In the first reading for mass today Paul tells the disciples to set an example for others, through their speech and conduct, and to put into practice what they have learned through the public reading of scripture, sermons and the lessons they have received. A sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet in today’s gospel, affirms what Paul told his disciples in the first reading for mass today too. There is much debate who this sinful woman is, but many people believe she was Mary Magdalene. The sinful woman who washed Jesus feet in today’s gospel, listened to Christ’s teachings, received them deeply into her heart and then put them into practice. She sets an example for us in so many ways. The sinful woman came to deeply believe in Christ’s words, embraced them, repented of her former way of life and then did something concrete to demonstrate her repentance. Words are just words if they are only heard and not practiced. That is the general theme of the first reading for mass today, that it isn’t enough just to hear the word of God, but we should put it into practice in our life too.
There are a lot of ways to look at the gospel today. We could pick up on many different aspects of it, like the Pharisees’ attitude when they saw this sinful woman show a very public act of love for Jesus. It might have been embarrassing for them to see this public display of love, because they stifled so much of their own feelings. Maybe this sinful woman who washed Jesus feet, demonstrated her feelings, yet they could not. The Pharisees were more comfortable with keeping people at a safe distance and following the rules, than being in touch with the softer feelings and sentiments of their hearts. A lot of us are like that too. We are more comfortable keeping people at a distance and trying not to get involved in their lives. Feelings are difficult to deal with sometimes and it’s easier to not get emotionally involved.
The Pharisees also judged people harshly. What is really amazing is that Mary who was a notorious sinner, didn’t care what they thought. This is really a major thing, that she didn’t care what the Pharisees thought about her public act of love for Jesus. What other people think of us matters a lot to some of us. We hate to be the recipient of other people’s disapproval and yet, Mary walked right into a whole crowd of Pharisees that she knew disapproved of her, and would probably disapprove of her anointing the feet of Christ. This is a really important lesson for people who have a hard time facing others who disapprove of them. It doesn’t matter what the crowd thinks or a specific person thinks of you. It matters what Jesus Christ thinks of you. They could be the one that is in the wrong, not you, even if it is an entire crowd of people that appose you.
Mary in today’s gospel had come to love Jesus so deeply that she simply did what came natural to her and did not care what anyone thought about it. When she anointed Christ’s feet and washed them with her hair, it was a physical act of love, but an act that showed her repentance for former way of life. The Pharisees obviously took it the wrong way.
The main focus of today’s gospel should not be caught up in all the little details of the setting though. It is easy to get side tracked from the things that are important sometimes. The important thing about the gospel reading today, is this woman’s love for Jesus and Jesus’ forgiveness of her sins. She had come to love Jesus and it was a very genuine love. Her tears may not have been just tears of repentance like everyone usually thinks about this passage. Her tears may have also been because she had come to love Jesus, and never knew what real love was before she met Christ. Jesus taught her to love. She may not have ever known her own human dignity and self worth until she met Christ, who showed her that she was valuable in God’s eyes and in his as well.
Jesus had more sympathy with Mary than everyone else. He understood that she did not understand what genuine love really was. He forgave her many sins because of her lack of understanding about love and her conversion of heart that occured once she did come to understand the true nature of her many sins.
Every human being is made in the image and likeness of God Himself and are valuable and loved in His eyes, no matter what you have done in your life. Things can always be set right again. Jesus can see through all the layers of the events in our lives and the sins we commit and get to the root of the matter, the root of what is wrong. Christ can set things right again if we give him the chance to do so. So many times in life, we commit sins because of a lack of understanding. Jesus can clear up the misunderstandings that we have and others have about us too, and set things right again. If we are willing to change, we have already opened the door to healing.
Books: Catholic Saints and Sinners
