Fifth Sunday of Lent - April 6, 2025 (Year C)

My theme for this set of readings is that God will make all things new.  Now, there is a caveat to that statement, as it must be done with our consent and willingness to partake in a journey with God.  We see this played out in the reading from Isaiah, where the Exodus is retold poetically.  Here, God remakes the fortunes of the downtrodden Israelites as they leave their old selves behind in Egypt and are made anew in the promised land.  But the key line from this passage is in the middle, as Isaiah reminds them not to dwell on the past but to live in the light of the present blessings.  And this is what is reiterated throughout the Psalm as we affirm that we are filled with joy from the wonderous actions God has performed for us.  And with this in mind, we turn to St. Paul's words in the second reading.

To close his letter, St. Paul says that he has forgotten what's behind him, and is focused on what awaits him in the next life, pursuing that prize of God's calling with the aid of Jesus.  Think about the past that St. Paul had in his outward persecution of the early Christians.  St. Paul says that he has forgotten that and focusses only on his journey with Christ toward God in the life to come.  If St. Paul can be forgiven and allowed to forget his transgressions, we have no reason that we can't shed anything that we've done in our pursuit of a lasting relationship with God.

And this is what is at the heart of Jesus's message in the Gospel, that the woman should go and sin no more, with the implicit direction to live accordingly in God's grace.  In reading this passage from the Gospel, I'm reminded of confession, where part of our minds are the judges of our own actions.  It's easy to dwell on the sins we have committed and, when we bring them to God, expect harsh punishment.  And yet, our soul, like that of the woman accused here, is protected by God, not because of our past actions, but because of His Love.  Often we want to condemn ourselves, but only God can be the judge of our actions.  If we allow ourselves, and if we allow God, we can be forgiven and forget any of our transgressions.  And that is one of the key themes of Lent, shedding our old selves to make way for the new glory that awaits all of us, if only we make the diligent effort to attain it.

Disclaimer: This will be at the bottom of all reflections, but I’m not intending to put out any sort of professional critique, attempt at a homily, or investigation into the historicity of the readings, but will “let the Spirit move me” as some say, to share what has spoken to me in my reading and reflection on the set of Readings for each week.