Chúa Giêsu là ánh sáng «Ta là ánh sáng của thế gian» (Ga 8:12). và ai theo Ngài thì sẽ không đi trong bóng tối, nhưng sẽ có ánh sáng và sự sống (Ga 8:12). Như các môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu, Sau khi chịu phép thánh Tẩy, chúng ta đã nhận được ánh sáng từ nến Phục Sinh, Chúng ta cũng mời gọi đem ánh sáng đến cho thế gian, để toả ánh sáng niềm hy vọng trong bối cảnh bạo lực, thiếu niềm tin và sợ hãi, để toả ánh sáng của đức tin giữa bóng tối, nghi ngờ và thắc mắc, một ánh sáng của tình yêu giữa những cay đắng, dối trá và niềm đam mê bao quanh cho chúng ta.
Hôm nay Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta thấy chính Ngài là người sẽ ban cho cho chúng ta những ý nghĩa trong cuộc sống của con người, mặc dù chúng ta vẫn có nhiều thiếu sót và không xứng đáng. Chúa Giêsu là gương sang, cuộc đời của Ngài là ánh sáng chiếu soi cho tất cả chúng ta được tồn tại, trong bât cứ lúc nào, cho dù là trong những lúc vui tươi, hạnh phúc, hay trong những giây phút đau khổ hay trong sự mâu thuẫn.
Today Jesus gives us a definition of Himself that fills with sense the life of those of us that despite our many deficiencies, wish to follow him: «I am the Light of the world» (Jn 8:12). Jesus' person, his teachings, his examples of life, are light that lightens all our existence, whether in the good hours or in moments of suffering or contradiction.
What does that mean? That under any circumstances which we may find ourselves in, such as in our work, in our relations with others, in our relation to God, in our joys and in our pains... we may ponder: —What did Jesus do in a similar situation?; we can always look into the Gospels and reply: —So I will do the very same thing! Precisely, John Paul II has incorporated to the Saint Rosary —a “compendium of the Gospels”, as he himself recalls— the mysteries on the public life of Jesus, and has named them “Mysteries of Light”. Thus, the Holy Father says: «It is He who, after being named favored Son of the Father at the Baptism in the Jordan, announces the arrival of the Kingdom, and bears witness of it with his deeds while proclaiming his demands».
Jesus is Light and «the one who follows him will not walk in darkness, but will have light and life» (Jn 8:12). As his own disciples, the Lord also invites us to be light for the world; to shine a light of hope amidst the violence, mistrust and fear of our brothers; a light of faith amidst their darkness, doubts and queries; a light of love amidst the many lies, bitterness and passions that surround us. The Holy Father, as a backdrop to all the mysteries of light, reminds us of Mary's words at the Cana wedding: «Do whatever He tells you» (Jn 2:5): this is the right way for Jesus to be the Light of the World and for ourselves to be able to illuminate with this same light.
“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7
This is a powerful line spoken by Jesus. The judgmental and condemning Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who had apparently been caught “in the very act of committing adultery.” Was she a sinner? Yes, indeed she was. But this story is not so much about whether or not she was a sinner. It was about the attitude Jesus had toward sinners as compared to that held by the self-righteous, judgmental and condemning Pharisees.
First of all, let’s look at this woman. She was humiliated. She had committed sin, was caught, and was publicly presented to all as a sinner. How did she react? She didn’t resist. She didn’t remain in denial. She didn’t get angry. She didn’t fight back. Instead, she stood there humiliated, awaiting her punishment with a sorrowful heart.
Humiliation over one’s sins is a powerful experience that has the potential to bring forth true repentance. When we encounter someone who has sinned in a manifest way and is humiliated over their sin, we must treat them with compassion. Why? Because the dignity of the person always supersedes their sin. Every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and every person deserves our compassion. If one is obstinate and refuses to see their sin (such as in the case of the Pharisees), then an act of holy rebuke is necessary to help them repent. But when one experiences sorrow and, in this case, the added experience of humiliation, then they are ready for compassion.
