Some Women

I went to Sunday Mass twice this past weekend.

On Saturday, I took my maternal grandmother to the 4 p.m. vigil Mass at our hometown parish, St. Alphonsus Church in McDonald, PA. I also went to the 9 a.m. Sunday liturgy at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Burgettstown, PA, just prior to the Lucy's baptism.

I got quite a bit out of the double dose of scripture readings.

The Gospel, from Luke Chapter 7, was the account of a dinner at the home of a pharisee during which a sinful woman bathed Jesus' feet.

There was a bit of wording in the middle of the passage that struck me. It comes right after the pharisee makes a snide comment about the woman:

Jesus said to him in reply, "Simon, I have something I want to say to you."

I can't immediately recall another instance in scripture in which Jesus so directly tells someone they are about to get schooled.

At the 9 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, Father Connolly had a good beginning to his homily on this Gospel passage and the day's other scriptures. Paraphrasing: "I always a worry a bit when the Gospel is about a pharisee because for many years I think I was one."

Sunday's Gospel had an optional longer ending from the beginning of Luke Chapter 8 about the people who accompanied Jesus during his public ministry. I was a little disappointed that the celebrants at both Masses I attended chose not to proclaim these words that speak to the presence of women in Jesus' time on earth:

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.

For more on Sunday's scriptures, pay a visit to A Concord Pastor, Deacon Greg and Fran.

Flashback: 2007

The image above of Mary Magdalene is by James Tissot. It is from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum of Art.