5th Sunday Lent (C)

Is. 43:16-21; Phil. 3:8-14; Jn. 8:1-11

We find ourselves today before one of the most powerful and dramatic moments in the Gospels: a public accusation, a woman in shame, an angry crowd, and Jesus writing in the dust. The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus. It is a trap, not just for the woman, but for Jesus himself. Will he uphold the law of Moses and permit stoning? Or will he preach mercy and be accused of breaking the law?

But Jesus, as always, turns the entire moment inward: “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” With these words, He disarms not only the stones in their hands, but the stones in their hearts.

This passage teaches us about mercy over judgment, humility over hypocrisy, and introspection over accusation. And it is incredibly relevant to our modern lives, where blaming others has become a form of self-defense, a disguise for our own shortcomings.

4th Sunday of Lent (C)

 Jos. 5:9a, 10-12; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Lk. 15:1-3, 11-32

During Lent the Church insistently urges us to accept the message of Jesus, “Repent, and believe in the Good News.” Throughout his teaching Jesus insisted on accepting God’s mercy. In chapter 15 Luke narrates three parables dealing with God’s mercy. The parable of a shepherd who lost a sheep, the parable of the woman who lost a coin and the parable of the prodigal son. The last one has been called “the queen of all parables.” Millions of people down the centuries have been touched by this parable.

Jesus narrated the story systematically. The younger son collected his share and left for a distant country. In the beginning of creation we read when Adam disobeyed God he was sent out from paradise, and our forefathers lost the comfort of paradise and wandered in the jungle. Sin takes away man from God.

3rd Sunday of Lent (C)

Ex. 3:1-8a, 13-15; 1 Cor. 10:1-6, 10-12; Lk. 13:1-9

There’s a story told of a small village by a river. One day, the villagers saw a child struggling in the river, swept by the current. They rushed and saved the child. Then another came. And another. Day after day, the village became busy rescuing people from the river. They built hospitals, rescue centers, and training programs for swimmers. One day, a wise elder asked, “Why don’t we go upstream and find out who is throwing them in?” They had been so occupied reacting to the tragedy that they never asked why it kept happening.

This is what Jesus is addressing in the Gospel today. When He hears people talking about the Galileans slaughtered by Pilate and the victims of the tower of Siloam, He uses these events not to feed sensationalism, but to ask the deeper question: What do these tragedies mean for us? His answer is clear: “Unless you repent,