17/09/2026
Gospel Reflection
Luke 7:36-50
"Mercy is preached not only through what we say, but also through how we treat others.”
-Bro.Danilo Pegalan, C.Ss.R
Sometimes, I think God uses humor to teach us. Allow me to share a story. During my mission in Pattaya, I once saw a signboard on the door of our rector's room. It said,"Speak Less, Do More." When I saw those words, I was struck by them. Maybe because I know that I can be very talkative. I thought, "Perhaps the Lord is reminding me to speak less and do more."
But then I realized something funny: the Lord had already been preparing me for that lesson. Before coming to Pattaya, I had spent several months in Laos, and even in Pattaya, I could not speak the local language. I could not express myself as I normally would. I had to speak less, not because I wanted to, but because I simply could not speak much. During those months, I learned to communicate in other ways. I learned to listen more, observe more, and simply be present.
When I hear today's Gospel, I remember that signboard. We are told about a sinful woman who comes to Jesus while he is dining at the house of Simon the Pharisee. She brings an alabaster jar of ointment, weeps at Jesus' feet, washes them with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses them, and anoints them. What strikes me is that she does not say anything. She does not explain herself or defend her past. Her tears speak. Her gestures speak. Her love speaks.
Simon sees only a sinner. Jesus sees something deeper. He sees her faith, her repentance, and her openness to God's mercy. Simon focuses on her past; Jesus looks at her heart. While Simon judges, Jesus forgives.
For me, this is the heart of the Gospel. The woman is not trying to earn God's mercy. Rather, because she has encountered God's mercy, she responds with love. Her actions are not the price of forgiveness. They are the response of someone who has discovered that she is loved despite her sins. She has received mercy, and that mercy becomes love.
This Gospel also speaks to me personally. Sometimes I talk too much. I can explain, give opinions, and offer solutions. But today's Gospel reminds me that there are moments when words are not enough. What matters is whether my life reflects the love and mercy that I have received from God.
Perhaps that was one of the lessons God was teaching me during my mission. Because of the language barrier, I had to discover that communication does not always require many words. Sometimes a smile communicates. A helping hand communicates. Listening communicates. Being present communicates. In mission, I learned that people may not always remember everything we say, but they can remember our kindness, our patience, and our presence. Mercy is preached not only through what we say, but also through how we treat others.
This Gospel also challenges me not to become like Simon. Sometimes it is easier to notice another person's faults than to remember my own. It is easier to judge than to understand. But I, too, am someone who needs mercy. I, too, have received forgiveness. And when I remember that, I can become more patient, more compassionate, and less judgmental toward others.
So that little signboard in Pattaya became more than just a funny reminder for me: "Speak Less, Do More." Perhaps God was teaching me: less judging and more understanding, less explaining and more listening, less talking about love and more actually loving.
Like the woman in today's Gospel, I am someone who needs mercy. I, too, come before the Lord with my weaknesses, failures, and sins. Yet Jesus does not turn me away. He offers forgiveness, healing, and peace. The woman received mercy, and that mercy became love. May the same be true for us. Once we have received God's mercy, may that mercy also become love in concrete action: in our kindness toward others, in our willingness to forgive, in our patience, our listening, and our compassionate presence. For mercy that remains only in words has not yet fully become love.
In the end, the Gospel is not simply about the sins of the woman or the judgment of Simon. It is about the mercy of Jesus. The woman came to Jesus carrying her sins, but she left with forgiveness and peace. And perhaps Jesus wants to say the same to us today:
"Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Amen.
