Readings · September 17, 2026

Catholic Daily Readings for 17 September 2026

Catholic Daily Readings for Thursday, 17 September 2026, reveal the healing power of forgiveness. Saint Paul reminds us of the Gospel through which we are saved, while Jesus welcomes a sinful woman whose tears express repentance and grateful love. The Church also remembers Saint Robert Bellarmine, a teacher who believed that true reform begins within the human heart.

✨ Liturgical Colour: White · Optional Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

First Reading

Saint Paul reminds the Corinthians of the Gospel he preached: Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose on the third day, and appeared to His disciples. Paul admits that he once persecuted the Church, but God’s grace changed his life and made him an apostle.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118:1b-2, 16ab-17, 28

Response: Give praise to the Lord, for he is good

Gospel

A woman known as a sinner enters the house of Simon the Pharisee. She washes Jesus’ feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, and anoints them with perfume. Simon sees only her past, but Jesus sees her repentance, faith, and great love.

Luke 7:36-50

At that time: One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain money-lender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning towards the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Reflection

A domestic worker once broke an expensive vase while cleaning. She immediately confessed and offered to repay the cost little by little. The owner saw her fear, accepted her apology, and said, “I forgive you.”

But whenever another object was misplaced, the owner spoke about the broken vase again. One day her young son asked, “Mother, if you forgave her, why do you keep giving the mistake back to her?” The question hurt. She realised that her lips had forgiven, but her memory was still being used as a weapon.

Jesus Sees More Than a Past

Simon looks at the woman and sees a sinner. Jesus looks at her and sees repentance, faith, and love. Her tears are not a performance. They come from a heart that knows both the weight of sin and the joy of mercy.

Jesus does not call sin good. He forgives it and frees the sinner from its power. The Gospel’s main teaching is forgiveness that restores a person rather than trapping that person inside the past.

Grace Changed Paul

Saint Paul also had a painful past. He had persecuted the Church. Yet the risen Christ did not reduce Paul to his worst actions. Grace changed the persecutor into an apostle.

Both readings reveal the same hope. A sinful past may explain where a person has been, but it does not decide where God can lead that person.

Reform Begins Within

Saint Robert Bellarmine taught that true reform of the Church must begin with personal reform and conversion of heart. It is easy to identify another person’s sins while ignoring the pride growing within us.

He also wrote, “Whoever finds God finds everything, whoever loses God loses everything.” The woman in the Gospel loses her public honour, but she finds mercy at the feet of Jesus.

Stop Reopening Old Cases

Families often keep old mistakes alive. During every new disagreement, past failures are brought back as fresh evidence. A spouse, child, colleague, student, or community member may never be allowed to become more than one painful mistake.

Forgiveness does not always remove consequences or rebuild trust immediately. But it refuses to use the past as a weapon. Mercy allows repentance to open a new road.

Who Have You Frozen in the Past?

Simon’s danger is also ours. We may sit near Jesus while silently judging the person who needs His mercy. We may remember another person’s sin more clearly than we remember our own need for grace.

Name one person whom you still see only through an old failure. Ask Jesus to help you see what grace may already be changing within that person.

Bible Verse of the Day

Your faith has saved you; go in peace.
Luke 7:50

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You know every part of my life, including the sins I would rather hide. Thank You for meeting repentance with mercy and shame with healing. Forgive me when I trap others inside their past or use old mistakes to hurt them again. Give me the humility of the woman who knelt at Your feet and the gratitude of Saint Paul, whose life was changed by grace. Through the prayers of Saint Robert Bellarmine, begin Your work of reform within my own heart. Amen.

Saint of the Day

Saint Robert Bellarmine

Saint Robert Bellarmine was a Jesuit priest, theologian, cardinal, Archbishop of Capua, catechist, and Doctor of the Church. He used his learning to explain Catholic teaching clearly and encouraged personal conversion as the beginning of Church renewal. His life shows that knowledge becomes holy when it leads to prayer, humility, and service. Read the life, teachings, and prayer of Saint Robert Bellarmine here.

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