Our Lady of Carter Lake Catholic Church at 3501 N. 9th Street, Carter Lake, IA 51510 US - The Scarlet Letter

Fifth Sunday of Lent Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11 In 1850 Nathaniel Hawthorne published The Scarlet Letter. The setting was a Puritan community in Boston. Hawthorne’s novel tells the story of Hester Prynne who was forced to wear the scarlet letter “A” for “adultery” because she had given birth to an illegitimate child. The child’s father was the community’s minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester had to bear public scorn and humiliation, while the minister had merely to bear the pangs of conscience. Finally, after many years the minister confessed his secret sin to the people and later died in peace. Hester meanwhile went on to live like a saint, bringing happiness to her daughter and helping others in their troubles. The Scarlet Letter has several similarities with today’s gospel story about the woman caught in adultery. First, the women: both women were implicated in acts of adultery and subject to the penalties imposed by the law. Second, the punishment: by today’s standards, Hester was dealt with harshly having always to wear the scarlet letter “A” on her dress. But harsh as that punishment may have been, it was still not as severe as the stoning-to-death penalty that threatened the woman in today’s gospel episode. Third, the men: in The Scarlet Letter the guilty minister enjoyed the respect of the people, while Hester was held in contempt. For many years he lived a hypocritical life, until his conscience finally compelled him to confess. In the gospel, the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees boldly accuse the woman of her sins but lack the courage to confess their own. Fourth, there is conversion: Hester suffers for her sin but becomes a saintly person in the end. The woman in the gospel is forgiven by our Lord and is given a chance to make a new life for herself. What are we to learn from comparing these two stories? Perhaps two lessons. First, the lesson that sin is real. The tendency in our society is to deny that some things are sinful or to excuse sin by invoking sociology or psychology. But in the gospel there is no indication that Jesus denies the existence of sin. He forgives the woman not because what she did was harmless, but because he loved her in spite of her sin. Moreover, Jesus is quite clear in the directions given: Go in peace, but from now on avoid this sin. The second lesson we can learn is the generosity of God’s forgiveness. The woman’s adultery, which others would have condemned and killed her for, is dramatically forgiven by our Lord. Where others might dole out forgiveness piecemeal or in installments, Jesus blots out the whole debt of guilt at once. We can’t help but recall St. Augustine’s observation on this gospel: in the end only two persons remained representing misery and mercy, and mercy won the day. Christ’s generosity might upset some of us. Surely he should have first denounced her indulgence of the flesh. Surely he should have waited at least until she had said that she was sorry. It’s too bad that Jesus did not consult us first. We would have warned him how easy it is to abuse such generosity. Christ’s generosity is almost too good to be true. He trusts in her honor to respond the right way. He believes in her sincerity. Has he ever done less for us?

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