Anointed to Show Love

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to celebrate the transformation to love that we witness when acceptance and forgiveness are part of our journey.

Anointing and Love

 

The Reading from the First Letter to Timothy presents Counsel to Timothy.

* [4:11–16] Timothy is urged to preach and teach with confidence, relying on the gifts and the mission that God has bestowed on him.

* [4:12] Youth: some commentators find this reference a sign of pseudepigraphy. Timothy had joined Paul as a missionary already in A.D. 49, some fifteen years before the earliest supposed date of composition.

* [4:13] Reading: the Greek word refers to private or public reading. Here, it probably designates the public reading of scripture in the Christian assembly.

* [4:14] Prophetic word: this may mean the utterance of a Christian prophet designating the candidate or a prayer of blessing accompanying the rite. Imposition of hands: this gesture was used in the Old Testament to signify the transmission of authority from Moses to Joshua (Nm 27:18–23; Dt 34:9). The early Christian community used it as a symbol of installation into an office: the Seven (Acts 6:6) and Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3). Of the presbyterate: this would mean that each member of the college of presbyters imposed hands and appears to contradict 2 Tm 1:6, in which Paul says that he imposed hands on Timothy. This latter text, however, does not exclude participation by others in the rite. Some prefer to translate “for the presbyterate,” and thus understand it to designate the office into which Timothy was installed rather than the agents who installed him. (1 Timothy, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)

Psalm 111 tells how God is revealed in Israel’s history. 

* [Psalm 111] A Temple singer (Ps 111:1) tells how God is revealed in Israel’s history (Ps 111:2–10). The deeds reveal God’s very self, powerful, merciful, faithful. The poem is an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. (Psalms, PSALM 111, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus celebrates the Pardon of the Sinful Woman.

* [7:36–50] In this story of the pardoning of the sinful woman Luke presents two different reactions to the ministry of Jesus. A Pharisee, suspecting Jesus to be a prophet, invites Jesus to a festive banquet in his house, but the Pharisee’s self-righteousness leads to little forgiveness by God and consequently little love shown toward Jesus. The sinful woman, on the other hand, manifests a faith in God (Lk 7:50) that has led her to seek forgiveness for her sins, and because so much was forgiven, she now overwhelms Jesus with her display of love; cf. the similar contrast in attitudes in Lk 18:9–14. The whole episode is a powerful lesson on the relation between forgiveness and love.

* [7:36] Reclined at table: the normal posture of guests at a banquet. Other oriental banquet customs alluded to in this story include the reception by the host with a kiss (Lk 7:45), washing the feet of the guests (Lk 7:44), and the anointing of the guests’ heads (Lk 7:46).

* [7:41] Days’ wages: one denarius is the normal daily wage of a laborer.

* [7:47] Her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love: literally, “her many sins have been forgiven, seeing that she has loved much.” That the woman’s sins have been forgiven is attested by the great love she shows toward Jesus. Her love is the consequence of her forgiveness. This is also the meaning demanded by the parable in Lk 7:41–43. (Luke, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)

Cindy Costanzo comments that the Examen came to mind as a wonderful way to reflect on God’s message in Luke 7: 36-50. 

The Examen is a wonderful reflective tool used by St. Ignatius and continues to be used by Jesuits and laypeople worldwide. In the daily Examen I pause, relax, and ask God to be with me as I enter God’s presence. The Examen asks me to call to mind 2-3 things I am grateful for in the past 24 hours; where did I see God in the day, in today’s events where did I accept God’s invitation to be loving, grateful and where did I turn away? Where did I stray from God?  I call to mind the morning, midday and evening and I reflect on all events and how I responded? What emerges from this reflection for me to focus on?  I pause and review the day, remembering what I regret and ask God for forgiveness and the grace to do better. (Costanzo, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus the Physician brings miraculous healing to the woman's sins,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).

"Healing the sick is a physician's glory. Our Lord did this to increase the disgrace of the Pharisee, who discredited the glory of our Physician. He worked signs in the streets, worked even greater signs once he entered the Pharisee's house than those that he had worked outside. In the streets, he healed sick bodies, but inside, he healed sick souls. Outside, he had given life to the death of Lazarus. Inside, he gave life to the death of the sinful woman. He restored the living soul to a dead body that it had left, and he drove off the deadly sin from a sinful woman in whom it dwelt. That blind Pharisee, for whom wonders were not enough, discredited the common things he saw because of the wondrous things he failed to see." (excerpt from HOMILY ON OUR LORD 42.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 7:36-50 asserts that the woman’s sins were great; we should never minimize them. But the love and forgiveness that Jesus had for her were even greater. Gratefully, she received this generous gift and responded with her own generosity. She wasn’t trying to pay Jesus back, and she wasn’t trying to earn future kindness from him. She was just thankful for the fresh start, and the abundant joy she felt overflowed in acts of love.

This woman’s story is your story as well. Jesus is offering you the same gift of forgiveness that he gave her. It’s the very reason why he died and rose again. So don’t let your past define you. Don’t settle for feeling weighed down by your sins, not even your worst sins. Not even the sins that you have kept hidden away for years. Come to him, confess your sins, and let him set you free.

