“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 anymore.” (John 8:10-11).  

The major theme for this 5th Sunday of Lent centers on the profound compassion and mercy of God toward us. Despite our constant failure and disobedience, God does not abandon us to our sinfulness and misery. On the contrary, God has decided to save us and rescue us from the grips of sin and death, calling and inviting us to a better future to share the eternal life with Him in complete joy, peace, love and happiness forever.

Therefore, today’s readings testify the infinite divine mercy of God toward all sinners and asking us to be merciful to one another and to ourselves.

We learn what mercy is when we examine the attitude, words and actions of Jesus Christ when He confronts human suffering, limitations and needs. He is the incarnation of God’s mercy and the summary of the history of the Divine Mercy.

Jesus comes to save those who are lost and to carry our misery to alleviate our heavy burdens. Our Lord comforts and saves us from sins and death, telling us the story of the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan Man, the Good Shepherd and the stories of the Unmerciful Servant, the Rich Man and Lazarus.... It is from this understanding that the Church teaches us to practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy which are the concretization of our spiritual practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving during this Lenten Season. The time to practice compassion and mercy is now. 

God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s readings invite us to be compassionate and merciful to our neighbor like God has been toward us in this Lenten season to live a new life in Christ.

How can we become more compassionate and merciful, sympathetic, accepting our shortcomings, leading people to noble ways by our own exemplary lives, and to be less self-righteous, judgmental, selfish, vicious, vindictive?

Wishing everyone a blessed week in the Lord.