Thursday of the 24th week in ordinary time
1 Cor. 15: 1-11 Luke 7: 36-50
Theme: The love of God
In the gospel reading of today from St. Luke, we see the depth of God’s love for us all. He never gives up on anyone of us, even when others give up on you and tag you negatively, it does not stop God from accomplishing his plan in your life. We see that clearly in what plays out in the gospel reading of today. Jesus accepted the invitation of the Pharisee and the woman that was tagged a sinner by the people, and she showed the depth of her love for Jesus, by anointing his feet with a costly ointment, after crying and wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair. The Pharisee was surprised that Jesus accepted the woman referred to as a sinner by the people.
Interestingly, Jesus makes use of any given opportunity to teach his audience. The parable about the two persons that was forgiven shows us how God appreciates the effort we make towards appreciating and loving him. This brings me to some very important questions today, do you write people off or tag them negatively because you think you are better than them? Ask yourself and answer sincerely, are you a perfect person? Are there no moments in your life when you have done things you are not proud of? Let us learn from the admonition of Jesus in the gospel reading of today, we are all in need of the mercy of God, so we must learn to show mercy to one another. We are all children of God, and in need of the mercy and love of God. So, he does not hesitate to show us his love at any point in time, let us emulate him and do the same with one another.
Dearly beloved in Christ, we have a lot to learn from Jesus, if we truly want to impact positively in the lives of all those who encounter us and in our circle of influence. Since we accept the fact that we are not perfect, we must learn to stop expecting perfection from other people. Let us look at the positives about one another and see what we can do to help each other grow and live a life that is good and pleasing in the sight of God. This is very important, since our goal is to make heaven at the end of our earthly pilgrimage. Now is the time for us to be truly humane and see God in the lives of all those who encounter us. May the Lord grant us the grace to emulate Christ in our actions, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, Amen. Peace be with you.