Go, Sin No More

The Fifth Sunday of Lent, the last Sunday before Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Already! The Gospel for Year C is the story of the woman caught in adultery.  It is fitting at this point of Lent to look at the compassion of Jesus and his admonition to sin no more (Jn 8: 11).  We need to see his kindness and hear his patient and consoling words, for we have seen, if not all our lives, at least in these five weeks, the pattern of progress and failure.  We are in process, and though it may seem we've reached a plateau, we slide back and have to start over again.  In the second reading from Philippians, Paul speaks about accepting the loss of all things for the supreme good of knowing Christ.  Yet, wisely and realistically, he admits that he has not attained perfect maturity, but continues his pursuit in hopes that someday he might possess it.  (cf. Phil 3: 8-14).  The pursuit of the goal is the thing, the process in which we all find ourselves, the on-going steps forward and steps backward.  Did the adulteress sin no more, or did she, like the rest of us, try to avoid sin, and when she failed, did she return to the compassionate Jesus and seek forgiveness again?  We need not be discouraged by this pattern, but rather be strengthened to continue our pursuit of "the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3:24).
Bro. Rene