Reading 1 2 Sm 12:7-10, 13

Nathan said to David:
“Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
‘I anointed you king of Israel.
I rescued you from the hand of Saul.
I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own.
I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah.
And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.
Why have you rejected the LORD and done evil in his sight?
You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword;
you took his wife as your own,
and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.
Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have looked down on me
and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’”

Then David said to Nathan,
“I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan answered David:
“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11

R. (cf. 5c) Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Reading 2 Gal 2:16, 19-21

Brothers and sisters:
We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Christ Jesus
that we may be justified by faith in Christ
and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law no one will be justified.
For through the law I died to the law,
that I might live for God.
I have been crucified with Christ;
yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God
who has loved me and given himself up for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God;
for if justification comes through the law,
then Christ died for nothing.

Alleluia 1 Jn 4:10b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God loved us and sent his Son
as expiation for our sins.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 7:36—8:3

A 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 her 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,
he 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 five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay 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 anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven
because 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."

Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others who provided for them
out of their resources.

Or Lk 7:36-50

A 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 her 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,
he 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 five hundred day's wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay 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 anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven
because 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."

From: 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13

David’s Repentance (continued)

[7] Nathan said to David, “You are the man. Thus says the LORD, the God of Is-
rael, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul;
[8] and I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom,
and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if this were too little, I would
add to you as much more. [9] Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to
do what is evil in his sight? You have smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword,
and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the
Ammonites. [10] ‘Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to
be your wife.’

[13] David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said
to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

12:1-25. Nathan’s intervention (vv. 1-15), David’s repentance (vv. 16-19), and the
birth of Solomon (vv. 20-25) are the main subjects in this chapter. Nathan makes
an appeal to David with one of the most beautiful parables in the Old Testament
and gets the king to condemn his own conduct: “the man who has done this de-
serves to die” (v. 5). In reply, Nathan tells him the penalty the Lord has decreed,
which in line with the law of vengeance or retaliation has three parts to it, corres-
ponding to David’s triple crime—murder, adultery and the fact that the victim was
a blameless man. On account of the murder, the sword will not depart from Da-
vid’s house (V. 10): this punishment will affect his eldest sons, Amnon, Absalom
and Adonijah, who will die violent deaths. For the adultery, his wives will be vio-
lated in public (v. 11), which will happen when Absalom takes his father’s harem
(cf. 16:20-23). And for the killing of an innocent man, his own recently born son
will not survive (v. 14).

David’s repentance is exemplary (vv. 16-19): he weeps for his sin, and fasts and
pleads for his little son: so, in spite of his weaknesses and sins, he still trusts
in the Lord and shows himself to be “a man after (the Lord’s) own heart” (1 Sam
13:14). David is a model of penance because, by acknowledging his sin, he ob-
tained divine forgiveness. His repentance finds expression in Psalm 51, which
so beautifully and piously records the sinful king’s supplication to the Lord:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to
your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from
my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Ps 51:1-2).

The birth of a new son (vv. 20-25) brings this account to an end and makes it
clear that Solomon was born within marriage; his birth causes David great joy
and he is given a second name in a message from Nathan—”Jedidiali” (v. 25);
beloved of the Lord. This means that, from birth, Solomon is the one chosen
by God to advance his plan of salvation for Israel.

Great was David’s sin, and heartfelt his contrition. But God’s forgiveness is grea-
test of all. “In the course of its history, Israel was able to discover that God had
only one reason to reveal himself to theirs, a single motive for choosing them
from among all peoples as his special possession—his sheer gratuitous love.
And thanks to the prophets Israel understood that it was again out of love that
God never stopped saving them and pardoning their unfaithfulness and sins”
(”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 218).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Galatians 2:16, 19-21

Peter and Paul at Antioch (continued)

[16] [We] who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through
faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified
by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall
no one be justified.

[19] For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. [20] I have been
crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the
life I know live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me. [21] I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification were through
the law, then Christ died to no purpose.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

16. “All that shadowy observance”, St Augustine comments, “had to cease in
an unnoticed way, gradually, as the pace grew of the wholesome preaching of
the grace of Christ […], during the lifetime of that generation of Jews who had ex-
perienced the physical presence of our Lord and had lived through the apostolic
times. This sufficed to make it clear that those practices were not to be deemed
hateful or idolatrous. But neither were they to be kept up any longer than that, in
case people might hold them to be necessary, as if salvation came from them or
could not be obtained without them” (Letter 82, II, 15).

