiven…, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Forgiveness is not contingent upon our past but is a gift freely given to those who seek Him. The love that the woman expresses teaches us that true acknowledgment of our faults leads us to a deeper relationship with Christ. The more we understand our failings, the more we can appreciate the magnitude of His love and mercy.

How can we express our love and gratitude to God? It could be through acts of kindness, service to others, or simply through a posture of humility and confession. God calls us to take our own burdens, our own debts, and lay them at His feet, knowing that He is more than willing to forgive and embrace us.

Call to Action for Catholic Living:  May we strive to emulate the woman’s courage and vulnerability, to love deeply and abundantly in response to the grace we have received. Let us remember that we are all in need of His forgiveness, and in that shared need, we find our unity as the body of Christ. May God grant us the wisdom to recognize our need for Him, the humility to approach Him with our brokenness, and the joy that comes from knowing we are forgiven and loved unconditionally. Amen.