Counsel to Timothy,  “Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity...”

Praise of God for Goodness to Israel,  “…The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who live by it.  Your praise endures for ever.”

The Pardon of the Sinful Woman,  "...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."

Memorial of Andrew Kim Taeg, priest and martyr, and Paul Chong Hasang, catechist and martyr, and their companions.  Today we remember the clergy and many lay people, working to tell others about Jesus in Korea, who were killed for their faith in the 19th century.  Pope John Paul II, during his trip to Korea, canonized these martyrs on May 6, 1984.  These horrible persecutions for the Faith were recorded in 1839, 1866, and 1867.  See http://www.catholic.org/saints/andrewkimtaegon.html

Wisdom comes with age, a very familiar phrase.  But in today’s lessons we hear Paul say to Timothy, “Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity...” (1 Timothy 4:12).  Paul is encouraging Timothy to use the gift he has been given of understanding all that Jesus, Our Redeemer has done for us and to teach others.  He is to read, teach and encourage the believers, until Paul returns.  To those whom wisdom has not found, we find today’s readings encouraging.  For age does not make a person wise, but rather paying attention to the One who made us, and to His Son Jesus Christ, who came to show us the way makes a person wise. 

The psalmist speaks about wisdom today as well, “…The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who live by it.  Your praise endures for ever.” (Psalm 111:10) 

And in our Gospel reading in Luke, Jesus shows His wisdom as well in relating His encounter with the Pharisee with whom he was invited to dine.  When He arrives, a woman who the Bible described as being sinful rushes to Jesus and falls down at His feet.  While kneeling down her tears fall upon His feet and she uses her hair to wash and dry her tears away.  Then we are told the woman kisses His feet and anoints them with an ointment she had with her, and Jesus tells her, her sins are forgiven.  Our Lord, knowing of His host’s confusion, begins to explain using a story; Jesus, always the teacher.  His story is about two men whose debts of 5 and 50 denarii are forgiven by their lender; and Jesus asks his host, which one is more grateful?  His host correctly responds the man who owed more is probably more grateful, and Jesus agrees with his choice.  Likewise the woman at Jesus’ feet is showing the Lord her gratitude because her sins were great and now she has been made whole, with her sins were wiped clean.  Her expressions are emotional and she has shown such great love. 

So today, let us all look to the One, who is Wisdom; sit at His feet and listen.  Then pray that we might come to understand our own shortcomings and sinful ways, such that we might know the kind of love Jesus spoke of when telling about this woman.  Pray that He may bestow such a gift of wisdom on all of us.  We pray, too, for the World Peace that can come from love and understanding one another; and for the parts we are all called to play in the making of that peace.