From the Pastor – Apr. 7, 2019

QUARTADECIMA DIE AD VESPERUM PASCHA DOMINI EST:
ET IN QUINTADECIMA SOLEMNITATEM CELEBRABITIS ALTISSIMO DOMINO.
FOURTEEN DAYS FROM NOW THE PASCH OF THE LORD WILL BEGIN, AND ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY YOU WILL CELEBRATE THE GREAT SOLEMNITY IN HONOR OF GOD MOST HIGH.”
A Lenten Sourcebook: The Forty Days, Book Two, p. 112

We are moving forward to the Great Feast and Season of Easter. It seems that Ash Wednesday was only a little while ago, yet it seems in the distant past. Yet, the church still reminds us that Lent continues, as do our Lenten practices. As we continue on our Lenten journey, it is always good to do a self-check to see what we have begun, continue to do or have accomplished. This way we don’t have to think that everything we started this Lent has to be accomplished within these 40 days. We have the rest of the year, and our lives, to continue to improve our relationship with God.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is confronted by a woman who was caught in an act of adultery (notice that at the time of Jesus, only the women were accused and not the men!). It would have been easy for Jesus to condemn her like everyone else. But because he was the presence of the Father made flesh, Jesus offered a different perspective. Whoever had no sin was to throw the first stone. Obviously, no one could because they were all sinners.

How about those times when we cast stones at someone when we accuse them of doing or saying something? Instead of attempting to heal others, we sometimes bring hurt and division because of our attitudes, words and actions. Jesus doesn’t throw stones at us but invites us to conversion, to see, speak and act differently. He bring us healing, with his gentle touch, and then sends us forth to do the same with each other. There is still  time to consider what we need to do to make changes in our lives so that we can better reflect the presence of Jesus in our lives. He invites us to be agents of healing and not of hurt, vehicles of the Good News and not obstacles to it, and vibrant and visible signs of his abiding presence and love.

Since Jesus never condemns us, but always bring us his healing touch to restore us to right relationship with the Father, he invites us to do the same with each other, so that together we can experience his loving presence in our lives.

Happy Lent!

Fr. Joe