5th Sunday of Lent (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word: Jesus’ sacrificial love is our redemption and the way to a renewed life.
Theme: We are redeemed towards a new life when we acknowledge our sins and repent.
Promise: “Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.” (Ps 126:5)
Reflection:
We are now on the 5th Sunday of Lent, the last week before Holy Week starts. Lent is essentially a journey towards strengthening our spiritual life when we acknowledge our sinfulness and are repentant of our sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In the past two Sundays of Lent, the readings are about the Lord’s call for repentance. In this Sunday’s reading, Jesus strongly exhorts us, “do not sin anymore,” (Jn 8:11b). Repentance is not merely a change of mind, but more importantly, it is a change of heart and attitude. Eternal salvation will be merited when there is true repentance.
Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery; He only had mercy and compassion for her. He granted this woman forgiveness because He saw that her heart was filled with remorse. We learn later that she is Mary who became a staunch follower of Jesus. There is a reflection of this woman in each of us. Like her, we see our own sinfulness, yet God gives us a chance to change. Like her, we see our freedom and not being condemned by the Lord. When we come to Him in repentance, He forgives us. But our repentance must be from the heart and should bear real conversion. Acknowledging our sins and confessing them ease our conscience and give us peace of mind. We are told, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,” (Acts 3:19).
“God is slow to anger and rich in mercy,” (Ps 103:8). Unlike the Pharisees who were too eager to stone the adulterous woman to death, Jesus was patient with her and he challenged her accusers to throw the first stone if they are sinless. We are all sinners; therefore, we should not rush to judge others and summarily condemn them. Instead, we should take our time to understand wrongdoers, love them and counsel them to change their ways. The supreme law of love should prevail over the laws of men. We have a saving God and if we are followers of Christ, our Redeemer, we should also be saviors of our brethren.
The process of repentance starts when we recognize our faults and acknowledge that we have sinned against God, others and ourselves. Acknowledging our sins brings us face to face to see the harm we have done by our wrongdoing and leads us to be remorseful. We feel the guilt for the injustice we have committed towards someone, for having hurt God who has done nothing but love us, or having disobeyed any of His ten commandments. Then we ask forgiveness to be cleansed of our guilt that bring us to wholeness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (1Jn 1:9). Asking forgiveness is truly a humbling experience and leads us to hope that God will forgive us, and He does. However, He tells us not to sin anymore and therefore, we must resolve to change our ways and develop the proper attitudes and virtues.
God is merciful and He does not tire in giving us chance after chance to repent and correct what has gone wrong in our lives. True repentance is acknowledging our sins, making a good confession and resolving to desist from sinful behavior. Humility and sincerity are keys to making a good confession. One should be honest enough because God always sees our heart. He forgives us no matter how many times we fall, so we should not hide from God. Acknowledging our sins enables us to experience God’s grace that will redeem us towards new life. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace,” (Eph. 1:7).
With all our strength, let us reiterate our commitment and covenant to our God, that we honor Him and live by His word all the days of our lives. When He hears our repentant heart, His everlasting love will forgive our sins and heal our souls as He promised in Psalm 126:5: “Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I realize I am a sinner. I believe You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for my sins. I thank You, Jesus, knowing that for those who follow You there is no condemnation. I need Your forgiveness to make me clean again. Restore my life and the fellowship we shared. Give me Your Holy Spirit to live in me and help me, that I will always be faithful to serve You. Thank You for this new life. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- In the remaining days before Holy Week, what steps are you taking to be restored into God’s graces and be reconciled with Him?
- How do you treat a brother or sister who has sinned against you?
- Do you condemn the sinner, or the sin? What can you do not to be judgmental or condemning towards your fellowman?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
April 3, 2022 (Sun) – Is 43:16-21/Ps 126:1-6/P126:1-6/Phil 3:8-14/Jn 8:1-11
April 4, 2022 (Mon) – Dn 13 1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62/Ps 23:1-3,3-4,5,6/Jn 8:12-20
April 5, 2022 (Tue) – Nm 21:4-9/Ps 102:2, 3, 16-18, 19-21/Jn 8:21-30
April 6, 2022 (Wed) – Dn 3:14-20, 91, 92, 95/Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56/Jn 8:31-42
April 7, 2022 (Thu) – Gn 17:3-9/Ps 105:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9/Jn 8:51-59
April 8, 2022 (Fri) – Jer 20:10-13/Ps 18:2m3, 5, 6, 7/Jn 10:31-42
April 9, 2022 (Sat) – Ez 37:21-28/Jer 31:10, 11, 12, 13/Jn 11:45-56
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
