No one

The Fifth Sunday of Lent

Today’s Gospel again speaks of hope, forgiveness and mercy. Last week we listened to the parable of the Prodigal Son or what we can also call, the Merciful Father. Today we will listen to an encounter between Jesus, the Pharisees and the Scribes. They bring a woman caught in adultery, in front of Jesus. They were not really interested in what she did. Their sole objective was to try and create a case against Jesus. However, Jesus does not fall in their trap and He uses the occasion to teach us about God. 

Can you identify yourself in one of these characters? Are you the woman? Has anyone ever gossiped about your actions? How did you feel?

Are you part of the crowd which was ready to stone the woman? Do you gossip, are your words judgemental and accusing? Do you point at the wrong of others, yet being blind to your wrong doings?

Have you ever acted as Jesus did? Are there times when you show great compassion?

Were you ever in the woman’s place when someone forgave you for a grave wrongdoing? How did you feel?

No matter what we did, Jesus wants to reassure us that we can be forgiven. Jesus wants to free us from our sins. Sin weighs us down; it robs us of peace and we cannot rest until we are forgiven. Jesus invites us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11, 28) 

When God looks at us, he does not only see our sin. Instead, he looks at us as we are, there is even good in us. God’s attention is on the whole being, and not on particular actions. The sin the woman committed was grievous, and according to law, she could be stoned. Although Jesus does not condone her actions, he forgives her, he gives her back her dignity, he tells her to sin no more. He gave her a new life. God’s mercy is infinite. 

The sacrament of reconciliation is a sacrament which gives us a new life. It frees us from the sin which is weighing on us. This sacrament asks us to change. We need to repent. When we repent, we are not only sorry for what we did wrong, we also change for the better. 

In one of his catechesis, Pope Francis speaks about the holiness of the Church. He says that we are all sinners, “we are a Church of sinners; and we sinners are called to let ourselves be transformed, renewed, sanctified by God.” (if you would like to read the rest of this audience of Pope Francis, please visit.)

A reading from the Gospel of St John (Jn 8, 1-11) 

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. 

So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

  1. Read the Gospel story so that you are familiar with it.
  2. Reflect on what the Gospel story is saying to you. Which points would you highlight and why?
  3. Who is God? How would you describe him? What adjectives will you use to describe God?
  4. Is there a sin which is weighing you down? Do not keep clinging to it, do not be the one to throw the stone at yourself! Give your sin to Jesus, ask to be forgiven; go to confession.
  5. You are a parent and also a husband/wife, how do you behave when your children or spouse make wrong choices? Do they find mercy or condemnation, in you?
  6. Together with your family find the right time to read this Gospel. The environment helps, so before you start, prepare:
    i. The Bible reading from St John (8, 1-11)
    ii. A candle
    iii. Cover the table with a violet cloth
    iv. A computer/laptop with the readings and clips
    v. Crucifix
  7. Go through the steps with your children (2 age groups are being suggested).
  8. Feel free to adapt to your situation
  9. Be creative 😊 

Today we are going to hear about a woman who had done a very bad thing, her sin was big. The people take her in front of Jesus, because they believed that her sin was so big, that she could not be forgiven. Let us hear, what Jesus says.

  • Bad choices do not please Jesus
  • Jesus always loves us and forgives us
  • No materials needed

Let us start by playing a game. Everyone is to sit down on the floor or on a chair. If the reply to the question made, is ‘yes’ then, get up as fast as you can, if the answer is ‘no’, remain seated.

Questions

  • Do you have younger brothers or sisters?
  • Do you have older brothers or sisters?
  • Are your eyes brown?
  • Did you ever go abroad?
  • Do you love animals?
  • Are you wearing white socks?
  • Do you play on the tablet?
  • Do you like swimming?
  • Are you wearing something green?
  • Do you always make good choices? 

