Fifth Sunday of Lent – Year C
March 13, 2016
Gospel: Jn 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 (1) 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 (2)
such women. So what do you say?" They said this to test (3) 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 (4).
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 (5) you?" She
replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus
said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any
more."
The difficult words
(1) To commit adultery means to be unfaithful to your husband or your wife.
(2) To stone is to kill someone by throwing stones at him.
(3) The scribes and the Pharisees wanted to test Jesus, or set a trap for him.
(4) The elders were the most respected older
people of the community.
(5) To condemn means to declare someone bad or evil.
This week’s spotlight
The Kyrie
Kyrie eleison is Greek for “Lord, have mercy.” It is a
very old prayer that we sometimes say together at Mass to show sorrow for our
sins. With these words, we ask the Lord to show mercy on us because we are weak
and often fall into sin. God hears our prayer, forgives us, and helps us to do better.
We are then ready to listen to his word and receive his body and blood.
The letters of Saint Paul
Paul the apostle traveled to many places to tell about
Jesus Christ to people who did not know about him. He founded churches in the
towns where he preached the Good News. Later; he wrote letters to those
churches in order to encourage the new Christians and help them to grow in
their faith.These letters were read when the people gathered for the Eucharist.
We still read Paul’s letters at Mass today in order to learn from his
extraordinary understanding of Jesus Christ and of the Christian life. The New
Testament contains thirteen of Saint Paul’s letters. They are sometimes called
epistles.
Reflection
Come back to the Lord with all our heart!
In this Sunday’s Gospel, some people bring Jesus a
woman who has done something very wrong. They yell: “This woman here is bad!
She deserves to die!” Jesus, however, doesn’t agree with their harsh words.
Instead, he reminds the people that no one is without sin. We all need
forgiveness, so we all need to forgive. One by one all the people go away,
leaving the woman alone with Jesus. Jesus forgives her and tells her not to sin
any more. By doing this, Jesus is teaching us two important things. First, when
we do something bad, God does not drop us or forget about us. He helps us,
pardons us, and believes we can change. Second, when someone does something bad
to us, God asks us to do as he does — not to condemn the person, but to look
upon that person with love, to forgive that person, and to believe that person
can change. Let’s try to see others as Jesus sees them, with an attitude of
hope and love.
Discussion questions
1. Why do the scribes and Pharisees bring the woman to Jesus?
2. What does the Law of Moses say should happen to the woman?
3. What does Jesus do?
4. Why do all the people leave?
5. How does Jesus give the woman the gift new life?
6. What does it mean that God loves us unconditionally?
7. How can you celebrate God’s forgiveness and unconditional love?
Praying after Communion
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. I praise
you for the mercy you show in forgiving
my sins. Help me through this communion with the body and blood of your Son to
forgive others as you have forgiven me. Give me the strength to see others with
your eyes of love and mercy, and to make peace with those who have hurt me.
This week...
Not judging others
This week, read the Gospel each
day and think about what it means. Make a special effort not to judge people,
like Jesus who does not condemn the sinful woman. Pay attention to what you say
about others. Try not to say anything bad about anyone, or make fun of anyone,
or tell others about something bad that another person did.
Being a maker of peace
If you are mad at certain people
or if you are holding a grudge against someone, you can try to make peace.
Before finding yourself face to face with that person, ask in the silence of
your heart for help from Jesus. Then, try a very simple first step: say hello
with a smile. You might be pleasantly surprised at what happens next.
Crossword Puzzle
