April 2019 “We are weak, but he is strong.” That’s a line from one of the first Christian songs many kids learn, “Jesus Loves Me.” For young children, strength is a physical concept associated with big muscles. As kids become abstract thinkers, they understand concepts such as moral strength and divine power. Because God is omnipotent, or all- powerful, all things are under his control. As Luke 1:37 (NCV) says, “God can do anything!” During his earthly ministry, Jesus stood up to Satan’s temptations, calmed a raging storm, healed sick people, and rose from the dead. Jesus’ power is especially evident at Easter, when we celebrate his victory over sin and the grave. Death is no match for Jesus, who lives forever and offers us eternal life in heaven. To share Easter’s good news—and Jesus’ power—with your children, emphasize that Jesus wants us to be his friend and have the power to live forever, too. That happens when we believe that Jesus is alive, tell him we love him, and say we’re sorry when we mess up. We ask Jesus for forgiveness and promise to follow and love him every day. Doing this means we’ve put our faith in Jesus. It also means we have Jesus’ power with us every day to help us. And, like Jesus, we’ll live forever. Use the ideas on these pages to enhance your Easter celebrations. Easter Reveals Jesus’ Strength and Power POWERSOURCE TALK TO JESUS: 1. Thank Jesus for being all- powerful and for defeating sin and death. 2. Ask Jesus to remind your family that he controls all things. 3. Ask Jesus to help you share the meaning of Easter with your kids. St. Kilian Congregation 428 Forest Street Hartford, WI 53027 Dennis Vlasak, DRE 262-673-4831 ext. 406 Attendance 262-673-4831 ext. 307 [email protected]
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Easter Reveals Jesus’ Strength and Power · 2019. 3. 29. · Christian songs many kids learn, “Jesus Loves Me.” For young children, strength is a physical concept associated
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Transcript
April 2019
“We are weak, but he is strong.” That’s a line from one of the first Christian songs many kids learn, “Jesus Loves Me.” For young children, strength is a physical concept associated with big muscles. As kids become abstract thinkers, they understand concepts such as moral strength and divine power. Because God is omnipotent, or all-powerful, all things are under his control. As Luke 1:37 (NCV) says, “God can do anything!” During his earthly ministry, Jesus stood up to Satan’s temptations, calmed a raging storm, healed sick people, and rose from the dead. Jesus’ power is especially evident at Easter, when we celebrate his
victory over sin and the grave. Death is no match for Jesus, who lives forever and offers us eternal life in heaven. To share Easter’s good news—and Jesus’ power—with your children, emphasize that Jesus wants us to be his friend and have the power to live forever, too. That happens when we believe that Jesus is alive, tell him we love him, and say we’re sorry when we mess up. We ask Jesus for forgiveness and promise to follow and love him every day. Doing this means we’ve put our faith in Jesus. It also means we have Jesus’ power with us every day to help us. And, like Jesus, we’ll live forever. Use the ideas on these pages to enhance your Easter celebrations.
Packed With Power Read aloud Ephesians 3:20. Ask: What does it mean to have God’s power working in us? Hand out rulers and measuring tapes. Say: Measure your foot. (Pause.) Now measure a chair. (Pause.) Now measure this wall. (Pause.) Now measure the distance from here to Mars. (Pause.) Say: That’s right—we can’t measure that distance, can we? That’s what God’s power is like! It’s so big and wonderful we can’t measure it. But we know it’s there because God tells us he’s powerful, and God showed his power by raising Jesus from the dead. That power can help us every day with any hard things. Say: Think of one area where you need God’s power. Silently ask God to use his power to help you. (Pause.) After a minute of silence, close in prayer, thanking God for using his power to raise Jesus from the dead and to help and strengthen us.
