The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, September 16, 2004
Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
St. Cornelius, pope, martyr
St Cyprian, bishop, martyr

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Psalm 118:1-2,16-17,28
Luke 6:36-50

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

"She has shown great love."

Those with the greatest debt are most thankful for the relief. So Jesus teaches us. But there is another lesson hidden here.

We are all in tremendous debt to God. Each one of us sins in our own fashion and by our own sins we are condemned. But some of us, through the grace of God, are made aware of our sins. The magnitude of them appalls us and we are forced to ask with the apostles, "Who can hope to be saved?"

Just as Jesus justifies the sinful woman in the presence of the righteous, so He will take the greatest of us sinners and justify us in the presence of the righteous. His righteousness will be greater than the righteousness of the most righteous man.

How do I pour out my gratitude? How do I show the love that this woman was fortunate enough to be able to show to Our Lord Himself? "Whatsoever you do unto one of these, the least of my brethren, that you do unto me." So, when we feed the hungry of our parish, we anoint the Lord's feet. When we share the sorrow of one who is inconsolable, we wash His feet with our tears. When we contribute time, abilities, and money toward helping people restore their lives and their houses, we kiss His feet.

If whatever we do is done with a grateful heart and with eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, it is a sign of our love. And because we are aware of how much we have been spared, our hearts should be filled with grateful love of Him.

- JuandelaCruz
(sriddle415 at yahoo dot com)

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posted by joachim at 8:03 AM