GO AND SIN NO MORE
First Reading: Isaiah 43: 16 to 21
Second Reading: Philippians 3: 8 to 14
Gospel Reading: John 8: 1 to 11
*First reading is from the book of Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah assures the people of Israel who were exiled in Babylon that there will be a new exodus and the Lord God will bring deliverance for them. He encourages them to concentrate on the present and trust in the promises of the Lord God who is always with them and cares for them. This message of hope should inspire us too to trust in the Lord.
*Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Philippians. Paul explains to the Christian community at Philippi that holiness is not something that we can achieve by our own efforts. Instead, we should try to see holiness as something that comes through faith in Jesus and in the power of His resurrection. Paul realizes that although he led a zealous life as a Jew, it had no apparent effect with regard to his eternal life.
'Go and do not sin again'. Last Sunday we listened to the parable of the prodigal son which graphically expresses the immense love and mercy of God for the repentant sinner. In today's Gospel, we have the real-life story of the prodigal daughter - a woman caught in the act of adultery. On that day at daybreak, some people brought this sinful woman to Jesus. Practically everyone present at the scene wants this woman condemned to death by stoning, according to the law of Moses. But Jesus shows her mercy and forgives her and saves her from certain death and gives her a new life. Jesus grants her forgiveness not because what she did was not against the commandment of God but because He loves her in spite of her sinful past. Jesus forgives her and tells her to go in peace and from now on, she shall not be enslaved by sin. Hence, Jesus the Son of God dispenses the generosity of God's forgiveness. The woman's many sins, which the public condemned and others wanted to kill her for, are totally and dramatically forgiven by the Lord. Jesus' generosity might upset some of us. But Jesus tells not only to the sinful woman but to each one of us to go in peace and not to sin again. Jesus teaches us that the greatest law is the law of love and every other law should be complementary to it. The incident in today's Gospel is rather dark and messy, reeking of moral squalor - sin. On the surface there appears to be only one sin involved - the sin of the woman caught in adultery. But there are also other sins, subtle and hidden, which is obvious from the fact that there was not a single person in the crowd without sin, as none of them dared to stone this woman. In fact the vindictiveness of the scene, its malice and moral squalor are disheartening and painful. We all are part of the stone-throwers. We seldom measure the faith of others with the same rule or weigh them on the same scales as our own. It is time to have a look at ourselves during the Lent. Let this be our prayer: Lord Jesus, you looked with compassion on the woman caught in adultery and even though you knew she was a sinner, you did not condemn her; instead you sent her away in peace. Help us to be merciful and forgiving towards all those who sin against us, so that we too may receive your peace and forgiveness. During these days of Lent, let us too respond to the forgiving love of the heavenly Father positively and decisively. In this context St. Augustine says: "In the end only two persons remained representing misery and mercy, and mercy won that day." Leo Tolstoy says: "There is no more important thing in life than compassion for a fellow human being." May the Lord Jesus who forgave the sinful woman and brought her back from certain death and condemnation forgive you and make you an instrument of the forgiving love of the heavenly Father. Amen.
(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, April 6, 2025." Thanks.)