LIGHT FROM DARKNESS, A NEW DAWN.
April 3, 2022
Fifth Sunday of Lent - Year C.
“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to
throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)
A Cameroonian proverb says: “The darkness of night cannot
stop the light of morning.” And a Burundian proverb adds: “Where there is love
there is no darkness.”
Darkness can never conceal the light. Despite the heaviness
of the night, a new day always comes. It is the new dawn of hope, the new day
of life built on love.
While nearing the hour of the Lord's passion, death, and
resurrection, today's liturgy reminds us that a new day is about to come. That
the sufferings and death of the Lord will be the rising of a new dawn, the sign
of a new creation. The Catechism summarizes well what we are about to live in
the coming days and sees in it the necessary way to newness. It says: “It is
precisely in the Passion, when the mercy of Christ is about to vanquish it,
that sin most clearly manifests its violence and its many forms: unbelief,
murderous hatred, shunning and mockery by the leaders and the people, Pilate's
cowardice and the cruelty of the soldiers, Judas' betrayal - so bitter to
Jesus, Peter's denial and the disciples' flight. However, at the very hour of
darkness, the hour of the prince of this world, the sacrifice of Christ
secretly becomes the source from which the forgiveness of our sins will pour
forth inexhaustibly.” CCC 1851.
We are preparing for the new dawn of hope, the new day of
God's recreation. Through his prophet Isaiah, the Lord gives us this assurance
and exhorts us: “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago
consider not; see, I am doing something new...” God our Lord is always at work.
In the darkness of this world and the trials of life, he opens a new way and provides
us with new opportunities for life. We have here a beautiful message of Baptism
as regeneration and Sacrament of newness. The sea is mentioned, together with
the events that took place for Israel's salvation from Egypt. What he did for
the salvation of his people, the Lord still can do and is doing for us. With
the Psalmist, we therefore can sing it rightly: “The Lord has done great things
for us; we are filled with joy.”
God, in His merciful love, opens to us always a new way, a
new opportunity. He gives us always a second chance for life. In the Gospel,
the episode of the adulterous woman who was brought by the Pharisees to trap
Jesus and the reaction of the Lord are another confirmation of the newness that
is about to come. The Pharisees and the Scribes knew very well the Law. They
know what is prescribed regarding such a case of adultery. Their intention,
however, was not to uphold the law but find a reason to accuse Jesus and have
him dead. In all the cases, their project was clear: Jesus must die. Either he
asks them to apply the law or to release the woman, he must die. The Evangelist
John says: “They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to
bring against him.”
The reaction of Jesus, however, is the most surprising and a
lesson to each one of us. It is about SILENCE. We learn that not everything
must be answered. It's not always that words are needed. Our silence,
sometimes, can say more to defend and save us than our words.
After the silent meditation, looking at the insistence of
the accusers of the woman, but who in truth were the accusers of the Lord, he
said: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone
at her.” We all are sinners. Despite all our evilness, God gives us a new
chance, a new opportunity to redeem ourselves. We should in return do the same
with other sinners. Do never be eager to accuse, judge, and condemn others,
even if you take them in the fact, of committing a very sin. For, everything
has a reason and everyone deserves a second chance.
At Jesus’ word, John report that nothing happened to the
woman. None of those who wanted the Law to be mercilessly applied dared to
stone her, because all are sinners. So, the Lord said to the woman offering and
opening her this way to newness: "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 anymore." The
Lord's mercy does not deny our sinfulness. But despite our sins, he gives us a
new opportunity, "Go, and from now on do not sin anymore." The woman
signifies our sinful humanity put before God. The Lord never condemns us for
our sins. He hates sin but he loves the sinners and wants him to be saved. Thus,
he opens to us the new dawn of life and righteousness. "Go, and from now
on do not sin anymore."
Last Sunday, we were given to meditate the beautiful parable
of the Prodigal Son and the Prodigious Father, a parable on God’s Mercy. But
one could be tempted to say, this was just a parable, an allegory. Here then,
in today’s Gospel, we have a concrete case, a factual situation where Jesus
teaches us how mercy can redeem people and open them to life, where the law
will like them dead. For, mercy goes beyond legalism.
A new Dawn of life springs from the mercy of God. Because of this new opportunity, we should, like St. Paul, consider everything as a loss. Nothing in this world is more important than mercy. Nothing is more valuable than Jesus’ sacrifice out of love for us. Because God gives us a new opportunity, a new chance for a new beginning, we should also be eager to give new opportunities to our fellow brothers and sisters. No matter the sin, newness, and conversion are possible...
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