REFLECTION FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

People can be so cruel to one another.  The joy of life is often stolen from us by people seeking to entrap us or pass judgement on our actions or those of others. 

Here Jesus encounters such people with a narrow judgemental mind-set ready to punish the woman in order to achieve their own political and religious ambitions. 

“ To Test him “  and  “ That they might have some charge against him “  words we encounter in life so easily.  Broken relationships, rivalry at work or even in sport, political and academic life can be shot through with similar situations.  Jesus remains so cool and collected. He denies them their twisted enjoyment of seeing him get angry.  Bullies often seek such satisfaction from their victims. Jesus teaches us all how to deal with such broken people.  He wrote on the ground, just how brilliant was that!   No pound of flesh here today – no the simple challenge “ let him without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”.  Suddenly, the spotlight was no longer on him, but on each one of these seeking to entrap him. Bullies cannot cope with that so they dropped their cruel sharp rocks and stones and slunk away.  Then, Jesus looked at her and with disarming mercy and compassion he asked her, “Has no one condemned you?”  She speaks for the first time: “No one sir”.  In that moment salvation, in all its love and abundance, is poured upon her …. truly a revolution in forgiveness!   In this year of Mercy what a lesson for us all.  Amen.

Fr. Declan O’Loughlin (Armagh Diocese)

Taking Our Hearts to the Lord – Lenten Reflections Series 2016