For this Sunday’s gospel, in the encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees who bring before him a woman caught in adultery (Jn 8:1-11), we see that Jesus’ words are spare. Both his few terse words and the gesture of his bending down into the silence twice communicate the new way of God embodied in Jesus. Silence speaks…silence is woven into Jesus’ words; he bends down and writes or draws something in the sand. But the most powerful communication is the bending down first before speaking, humility bows and listens…Then the wisdom word of God, the forgiving word of God speaks. It is the fertile silence that births forth the word of Life, the word of transformation, the point of conversion. Jesus then stands upright, as if emerging out of the silence of the silence. He then says to the woman’s accusers: ‘You who have not sinned throw the first stone’.
Let us feel into the scene: the accusers, the learners, scholars of the law standing before Jesus, bringing forth the woman who sinned…power in their status, evil in their intention and what does Jesus do? He goes vulnerable, defenseless…He bends down in a vulnerable gesture and this vulnerable gesture, and the silence begin to disarm the accusers, disarm their evil intent, it makes them look into themselves. Silence, bending inward to listen, disarms the intentions of the woman’s accusers. In any encounter, especially those which are conflictual, silence makes us uncomfortable…Waiting in the silence, we wonder, what will come next? The silent pauses challenge us to reflect, to go inward and ponder, to go beneath the morass of fears, accusing words, hurtful intent, and so on.
Words can hide our wicked intentions: For the Pharisees and scribes it was in their question: ‘What do you say about her’…there is the trap, they are trying to find something against Jesus. Jesus does not hit back with words right away…no he lets the silence begin to speak…Then the moment comes when the word of God, like a two-edged sword cuts through the hypocrisy of her accusers, revealing the intentions of their hearts. Then, one by one, they leave; their departure a silent acknowledgement that yes indeed they as well are ‘sinners’. After the accusers depart Jesus is left alone with the woman. The scripture scholar, Fr. John Donahue, wrote “The attention shifts to Jesus and the woman standing alone. St. Augustine captures the scene poignantly: ‘there are but two left, affliction and mercy’” (Hearing the Word of God, cycle-C, p.52). Affliction and mercy embrace. O Wondrous exchange, misery meets mercy, mercy meets misery. Misery receives forgiveness, healing, transformation, acceptance through unconditional love. Mercy receives a new converted heart. Mercy receives gratitude.
Fr. John Donahue added this poignant reflection: “Repentance is not something we do, but it allows the forgiving power of God to touch our lives and lead us along new paths” (p.51). Just our simple turning away from a reaction or hurtful word creates enough silent space for the Divine Love to work a miracle of change, no matter how small the change is within our depths…we can feel the fresh new movement as the heart softens, first of all towards ourselves and then towards our sister or brother.
I conclude with these words of Pope Francis: “When we speak ill of others – something we know well – how much good it will do us to have courage to drop down the stones we have to throw at others, and to think a little about own sins” (Angelus, March 13, 2016).
Sr. Kathy DeVico, Abbess
Chapter Talk – Fifth Sunday of Lent – April 6, 2025 – cycle-C
