“The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle” (John 8:3). Why do they make her stand in the middle? Why not expose her on the periphery? The reason is something that affects us practically every day.
The center is what stabilizes a community’s identity. We humans tend to center ourselves around an accused and condemned victim — though we rarely admit it. This renews our fragile communities and our power as those who weaponize the accusation. This is effective because it is often a victim who represents something truly dangerous for the group. In this case, adultery stands for the breakdown of a community and those within it, because it forces questions like: who is my father? Whose child is this? Is this child one of us, or that of an outsider? The accusers place the adulteress in the center because their community, like most, is built around turning an enemy into a victim.
Once you understand this, you’ll see it almost anywhere humans group together (families, politics, workplaces, sports, schools, etc.). The good news is Jesus exposes this dynamic by deftly pointing out the sin-infected hearts of everyone besides the woman. They all leave, symbolizing the breakdown of the old order, and she is “left alone before him.” A new community has begun, structured around the merciful love of Christ.
What is in your center? What is in the center of our parish and family communities? Strive to center on Christ’s forgiveness, and we experience the new, lasting community we call the Church.
— Father John Muir ©LPi
General Mass Notes
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Welcome
Welcome to our Eucharistic Celebration on this Fifth Sunday of Lent.
The intentions of this Mass are for all those in our special intention basket and...
Please stand for our procession.
Mass Intentions
Saturday, April 5
5:00 PM
Rose Hebeit • †
RIcardo & Inigo Roda • Prayer
Sunday, April 6
6:00 AM
Pilar Maldonado • †
10:45 AM
Victor and Elsa Esquivel • Aniversary
Ike Onwudachi • Birthday
Felicia & Ike Onwudachi • Anniversary
12:30 PM
RIcardo & Inigo Roda • Prayer
Viviana Pech • Birthday
Universal Prayer (Petitions)
A. For the Church, that we may be a sign of God’s forgiveness, responding with mercy instead of condemnation, aware that no one is beyond the grace of redemption, let us pray to the Lord.
B. For those affected by abuse in any way, that God may bring healing within a loving, nurturing, and sincere environment, we pray to the Lord.
C. For those who will be welcomed into the Church at Easter, especially N., N., and N., that they may perceive the new way in which God is acting in their lives, let us pray to the Lord.
D. That during this Jubilee Year of Hope we may bring hope to those who feel ostracized, abandoned, or unloved, let us pray to the Lord.
Announcements
1. There will be no confessions on Monday, April 7, due to the first reconciliation of our religious education students.
2. Next weekend is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. We have additional Spanish Masses at 9:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Redahan Hall. The Parish will distribute free palms at every Mass. In addition, SEARCH Ministry will sell palms to generate funds for its yearly retreat.
3. We thank our parishioner Francisco Higuera and his company AB Action Realty for sponsoring our bulletin; their information can be found on the last page of our bulletin. If you have a business and would like to sponsor our weekly bulletin, you can call the phone number at the bottom of the last page.
