Readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent:
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126:1-2,2-3,4-5,6
Philippians 3:8-14
John 8:1-11
This Reflection focuses especially on the Gospel account of the Woman caught in adultery.
The
woman was scared. She had just been dragged out of a house, and paraded through the streets of the city
towards the temple. Surrounded on all
sides, she listened, terrified, as insults and condemnations were hurled at
her. The crowd was like a lion, ready to pounce at any second, ready to devour
its prey. It was in that instant, that she saw Jesus. He was bent down in the
midst of the crowd, drawing in the sand. What was he doing? And how could he be
so calm, when the crowd was threatening to devour both of them at any second?
Slowly, he raised his head. She couldn’t quite make out the words that came
from his mouth, but suddenly, the crowd grew quiet. One by one, they began to depart. She stood there,
trembling, until only she and Jesus remained. He came to her, and as he stared
into her eyes, she could feel him staring into the very depths of her soul. She
began to turn away, ashamed, but then she felt something in that gaze- not
condemnation, but love- a love like she had never known. As he began to speak,
this same love was present in his words- a word saying “I do not condemn you.
Go, and sin no more.”
Today’s
Gospel shows us a radical encounter with the mercy of God. Looking at the
Gospel from the perspective of the woman, we can begin to see how powerful this
encounter must have been. But like many Gospel stories, today’s passage is left
open ended. Perhaps we would like closure- to hear “and the woman went away
changed, and heeded the words of Christ, and did not sin again.” But these
words aren’t there. So we are left to wonder: Was the woman’s life truly
changed as a result of this radical encounter? Did the crowd who condemned the
woman learn anything from their encounter with Jesus? What can we learn from
the story of today’s Gospel?
Like the Pharisees in today’s
Gospel, it seems that many in the world today are quick to condemn, and slow to
forgive. Jesus’ words to the scribes and
Pharisees, then, should be a challenge to us-with these words, Jesus is calling
us to be aware of our own faults, before we condemn the faults of others- to
realize that we deserve punishment for our sins, just as the other person does.
When we recognize this, it changes how we approach the other person. We learn
to recognize the plank in our own eye, and not to criticize others for the
speck in theirs. We learn to become more and more compassionate and merciful to
those we meet. Recognizing our own faults, we learn to walk with others on
their journey, and help them to achieve greater holiness, instead of condemning
them for their sins. Becoming aware of
our own faults also inspires us to seek God’s mercy ourselves!
Where do we go to encounter this
mercy? We can find it most easily in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Do we
take advantage of this wonderful Sacrament of God’s mercy? Have we remained away from this sacrament
because of fear, or shame, or a belief that God will not forgive us for our
sins? In this Holy Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has called us to be especially
mindful of God’s willingness to forgive. If we truly desire to turn our lives
back to God, we will find his Mercy in Abundance. And what is this mercy that
is found? It is Christ, knowing full well that we deserve the punishment for
our sins, loving us enough to take away the punishment for our sins, and take
it upon himself. This is what the message of the Cross is about. This is what
we are preparing to celebrate in two weeks time.
God’s mercy knows no limit- but
the last line of the Gospel reminds us that with mercy comes the call to
conversion. Truly encountering the mercy of Christ means realizing that we
cannot keep living our lives the same way. We are called to become more and
more like Christ each and every single day.
This is a monumental task- and it can only be accomplished with God’s
grace. Conversion is not a one-shot
deal: It is a life long process, in which we are called to continually
recognize our need for God’s mercy and forgiveness. Even when we struggle with
the same sins repeatedly, Pope Francis reminds us that “God never tires of
forgiving us. We are the ones who tire of seeking God’s mercy.” Indeed, so long
as we are making an effort to draw closer to God, we will always know his mercy
and love in our lives. We will know that we are not condemned for our actions,
but that we are met with the gaze of God’s loving mercy.
So, my challenge to you this
week is this: If you have not been to Confession in a while- Go. Allow yourself
to experience God’s mercy, and be forgiven, so that you may celebrate the
coming Easter mysteries with your heart and soul made new. And know that no
matter how long you have been away, you can always come home. Then, like the
woman in today’s Gospel, you can walk away from the radical encounter with
God’s mercy, and live a changed life.
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