A Compassionate Encounter the Woman Taken in Adultery

LENT PRAYER MATERIAL 2016

L’ARCHE INTERNATIONAL – ENCOUNTERS OF FORGIVENESS

WEEK 5

6 – 12 March

A Compassionate Encounter – The woman taken in adultery

(Prepared by Luisa Rossi, Eddy Bagnoud and Claudio Gammuto, La Corolle, Switzerland)

‘Hannah’,

by Katie Benulis, L’Arche Irenicon, USA

BIBLE READING

John 8: 2 - 11

Early in the morning Jesus came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

She said, “No one, sir.”

And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

"Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery,"

by Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586),

The Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

REFLECTION by Ruth Patterson

Jesus is in Jerusalem. He has been teaching in the Temple and its environs. The religious authorities are alarmed and are determined to silence him. In fact, they wish to kill him, so threatening do they find him to be in terms of his message of love, of inner freedom, of mercy and of inclusion. On this particular occasion they think they’ve got him! They have planned this confrontation carefully.

After reading what happened next, as told by John, you might like to think about the following:

What is remarkable in this encounter is the silence of Jesus. Once the high drama starts to unfold, he says little. All about him is an aura of silence and peace. This is not escapism for he knows exactly what is happening and what his ‘enemies’ are trying to do.
When Jesus stoops down and writes in the dust, what is he writing? Perhaps he was tracing all the possible sins that might ever be committed, written in dust and sand that would be washed away by rain and be forgotten. For this encounter tells above everything else something of the mercy, the compassion and the forgiveness of God.
Not until the last of her accusers has gone does Jesus straighten up and look at the woman. Her mind must have been in turmoil. Who is this man? Ashamed and guilty, she knows she has done wrong – that was never in question, but it seems, amazingly, that not only has there been a stay of execution but that actually she is liberated. She could pick up the challenge to grow and change because she knew herself broken and beloved, forgiven and commissioned.
Every time we treat people as a means to an end, we are identifying with the so-called bad guys in this story. These men were out to destroy Jesus and were prepared to use any means, including this unfortunate, erring woman, to pile up evidence against him. Their motivation stemmed largely from fear – fear of losing their own power and control. Jesus saw beyond their immediate questions and actions to the fear that lurked within. Just as he did not judge or condemn the woman, so he did not judge or condemn them. The compassionate gaze of mercy and love that rested on the woman rested also upon them, even although they were probably unaware of it. They did not know the love that drives out fear.
From this encounter we learn that the word forgiveness means to give something before – before we even ask. And the woman learns the truth that God doesn’t love us if we change. He loves us so we can change.

REFLECTION

This passage from the Gospels speaks of an encounter full of compassion. It reminded me of Marilena, a woman I lived with in the L’Arche community of Chicco in Rome. She was rather reserved, and a little timid. One day we had invited a person to diner who was beginning to get to know our community. She was a very distinguished and elegant woman. That evening for dinner we were having spaghetti with a delicious tomato sauce. The lady was wearing a pretty blouse made of white silk. And the inevitable happened – some red spots appeared, coloring her blouse. She exclaimed, “Oh, what a pig I am.” Marilena then turned to her and looked deeply into her eyes for a long moment. First this was done in silence, and then Marilena’s discreet little voice was heard saying, “No. You are not a pig. YOU ARE A PERSON.” These few words were like a turning point for that woman, a moment of great significance for her. She confided some time later that this was the first time that she had had the experience of being seen as herself, a human being, going beyond appearances and titles. She felt loved just for who she was, as she was.

“Has there been a moment or in my life where someone has looked at me or spoken to me in a way that has revealed to me something about my deepest identity – doing me good, giving me new energy, perhaps telling me something about the loving way Jesus sees me?”

In your house group, take some time to share or do an activity about this.

Luisa Rossi

”The Woman Taken in Adultery,”

by Claudio Gammuto – La Corolle

ACTIVITY

Making bread together

At home, in a workshop or during a community gathering, prepare a large recipient, e.g., a large tray. Place flour on the tray. Using your fingers (after having washed your hands!), each person in turn draws a picture in the flour which represents a difficult time when a relationship with a group that you belonged to or a relationship in your life was broken. Try to express what happened, and your desire for reconciliation. When everyone has been able to express themselves, place the flour in a big bowl and add yeast, water, and salt. Knead the dough. Leave it for an hour. Place it in a baking dish and bake it in the oven.

You will have a BREAD OF RECONCILIATION to share in your group or to bring to a community for a group celebration.

Watch a video

Jesus wrote in the sand. We do not know exactly what he wrote. In watching this video, we are reminded that Jesus came make all things new and beautiful at any point in time if we let him work within us.

PRAYERS – a suggested format:

Say the Our Father together
Read John 8: 1 - 11

Have a time of silence
Take time to reflect on any of the material offered above
Prayer: (This is the same prayer every week except for the second line. Maybe you could learn to sign it. One person could say and sign each line, and then everyone else repeat with the same signing).

Jesus, help us to see others as you see them – with love and compassion.

Help us to see ourselves as Jesus sees us – with love.

Help us to be able to welcome those who are different from us, those we find it difficult to like.

And thank you that you love us, just as we are, today and every day.

Amen.

The L’Arche Prayer
Appropriate songs if wished.

EVE-2016-Lenten Prayer-Wk 5-SWITZERLAND-EN .docx