The Gospel for Thursday of the 24th week in Ordinary Time is taken from Luke 7:36 to the 50th verse. 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 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, you 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 500 days wages, the other owed 50. Since they were unable to pay 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 has 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. The most important thing that Jesus is trying to get you and me to believe with all our heart that when we sin we are absolutely met with forgiveness, mercy, and a deep desire for God to transform us.

It removes the shame, the fear and the anger that comes so often from a misunderstanding of the role of sin in our life. Take this time to reflect on these thoughts. And now we’ll close with a prayer. The closing prayer. Father, help us to see that sin in our life is part of who we are and how we grow. Let our efforts not be in not sinning, but grow in our understanding of the wisdom of sin.

And we ask for this in Jesus name, amen.