HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

Fifth Sunday of Lent (Year C)

Apr 6, 2025

689

Listen Read

First Reading

A reading from the Book of Isaiah (43:16-21)

Thus says the Lord, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick.

Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6)

(R) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing. (R)

Then they said among the nations, "The Lord had done great things for them." - The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad indeed. (R)

Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the torrents in the southern desert. Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. (R)

Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians (3:8-14)

Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of my Christ Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: 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.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the Gospel according to John (8:1-11)

Jesus went out 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."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

In the Gospels, the Scribes and the Pharisees are the two main groups of Jewish people that are frequently mentioned, often as opponents of Jesus. The Scribes were the first teachers and interpreters of "Torah", Or "Law" which is also called the Law of Moses, known more commonly to Christians as the "Old Testament", Luke (5:17; 11:45) and Matthew (23:1-39). The Pharisees were considered the strictest observers of the Law and the most influential Jewish sects. However, whenever there was a dispute over the law, they referred it to a Rabbi or a teacher of Judaism. Today's gospel recounts one such case, John (8:1-13).

The Scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus, also recognized as a Rabbi or a teacher, and asked Him if they should stone her to death, as the law dictated, or not. According to the laws given to Moses and laid out in the Books of Leviticus (20:10), Deuteronomy (22:13-14) and Exodus (20:14), adultery was a sin punishable by death both for the man and the woman. However, at the time of Jesus, the Romans had taken away the right to apply the death penalty for adultery and other capital crimes. So, obviously they had brought the case to Jesus to put Him in a difficult situation. Jesus faced a similar situation when the same people wanted to know whether they had an obligation to pay taxes to Caesar, or not, Matthew (22:15-22) and Mark (12:13-27).

But Jesus knew that the accusers were neither interested in the Law nor in doing the right thing, but rather to trap him in order to have evidence to accuse Him. If He said no to stoning the woman, He would be accused of disregarding the law of Moses. If He said yes, He would have set Himself going against the Roman law. Therefore, instead of giving an immediate verbal response, Jesus "bent down and wrote something on the ground with his finger."

The writer does not reveal why and what Jesus wrote on the ground not once but twice. There are many interpretations, including that He was writing the names of the accusers along with their sins, particularly those who had committed adultery with the woman. This speculation is based on the Greek word used in the text, "katagraphein" meaning "to write down a record against someone". Another interpretation is that He wrote the commandments of the law on the ground just as God wrote the law on stone the first time. Still another interpretation is that He did not want to further subject the woman to more humiliation by looking at her.

Some biblical scholars and Church Fathers like St. Jerome and St. Bede suggest that Jesus wanted to give either the accusers a chance to "withdraw creditably," or the woman to admit her guilt. All these ideas are possible, but we do not know for certain what Jesus wrote. However, we do know what Jesus said later. He said, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her", John (8:7).

In saying so, Jesus invited not just any of them who had never committed adultery but rather any sin mentioned in the Law such as false worship, idolatry, misusing God's name, neglecting the Lord's Day, dishonouring parents, murder, theft, lying, envy, jealousy, anger, greed, gluttony, lust etc. or any of them who kept God's commandments perfectly to throw the first stone. "Without sin" also refers to any sin in thought, word, deed, or omission. As for the sin of adultery Jesus says, "Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart", Matthew (5:28).

So, what Jesus meant here was that if they stoned the woman for her sin, they too must count the cost for their sin. Thus, Jesus preserved both the Roman and Mosaic Law while exposing the evil intentions and sins in the hearts of the accusers. At that point, the accusers left one by one, beginning with the oldest perhaps because they were more aware of their sin than the younger among them, or they had much greater sin or more sin to account for. Finally, when He was left alone with the woman standing before him Jesus asked her whether anyone condemned her, and she replied "no". Jesus then said to her that He too would not condemn her and told her to go and sin no more.

Overall, the story conveys a profound lesson on Jesus' love, mercy, and forgiveness:

Just as He showed great love to the woman even though she was a guilty sinner, Jesus loves us despite our faults and sins. He knows everything about us. He sees all our sins, past, present and future. Yet He loves us. There is nothing we can ever do to make Jesus love us less. St. Paul proclaims this truth with piercing clarity, saying, "Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord", Romans (8:38-39). Jesus loves us so much that He died for us while we were sinners, Romans (5:8). We don't deserve His love, yet He loved us anyway. The writer of Hebrews states, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever", Hebrews (13:8). Thereby reminding us that Jesus' love for us sinners is steadfast and unchanging.
Like the woman in the story, we are all caught in the acts of sin, and therefore certainly deserve shame, disgrace, death and eternal separation from God. But Jesus does not give what we deserve. Instead, He shows us great mercy. If we all got what we deserved for our sins, we wouldn't be alive and we wouldn't have the things that we already have in life. If we compare what we have with what we deserve, then our hearts would be full of gratitude. St. James writes, "Every good gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows", James (1:17). In other words, all the things in the world - the necessities in life such as food, water, shelter, clothing, family, children, job, security, wealth, and the spiritual gifts known as knowledge, wisdom, faith, healing, prophecy, miraculous powers, the discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, teaching, encouraging, serving, giving, leadership, and showing mercy, are from God even though we don't deserve anything, 1 Corinthians (12:8-10) and Romans (12:6-8).

So, this gospel story invites us to give thanks to God for His everlasting mercy, His steadfast love, and His unfailing kindness and all the gifts even though we don't deserve, and at the same time not to be disappointed, discouraged, or even depressed by bad things or situations, and be mad at God about them.
Jesus forgave the woman and told her to "go and sin no more", thereby restoring her full human and spiritual dignity as well as giving her a new life and an opportunity to begin again. In the same way, Jesus forgives us regardless of the volume or severity of our sins while at the same time He wants us to stop sinning, recognizing its destructive power and the shame it brings to us. Jesus who lived a perfect, sinless, completely righteous life and then "died on the cross for our sake but was raised again and is now seated at the right hand of God is the only one who can condemn and judge us, yet He never condemns us", Romans (8:34).

For He came to earth, not to condemn and punish but to save us, John (3:17). Yes, Jesus saves us from condemnation and gives us an opportunity to turn away from our past and live a new life. Jesus' forgiveness does not mean He condones or approves of our sins but rather He chooses not to remember our sins because the cost has been paid completely by His suffering on the cross. He upholds the seriousness of sin while offering forgiveness and the opportunity for repentance that leads to life and salvation, Acts (11:18) and 2 Corinthians (7:10). Ultimately, our human dignity and relationship with God are restored through Jesus Christ.

Let us, therefore, take advantage of the Lenten season to approach Jesus with a truly repentant heart and mind and obtain His love, mercy and forgiveness.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

Content Options

to download the audio file Sign In » or Register ».
generate Google Translate Layout ».
share this homily via:

Top of Page

More Homilies this Month

Use the Prev or Next buttons to read or listen to the other homilies of the month.

« Prev Next » Palm Sunday (Year C)