Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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.”
I don’t condemn you either
1. In their midst. How many times have you and I pointed an accusing finger at others? Have you judged the actions of others, as if you had no weaknesses or mistakes? How many of us today think we are holier than others and, deep down, the only difference is that the other person has a sin that perhaps has been made public or is visible, while yours may not be obvious or has not yet been discovered. Don’t point a finger at anyone, because your other fingers will be pointing at you.
2. He began to write on the ground. When commenting this Gospel, St. Augustine said that Jesus was writing the sins of those who wanted to stone the woman. Seeing that their sins were written on the ground, they began to leave. That’s why today, in this last stretch of Lent, leave aside your judgmental and condemning attitude or that customs-officer behavior of going around saying who is and who isn’t allowed in.
3. I don’t condemn you. This woman must have been surprised by Jesus’s actions, by his rescuing her. Many of us, and I include myself as a priest, have acted the other way around, have stoned people with our attitude or words. We have not been a Church that is a field hospital welcoming the wounded and healing them. We have become a club where we set conditions for people to be able to enter. Today, let’s be a Church that embraces and heals, that lifts up our fallen brothers and sisters, looks them in the eye, giving them back their dignity, which is the most wonderful gift that God has given us. And that’s how the Gospel ends today, he raised her up.
Always remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
