Simon the Pharisee had invited a very special guest to dinner at his home. As any good host he must have made sure that the meal was well prepared and the surroundings pleasant and comfortable for his guest.

He considered Jesus to be a significant person in the community. Some people thought that Jesus was a prophet. A meal was certainly a natural and comfortable way to get to know this special guest better.

Everything was fine until the unexpected occurred in the form of an uninvited individual who turned up. The presence and actions of this person and her association with his favoured guest, began to cast doubts in his mind that Jesus was truly a prophet.

It is so easy to form or change our opinions of others on the basis of the company they keep or the people they attract. The old saying that “show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are” reminds us that the basic rule for maintaining a good standing in any society is to choose friends and associates wisely - perhaps mainly on the basis of a good name.

The same rule would have applied to Jesus because of the people he accepted and included among his friends. Simon’s thoughts definitely flowed along those lines – “If this man were a prophet he would know who this woman is touching him and what a bad name she has.”

Indeed, Jesus knew this woman. He knew her heart. And her expression of love and tenderness for him touched his heart. Though her “alabaster jar of ointment” was well used on the feet of Jesus and its fragrance had filled that room, Simon was unmoved by this humble gesture of this woman.

Simon never attempted to see beyond this. He was trapped by his own perception of this person. He did not see her tenderness and her love for Jesus. What he chose to see was a reject of his community, an outcast who should never be in the company of people like himself and Jesus.

This gospel reminds us that we need Jesus in our lives, to help us discern the truth about ourselves and also about others.

Like Simon, we too, can be blind to our own shortcomings and failings. As Jesus pointed out gently to him, he could have been a far better host, if he was motivated by the same warmth and love of the woman who had washed and kissed his feet.

We find it easier to pass judgement on those with “bad names” and in doing so fail to see our own narrow-mindedness and prejudice.

Once again, we need Jesus to point out to us that forgiveness flows from a warm and loving heart. That to forgive is both human and divine. We can forgive others just as Jesus forgives us.

When we forgive others they can “go in peace” because we have freed them and released them from the bondage of sin that they had committed against us.

“It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love,” is an extremely important message for us to reflect on in this Gospel. Forgiveness has mutual benefits for all of us.

In forgiving others we too, find peace, and in being forgiven we experience the fullness of both human and divine love.

We spread the good news of the kingdom of God every time there is an act of forgiveness. Let us choose the path that leads us to finding peace with God and with others because we have been released from our sins and have freed others each time we forgive them.

Let us pray

Heavenly Father, today your gospel reveals the love and compassion you have for us as sinners. Through your forgiveness we are able to find peace and true joy in our lives.

You have also taught us to forgive each other and thus free others so they too can find peace in their lives. We have recognised the powerful message of this passage which teaches us that we are able to empower others and help them to love more because they have been forgiven so much.

We pray today especially for those who need healing through forgiveness ad we ask you to release those who are in bondage because they have not experienced forgiveness.
We make this prayer in Jesus name. Amen.

Gospel Meditations for June are by Dianne Diaz, just another average, ordinary Catholic, who finds deep joy in preparing this Gospel Meditation.