Fifth Sunday of Lent

 Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 52 The Oratory of the Monastery

Mass: Is 43:16-21; Resp Ps 126; Ph 3:8-14; Jn 8:1-11 or Ezk 37:12-14; Resp Ps 130; Rm 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45

The Lord has done great things for us.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

Neither do I condemn you. 

(Jn 8:11)

Thoughts this morning go to an exchange I learned about some years ago, between Cardinal Basil Hume (1923-1999) and a member of the faithful.* Cardinal Hume had recently announced his diagnosis with inoperable stomach cancer. The Cardinal had accepted his illness and was at peace as revealed in a letter to the priests in his diocese: "I intend to carry on working as much and as long as I can. I have no intention of being an invalid until I have to submit to the illness. But nevertheless, I shall be a bit limited in what I can do" (p. 136). As one might imagine, with the Cardinal's status, as well as his popularity with so many of the people throughout England and Wales, when his "terminal illness became publicly known, he received, in a short few weeks before be died, some 5,000 letters" (p. 137), as noted by one his nephews. Here is part of one letter, though, that was not so supportive. The woman wrote: "You have accepted your illness and are at peace ... I learned I was terminally ill the same day as you made that announcement. I am far from happy-I am frightened and I am angry and I am especially angry with you because everyone will pray for you-but no one will pray for me-a lapsed Catholic who is divorced ..." (pp. 139-140). With compassion, the Cardinal promptly replied: "Don't ever say no one will pray for you for from this day on I will pray for you every day." The letter writer responded in haste: "I was so ashamed when I read your generous letter ... I was angry and bitter, forgive me" (p. 140. This is a powerful witness of the mercy and forgiveness of God constantly available to each one of us, then extended to our brothers and sisters. And what about the poor woman in today's Gospel who was brought and made to stand in the middle of the temple area? (Jn 8:3). I imagine she too was frightened, angry, and bitter. How do you reach out to her? We just never know what goes on with others, or even ourselves sometimes. As I was reminded by a fellow student, now priest, many years ago just after I made a derogatory comment about a classmate, "Some addictions are more visible than others." I add now, some addictions, illnesses, hurts and scars, are more visible than others. Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her (Jn 8:7), says the Lord.

Dear friends, let us learn from the Lord Jesus not to judge and not to condemn our neighbor. Let us learn to be intransigent with sin starting with our own! and indulgent with people. May the holy Mother of God, free from all sin, who is the mediatrix of grace from every repentant sinner, help us in this.

(Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus Address, Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 21, 2010)

See, I am doing something new! ...

The people I have formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.

(Is 43:19, 21)

* NB. What is related here can be found in G. Feick, Cardinal Basil Hume: A Pilgrim's Search for God (Gracewing, 2019), pp. 135-140. All original sources are referenced there. 

Today's photo: Clothed in Lenten violet, this one was found in Eureka, CA.

© Gertrude Feick 2022