We might say that there are three periods in observance of the prescriptions of
the Law. In the first period, prior to Christ’s passion, the precepts of the Law were
“alive”, that is, it was obligatory to keep them. A second period was between the
Passion and the spread of apostolic preaching: the Law’s precepts were already
“dead”, no longer obligatory, but there were not “lethal”: Jewish converts could
keep them provided that they did not rely on them, for Christ was already the ba-
sis of their hope. In the third stage, in which we find ourselves, observance of Je-
wish precepts as a means of salvation amounts to denying the redemptive power
of Christ and therefore they could be termed “lethal” (cf. St Thomas Aquinas,
Commentary on Gal, ad loc.).

St Augustine uses a very interesting comparison: with the arrival of faith in Christ
the old “sacraments” of the Law come to resemble the dead – who merit respect
and honour. They should be interred with all the necessary ritual, religiously, re-
verently. They should not be thrown out, to be devoured by predators. But if a
Christian now wants to keep them in force “disturbing the ashes which lie at rest,
he would not be a pious son or a relative who keeps vigil at the grave, but an im-
pious profaner of tombs” (Letter 82, ibid.).

19-20. Through the sacrament of Baptism we have been united to Christ in a un-
ion which far exceeds mere solidarity of feeling: we have been crucified with him,
dying with him to sin, so as to rise reborn into a new life (cf. note on Rom 6: 3-8).
This new life requires us to live in a new, supernatural way, which with the help
of grace gradually becomes stronger and stronger and acts to perfect man’s be-
haviour: he is no longer living on a purely natural level. “That is why a Christian
should live as Christ lived, making the affections of Christ his own, so that he
can exclaim with St Paul: ‘It is now no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me’
[…] to such an extent that each Christian is not simply alter Christus: another
Christ, but ipse Christus: Christ himself!” (St. J. Escriva, Christ is Passing By,
103 and 104).

The life in Christ which the Apostle is speaking about here is not a matter of fee-
lings: it is something real which grace brings about: “Paul’s soul was in between
God and his body: his body was alive, and moved, thanks to the action of Paul’s
soul; but his soul drew its life from Christ’s action. Therefore, in referring to the
life of the flesh, which he was living, St Paul speaks of ‘the life I now live in the
flesh’; but as far as relationship with God was concerned, Christ it was who was
living in Paul, and therefore he says, ‘I live by faith in the Son of God’: it is he
who lives in me and makes me act” (St Thomas Aquinas Commentary on Gal,
ad loc.). This is why the Apostle goes as far as to say elsewhere, “to me to live
is Christ” (Phil 1:21).

All this is a consequence of Christ’s love: he freely gave himself up to death out
of love for each and every one of us. We, like St Paul, can come to appreciate,
through faith, that Christ’s passion affects us personally. Fro this faith will arise
that love which “has the power to effect union […], which inspires those who love
to leave where they are, and which does not allow them to stay the way they are,
but rather transforms them into the object of their love” (Pseudo-Dionysius, De di-
vinis nominibis, 4). People who are very keen on academic pursuits or on sports
often refer to these things as being “their life”. If someone pursues only his own
interest, he is living for himself. If, on the contrary, he seeks the good of others,
we say that he “lives for others”. Therefore, if we love Jesus and are united to
him, we will live “for” him, “by” him, “through” him. “Do you love the earth?”, St
Augustine exclaims. “You will be earth. Do you love God? What am I to say?
That you will be God? I almost don’t dare to say it, but Scripture says it, ‘You
are gods, sons of the Most High’ (Ps 82:6)” (In Epist. Ioann. ad Parthos, II, 14).

This profound truth should move us to devote ourselves to an asceticism motiva-
ted by love: “Let us hasten, therefore, full of spirit, to the fight, fixing our gaze on
the crucified Jesus, who from the Cross offers us his help and promises us victo-
ry and laurels. If we happened to stumble in the past, it was because we did not
keep before our eyes the wounds and disgrace which our Redeemer suffered and
because we did not seek his help. For the future, let us not cease to keep before
our eyes him who suffered on our account and who is ever-ready to come to our
aid […]; if we do so, we shall surely emerge victorious over our enemies” (St Al-
phonsus Mary Liguori, The Love of Jesus Christ, 3).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 7:36 - 8:3

The Woman Who was a Sinner

[36] One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pha-
risee’s house, and sat at table. [37] And behold, a woman of the city, who was
a sinner, when she learned that he was sitting at table in the Pharisee’s house,
brought an alabaster flask of ointment, [38] and standing behind him at his feet,
weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears; and wiped them with the hair
of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. [39] Now
when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man
were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who
is touching him, for she is a sinner.” [40] And Jesus answering said to him, “Si-
mon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?”

