Is. 43: 16-21; Ps. 126: 1-6; Phil. 3: 8-14; Jn. 8: 1-11

This is our final Sunday of Lent and I am consoled by the words from St. Paul, “forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead.”  Perhaps the most difficult thing to forget is our mistakes, our sins of the past.  This is because sin brings about suffering and it leaves its scars in our souls.  In the resurrection, Jesus appears to the disciples with the scars of his wounds.  They remain as a reminder of our sins he bears today for us. 

In contrast good time memories seem to need to be summoned up to recall those blessings but our suffering is always before us.  Jesus wants to heal our memories and free us from this cross.  The good news of the gospel is no one can condemn us for no one is without sin and God will not condemn us if we repent and sin no more.  God heals our memory from the pain to go forth to what lies ahead.  Going forth requires new behavior, a change of attitude, and a commitment.  The temptation is to return to the behavior of our past as creatures of habit, the easy road.  The road less traveled is following the path God is calling us to seek. 

This is the time to reflect on my behavior changed this Lent.  Does it have lasting commitment replaced by new behavior for the greater good?    It is easy to see Lent as a temporary behavior adjustment to pray a little more, cut back on some treats, or clean out our closet and give to charity.  Now what?  Do we simply slip back to our past habits or do we continue to pursue the goal, the “prize of God’s upward calling in Christ Jesus”? 

Each moment of life is a new experience and no two moments are exactly the same.  If we read scripture last week and we now read the same scripture passages it may have a new significance given what is going on in our current moment.  The Word of God is organic in its lifegiving principles.  Lent is not intended to be simply a bump on the road of “living my life” but a call to conversion into the image of Jesus in our suffering, our daily duty, our relationship with him and through him with humanity.

Jesus command is direct, “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”  Ever wonder what Jesus was writing on the ground for all the Pharisees and scribes to see?  While we don’t know, I suspect a list of sins that the accusers would recognize as their sin on the ground.  The impact of seeing words like adultery, theft, covetousness, gluttony, murder and knowing it applied to them made them drop their rocks and walk away. 

Jewish tradition had many laws to follow, breaking one would be very likely for which they made atonement with sacrifices of animals.  Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement for repentance is found in the Book of Leviticus, chapter 23.  “Blood atonement” by the shedding of innocent blood from a bull and goat in the Holy of Holies was the sacrifice on the altar.  Jesus gives his blood as the spear is thrust into his side and blood and water gush out.  Jesus is the innocent lamb for our sins and we are redeemed by his blood.  The command then for us is “Go forth and sin no more!” 

Mortal life is but a 100 years for some and for most much less but divine life is eternal and every day we are one day closer.  Dare we put off God for tomorrow, if not now when?  “Even now says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful”.  Lent is our time of atonement and be washed clean to celebrate Easter with the “upward calling in Christ Jesus”.  The prize is waiting and our time is now.  Don’t leave this world without it.  The prize is heaven in Jesus Christ.