Thus says the LORD,
            who opens a way in the sea
            and a path in the mighty waters,
who leads out chariots and horsemen,
            a powerful army,
till they lie prostrate together, never to rise,
            snuffed out and quenched like a wick.
Remember not the events of the past,
            the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
            Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
            in the wasteland, rivers.
Wild beasts honor me,
            jackals and ostriches,
for I put water in the desert
            and rivers in the wasteland
            for my chosen people to drink,
the people whom I formed for myself,
            that they might announce my praise.

Isaiah 43: 16-21

Here are the complete readings for Sunday, April 6, 2025.

(“The Stoning” by Jack Baumgartner)

Open the door, and something new may appear. New paths to freedom appear that were obscured before. A person has an invitation to do something in the present moment which is different from previous times. This sounds inviting, but also scary, as is anything new or unknown. These themes appear in both the Hebrew Scriptures and in today’s Gospel. Do we have the awareness to see the door itself, and then do we have enough curiosity to walk through the door into an experience that might make us uncomfortable but ultimately happy? Consider the Gospel story of the woman caught in adultery. This tale is wonderful example of God’s unconditional love and mercy, and that humans have dignity regardless of their actions from the past. As we read the narrative multiple times, does our mind ever shift from the woman to those who accused her and would have put her to death? Note what happens when Jesus draws in the dirt, and asks the question to the men about their own sinfulness. One by one, they turn and walk away. Were they ashamed? Probably. Yet in his own way, Jesus was inviting them to forgiveness, too. How can we be forgiven? We need to first own our weakness and poverty before we can be open to transformation. Did these men change when they went home? We don’t know, but for a moment, at least, they realized that they had not just the obligation, but the chance to change. Who knows what might have happened when they walked through the open door as they arrived home?

You were created by the God of love
in God’s image and according to God’s likeness,
to be a unique expression of that love.
It is through you
that God desires to manifest Love
to the peoples of the world in these times,
and to offer them the freedom
of the children of God.

– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, thank you for the confrontations that have forced us to see how others see us, and for the chances to see ourselves as how you see us. Help us to trust that this is the true version of ourselves that you created and continue to bless. May we embrace what is ordinary, or real, in the unspectacular moments each day. Help u not take these times for granted. Thank you for your invitation to turn towards you. You have already opened the door for us, give us the fortitude to walk through it and embrace you.

Amen