“Jesus, I am amazed at the depths of your mercy! What else can I do but worship you with my whole heart?” (Meditation on Luke 7:36-50, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments the passage from 1 Timothy is a personal message as if written by Paul. In ancient times, Wisdom was associated with great age. When Daniel reveals the truth concerning “Susanna” and Timothy is urged to give examples of love, truth, and faith we have younger persons. The committee of elders “the presbyterate” and in some communities the Bishops presided over an early form of ordination by laying on of hands to invoke the Spirit. In Luke a sinful woman comes and anoints Jesus and the Pharisee cautions He should not allow her to touch Him. He permits anointment because He knows her forgiven sins. The larger debt of her forgiveness is appropriate to her gratitude. In this miracle is an account of physical and spiritual healing. The characterization of this woman in Luke as Mary Magdalen is not true. Friar Jude notes that, in Luke, Jesus is reaching out to the anawim, the physically and spiritually poor.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, notes The Tears of Things Reader’s Guide and introduces Buddhist teacher and environmental activist Joanna Macy (1929–2025) who identifies four stages of work that support our ongoing participation in the healing of the world.

The spiral of the Work That Reconnects maps out an empowerment process that journeys through four successive movements, or stations: coming from gratitude, honoring our pain for the world, seeing with new eyes, and going forth. This spiral … reminds us that we are larger, stronger, deeper, and more creative than we’ve grown accustomed to believing. When we come from gratitude, we become more present to the wonder of being alive in this amazing world, to the many gifts we receive, to the beauty and mystery it offers. Yet the very act of looking at what we love and value in our world brings with it an awareness of the vast violation underway, the despoliation and unraveling….  

From gratitude we naturally flow to honoring our pain for the world. Dedicating time and attention to honoring this pain opens up space to hear our sorrow, fear, outrage, and other felt responses to what is happening to our world…. Our pain for the world not only alerts us to danger but also reveals our profound caring. And this caring derives from our interconnectedness with all of life. We need not fear it. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the power of gratitude that surfaces as we reflect on our blessings and the journey to full life that we experience as disciples of Christ.

References

Costanzo, C. (2025, September 18). Daily Reflection September 18, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-18-2025 

Luke, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/7?36 

Meditation on Luke 7:36-50. (n.d.). Word Among Us Homepage. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/09/18/1385012/ 

1 Timothy, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1timothy/4?12 

Psalms, PSALM 111. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/111? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-work-of-grief-and-love/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Which Will Love Him More? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=sep18 

Christians and Critics

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our modern tendency to be free with criticism, especially in social media, even as we reflect on Jesus' response to critics of His lifestyle and the company He kept.

Christian Community

The Reading from the First Letter to Timothy shares The Mystery of Our Religion.

* [3:14–16] In case there is some delay in the visit to Timothy at Ephesus planned for the near future, the present letter is being sent on ahead to arm and enlighten him in his task of preserving sound Christian conduct in the Ephesian church. The care he must exercise over this community is required by the profound nature of Christianity. It centers in Christ, appearing in human flesh, vindicated by the holy Spirit; the mystery of his person was revealed to the angels, announced to the Gentiles, and accepted by them in faith. He himself was taken up (through his resurrection and ascension) to the divine glory (1 Tm 3:16). This passage apparently includes part of a liturgical hymn used among the Christian communities in and around Ephesus. It consists of three couplets in typical Hebrew balance: flesh-spirit (contrast), seen-proclaimed (complementary), world-glory (contrast).

* [3:16] Who: the reference is to Christ, who is himself “the mystery of our devotion.” Some predominantly Western manuscripts read “which,” harmonizing the gender of the pronoun with that of the Greek word for mystery; many later (eighth/ninth century on), predominantly Byzantine manuscripts read “God,” possibly for theological reasons. (1 Timothy, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)

Psalm 111 proclaims how God is revealed in Israel’s history.

* [Psalm 111] A Temple singer (Ps 111:1) tells how God is revealed in Israel’s history (Ps 111:2–10). The deeds reveal God’s very self, powerful, merciful, faithful. The poem is an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. (Psalms, PSALM 111, n.d.)

The Reading from the Gospel of Luke notes this parable (Mt 11:16–17) and its explanation (Mt 11:18–19b) is much disputed.

* [7:31–35] See note on Mt 11:16–19 (Luke, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)

* [11:16–19] See Lk 7:31–35. The meaning of the parable (Mt 11:16–17) and its explanation (Mt 11:18–19b) is much disputed. A plausible view is that the children of the parable are two groups, one of which proposes different entertainments to the other that will not agree with either proposal. The first represents John, Jesus, and their disciples; the second those who reject John for his asceticism and Jesus for his table association with those despised by the religiously observant. Mt 11:19c (her works) forms an inclusion with Mt 11:2 (“the works of the Messiah”). The original form of the saying is better preserved in Lk 7:35 “…wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” There John and Jesus are the children of Wisdom; here the works of Jesus the Messiah are those of divine Wisdom, of which he is the embodiment. Some important textual witnesses, however, have essentially the same reading as in Luke. (Matthew, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)

Eileen Wirth relates to the mere fact that like most of us, Jesus was peeved by unfair criticism. Like us, He was human and responded as such and would likely understand our annoyance in similar situations.

