5th Sunday in Lent C 6th April 2025
A Reflection by: Fr. Sandeep Noel SVD, St. Theresa's Church, Bandra, Mumbai -- The liturgical readings reveal the compassionate heart of Yahweh, whom we address as Abba or Father. The first reading taken from the prophet Isaiah reminds the people weeping on the rivers of Babylon, people of Israel, who are once again captives. They are weeping, remembering and trying to make sense of the reality which has caught them. They have recognized how their unfaithfulness towards the covenant has resulted in their captivity. They have now come to their senses, just like the prodigal son in the parable. It’s time for them to return to the Father. This is when the word of the Lord comes to Isaiah, and the prophets remind the people that even though they had been unfaithful to keep the covenant, Yahweh still remembers them as his precious. Just like the Father whose embrace consoled the prodigal son, Yahweh is consoling their repentant heart by offering them freedom once again. He says, Remember not the former things nor even consider them. Behold, I am doing a new thing. We may have this feeling: What good can come out of my brokenness? I have shattered my life as much as I can and see no logical solutions to my mess. Yahweh says, even if your life is like a wilderness, I will make a way; your situations may be like a desert with no hope, but I will create a river in that hopeless situation. This is the compassionate heart of Yahweh. Isaiah 40 says, Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low, the rugged places a plain only for you and me to return home. In the Gospel, we are provided with the encounter between a woman caught in adultery and Jesus. Jesus reveals his judgment on faithfulness to the covenant. In the first reading, unfaithfulness towards the covenant/ Law resulted in slavery, while in the Gospel, we see how uncompromising adherence/ faithfulness to the covenant is used as a weapon to hurt someone even when Love demands compassion. The Pharisees used the same covenant, which pointed to the compassionate heart of Yahweh, as a weapon to kill someone and condemn Jesus as well. Friends, Religion, traditions, ethnicity…, are developed to express oneness, compassion, and empathy in society, but we land in situations wherein we use these wonderful gifts, as weapons to bring divisions, judgements, envy… This is where Jesus is presented as a role model for us. We look into how Jesus pronounces his judgment on using systems that are built to foster Love but are used as weapons to condemn each other. Let us listen to Jesus’ judgment, “Neither do I condemn you; go and from now on sin no more.” This is the very heartbeat of the sacrament of confession. Let us renew ourselves by returning to the compassionate heart of Yahweh this Sunday. God bless us all.