By stating “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her,” Jesus is not justifying her sin. Rather, He’s making it clear that no one holds the right of condemnation. No one. Not even the religious leaders. This is a hard teaching to live for many in our world today. It is commonplace for the headlines in the media to almost compulsively present us with the most sensational sins of others. We are constantly being tempted to be outraged at what this or that person has done. We easily shake our heads, condemn them and treat them as if they were dirt. In fact, it seems that many people today see it as their duty to act as the “watchdogs” against every sin they can dig up on others.
Reflect, today, upon whether you are more like the Pharisees or Jesus. Would you have stood there in the crowd wanting this humiliated woman to be stoned? How about today? When you hear about the manifest sins of others, do you find yourself condemning them? Or do you hope that mercy is shown to them? Seek to imitate the compassionate heart of our divine Lord; and when your time of judgment comes, you also will be shown an abundance of compassion.
My merciful Lord, You see past our sin and look to the heart. Your love is infinite and awe-inspiring. I thank You for the compassion You have shown to me, and I pray that I may always imitate that same compassion to every sinner all around me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, sin drives a wedge between us. Why am I so quick to condemn others but remain blind to my own faults and failings? Never let me be separated from you by sin and help me learn to be merciful and compassionate toward my brothers and sisters in need of forgiveness.
1. Susanna and the Wicked Old Men: The intention of the scribes and Pharisees in bringing the woman caught in adultery before Jesus was to test him. They had little concern for the woman and her fate; they sought only to trap Jesus in a difficult dilemma. Like the question about paying taxes to Caesar, the question of punishing the adulteress could not be answered with a simple yes or no. If Jesus says no, his doctrine of God’s merciful love would seem to violate the Law of Moses; if he says yes, then he would be inconsistent with his message of mercy toward sinners. Jesus uses the opportunity to bring the old Law of Moses to its fulfillment and expose the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, who were not without sin. The case of Susanna also represents a dilemma. If she acquiesces to the evil intentions of the old men and does not cry for help, the old men will have their way with her and she will have no way of accusing them; if she does cry out, they will act as two witnesses and will falsely accuse her of adultery. Susanna chooses to cry for help, for she trusts in the Lord. Today’s psalm is her prayer: “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you, O Lord, are at my side.”
3. Jesus and Sin: Jesus does not condone the sin of adultery or make light of it. He is fully aware of how this sin destroys the spousal covenant and creates division in the family. The verse before the Gospel sheds light on Jesus’ intention: “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live” (Ezekiel 33:11). The hearts of the old, wicked men were corrupt and had no place for God. The heart of the adulteress, though wounded by sin, was open to God’s mercy. The old men remained in their sin; the adulteress was released from sin.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you look with love upon those in need. You gently heal the wounded hearts of sinners and soften the hardened hearts of the proud. If my soul is wounded by sin, heal me. If my soul is hardened by pride, soften it.
Living the Word of God: What will we choose as we approach Holy Week? Will we harden our hearts, like the old men, to God’s love and choose sin over life or will we open our hearts, like the adulteress, to God’s love and choose life over sin? Will we be like the old men and persist in deceit or will we be like Daniel and testify to the truth? Will we imitate the unmerciful Pharisees or will strive to follow Jesus and imitate the mercy of God?
Opening Prayer: Lord, as I pray my way through this Lenten season, please give me the grace to live my resolutions well, and help me, as I reflect on these words, to draw light and inspiration from them for my day.
What Authority? The Pharisees exercised their authority over others by merciless recrimination. Christ reached out to others with compassion and mercy. The Pharisees saw authority as a means to banish a sinner from society. Christ seeks the lost and returns him or her to the sheepfold. In this Gospel, the adulterous woman was about to be stoned for her sin, but Jesus put a stop to the Pharisees’ hypocrisy and, with a warning to sin no more, sent the woman off to begin anew. He perfectly exemplified authority, compassion, and mercy. We are called to imitate him in our dealings with others.
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