St. Paul must have been a runner—today he sounds like any one of us who run for a good cause, when he reminds us to strive for the finish line and stay focused on the prize. One runner who used to run past a homeless shelter asked herself a fateful question: why don’t I invite them to run with me? 
 
So instead of running on by, Anne Mahlum started the “Back On My Feet” club of shelter residents and others who run together three times a week. It’s an inclusive community who greet each other with hugs and words of encouragement. Some have lost weight, quit smoking, even gotten off crack. Others have found jobs or gone back to school.
 
Jesus could use a person like Anne in today’s gospel. He is again confronted by legalistic perfectionists who insist on their purity. They separate themselves from low-down, pitiful sinners like the woman committing adultery. Yes, the laws were given so that we can come to know God’s will. But Jesus makes it clear that the Spirit of the law goes beyond the letter. Jesus makes this perfectly clear: Legalism and perfectionism are weapons often used by people who get a bitter pleasure out of “nailing” wrongdoers. We have all made mistakes for which we have felt embarrassed and sorry. But harsh legalism divides us instead of uniting us. We need to call upon our mutual humanness to find common ground for grace and forgiveness.
 
The difficulty is, we cannot give or receive mercy until we see that we are all one in Jesus. Hopefully, we can face the truth about our own judgmental selves: ALL of us are sinners, and ALL of us require mercy from God. Jesus does not condemn us—he only advises the woman to go and sin no more—and isn’t that what we all want to do anyway?
 
Today we welcome Bishop David Zubik who will celebrate the 11:30 a.m. Mass at St. Thomas More Church. Bishop Zubik is here to confer the Rite of Candidacy to Seminarian John Ferguson. Candidacy is a formal statement saying that John is intent on completing his desire to be ordained a priest through prayer and studies and that the Church recognizes John’s discernment and desire for him to continue to prepare for priestly ordination. All are welcome to attend this Mass. Please continue to keep John and all seminarians in your prayers. A light reception will follow Mass in the Family Life Center.