5th Sunday of LentIsaiah 43:16-21 Philippians 3:8-14 John 8:1-11 (May be used any day this week: 2 Judges 4:18-21, 32-37. John 11:1-45) The Gospel this weekend is this:
John 8:1-11 Jesus went at night to the Mount of Olives. 2 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. 3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. 4 They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" 6 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. 7 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." 8 Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. 10 Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more." The first reading is this: Isaiah 43:16-21 Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, 17 Who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, Till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick. 18 Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; 19 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. 20 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, 21 The people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise. The second reading is this: Philippians 3:8-14 More than that, I even consider everything as a 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 9 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 10 to know him and the power of his resurrection and (the) sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 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 by Christ (Jesus). 13 Brothers, 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, 14 I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus. MEDITATION: This 5th Sunday of Lent is praising the fact that God is always offering to forgive while also asking us to sin no more, and calling us to be people that forgive along with Him. We will celebrate the resurrection of Easter praising the fact that God engenders new life… in us… and in everybody. God bless you Pope Francisco. Jesus saves the adulteress from stoning and wants to save us all from sin and death. Lent isn't in order to put on a 'holy hat', but in order to develop a truly loving heart. In the process, Jesus actually allows his own self to be condemned by man. He must be mad! - madly longing for our love! The Gospel is very relevant because one fault from which we need to be saved is the sin of condemning others for their faults. Christ wants to cure a world that 'throws stones'. A friendly correction is very different to an outright criticism. I like the way the Spanish use the verb 'to apport' (aportar). It means to inform someone of their mistakes to help them avoid making more. I try to begin with the phrase "I may be mistaken, but I think that x y z...". That's very different to an outright criticism which condemns them to feel ashamed! In fact, the patron saint of priesthood (Jean Vianney - 1785-1853 - the 'Curate of Ars' in France) spent most of his priesthood sitting down in front of his church and people would approach for confession because they knew that he was a friendly and patient listener. He wasn't always 'running around'. So it's relevant for me in my wheelchair! We shouldn't just forgive faults, but help people realise their potential to do well and promote them. Our first Pope is a good example. Out of cowardice Peter denied three times that he even knew Christ (as we'll remember on Good Friday), but he certainly improved. The Samaritan woman in John 4 had her past mistakes recorded by Jesus, along with an experience of his loving forgiveness, and she ended up converting many with her Good News. As the pharisees criticised the woman who kissed the feet of Jesus in Luke 7, Jesus responded in her favour saying: "The one who is forgiven a lot is the one who will love a lot" (Lk 7:47). This Sunday, Jesus is not condoning the woman's fault but He's making it clear that those who condemn are themselves very much at fault. Think of the call of the tax-collector Mathew (Mt 9:1-13): 'The Pharisees saw this and said to the disciples of Jesus, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 Jesus heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. 13 Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."'