3rd April 2022 – 5th Sunday of Lent, Year C
3rd April 2022 – 5th Sunday of Lent, Year C
(1) Isaiah 43:16-21
The prophet promises the exiles a new Exodus
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
“Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honour me, the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.”
Responsorial: Psalm 125
R./: The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
on our lips there were songs. (R./)
The heathens themselves said:
‘What marvels the Lord worked for them!’
What marvels the Lord worked for us!
Indeed we were glad. (R./)
Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap. (R./)
They go out, they go out, full of tears,
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song,
carrying their sheaves. (R./)
(2) Philippians 3:8-14
Holiness is a gift, a sharing in Christ, in utter trust
I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
Gospel: John 8:1-11
Instead of judging, the accusers must examine themselves
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 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. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
No more machismo
They brought in a woman they had caught in adultery. Three terms express their sense of dominance: “They caught her.” “They brought her.” “They made her stand before them all.” They bristled with righteous indignation as they asked Jesus for his view. In their eyes, her fate is sealed: it must be death by stoning, according to the law. No one talks about the adulterous man involved. As always happens in a sexist society, the woman gets condemned and the man walks free. Their challenge to Jesus is head-on: “In the law, Moses has ordered us to stone women of this kind. What have you got to say?” Jesus opposes such arrogance and machismo. No sentence of death comes from God. With admirable audacity, he brings in truth, justice and compassion to bear on the act of judgment: “Let the one among you who is guiltless be the first to throw a stone at her”.
The accusers go away shamefaced. They know that they are guilty of many things themselves. Then Jesus speaks with tender respect to the woman who has just escaped execution: “Neither do I condemn you”. He encourages her to make her gift of forgiveness the starting point for a new life: “Go away, and from this moment on, sin no more”. That’s how Jesus is. Here, finally, is a man not conditioned by any oppressive law or power; a free, magnanimous individual who never hated or condemned, never returned evil for evil. In his defence of this sinner there is more truth and justice than in our resentful demands and name-calling.
Maybe we haven’t yet managed to unpack all the consequences in Jesus’ liberating action in the face of this woman’s oppression. Working in a Church that is directed and inspired mostly by men, we often fail to be aware of all the injustices that women keep suffering in all areas of life. One theologian spoke a few years ago about the revolution ignored by Christianity.
We still live in a society where women often cannot move about freely without fear of men. Rape, physical abuse, humiliation aren’t imaginary things. On the contrary, they form perhaps the most deeply rooted violence and the one that causes the most suffering. Doesn’t the suffering of women need to echo more strongly and more concretely in our church celebrations, and have a more important place in our work of social conscience-raising? Above all, don’t we need to be closer to each oppressed woman in order to denounce abuses, offer an intelligent defence and effective protection? [J A Pagola]
The Pharisees’ mistake
What motivated the Pharisees in that confrontation about sin and punishment? They caught a woman in the act of adultery and brought her into the Temple precincts, thronged with people, to shame her as publicly as possible. Then they wanted to carry out the death penalty as laid down in the Torah, namely death by stoning. As an added extra, they wanted to use the occasion to discredit Jesus in the eyes of his followers. “What have you to say?” they demand of him. If his response was simply, “Leave the woman along; let her go free,” they could accuse him of condoning adultery. But if he agreed with their sentence, he would be seen as lacking in mercy. Jesus saw through their plotting and made them withdraw in confusion.
What did Jesus write with his finger on the ground? The Gospel gives us a possible clue. It does not use the normal Greek word for “write” (graphein), but a compound word (kata-graphein) which means to draw up a condemnation. Possibly he may have listed on the ground some common sins against humanity, to make them think. At any rate, his challenge that the person who was without sin should cast the first stone met with no response. Although Jesus did not condemn the woman, neither did he excuse what she had done. “Don’t sin any more,” was both a pardon and a warning to her.
Like the Pharisees, we may be tempted to imagine a God in our own image and likeness, as a stern, punitive father, who can be persuaded to forgive only after our abject repentance. This kind of religion can be cold and loveless. And as St Paul says in the 2nd Reading, trying to relate to God just by strictly keeping the Law is an obsolete kind of religion. Only when we let God’s love, as seen in Christ, to embrace and change our heart, can we begin to grow.
