The WORD today reminds me that I should love God more, especially as I realize how much he loves me.
Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that those who felt great love and mercy gives more love and mercy to others. The parable in the gospel says:
Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred day’s 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.
...
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven
because she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
God loves everyone equally. He loves us despite of our sins and shortcomings. However, naturally, those who are aware of our shortcomings and sins and who experience God’s love and forgiveness tend to love God more, tend to love others more. It is because they are aware of how difficult they are to love, so it means God loves them so much. In the gospel, it does not necessarily mean that the Pharisees had less sin. Maybe they were just unaware of their sins, or too proud to admit they had sins too – thus they did not feel the need to be forgiven, and did not feel the impact of God’s love In their lives, because they felt that they were okay on their own. On the other hand, the sinful woman was so sorry and repentant that she would do more to get forgiveness. She would give her best to God just to show she is sorry. And she got that.
All of us sin and fall short of God’s grace. However, God is a God of love. God is love. And he will always be ready to forgive us our sins as long as we humbly come to him. And if we are aware of our situation and we allow God to love us and we experience his love, it will cause us to love more, because we experienced first hand God’s love and mercy in our lives.
Do I realize how sinful I am? What are the instances I sin and hurt God? Do I know that as I sin and hurt God, I am choosing to love myself and my desires rather than loving God? Have I asked God for forgiveness? How bad do I want to be forgiven by God? Am I more concerned on getting forgiveness from others than from God?
May we be aware of our sins and our need for repentance… and as we ask God’s forgiveness, may we allow Him to love us as well and be moved by his love and forgiveness, and pass it on to others.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and experience your love. Lord, sorry for hurting you. Sorry for choosing to sin. Sorry for choosing myself over you. Help me repent from the heart. Help me live right. Help me love you more. Lord, I allow you to love me. I ask that you fill me and that you transform me, Lord. Make me more like you. Help me love you the way I should. Help me love others the way you want me to. Lord, may we all allow you to love us, and as we experience your love, may it move us to pass that love to others, especially those who need it, and even to those who don’t deserve it. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
September 17, 2020
Thursday of Week 24; St. Robert Bellarmine
FIRST READING
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
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.
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
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.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
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.”
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