Praise to be Jesus and Mary.
It may come as a surprise to some to learn that there had been a long historical debate
as to if this passage from today's gospel was really part of the inspired writings of
the Holy Bible.
The discussion didn't end until the Council of Trent, when it officially declared that
this gospel narrative is to be considered divinely inspired and therefore to be included
in the canon of sacred scripture.
The controversy involved the mercy and kindness of Jesus towards a woman accused
of adultery.
Some fathers of the church and theologians and biblical scholars thought that the gospel
narrative was showing a Jesus who was too lax when it came to sin.
Thankfully, the Holy Spirit, working through the Council of Trent, gave us definitively
this very beautiful passage.
Nevertheless, the debate does focus our attention on the mercy and the kindness of our Lord.
Jesus has compassion on the sinful woman.
He doesn't excuse the sin.
He condemns the sin, but not the sinner.
The mercy and the kindness of Jesus.
The mercy and the kindness of Jesus are infinite.
Therefore, it's hard to understand why there was such a controversy regarding this passage.
There's nothing in it that contradicts the rest of the gospel.
We must not forget those amazing words in the same Gospel of St. John, when he says,
Yes, God.
Yes, God.
Yes, God.
Yes, God.
Yes, God.
Yes, God.
Yes, God.
Jesus, I know you loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone
who believes in Him may not be lost, but may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world so that He sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the
world, but so that through Him, you know, the world might be saved, and that the majority
of us.
have experienced the mercy and kindness of Jesus
through the life-giving sacrament of confession.
On this Sunday, the Gospel reminds us
to consider the importance of the sacrament of confession
and the immense gift that we've been given.
And this sacrament is a great source of interior peace.
And when the priest raises his hand
and pronounces those profound words,
you know, I absolve you,
we know that at that moment,
God has heard our cry for forgiveness.
And that we've been pardoned of our sins.
You know, we are now preparing
to enter into the most important week of the year.
Next Sunday begins Holy Week.
So let us purify our hearts
by remembering that every time we go to confession,
we encounter the merciful and kind Jesus
just as this woman did in today's Gospel.
You know, the repentance of our sins
and the forgiveness that we receive
allows us to experience true peace
just as she did.
However, you know, don't be surprised or discouraged
by the fact that we are not alone.
The fact that the spiritual life
is always, always is and always will be
a continual battle.
You know, here's where true humility lies.
You know, it is by recognizing our own sinfulness
and interior poverty
that we're able to allow Jesus
into our lives.
It's by
experiencing what happened to the adulterous woman.
You know, she didn't argue with Jesus.
She didn't say that she had not sinned.
She didn't justify her sin.
You know, so many people today deny the existence of sin,
and that's just what sin is.
So many of our contemporaries justify their own sinful behavior and they even lobby to get it legalized by the state.
The only way that we can experience the presence of Jesus in our lives is by recognizing who we really are.
We are sinful creatures in need of redemption.
On this Sunday's beautiful gospel from St. John reminds us that Lent is about personal conversion and change.
Through the sacrament of confession we can conquer our sins.
And our evil inclinations.
We can all change.
We can all experience deep spiritual progress.
No one is immune.
Change and progress are always possible.
To encounter Jesus.
Just as this woman did in the gospel, her encounter with our Lord reminds us that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
Actually, you know, the only difference I once heard between a saint and a sinner is one good confession.
Wait.
Everything we do is a proclamation to pray to God for our devilish
another form of salvation and help them lead a better life in Christ Jesus Christ.