Year C

April 6, 2025

On this page you will find:

The readings for Mass, the Mass leaflet with the choice of hymns
A sample universal prayer available for download , in PDF and editable Word formats.
A meditation on the Sunday Gospel , a spiritual text and a commentary by Marie-Noëlle Thabut

5th Sunday of Lent

Jubilee of the Sick

and the world of health

Jesus had bent down
and, with his finger, he wrote on the earth.
As they persisted in questioning him,
He stood up and said to them:
“He among you who is without sin,
that he be the first to throw a stone at him.

John 8:6b-7

Readings from the Mass

https://www.aelf.org/2025-04-06/romain/messe

Mass leaflet

Universal Prayer

Lectio Divina
Consult this page for a prayerful preparation for the liturgy and then read the meditations below.

Meditation

On this fifth Sunday of Lent, the liturgy presents us with the episode of the woman caught in adultery (cf. Jn 8:1-11). In this episode, two opposing attitudes emerge: that of the scribes and Pharisees on the one hand, and that of Jesus on the other. The former want to condemn the woman, because they consider themselves guardians of the Law and its faithful application. Jesus, on the contrary, wants to save her, because he personifies the mercy of God who, by forgiving, redeems and by reconciling, renews.

Let us now consider the event. While Jesus is teaching in the temple, the scribes and Pharisees bring him a woman caught in adultery; they place her in the middle and ask Jesus whether she should be stoned, as prescribed by the Law of Moses. The evangelist specifies that they asked him the question "to test him, so that they might have grounds to accuse him" (v. 6). We can suppose that their aim was this—consider the wickedness of these people: a "no" to stoning would have been a reason to accuse Jesus of disobeying the Law; a "yes," on the other hand, to denounce him to the Roman authorities, who had reserved judgment for themselves and did not permit mob justice. And Jesus must answer.

Jesus' interlocutors are trapped in the dead ends of the law and want to confine the Son of God within their perspective of judgment and condemnation. But He did not come into the world to judge and condemn, but to save and offer people new life. And how does Jesus react to this ordeal? First, He remains silent for a moment, then He bends down to write with His finger on the ground, as if to remind them that the only Lawgiver and Judge is God, who had written the Law on stone. Then He says, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her" (v. 7). In this way, Jesus appeals to the conscience of these men: they felt themselves to be "defenders of righteousness," but He makes them aware once again of their condition as sinful human beings, because of which they cannot arrogate to themselves the right of life or death over one of their fellow human beings. At that moment, one after another, beginning with the oldest—that is, those most versed in their own misery—they all left, abandoning their plan to stone the woman. This scene also invites each of us to recognize that we are sinners and to let go of the stones of denigration and condemnation, of gossip, that we sometimes want to hurl at others. When we speak ill of others, we throw stones; we are just like them.

In the end, only Jesus and the woman remain, there in the middle: “Misery and mercy,” says Saint Augustine (In Joh 33, 5). Jesus is the only one without sin, the only one who could cast the first stone at her, but he does not, because God “does not desire the death of the sinner, but that he should turn from his ways and live” (cf. Ezek 33:11). And Jesus dismisses the woman with these magnificent words: “Go now and sin no more” (v. 11). And thus Jesus opens before her a new path, created by mercy, a path that requires her commitment to sin no more. This is an invitation that applies to each of us: when Jesus forgives us, he always opens a new way for us to move forward. In this Lenten season, we are called to recognize ourselves as sinners and to ask God for forgiveness. And forgiveness, in turn, while reconciling us and giving us peace, allows us to begin a new chapter in our lives. Every true conversion aims at a new future, a new life, a beautiful life, a life freed from sin, a generous life. Let us not be afraid to ask Jesus for forgiveness, because he opens the door to this new life for us. May the Virgin Mary help us to bear witness to everyone of God's merciful love, who, in Jesus, forgives us and makes our existence new, always offering us new possibilities.

POPE FRANCIS

ANGELUS

Saint Peter's Square

Sunday, April 7, 2019

The Gospel for this Sunday

presented to children

(and to those who resemble them)

Interview with Bernadette Dumont

for Magnificat

(I highly recommend subscribing: here )

Now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, for I am tender and merciful.

◗ What is the trap that his opponents are setting for Jesus?

If Jesus agrees to the woman being stoned, he contradicts his good news of mercy. But if he opposes her being stoned, he positions himself as contradicting the Law of Moses (cf. Leviticus 20:10). In both cases, he discredits himself.

◗ Is it really necessary to explain to children what adultery is?

It is best not to miss opportunities to bear witness that physical relations are vital for a Christian: a wonderful proof of the communion of love in marriage, they can also betray the promised love and become one of the most serious sins a Christian can commit. What is at stake is nothing less than our very reason for being: Love.

◗ But how can we say it without risking making mistakes with children who are in a complicated family situation?

Depending on each child's family situation, every effort will be made to find the right words to convey the truth that saves, with appropriate tact. Parents—or, failing that, grandparents—are best placed to do this.

Even though adultery is a grave sin, stoning is a revolting punishment!

In fact, it wasn't just sin in the religious sense that was punished in this way, but also social crime. At that time, all social cohesion was structured by lineage: if one could doubt that a child was the son of his father, then all of life in society, and even civilization, was in danger.