[41] “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii and the
other fifty. [42] When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of
them will love him more?” [43] Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom
he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” [44] Then tur-
ning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered
your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her
tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You gave me no kiss, but from the time
I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. [46] You did not anoint my head
with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. [47] Therefore I tell you,
her sins, which are many, are forgiven little, for she loved much; but he who is
forgiven, loves little.” [48] And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” [49] Then
those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this,
who even forgives sins?” [50] And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved
you; go in peace.”

The Holy Women

[8:1] Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages; preaching and bring-
ing the good news of God. And the twelve were with him, [2] and also some wo-
men who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities; Mary, called Magdalene,
from whom seven demons had gone out, [3] and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, He-
rod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of
their means.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

36-40. This woman, moved no doubt by grace, was attracted by Christ’s prea-
ching and by what people were saying about him.

When dining, people reclined on low divans leaning on their left arm with their
legs tucked under them, away from the table. A host was expected to give his
guest a kiss of greeting and offer him water for his feet, and perfumes.

41-50. In this short parable of the two debtors Christ teaches us three things—his
own divinity and his power to forgive sins; the merit the woman’s love deserves;
and the discourtesy implied in Simeon’s neglecting to receive Jesus in the con-
ventional way. Our Lord was not interested in these social niceties as such but
in the affection which they expressed; that was why he felt hurt at Simeon’s ne-
glect.

“Jesus notices the omission of the expression of human courtesy and refinement
which the Pharisee failed to show him. Christ is ‘erfectus Deus, perfectus homo’
(”Athanasian Creed”). He is perfect God, the second person of the Blessed Trini-
ty, and perfect man. He comes to save, not to destroy nature. It is from him that
we learn that it is unchristian to treat our fellow men badly, for they are creatures
of God, made in his image and likeness (Gen 1:26)” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of
God”, 73).

Moreover, the Pharisee was wrong to think badly of this sinner and of Jesus: re-
ckoning that Christ did not know anything about her, he complained inwardly.
Our Lord, who could read the secret thoughts of men (which showed his divinity),
intervened to point out to him his mistake. True righteousness, says St Gregory
the Great (cf. “In Evangelia Homiliae”, 33), is compassionate; whereas false righ-
teousness is indignant. There are many people like this Pharisee: forgetting that
they themselves were or are poor sinners, when they see other people’s sin they
immediately become indignant, instead of taking pity on them, or else they rush
to judge them or sneer at them. They forget what St Paul says: “Let any one who
thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12); “Brethren, if any man
is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit
of gentleness [...]. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”
(Gal 6:1-2).

We should strive to have charity govern all our judgments. Otherwise, we will ea-
sily be unjust towards others. “Let us be slow to judge. Each one see things from
his own point of view, as his mind, with all its limitations, tells him, and through
eyes that are often dimmed and clouded by passion.... Of what little worth are
the judgments of men! Don’t judge without sifting your judgment in prayer” (St. J.
Escriva, “The Way”, 451).

Charity and humility will allow us to see in the sins of others our own weak and
helpless position, and will help our hearts go out to the sorrow of every sinner
who repents, for we too would fall into sins as serious or more serious if God in
his mercy did not stay by our side.

“It was not the ointment that the Lord loved”, St Ambrose comments, “but the af-
fection; it was the woman’s faith that pleased him, her humility. And you also, if
you desire grace, increase your love; pour over the body of Jesus Christ your faith
in the Resurrection, the perfume of the holy Church and the ointment of charity
towards others” (”Expositio Evangelii sec. Lucam, in loc.”).

47. Man cannot merit forgiveness for his sins because, since God is the offended
party, they are of infinite gravity. We need the sacrament of Penance, in which
God forgives us by virtue of the infinite merits of Jesus Christ; there is only one in-
dispensable condition for winning God’s forgiveness—our love, our repentance. We
are pardoned to the extent that we love; when our heart is full of love there is no
longer any room in it for sin because we have made room for Jesus, and he says
to us as he said to this woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” Repentance is a sign
that we love God. But it was God who first loved us (cf.1 Jn 4:10). When God for-
gives us he is expressing his love for us. Our love for God is, then, always a res-
ponse to his initiative. By forgiving us God helps us to be more grateful and more
loving towards him. “He loves little”, St Augustine comments, “who has little for-
given. You say that you have not committed many sins: but why is that the case?
[...] The reason is that God was guiding you [...]. There is no sin that one man
commits, which another may not commit also unless God, man’s maker, guides
him” (”Sermon”, 99, 6). Therefore, we ought to fall ever more deeply in love with
our Lord, not only because he forgives us our sins but also because he helps us
by means of his grace not to commit them.

