Homily 5th Sunday of Lent: making all things new!

So what’s new?  Noticed any changes lately?  I mean we have daylight savings time now, we have new growth in our gardens and lawns as spring has sprung; what’s new?  Ok I am talking about the big news this week of our new Holy Father!  Habemus Papem!!  We have a Pope.  Our new Pope comes with many firsts; the first Pope from the Americas, the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere, the first Pope to take the name of Francis and the first Pope who can pick up the phone and call the last Pope.  See, all things are new!

New, for most of us, almost always means hope.  New generates a sense of excitement and anticipation.  New gives us much to look forward to.

As people of faith, do we recognize that Jesus makes all things new?

I must admit that I suffered a great deal of homily overload this week.  We have powerful Scripture readings, our Lenten journey continues, today is St. Patrick’s Day and Tuesday is St. Joseph’s Day.  Whew!  And if not enough, we have the events of these last few historic days and weeks in the life of the Church.  Yet as I prayed with this homily and this Sunday’s liturgy all I kept hearing over and over again, “See, I am doing something new!” We heard these words just a few moments ago proclaimed in the 1^st reading from the prophet Isaiah.  I recall with some fondness that powerful scene in the movie The Passion of the Christ, as Jesus comforts his Mother with similar words, I make all things new.

In today’s Gospel from St. John, Jesus was in the temple, among the people, teaching.  This must aggravate the Scribes and Pharisees who were always looking for a way to trap Jesus.  Today such an opportunity arose in the scene of the woman caught in adultery.  What do you say, Jesus?  C’mon, give us an answer that we can use to get you in trouble.  Fall into our trap.  Jesus makes all things new.  He answers not, stoops to the earth, and writes on the ground.  Now Scripture gives us no other moment of Jesus writing anything.  Why now?  Was He writing the sins of the accusers, was He writing the Ten Commandments, was he doodling, stalling for time?  We just don’t know.  What we do know is he avoids any trap by challenging the one without sin to cast the first stone.  All they could do was walk away, dropping their stones to the ground.  With this one simple challenge, Jesus teaches the crowd, and He teaches us, stop being so judgmental.  Really, stop being so judgmental.  Jesus loves the woman caught in adultery, just like He loves you and me, sinners, and does two things to demonstrate the depth of His love.  Jesus offers mercy and forgiveness by saying I do not condemn you.  And His love really shows through with these words: “do not sin anymore”.  Wow.  How overlooked is this line by our world today.  But Jesus lovingly tells us; do not sin anymore because He knows sin causes damage, and sin does indeed separate us from the love of God, can cause us eternal separation from God.

But Jesus makes all things new.  We are challenged today to examine our own lives as it relates to being merciful and forgiving, and to avoid sin, with His help.  This week, making all things new, He gives us the example of our new Pope, Francis, who loves the poor, lives humbly, shows mercy and charity and will be His representative challenging us to avoid sin.

To make the events of the past few days truly meaningful, to stay with these powerful Scriptures, can we in the week ahead really examine our consciences and name those we unfairly judge?  Can we do something new and actually reach out to someone we have judged and ask forgiveness or do an act of kindness?  Can we at least put down our stones; never to pick up again?  Can we examine our lives and name that sin that holds us back, that controls our lives, and confess it in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?  Can we strive in our lives, starting now, to live a life that Jesus calls us to; go and sin no more?

In honor of Pope Francis, who gave us this example on the night of his election, pray an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, every day this week, starting tonight, in solidarity with the new Holy Father, and as a reminder of today’s Scriptures, asking Jesus to make us new!

So what’s new?  If we truly follow Jesus, the answer is simple: all things are new!