I can’t believe it is the Fifth Sunday of Lent.  I love this Sunday in Cycle C because we hear the story of the Woman Caught in Adultery in the gospel of John.  Biblical scholars say that this might be a later interpolation because the end of chapter 7 does not seem to flow with the story.  But whether it is an original part of the manuscript or not, it says a lot about who God is – clearly, He is a God of compassion, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love.  I believe it is fitting that we hear this story as we prepare to enter Holy Week next weekend.  The story reminds us of the underlying meaning of Holy Week, and that is love.

In preparation for Holy Week, I am inviting you to join us for our Parish Lenten Reconciliation on Wednesday, April 9 at 7:00PM.  Several priests have been invited to help celebrate individual confessions.  

For the past five weeks, we have been praying, fasting, and practicing almsgiving.  My hope is that these Lenten practices are helping us grow in our relationship with God and with one another.  Perhaps there are a few areas in our life that need a little more pondering; maybe something that has been weighing on you. Maybe something that is not healthy in your spiritual life or something that inhibits us from being true to who we really are as a beloved child of God.   Reconciliation is our opportunity to bring them to light – an opportunity to examine our lives and ask God for forgiveness.  Reconciliation is a time to ask God for strength to make necessary changes in our life.

I encourage all of us to pray with the beautiful gospel story this weekend.  As St.  Ignatius would say, place yourself in the shoe of the woman. Imagine the mercy of God being poured upon you.  Then at the end of that prayer, listen to Jesus’s words: “Go, your sins are forgiven.”   How do you feel? It is liberating, isn’t it? You feel at peace.  Then, celebrate that gift! Join us on Wednesday for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.