11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word:
The power of God’s spoken word deepens our compassion, enables us to forgive, and makes us steadfast in following Jesus.
Theme: The spoken word of God empowers us to share the fruits of forgiveness.
Promise: “The Lord on his part has forgiven your sin; you shall not die.” (2 Sam 12:13)
Reflection:
“Your sins are forgiven….your faith has saved you, go in peace,”Jesus’ powerful words in Luke 7:48b,50b tell us that as we experience God’s forgiveness, we will surely receive its fruits of joy and peace. This brings us to our Theme for the week: The spoken word of God empowers us to share the fruits of forgiveness.
The readings teach us how loving, forgiving and merciful our God is. He does not want us to remain in sin. Rather, He allows us to recognize and acknowledge our sinfulness that we may repent and seek forgiveness. He wants us to set us free and receive His mercy, that we may experience great joy and peace. Yet, if we focus on ourselves and not on God’s action in our lives, we cannot experience these. We will not be able to receive the fruits of forgiveness unless we believe in the power and action of God.
We see in the 1st reading how Nathan touched David’s conscience for him to realize his sins of lust, adultery and murder. These sins are repulsive, but God’s eyes were on David. God did not treat David as he deserved. Instead, He showered him with mercy. As soon as David acknowledged his sin Nathan answered him, “The Lord on his part has forgiven your sin; you shall not die,” (2Sam 12:13).
In Psalm 32, we hear the prayer of one who realizes the blessings that flow from God’s forgiving action. Yes, the sinner admits the guilt, but it is God’s movement that is essential. This moves the repentant sinner to call on others to praise God and say “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you just; exult, all you upright of heart,” (Ps 32:11).
In the letter to the Galatians, St. Paul affirms the importance of focusing on God’s action and not on our deeds. Focusing on our action makes us realize that we have not and cannot keep the law since the law only reminds us that we have not lived up to what is expected of us. Our actions show that we fall short in our lives. But when we focus on our faith relationship with Jesus Christ, we begin to experience God’s action – His justification. “I live by faith in the Son of Godwho has loved me and given himself up for me,” (Gal 2:20b).
Finally in the Gospel, we see a clear comparison between a man who focuses on his own action and a woman who focuses on God’s action. Simon, the self-righteous Pharisee, obviously invited Jesus as his guestto impress upon others that he is a person of importance. His focus was not on Jesus, but on himself. He thinks that he does not need forgiveness from God since he keeps all the laws. But sin is not merely the breaking of the precepts of the law. Sin is also shifting our attention away from Godand focusing more on the self. When we ignore the marvelous deeds God has done in, and for us, we also sin because we focus on ourselves and our desires.
On the other hand, the repentant woman was focused on Jesus. Her response to God’s action was gratitude and thankfulness, expressed through her tears, kisses, and generous anointing of oil and perfume. The love she showed and her faith in God’s action was what moved our Lord to forgive her many sins.
As we reflect on the readings, let us spend time focusing on God’s action in our lives and responding positively to Him with faith and trust in His goodness. For those who are serving as shepherds in the coming Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS), help your lambs experience the fruits of forgiveness that together, we may all receive this Promise from 2 Samuel 12:13: “The Lord on His part has forgiven your sin; you shall not die.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of faith. May we always respond in humble gratitude to your loving kindness and share your goodness with others. We are sorry for the times when, in self-centeredness, we focused on our needs, our wants, and not on what you desire for us. Help us to turn away from our sinfulness. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. As I experience God’s forgiveness in my life, how do I respond to Him?
2. How can I help others respond positively in seeking God’s forgiveness?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
June 12, 2016 (Sun) 2 Sm 12:7-10,13/Ps 32:1-2,5,7,11/Gal 2:16,19-31/Lk 7:36-8:3
June 13, 2016 (Mon) 1 Kgs 21:1-16/Ps 5:2-3,4-6,6-7/Mt 5:38-42
June 14, 2016 (Tue) 1 Kgs 21:17-29/Ps 51:3-4,5-6,11,16/Mt 5:43-48
June 15, 2016 (Wed) 2 Kgs 2:1,6-14/Ps 31:20,21,24/Mt 6:1-6,16-18
June 16, 2016 (Thu) Sir 48:1-14/Ps 97:1-1,3-4,5-6,7/Mt 6:7-15
June 17, 2016 (Fri) 2 Kgs 11:1-4,9-18,20/Ps 132:11,12,13-14,17-18/Mt 6:19-23
June 18, 2016 (Sat) 2 Cor 11:1-11/Ps 111:1-2,3-4,7-8/Mt 6:7-15
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
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