. It's clear that there's a lot of evil in our world, but that's not because of 'bad' people, but because of 'ignorant' people. They just need friendly instruction. Christ asks for our help. Fraternal correction implies that you really believe in the potential of the other, to be a good living Christ and that you just want to help Christ to be born in him! One of the things that's clear in 'community life', is that we have to 'correct' each other. It's done with a heart of love - not annoyance. It isn't a question of argueing, but of proposing things. It's not for any selfish gain, but in the hope that it will help us all to be like Christ. That's a tremendous gain! It's very clear in the 'Our Father'. We ask God to forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. In your case, how forgiving is that? Jesus wants us to respect that our brothers and sisters have the potential to be fantastic beautiful people of love. That includes those who have done things obviously evil. Christ forgave his crucifyers "For they know not what they do". But if we all help Christ, then they may come to know! Man always has someone about whom to complain but man becomes a true son of God when the wrongdoer becomes for him someone for whom to care. Forgiving is what eventually heals. Condemning destroys and the one to be really destroyed is the one who condemns! To quote St Paul: 'I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love...' (Eph 4:1-2). But he goes even further elsewhere: 'Bless those who persecute you'! (Rom 12:14). As an international missionary Church ('catholic') we should remember that propriety changes with cultures and ages etc.. As a little example, if a red-indian was on the streets ofEurope in mid summer, he would probably be improperly dressed, yet may be very chaste! I mention it just with regard to how the youth judge the elderly and visa versa. Let's cure a world that throws many stones! It may seem irrelevant that Jesus bends down and writes on the ground today, but it speaks to me of the fact that he has something important to teach and wants to instill his Word in all of us. Official Jewish teachers used to have their lesson kept in writing. Jesus is willing to 'bend down' and 'scrape the dust' in order to do it and that symbolises the fact that the Son of God really bent down in becoming a man! Will we let him inscribe on our hearts and minds? As the first reading of Isaiah says today, God won't impose. We should humbly let him instruct us and guide us. The Gospel begins saying that Jesus spent the night on the mount of Olives in prayer and in the morning went to the temple to teach. 'Prayer and preaching' is the official job ('charism') of us Verbum Dei missionaries (as it is of every Bishop!) and it's really what God asks of every Christian! The way the Gospel today has Jesus bending down to write something with his finger in the dust speaks to me of how God thinks things out and prepares what he is going to communicate to us. Christ wants us to be ambitious in a loving way. As the second reading says, let's go for the goal! Whoever has no sin can throw the first stone at me! .......Dara. En ESPAÑOL: 5° Domingo de Cuaresma: Is 43:16-21. Fil 3:8-14. Jn 8:1-11 Este 5° Domingo de Cuaresma alaba el hecho de que Dios siempre ofrece el perdonarnos mientras que nos pide no pecar más, y nos llama a ser personas que perdonan como Él. Celebramos la resurrección de Pascua celebrando el hecho de que Dios engendra vida nueva… en nosotros… y en todos. Dios le bendiga Papa Francisco. Jesús salva a la adultera del apedreamiento y nos quiere salvar a todos del pecado y de la muerte. La Cuaresma no es para ponernos un 'sombrero santo', sino para formar un corazón que realmente ama. En el camino, Jesús aún se deja a si mismo ser condenado por la humanidad. ¡Está loco! - ¡locamente anhelando nuestro amor! El Evangelio es muy relevante, porque una falta de la cual necesitamos ser salvados, es el pecado de condenar a otros por sus faltas. Cristo quiere curar a un mundo que 'apedrea'. Una aportación amistosa es muy distinta a un criticismo duro. De hecho, en Inglés, casi no se usa el verbo 'aportar' (to apport). Intento empezar siempre con la frase "Quizás no tengo razón, pero me parece que x y z…". Es muy distinto a un criticismo directo que lleva a la vergüenza. De hecho, el patrón del sacerdocio (Jean Vianney - 1785-1853 - 'el cura de Ars' en Francia) solía estar sentado delante de su iglesia y mucha gente venía para la confesión porque sabía que él les escucharía amistosamente y con paciencia. No estaba siempre 'dando vueltas' con prisa. ¡Esto es relevante para mi en mi silla de ruedas! No deberíamos simplemente perdonar faltas, sino también ayudar a la gente a reconocer su potencia y a