If someone stands up for the last question, give this explanation: a bad choice is when you know that you should not do something because it is wrong, but you do it just the same. For example, you know that you should not fight with your brother, you know that you should not hurt the dog, you know that you are to obey your parents, you know that you should not say a lie. So, when you are angry and kick your brother or sister or the dog, that is a bad choice. If your parents ask you clear your toys, but you continue playing on the tablet and you ignore them, that is a wrong choice. If you broke your sister’s doll and you said that it was not you, that is a lie, it is a bad choice. Everyone, at one time or another, makes a bad choice. So, if we are to repeat the last question, Do you always make good choices? What should happen? (everyone remains seated)

If no one stands up, continue as follows:

Everyone makes a bad choice, at one time or another. In today’s Gospel we heard about a woman who made a very bad choice, and they took her in front of Jesus. In Jesus’ time, there were certain bad choices that when made, were severely punished. People threw stones at the one who made the wrong choice!

What did Jesus do? Did he tell the people to throw stones at the woman? (no)

Did Jesus throw stones? (no)

Do you remember what Jesus said? (he told them that only the one who had never made a wrong choice, could throw stones)

Did anyone throw a stone? (no)

Jesus was not happy about the wrong choice this woman made. She had sinned. Yet Jesus stood against those who wanted to throw stones at her. Instead, he told her that he forgave her and asked her not to sin again.

Jesus behaves the same with us. When we make bad choices, Jesus is not happy. Jesus is sad when we sin. However, Jesus loves us, so when we are sorry, he forgives us and asks us not to repeat the same mistake.

Jesus wants us to make good choices. When we make good choices, Jesus is happy and so are we. Let us sing, I wanna do right.

Sign of the cross.

How much you love us, God! Help us to do what is right and when we fail, let us tell you sincerely that we are sorry. Thank you for always giving us another chance to choose what is right. Amen.

In today’s Gospel, we will meet a woman who committed a great sin. She is brought in front of Jesus and people expected that due to its seriousness, the sin she committed could not be forgiven. They believed that she had to die. Let us see Jesus’ answer.

  • God loves us, God does not condemn us. He forgives us and shows us mercy
  • God wants us to do the same with others.
  • pebbles
  • papers, used papers are fine

Let us start by putting ourselves in that woman’s situation. Who will be the adulteress?

Note to parents: the child who is going to represent the sinner, stays in the middle. The others will make the papers into a ball. These will be thrown at the ‘sinner’. Be careful that the papers do not hurt the child.

In Jesus’ days, when people did something that was very bad, they were punished. The punishment was for the village people to stone the sinners to death. This woman was an adulteress. She had either not kept her marriage vows or she was living with someone without being married to him.

What should we do, will we punish the ‘sinner’? (every one throws the ‘stones’ (the balls made from paper)

How did you feel, throwing these stones?

Did you enjoy it?

(to the ‘sinner’) How did you feel?

Let us stop and think. Were all your actions, during this week, pleasing to God? What was not pleasing to God? 

If we had to pick up the paper balls from the floor and Jesus told us, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her,” who amongst us will throw the stone?

We all make wrong choices, at one time or another. Our sin offends and hurts God and others. Sin separates us from God. When we sin we move away from God. Sin does not make us happy, it even makes following Jesus more difficult. However, Jesus who loves us greatly, gave us a gift which can restore our joy. The sacrament of reconciliation forgives our sin, it brings us closer to God and to others, and we will have joy in our hearts. 

When we make a bad choice and God looks at us, he does not only focus on our sin. He also sees the good that we do. God does not judge us. He would like us to be sorry for our sin and so make things right. God keeps on forgiving us. God knows that no one is perfect. God forgives us. At the same time, God wants us to make an effort not to repeat the same sin again, and what he told the woman, he repeats to us, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

Similarly, when someone wrongs us, we should not only remember their wrongdoing. This person would have surely done many good things too. In this way it will be easier to forgive.

Sign of the cross.

Everyone holds a pebble. This pebble reminds us that we are all sinners, and it also reminds us in God’s love. Only Jesus could have thrown the stone at the woman. Instead, he forgave her. After the prayer put the pebble on the prayer table, to be reminded of God’s love and mercy.

Say the Act of hope and then listen to, Your love never fails.

O my God, relying on your infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

How to use this space

God speaks to us in many ways, including through the Sunday Scripture readings. Here you will find useful background and activities to better understand the upcoming Sunday's Scripture readings, helping you to connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.