Jun 12 - Homily for Today

+ Our readings today are about sin!  Our immediate response when hearing this word is sometimes to cringe, and to say: “well, I do not really sin, I make mistakes and am not perfect, but sin seems to be too harsh a sounding word for what I do.

The first point here is to stop rationalizing! We all sin, every one of us – all people everywhere sin. We are human, we are broken, we are weak, and sometimes, yes, we sin – knowingly and willingly – though maybe not always with big fanfare – but really and truly, if only subtly and “in secret!”

But with God there is nothing secret, he knows all about us, he knows our thoughts – he hears us speak – he watches our movements and our actions: not to judge them: but just to watch them: he is just watching to see how usefully and wisely we use the intelligence he gave us – how we are putting our faith into practice: we who bear the name Christian.

Our first and third readings talk of two great sinners. The greatest -David who was King of Israel - sinned by murdering Bathsheba’s husband Uriah and then marrying her who was already pregnant with his own (David’s) child. And in the gospel passage, there is the “sinful woman,” no doubt a prostitute who had sinned much, but who, in Jesus’ presence, felt a great desire simply to be near him, to touch him, to show her sorrow for sin by bathing his feet in her tears, and wiping them with her hair.

The Pharisees present at the dinner who no doubt felt themselves above the law, above sin, the self-exalted ones said to one another: “doesn’t he know she is a sinner?? how can he allow this to happen!” Obviously they missed the whole point of Jesus’ entire mission: he came to save what was lost – to redeem sinners, who included everyone – even them!

And so Jesus turns the situation into a teaching matter and explained to Simon the Pharisee (his host):  this woman was deeply grateful and felt a great sense of relief for the removal of her great sin, that was simply forgiven by Jesus, in an instant by his simple words: you are forgiven: and then telling her to go and live in peace from now on and without sinning – because she loved much – and demonstrated it!

In the first story too, with David, through the Prophet Nathan who in a sense “heard David’s confession” of guilt and sorrow for sinning so much against God by his adulterous and murderous conduct, after David’s confession, conveyed the Lord’s forgiveness by simple words as well. “Yes you have sinned, o mighty David, but the Lord has forgiven you – you shall not die!”

Let us take from these examples today great consolation and hope that when we do sin – we too can express our sorrow to God directly to him at first and then by means of the Sacrament of Penance if the sin is serious: and because of our faith: we too, like David, and the prostitute of the gospel passage – shall be forgiven – and we shall hear God’s own words of forgiveness and our lives will be changed significantly!

It is so easy for God to forgive – now because of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – all it takes is our sorrow and our willingness to ask for it! May we do so often – daily by our examens – and sacramentally when we need to!

Lord, forgive the wrong we have done!