11-Mar-07
Dear Friend,
In life, whenever someone is proved guilty the person is automatically
condemned. In our own personal lives too, if we know and admit we are guilty of
some action, we feel condemned and expect to be condemned by other. Hence, we
find ourselves judging others and constantly condemning their actions. Thank
God our God is so different from us. Our actions may make us feel guilty but He
never condemns us. Lets celebrate his generous love this weekend. Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections:Fifth Sunday of Lent -Guilty but not condemned! 25-Mar-07
Readings: Isaiah 43: 16-21; Philippians 3: 8- 14;
John 8:1-11;
Todays first reading from Isaiah shows that a right relationship with God is
not only important, but possible, no matter how difficult the situation. Isaiah
promised redemption and restoration to the people who were in captivity in
Babylon. When everything seemed helpless and hopeless, Isaiah was speaking of a
new Exodus from Babylon. He believed God would work wonders for his people.
Isaiahs hope was based on the God he believed in. This God was not a God of
fear and punishment but a loving and caring God. This God could do anything for
his people, even snuff out the powerful Babylonians. This God is not only a God
who worked wonders in the past for his people, but a God who still is always
acting for His people, and will always do something new. He is full of mercy
and love.
No one deserves mercy
The story is told of a young French soldier who deserted Napoleons army but
who, within a matter of hours, was caught by his own troops. To discourage
soldiers from abandoning their posts the penalty for desertion was death. The
young soldier's mother heard what had happened and went o plead with Napoleon
to spare the life of her son. Napoleon heard her plea but pointed out that
because of the serious nature of the crime her son had committed he clearly did
not deserve any mercy. I know he doesnt deserve mercy, the mother answered.
It wouldnt be mercy if he deserved it. Thats the point about mercy: nobody
deserves it. Everyone deserves true justice; mercy on the other hand is sheer
gift.
Denis McBride in Seasons of the heart
In todays second reading Paul reminds the Philippians to break away with the
past, to give up their sinful living because God wants to make of them a new
creation. Pauls entire life had been a search for a right relationship with
God. As a Pharisee he had thought he could achieve a right relationship with
God through perfect observance of the law. But he realized all his efforts were
useless in achieving a right relationship with God. He also realized that
blameless living comes only when a person is willing to accept Christ. Paul
accepted all things as loss that he might gain Christ. For Paul to know Christ
was not about having an intellectual knowledge of Christ but a personal
intimate experience of Jesus Christ. The past does not matter, all that matters
is that we move ahead to the goal Jesus Christ.
Todays gospel describes Jesus encounter with the adulterous woman and how
he deals with sinners. According to the Law of Moses, witnesses of a sin had to
act as prosecutors. Why was it that only the woman was being prosecuted while
the man was allowed to go free? The double standard coming from a
male-dominated society is probably a familiar story for most of us today. Women
were punished for their infidelity, men were not. Women were expected to live
in scrupulous sexual fidelity to their husbands, men were tolerated in their
less than faithful lives. The scribes and the Pharisees, knowing Jesus
compassion for sinners, put on him the responsibility of judging this
adulterous woman caught in the very act of adultery. Jesus reaction to all
this fuss is to start writing on the ground. But his questioners persist and
Jesus tackles them skillfully. Jesus does not say that the woman is innocent,
or argue that adultery should be taken of the book of the Law; but neither is
he persuaded about the innocence of her accusers. He asks them to check their
memories, their own track record on sin. If they are innocent then only they
can throw stones on the woman. At least the accusers are honest in admitting
their guilt and one by one they slinked away till Jesus is left alone with the
sinner woman. Then the woman heard the good news from Jesus. Neither do I
condemn you, go in peace and sin no more.
A Time of conversion
In 1850 Nathaniel Hawthorne published The Scarlet Letter. Its setting was a
Puritan community in Boston in early New England. Hawthornes novel tells the
story of Hester Prynne who was forced to wear the scarlet letter A for
adultery because she had given birth to an illegitimate child. The childs
secret father was none other than the communitys minister, Arthur Dimmersdale.
Hester had to bear public scorn and humiliation, while the minister had merely
to bear the pangs of conscience. After many years the minister finally
confessed his secret sin to the people and later died in peace. Hester
meanwhile went on to live like a saint, bringing peace to her disturbed
illegitimate daughter and helping others in their troubles. The Scarlet Letter
has several similarities with todays gospel story about a woman caught in
adultery. Both women were implicated in acts of adultery and were consequently
subject to the penalties imposed by the law. In both women there is a
conversion. Hester suffers much for her sin but becomes a saintly person in
the end. The woman in the gospel is forgiven by the Lord and is given a chance
to make a new life for herself.
Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds
The meeting between Christ and the adulterous woman is already a prelude to
his passion. To the accusers who press him to pronounce judgement he at first
opposes an absolute silence, as he will do later before his own judges. It is
as though he is giving them time to reflect clearly and objectively. For sin
does not exist in itself; there are only sinners: and here sinners include the
woman who cannot deny what she has done, as well as her accusers, each of whom
is obliged to undergo a personal examination of conscience: If there is anyone
of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. A
decisive reply this, which rules out any condemnation of the woman even by the
most zealous follower of the law. Who would dare to claim that he was above
reproach? And with that the schemes of Jesus enemies are brought to nothing.
As for the woman she is not abandoned to her fate, but invited to make a new
beginning, to try better: I do not condemn you, go
away and dont sin any more. Liberating words which make the stones fall from
our hands. Without denying or countenancing what she has done, they open up a
future for this woman who no longer dared to hope. Glenstal Bible Missal
Made anew
One day in 1980, a young Russian woman, named Tatiana Goricheva, crossed the
Soviet border into freedom. Once in the west she wrote a book about her
conversion to Christianity, which had taken place in Russia. From early
childhood, Tatiana had been a rebellious child and hated the tyranny of Russia.
She hated her parents and other people for putting up with this tyranny.
Tatiana sought to escape from this cruel world by burying herself in books and
reading. In college she was a brilliant student and scholar but instead of
fitting in with other students she associated with the low life of Russian
society: drug users, alcoholics, prostitutes. While living this divided life,
she became interested in Eastern mysticism, especially the practice of yoga.
She also became interested in reading everything she could find on
Christianity. The more she read the more she became fascinated with Jesus.
Tatiana had been baptized as a child by her unbelieving parents more as a family
tradition rather than as an expression of faith. At the age of 26 Tatiana was
rebaptized. She also decided to make a full confession of her life, her
drunkenness, her sexual excesses, her unhappy marriages, the abortions, and her
inability to love anyone. When her confession was over, she was a changed
person. Jesus had not only forgiven her sins, but had touched her deeply in the
process. She went forth from it a new person.
Mark Link in Sunday Homilies
May we rejoice in Gods forgiveness given unconditionally!
Fr. Jude Botelho
www.netforlife.net
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in
these reflections. These reflections are also available on my web site
www.netforlife.net Thank you.
---------------------------------
Heres a new way to find what you're looking for - Yahoo! Answers
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL:
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/attachments/20070319/d15db113/attachment.html
