FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT, APRIL 6, 2025

MASS READINGS

Gospel John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them.

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.

They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”

They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him.

Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

She replied, “No one, sir.”

Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

REFLECTION

“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

There is an old English idiom that says: "Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones". But does this mean we can never do a fraternal correction?

Of course here in this Gospel the Pharisees are trying to entrap Jesus. However, when we encounter situations where we see someone doing something wrong, do we correct them privately or in public to make ourselves look better?

Society at large tells us 'not to be "judgy"', however, we know that there is a delicate balance between the spiritual work of mercy of admonishing the sinner, and our our aggrandizement.

For those who remember the Baltimore Catechism, question 3 is "Why did God make us? and the answer is "God made us to show forth His goodness and to share with us His everlasting happiness in heaven."

The CCC also tells us "God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life."

If sharing with God's everlasting happiness in Heaven is the most important goal in our lives, shouldn't this also be the goal of others? Shouldn't we wish the same for everybody else? We don't admonish to make the other person feel bad, or to show how good we are. But because we love them and we want them to know God and go to Heaven.

When we admonish, people might be offended, or might be comforted. Some will take well a rational critique, and some will call us "haters". We must proceed with caution, but we must proceed. Whenever I need to counsel someone, at work, or within the family, etc., then I start by praying to the Holy Spirit for guidance. Pray for God to open the other person's mind, soul, and heart, and to say the words He want us to say to them. Whatever we say and do has to be for God's glory and the other person's well-being.

St. James also encourage us to practice this work of mercy:

"My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20)

Don't be discouraged whenever you know you have to talk to someone about their behavior. Let us be humble and put ourselves in the hands of God whenever He asks us to do something so unpopular as admonishing a sinner. Let's begin by examining ourselves and our intentions.

God bless y'all!