The forgiven person, the psalm says, has a spirit in which “there is no guile”—no dishonesty and hypocrisy and manipulation. The best responses to this overflowing forgiveness are abundant praise—like the psalmist’s “glad cries of freedom”—and like the gratitude and abundant love the “sinful woman” showed.

Whenever I go out to parishes and talk about sin, at least one person will approach me afterwards to protest. The objection is quite predictable: Sin is a nasty word and people don’t want to hear it. Particularly they don’t want to hear it applied to them.

FORGIVENESS both given and received is difficult to accept. As Christians we are called to forgiveness and called to live a life rooted in love.

Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

One of the most complicated of Paul’s many complicated arguments is how the Law is both deadly and necessary. It was adherence to the Law that made people fail to recognize him and also killed him, so we have to die to it with him to be free of it.

Ever notice how many stories there are about Jesus being anointed by a woman during a dinner party? She’s anonymous. She’s a friend of Jesus. She’s a known sinner. These incidents are irresistible.

In the midst of forgiving . . . we see the beauty of people who quite often are considered marginal by society. With forgiveness and celebration, community becomes the place where we call forth the gifts of other people . . . . —Henri J. M. Nouwen