Cycle C - Year I:

17 March 2013 - 5th Sunday of Lent

(Liturgical color: Violet)

John 8:1-11

We need forgiveness as well!
 
It is easy to find faults with anyone but ourselves. And yet we also know that we are all sinful and imperfect beings!

This human tendency to judge and condemn others goes back even to the time of Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees were upset that Jesus freely associates with sinners.

In the Gospel narrative this Sunday, they wanted to entrap Jesus with the religious and civil authorities. They confronted him on the issue of adultery and retribution.

Under Jewish law adultery is a serious crimes punishable by death. Because it violated God's ordinance and wreaked havoc on the stability of marriage and family life.

They brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus. In their evil intent, they wanted to put Jesus in a dilemma. If Jesus would pardon the woman, they could accuse him of encouraging the people to break the law of Moses. On the other hand, if he would agree that she be punished for the crime, then Jesus would lose his reputation for mercy.

Jesus outsmarts them all by turning the challenge towards his accusers instead. Jesus told them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." In effect, the Lord leaves the matter to their conscience.

In the end the adulterous woman was left alone with Jesus. No one had the guts to throw the first stone at her.  Jesus looked at the woman and showed her mercy but strongly exhorted her to not sin again.

We see a contrast in attitude towards others by the major players in the story. The scribes wished to condemn, Jesus wished to forgive and restore the sinner to health. By Jesus' example he showed the path that we should all be taking as his followers, which is the way of mercy and forgiveness to our erring brothers and sisters. The message of the gospel story is clear: Jesus condemns sins but pardons the sinners with a call to repentance. Because we need God's mercy and forgiveness as well.

In practical life, the much harder path to follow as Christians is the one of letting go of our tendency to judge others. It is a challenge to show someone who has done us wrong the same mercy and forgiveness that Christ has first shown us in respect of our own failures and shortcomings in life.

In Holy Mass, let us therefore pray for God's grace to enable us to confront our sins and to turn back to God with a repentant heart and a thankful spirit for God's mercy and forgiveness. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ has the power to change our lives and to set us free from our selfish and unruly desires and worldly passions. Bear in mind that a sinful living is essentially unfaithfulness to God.

As we near the end of our Lenten pilgrimage, Mother Church encourages us to experience the joy of repentance and a clean conscience through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!