First Reading (Isaiah 43,16-21)
Reading of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
This says the Lord, who opened a passage in the sea and a path through the mighty waters; which lost chariots and horses, troops and brave men; for they are all dead and will not rise again, they were smothered like a wick of cloth and extinguished: “Do not remember the past, do not look at ancient things. Behold, I will do new things, and they are already coming: do you not recognize them? For I will open a road in the desert and cause rivers to flow in the dry land. The wild animals, the dragons and the ostriches, will glorify me, because I have made water spring up in the desert and rivers in the dry land to give water to the my people, my chosen ones. This people I created for myself and they will sing my praises.”
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Second Reading (Philippians 3:8-14)
Reading of the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians.
Brothers: Truly, I consider everything as a loss compared to the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. Because of him I lost everything. I consider everything as rubbish, in order to gain Christ and be found united with him, not with my righteousness from the Law, but with the righteousness through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God, on the basis of faith. This consists of knowing Christ, experiencing the power of his resurrection, being in communion with his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, to see if I can achieve resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already received all of this, or that I am already perfect. But I run to catch up with him, since I have already been caught up with by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I don’t think I have achieved it yet. One thing, however, I do: forgetting what is behind, I throw myself towards what is in front. I run straight to the goal, towards the prize, which, from above, God calls me to receive in Christ Jesus.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (John 8,1-11)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn, he returned to the Temple again. All the people gathered around him. Sitting down, he began to teach them. However, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. Placing her among them, they said to Jesus: “Master, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. Moses in the Law commanded such women to be stoned. What do you say?” They asked this to test Jesus and to have a reason to accuse him. But Jesus, bending down, began to write with his finger on the ground. When they persisted in questioning him, Jesus stood up and said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And bending over again, he continued writing on the floor. And when they heard what Jesus said, they went out one by one, starting with the oldest; and Jesus was left alone, with the woman who was there, among the people. Then Jesus stood up and said, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, Lord.” Then Jesus said to him, “Neither do I condemn you. You may go, and from now on sin no more.”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
My brothers and sisters, let me begin with an image you may know well: imagine someone trapped in a dark room, groping blindly, tripping over everything, feeling alone, dirty, condemned. Now, imagine that, suddenly, a soft light begins to enter through a crack in the door. This light is the look of Jesus. A look that does not condemn, but that lifts. A look that does not ignore sin, but that points to something greater: a new chance, a new path, a new life.
This is exactly what the Lord wants to talk to us about today: the power of mercy, renewal and hope. And He speaks to us powerfully through the three readings this Sunday, which are like three voices from heaven saying: “You are not stuck in what was. I make all things new!”
Let’s start with the prophet Isaiah. He presents us with a God who acts with power, who opened a path in the sea, made a people cross the impossible. But, interestingly, He says: “Do not remember the former things, do not look at the things of old. Behold, I will do new things…” Wait a minute… God himself, who so often asks people to remember his wonders, now says: “Do not look back”?
Yes, brothers. Because there are times when the memory of the past becomes a prison. Sometimes we get so caught up in what was — the pain, the failures, the mistakes — that we fail to see what God is doing now. And He is saying today: “Behold, I make all things new. They are already springing up… don’t you see?”
How many of us carry a burden of what we could have been… what we should have done… what we would like to erase. But God is not the God of the past. He is God of new beginnings. He is the God who makes flowers sprout in the desert, who creates rivers where there was only dust.
And this is where Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians comes in as a second beat of this divine heart. Paul writes something deeply moving: “I count everything as loss in light of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” All! He, who had fame, education, power, position, considers everything rubbish in the face of the love of Christ.
Paul, the persecutor turned apostle, knows well what it means to be transformed. He doesn’t dwell on what he was, nor does he boast about what he achieved. He says: “Forgetting what is behind, I rush towards what is ahead. I run towards the goal.”
This is today’s call: stop running in circles around what holds us back and start running towards what frees us. Paul invites us to a life of movement, of advancement, of purpose. But this advancement is not in search of status or perfection. It is in search of Christ. He is the goal. He is the prize. He is the path and the destination.
And then, as the brightest jewel in this crown of readings, we have the gospel of John. And what a powerful scene! A woman caught in adultery. Dragged, humiliated, exposed. She is there, standing or perhaps lying down, in front of the crowd and… in front of Jesus.
She doesn’t say a word. But his eyes, perhaps teary, say it all. She knows she has sinned. And he also knows he has no defense. The Pharisees are not really seeking justice—they want to test Jesus. They want a trap. If He condemns it, it loses its reputation as merciful. If you forgive her, you disrespect the Law. What does Jesus do?
He bends down. Write on the floor.
Ah, brothers… how many times God also bends down at our side. He descends into our misery, into the dust where we lie. And there, on the ground of human shame, He writes divine justice with His fingers.
Then He stands up and says, “Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone.” And one by one, the accusers leave. Because everyone, all of us, have stones in our hands — and sins in our hearts.
Jesus looks at the woman. She is now alone before Him. And He asks, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She responds, “No one, Lord.” And He says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on sin no more.”
It is not an approval of sin. It is a revolution of mercy.
Jesus shows that God’s justice is not blind like that of men — it sees the heart. And more than punishing, she wants to restore. Jesus does not deny sin, but offers the chance to start over. And that is today’s miracle: God is still writing new stories in the sand of our lives.
How many times have you felt like this woman? Guilty, ashamed, afraid of being condemned? Maybe you’re in that place right now, carrying past guilt, hidden wounds, mistakes that you barely dare confess. But listen: God sees you. And He does not condemn you. He invites you. Getting up. Starting over. Living in newness of life.
This woman left there transformed. She walked in, nameless, labeled as an adulteress. He left with restored dignity, with a “go” full of promise. A new path. A new chance.
And you, are you willing to let go of the stones you carry — against others, against yourself? Are you willing to listen again to that still small voice that says, “Neither do I condemn you”? Are you ready to let go of the past and run toward the prize, like Paul? Are you paying attention to what God is doing now, as Isaiah proclaims?
The time of grace is today. Light entered the dark room. The gaze of Jesus is upon you. Not as a harsh judge, but as a faithful friend. He doesn’t just want you to repent. He wants you to get up.
Brothers and sisters, our faith is not about carrying burdens. It’s about letting go of the stones and embracing the cross — because it does free you.
Today, the Word gives us three invitations:
Let go of the past—as Isaiah invites us.
Run forward — as Paul challenges us.
Stand up with dignity — as Jesus offers the woman.
Lord Jesus, You who look at us with tenderness even when we fall, help us to get up. Give us the courage to leave behind what holds us back. Teach us to walk with you. May we always hear Your voice, which does not condemn, but transforms. Do new things in us, Lord. And may we, with a renewed heart, be witnesses of Your love in the world. Amen.
My brothers, may this Word not only remain in our ears, but may it descend to the heart. May it move us to forgive, to start over, to love more. Remember: God doesn’t give up on you. And He is, right now, opening paths in the desert of your soul. Because He is God who makes all things new. Always.
