On the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Church focuses her attention on the merciful love of our God who is Father of us all. In the person of Jesus, His only begotten Son, God reveals His saving and bountiful love for all.

The Church instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation to ritualize this unconditional love of God for all of humanity. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, not only are our sins forgiven by the Lord; we are also given the opportunity to make up for our sins and to live our lives anew.

Pope John Paul II, in his apostolic exhortation “Reconciliation and Penance,” said it is every Christian's duty to promote God's love and forgiveness in the community.

This Sunday's liturgy dwells on the fact that the Lord invites us to be reconciled with Him. This reconciliation begins with admission of one's sins, continues with the willingness to do penance, and then moves on with a call to conversion.

In the Gospel narrative, Jesus saved a woman who was caught in the act of adultery from persecution and death by the members of the community. We, who are also sinful, must forgive others too and recognize that our brothers and sisters can change for the better.

Ours is a God who is rich in mercy and full of compassion. As followers of this God, we, too, should be forgiving as He is merciful. May all of us who pray the prayer Jesus Himself taught us – “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us” – truly live the message of the Gospel.