He Is Mighty to Save
In our sinful world, we’re bombarded by problems and fears. That may be one reason kids gravitate toward superheroes and crime-fighters. Knowing we’re protected is comforting. Yet no animated character is a match for Jesus’ strength. Throughout the Bible, he solves dilemmas from feeding large crowds with just a little food to casting demons out of suffering people. Jesus also calms people’s fears, serving as a good Shepherd who protects his sheep. Today Jesus continues solving the toughest problems and easing our fears, reminding us daily of his goodness, mercy, and might.
“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given
me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him.” —Exodus 15:2
You Can’t Keep Jesus Down! Place five or six inflated helium balloons (with long strings) inside a laundry basket, and cover the basket with a blanket. Say: “On Easter, nothing could keep Jesus in the grave. This basket is like a grave. The blanket is the stone. When God rolled away the stone, Jesus rose from the dead.” Remove the blanket. Say: “Try to get the balloons back into the basket while keeping one hand behind your back.” After playing, read Luke 24:1-6. Ask: “What does it mean to you that Jesus used his power to rise from the dead?”
Parade of Strength Make some homemade instruments and crepe paper streamers. Ask: “What things are hard for you to do? Who helps you do those things?” Read aloud Philippians 4:13. Say: “Jesus gives us strength to be kind, to forgive, and to serve. He helps us do anything. Let’s celebrate with a parade!” Play music and march around, waving streamers and playing instruments. Repeat the Bible verse as you march.
Power Drawings Form two teams and take turns drawing (and guessing) things that remind them of Jesus’ power, like an empty tomb, a volcano, lightning, or any answer to prayer. Afterward, ask:
“What are some new or different things you learned about Jesus’ power? What else can you think of that’s tough to draw? How can we keep a lookout for Jesus’ power?” Resurrection Relay Read aloud John 20:1-18 and talk about the disciples’ excitement on Easter. Have family members form two groups, and have groups line up on different sides of a room. Give one group a hula hoop or large ball. Say: “Let’s pretend this is the stone that was rolled away from Jesus’ tomb. Take turns rolling it back and forth, and each time shout, ‘Jesus is alive!’” Afterward, say: “Easter news about Jesus’ resurrection is powerful. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we can live with him forever. Who can you tell that Jesus is alive?” Super Strength Have family members play Freeze Tag while you play a song. Say: “While the song plays quietly, the person who’s It will have normal strength to tag people. When the song gets loud, the person who’s It will have super strength, so everyone else has to hop on one foot.” After playing, read Judges 16:4-30. Ask: “What was it like to play this game with normal strength? What was it like with super strength? Where did Samson get his strength? Where do we get ours?”
MOVIE Title: Missing Link Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Rating: PG Cast: Zoe Saldana, Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Zach Galifianakis Synopsis: Sir Lionel Frost, self-proclaimed expert on monsters and myths, tries to bolster his reputation by proving that a legendary creature tied to early man really exists. After Frost and his partner Adelina find Mr. Link in the Pacific Northwest, the trio embarks on a global search for the creature’s long-lost relatives. Our Take: This film’s “fear factor” is quite low, as Mr. Link turns out to be a lovable dimwit. The title implies a “link” to evolution, but the movie’s theme is about finding the place where you belong. The trio discovers that family can be found in unexpected places.
MEDIA MADNESS
CULTURE & TRENDS
$7.09 That’s the difference between what boys make on average for a weekly allowance compared to girls. $13.80 is the average weekly allowance for boys, while for girls it’s only $6.71. The gender gap in allowances sheds interesting light on this aspect of family life. (busykid.com) Earworm Alert! Following its “Baby Shark” music video sensation, the South Korean company Pinkfong is planning a penguin-related follow-up. Also watch for content for older kids (ages 5 to 8), a Netflix cartoon series, and games for Alexa and Google Home. (bloomberg.com)
QUICK STATS
Principal Concerns In a survey of 900 K-8 principals, 74% say their top concern is an “increase in the number of students with emotional problems.” That’s followed by “student mental-health issues” (66%) and “students not performing to their level of potential” (62%). (wallacefoundation.org)
Parental Priorities Sixty-five percent of parents say they’d prefer a night of uninterrupted sleep to a night of intimacy. And 81% would choose a totally clean home over a piece of expensive jewelry. (today.com)
TV Title: Sydney to the Max Network: Disney Channel Synopsis: On this new family sitcom, rated TV-G, a middle schooler lives with her overprotective single dad and her grandma, who used to be a single mom. As the dad copes with modern-day parenting dilemmas, flashbacks to the ’90s reveal what he was once like. Misbehavior and rebellion are played for laughs, without much focus on consequences. Our Take: The intergenerational aspect of this show adds perspective to common conflicts. Subjects are kid-friendly, such as wanting a dog or a new hairstyle and pushing back against rules. Watching the episodes with your preteen can lead to conversations about your changing relationship.
