She has shown great love

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 7:36-50.
A Pharisee invited him 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; hence, 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."

Commentary of the day
Saint Bernard (1091-1153), Cistercian monk and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 7 on the Song of Songs

"She has shown great love"

"Let him kiss me," she says, "with the kiss of his mouth" (Sg 1,1). Who is speaking? The Bride. But why "Bride"? She is the soul which thirsts for God. And to whom does she speak. To her God... For no names can be found as sweet as those in which the Word and the soul exchange affections, as Bridegroom and Bride, for to such everything is common. Nothing is the property of one and not the other, nothing is held separately. They share one inheritance, one table, one house, one bed, one flesh. For this she leaves her father and her mother and clings to her husband and they two are one flesh (Gn 2,24)...

So then love especially and chiefly belongs to those who are married and it is not inappropriate to call the loving soul a Bride. For she who asks a kiss feels love. She does not ask for freedom or payment or an inheritance or learning, but for a kiss, in the manner of a most chaste bride, who sighs for holy love; and she cannot disguise the flame which is so evident...

She loves most chastely who seeks him whom she loves and not some other thing which belongs to him. She loves in a holy way, because she does not love in fleshly desire but in purity of spirit. She loves ardently, because she is drunk with love so that she cannot see his majesty. What? He it is "who looks on the earth and causes it to tremble" (Ps 103,32). And she asks him for a kiss? Is she drunk? Indeed she is drunk with love for God!... Oh, what force of love! What great confidence of spirit! What freedom! What is more evident than that perfect love casts out fear? (1Jn 4,18).


My Reflection:
Perfect love casts out fear. I can still remember when I was a little boy of about 10 years old, when I did something wrong to my parents or when they get angry with me, I easily find a way to make them smile.

What's my secret?

I do household chores. I sweep the floor, clean the dishes and a lot lot more.

I love my parents. Now I am 34 years old, even though I am married, my family and I make it a point to visit them every weekends just to help them do the household chores or even cook for their breakfast.