Bible On Call
- Scripture Reflection, March 21: The Past is Behind Us
- Scripture Reflection, March 14: Let's be Friends Again
- Scripture Reflection, March 7: The 'Blame Game'
- Scripture Reflection, February 28: Come, Seek God’s Face
- Scripture Reflection, February 21: Leaving Egypt
- Scripture Reflection, February 14: Be Exceedingly Glad
- Scripture Reflection, February 7: Excuse Me!
- Scripture Reflection, January 31: Speaking Truth in Love
- Scripture Reflection, January 24: Jesus' Inaugural Address
- Scripture Reflection, January 17: Journeying with Mary
- Scripture Reflection, January 10: The Baptism of the Lord
- Scripture Reflection, January 03: The Epiphany of the Lord
- Scripture Reflection, December 27: The Feast of the Holy Family
- Scripture Reflection, December 20: Mary's Yes and Our Yes
- Scripture Reflection, December 13: A Day of Rejoicing
- Scripture Reflection, December 6: Taking Jesus off the Shelf
- Scripture Reflection, November 29: First Sunday of Advent
- Scripture Reflection, November 22: The Solemnity of Christ the King
- Scripture Reflection, November 15: Called to be Stars forever
- Scripture Reflection, November 8: My "spoiled" lens. What's yours?
- Scripture Reflection, November 1: Solemnity of All Saints
- Scripture Reflection, October 25: Branch and Root Desires
- Scripture Reflection, October 18: About the First and the Last
- Scripture Reflection, October 11: A Blank Check for God
- Scripture Reflection, October 04: Two Equals One
- Scripture Reflection, September 27: The God of Surprises
- Scripture Reflection, September 20: True Greatness
- Scripture Reflection, September 13: Who Do You Say That I Am?
- Scripture Reflection, September 06: Be Opened
- Scripture Reflection, August 30: Fooling Ourselves
- Scripture Reflection, August 23: Don't Forget
- Scripture Reflection, August 16: Living the Eucharist
- Scripture Reflection, August 09: Simple Truths
- Scripture Reflection, August 02: Everybody's Got a Hungry Heart
- Scripture Reflection, July 26: Only Five Loaves?
- Scripture Reflection, July 19: The Shepherd's Voice
- Scripture Reflection, July 12: Mission Impossible?
- Scripture Reflection, July 05: Hearers of the Word
- Scripture Reflection, June 28: Living Life to the Fullest
- Scripture Reflection, June 21: Amidst the Storm
- Scripture Reflection, June 14: Become What You Are
- Scripture Reflection, June 07: Trinity Sunday
- Scripture Reflection, May 31: The Feast of Pentecost
- Scripture Reflection, May 24: The Ascension of the Lord
- Scripture Reflection, May 17: Friendship with Christ
- Scripture Reflection, May 10: Growing Fruits in God's Vineyard
- Scripture Reflection, May 3: The Good Shepherd
- Scripture Reflection, April 26, 2009: Witnesses to Christ's Love
- Scripture Reflection, April 19, 2009: Risen With His Wounds
- Scripture Reflection, April 12, 2009: Easter Sunday
- Scripture Reflection, Palm Sunday, April 05, 2009: Love Conquers All
- Scripture Reflection, March 29: Transforming Our Hearts
- Scripture Reflection, March 22: Amazing Grace
- Scripture Reflection, March 15: Called to Integrity
- Scripture Reflection, March 8: Sharing Christ's Cross
- Scripture Reflection, March 1: Renewing the Covenant
- Scripture Reflection, February 22: Time of Renewal
- Scripture Reflection, February 15: The Gospel Slumdog
- Scripture Reflection, February 8: Holding on to God's Hand
- Scripture Reflection, February 1: Words of Power
- Scripture Reflection, January 25: The Conversion of Saint Paul
- Scripture Reflection, January 18: That all may be one!
