Homily For The Fifth Sunday Of Lent, Year C

 

Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126:1-6; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11

“SELF-EXAMINATION: THE PATH TO ENCOUNTERING GOD'S MERCY”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide

·       We thank God for journeying with us so far in our Lenten Campaign. In less than two weeks, we shall be basking in the Glory of Easter. The question is, are we making good use of the opportunity the Lenten season offers us to transform ourselves into better persons?

·       Part of the opportunity the Lenten season offers with the solemn liturgy and meditative atmosphere with reduced music and dancing is for us to go into sober reflection and self-examination on our level of intimacy with God.

·       It is possible that for more than four Sundays of lent with the readings hammering on repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, a second chance, and the unconditional love of God the Father, many of us may be projecting it on others thinking we are not as sinful as those who seek God's mercy. We only commit “small-small” sins therefore, we are not included in those who need God's mercy.

·       Dear friends in Christ, lent is a time for serious self-examination, self-awareness, and interiorization to deepen our level of relationship with God and not to evaluate others and judge them because when we judge people, we spare little or no time to love them.

·       Looking closely at the theme for our reflection today is inspired by the encounter of the adulterous woman with the Scribes and Pharisees and Jesus which leaves us with a lot of questions rather than answers. Questions like: where is the man involved in the adulterous act? Why did those who caught them not apply the law (stoning to death) immediately? Why did they take her to Jesus since he was not an established ruler or a judge among the Israelites?

·       Rather than ask more questions, consider the fact that the scribes and Pharisees refused to acknowledge their weaknesses, they refused to see their own need for God out of their spiritual pride and arrogance. Hence whenever Jesus taught the people, they believed that the message was not meant for them but other sinners. They refused to see the opportunities God constantly gives for their repentance and reconciliation. They refused to examine themselves.

·       The scribes and Pharisees brought the woman to Jesus and said: “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of Adultery”. The Law demands that she be stoned to death, but in the presence of God, grace supersedes Law. The law demands that she should die but the grace of God gives her a second chance.

·       We are not too different from the scribes and Pharisees; we most times exonerate ourselves of any wrongdoing probably because we have not been caught. Even if we are not caught by anyone, the God who sees in secret has caught us (Matt. 6:4).

·       We must, therefore, realise that sin is a universal problem beginning from Adam down to our generation, because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Rather than shout condemn him or her, or stone him or her to death, we should rather look inwards to see areas in which we need God's divine touch and mercy.

·       The adulterous woman was contrite and remorseful about her sins and other past misdeeds. She was not even confident enough to look at the face of Jesus - the face of mercy - because she was deeply sorrowful for her sins, and that attracted God's mercy on her. 

·       She may have been caught for adultery. We may not have a problem with committing adultery, but we all have various sins we are struggling with, whether known by others or unknown. So why do we have to stone others for their sin while we have ours?

·       We are carrying different kinds of stones to stone the “sinner”, the stone of condemnation, backbiting, wickedness, anger, insensitivity, etc. Jesus hates the sin and not the sinner. Therefore, he does not condemn us; he does not stone us but offers us a second chance.

·       It is easier to forgive a sinner than a hypocrite. If we stop condemning people and give them a second chance, they may do better. We have all sinned in various degrees, and the consequence of sin is death (Rom. 6:23) because that is what the Law stipulates. But we must submit ourselves to the tender mercy of God, whose abundant love for us does not condemn us or stone us but restores us to wholeness.

·       God is calling out on you and me to look inwards, to examine ourselves and bring forth our filthy selves to Him, no matter what our sins are, that we may encounter his mercy that surpasses all telling. 

·       May God give us the grace to always look inward to see our weaknesses and emptiness so that we can seek God's mercy while we can still find it and that the words of Jesus, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more” (Jn. 8:11) may be heard again in our lives, Amen.

·        Happy Sunday!!!