Sunday of the Fifth Week of Lent. End Violence Against Women

The Woman from John 8:1-11

On average more than three women a day are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the United States *  Most dangerous place for women?  The home… or the hill.

-  Nearly one in four women in the United States reports experiencing violence by a current or former spouse or boyfriend at some point in her life. *

-  Approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner – a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth *

-  We all heard about the little girl shot by Pakistani Taliban last fall for wanting to go to school.*  The Taliban are more terrified of an educated girl than they are of drones.  And what of the girl raped on the bus in India?  Seven men, one woman.  What is the matter with such guys?  Or the girl who was “dead” in Steubenville Ohio?  Two football player, age 16 and 17, were found guilty of raping her. *  Three young lives ruined by one stupid, drunken night.  From this Gospel, One lesson we can take: END ALL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN!!! Which word of that phrase can’t we understand?

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[*  http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/file/Children_and_Families/DomesticViolence.pdf

[*http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/05/world/asia/malala-yousafzai-shot-by-pakistani-taliban-is-discharged-from-hospital.html?_r=0 ]

[* http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/13/world/asia/india-new-gang-rape ]

[*http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/17/justice/ohio-steubenville-case/index.html ]

Michael Card, Forgiving Eyes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn9mx4PVFXw

Surrounded with shouts the cruel accusations
Dragged to the court no hope of salvation
All hope was lost for those who had caught me
Knew what I was, They knew all about me
I thought it seemed strange as we entered in
They stopped a young rabbi to ask His opinion
Caught in the act, their reason for hating
My body could feel the stones that were waiting
My judge a man from Galilee
In His eyes so gentle I could see
A father and a brother and a son

Chorus:  Just as I saw Him
The hope I had lost became born again
I was not hopeless though I'd been lost
Now, I felt I was found when He looked at me
With His forgiving eyes

The crowd gathered round, so angry and violent
But He stood beside me, peaceful and silent
Then with a word
With one question He showed them that
They too were guilty and could not condemn
The next thing I knew He asked me, Where are they
And I looked around the courtyard was empty
The stones scattered round, the warm morning sunlight
He'd made the darkness perfectly light
In this new light now I understood
He would not condemn me though He could
For He would be condemned someday for me