This weekend’s passage from the Holy Gospel tells the familiar story of the woman caught in adultery. This story of a woman’s sin…committed and forgiven…shows the inexhaustible mercy and compassion of Jesus to sinners. The Gospel story also demonstrates how Jesus cleverly escaped from the trap laid by the scribes and Pharisees by leaving the judgment to the conscience of the accusers. It invites us to recognize and experience in our lives both God’s justice and His mercy. Justice and mercy…these are two qualities we definitely want to nurture in our own lives. We bear witness to the justice of God by confessing our sinfulness and promising to avoid sin, and we bear witness to God’s mercy by accepting the forgiveness of our sins and by determining to forgive those who have offended us (this last action is the difficult one for us!!!). We have no right to judge others because we often commit the very faults we condemn AND we do not know the circumstances which have led someone to sin. So…let us leave the judgment of others to our impartial God who can literally read people’s hearts. The bottom line here is that we should show mercy and compassion to those who sin because we ourselves are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness!!! Jesus has shown inexhaustible mercy and compassion to ALL sinners by dying for our sins. But we can often be self-righteous just like the Pharisees, ready to spread scandal about others with a bit of spicy gossip. If we were honest, we would admit to being judgmental about the unmarried mother, the alcoholic, the drug addict, the shop-lifter, and the carrier of the HIV virus…ignoring Jesus’ advice: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Simply, let us learn to acknowledge our sins, ask God’s forgiveness AND extend the same forgiveness to our erring brothers and sisters. We too should learn to “hate the sin and love the sinner” showing them mercy and compassion, sympathy and acceptance, leading them to virtuous ways by our own exemplary lives. Are you up to making this kind of commitment? God is waiting! Here is an old but funny story. The Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery before Jesus for judgment and Jesus said "Let anyone who is without sin cast the first stone at her."There was a sudden silence. But then, all at once, a small stone came flying from the back of the crowd aimed at the head of the woman, and Jesus promptly caught it. Looking at the lady standing in the crowd Jesus said, "Mother! Really! I was trying to make a point, here.” The assumption is that Jesus' mother, Mary, was immaculately conceived and hence sinless and so she was eligible to throw a stone. But if Jesus himself did not condemn the woman, why should his mother do so? Gospel Question for the Week: Are you prone to judging others based on appearances?Would you like God to judge you the same way?