One of the virtues about which we don't hear so much these days is prudence, or prudential judgment. It is the virtue of acting wisely in light of existing circumstances, or of weighing the pluses and minuses in a given situation and making a choice that properly reflects those consideration. It is a matter of applying good judgment, not categorical rules. We seem to prefer litmus tests to the use of prudential judgment. I first saw that right after Roe v. Wade in the early '70's. Pretty soon in this state, and many others, it was impossible to be both pro-life and a Democrat. You could support the positions of the Democratic party on a host of other issues, but if you were pro-life, you failed the litmus test and you were out. No prudential judgment-- just a categorical rule. Heaven knows, the Church sometimes acts the same way. We have rules about "irregular marriages," for example and to get people to think about those situations in other than a litmus-test way-- something Pope Francis seems to be trying to do-- can be very difficult. Using prudence can be tricky, and requires real work. We might not all agree on what should be done, so there might be controversy. It gives power to individuals, not just to those who make the rules. But prudence is what Jesus uses in the scene in today's Gospel reading from John's Gospel (Jn 8: 51- 59). Jesus has been having a lengthy discussion with "the Jews," some of whom are supporters and some of whom are not. In today's portion of the account of that discussion Jesus for at least the third time refers to Himself using the language, "I AM." That's how the Jewish people referred to God, so Jesus is saying that He is God-- blasphemy. So some people in the crowd pick up stones to throw at Him. Jesus certainly could have stood His ground. He might have asked for support from those in the crowd who were with Him. He might have fought back. Or He might have worked some kind of miracle that would have stopped His opponents in their tracks. He does none of those things. He hides, and leaves the Temple. At one level this seems wimpy. He's right, after all, and shouldn't He stand up for what is right? What message is He sending to His followers, and us? That the right move is to hide in the face of opposition? I think not. I think Jesus is showing us that you have to pick your spots, and that sometimes avoiding a fight, even if it looks wimpy, is an exercise in prudence. After all, if people really started to throw stones, who knows who would have been hurt or killed? And for what-- to show that Jesus is tough, or that He can throw stones too? Prudential judgment is on display in Jesus' actions today, balancing alternatives and making a call, even if the call is to hide and escape. Perhaps growing in prudence might be one of those things for which we pray as we approach the last days of the Lenten season.