First of all: happy Father’s Day to all of our dads.  We’ll have a special blessing for you toward the end of Mass, but I wish to thank you for all of the ways you help to guide us closer to God and to true love.  I am aware that many times you are unnoticed, generous in secret and quietly caring: thank you for the blessings you are for your families and for our parish community!

With summer fast approaching and kids being ready to play all day, there will inevitably be little tiffs and fights.  Moms & dads will have to be ready to instruct them, as always, to “kiss and make up”, because a kiss is used to heal & strengthen love.  So, naturally, kissing and loving just go together.

So in today’s gospel: a sinful woman has not ceased kissing Jesus’ feet, while SimonJesus’ hostdid not even offer a kiss to the Lord.  The woman’s encounter with Jesus not only brought her forgiveness, but was also an occasion for her to show her great love…with a kiss.

Yes, David in our first reading, and the lowly woman in our gospel: both opened themselves with love to the mercy & forgiveness of God…and it was granted them.  Thus love healed & restored them.

All too often, we try to be the judge as was Simon: we place other sinners outside of God’s love, God’s life by passing judgment over them, while instead, we should be rejoicing over their love, their forgiveness, their restoration & healing.  In our gospel, the woman knew darn well how sinful she wasshe didn’t need Simon to remind herand yet it was, in the end, Simon who was the one in greater danger; Simon was the one without strong faith…Simon was the one who was rooting for Jesus to condemn the poor woman who simply demonstrated her great love.

This week, may we take this Eucharist that is offered on our altar and let it soften our hearts: that we may see as God sees; that we may love as God loves; that we may live as God lives…in love and forgiveness with each of us.