Daily Readings - Thu Sep 20 2018
1 Corinthians
1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.7After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.8And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.9For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.10But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.11Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Luke
36And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on God’s grace and forgiveness. The first reading from 1 Corinthians reminds us of the core of the Gospel: Christ’s death and resurrection for our sins. Paul humbly acknowledges his unworthiness as an Apostle, yet he recognizes that it is solely by God’s grace that he has become a vessel for spreading the Good News. The Gospel from Luke presents a vivid contrast between the Pharisee and the sinful woman. While the Pharisee judges the woman’s past, Jesus reveals the depth of her love and the greatness of her forgiveness. He teaches that those who are forgiven much, love much, while those forgiven little, love little.
These readings are deeply connected. Paul’s emphasis on the resurrection underscores the ultimate act of God’s love and forgiveness, while the Gospel story illustrates how that forgiveness transforms lives. The woman’s extravagant love for Jesus is a response to the immense mercy she has received. Similarly, Paul’s zeal for preaching the Gospel flows from his own experience of grace, despite his past as a persecutor of the Church. Both readings call us to reflect on how we respond to God’s forgiveness in our own lives.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Do we truly recognize the depth of God’s forgiveness in our own lives? Do we allow that forgiveness to transform us, to move us to love and serve others with the same extravagance as the sinful woman? Let us not be like the Pharisee, who focused on judgment rather than mercy. Instead, let us embrace the grace of God with humility and gratitude, and let that grace flow through us in acts of love and compassion. The moral of these readings is clear: God’s grace is abundant, and our response should be a life of love, rooted in the knowledge of how much we have been forgiven.