09/16/2021 – Anointing with oil

Dia dhuit,

Jesus is invited to the house of a Pharisee in today’s Gospel. We are also told that a woman with a bad name arrives. Her heart is very open to the LORD and she pours out her tears on His feet, and wipes them with her hair. Then she anoints His feet with ointment. The Pharisee, who hasn’t shown the LORD much warmth, is appalled that Jesus would allow such a person to do this to Him. By his logic, Jesus must not be a prophet or He would have known who this woman was, and would have kept His distance. Jesus explains that her outpouring of love is as a result of her repentance, and that her sins have been forgiven. The woman is free! The Pharisee is not! May we always have the humility to seek forgiveness for our sins.

God bless you,
Fr Marius