Today's Gospel is the one where Jesus says whoever is without sin should cast the first stone. In other words, take care that in our very right and proper zeal for righteousness, we do not, in our challenges to others to live a better life, abandon charity. If we abandon charity we may do more harm than good to a person's spirit -- both theirs and our own.
We are all, basically, fallen and therefore sinful. The mercy God has shown to each of us is not the result of us having met some minimum standard that others have failed. Mercy is to be shown to all. In other words, hate the sin, and love the sinner.
To love the sinner is precisely to hate the sin. And it applies also not just to how we approach our neighbors but how we approch ourselves.
We might ask: Do I throw stones at myself when I sin? When I fall, do I beat myself up over it? Or do I allow Jesus to pick me up and invite Him into my weakness, asking Him for the grace I need to correct my behavior?
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The second to last week of Lent is already upon us! This coming week I will be looking at the prayer that Jesus taught us. It begins with the address: "Our Father."
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