50. Jesus declares that it was faith that moved this woman to throw herself at
his feet and show her repentance; her repentance wins his forgiveness. Similar-
ly, when we approach the sacrament of Penance we should stir up our faith in
the fact that it is “not a human but a divine dialogue. It is a tribunal of divine jus-
tice and especially of mercy, with a loving judge who ‘has no pleasure in the
death of the wicked; I desire that the wicked turn back from his way and live’
(Ezek 33:11)” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 78).

1-3. The Gospel refers a number of times to women accompanying our Lord.
Here St Luke gives us the name of three of them – Mary, called Magdalene, to
whom the risen Christ appeared beside the holy sepulchre (Jn 20:11-18; Mk 16:
9); Joanna, a lady of some position, whom we also meet among the women who
went to the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection (Lk 24:10), and Susanna,
whom the Gospel does not mention again. The role of these women consisted
in helping Jesus and his disciples out of their own resources, thereby showing
their gratitude for what Christ had done for them, and in cooperating his his mini-
stry.

Men and women enjoy equal dignity in the Church. Within the context of that
equality, women certainly have specific characteristics which must necessarily
be reflected in their role in the Church: “All the baptized, men and women alike,
share equally in the dignity, freedom and responsibility of the children of God….
Women are called to bring to the family, to society and to the Church, charac-
teristics which are their own and which they alone can give – their gentle warmth
and untiring generosity, their love for detail, their quick-wittedness and intuition,
their simple and deep piety, their constancy. . . . A woman’s femininity is gen-
uine only if she is aware of the beauty of this contribution for which there is no
substitute – and if she incorporates it into her own life” (St. J. Escriva, Conver-
sations, 14 and 87).

The Gospel makes special reference to the generosity of these woman. It is nice
to know that our Lord availed himself of their charity, and that they responded to
him with such refined and generous detachment that Christian women feel filled
with a holy and fruitful envy (cf. St. J. Escriva, The Way, 981).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
2 Samuel 12:7-10,13 ©

Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord the God of Israel says this, “I anointed you king over Israel; I delivered you from the hands of Saul; I gave your master’s house to you, his wives into your arms; I gave you the House of Israel and of Judah; and if this were not enough, I would add as much again for you. Why have you shown contempt for the Lord, doing what displeases him? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, taken his wife for your own, and killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. So now the sword will never be far from your House, since you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”’

David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die.’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 31:1-2,5,7,11 ©

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,

whose sin is remitted.

O happy the man to whom the Lord

imputes no guilt,

in whose spirit is no guile.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

But now I have acknowledged my sins;

my guilt I did not hide.

I said: ‘I will confess

my offence to the Lord.’

And you, Lord, have forgiven

the guilt of my sin.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

You are my hiding place, O Lord;

you save me from distress.

You surround me with cries of deliverance.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord,

exult, you just!

O come, ring out your joy,

all you upright of heart.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

Second reading
Galatians 2:16,19-21 ©

We acknowledge that what makes a man righteous is not obedience to the Law, but faith in Jesus Christ. We had to become believers in Christ Jesus no less than you had, and now we hold that faith in Christ rather than fidelity to the Law is what justifies us, and that no one can be justified by keeping the Law. In other words, through the Law I am dead to the Law, so that now I can live for God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in this body I live in faith: faith in the Son of God who loved me and who sacrificed himself for my sake. I cannot bring myself to give up God’s gift: if the Law can justify us, there is no point in the death of Christ.

Gospel Acclamation	Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Or	1Jn4:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

God so loved us that he sent his Son

to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

Alleluia!

EITHER:

Gospel	Luke 7:36-8:3 ©

One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to a meal. When he arrived at the Pharisee’s house and took his place at table, a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town. She had heard he was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment. She waited behind him at his feet, weeping, and her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them away with her hair; then she covered his feet with kisses 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, he would know who this woman is that is touching him and what a bad name she has.’ Then Jesus took him up and said, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Speak, Master’ was the reply. ‘There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed him five hundred denarii, the other fifty. They were unable to pay, so he pardoned them both. Which of them will love him more?’ ‘The one who was pardoned more, I suppose’ answered Simon. Jesus said, ‘You are right.’

