GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,

and all the people started coming to him,

and he sat down and taught them.

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman

who had been caught in adultery

and made her stand in the middle.

They said to him,

“Teacher, this woman was caught

in the very act of committing adultery.

Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.

So what do you say?”

They said this to test him,

so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.

But when they continued asking him,

he straightened up and said to them,

“Let the one among you who is without sin

be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

And in response, they went away one by one,

beginning with the elders.

So he was left alone with the woman before him.

Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,

“Woman, where are they?

Has no one condemned you?”

She replied, “No one, sir.”

Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.

Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” 

The word of the Lord

 

It became a sin

It is very likely that the woman had been caught in adultery by her own husband, and he would be the one to condemn her so that she could be stoned.

He was willing to live without his wife rather than tolerate her sin.

The question today is: What is stronger, blaming my husband/wife for his/her sins or my love for him/her?

For Christ, there is no doubt, because He has demonstrated that He became sin out of love for His Wife.

 

Applied to Married Life:

Thomas: Lord, my wife has offended me by questioning my love for her without a valid reason. Allow me to do penance for the forgiveness of her offense, united to Your Sacrifice of salvation.

Agnes: Lord, my husband has scorned me by mocking my devotion. Allow me to do penance for the forgiveness of his offense, united to Your Sacrifice of salvation.

(And so both were justified by the love of their spouse.)

 

Mother,

May our sin be a reason to love one another more. Praise be to our Savior.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,

and all the people started coming to him,

and he sat down and taught them.

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman

who had been caught in adultery

and made her stand in the middle.

They said to him,

“Teacher, this woman was caught

in the very act of committing adultery.

Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.

So what do you say?”

They said this to test him,

so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.

But when they continued asking him,

he straightened up and said to them,

“Let the one among you who is without sin

be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

And in response, they went away one by one,

beginning with the elders.

So he was left alone with the woman before him.

Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,

“Woman, where are they?

Has no one condemned you?”

She replied, “No one, sir.”

Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.

Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

The word of the Lord

 

I run towards the goal

The law exists, and Jesus does not deny it. What sin is more painful and harmful than adultery within the family context? There are few situations as hard for a husband. Jesus does not diminish the magnitude or severity of the act. Hence, the strong imperative: ‘From now on, do not sin anymore.’ But the love of God is always greater and stronger than the sin. That ‘Neither do I condemn you’ in the face of such a great infidelity against the will of God, He manifests it greatly. Does she deserve condemnation? Yes, but she is liberated through love.

Applied to married life:

Ana: Don’t argue with me anymore; I know I’ve done wrong. I’ve already asked you for forgiveness because I am very regretful. What else can I do?

Jaime: It’s just that I feel it’s not enough. You’ve hurt me a lot, you know?

Ana: I know, and I know I deserve an unpayable punishment, but that’s why I ask for your forgiveness. Will you have mercy on me as God has mercy on you?

Jaime: You’re right. Other times you have also had mercy on me. I am also a sinner, and I don’t have the right to apply a punishment to you that I have not received myself. I sincerely forgive you and ask for forgiveness for having taken so long to forgive you.

Mother,

Like Saint Paul, I decide not to look back and I run towards the goal that Christ has chosen for me. Praise be to the Lord for His mercy.”

Gospel

‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee?’
John 7:40-52

At that time: When the crowd heard these words of Jesus some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?’ So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
  The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, ‘Why did you not bring him?’ The officers answered, ‘No one ever spoke like this man!’ The Pharisees answered them, ‘Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, ‘Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?’ They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.’

Gospel

Gospel

‘There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.’
John 5:31-47

At that time: Jesus said to the Jews: ‘If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?’

The Gospel of the Lord