COLLECT SERIES
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The Mass: Collect series Icon. |
The Collect for the 5th Sunday of Lent Year C is as
follows:
By Your Help we beseech You Lord our God,
May we walk eagerly in that same charity
with which, out of love for the world,
Your Son handed himself over to death.
Though our Lord Jesus Christ, Your, Son
who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
In making this prayer tangible for during the
week, the following reflections questions emerged:
1. What are the areas in my life that I need help from God?
2. Consider the love with which Christ handed himself over to death.
3. What personal response do I make to Jesus for this enormous love.
4. Beseech-implore, intreat, press, demand: all synonyms for beseech. How
does using these words make a difference to my reading of the first line of the
Collect.
5. When can we ‘’die’’ eagerly out of love for someone else?
6. How does the willingness of Jesus to hand himself over to death out of
love for me change me this coming week?
Gospel Reflection
The Woman Caught in
Adultery (John 8:1-11)
Theme: Mercy Over Judgment
This Gospel reveals the
radical mercy of Jesus in contrast to the harsh judgment of the Pharisees. A
woman caught in adultery is brought before Him, with the religious leaders
demanding that she be stoned to death according to the Law of Moses.
This Gospel presents a
powerful encounter between justice and mercy. A woman, caught in the very act
of adultery, is dragged before Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees. They demand
that she be stoned, following the Law of Moses, but their true motive is to
trap Jesus.
If He pardons her, He appears
to dismiss the Law. If He condemns her, He contradicts His message of mercy.
But Jesus responds in a way that disarms them completely:
Instead of condemning her,
Jesus challenges the crowd:
“Let the one among you who is
without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John
8:7)
One by one, the accusers drop
their stones and walk away. One by one, they leave—because none are without
sin. Left alone with the woman, Jesus does not condemn her but calls her to
conversion:
Jesus turns to the woman and
speaks words of mercy and hope:
“Neither do I condemn you. Go,
and from now on do not sin anymore.” (John 8:11)
Lenten Invitation: Receiving
and Extending Mercy
Jesus does not excuse or
ignore sin, but He offers redemption, not condemnation. Lent calls us to
repentance and renewal, trusting that God’s mercy is greater than our failings.
This passage challenges us to ask: Do we
judge others harshly while ignoring our own faults?
Reflection Questions:
- Do I find it easier to judge others rather
than acknowledge my own sinfulness?
- How have I experienced
God’s mercy in my life?
- Am I willing to extend
mercy and forgiveness to those who have wronged me?
- How can I reflect Jesus’
balance of mercy and truth in my own relationships?
- Have I allowed God’s
mercy to truly transform my heart?
