Minding My Own Business
Reflections on Todays Readings
Reading 1 1 Tm 4:12-16
Beloved:
Let no one have contempt for your youth,
but set an example for those who believe,
in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you through the prophetic word
with the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.
Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,
so that your progress may be evident to everyone.
Attend to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in both tasks,
for by doing so you will save
both yourself and those who listen to you.
Let no one have contempt for your youth,
but set an example for those who believe,
in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you through the prophetic word
with the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.
Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,
so that your progress may be evident to everyone.
Attend to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in both tasks,
for by doing so you will save
both yourself and those who listen to you.
When I attempt to contribute out of my home, many times, my social presence seems to be an utter failure. And that is just fine, I have come to expect it. My husband is well aware of my attempts and reflections after my failures. I have a large family and I have trouble balancing individual needs with grace, someone gets too much or too little of some form of attention, sometimes everyone. When he read the readings this morning during his prayer he needed to read it out loud for me. "This one is for you, (in other words) what you have been saying, you just have to follow your own vocation." Focus is just not one of my strong points, but I will not give up. How can I keep my focus? By not focusing on the task, but on the Task Master. He knows better than I know myself what is best for me to do at any given time, I can't hear my Lord unless I have an appreciative heart for His infinite goodness. Next reading....
Responsorial Psalm PS 111:7-8, 9, 10
R. (2) How great are the works of the Lord!
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
prudent are all who live by it.
His praise endures forever.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
prudent are all who live by it.
His praise endures forever.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
There is more!
Gospel Lk 7:36-50
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
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.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Dave: I wonder what the expression on Jesus' face was, while the woman was bathing His feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair.
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Me: I don't think Jesus was thinking about His 'social presence'; what people were thinking about all of this. I think He was thinking of the woman and how beautiful her appreciation for His love was. I think He was tenderly loving her by allowing her to thank Him. What a wonderful dynamic to meditate on. The Pharisee's comment was an ugly, obnoxious attempt to interrupt the Love Will of the Father.
Those ugly interruptions happen all the time in social settings, and in our private thoughts. Jesus, help us to learn how to take the moments back into the ordered will of God and His infinite Love for all of us. I hope today, the Love Will of the Father, will be known and practiced. I hope I can mind my own business; keeping to who and what I love, know and am called to serve....right in front of my face.
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
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.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Dave: I wonder what the expression on Jesus' face was, while the woman was bathing His feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair.
Me: I don't think Jesus was thinking about His 'social presence'; what people were thinking about all of this. I think He was thinking of the woman and how beautiful her appreciation for His love was. I think He was tenderly loving her by allowing her to thank Him. What a wonderful dynamic to meditate on. The Pharisee's comment was an ugly, obnoxious attempt to interrupt the Love Will of the Father.
Those ugly interruptions happen all the time in social settings, and in our private thoughts. Jesus, help us to learn how to take the moments back into the ordered will of God and His infinite Love for all of us. I hope today, the Love Will of the Father, will be known and practiced. I hope I can mind my own business; keeping to who and what I love, know and am called to serve....right in front of my face.
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