A Jesuit Catholic University
in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1878

[36] Isa 43:16-21 Ps 126:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5, 6 Phil 3:8-14 John 8:1-11

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

“…forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.”   –Philippians 3:13-14

All three of today’s readings, in one way or another, mention the idea of forgetting what is in the past and looking forward to the future.  Philippians is quoted above; Isaiah gives us an account in the first reading of God telling his chosen people, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!” Finally, the gospel story, in which the scribes and Pharisees bring a woman who committed adultery to Jesus to ask him if he thinks it is right to stone her, also mentions looking forward to the future.  He forgives her sin, telling her to “go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

I’ve always found Jesus’ line in today’s gospel very powerful.  He says “let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  It is so easy for us to condemn others or point out other people’s sins.  When we do so, we tend to think of ourselves as sinless.  It’s like saying, “Look at what he/she did, I could never do anything that bad or sinful!”  We almost forget that we are sinners as well.  Everyone sins; it’s only human nature for us to do so.  The really awesome idea here is that God forgives all of us and all of our sins, no matter how small or how big. 

The second reading, after reflection, tells us that none of us can ever reach “perfect maturity.”  We will always sin; there is no way to become sinless.  However, we can still continue to follow God’s will to the best of our ability, with hope in the resurrection.  We must always remember that if we ask for God’s forgiveness, he will give us his forgiveness.

After we spend time with God asking for his forgiveness, we emerge with a clean slate.  I get that “clean slate” feeling especially after I go to confession.  But at any rate, confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness allows us to forget about what we have done in the past, and with our clean slates, we can look forward to the future and what we can do to better follow in Jesus’ footsteps. 

Since I do go to a Jesuit university, I have heard about the Daily Examen, a technique of reflection designed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. I believe this reflection connects with today’s idea of forgetting about the past and looking forward to tomorrow.  I’ve always wanted to adopt it into a daily habit, but I’m still working on doing so.

The Daily Examen, which is usually done at the end of the day, is split up into three parts: first, we review our day and thank God for all he has given us during the past day; then, we choose an experience of the day and reflect on it.  Lastly, we ask for God’s forgiveness and how we can be better tomorrow.  (For more information on the Daily Examen, visit http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/.)  

This contemplative technique lets us reflect on the past for a bit, but ends up pointing us in the direction of the future, with God’s forgiveness and a clean slate to start each day anew.