Our Lady Of Good Counsel

The woman caught in adultery is one great story that we can learn from especially in the Season of Lent. Scribes and Pharisees were
all prepared to stone this woman.

Before doing so, they brought her to Jesus to test and find a way to
trap the Lord. If they succeed, not only the woman would be stoned
but Him as well. Because, if Jesus declares the woman innocent, He
will be contradicting the law of Moses thus liable to judgment and
punishment. If He abides by the law of Moses to stone her to death,
then Jesus would be contradicting Himself teaching about forgiveness
and mercy. But their ill intent did not succeed because Jesus knew all
along. Rather, He was the one who put the Scribes and Pharisees in a
dilemma when he made athought provoking statement, “let the one
among you who is without sin be the first to throw the stone at her.”
Often or maybe many times, we become like the Scribes and
Pharisees who easily find the faults of others. We look down on others for we think ourselves as self-righteous people. Just try to imagine yourself if you were at that moment holding your stone.

With the words of Jesus, will that stone be thrown towards the
woman or hold that stone instead for you to remind yourself of your
faults? Or, one more thing, just lay the stone where you would be
standing and leave the place and not be bothered at all?

As we are about to enter the holy days of the year, Holy Week,
let us embrace Jesus’ compassion and mercy and realize the things
that we need to change in our lives. Jesus always gives us an
opportunity to transform our lives to live in grace. To be loving
towards others rather than being hateful. To be forgiving rather
than condemning. To be merciful rather than hardhearted. Jesus
gives us all the time and moment to live with Him and in Him. Let
us continue this path of the Lord to live with Him forever. Let us heed
his call and as the Psalmist would say, “if today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.” (Psalm 95) ╬