To judge from today’s gospel, the worst of the seven deadly sins seems to be not lust, but pride. The Pharisees’ proud self-righteousness left them feeling no need to ask God for mercy. Like the woman in danger, we need to admit our own sins and pray for mercy rather than condemn others. Even when we fail in our ideals, we trust in the mercy God extends to the sinner. For even our sins make no difference to God’s enduring love for us.
Readings: 3 April – 5th Sunday of Lent
Pauline Energy
‘I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.’
Paul recites again here the two great blessings Christ brought him: justification by faith and participation in the Paschal Mystery. Living these two realities in great depth, Paul is secure in his knowledge of Christ, lives in utter dependence on him, one with him in his sufferings and death and in the assurance of resurrection.
But these blessings are not a static possession. They are a dynamic process. Yes, in Christ sins are taken away and we are clothed with the righteousness that comes from God. Yet we turn again and again to Christ to claim that blessing, to hear again and again his liberating word: ‘Your sins are forgiven’ (Mk 2:5). Yes, the Resurrection is a past event, a triumph over death matching the triumph over sin. But it is also a future event toward which we strive, as Paul underlines in the next words:
‘Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 3:8-14)
Many will say, ‘Who can match such energy? How exhausting! What a discouraging example for ordinary lazy folk like us!’ I would like to suggest three thoughts that might allay this sense of inadequacy and fatigue.
First, of course Paul is an extremely exceptional figure, the most dynamic leader of the early church, the Apostle par excellence. His example is not meant to overwhelm and flatten us, any more than the thrilling performance of the world’s top pianist, a Horowitz or a Hewitt, is meant to browbeat the amateur trying to master some simple piece. The virtuoso and the bumbling novice are united in the shared art of music. Likewise the saint and the most mediocre believer are united in the shared adventure of faith: both drawing all their righteousness and sanctification from Christ alone, both facing death in the protecting shadow of his Cross, both yearning for the promised Resurrection. Paul urges us: ‘Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ’ (1 Cor 11:1), but each of us can imitate his example according to our own capacities. His message is not ‘you can never do this!’ but rather ‘yes, you can! Just try it in your own way.’
Secondly, the source of Paul’s dynamic energy is the power of divine grace. It is by his tuning in to this that his miraculous accomplishments became possible. He tells us so again and again: ‘Our competence is from God’ (2 Cor 3:2). ‘This extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us’ (4:7). ‘Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day’ (4:16). We live servile lives, scratching and straining in our effort to lift ourselves by the bootstraps. Paul is free. His efforts are not a futile quest to boost himself, but are a joyful collaboration in the work of grace which is afoot everywhere. His heartening words to his fellow Christians stir up their gifts and enable the Spirit to move powerfully in their hearts. His fearlessness in facing danger and his many generous sacrifices, his generous affection to all and his steady persistence in the duties he has undertaken, are other ways in which he opens the gates wide to grace. He had no family, but he made the people of God his family, carrying them on his shoulders with unfailing patience, and these loving relationships were a great channel of grace, which we can see flowing in many passages in his correspondence.
Thirdly, it is not a question of making bigger efforts, but of directing our efforts aright. We are all putting forth effort all the time, even if it be only in the pursuit or entertainment and pleasure, in sustaining quarrels and making mischief, in self-promotion and seeking to please, in seeking security or satisfying relationships. Paul wants us to change the key of our efforts, to purify our motive. We dedicate all our efforts to God at the beginning of the day. If that dedication effectively guided all we do, how much better the quality of our achievements would be, measured not by ordinary criteria of success, productivity, prestige, quantity, but by inner wholesomeness and integrity. Even chores would become joyful if stamped with the right motive, and with Paul we would realize the blessing of Christ: ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light’ (Mt 11:29-30).
Readings: 3 April – 5th Sunday of Lent
Key message:
Are you not aware that I am going to set all things right?
