2 Sam 12:7-10, 13
Ps 32:1-2,5,7,11
Gal 2:16, 19-21
Lk 7:36-8:3
‘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.’
Every one of you, at some time in your life, has probably dodged a “proverbial” bullet. Actually, it probably has happened where you didn’t even do anything, you were just bracing yourself for impact – hoping that it wouldn’t hurt… too much. I remember back in elementary school we had very large classrooms that were divided by a temporary wall. It was a really solid wall and that wall would divide two different classes of the same grade. As it happened, I got in trouble and I was sent to the wall. I had to move my desk to face the wall away from all my other classmates. Effectively, I was in timeout… for the week.
Well, apparently this strategy of discipline was used with the teacher of the other classroom too and so I had some “timeout prison mates” on the other side of the wall. My memory is hazy, but I think there were not a few in timeout. It was a bad week. But I was bored and feeling a little creative so I decided to try to see who was on the other side by passing notes under the temporary wall. I felt like Alexander Graham Bell speaking on the telephone for the first time. Espionage… But not very good because “the MAN” started questioning us timeout prison mates. When he came to me, I lied. Knowing that I was a Boy Scout, he even made me put up my hand and say “scout’s honor”. It was the first time I ever lied (that’s a lie too). But I was overcome with guilt and at the end of the day, I had prepared a little speech with a full confession and apology. I had sinned, against my teacher, my God, and my honor. I was prepared for the worst – a call to my parents and expulsion. My teacher saw how heavy that guilt was and my desire to come clean, he commended me on my integrity and gave only a single session of detention. I think I was let off easy because I only had to copy the dictionary up to the letter “L” for liar.
But seriously, I dodged a bullet there. I did something wrong and I made it worse by trying to cover it up. There are consequences of sin that must be dealt with. King David sinned and the proof of his sin was literally showing. Instead of trying to make things right, he ended up taking another man’s life. He had it all and was trying so hard to maintain his dignity that he forgot about God, truth, and righteousness. Fortunately, God sent the prophet Nathan to help him find his way back to God. And when David asked for forgiveness it was given.
In the Gospel, we also hear about the incredible forgiveness that comes from God. The “bullet” was bigger for the sinful woman than the Pharisee, Simon. The sinful woman was in greater straits of difficulty and she turns to Christ, bathing His feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and kissing His feet as a sign of welcome in hospitality. The Pharisee – being righteous in the eyes of the law – apparently did not show any signs of hospitality to Christ. He did not humble himself, he did not even think he needed forgiveness but thought that he was a good man. Ironically, every time I read this passage I wonder if the Pharisee Simon was so good, righteous, and holy, how did that sinful woman end up in Simon’s house?
An unexamined life – a life where you are looking at other’s sins, other’s faults, lamenting the government or things going on around the world and not looking at your need for forgiveness, for God, for a deeper relationship with Him – is a life like the Pharisee. All of us sin – it is why we have the Penitential Act at the very beginning of Mass. Recognizing and acknowledging our sin, asking our Lord’s forgiveness, and being purified before Him… only then can we begin to really open ourselves to God. If we are to be like the woman – who knows her sin, who knows that she needs God, and desires to honor Him despite her failings – we must start first at examining our consciences: are you following the Ten Commandments – not just “Do not kill. Do not steal.” But the meaning behind those words… “Do I kill with my words, my attitude? Do I steal from work by being lazy or taking advantage of resources that do not belong to me? Do I keep God as the center of my life? Do I keep Sunday as a day of rest and dedicated to God through Mass and family time?”
If you are unwilling to examine your life, you will continue to think you are sinless. The mind does this strange trick; it says, “Hey, we are all sinners.” And yet if you were asked – would you be able to enumerate what has made you a sinner? The person that comes to me and says, “Father, it’s been years since my last confession and I can’t think of any sins.” I ask them if they want to be canonized. I would be happy with just a confession of the sins that they did last week or that day – but to say that there are no sins is a statistical impossibility. Not saying it’s impossible, but chances are it’s not true.
The reason I am harping on examining your life and your sins is because nothing ventured is nothing gained. If we do not offer our sins before God – asking forgiveness – if we do not open ourselves and be vulnerable to Him, then we are doing the exact opposite aren’t we? We close the doors on Him; we are saying we don’t want forgiveness, we don't need You! But the one who puts it all out there like the woman today in the Gospel walks away with not only her dignity but with a new relationship with Our Lord. Her gratitude of receiving forgiveness was great because her sin was great. Would that we have that and want that too? No, I’m not saying go out there and sin big and then come back for confession. I am saying that whatever sins that we do have in our life – and we know that they're there – impedes our relationship with God and neighbor. Once we realize this and we are motivated in love and contrition, we will experience that strong feeling of being forgiven. Our relationship with God is opening ourselves to His healing of our sin, experiencing His love and compassion, and communing with Him in His glory. May we pray and offer ourselves to him today as we continue our celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
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