In today’s Gospel, a sinful woman approaches Jesus with tears. She bathes his feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses them, and anoints them with ointment. Jesus sees a heart filled with repentance, trust, and a deep desire to return to God.
Her loving actions are not a price she pays for forgiveness, but rather the faith that brings her to Jesus, and the great love she shows reveals a heart open to his mercy. Great forgiveness enables the forgiven to love more deeply.
In Corinthians, Paul looks back upon his past and calls himself “the least of the apostles.” Yet the grace of God transforms him into a messenger of the Gospel. Therefore, he humbly declares, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” The Christian life is not built upon our own perfection, but upon the grace of God, which cleanses, heals, and renews us.
Saint Peter Julian Eymard also understood his Baptism in the light of grace. In February 1865, he described Baptism as “a new creation in our Lord Jesus Christ” and “a second life in Jesus Christ.” Through this sacrament, he had become a child of God, a member of Christ, and a child of the Church.[1] Writing to his sister Marie-Anne, he called the day of his Baptism “the most beautiful day of my life.”[2]
Each of us has been cleansed in Baptism and given new life. We are called to preserve our baptismal garment through repentance, faith, love, and gratitude. In the Eucharist, Christ continues to nourish and renew us, so that we may love him and others more generously.
Let us pray:
Lord, grant me a heart that loves you and knows how to weep for my sins. Do not let my heart grow hardened, but help me to repent with sincerity. Amen.
- Peter Julian Eymard, Notes de retraite, NR 44, no. 21, meditation of February 1865, quoted in Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, “February 05, 1811 – Baptism of Peter Julian Eymard.” ↑
- Peter Julian Eymard, letter to Marie-Anne Eymard, February 5, 1846, Correspondance, CO 68, no. 1, quoted in the same source. ↑
