146. The Lord Forgives a Penitent Sinful Woman on the Morning of the Last Day of the Feast. Jn. 8:1–11

In the morning Jesus came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. And he sat down and began to teach them.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst, they said to him: Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. And Moses in the Law commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? They said this to test him, in order to have grounds for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and began writing with his finger on the ground, not paying attention to them. When they continued to ask him, he straightened up and said to them: Let he who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her. And again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

And when they heard this, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and he was left alone with the woman standing in their midst.

Jesus straightened up and, seeing no one but the woman, said to her: Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you? She said: No one, Lord. Jesus said to her: Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on sin no more.