See, I am Doing Something New!

By the Peace and Justice Commission, Diocese of Arlington

Rev. Gerry Creedon, Chair

Anne Murphy, Consultor

(Additional Resources at http://www.arlingtondiocese.org/offices/peacejustice/)

March 25, 2007

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new! Isaiah 43:18-19

More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and (the) sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ (Jesus). (Philippians 3: 8-12.)

So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“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 any more.” John 8:9-11

Piety

Blessed are you, God of the Universe, for you grant us every good thing. Through your grace we pray that we might heed the crosses of others, giving food for the hungry, sharing our resources with the poor, offering support and compassion for the grieving, refusing to give in to the powerful grip of hatred and prejudice. Refresh us with hope and transform us with your love that we might bear crosses and lighten those of others in your name. Amen.

Piguet, Leo. 100 Prayers for Celebrating Liturgical Seasons. (Allen, Texas: Thomas More Press, 2002.)

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/032507a.shtml

The prophet Isaiah, by recounting the mighty deeds of the Lord during the Exodus, reminds us of all the things that God has done for us and is still doing for us, even when nothing seems to be going right. Certainly the woman depicted in John's Gospel who was caught in adultery benefits from God's tender mercy and love. While her fellow humans want to see her stoned for her offenses, Jesus does not condemn her but offers her the opportunity for a fresh start. Jesus always offers us a fresh start when we go to him.

But what about the people who bring the woman to Jesus? Are they seeking justice or are they are looking out for their own interests? While no one really knows what Jesus writes in the sand, it is enough for them to turn away one by one. How many of them think about what happened and begin to make life changes, maybe giving someone who has wronged them another chance or offering sinners help in repentance rather than condemning them?

Paul is the excellent model of someone who has made drastic life changes. Reared as a Roman citizen and schooled as a good Jew, he is making a name for himself persecuting the followers of Jesus. However, after his conversion experience, he realizes that everything he has accumulated has counted for nothing; the only thing that really matters in his life is Jesus.

Question: What could you give up for your faith in Jesus? Would your life be better or worse? When have you acted like Jesus and refused to condemn others and cast the first stone? When have I placed the needs of others first? Is it difficult? What do I gain when I put myself last?

Action

Fasting:

· Give up something in your life that takes you away from God, such as hatred, racism, and judging others.

· Refrain from gossip as you probably do not know the whole story. Leave it up to God to judge. Your job is to love each other as much as possible.

· Listen to all sides of an argument with an open mind and maybe you could learn from someone with whom you disagree.

· Consider getting involved with the Virginia Catholic Conference (www.vacatholic.org) which represents the mutual public-policy interests of the Diocese of Richmond and the Diocese of Arlington. The Conference engages in advocacy on respect-life, social-justice, and education issues through contacts with state and federal lawmakers and with grassroots advocates throughout the Commonwealth.

Almsgiving:

· Use any money you save when you fast to benefit others by contributing to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. (www.nccbuscc.org/cchd)

· Advocate for peace, or support a moratorium on the death penalty.

· Find ways to support the mothers who decide to place their child for adoption, such as Catholic Charities of the Arlington Diocese (www.ccda.net/children'sservices.html).

· Donate to or volunteer with Offender Aid and Restoration (www.oaronline.org).

· Volunteer at prison ministries or with at-risk youth.

· Save all your pocket change and put it in the CRS rice bowl collection. If your parish does not have one, go to www.crs.org to see how you can help.