April 5: Preparing to Celebrate Sunday’s Mass

In the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Lent (John 8, 1-11), a crowd brings an accused woman before Jesus. Their primary motive was not to condemn her, but to trap Jesus. They wanted to use the occasion to discredit Jesus in the eyes of His followers. This would serve as a first step toward getting rid of Him. “What have you to say?” they demanded of Him. If His response was simply, “Leave the woman alone; let her go free,” they could accuse Him of condoning adultery. But if He agreed with their sentence, He would be seen as lacking in mercy. Jesus saw through their plotting and made them withdraw in confusion: “Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.”

With wisdom from above and with admirable skill, Jesus brings truth, justice, and compassion to bear on the crowd’s act of judgment. That’s how He is, right? He is not conditioned by any oppressive law or power, He is a free individual who never hated or condemned, and He is the One sent among us who never returned evil for evil. What does it mean for us to learn from His example, walk in His footsteps, and follow His lead?