Praised be Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
“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,” so said Simon the Pharisee to himself. And so he is right…the Lord
knew who and what kind of woman this was who washed his feet with ointment.
After all, Jesus is more than a prophet. He is God who alone is able to read
the human heart. He is so much unlike us who are only able to judge by
appearance. He is able to “see in secret”. Nothing can be hidden from him. He
alone understands the complexity of the human heart. Such is what the Lord
capable of doing that he did not only read the heart of the weeping woman. He
read the heart of the Pharisee himself. Thus, the Lord gave Simon the lesson of
the debtors who were both forgiven by the creditor in order to the drive the
point that the one who is forgiven of greater sins is the one who is able to
love more. The devotion which the woman showed the Lord was the sign that she
was indeed a sinful woman – a woman who was forgiven much that is why she is
now able to love much.
Oftentimes, our acts of devotion
and piety are judged as hypocritical because they give people the impression
that we love to make a public display for our righteousness. Apparently, such
pious acts are frowned upon as practices of people with a holier-than-thou
attitude. Thus, in the fear of being judged as such, we become very calculating
in the expression of our devotion. We hesitate to show piety for fear of being
labeled as “banal na aso, santong kabayo.” But anyone who makes an effort to
look into our acts of devotion would realize that such are not displays of
self-proclaimed righteousness. Rather, these acts of devotion are actually expressions
of love and gratitude on account of the mercy which the Lord has shown us
sinners. Take a typical novena, for example. Let us look at the popular novena
to the Sacred Heart, and what do you read? You would read words like: “I admit
that I am unworthy of your favors, but this is not a reason for me to be
discouraged. You are the God of mercy, and you will not refuse a contrite
heart. Cast upon me a look of mercy…and your kind heart will find in my
miseries and weaknesses a reason for granting my prayer.” Never have I
encountered a devotional act that arrogantly demands of the Lord what is asked
for on account of the devotion undertaken. Never have I heard any prayer that
said: Lord, I am doing this for you and so you better give me what I want…or else!
The humble petition in spite of our lack of worthy is the stuff that devotions
are made of. We dare approach the Lord not because we think we are worthy (we
know we never are) but because we know that He is merciful: “Sacred Heart of
Jesus, I know that there is but one thing impossible to you: to be without pity
for those who are suffering or in distress…” It is the confidence in the tender
mercy of the Lord that encourages us to keep on returning to him. We approach
him even in spite of our sinful selves. The Lord knows this. We cannot hide
anything from him. He knows who we are and because of what he knows, he allows
us to draw near to him to touch him. He knows that we need him. He knows that
we need his mercy very badly.
Thus, it is not those who show
devotion who are hypocrites but the worldly who accuse them project their
hypocrisy to pious people. I say that they project their hypocrisy on the
devout because they see themselves as having no need of the Lord’s mercy: I can
do it on my own…I don’t need Divine help, thank you very much. This
self-reliance is the new hypocrisy. It is the new pride. It is the new idolatry
for it dares to extol the self in the place of God. It dares to substitute the
reliance on Divine Mercy with self-reliance. It is lacking in authentic love
for it dares not love anyone else but the self. But as for ourselves, let us
continue to show devotion and piety, even in spite of what we are accused of.
Let us make the words of the Psalmist our own: “For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A
humbled contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.”
Jesus, I trust in you. O Mary
conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
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