◗ But for Jesus' opponents, it was indeed about punishing sin.

Yes, and Jesus' response: "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her," this response clearly shows that it is absolutely implausible for us sinners to concern ourselves with punishing each other's sins!

And finally, all the vigilantes leave…

Jesus does not humiliate them; he offers them an honorable way out, hoping that the lesson will inspire them to change their hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. Now, here is Jesus alone with the woman… Saint Augustine comments: it was “misery” in the face of “mercy.” Let us remember last Sunday: it was the “misery” of the son in the arms of the Father’s “mercy.”

◗ What can we take away from this, on this last Sunday of Lent?

"Go, repent and believe in the Gospel, and from now on sin no more."

Catechist and author of children's books, Bernadette Dumont is a mother and grandmother.

Better understanding the Gospel
with Marie-Noëlle Thabut

Better understanding the Gospel

with Marie-Noëlle Thabut

GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD

We are already in the context of the Passion: the first line mentions the Mount of Olives, yet the evangelists never speak of the Mount of Olives before the last days of Jesus' public ministry; moreover, the Pharisees' desire to trap Jesus signifies that his trial is already looming. All the more reason to pay particular attention to every detail of this text: it is much more than an anecdote from Jesus' life; it concerns the very meaning of his mission. At the beginning of the scene, Jesus is in the position of teacher ("As all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach"), but now, through the question of the scribes and Pharisees, he is placed in the position of judge: as you will have noticed, of all the protagonists, he is the only one seated. The theme of judgment, in the Gospel of John, is significant enough that we should not be surprised by this emphasis at this point. This scene of the adulterous woman puts into practice the phrase found at the beginning of the same Gospel: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). In this mock trial, things seem simple: the adulterous woman has been caught in the act, there are witnesses; the Law of Moses condemned adultery, it was one of God's commandments revealed at Sinai (“You shall not commit adultery” Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18); and the Book of Leviticus prescribed the death penalty: “When a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the adulterer and the woman shall be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10). The scribes and Pharisees who come to Jesus are very attached to the observance of the Law of Moses: surely they can't be blamed for that! But they neglect to mention that the Law prescribed the death penalty for both accomplices, the man as well as the adulterous woman; everyone knows this, but no one will speak of it, which clearly proves that the real question posed by the Pharisees is not about the strict observance of the Law; their question lies elsewhere, and the text makes this very clear: “In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They spoke thus to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him.

THE TRICK QUESTION

Where was the trap set for Jesus? What did they hope to accuse him of? It's clear he doesn't approve of stoning; that would contradict his entire preaching on mercy. But if he dares to publicly plead for the release of the adulterous woman, he can be accused of inciting the people to disobey the Law. In the Gospel of John (chapter 5), we already see him ordering the healed paralytic to carry his mat, which is forbidden on the Sabbath. That day, nothing could be done to him, but this time the incitement to disobedience will be public. Ultimately, despite the apparent respect shown in the question, "Teacher, what do you say?" Jesus is no better off than the adulterous woman: both are in mortal danger. Jesus doesn't answer immediately: "Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground." This silence is certainly intended to allow each person to respond: very respectful, he doesn't humiliate anyone; the one who embodies mercy doesn't seek to embarrass anyone, neither the scribes and Pharisees nor the adulterous woman! He wants to guide both of them a little further. His silence is constructive: he will reveal to the Pharisees and scribes the true face of the God of mercy. When he finally decides to answer, his statement is more like a question: "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Upon this response, they leave, "one by one, beginning with the oldest." No wonder: the oldest are the most ready to hear the call for mercy. So many times, they have experienced God's mercy for themselves... So many times, they have read, sung, meditated on the phrase "God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger and abounding in love" (Ex 34:6), so many times they have sung Psalm 50/51 "Have mercy on me, O Lord, according to your goodness; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions"... They have just become aware of all the forgiveness they have received.

DON'T BE MISTAKEN ABOUT GOD, BE MERCIFUL

Even more, perhaps they understood that their failure to show mercy was in itself a sin, an infidelity to the God of mercy. Had the Law not become their idol? Perhaps it was Jesus' words that prompted this reflection: "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Being "the first to throw a stone" was a well-known expression in the context of the fight against idolatry. The Law did not say that it was the witness of adultery who should throw the first stone; but it explicitly stated this in the case of idolatry (Deut 13:9-10; Deut 17:7). So Jesus' response can be translated: "This woman is guilty of adultery, in the primary sense of the term, that much is clear; But are you not committing a far more serious adultery, namely, an infidelity to the God of the Covenant?” (We know that the prophets very often spoke of idolatry in terms of adultery.) The Pharisees and the scribes sincerely wanted to be children of the Most High, so Jesus told them, “Do not be mistaken about God, be merciful.” Jesus, the Word, had just accomplished his mission of Revelation among them. Then, Jesus and the woman remained alone: it was the face-to-face encounter, as Saint Augustine says, of misery and mercy. For her, the Word would again accomplish his mission, speaking the word of Reconciliation. Isaiah, speaking of the true servant of God, had foretold it: “A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not snuff out…” (Isaiah 42:3). This is not laxity: Jesus clearly says "do not sin again," not everything is permitted, sin remains condemned... but only forgiveness can allow the sinner to go further.

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