- Scripture Reflection, January 11: Baptism of the Lord
- New Year's Day Reflection
- Christmas Message
- Scripture Reflection, December 21: Intersecting Plans
- Scripture Reflection, December 14: Called to be Light
- Scripture Reflection, December 7: Prepare the Way of the Lord!
- Scripture Reflection, November 30: Be watchful!
- Scripture Reflection, November 23: Feast of Christ the King
- Scripture Reflection, November 16: God's Economy is not in Recession
- Scripture Reflection, November 9: Called to be Church!
- Scripture Reflection, November 2: Feast of All Souls
- Scripture Reflection, October 26: Back to the Basics
- Scripture Reflection, October 19: Jesus and Joe the Plumber
- Scripture Reflection, October 12, 2008: Invited to God's party
- Scripture Reflection, October 5, 2008: God never gives up!
- Scripture Reflection, September 28, What Would Jesus Do?
- Scripture Reflection, September 21: Your kingdom come!
- Scripture Reflection, September 14: Triumph of the Cross
- Scripture Reflection, September 07: 1+1=3
- Scripture Reflection, August 31: Teamwork with God
- Scripture Reflection, August 24: From 'Rocky' to 'Rock'
- Scripture Reflection, August 17, Tenacious Faith
- Scripture Reflection, August 10, 2008: Take courage!
- Scripture Reflection, August 3: Eyes of Compassion
- Scripture Reflection, July 27: Pearl of Great Price
- Scripture Reflection, July 20: Compassion is Power
- Scripture Reflection, July 13: The Sower and the Seed
- Scripture Reflection, July 6: The Gentle Mastery of Christ
- Scripture Reflection, June 29: Heroes of Faith
- Scripture Reflection, June 22: Be Not Afraid
- Scripture Reflection, June 15: Many Are Called
- Scripture Reflection, June 8: The Much in Meals
- Scripture Reflection, June 1: Extraordinary Generosity
- Scripture Reflection, May 25: Connections Made to Last
- Scripture Reflection, May 18: Holy Trinity Sunday
- Scripture Reflection, May 11: Pentecost Sunday
- Scripture Reflection, May 4: The Feast of the Ascension
- Scripture Reflection, April 27: Speaking and Living Our Faith
- Scripture Reflection, April 20: Our Future Heavenly Home
- Scripture Reflection, April 13: Good Shepherd Sunday
- Scripture Reflection, April 6: The Ultimate Servant
- Scripture Reflection, March 30: Inspirational Stories of Faith
- Easter Reflection: Alleluia, He is Risen!
- Good Friday Reflection and Podcast
- Holy Thursday Reflection & Podcast
- Scripture Reflection, March 16: Palm Sunday
- Scripture Reflection, March 9: The Raising of Lazarus
- Scripture Reflection, March 2: Open to Possibilities
- Scripture Reflection, February 24: First Impressions
- Scripture Reflection, February 17: Human AND Divine
- Scripture Reflection, February 10: Appreciating Lent
- Scripture Reflection, February 3: A Dose of Humility for the Super Bowl
- Scripture Reflection: Now Free to Grow in Love
- Scripture Reflection, January 20: Servants of Reconciliation
- Scripture Reflection, January 13: The Baptism of the Lord
- Scripture Reflection, January 6: Beyond Our Expectations
- Advent Reflection, December 23: "God Is with Us"
- Advent Reflection, December 16: “Loved by the Son of God”
- Advent Reflection, December 9: Patient Expectancy
- Scripture Reflection, December 2: A Vision of Peace
- Scripture Reflection, November 25: Christ the King
- Scripture Reflection, November 18: The Meaning of Reverence
- Scripture Reflection, November 11: The Traditionally Printed Word
- Scripture Reflection, November 4: Risk, Hospitality and Justice
- Scripture Reflection, October 28: The Promise of More
- Scripture Reflection, October 21: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains”
- Scripture Reflection, October 14: Words
- Scripture Reflection, October 7: Singing the Same Song