Games, Podcasts & Apps
Melbits World In this puzzle game for PlayStation, two or more players guide cute creatures through levels. Teamwork is key, and young kids can master the moves. The only “violence” is when Melbits fall off a ledge. By downloading an app, you can play on various devices. Rated E for Everyone.
Noodle Loaf A dad trained in music education created this 10-minute interactive podcast for kids ages 3 to 9. Families will enjoy listening to the songs and games, which feature rhyming, rhythm and patterns, movement awareness, trivia, and a bunch of silly fun. Kids can submit material to the show.
Gorogoa This award-winning app takes the puzzle genre to an artistically intricate level. The story is told through very detailed illustrations with multiple layers. Players point and click to guide a boy through encounters with a monster as well as times of war and rebuilding. Rated E for Everyone. $4.99 This page is designed to help educate parents and isn’t meant
to endorse any movie, music, or product. Our prayer is that you’ll make informed decisions about what your children
watch, read, listen to, and play.
April, 2019 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
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St. Francis of Paola
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St. Isadore of Seville
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St. Vincent Ferrer
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St. Julie Billiart
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St. Stanislaus
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St. Martin I
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1 – 4 pm 1st Eucharist Day of Reflection Palm Sunday of the Passion
of the Lord
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Holy Thursday
19 Day of Fast
and Abstinence
Good Friday
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Easter Vigil
21 Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection
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Earth Day
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2nd Sunday of Easter
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St. Catherine of Sienna
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St. Pius V
First Eucharist
There are 25 students from St. Kilian School and Religious Education preparing for First Eucharist. These students and their parents will attend an Afternoon of Reflection on Sunday, April 14 as their final preparation for the reception of First Eucharist. Please pray for these students and their parents as they prepare for the reception of Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. St. Kilian’s First Eucharist celebration will be held on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 2:00pm.
Confirmation
St. Kilian and St. John parishes will be celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 2:00pm with Auxiliary Bishop Jeffery Haines. There are 28 young people from St. Kilian and 8 young people from St. John that are preparing for Confirmation. Please include these young people in your prayers as they enter the final preparation period for this Sacrament of Initiation.
Questions about the Catechism – Continuing Series
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A Blessed Holy Week
and Easter Season!
1. What is a catechism?
A catechism is a text which contains the fundamental
Christian truths formulated in a way that facilitates their
understanding. There are two categories of catechism: major
and minor. A major catechism is a resource or a point of
reference for the development of minor catechisms. The
Catechism of the Catholic Church is an example of a major
catechism. The Baltimore Catechism is an example of a
minor catechism.
2. What is a "universal catechism?"
A "universal catechism" is a major catechism which is
intended to be a resource or point of reference for the
development of national or local catechisms and catechetical
materials throughout the world. Such a catechism can be
termed "universal" in that its primary audience is the
universal Church.
3. Is the Catechism of the Catholic Church a "universal
Catechism?"
Yes. Insofar as it is intended to be a resource or point of
reference for the development of minor catechisms
throughout the universal Church, it is a "universal
catechism." The Catechism of the Catholic Church was titled
the Catechism of the Universal Church in an earlier draft, but
it was never officially titled the "universal Catechism." The
Catechism is in need of what its Prologue terms "the
indispensable mediation" of particular culture, age, spiritual
life and social and ecclesial conditions. The Catechism is
"universal," then, because it is intended for use by the
universal Church.