The takeaway from the first reading:
“Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
This is excellent teaching for each one of us in the present day. God says, “Do not remember the injustice that has been done to you. Do not remember the past agony. Do not sit and mourn for all the bad things that have happened to you.
Even if you are in a bad situation now, are you not aware that I am going to set all things right?”
Our Lord Jesus asks, “Are there any worries in the minds of the birds of the air?” They too have wants just like us. They need food. They cannot earn and store for generations to come. But are they worried? They happily sing and fly around. They realize that their Father in Heaven will feed them with a worm or any tasty food.
We are using the amazing brain power which our loving Father has given us only for worrying about the future and pitying our past life.
God our Father does not want us to live such a life. He wants us to put our trust in Him. We may trust Him for putting an end to our current problems. But He wants something special for us. He has made good plans for us in His mind. Plans for us to prosper, not just to solve our current issues.
Whenever we face any challenging situation, we should boldly believe and say, “God has planned a prosperous life for us, so this challenge will vanish”.
Will a Father give a snake when His son asks for a fish?
God will make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, just for you.
The takeaway from the second reading:
The Apostle Paul talks about how he forgets his past mistakes and presses on to reach his future goal. To be a winner you must forgive yourself once God has forgiven your mistakes. Then you need to proceed to accept your responsibilities from then on, just like the Apostle Paul. Even though he started as a sinner, he concluded his life as a saint. He says he presses along for the prize of a heavenly call. All of us also need this same heavenly call. Let us look at our crucified Lord Jesus and keep pressing on our heavenly prize.
No prize is worth keeping other than the heavenly prize!!
Let us forget our past and press on towards it!!
The takeaway from the Gospel reading:
Our loving Jesus did not like judging or criticizing. In today’s Gospel reading, we find that He was fine to look at the face of the sinner (the woman caught in adultery), but not at the face of the people who wanted to judge and criticize her and wanted to throw her in public shame.
So we should be careful when we talk about others’ sins or bad about others. Our God does not love it. He hates it when we talk bad about His own children, even though they have wronged terribly. So let us not judge or criticize anyone in any way.
God will be merciful to us when we are merciful to His children.
Our Lord Jesus converted the place of shame to the place of glory for the woman when she came to Him. Our loving Lord Jesus will convert all our shame to glory, even though we have sinned. So let us not hide from Him, because of our sins.
In today’s Gospel finally, Jesus said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
Our Lord Jesus is not counting her sins using His fingers or asking her to remember and cry for all her past sins. He only says, “From now on, do not sin again”.
Our loving Lord specifically used “From now on…” That day was the start of a new life for her. From then on, she could lead a new life.
Are we trying to lead a new life, when our Lord says, “From now on…”?
Tips to do the takeaways:
1. Even when we are not doing well, God believes the best about us. He continues to work to bring the best out of us. God does not only see where we are, He always sees where we will be. So let us focus on and work with God on the big plans He has for us.
2. Our Lord does not like us to dwell in our past. In the Bible we find instances of Him talking about His future, but He never recalled His past. For the woman in the Gospel reading also, He emphasizes “From now on… be good”. Let this day be the beginning of a new life for us. Let us not think about our past failures or sufferings. Let us not talk about them to others. Let us think and talk only about the fulfilled life our Lord Jesus wants to grant us – “I have made good plans for you. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you”.
3. Let us have faith like our Mother Mary. When Mother Mary requested Jesus for a miracle in the wedding of Cana, our Lord replied childishly, “What does it concern you and me, my time has not yet come?” since He knows that His mother will definitely make Him do this miracle. For she cannot take the cry of her children. He would have been eagerly waiting to see how His Mamma was taking care of the situation. As our Lord expected, Mamma Mary put our Lord Jesus in a forceful situation by instructing the servants, “Do whatever He tells you”.
The same force we can apply to our Lord Jesus by saying, “O Lord Jesus, as you have said… “. For example, “O Lord Jesus, as you have said that I will be the head and not the tail, please give me this promotion”.
Let us think and expect only the new things our Lord Jesus is going to do for us!!