Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

And how many times did I hear it said over the years away from the Catholic Church that, "Catholics don't 'read' the bible" or "Catholics don't get much of the bible." Well, to some extent that may be true, maybe not every single Catholic reads the bible as much as he or she should. BUT...let's not be too hasty to judge that they don't "get much of the 'Word' in the Catholic Church" as some mistakenly believe, voice and even teach from other more "vociferous bible-believing" or "bible toting" fellowships.

Here below are the readings for today's celebration of the Mass. Hmm, not much bible? Let me just say that for 26 years I was in bible-believing, bible-toting churches. Yes, we got "a lot of scripture" I concur. However, we also got a lot of "man-made" tradition and "man-made" doctrine because what we heard for the most part was one man's opinion of the verse or verses he would read and then comment on for the next 45 minutes to an hour (or more.) Yes, there were some great sermons preached and eloquent expository teaching. However, that is not the Fullness of Truth that Christ gives us at the Mass. I'm not putting people down here, and nothing personal is implied or insinuated about the fine preachers out there and ministers with great sermons. But let me ask you this, how can it be that these 'evangelical' bible believing, God-fearing and sincere people think that they have it now, in 2007, just like the 'early Church' was when they've put the Early Church down, and her Fathers down, and Jesus' own Mother aside? I know they think they're right...but what if they don't agree with the bible-believing, bible-toting church down the street? The truth is, they don't agree with them on many issues and doctrines or "they'd be them."

Well, I've digressed and got onto a rant again. Sorry 'bout that. But now that I'm Catholic and know the truth about the Catholic Church, it's hard to listen to misinformed, misguided people say "this and that" about the CC, thinking they're so wise, when they're as ignorant as could be about Her!

Not much scripture in the CC? Well, read below and see if this isn't more than a verse or two or three that is usually all you hear, laced throughout a typical sermon elsewhere. BTW, our priest, Fr. Shane, at St. Robert Bellarmine gave a most brilliant homily today. No, it didn't go on for 45 minutes, and no tape is available for 2.00 in the book/gift store. WHY? Because it's not about him! It's not about the priest, or his homily at all! It's about CHRIST, VICTIM AND PRIEST, giving us his own flesh and blood to eat and drink to receive LIFE and grace and be transformed in this life to be Christ to others and join him forever in Heaven. The cliche "Less is MORE" applies to homilies/sermons if you ask me. I've been touched and profoundly changed by a poignant 2 or 3 minute homily, getting right to the heart of the matter, than many 45 min. sermons that lost me after 20 minutes or less. I might suggest Jeff Cavins's c.d. "I'm Not Being Fed" the number one Catholic eating disorder for some "Food for thought."


Peace,
susie


Reading 1
2 Sm 12:7-10, 13

Nathan said to David:
“Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
‘I anointed you king of Israel.
I rescued you from the hand of Saul.
I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own.
I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah.
And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.
Why have you spurned the Lord and done evil in his sight?
You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword;
you took his wife as your own,
and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.
Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have despised me
and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’
Then David said to Nathan,
“I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan answered David:
“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11

R. (cf. 5c) Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Reading II
Gal 2:16, 19-21

Brothers and sisters:
We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Christ Jesus
that we may be justified by faith in Christ
and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law no one will be justified.
For through the law I died to the law,
that I might live for God.
I have been crucified with Christ;
yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God
who has loved me and given himself up for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God;
for if justification comes through the law,
then Christ died for nothing.

Gospel
Lk 7:36—8:3 or 7:36-50

A 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
because 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.”

Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others who provided for them
out of their resources.