By Fr. Andrew Kelly
FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT – MARCH 17, 2013
“Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” No one threw any stones in Sunday’s Gospel (John 8:1-11). Why? Lots of sins were being committed.
An obvious sin was that the scribes and Pharisees did not treat the woman as a human being. This is not news, as some things never seem to change.
Instead the woman was humiliated as a worthless, disposable object used solely to attack and accuse Jesus as a lawbreaker and sinner.
Another sin was the violation of Leviticus 20:10:
“If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.”
If the scribes and Pharisees caught the woman in the act of adultery, how could they miss the man? Was there a double standard when it came to men and women? God forbid.
The woman’s accusers all departed in silence. Jesus broke the silence by teaching how sinners are to be treated.
“‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’”
(Father Andrew Kelly is a retired priest of the Diocese of Davenport.)
Scripture Readings for March 17-24
Sunday
Is 43:16-21
Phil 3:8-14
Jn 8:1-11
Monday
Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or Dn 13:41c-62
Jn 8:12-20
Tuesday
2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
Wednesday
Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Lk 2:41-51a
Thursday
Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
Jn 8:31-42
Friday
Gn 17:3-9
Jn 8:51-59
Saturday
Jer 20:10-13
Jn 10:31-42
Sunday
Ez 37:21-28
Jn 11:45-56
