17 - St. Thomas More Boynton Beach

Parishioners, contact the
Parish office at
Tel. 561.737.3095
Saint Thomas More Catholic Church
Tel: 561.737.3095 www.stmbb.org
washed Jesus’ feet with her
tears, dried them with her
hair and anointed them with
precious ointment? Listen
to the self-righteousness of
the witness: Now when the
Pharisee who had invited
Him saw it, he said to
himself, “If this Man were
a prophet, He would have
known who and what sort
of woman this is who is
touching Him, for she is
a sinner.” The pharisee
despised her, condemned
her and dismissed her as
one of those people. Jesus
loved her, forgave her and
encouraged her to be one
of His people. In being
loved, love was born in her,
for the Lord and for herself:
Therefore I tell you, her
sins, which are many, are
forgiven, for she loved much;
but he who is forgiven little,
loves little. (Lk 7:47) How
unlike us. How conditioned
and parsimonious our love
is when compared to His.
Sometimes we give love as
a receipt; always Jesus gives
love as a down-payment.
He loves us enough that we
want to change, to leave off
sinning and begin real living:
And He came and preached
peace to you who were far
off and peace to those who
were near; for through Him
we both have access in one
Spirit to the Father. (Eph
2:17-18)
The desire to change
is not enough; we need
the strength. Jesus said to
the woman caught in the
act: Neither do I condemn
you. Go your way. From
now on, sin no more. (John
8:11) This is the gift of
the Spirit. We are not only
born again in the Spirit, but
through the Spirit we grow
in strength, little by little,
and develop the will to resist
the temptation to turn back
to our old. And the purpose
of God in reconciliation
is always that we go to the
place where Jesus is: Father,
I desire that they also, whom
Thou has given Me, may
be with Me where I am, to
behold My glory which Thou
has given Me in Thy love for
Me before the foundation of
the world. (Jn 17:24)
We can propose much
and achieve little without
God’s help, especially in
the area of sin. This season
marks our own death and
resurrection: dying to the
flesh, rising in the Spirit. We
love Jesus enough because we
see His love for us in every
breath He takes. He risked
everything, even death, to
love us into life. He loved
us a great deal to forgive us
a great deal. Even His dying
breath was for us a Word of
forgiveness and summons to
a new, abundant and real life:
Father, forgive them; for they
know not what they do.
(Lk 23:34) We don’t even
know what we do to God,
to ourselves, and to each
other without Jesus Christ.
We all share in the love of
God poured out for us on
Calvary and on the altars of
our Catholic Church where
Calvary is made present
through the power of the
Spirit and the Word of God.
In Holy Communion the
Love of God gives birth to
love in us and the capacity
to love Him in return, a
loving relationship so great
that we can transcend the
narrowness of our flesh and
change our lives into the
image of The Son of the
Living God: For Christ
also died for sins once for
all, the righteous for the
unrighteous, that He might
bring us to God, being put
to death in the flesh but
made alive in the spirit. (1
Pet 3:18)
Let’s have a little mercy on
each other and be a help,
not a hindrance, to a sinner
who is caught. It might be
us next time: Brothers and
Sisters, even if one is caught
in some fault, you who are
spiritual must restore such a
one in a spirit of gentleness;
looking to yourself so that
you also aren’t tempted.
(Gal 6:1) AMEN.
March 17th, 2013 // Fifth Sunday of Lent // 5