Regarding the angry reaction of Simon the Pharisee towards the sinful woman in the gospel, St Gregory the Great has this to say, “True righteousness is compassionate, whereas false righteousness is indignant.” Real righteousness comes from the consciousness that I too am a sinner. Probably not as sinful as the other but nevertheless a sinner in need also of forgiveness. We all come from a consciousness of this reality and only then can we look at other sinners with pity and understanding instead of anger. True righteousness comes from the consciousness that I am a loved sinner. It is to know that one is a sinner and yet loved.
Second, St Ambrose commenting on this gospel said "It was not the ointment that the Lord loved,but the affection of the woman. And so you, if you desire grace, increase your love.” This can be also said of our feast today, the feast of the Korean Martyrs. It is not the perfume, it is not the kneeling and the wiping of Jesus’ feet, it is not the shedding of the blood but the intense love, the love that accompanies our actions. Mother Teresa once said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
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