THE EASTER VIGIL
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April RE at a Glance Apr. 7 – 10:00-11:00 am - Class - 4K-Grade 7 Apr. 7 - 6:30-8:00 pm - Class - Grades 8-11 Apr. 14 – 9:00 am - Children’s Mass - All children should attend.
Grade 2 - Gospel Procession – (SKS Students also invited) Students should meet their Catechist in the Gathering Space near the Sacristy before Mass. Children’s Collection.
Apr. 14 – 10:00-11:00 am - Class - 4K-Grade 7 Apr. 14 - 6:30-8:00 pm - Class - Grades 8-11 Apr. 14 – First Eucharist Day of Reflection – 1:00-4:00 pm Apr. 21 – No sessions – Easter Sunday – A Blessed Easter to you! Apr. 29 – No Sessions until September! May 5 – First Eucharist Celebration – 2:00 pm May 30 – Confirmation Practice – 7:00 pm June 3 – Confirmation Celebration – 2:00 pm
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By most ancient tradition, this is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Ex 12:42), in which, following the Gospel admonition (Lk 12:35-37), the faithful, carrying lighted lamps in their hands, should be like those looking for the Lord when he returns, so that at his coming he may find them awake and have them sit at his table.
The Easter Vigil is the “Mother of All Vigils,” it is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities. Easter Sunday, then, is the greatest of all Sundays, and Easter Time is the most important of all liturgical times. Easter is the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, culminating in his Ascension to the Father and sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. There are 50 days of Easter from the first Sunday to Pentecost. It is characterized, above all, by the joy of glorified life and the victory over death, expressed most fully in the great resounding cry of the Christian: Alleluia! All faith flows from faith in the resurrection: “If Christ has not been raised, then empty is our preaching: empty, too, is your faith.” (1 Cor 15:14)
The Easter Vigil, held in Catholic Churches, is the first official Mass celebration of the Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Historically, it is during this service that people have been baptized and that adult catechumens are received into full communion with the Church. It would be typical for someone to receive all 3 Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. The Easter Vigil is held in the hours of darkness between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day – most commonly in the evening of Holy Saturday.
The word “Easter” comes from Old English, meaning simply the “East.” The sun which rises in the East, bringing light, warmth, and hope, is a symbol for the Christian of the rising Christ, who is the true Light of the world. The Paschal Candle is a central symbol of this divine light, which is Christ. The Paschal Candle is lit for all liturgical celebrations during the entirety of Easter Time.
St. Kilian celebrates the Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 20 at 8:00 pm. All present are given candles. The Vigil starts outside the Worship Space, in the Gathering Space, with the blessing of the new fire that is then used to light the
new Paschal Candle. The light is then passed to all present and a procession begins into the worship space as the Exultet is sung. The Exultet is the great Easter Proclamation. The Liturgy of the Word proclaims the salvation history of God’s people. From the creation story, to the story of the Exodus, to Isiah proclaiming all to come to the water, to Paul’s letter to the Romans telling them to think of themselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ, to finally, Luke’s story of the women – including Mary Magdalene - who were the first to know that Jesus had risen, then ran back to tell the others – spreading the news.
The St. Kilian Scrip Fundraising Program is third-source funding designed to assist in the budgetary needs of the
ministries of St. Kilian Parish. Families are encouraged to use this program to reduce their tuition expenses each
year. This includes Religious Ed tuition!! If everyone in the parish used Scrip just for their routine household
purchases, the parish would have enough money to do amazing things and be able to do amazing outreach to the
community! And it costs you NOTHING!!
Families will receive 50% of the rebates offered through the gift card companies after an initial $50.00 in rebates are met.
The first $50.00 in rebates helps to cover the cost of having Scrip inventory available to buy locally. If you need
assistance with the Scrip Program, please contact our Scrip coordinator, Linda Thimm at [email protected].
