June 9, 2010
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Breaking Open the Word By James Cavanagh June 13: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Scripture readings: Overview: The heart of the gospel message isn’t complicated. It’s based on two fundamental truths: 1) God is love (1 Jn 4:16), and 2) “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). This week, all three readings highlight God’s mercy toward repentant sinners. In the first reading the prophet Nathan exposes David’s scheme to hide his adulterous affair with Bathsheba by orchestrating the murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite. Acting as a father confessor Nathan confronts David with the terrible truth of his crimes. Nathan loved David enough to tell him the truth, and David loved God enough to confess his sin and seek God’s forgiveness. The reading from Galatians is one of clearest statements of justification by faith. Justification is more that just being “let off the hook”—it involves a total transformation of the self from the inside out. Faith is not simply some vague notion that God exists. It is the sincere response to God’s love and the acceptance of Christ into your life. This week’s Gospel reading vividly dramatizes the essence of the Gospel message and what it means to be “justified.” The parable of the two debtors illuminates the interior disposition of the sinful woman. Her extravagant act of devotion of washing Jesus’ feet with her tears and anointing them with precious ointment expressed her repentant heart. Notice that Jesus says, “her sins have been forgiven.” She is not forgiven because of her act of devotion; her devotion is an act of love for him who had accepted her, sinner though she was. Key verse: “Her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love” (Lk 7:47). “Catechism of the Catholic Church”: “Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man. Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God's merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals” (No. 1990). Pope Benedict XVI: “The faithful are surrounded by a culture that tends to eliminate the sense of sin and to promote a superficial approach that overlooks the need to be in a state of grace in order to approach sacramental Communion worthily. The loss of a consciousness of sin always entails a certain superficiality in the understanding of God's love. Bringing out the elements within the rite of Mass that express consciousness of personal sin and at the same time of God's mercy can prove most helpful to the faithful” (“Sacramentum Caritatis,” 20). Life application: “I’m a good person. Why should I go to church?” This is a modern version of what Paul was talking about in the second reading. He was refuting those who thought that because they kept the Law of Moses (that is, “they were good people”) they didn’t need Christ. But as today’s readings show, there’s more to life than just “being a good person.” We are meant for so much more. We are meant for holy communion with God. James Cavanagh is director of Evangelization and Catechesis for Metro-Area Parishes of the Denver Archdiocese. |
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