Daily Gospel Reflection for September 17, 2026

Reflect on the transformative power of forgiveness in today's Gospel. Discover how acknowledging our sins leads to joy and healing through Christ's love.

Today's Gospel: Luke 7:36-50

She not only crashed the party, she broke her alabaster flask of ointment. Now, the Pharisee not only has oil and the scent of her perfume all over his house, there is this woman crying at Jesus’s feet, but neither the woman, nor Jesus, cares.

What strikes me in this story is that this woman knew who Jesus was and she knew herself. She was a sinner and He was her Savior.

Someone once told me, “I don’t feel any remorse for my sins.” I was sad because until someone knows the weight of their sin, they will never know the joy of having Jesus take the weight from them. The very One they sin against gave His life to take sin away.

This scripture isn’t about the number of sins we commit, it is about the sorrow we carry for committing them. It is also not about walking around saying, “woe is me,” or living a life of scrupulosity, but it is about living in the joy and peace of being forgiven.

That alabaster jar was the most expensive item she owned. It signified the most precious gift she could give God--herself. The jar was broken, and who she was and what she had done was now out in the open. However, the beautiful scent released was a sign of her healing, of Jesus taking her sin from her, and her being loved and set free.

St. Hildegard of Bingen wrote, “Every creature is a glittering, glistening mirror of Divinity.” We each have times where we feel like we need to clean ourselves up before we go to God, but He is not waiting for us to be good enough. He wants us to come to Him as we are and let ourselves be loved.

Ponder:

Notice how Jesus did not scold the woman for showing up. In His compassion for her, He let her bathe His feet with her tears before she kissed them. He let her anoint His head with her ointment. Is this the image of Jesus you have when you sin?

Pray:

Jesus, thank You for Your compassion and love for me. Help me to realize that knowing the weight of my sin can prompt me to come to You for forgiveness and exchange it for the joy of being forgiven.

Pray Together:

When evening comes, everyone is cranky, and family dinner looks like it might be a fiasco, get out some candles, wax or battery-operated, pray the blessing and eat by candlelight. Watch the mood quickly change.

Copyright 2026 Julie Storr