Alright, family, let us dive into the profound depths of the Gospel you just heard, a passage that resonates deeply with my Dominican, calling to preach truth and extend mercy…

As your parish priest, and as a member of the Order of Preachers, I find this Gospel to be a mirror reflecting our own human frailties and the boundless, transformative power of God’s grace. We see the stark contrast between the self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees and the gentle, yet firm, compassion of our Lord.

They brought the woman, caught in adultery, into the light, not for justice, but to trap Jesus. They wielded the Law as a weapon, a stone ready to be hurled. How often, my friends, do we use our own understanding of righteousness to condemn, rather than to heal? How easily do we forget that we, too, are sinners in need of God’s mercy?

Jesus, in his infinite wisdom, doesn’t engage in their game. He bends down and writes on the ground. As a Dominican, a student and preacher of the Word, I find myself pondering what those words might have been. Perhaps, as tradition suggests, he wrote the sins of her accusers, forcing them to confront the darkness within their own hearts. This act, this silent, powerful gesture, speaks volumes about the power of truth to convict and to liberate.

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.”

These words, so simple, yet so devastating, expose the hypocrisy that lurks within us all. In our parish, in our community, how often do we cast judgment upon others, blind to the flaws within ourselves? How quick are we to condemn, and how slow are we forgive? As s Dominican parish, we are called to bring the light of truth, not the darkness of judgment.

And then, there is the woman. Standing before Jesus, exposed and vulnerable, she faces the weight of her sin. Yet, in the presence of divine love, she finds not condemnation, but grace. “Neither do I condemn you,” Jesus says. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

This, brothers and sisters, is the heart of our Gospel, the heart of our Dominican preaching: a message of forgiveness, redemption, and new beginnings. Jesus, the Word made flesh, does not condone sin, but he offers a path to transformation. He extends his hand to the broken, the lost, and the marginalized, offering them a chance to start anew…

As your parish priest, and as a Dominican, I urge you to reflect on these lessons:

The danger of hypocrisy: We must examine our own hearts before we judge others. We must be preachers of truth, starting with ourselves.

The power of forgiveness: God’s mercy is greater than any sin. We are called to be instruments of that mercy, extending grace to those in need.

The call to transformation: Jesus invites us to turn away from sin and embrace a new life. We are called to preach this transformative message, to lead others to Christ.

Let us, therefore, strive to emulate the compassion of Christ. Let us extend mercy to those who have fallen and let us remember that we are all in need of God’s grace. May we walk in the light of his love, and may we be instruments of his peace in our parish and in the world.

Amen.