God’s grace at work in our lives

The WORD in Other Words by Fr Dudz Lero SVD (Philippines)

Thursday Week 24 Ordinary Time, 1 Tm 4:12-16, Lk 7:36-50

The song “Amazing Grace” written by the slave trader turned Anglican cleric  John Newton in 1772, is one about conversion, the beauty of underserved forgiveness,  about healing and renewal of one‘s life through the encounter with God‘s grace. 

The woman in today’s gospel experiences this same grace with so much intensity that she   dares interrupt what seems to be a high-end dinner reception.   

To be able to acknowledge one‘s sinfulness and repent is really the work of God‘s grace. God moves us and chastises our consciences to make our hearts cry out in sorrow for having lived a wayward life and loved the wrong things. God makes us realize our broken lives and leads us to seek him who can make us whole again. Indeed, God   came to seek and save the lost (cf. LK. 19:10), favoring the sinner over the saint. 

The   woman in the gospel realizes how despicable her life is and gets inspired to respond   to God‘s invitation of forgiveness and immense love. So, without minding etiquette,  she approaches Jesus. Saving nothing, she let her actions do a lot of insightful talking.   It is for her an experience of God‘s amazing grace: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the   sound. that saved a wretch like me: I once was lost but now am found. was blind but   now I see.” 

From time to time, many of us experience the sinful woman‘s situation.   Unfortunately, many of us think that it is just guilt at work,. Let us pray for the blessing of right discernment to see beyond guilt and find God‘s amazing grace at work in our lives.