SHOP WITH SCRIP FOR REGULAR SHOPPING PURCHASES AND ALL YOUR GIFT GIVING!
Don't forget to purchase your gift cards or eCards for those special people on your list! If you haven't registered for Scrip,
please click on the link below. Might we suggest signing up with www.shopwithscrip.com to make your purchases from
the comfort of your couch or while you are standing in line at the store! Or, myscripwallet.com on your phone!
Scrip can be purchased Thursdays at 5:30 pm; Scrip is available, or may be ordered, in the St. Joseph Room just off the
Gathering Space. Scrip is also available in the Parish Office during normal Business Hours.
You may purchase and use Scrip even if you do not register - profits would then go directly to the general parish.
For more information, check out the links below:
Register with Scrip (To participate in program to have profit go to a specific area) Shop with Scrip (Online) (Optional...but useful!) See Scrip information on the Parish website by clicking http://www.stkiliancong.org/school/scrip-
program.cfm. On your phone go to myscripwallet.com to purchase and use scrip - right on your phone!
Registration for the 2019-2020 Religious Ed year will begin soon. Watch your mailbox for a postcard with the on-line address that gives instructions. Also, there will be help in using the Software after all Masses the weekend of April 6/7.
19-20 Fees
Fees remain the same as the past several years. The Early Bird Tuition Special runs until June 3rd. The special is $125 for 1, $250 for 2, $375 for 3 or more children from your family. After June 3rd fees will rise to $150, $300, $450.
Sacramental Prep for 2019-2020
St. Kilian provides a comprehensive catechetical program based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Scripture, Catholic teachings and traditions. Each grade level focuses on a specific theme, as well as Catholic prayers, Catholic vocabulary, and Mass responses. By the end of each year, students will have been exposed to and understand a variety of topics within their grade level theme. All learning is cumulative and students are expected to be familiar with the previous curriculum. The learning of our Catholic faith begins in the home at birth and continues for a life time. Children are expected to be enrolled in religious education classes through high school. The reception of the sacraments is not the end to learning about the Catholic faith. Each year of Religious Education Classes focus on a different area of Catholic Church teaching. It is extremely important that students regularly attend all grade levels of classes as one year builds on the next. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee recommends and St. Kilian requires completion of at least one year of religious formation prior to a student preparing for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist.
Traditionally, in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee First Reconciliation and First Eucharist occur when the child is in the 2nd grade. A child generally would attend Religious Ed in 1st and 2nd grades and then prepare for the reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist in 2nd grade. If an older child has not received these 2 Sacraments, they would prepare for them after they have started their second year of Religious Ed.
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee recommends and St. Kilian requires participation and attendance in Grades 9 & 10 Religious Education prior to the direct preparation for Confirmation in Grade 11.
Students attending Catholic High School will not be required to attend the St. Kilian 9th & 10th Grade formation classes as they have religious education classes during their school day. They are, however required to attend Grade 11 formation classes at St. Kilian as the direct preparation for the celebration of Confirmation is completed at the parish level.
A Reminder to sign-up
for your family’s turn as a Greeter THE POWER OF A WARM WELCOME!
This is a reminder for all RE families to complete each family’s requirement to serve
as Greeters 4 times for Sunday Mass, Holy Days, or other occasions!
Each Religious Education family is to schedule four (4) Masses where the family will be greeters at the doors to the
Gathering Space or the Breezeway. Have you completed your family’s required number? You have until August 25 to
complete your required 4 Masses. Sign-up today! Greeter sign-up is all completed on-line. To sign up for a particular date and time, along with either the Gathering Space entrance or Breezeway entrance, please go to the parish or RE website Greeter Ministry page, or go directly to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084caba728a1fe3-greeter2 to sign up!
A Church Greeter is one of the more important roles in the Church! Greeters are the first people that parishioners and
visitors see. It is vitally important to be welcoming – especially to our visiting guests! The greeter may assist, and care for the
needs of, those entering for worship. Following the example of Jesus who welcomes everyone to the Table, we too are called to
offer hospitality and welcome to everyone in the name of the Lord.
