There is a common theme in today's Scripture Readings on this 5th Sunday of Lent. In the First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord says "Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!" In the Second Reading from Saint Paul's Letter to the Philippians, we read, " 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." Do you see a common theme yet? In the Gospel from Luke, we read how Our Lord was focused more on the future of the woman caught in adultery than in her past. He removed the men from the scene who represented the past. He says to the woman, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” After she acknowledges no one has, Jesus says, " Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
Hopefully you can see the common thread; look to what is ahead, not the past. In this Year of Mercy, we should not be focused on our sin, but focus on what is presented to us; Mercy Himself. (The priest today at Mass, commenting on the Gospel, says the woman was misery, and Our Lord was Mercy, two "M's", a beautiful way of saying it.) Now we need to acknowledge our sin, as the woman did, but we cannot keep looking at it; rather, we have to look ahead at what is in front of us. And what is in front of us, especially this Year, is Mercy. This is true in all aspects of our life; we are healthier when we focus on what is front of us, rather than what is behind us, or has happened and is done with.
In many ways, I think, these readings show us yet another beautiful aspect of Catholicism, and how it is different from other Christian denominations, and other religions. The beautiful thing is this; Catholicism is not stuck in the past, everything about Her is "alive". (Many might think so, but the reality is different.) Think about these realities that are proclaimed by the Catholic Church alone among the different Christian churches.
1) The Mass represents Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross, making it present to us here and now. The Church teaches that the Paschal Mystery is not something that just happened 2000 years ago. Our Protestant brothers and sisters believe that the sacrifice happened, and ended long ago. No, rather, the sacrifice is eternal, and that why it is not illogical to believe the Sacrifice can be represented Catholic altars throughout the world today.
2) The teaching of the Church, while it does not change over time, develops over time, and this shows it is alive. The words of Our Lord are a "living word". They are not a "dead word". Protestants believe that if a theological statement is not stated literally in the Bible, it cannot be true. Catholics believe, on the other hand, that there are two sources of Revelation, Scripture and Tradition. Therefore, as long as a teaching does not contradict something in Scripture, it can be true. The Protestant religion is based on a book that was closed many years ago. The true, Catholic Faith is based on a book that can continue to be understood, and insights gleamed from it.
3) The Church holds up Mary and the Saints as living witnesses who can intercede for us. We can pray to Mary and the Saints as intercessors, because they are "alive" and active in heaven. They are NOT just past historical figures, who we can emulate and admire. Yes, we can and should learn about them, and learn from them, but we can also become friends with them, as much as we are friends with anyone living around us. The Protestant religion has no such role for them. It has it for Christ, but ignores everyone else involved in Salvation history, as if they are no use to us.
4) The Church has the Blessed Sacrament where Christ is just as present now as He was walking on Earth 2000 years ago. In the Blessed Sacrament, Our Lord is truly and substantially present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, just as He was when He walked among us. No other Christian denomination has this. Our Lord is only present this way in tabernacles in Catholic churches throughout the world. The Church proclaims that what some call the "historical Jesus" is actually alive and well today.
5) The Church has priests who act "in persona Christi" and carry on His ministry today and forever. Priests have the same power to do what Christ did. They can forgive sins. They can confect the Eucharist (change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ). And once made a priest, one is always a priest, because as it says in Hebrews 7:17, we read, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." So, is not good to simply be nostalgic and just look back and see all the wonders Christ did in the past; He is still doing it today, through the Priesthood, and priests will continue to do the things they do for all eternity. That is an amazing thought.
So, in the Mass, in Her teaching, in Mary and the Saints, in the Blessed Sacrament, and in Her priests, we see the Church is not a religion of looking back, but rather, is a Church, who, in the spirit of Her Head, is focused on the now, and is forward looking. Those who say Catholics are stuck in the past need to take a closer look at the Lectionary, and study Her teachings (the Catechism of the Catholic Church being a great resource for doing so). They need to listen to what is proclaimed at Mass; in the Readings, and in the homilies that are preached. Once they do, they will realize that the Church is not stuck in the past; it is alive and well, and looking ahead, not back. It is therefore incumbent upon Her members to do the same.
Finally, if the Church is indeed looking ahead, and not looking back, we then need to ask what is it we Her members are looking ahead to? The answer is salvation. There is nothing else worth moving ahead to if the road ahead ends in death. If the woman in today's Gospel was just going to eventually die anyway, and that was that, well, what happened would have still been nice, but not worth much of anything in the end. No, what we are looking ahead to is being saved from the penalty of sin, which is death. We are called to march forward on the journey of salvation, and to help others who are on that same journey, be it if they are stuck, moving slowly, or worse, moving backwards.
So, if salvation is what we are looking ahead to, Catholics and all people must realize something very important about it. We must realize "Outside the Church there is no salvation.", as was stated often by the Church Fathers. While this does NOT mean that only Catholics can be saved, it does mean that all salvation comes through the Church, and thus, everyone in heaven will be Catholic, so if one rejects the Church, explicitly or inexplicitly, while here on Earth, and does not repent of that before his or her death, he or she does put their salvation at risk. We may expound on that point in a future post, but it is important to note for now simply that all who live a life not in accordance with Church teachings, or who reject the Church, put their salvation at risk. The woman in today's Gospel was living a life of sin, but she found Christ, accepted His Mercy, and was able to begin looking forward, and not back. May people today, some of whom perhaps through our very own witness, find and accept that same Mercy and Truth in Christ's Bride, the Church, and look forward, and not back, and make their lives better, and the world a better place.
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