Today’s reading reminds us that while Jesus apparently didn’t like unreasonable criticism any more than we do, he lived with it, just as we must as we stumble through life. Jesus understands that most of the time we are doing the best we can as we stumble through life. 

That’s what I did with the student complaint of unfairness.  What I saw as cura personalis won out but I told future classes that I knew they had crazy schedules that I’d try to accommodate them if they asked. It was the best I could do and I never again got such a complaint. So maybe that critique did  some good after all.

Cura personalis is a Latin phrase meaning "care of the whole person," a fundamental Jesuit principle that emphasizes individualized and holistic care for students, faculty, and colleagues. (Wirth, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The song and dances of the prophets,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"'Therefore, wisdom is justified by all her children.' He fittingly says 'by all,' because justice is preserved around all. In order that an acceptance of the faithful may happen, a rejection of the unbelieving must occur. Very many Greeks say this, "Wisdom is justified by all her works," because the duty of justice is to preserve the measure around the merit of each. It aptly says, "We have piped to you, and you have not danced." Moses sang a song when he stopped the flow in the Red Sea for the crossing of the Jews (Exodus 15:1-18), and the same waves encircled the horses of the Egyptians and, falling back, drowned their riders. Isaiah sang a song of his beloved's vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7), signifying that the people who before had been fruitful with abundant virtues would be desolate through shameful acts. The Hebrews sang a song when the soles of their feet grew moist at the touch of the bedewing flame, and while all burned within and without, the harmless fire caressed them alone and did not scorch (Daniel 3:19-25). Habakkuk also learned to assuage universal grief with a song and prophesied that the sweet passion of the Lord would happen for the faithful (Habakkuk 3:13). The prophets sang songs with spiritual measures, resounding with prophecies of universal salvation. The prophets wept, softening the hard hearts of the Jews with sorrowful lamentations" (Isaiah 46:12). (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 6.6-7) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 7:31-35 comments that these critics missed the point of both John and Jesus’ ministries. John wasn’t being harsh; he was pleading with his fellow Israelites to turn away from their sins so that they could welcome the Messiah and embrace the kingdom of God. As for Jesus, he wasn’t playing fast and loose with the Law of Moses. He was spending time with the “sinful” so that he could win them over. He was showing them his Father’s love by treating them with respect, listening to them, and sharing his heart with them.

It’s easy to be like the detractors in today’s Gospel who focused on other people’s supposed failings so that they could ignore their own faults. But Jesus wants us to be children of wisdom. He wants us to embrace the wisdom of repenting for our sins that John taught and the wisdom of showing mercy to everyone else that he taught. He knows that as we do, we’ll become attractive to others, just as he was, and we will show them the wisdom of following him.

“Jesus, help me to live as a child of your wisdom and not the wisdom of the world!” (Meditation on Luke 7:31-35, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the message in 1 Timothy to live a dignified life with Christ as the centre. At the end of the passage is a short canticle about Jesus, perhaps from an early liturgy, as a lot of the important theology of the early Church. We are reminded of an invitation to celebrate our Eucharist to see the eternal truth. Jesus is a bit frustrated. It seems John and Jesus are both criticized. The people were not ready to accept either. Friar Jude reminds that we can let our ideas blind us to the “God of Surprises” that we should be prepared to embrace.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, notes that in his sermon “Loving Your Enemies,” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968) insists that agape love is the path to justice and peace.

When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality…. 

Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, the command to love one’s enemy is an absolute necessity for our survival. Love even for enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world. Jesus is not an impractical idealist: he is the practical realist. 

I am certain that Jesus understood the difficulty inherent in the act of loving one’s enemy. He never joined the ranks of those who talk glibly about the easiness of the moral life. He realized that every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God. So when Jesus said “Love your enemy,” he was not unmindful of its stringent qualities. Yet he meant every word of it. Our responsibility as Christians is to discover the meaning of this command and seek passionately to live it out in our daily lives…. 

When Jesus bids us to love our enemies, he is speaking neither of eros [romantic love] nor philia [reciprocal love of friends]; he is speaking of agape, understanding and creative, redemptive goodwill for all people. Only by following this way and responding with this type of love are we able to be children of our Father who is in heaven. [1] (Rohr, n.d.) 

We seek the Wisdom of the Spirit when we feel the need to respond to ourself or others when we deal with criticism that we feel is unjustified or alternately reveals some truth that we would best address for our own growth and benefit.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/7?31 

Matthew, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11? 

Meditation on Luke 7:31-35. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/09/17/1384295/ 

1 Timothy, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1timothy/3?14 

Psalms, PSALM 111. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/111?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/love-and-nonviolence/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). How Shall I Compare This Generation? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=sep17 

Wirth, E. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-17-2025