April 3    Sunday Lent 5C. “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  After he read the gospel Fr Oliver waited for a few moments and then stood up to preach. “Adultery, adultery, another of these sexual abuse stories, but one that we don’t hear much about these days do we?  It’s clerical abuse of children mostly in the news, but how many children are abused in their own homes. Men, women, blessers and teens, young boys and girls, priests, nuns, pastors, seminarians.  It is not all gender-based violence as some is consensual.  But where are our moral standards in this important area of life. Who is guilty or not guilty?  If a woman is caught in adultery, where is the man?  What is the way forward for our sex-saturated society?   Jesus challenged the leaders to come forward and cast the first stone at the woman.  No one did. Were they all guilty?” 

Reflect, share and act. Scripture: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. Then he said to the woman, “I don’t condemn you either, Go and sin no more.” John 8:1-11.   Was that God’s mercy? Is that his message to each of us? ”    Pope Francis:    Jesus looked that woman in the eye and read in her heart a desire to be understood, forgiven and set free. The misery of sin was clothed with the mercy of love. To those who wished to judge and condemn her his response was to let God’s voice be heard in the conscience of the accusers. One by one they left. Misericordia Misera 1  . SA Youth Responsibilities Bill 2: The right to human dignity places on me the responsibility to treat people with reverence , respect and dignity. Choose an act of love and sacrifice from the list published at www.marfam.org.za/lent