Scripture for Sept. 16th and 17th, Thursday and Friday....Fr.Bert Lectionary 446 and 447

Scripture: Sept.16th, Lectionary # 446. I Cor.15:1-11. Psalm 118:1-2 and
Luke 7:36-50:

Luke often features women within his gospel and tries to balance some of
the parables with both male and female images. Today in our Gospel he has
a beautiful event in the life of Jesus with a woman who remains unnamed and
is considered by Simon the Pharisee and his other guests to be a sinner.
Jesus does not make any such judgment about her but teaches those who
harbor judgments need to learn a lesson. The woman is forgiven and that
lesson is given by the master teacher, Jesus. The one who invited Jesus
seemed more curious about Jesus than inviting him as a friend. He forgot
the first rule of the Scriptures about hospitalty and paying attention to
the rituals associated with hospitality.

She is remembered then throughout the ages for what she does in showing
loving attention to Jesus by washing his feet--guests were supposed to have
this offered by the host Simon. He either forgot or was too involved with
his own interests and friends. "In Remembrance of her" could easily be
applied to this woman who not only washes Jesus' feet, but dries them with
her hair, kisses them, and anoints them. She is an outstanding model for
love, hospitality, and faith. Jesus forgives her sins and accepts her
gestures of kindness and devoted love. After all of this the woman
disappears from the scene and remains unnamed but Jesus has given all those
present a clear practical lesson in respecting the one invited to a dinner.

Her gestures went beyond the normal rites of ablution and welcome but they
remain for everyone who reads this narrative and listens to what Jesus
says, we, too learn a lesson not to be forgotten. Some persons like Simon
do take their religion seriously but forget about others who are gifts from
God made in God's image and likeness.

Luke, the masterful literary evangelist, carefully crafts his narrative and
finishes the story by citing Jesus' words to those present: "her many sins
are forgiven her because of her great love." Jesus then addresses the woman
and says,"Your faith has been your salvation. Now go in peace." One of the
Psalms comes to mind--justice and peace have kissed in this interaction of
Jesus with the woman. Our world is better because of the lesson she
offered us through Jesus her master and teacher and ours. Amen.

Scripture: Friday, Sept.17th. Lectionary # 447. I Cor.15:12-20. Psalm
17:1.6-7.8.15. Luke 8:1-3:

This short pericope from Luke is an excellent sequel to what we read and
meditated upon yesterday in the hospitality offered by the unnamed woman
who washed Jesus' feet and dried them with her hair. Today women are
featured in the background theme so familiar to us in Luke. He likes
dinners as we have seen, but today we learn about his fondness for
journey-making with Jesus. Soon we will begin the long journey narrative
in Luke from chapter 9:51 up to Luke 19:44 where the strewing of palms in
front of Jesus occurs as he enters the holy city of Jerusalem on a donkey.
That long stretch of narratives from Luke is called the "journey narrative"
and it has as its purpose to show us the cost of our discipleship while on
the journey with Jesus. The learning of what discipleship is all about
occurs here in the narrative, but today's short passage also foreshadows
the longer journey we are to take with Jesus as we meditate and learn from
the Gospel of Luke about ourselves as disciples.

Jesus is journeying thorugh the towns and villages preaching and
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve, later to be
called apostles, are following him and then we learn from Luke that there
are some women who also join the journey of discipleship. They are named!
Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Susanna. They not only follow Jesus but offer
him nourishment and help from their own means and possessions. They assist
him. We have seen how Peter's mother-in-law, once healed, got up and
ministered to Jesus. This action and the following of these women is
sacramental for they are encountering the Lord Jesus in what they do and
how they follow him.

These women will demonstrate greater courage and fidelity than the Twelve
who already have been named. They will continue to the end of the journey
and be present on Calvary as Jesus dies on the Cross and will be the first
to go to the tomb to honor Jesus and to continue the kindness of burial
ritual. Mary of Magdalene will become the first to announce Jesus'
resurrection. We can be rather certain that Joanna and Susanna were either
near Jesus as he died or watched from the distance controlled by the Roman
soldiers.

We will hear of the hospitality offered by two other sisters, Mary and
Martha and how their home became an oasis for Jesus when he needed to get
away and just be with friends. The lessons keep popping up from the texts
as we learn about these women in Luke's Gospel. All of these women were
united to Jesus and followed him. They knew his mother and how she, too,
would be standing at the foot of the Cross while her son's heart was broken
and pierced just as hers was spiritually. We can learn much about
discipleship by paying attention to the women who were on the journey with
Jesus. Amen.