Afternoon of Reflection is Saturday, April 14th from
1:00 – 4:00 pm.
First Eucharist Celebration is Sunday, May 5th at 2:00 pm.
Confirmation
Confirmation Practice is Thursday May 30th.
Confirmation Candidates and Sponsors should be in
church by 6:50 pm.
Confirmation celebration is Sunday, June 2nd.
Candidates should be in the Gathering Space at 1:40 pm.
The Archdiocesan Office for Worship is sharing a series of articles in their newsletter. The series is titled, “A Walk Through the Mass.” I will share this wonderful teaching series with you. This is the Second Part of the series.
5th Sunday of Lent - April 7
Background on the Gospel Reading
The Gospel for the fifth Sunday of Lent continues to offer lessons about God's mercy and forgiveness. Last Sunday
we heard the Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Gospel of Luke. Today we hear not a parable, but the report from
John's Gospel of an encounter among Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees, and a woman caught in adultery.
In John's Gospel, the conflict between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees occurs much earlier than in the Synoptic
Gospels. Jesus' cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem is reported at the beginning of John's Gospel. Even after this
event, Jesus continues to teach in the Temple. After returning to Galilee for a time, Jesus again enters Jerusalem and
cures a man on the Sabbath. From this point forward in John's Gospel, the Pharisees are described as making plans for
Jesus' arrest and seeking his death.
In the chapter preceding today's Gospel, Jesus was teaching in the Temple area. Feeling threatened by his teaching
and his actions, the chief priests and the Pharisees are already sending guards to arrest Jesus. The guards return,
however, without arresting Jesus because they have been impressed by his words. Even more than this, some among
the crowds are considering the possibility that Jesus is the Messiah. The chief priests and the Pharisees change their
plan. Before making an arrest, they seek to gather more evidence against Jesus by posing a question intended to trap
Jesus.
Today's Gospel begins by reporting that Jesus is again teaching the crowds in the vicinity of the Temple. The scribes
and the Pharisees approach Jesus, bringing a woman who has been caught in the act of adultery. They put to Jesus the
question of what ought to be done in this case.
The Pharisees state clearly that according to the Law of Moses, those caught in the act of adultery were to be stoned
to death. Under Roman occupation, however, the Jewish people did not have the authority to execute people; this is
cited in John's passion narrative. To answer the Pharisees' question, Jesus must propose an action that will be either
contrary to the Law of Moses or contrary to Roman law. The purpose of the question appears to be similar to the
question about paying taxes found in Mark 12:13-17. Either answer, yes or no, will support the Pharisees' case against
Jesus.
Jesus avoids the trap, however, by offering an answer that was not anticipated by those who posed the question. Jesus,
after writing on the ground with his finger, addresses those who stand before him and suggests that the one without
sin cast the first stone. Jesus then returns to his writing. This Scripture reading, by the way, is the only evidence we
have of Jesus writing. Yet there are no specific details about what he wrote.
We can easily imagine the scene as the Pharisees and the elders disperse, one by one. Jesus has eluded the trap they
had prepared. We might also give credit to the elders and the Pharisees who do not, in the end, claim to be sinless and
worthy of passing judgment. These Pharisees are not as self-righteous as the portrait found in the parable of the
Pharisee and the tax collector (See Luke 18:9-14).
Left alone with the woman, Jesus asks where the accusers have gone. With no one remaining to condemn the woman,
Jesus (the one who truly is without sin) sends the woman on her way, refusing to pass judgment on her and exhorting
her to avoid future sin.
Jesus' response to those who accuse the woman is more than a caution to us about making judgment of others. It is a
profound lesson in divine mercy and forgiveness. As sinners, we are all unworthy to judge the sins of others and we
would stand convicted by God for our transgressions. Yet Jesus, the one without sin and thus our judge, offers us who
are sinners his mercy and forgiveness. Redeemed by Jesus' compassion, we are sent to sin no more and to live in