Sister Kate’s “Gospel Question of the Week” (Luke 7:36-8:3) …Weekend of 6/15-16 … 11th Sunday in
Ordinary Time. This weekend we hear the story of Jesus going to dine at the home of a Pharisee. The Pharisee immediately stoops to
big time judgment of a woman who comes in and bathes the feet of Jesus and wipes them dry with her hair. The Pharisee is quick to point
out that this woman is a known sinner (as if he wasn’t!!!). Jesus is quick to give this Pharisee a lesson on forgiveness…and this is a lesson
that we all need to take to heart! In essence, the central theme of all of this weekend’s readings is an invitation for all of us to repent, do
penance and renew our lives instead of carrying the heavy baggage of our sins or judging others!. Thank goodness that our God is a God
who always tries, not to admonish, but to offer forgiveness and compassion to sinners (that’s ALL of us!). Only with this forgiveness can
we be made whole and experience inner peace and harmony. However…there’s a hook here. Jesus challenges US in this Gospel episode
to have a forgiving attitude for our neighbor and a deep awareness of our own personal need for God’s forgiveness. WE have a
responsibility here. As we pray in the Our Father, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.”
Whoa! Do we mean that when we pray it? Think about this. Although it is not easy, we must learn to forgive those who
hurt us if we want to be able to receive the daily forgiveness we need from our merciful God. We start forgiving when we
try our best to patch up quarrels, misunderstandings and disagreements and pray sincerely for the well-being of our
offenders. This is not an easy task. It requires true fortitude and compassion on our part. If we are honest, we should
admit that we often share this Pharisee’s mentality, displaying an attitude of lovelessness and harshness. We would do
well to remember that this Pharisee’s righteousness prevented him from acknowledging his need for the grace of God. Do
we invite Jesus into our lives/homes/hearts in the hope of gaining some kind of prestige… or do we claim we love Him
because He is our Savior who has died for our sins and continues to offer us forgiveness and healing? The bottom line here is this…we
need to cultivate a forgiving posture toward our neighbor. Although it is not easy, we must learn to forgive those who hurt us if we want to
be able to receive God’s forgiveness for our own sins. Easy? No way! Doable? Absolutely…with the grace of our compassionate God!
In his book, Healing for Damaged Emotions, David Seamonds deals with people who have scars that nobody else can see. He uses the
analogy of those beautiful giant sequoia and redwood trees in the far western part of our country: "In most of the parks," says Seamonds,
"the naturalists can show you a cross section of a great tree they have cut, and point out that the rings of the tree reveal the developmental
history, year by year. Here's a ring that represents a year when there was a terrible drought. Here are a couple of rings from years when
there was too much rain. Here's where the tree was struck by lightning. Here are some normal years of growth. This ring shows a forest
fire that almost destroyed the tree. Here's another of savage blight and disease. All of this lies embedded in the heart of the tree,
representing the autobiography of its growth. "And that's the way it is with us," Seamonds continues. "Just a few minutes beneath the
protective bark, the concealing, protective mask, are the recorded rings of our lives. "In the rings of our thoughts and emotions, the record
is there; the memories are recorded, and all are alive. And they directly and deeply affect our concepts, our feelings, and our
relationships. They affect the way we look at life and God, at others and ourselves." If we could look into the heart of the woman
described in today’s Gospel, we might not be so harsh in our judgment of her. What brought her to such a wretched position in life? Every
person has an entire story behind them that greatly influences their present life. GOSPEL QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Are you
quick to judge the actions of others, but an expert at excusing your own failings???