Even now, says the Lord,
return to me with your whole heart;
for I am gracious and merciful.

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
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 any more.”

• “Okay …,” said the mom and the dad to their child, who had just botched it all up. “You really did it this time! And you know what you did … But we have discussed it, and we are going to give you a second chance.” Very worried, the child loved these words, “a second chance,” and was bound and determined to do something about improving.
  • Every human being can relate to being given “a second chance.”
  • Today’s Gospel passage is about a woman who broke the law. The authorities of her time were going to stone her to death when Our Lord intervened, reminding them all that they had no room to talk. They also had broken the law. And by law, they also should be worried about being stoned to death. One by one, each dropped his stone and walked away, until only Our Lord and the woman remained. Jesus did not condemn her but instead offered her a second chance, saying, “Go, and sin no more.”
• St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta spoke constantly to people about confession. She actually went to confession about once a week.
• She would tell people this:
  • “One thing is necessary for us: Confession.”
  • The Sacrament of Confession is nothing but humility in action.
  • We call it Penance, but really it is a sacrament of love, a sacrament of forgiveness. It is a place where we allow Jesus to take away from us everything that divides, that destroys.
  • Confession is a beautiful act of great love.
  • Only in confession can we go in as a sinner with sin and come out a sinner without sin.
  • There is no need to despair, or to feel discouraged.
  • The Sacrament of Confession is “Jesus and I” … nobody else.
  • St. Mother Theresa told people, “Remember this for life!” I love what she said, especially in light of the fact that some people say, “Oh! I don’t need to go to confession …”
• From time to time, a person will say to me, “I go to confession frequently, but I find myself doing the same sins over and over again.”
  • It rings a bell for me, too … I tend to need more than just a “second chance …”
  • The point is, in this sacrament of love and mercy, you do get other chances.
  • For our part, we have to be sure that we’re making a firm purpose of amendment to cooperate with His grace and forgiveness.
  • Jesus Christ, our Once Dead and Now Risen Lord, is not going to stone us to death for our sins … Instead, this same Jesus tells us also, to go and sin no more.
• Offer this Mass seeking the forgiveness of sins. He is the Lord of Mercy. But also offer this Mass, during this sacred time of Lent, to give you the grace to be truly more pleasing to Him in all that you are and in all that you do.
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. Saint Anthony of Padua, pray for us.

Monsignor Michael J. Cariglio, Jr., Pastor & Rector, Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Saint Anthony Parish

Thus says the LORD,
who opens a way in the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
who leads out chariots and horsemen,
a powerful army,
till they lie prostrate together, never to rise,
snuffed out and quenched like a wick.
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
Wild beasts honor me,
jackals and ostriches,
for I put water in the desert
and rivers in the wasteland
for my chosen people to drink,
the people whom I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.

R. (3)  The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Brothers and sisters:
I consider everything as a loss
because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things
and I consider them so much rubbish,
that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
not having any righteousness of my own based on the law
but that which comes through faith in Christ,
the righteousness from God,
depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection
and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death,
if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

It is not that I have already taken hold of it
or have already attained perfect maturity,
but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it,
since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, I for my part
do not consider myself to have taken possession.
Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind
but straining forward to what lies ahead,
I continue my pursuit toward the goal,
the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.

It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion, which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot receive Him in sacramental Communion. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there

And unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you.

Amen.