Then he turned to the woman. ‘Simon,’ he said ‘you see this woman? I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. For this reason I tell you that her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love. It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Those who were with him at table began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man, that he even forgives sins?’ But he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

Now after this he made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources.

OR:

Alternative Gospel	Luke 7:36-50 ©

Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

June Devotion: The Sacred Heart

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion." These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.

INVOCATION

O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

Devotion to the Sacred Heart was the characteristic note of the piety of Saint Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), Benedictine nun and renowned mystic. She was, in fact, the first great exponent of devotion to the Sacred Heart. In our efforts to honor the Heart of Jesus we have this prayer as a model for our own:
Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, 0 my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.
Saint Gertrude

FOR THE CHURCH

O most holy Heart of Jesus, shower Thy blessings in abundant measure upon Thy holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the holy souls in purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen.

A PRAYER OF TRUST

O God, who didst in wondrous manner reveal to the virgin, Margaret Mary, the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart, grant that loving Thee, after her example, in all things and above all things, we may in Thy Heart find our abiding home.
Roman Missal

ACT OF LOVE

Reveal Thy Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus, and show me Its attractions. Unite me to It for ever. Grant that all my aspirations and all the beats of my heart, which cease not even while I sleep, may be a testimonial to Thee of my love for Thee and may say to Thee: Yes, Lord, I am all Thine;
pledge of my allegiance to Thee rests ever in my heart will never cease to be there. Do Thou accept the slight amount of good that I do and be graciously pleased to repair all m] wrong-doing; so that I may be able to bless Thee in time and in eternity. Amen.
Cardinal Merry del Val

MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART
Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought its mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushed beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Only for Love: The Sacred Heart and the Priesthood [Catholic Caucus]

Catholic Word of the Day: LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART, 10-19-09
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Devotion to the Sacred Heart Today
The Biblical Foundation of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Heart to Heart (Sacred Heart of Jesus Devotion) [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]
(June) The Month of the Sacred Heart {Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]
The Heart of the World (On the Sacred Heart of Jesus) (Catholic Caucus)
The Sacred Heart Is The Holy Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)
The Origin of the Sacred Heart Badge

Importance of Devotion to the Sacred Heart
An Awesome Homily on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Father Edmond Kline
Catholic Prayer and Devotion: June the Month of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Devotions: Sacred Heart of Jesus
Pope Urges Jesuits to Spread Sacred Heart Devotion
Homilies preached by Father Altier on the Feast of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Meditation and Devotion: The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Daily Recomendation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus powerful prayer!
The Sacred Heart and the Eucharist
The Love of the Sacred Heart

On the Sacred Heart - "We Adore God's Love of Humanity"
HAURIETIS AQUAS (On Devotion To The Sacred Heart) - Encyclical by Pope Pius XII
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sacred Heart a Feast of God's Love, Says John Paul II
The Sacred Heart of Jesus: Symbol of Combativity and the Restoration of Christendom
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus-The Early Church, Middle Ages up to St. Margaret Mary
See this Heart
‘God Will Act and Will Reign’
About Devotion To The Sacred Heart:The Story Of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
Rediscover Feast of Sacred Heart, John Paul II Tells Youth

"Behold this Heart which has loved men so much, and yet men do not want to love Me in return. Through you My divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth."

- Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary

Our Lord also made 12 promises to St. Margaret Mary for those that are devoted to His Sacred Heart.

I will give them all the graces necessary for their state in life.
I will give peace in their families.
I will console them in all their troubles.
They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
Tepid souls shall become fervent.
Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honoured.
I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced.
The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at the last hour.

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June 12, 2016

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 2 Sm 12:7-10, 13

Responsorial Psalm Ps 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11

Reading 2 Gal 2:16, 19-21

Alleluia 1 Jn 4:10b

Gospel Lk 7:36—8:3

Or Lk 7:36-50

Readings at Mass

June 2016

Pope's Intentions

Universal: Human Solidarity, That the aged, marginalized, and those who have no one may find “even within the huge cities of the world” opportunities for encounter and solidarity.

Evangelization: Seminarians and Novices, That seminarians and men and women entering religious life may have mentors who live the joy of the Gospel and prepare them wisely for their mission.

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C