The angle dell'omiletica of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

CHRIST FORGIVE THE PROSTITUTE he regretted telling «VA 'AND FROM NOW ON SIN NOT MORE », NOT THE DICE ANY PROCEEDING AS BEFORE AND MORE THAN BEFORE …

.

'Go', and from now on sin no more "are the words of Christ and as such they cannot be questioned by anyone, even by the Church and by her ministers. Freedom of Mercy is a divine freedom that is inconceivable except in relation to the salvation of souls. God allows everything to man, except that which deprives him of grace and exposes it to damnation. The ban that man must do just then, is to live in sin, never a sin can be good, santo, desirable, excusable, tameable, to move with the times, modern and so to follow.

.

Author
Ivano Liguori, Ofm. Capp.

.

.

PDF print format article

.

.

Maddalena, Yesterday and Today …

The Gospel from John of this Fifth Sunday of Lent [see Liturgy of the Word, WHO] it is perhaps equal to that of the Merciful Father, the most famous and known Gospel passage. So much so that became proverbial and popular expression of Jesus: "Which one of you is without sin, cast the first stone ".

.

Even in the analysis of this text and in its correct exegesis, we must not be satisfied with a reading merciful that, while we are having the merit to satisfy all through a renewed apocatastasis, may belie the substance of Jesus' teaching about sin and authentic sacramental practice of reconciliation in the Church. In fact nexists on an exegesis admits that the criterion of political correctness or personalism, but the authentic exegesis is always done in the Holy Spirit is the one who guides and directs the whole truth [cf. GV. 16,13]. The same Spirit that blows on the Holy Church and the blessed masters and doctors, It allows us to scrutinize and learn the true meaning of the sacred pages of the Word of God.

.

The context and the setting this Gospel passage very reminiscent of the theme of Luke's mercy and forgiveness that Christ grants to sinners, and in a particular way to some women issues [cf. LC 7, 36-50; 8,2-3]. The sacral setting of the Temple, in which the episode takes place, significantly it emphasizes the power of authority of Christ in introducing an innovation in the worship of the Father. It is no longer to offer an animal sacrifice as a form of sacrificial atonement - on the basis of ancient Israel - but through the way of mercy to the Lord becomes worship: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice " [cf. Os 6,6; Mt 9,13].

.

the Servant of God Father Oreste Benzi [Rimini 1925 – Rimini 2007]

The summit of the mercy is the death of God's Son, person who becomes a sacrificial offering to the Father for the sins of all mankind, at all times:

.

"It was like a lamb led to the slaughter […] But the Lord is bruise him. If he offers in a guilt offering, see his offspring, will live long, It will be accomplished through him the Lord's will " [cf. Is 53,7; 10].

.

Divine Mercy is reached through the sacrifice of the Son, through Christ fact will arise in the world an offspring of rescued and pardoned you repudiate the sin and compromise with evil, to live in the freedom of God's children. Living without sin is not utopian but real possibility because it is a gift that has already been granted in the passion and resurrection of Jesus, It is a gift of grace that is rediscovered. The man is not his sin, but even an animal from saddle ridden by God or the devil, as she claimed by the heresiarch Luther in his wretched teaching.

.

We understand: mercy that the Lord has on the world it is in view of a final redemption from sin - Sother souls that the Church in her ministry work -, He continues in the wake of the mercy cult, through which the man is redeemed. The medicine of mercy, It needs truth and justice so that it reaches the soul's health. So the adulteress episode helps us to understand this divine practice, now so disregarded and mistreated.

.

Father Oreste Benzi visiting Saint John Paul II with a prostitute sick with AIDS

The adulterous the Gospel of this Sunday, goes about the sin of prostitution and adultery, It is a public sinner and perhaps already known to his accusers. It thus becomes a tool and pretext to accuse Jesus and put him to death as a troublemaker Law. The woman, in this context, It makes the experience of truth and human justice which unfortunately prove imperfect.

.

Moses, although remembered as the supreme legislator of Israel, He should also take note of sin and human limitation and that sclerocardia that hinders live according to God's plan, giving the law also grants the exemptions that mortify [cf. MC 10, 4-5]. The law should protect man does not save, It not justified as it had to fully understand St. Paul during his preaching. In Jesus, which it is greater than Moses, it fulfills the law, perfecting it through his person: "You have heard that it was said … but I tell you " [cf. Mt 5,21-ss].

.

Christ does not intend to quibble against his enemies, He does not want to hear the judges of a poor woman guilty, He wants first of all to bring the truth so that there is a genuine justification for both guilty that his accusers. So down the position of these men and forces them to look truth within themselves and to see themselves in relation to sin, in any sin: "Which one of you is without sin, be the first to throw the stone at her " [cf. GV 8,7]. Now, sand the woman is a sinner, one who has transgressed the law, they can perhaps be said to be above the law or unable to transgress? Jesus powerfully puts before them a disconcerting truth that the evangelist John has already introduced us in the previous chapter to this page: "It was not Moses give you the Law? Yet none of you keeps the law! Why do you seek to kill me?» [cf. GV 7,19].

.

Father Oreste Benzi, a true priest of the road because the true path of Christ …

These men They are not immune from the contagion of sin, want justice, but do not tolerate submit before the light of truth. The effort to discover sinners and pain for the discovery of their pitiable condition leads them to abandon the attitude of condemnation: "Hearing this, they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest to the last " [cf. GV 8, 9].

.

Jesus' statement It brings forth the truth in the souls of these men and leads to a justice that restores balance, for them there will be a justification only when, like the publican in the Temple, They will recognize themselves in need of forgiveness and cleansing, by ceasing to use the law as a weapon of accusation [cf. LC 18,13]. Thus removed the accusers "only the two of them remained: the miserable and mercy ", St. Augustine comments as well this time. The story of the woman has not clarified nor resolved, what will be the decision of Jesus? First, Jesus calls, It puts it in the middle, He wants to re-make the truth so we've got to justify. He calls her "woman", the restoration of the dignity that his accusers had taken off his, she is a creature of the Father, can not be defined by his sin, but by the love that God used to call her to life. The question of Christ emphasizes the lack of conviction not on guilt: "Has no one condemned?», This happens every time we put ourselves before the Lord, which does not ignore certain sin but want the sinner himself is aware of his condition of infirmity desiring healing.

.

This woman does not express a visible repentance, full of love and emotion as the sinful woman of Luke's Gospel [cf. LC 7,36-50], yet Jesus uses with her a totally exaggerated kindness as opposed to that of the Pharisees: "You judge according to the flesh; I do not judge anyone " [cf. GV 8,15]. The final of the Gospel makes it clear why this particular exercise of benevolence and mercy from Jesus: 'Go', and from now on sin no more ". But what they want to say these words? First of all, be firmly stressed obtained freedom from sin that comes to us through the grace of Christ and his sacrifice: yes she is free to go, but not to sin again.

.

the Grateful daughters …

Let us remember that these are the words of Christ and as such they cannot be questioned by anyone, even by the Church and by her ministers. Freedom of Mercy is a divine freedom that is inconceivable except in relation to the salvation of souls. God allows everything to man, except that which deprives him of grace and exposes it to damnation. The ban that man must do just then, is to live in sin, never a sin can be good, santo, desirable, excusable, tameable, to move with the times, modern and so to follow. Sin is always sin and was the cause of all suffering of our Divine Redeemer: "He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities;. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with his stripes we are healed " [cf. Is 53,5].

.

Cagliari, 7 April 2019

.

.

the personal blog by Father Ivano

.

.

.

.