Cycle C - Year II:

12 June 2016: Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Gospel: Please read Luke 7:36--8:3

God's unconditional love!

The vulgar attack on the Church as "hypocritical institution" hurts the whole Church, because it is not true. For we know that the Church, as the People of God, never regards itself as sinless, but worships God in humility and contrition, fully aware of its own sinfulness yet always trusting in God's love and mercy.

In Holy Mass, for example, we always begin our celebration with the Penitential Act to ask God's forgiveness for our sins before proceeding with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The Church is best described not a museum for saints but a hospital for sinners. And so calling a sinner who goes to Church a "hypocrite" is like criticizing a sick man who visits a doctor.

Nonetheless, the Church survives because of the countless many who are committed to the teaching of its Founder, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, as well as the many martyrs who protect the Church with their own lives and blood.

Fulton Sheen has said: "Judge the Catholic Church not by those who barely live by its spirit, but by the example of those who live closest to it". Well said, indeed.

The many who strive to be truthful and committed to the teaching of the Church, in words and deeds, find the strength and courage to do so because of God's unconditional love to a repentant sinner.

This Sunday's liturgy will make us realize that salvation is really God's free gift. For God looks at us as His children needing love and forgiveness.

The Gospel story: A Pharisee by the name of Simon invited Jesus to his house to dine with him. As our

Lord entered Simon's house and reclined at table, a "sinful woman" bathed the feet of Jesus with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and finally anointed Him with an ointment.

This incident did not sit well with the host. He was thinking to himself that if Jesus "were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner."

Jesus could read Simon's thought, and in His customary fashion our Lord never lost opportunity to draw a lesson from such an incident. So He told the parable of two debtors before His "learned host". The two debtors who were unable to pay back their debts were forgiven by their creditors. Then Jesus asked Simon, "Which of them will love him (creditor) more?" Simon replied, "The one, I suppose, whose large debt was forgiven." And he answered rightly.

In sum, anyone can be saved because God loves us unconditionally. He continues to love us in spite of our unworthiness. We are not "hypocrites" when we approach the Lord with contrite hearts asking forgiveness for our sins.

And Jesus Himself makes it clear that great love springs from a heart forgiven and cleansed.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!