Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

5th Sunday of Lent

Fifth Sunday of Lent

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Last Sunday we heard the parable of the Prodigal Son from the Gospel of Luke.  Our selection here from the Gospel of John offers another lesson about God’s mercy and forgiveness – not a parable but a report of a personal encounter between Jesus, some scribes and Pharisees, and a woman.  In this case, Jesus’ response to those who accuse the woman of adultery is a lesson in profound mercy and forgiveness.  It is a forceful reminder that we too have been saved by Jesus’ compassion.

The Gospel account says these people brought this woman to Jesus to trap him.  You see, Jesus had forgiven some people of their sins, like the man born blind and the crippled man. But the sins that those people had been accused of were not considered crimes. Here was a woman accused of a major crime.  Had a trial already taken place and a verdict of GUILTY already upon her head? Would Jesus fulfill the law? Or would he do what he’d done before: forgive her?   She is counting on the compassion of this man of God.

Thinking about that crowd.  It may be pretty easy to spot a Pharisee, and we might not like to admit it, but we can all behave like a Pharisee.  How will you know if you’re a Pharisee?

  • If your official title is longer than your given name.
  • If you’re willing to be merciful – once. You’re getting you final chance
  • If God’s still small voice… sounds exactly like your own.
  • If you know the Word of God, but not the God of the Word.

What does Jesus do?  He stoops down and writes in the dirt.  What’s he writing?  Was he just doodling or was he writing something meaningful? The Gospel does not say.   What John tells us is Jesus’ last words to the woman, “Go away and don’t sin anymore.”    He does not say to her, or to us, “Leave your life of sin, then I will no longer condemn you.”  He does say this: “I do not condemn you; now leave behind your life of sin.”  He did not simply ignore sin or overlook it.  Jesus chose not to condemn the woman, but He did not tell her that her sin was unimportant.

Maybe this little story, a true one I’m told, reminds you of someone you know most intimately.   Like, you know, yourself?  I’m told that a 4-year-old said to his mother, “Mom, I decided I’m not going to sin any more.  I’m not going to be like those bad guys Jesus was talking to.  I’m going to be a good child of God.” “Mmm, that’s very nice,” Mom answered.  “What made you decide that?”  “ ‘Cause Jesus said if you don’t sin, you can throw the first stone. I want to throw the first stone at the bad person.”

Maybe you never thought that way.  But you may have noticed that when you point your finger at “her,” there are three fingers on your hand pointing right back at you.  Self-examination opens us to self-revelation.  And, Jesus reminds us: “Judge not, lest you be judged.”

Notice in today’s second reading Paul says: “it is not that I have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it.”    Let us pray that same gift for each other.  May I be mindful of Jesus’ way of not looking at the past.  Instead, he says: “Neither do I condemn you.  Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”  Today, I promise you, Jesus, with Your help, I will not hold anyone’s past against them.  May God strength me/us in my/our resolve.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 43:16-21       Second Reading:  Philippians 3:8-14
Gospel:   John 8:1-11
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Fifth Sunday of Lent

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Jesus must have been a visual learner – His words are so visually clear: “If a seed is planted into the ground and it does not die, it remains a seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds and seedlings and those seeds and their seedlings produce much fruit.”

We may think of seeds as a sign of new life, but the process really begins with the seed dying.  Could it be that the key to life is death?  Could it be that the key to living is dying?  Could it be that dying is important to living?  Listen once more to Jesus’ words: “Unless a seed dies, it remains a single seed, but if it dies, it produces many seeds and therefore much fruit.”

So, what happens when a seed dies?”   Inside every seed is an embryo, and in that embryo is a root which goes down into the ground; and a shoot that rises above. Every embryo has a root and a shoot; and inside (this is really a miracle), an “on” and “off” switch.

When a dormant seed is immersed in a growing medium, in optimal conditions, the switch goes “ON.”  The seed takes in water, and miraculously begins to expand.  I suspect you’ve seen it happen when as a youngster you put a lima bean in a wet paper towel inside a see-through container.  Anxiously, you watched to see whose seed would be the first to show signs of the miracle of growth.  That is what Jesus was describing: “Unless a seed dies, it remains a single seed; but if it dies, it produces many seeds and then much fruit.”

Isn’t this the story with us and our good intentions?  Some behavior must die, it must give way to a new “me.”  When conditions are just right, the switch goes ON, protective fear breaks loose, and we begin to practice a new way of conducting ourselves.  Like new seeds, without greenhouse coaxing, it takes 40 days to acquire a new habit.  Mmmm …  Did that figure into the reason there are 40 days in Lent?

A similar miracle of nature happens with salmon.  Salmon make their way ever so slowly along the water bottom, their noses worn white from abrasions by rocks and pebbles.   They travel hundreds of miles to their spawning fields.  My father, a career Coast Guard man, spent months at a time on patrol along the U.S. Pacific coast protecting spawning salmon from poachers.

Salmons’ instinct bring them back to the place of their birth. After spending a year or two or three out in the ocean and swimming back up to the stream of their birth, the salmon are preparing to die. At the end of their long laborious journey, they dig a hole and lay their eggs.  And, they die.  And out of those eggs comes new life.  For it is ONLY through dying that there is new life among the salmon. And so there is a parallel is there not, between the seed and the salmon?  For both, death is necessary for life.  In dying, new life springs forth.

