"Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more"

Listening to the Spirit

God, our father, we thank you for the opportunity to encounter your mercy and goodness in this Lenten season by pondering your words in the scripture.
Open our hearts and minds, send us Your Holy Spirit to help us pursue the true happiness which is in You.

Amen

Listening to the Word

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

Last Sunday, we celebrated the Laetare Sunday, the joy of the Lord for the repentance of His children. Repentance brings new life and new hope. This is the theme of our Gospel of this fifth Sunday of Lent.

The sin of the woman brings new understanding of the goodness and merciful God, whose desire is not condemnation but life and joy for His people. The new life requires new attitude and new way of act as we heard from the second reading. St. Paul transformed his old life with the new life that he received from the encounter with the merciful God.

Let us continue our journey in this Lenten season with the determination as St. Paul said, "Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling in Christ Jesus.”

“Go, and from know on do not sin anymore.”