Scripture Scribbles: April 6, 2025

the Gospel

John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
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.”

the scribble

Mercy!!

God's Mercy!

This Gospel is showing us how His mercy is offered to us, all of us!

We are infinitely loved, by God the Father.  This woman caught in adultery was infinitely loved.  Her accusers were infinitely loved!  

Has this passage become too familiar??

Has it lost the heaviness that we should be feeling when we read it?

I think it did for me.

Is it because we know the end?

Is it because we know Jesus shows her mercy, and we don’t let ourselves feel the weight of this moment?

For me, this week, there it is, my assigned Gospel for my Scribble reflection. It is different when I am attempting to share my feelings about what the Gospels are saying to me.  Wow!  Imagine being there? Imagine: the accusers actually want her to DIE! They wanted to throw stones at her until she…died.  What was she feeling? What about the man that she was committing adultery with?  Was he scared too? The law wasn't only that the woman should be put to death, Leviticus 20:10: “both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.”  Was he thinking, I’m next?  What was Jesus writing in the sand?  Was He writing out Leviticus 20:10? 

He says,  “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then it goes on to say, ‘Again he bent down and wrote on the ground’…… Now what was he writing?  Was he writing out the 10 Commandments? It says in Exodus 31:18 that the 10 Commandments were “written with the finger of God.”  Was this why they started to drop their stones and walk away? Were they realizing their own sinfulness, their own faults? I mean, we all know the only one there without sin was Jesus!

We don’t know what Jesus was actually writing, but we do know we are all sinners. We are all unworthy of His mercy.  And yet He offers it to us. We need it. She needed it. He gave it. He gives it to us.  When? When we ask. When we repent. We can find it in the sacraments. At this time of Lent the sacraments are offered much more abundantly.  Let’s take advantage.  Let’s visit that sacrament of confession, even if it's been years, decades, or only a week. I need to work on this muscle, but I’m grateful for this reminder that it is HE who offers us mercy there, in the sacrament of reconciliation. ‘Go, and from now on do not sin anymore’  (John 8:11)

I  want to be shown mercy. 

I also want to be a person that gives mercy. 

Am I?

Do I leave the judgment to Him?  Do I give mercy in little small measurements, but want an ocean full for myself? Am I like her accusers, pointing out her sin, while I walk around with a beam in my own eye? Being more than halfway through Lent, I’m trying to do all the “things.”  I have been able to attend more frequent daily Mass than I ever have in my life. More Rosaries than usual. More little sacrifices to test my own self denial.  There can be small daily convictions, and little signs of mercy, but only if my eyes are open to recognize them.

The goal is this: that my relationship with the Lord grows, that it looks different. More intimate. It looks healthier than it did on Ash Wednesday. Recently a little prayer was highlighted for me during a rosary:

Dear Blessed Mother, may I prize my faith too dearly to accept anything in exchange. May I be presented to God with a purified soul, holding fast to faith, firmly grounded and steadfast in it. Amen.

This little prayer made me think, “keep diving into your faith, keep seeking the Truth, stay firmly grounded.”  Our Blessed Mother was chosen to “deliver” Jesus into the world, she will also “deliver” us to her Son.  She always points us to Him.

It made me realize, if I have questions, if I am struggling, go to Him! The author of our faith. (Author: In Latin, Auctor, meaning originator, creator. The word Authority comes from Auctor.)  Who has authority over our lives?  God, the creator of heaven and earth. The creator of all things, the one who created you and me. On purpose for a purpose!!

The last thing I would like to share with you is this: (Numbers 6:24-25)

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine upon you,

and be gracious to you…..

Let’s finish out these last few weeks of Lent strong! 💜

Today’s devotion was written by Beth Brennan