Reading I: Daniel 13:1-9.15-17.19-30.33-62,
Psalm 23:1-3a.3b-4.5.6,
Gospel: John 8:1-11 Full Readings
Do not fear, God in his own Wisdom will fight for you, his faithful.
Brethren, today's readings point out the goodness of God's wisdom. God in his own Wisdom, gives right judgments to each and everyone either by himself or from his chosen ones to minister to his people. That's the theme of this reflection is Don't fear, you who trust in the Lord, for God in his own Wisdom will fight for you. Wisdom is one of the most precious gifts God will ever give a human person, we Remember the great king of Israel, Solomon just asked for wisdom and all things came to him. God has no wisdom but instead is Wisdom himself, therefore if God gives us Wisdom, he has given us himself. That's why the psalm states, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. God's Wisdom does wonders and inspires everyone as seen in the first Reading.
In the first Reading Daniel shows extraordinary Wisdom from God. In the Jewish culture, wisdom went with age and so it was a surprise that Daniel, a young man, would use such wisdom to save Susanna only to realize that it was God at work in Daniel.
Adultery was also seen as a grave sin and was punished by a death sentence and therefore Susanna had no option rather than dying, but God in his wisdom saved her for she only put her trust in God and didn't give up to the temptation to sin. God saves his righteous people, those who trust in him and even though they are falsely condemned, he comes to their rescue. I know there are very many people in prisons condemned unjustly while they are innocent, others we condemn them in our own daily lives may be in families, communities schools, place of work, in mob justices and elsewhere; it's our duty to pray for them that the Lord will come to their rescue and that we also stop such behavior and always seek to know the truth.
The first Reading also shows us a penny of condemning unjustly while you Know the truth. The elders whom everyone trusted as a source of wisdom did not live up to their standards and examples by condemning Susanna because he had refused to sin with them. Reflect in your life, how often have you not lived up to your standards, how often have you not shown right example, how often have you not proved and lived up to the trust people have in you as their father, mother, elder sister, elder brother, boss, priest, brother, politician and any other authoritative role; and then readjust. Let us not be like the two elders, who by their evil deeds received the punishment which they had unjustly placed in Susanna. Do not judge others for you will be judged the same way.
The Gospel reading shows us another side of God, he does not only fight for the innocent and righteous but also shows mercy to the sinners. Jesus in his Wisdom also saves the woman who was caught in adultery, from being stoned by a hypocritic mob, who pass judgments on the others while they themselves are leading sinners. The actions of Jesus were aimed to show that we are all sinners and in one way or the other need the mercy of God and therefore, why pass judgement on the other for he was caught sinning, it's only that you have not been caught. That's why Jesus said let any of you who has never sinned be the first one to stone her. He started writing down, somethings, of which some scholars say he was writing down everyone's sins though we can't be sure. What we are sure of is that that statement and writing down brought everyone to his conscience to recognize his sinfulness. Brethren, though we pass judgement to others, our *conscience* continues to beat us that we are sinners also, it cannot lie to us. Though we pretend we are holy, but in the depths of our hearts, through our conscience, we Know the truth of our lives. That's why it is necessary to go for penance and confess our sins and then be pleasing to God again. Since we are all sinners, then why pass judgement on the other.
Brethren let us not be quick in passing judgement, for judgement is for God alone, in his Wisdom he passes right judgments and as a merciful God he forgives.
That's why it's necessary my dear brethren to pray for all judges to be used by God in passing judgments on others, that the Lord will shower upon them his wisdom to pass right judgments. We pray for lawyers who sometimes know the truth but they are speaking contrary to it that they should always seek the truth.
We have seen that the Lord is merciful and forgives, but he invites to do penance that is to avoid any occasion of sin and never to sin again as Jesus told the woman. Brethren let us not misuse the mercy of God by committing any sin we like since God will forgive us. It becomes even worse when we do the same sin over and over again; that's misusing God's mercy. He invited us never to sin again but to live in the New life which he has restored in us and that's how it should be, God's mercy does not invite us to sin more brethren.
Let's ask for that Grace that we should not do one sin again and again and that we should always avoid any occasion of sin in our lives. We pray that his Mercy will always be upon us when we fall and that he may always protect the innocent from false judgments. May he also help us especially in these difficult times of Corona Virus that we might not despair nor become despondent but always trust in his Mercy. Amen.
Blessed Lenten Period.
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