“Forgiveness and Peace at the Feet of the
Lord” by Beth DeCristofaro
Beloved: Let no one have contempt for your
youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love,
faith, and purity. (1
Timothy 4:12)
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. (Luke 7:37-38)
Piety
All that God wills, I will.
With wings of good intention,
I fly the dome of the sky
to accomplish the will of God in all.
With wings of good intention,
I fly the dome of the sky
to accomplish the will of God in all.
(Hildegard
of Bingen)[i]
Study
Probably most of us who are parents harbor
regrets. We know that we have let our children down because we were selfish,
misguided, overly strict or neglectful, just plain tired or cranky. Probably
most of us who are employed are frustrated at times whether we feel we aren’t
doing the best job we can. Or we are injuring our families by over-working. Or
we have compromised our ethics to keep employment which affords us the
lifestyle we desire. Are we worried that we aren’t good Catholics because we
have missed Mass? Or let our children opt out of religious education? Or have
we not been an active parish member? Or are angry at clergy and refuse to
compromise. It’s helpful to be at least aware of what causes our inner turmoil
because if we are willing to allow, God can help us untangle it.
The sinful woman was very aware of her sin.
She was publicly a sinner; however, Luke did not report her given name, so she
becomes EveryWoman/Man for us. In this Gospel, she braved further public
humiliation by her actions – entering the house of an upright man who judges
her. The sinful woman approached the
rabbi with an intimate, scandalous act and used expensive oils. Through her
awareness – and rejection - of her sin and her great need for forgiveness, she
put her damaged identity and false desires aside. She knelt before Jesus, recognizing in him
the spirit of God’s overwhelming mercy.
Buddhism identifies that life is “dukkha,”
translated as suffering yet with the characteristics of restlessness, due to
awareness of potential loss or pain. St. Ignatius recognized further that our
spirits are restless until they rest in God. When my mind games of “dukkha”
trap me, I and those around me are often
miserable. Hildegard’s prayer-poem is so relevant. How often I have lofty
ideals which are not met and then I beat myself up for the failure – or take it
out on others in my life. The sinful woman entered Simon’s house “with wings of
good intention,” not sure of the outcome but wanting surcease of her pain and
cleansing of her soul. Jesus embraced her.
Action
Why do I, like Simeon, see sin in others so
much quicker than seeing my own sin? What
keeps me from braving humiliation or rejection and laying my own impermanent
desires at God’s feet, and asking for mercy?
Jesus said to the sinful woman and he says to me: "Your faith has saved you; go in
peace." (Luke 7:50)
Image credit: Mary Washing Jesus’ Feet, by Soichi Watanabe, is from For
the Least of These: The Art of Soichi Watanabe(New Haven, Conn.: OMSC
Publications, 2010), 75; oil on canvas, 7 × 9 in., 2006
No comments:
Post a Comment