Let us pray with today’s Gospel Reading (Luke 7:36-50):

Lord Jesus Christ,

Teach us to come to You without fear. You do not turn away the sinner who sincerely seeks Your mercy. You look beyond our past, beyond our failures, and beyond the judgement of others. You see the heart that longs to be forgiven and restored. Lord, give us the humility of this woman in today’s Gospel. May we never be too proud to kneel at Your feet, to weep over our sins, and to ask for forgiveness. Help us to recognise how much we ourselves have been forgiven, so that we may never become like Simon, who could see the sins of another but failed to recognise his own need for mercy.

Lord Jesus, You said, “Her many sins have been forgiven, hence she has shown great love.” May Your forgiveness transform our hearts. Let our gratitude for Your mercy become love, love for You, love for our families, love for those who have hurt us, and love for those whom society has rejected. Heal us from every wound caused by guilt, shame, rejection, and condemnation. Help those who believe that their past has disqualified them from Your love to discover that Your mercy is greater than their sins.

Lord, we pray especially for those who are struggling with sin and addiction, those who have fallen away from the Church, those who are afraid to return to Confession, and those who find it difficult to forgive themselves. Give them courage to come back to You. And teach us not only to receive forgiveness but also to become instruments of forgiveness. May we never humiliate another person because of their past. Give us hearts that restore rather than condemn, hearts that welcome rather than reject.

Jesus, we place ourselves at Your feet today. With all our weaknesses, failures, and fears, we ask You: “Have mercy on me, Lord.” May we hear Your consoling words: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Amen