Jesus' Example of Knowing One's Identity in the Face of Being Sinned Against

In the first reading of today’s Mass, Isaiah 50: 4-9a, we read:  “The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced…  He is near who upholds my right…Who disputes my right? Let him [her] confront me. See, the Lord God is my help; who will prove me wrong?” Jesus, no doubt, prayed this  passage, often reflected upon it and lived it, confident of His Father’s relationship with Him and of who He was as the Son of God.  Fully human, Jesus suffered disgrace and insult throughout His public ministry. In His final hours,  He was physically abused to the point of near death before He actually carried the instrument of His crucifixion to Calvary’s hill. He was spit upon, kicked, slapped, His face bloodied, His whole body mangled by the scourging and crowning with thorns. “…I have not rebelled,” Jesus says through the prophet Isaiah, “have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;  My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” Anyone else would have thrown up his/her hands to protect the face area.  Jesus did not.

In the face of ugliness thrust upon Him, Jesus did not lose His dignity, His honor or His integrity.  Neither does anyone who puts his/her hand in the hand of the Lord when dealing with  the ugliness of sin of which he/she might be a victim. We may be repulsed in seeing a human person being defaced, shamed, abused, the victim of human trafficking, slave labor, drug trafficking or the victim of a disfiguring disease.  Seeing images of aborted babies may cause us to feel nauseated as well. Victims of crime or serious, disfiguring illnesses  are sons/daughters of the Most High. They deserve all we can give to show them the honor they deserve and to release them from the prison of abuse or to bring healing to their tortured bodies, minds and souls.

Lord, may the repulsion I feel when seeing another person in pain not stop me from showing compassion or being compassionate in my efforts to assist, as Mary did when she met you on your way to Calvary and as she stood beneath the cross on that first Good Friday.

Affirming the Dignity of Others and Ourselves, Lo

Today’s Gospel, Luke 7: 36-50, tells the story of Jesus accepting  Simon’s  invitation to dine with him. Simon is a Pharisee.  As Jesus reclines at table a woman enters.  She brought with her an alabaster flask of ointment, stands behind Jesus at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair.  Simon is thinking something like this: “How can Jesus allow this woman to do this. She is a known sinner, has done things that are a disgrace to the community.  If Jesus is truly a prophet, he would know what kind of woman this person is.”  Jesus knows what Simon is thinking and tells the story of two persons who are in debt to their master and both are forgiven, one of a larger amount than the other. He asks Simon: Which one will love his master more? And, rightly, Simon says: “The one who was forgiven more.”  He then directs Simon’s gaze to the woman at Jesus’ feet and tells him that her many sins have been forgiven; hence she is showing me great love.  “She’s washed my feet; you did not do that when I entered.”  “She’s kissed my feet; you did not kiss me when I entered your house.”  “She’s anointed my feet; you did not anoint my head when I came into your house.” 

Wow! Jesus has just taught us several things: acceptance of everyone, the danger of being judgmental and how passing judgment on others blocks us from seeing God at work in them and seeing their goodness, the significance of expressing love, of being attentive to the needs of our guests and to welcoming gestures that communicate our openness to them, our affection for them, and our respect of their dignity as a human being. Jesus expected that of Simon and He expects that of us (by treating others respectfully, we are showing respect to Jesus).