And, therein is our Lenten lesson – it is in dying that we begin living.  In the words of St. Francis of Assisi’s famous peace prayer; “It is in giving that we receive; it is in dying that we are born again.”

How is your Lenten “dying” going?   On Holy Saturday evening, at the Easter Vigil service, as we ignite the new fire we will watch our Lenten resolutions go up in smoke.  What will have died in us?  Will self-will have resigned its place to deference?  Will compulsive appetites have given way to mortification?  Will my prompt to choices be less “what’s good for me” and be more “what’s good for the community?”   Will infidelity have yielded to loyalty?   Will self-pleasure have conceded to service to others?  Will the needs of others more likely motivate my actions?  Will I finally have relinquished a life-long destructive habit?  Will I have surrendered my quick tongue to gentleness of tone of voice?  What will have died?  What will spring up in its place?

Jesus summed it up for us:  “Whoever will find life must lose it, but whoever loses life will find it.  If anyone would serve me, they must follow me.”  Where?  You must follow Me in death to self.  The seed must first die.  Only then will Jesus “Easter” in us!

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), St. Joseph (March 19) and St. Benedict (March 21)  

Rejoice with me when on March 23 as I mark 65 years since I pronounced my vows as a Benedictine Sisters of Florida.

 

 

First Reading:   Jeremiah 31:31-34       Second Reading:  Hebrews 5:7-9
Gospel:   John 12:20-33
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Sin No More

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Last Sunday we heard the Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Gospel of Luke.  Our selection here from the Gospel of John offers another lesson about God’s mercy and forgiveness – not a parable but a report of a personal encounter between Jesus, some scribes and Pharisees, and a woman.  In this case, Jesus’ response to those who accuse the woman of adultery is a lesson in profound mercy and forgiveness.  A forceful reminder that we too have been saved by Jesus’ compassion.

The Gospel account says these people brought this woman to Jesus to trap him.  If he was a prophet, then he should be able to discern if she was guilty or not.  They sound like a bunch of four-year-olds – “Teacher, look what she did!  We saw her do it.”  And just how did they know?  Where were they snooping around?  Or did they take the word of the local gossip mongers?  What would Jesus do?

You see, Jesus had forgiven some people of their sins, like the man born blind and the crippled man.  But the sins that those people had not been accused of were not considered crimes.  Here was a woman accused of a major crime.  Her accusers say she was even caught in the very act.  So were there witnesses willing to testify against her?  Or had a trial already taken place and a verdict of GUILTY already upon her head.  The crowd was growing.  Everyone was anxiously waiting and watching: would Jesus fulfill the law or would he do what he’d done before and forgive her?

Her accusers seem to have no regard for the fact that maybe this woman did not initiate the sin.  They could not entertain the idea that perhaps it was the man!  If Jesus forgives this woman, he will restore her in two ways: spiritually and by saving her life he will restore her place in society.  In either case, here she was, dragged into the public limelight, counting on the compassion of the man of God.

Jesus appears to be caught between a rock and a hard place.  What’s he to do?  First he challenges the accusers: “Let the one among you who is without sin start the stoning.”  The crowd cheers; then grows silent – nothing is happening.  What must have been going through the minds those people that day?  The wait to see what he’s going to say or do.

He stoops down and writes in the dirt.  The crowd is pushing and shoving and jockeying for view.  “Move! I can’t see. What’s he writing?”  Was he just doodling or was he writing something meaningful?  The Gospel does not say.

But take notice of Jesus’ last words to the woman, “Go away and don’t sin anymore.”  Jesus does not say to her, or to us, “Leave your life of sin, then I will no longer condemn you.”  He says, “I do not condemn you; now leave behind your life of sin.”

Jesus did not simply ignore sin or overlook it.  Jesus chose not to condemn the woman, but He did not tell her that her sin was unimportant or that it was just a venial sin nor did he make up excuses for it.  “She’s had a hard life.  She comes for a dysfunctional family.

Maybe you can identify with this little story, (I’ve been told it’s a true exchange)?  A 4-year-old told his mother, “Mom, I decided I’m not going to sin any more.  I’m not going to be like those bad guys Jesus was talking to.  I’m going to be a good child of God.”  “Mmm, that’s very nice,” Mom answered.  “What made you decide that?”  “Cause Father said that Jesus told everyone if you don’t sin, you can throw the first stone.”  “I want to be the one to throw the first stone.”

Maybe you never thought that way but has it raised your hackles because “Nobody listens to me and I have the answer”?  That’s when God’s wee small voice may seem to begin to sound exactly like your own.  Or have you felt like “I forgave her once for that same thing and she’s doing it again!”  You may have noticed that when you point your finger at “her,” there are three fingers on your hand pointing right back at you.  Self-examination opens us to self-revelation.  It sheds light on our shadow side and can bring into the spotlight the fact that we have the very same fault we are condemning in the other.  Jesus reminds us: “Judge not, lest you be judged.”

~ Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

First Reading:  Isaiah 43:16-21     Second Reading:  Philippians 3:8-14
Gospel:  John 8:1-11
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