realizarla. Nuestro primer Papa es un ejemplo bueno. Por cobardía, Pedro negó tres veces que conocía a Jesús (como recordaremos en Viernes Santo), pero es claro que se recobró. La Samaritana en Juan 4 oyó a Jesús recordando sus faltas, junto con una experiencia de su amor misericordioso, y acabó convirtiendo a muchos con su Buena Nueva. Cuando los fariseos criticaban a la mujer que besó los pies de Jesús en Lucas 7, Jesús respondió a favor de ella: "Alguien que es perdonado mucho, amará mucho" (Lc 7:47). Este domingo, Jesús no está negando la falta de la mujer, sino comunicándonos que los que quisieron apedrearla estaban a punto de cometer ellos mismos una gran falta. Piensa en la llamada al cobrador de impuestos, Mateo (Mt 9:1-13): 'Los Fariseos vieron aquello y dijeron a los discípulos de Jesús, "¿Porqué vuestro maestro come con cobradores de impuestos y pecadores?". Jesús lo oyó y respondió, "Los sanos no necesitan un médico, pero los enfermos sí. Aprended lo que significan las palabras, 'Quiero la misericordia y no el sacrificio.'. No he venido para llamar a los justos, sino a los pecadores"'. Es claro que hay mucha maldad en nuestro mundo, pero no es a causa de personas 'malas', sino de personas 'ignorantes'. Simplemente necesitan instrucción amistosa. Cristo nos pide ayudar así. La corrección fraterna supone que realmente crees en la potencia del otro para ser un Cristo vivo bueno, ¡y simplemente quieres ayudar a Cristo a nacer en él! Una cosa clara en 'la vida comunitaria', es que conviene aportar uno al otro. Se hace con corazón de amor y no para fastidiar. No se trata de discutir, sino de proponer cosas. No es para ganancia egoísta, sino para ayudarnos todos a ser como Cristo. ¡Esto es una ganancia tremenda! Está claro en 'el Padre Nuestro'. Pedimos a Dios perdonar nuestras ofensas como nosotros perdonamos a los que nos han ofendido. En tu caso, ¿que verdadero es este perdón? Jesús quiere que respetemos la potencia de cada hermano y hermana para ser personas buenísimas de amor. Esto incluye a los que han hecho cosas claramente malas. Cristo perdonó a los que le crucificaban "Porque no saben lo que hacen". Pero si muchos ayudamos a Cristo, quizás todos se darán cuenta de lo que hacen. Cada persona siempre tiene alguien del cual quejarse, pero llega a ser hijo de Dios de verdad, cuando su querer principal es ayudarle al otro. Es el perdón el que eventualmente nos sana. ¡La condenación destruye, y la persona a la que destruye más que a nadie, es al que condena! Como escribe San Pablo: 'Os exhorto a vivir en humildad, con mansedumbre, y paciencia, aguantando uno al otro con amor…' (Ef 4:1-2). Pero escribe aún más en otro sitio: 'Bendecid a los que os persiguen'! (Rom 12:14). ¡Esto es un gran desafío después de los asesinatos acontecidos en Madrid el 11-M! Siendo una Iglesia misionera internacional ('católica') deberíamos respetar que cada cultura tiene sus propias costumbres. Por ejemplo, si un indio de las tribus de América estuviera caminando por las calles de Europa en mitad del verano, ¡no conviene criticar su pecho desnudo! Lo menciono con respeto a como los jóvenes juzgan a los mayores y 'vice versa'. ¡Curemos a un mundo que apedrea mucho! Quizás no te llama mucho la atención el que Jesús se doble hoy para escribir en el suelo, pero me habla de como tiene algo importante que enseñar y quiere instalar bien su Palabra en nosotros. Los maestros Judíos solían tener sus enseñanzas escritas. Jesús está dispuesto a 'doblarse' y tocar el polvo para hacer algo semejante y esto simboliza como el Hijo de Dios realmente se dobló al encarnarse. ¿Le dejaremos inscribir en nuestros corazones y nuestras mentes? Como dice la primera lectúra de Isaías, Dios no impondrá. Deberíamos humildemente dejarle instruirnos y guiarnos. El Evangelio empieza diciendo que Jesús pasó la noche en el monte de los Olivos en oración y por la mañana fue al templo para enseñar. 'La oración y el ministerio de la palabra' es nuestro papel oficial ('el carisma') como misioneros Verbum Dei, y de hecho ¡Dios lo pide de cada Cristiano! El hecho de que el Evangelio de hoy tiene a Jesús doblando abajo para escribir algo con su dedo en el polvo me habla de cómo Dios piensa en las cosas y prepara lo que nos va a comunicar. Cristo anhela que seamos ambiciosos en el amor. Como propone la segunda lectura, ¡corramos hacia la meta! ¡El que no tenga pecado que me tire la primera piedra! Comments are closed.
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