Dear brothers and sisters,

We are given another look into the heart of Jesus again this week as we see His reaction to the woman who anointed His feet. However, Luke is focusing more on the woman in this interaction. Saint Ambrose when commenting on this Gospel told us that the woman represents the Church, the house they were in represents the temple. Only someone who had been forgiven much and therefore loved much could anoint Jesus’ feet as the sinful woman did. The acts of love by the woman toward Jesus are symbols of the Lord’s teaching, indicating that she welcomed Him as a great prophet from God who has come to forgive even the worst of sinners. What the woman received from Jesus, the physician, in the forgiveness of her sins is a miraculous healing that is equivalent to the miracles that Jesus performed all throughout Galilee. It is also important to notice that it was the woman who confessed Jesus as Lord and not the Pharisee, he saw him only as a man. Luke wants to communicate to us that Jesus is the final eschatological prophet and was showing this in forgiving this woman’s sins. Saint Ambrose also wrote, “Behind it all are God’s gracious plan and her faith in Jesus, who is at the center of the plan because He is love, and it is His love that forgives sins.” Let us always turn to our Lord in the great sacrament of Confession in which we are meant to experience the very love and compassion that Jesus showed to the sinful woman.

Peace,

Fr. Mike