- Scripture Reflection, September 30: Direct Gazes on the Face of Christ
- Scripture Reflection, Sunday, September 23: Love Is Ingenious
- Scripture Reflection, September 16: Finding Home
- Scripture Reflection, September 9: A Perfect Example of Christian Discipleship
- Scripture Reflection, September 2: Humility Does Matter
- Scripture Reflection, August 26: A Faithfully Present Christ
- Scripture Reflection, August 19: The "ordinariness" of Christian Discipleship
- Scripture Reflection, August 12: Bringing Life to Others
- Scripture Reflection, August 5: Growing Rich in the Sight of God
- Scripture Reflection, July 29: Two Essential Attitudes
- Scripture Reflection, July 22: Models of Hospitality
- Scripture Reflection, July 15: The Good Samaritan
- Scripture Reflection, July 8: Christian Understanding of Freedom
- Scripture Reflection, July 1: Our Adventurous Lives
- Scripture Reflection, June 24: Becoming A Light to the Nations
- Scripture Reflection, June 17: Courageous Reconciliation
- Scripture Reflection, June 10: Corpus Christi
- Scripture Reflection, June 3: Trinity Sunday
- Scripture Reflection, May 27: The Feast of Pentecost
- Scripture Reflection, May 20: The Ascension of Jesus
- Sunday Reflection, May 13
- Scripture Reflection, May 6: Dungy’s Gift to Grieving Parents
- Scripture Reflection, April 29: The Good Shepherd
- Scripture Reflection, April 22: “Do you love me?”
- Sunday Reflection, April 15: Touch the Wounds
- Sunday Reflection, April 8: Easter Sunday 2007
- Holy Thursday Reflection, April 5: Holy Thursday 2007
- Sunday Reflection, April 1: The Essentials for Christian Discipleship
- Sunday Reflection, March 25: Throw your stones away and parking tickets, too
- Sunday Reflection, March 18: The Welcome Home
- Sunday Reflection, March 11: A Lenten Summons
- Sunday Reflection, March 4: God, the Giver of Abundance
- Sunday Reflection, February 25: No More Peer Pressure
- Sunday Reflection, February 18: Loving Our Enemies?
- Sunday Reflection, February 11: The Beatitudes
- Sunday Reflection, February 4: Extraordinary Encounters
- Sunday Reflection, January 28: Truth Spoken in Love
- Sunday Reflection, January 21: Inspiring News for Life
- Sunday Reflection, January 14: An Abundance of Gifts, Not Threats
- Sunday Reflection, January 7: The Football Fans’ Search for Hope
- Christmas Reflection: The Significance of Stuffed Animals and Jesus
- Advent Reflection, December 17: Life Lessons at a Coffee Bar
- Advent Reflection, December 10: 'Good News' for Rejoicing
- Advent Reflection, December 3: The Gift of Hope
- Sunday Reflection, November 26: “Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done”
- Sunday Reflection, November 19: A Glimpse of God’s Faithfulness
- Sunday Reflection, November 12: Giving the Little That We Have
- Sunday Reflection, November 5: BEING the Great Commandment
- Sunday Reflection, October 29: Courage in Jericho
- Personal Reflection, October 22: Servant Leadership
- Sunday Reflection, October 15: Naming What's Important
- Sunday Reflection, October 8: Our responsibilities are God’s blessings
- Sunday Reflection, October 1: Open to the Spirit
- Sunday Reflection, September 24: Who’s the greatest?
- Sunday Reflection, September 17: Our Treasured Images of Christ
- Sunday Reflection, September 10: “He has done all things well.”
- Sunday Reflection, September 3: Conversion of Heart
- Sunday Reflection, August 27: Our Choice to Follow
- Sunday Reflection, August 20: Unity in a Divided World
- Sunday Reflection, August 13: On the Road of Discipleship
- Sunday Reflection, August 6: "I Know a Man"
- Sunday Reflection, July 30: The Abundance of Fragments
- Sunday Reflection, July 16: Our Mission if we choose to accept
- Sunday Reflection, July 2: The Grace of Desperation?
