FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
(Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:7-14; John 8:1-11)
We are nearing the end of Lent. We can see the light at the
end of the tunnel. The light shines with the hope that we may be renewed
people. Our fat is not as limp as before. Our speech has been purified. We
perform works of mercy with less resistance. But it is not yet time to cease
the struggle. We must run the entire course as marathoners must complete 42
kilometers.
To take advantage of today's readings, let us reflect on a
now famous saying. It is not from the Bible, Shakespeare or the sages of
antiquity. It is attributed to the English Catholic playwright Oscar Wilde,
although it is not exactly found in his writings. Nevertheless, it is full of
wisdom as if it came from the lips of Mother Teresa. The saying goes, “Every
saint has a past; every sinner has a future.” That is, saints were not born
saints. They became so by overcoming temptations like those which confront us.
Sinners, too, once they recognize their offenses, can reform and become saints.
Saint Paul was not always an apostle of Jesus Christ. In
fact, he knew himself as Christ’s number one enemy. He persecuted Christ by
imprisoning Christians. Then, he met the risen Lord in an unexpected encounter.
As today's second reading says, “Christ has won me over.” It's not that he
changed Paul’s life in the sense that he lost his zeal. But he directed his zeal
in the opposite direction. Instead of persecuting Christ, Christ became the
sole focus of his life. Instead of punishing Christians, he created them
through his preaching. Instead of hating Christ, he wanted a “sharing of his
sufferings.”
The woman who confronts Jesus in the Gospel committed a
grave sin. Although adultery is not the worst of sins, its effects can be
disastrous. It can destroy marriages and will undermine the upbringing of
children. Furthermore, it leads other couples to suspicion and distrust. But
this woman is not the only sinner in the Temple area that day. Jesus' challenge
to the Pharisees reveals that they too have sinned.
Jesus offers the woman an opportunity to repent. As he will
say in the next chapter of the Gospel according to John, he came not to
"judge" (that is, to condemn), but to save. The woman, now forgiven
by Jesus, has an open future. Now she can choose the path of holiness.
The first reading from Second Isaiah proclaims the spirit of
Easter. God is “doing something new." He is, as it were, creating "a
path in the mighty waters " of the sea of evil that often characterizes
the world. Instead of giving in to impure, greedy, or aggressive desires, we live
differently. Our hope is not in “happy thoughts” like partying and telling
jokes. Rather, it is the fulfilling of the deepest longings of our hearts. We are
looking forward to a life that knows no disappointment, much less death. We are
talking about the reunion with our loved ones who have departed from the earth.
Above all, we have in mind knowledge of Christ, our teacher, redeemer, and
truest friend.
Yes, eternal life sometimes seems impossible. But the
apostles have attested with their lives that this goal is achievable. Only with
Christ, who has justified us and provides us with the Holy Spirit, is it
possible. Only with the power of his resurrection can we be changed into God’s true
sons and daughters.
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