This week, we are now more than halfway through the season of Lent.
For some of us, we may be feeling the great grace of this liturgical season accompanied by great freedom in our commitments to the Lord.
For others, we may be feeling a bit worn out and burdened.
It may be time for many of us to recommit to our Lenten sacrifices and observances that we made a few weeks ago.
As we draw closer to Calvary, this weekend’s themes help us understand the readings better, which in turn, gives us hope for the salvation for which we long. They guide us in our preparation for Easter.
An invitation to repent
On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, our readings emphasize that God sees us in our weakness and suffering and offers us salvation. He invites us to repent.
The passages invite us to look at the past, recognize the possibility of a new way, and experience joy amid sorrow.
They also highlight the need to let go of worldly values, embrace life in Christ, be aware of our own sinfulness, and embrace new beginnings by releasing the hold of the past.
In the first reading, given to us by the prophet Isaiah, we are reminded that God calls each one of us as it says, “See, I am doing something new.”
He reminds us that just like those who have gone before us in faith, He will make a way for all of us in the desert of our own lives.
We all need to turn back to Him and look for the path of freedom and righteousness that He has made for us.
He will provide for us in our need because we are His people.
In the second reading, Paul encourages the Philippians along the same wisdom to continue to leave the past and the world behind and to pursue Christ who is our hope and our goal.
Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus arrives in the temple area to teach the people, and the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman who was caught in adultery to Him.
They wanted to test Him when they questioned what they were to do with her.
Jesus, as a perfect witness in His infinite mercy and love, reminds them that we all have imperfections and brokenness.
“He who is without sin may cast the first stone.” (Jn 8.)
When they had all left, she had a quiet moment of encounter with Jesus.
He forgave her sins and sent her forth to be the woman she was created to be.
Called to ‘invite’
In the fourth step of our journey to be a Witness of Hope to another, we are called to invite the person for whom we have been praying.
The challenge is to invite them to a place where they can encounter Christ for the first time or again if they have been away from Him and the Church.
This calls for us to be prayerful and to continue to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
When the time is right, invite your friend to take a concrete next step in fostering a personal relationship with Jesus and the Church.
This might mean joining you for a small group, Mass on Sunday, or some type of apostolic activity that brings people closer to God.
The prophet Isaiah, St. Paul, and Christ himself are witnesses this week to encourage us to invite back those in need of repentance and grace.
We have all needed that invitation back to the Lord at some point in our lives. God has sent His own prophets and disciples into our lives at times when we needed the support and encouragement the most.
If the Holy Spirit allows, always be ready to share your own story of repentance and returning to the Lord.
Do not be afraid to be a voice of invitation and love for someone else this Lent — to show that person how God can make all things new for them as well.
Be courageous and merciful as Christ was with the woman in the Gospel and be a witness of hope to another.
Whatever place we find ourselves at this moment in the Lenten journey, the Lord is calling us and those we invite to journey with Him to the Cross and to follow Him to Calvary.
Although it may be a time of suffering and death, not far beyond will be the glory of His Resurrection.