- Sunday Reflection, June 25: The Calming Presence of Christ
- Sunday Reflection, June 18: Serving Up a Banquet
- Sunday Reflection, June 11: The Trinity, A Communion of Life and Love
- Pentecost Sunday: Tuned Into the Spirit
- Sunday Reflection, May 28: The Presence of the Absent Jesus
- Sunday Reflection, May 21: The Sign of True Friendship
- Scripture Reflection, May 14: The Garrison Keillor STRETCH
- Sunday Reflection, May 7: An Encounter with Jean Vanier
- Easter: Memories that Give Hope, Peace and Love
- Good Friday Reflection: Overwhelmed by John
- Holy Thursday Reflection: Three Days, One Liturgy
- Palm Sunday Reflection: In Gratitude for Good Mentors
- Memorial of Cardinal Bernardin
- The Christian Life
- Praying With the Scriptures
- The Reluctant Prophet
- Bible On Call
Scripture Reflection, March 21, 2010: The Past is Behind Us
Scripture Readings:
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Phillippians 3:8-14
John 8:1-11
The readings for the 5th week of Lent begin with a selection from Isaiah. We hear the prophet telling the people of Israel to forget the exodus event because God is “doing something new”. He calls on Israel to prepare for the new life God has in store for his chosen people. The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians. In this reading, Paul stresses that a person’s relationship with God is more important than anything. “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.” He also calls us to forget what lies in our past and to strain forward to what lies ahead of us, which ultimately lies in “God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.” In the Gospel passage from John, we find Jesus again being tested by the Scribes and Pharisees. The Scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in the act of adultery before Jesus and ask whether they should stone her according to the Law of Moses. His response is one we’re all familiar with “Let the one among you without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” At this, the crowd that had gathered to stone the woman quickly disappeared. Instead of condemning the woman, we see Jesus forgive her, telling her to “Go and from now on do not sin any more.”
In the Gospel reading, for this, the fifth week of Lent, I would like to identify the four types of people present in the story, and want to ask you the question “which person have you been up until this point in Lent?”
Are you one of the Pharisees and Scribes, quick to condemn the misdeeds of someone else, while being able to dismiss your own short comings?
Are you the woman caught in the act of committing adultery, someone who was apprehended in the act of sin, someone who has taken a step in the wrong direction, been caught, and is subsequently left to suffer at the hands of the public?
Are you one of the bystanders or a passerby, the sort of person who doesn’t want to get involved in the matter, more concerned about watching out for themselves, or are too afraid to step up to the crowd and put an end to an obvious injustice?
Are you Jesus, the one who is not afraid to stand up and challenge the crowd, and is even willing to risk himself to stand up for someone in need?
John reminds us that like the woman caught committing adultery, we are all sinners. When Jesus says to the crowd, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her,” he quickly finds himself alone with the woman. While we are all sinners, this week’s readings call us to put the past behind us. In the first reading, from Isaiah, we read that we are supposed to “remember not the events of the past, the things long ago consider not” (Isaiah 43:18). Paul’s letter to the Philippians again asks us to “forget what lies behind us” while adding that we should “strain forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14).
This week, while we’re reminded of our sinfulness, we’re called to put it behind us. Jesus asks the adulterer, “Has no one condemned you?” To which she replies “no one, sir.” Then Jesus says “neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” (John 8:10-11)
So who is it, which person are you in this week’s Gospel story? Our Lenten journey may be coming to a close, but there is still plenty of time to change. Through our fasting and penance, we come to share in Christ’s suffering. It is my Lenten prayer that we may begin to put our sinful pasts behind us, pursue the goal, do not sin anymore, and share in Christ’s coming resurrection.
by Josh Jones
Josh is a 2008 Catholics on Call alumnus and a senior at St. Norbert College in De Pere Wisconsin. He will be graduating in May as a History and Political Science double major.


