“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”…They went away one by one, beginning with the elders. (John 8)

Today we have the account in the Gospel of John of the woman caught in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees wanted to use her to trap Jesus. They had no care or concern for the woman or for Jesus. Jesus reminds them that all of us are sinners and that we do not have the right to condemn someone else to death.  As we celebrate the year of Mercy, we are reminded of the call to avoid judging others too harshly, and to avoid using or manipulating people for our own advantage. Our Lenten journey is about looking within and striving to turn away from sin, not to judge or misuse others.