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
Saint Nicholas Owen
God Will Fight For You
Brethren, in today's readings we are presented with two parallel stories, the story of the lustful elders, Daniel and the innocent Susanna and the story of Jesus with an adulterous woman. These 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 through the ones he has chosen to minister to his people. This is the theme of today’s reflection: 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 does not just have wisdom but instead, himself is Wisdom, 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. St Benedict, in his rule, draws a teaching from this reading that God often gives wisdom to the youngest, not necessarily the most senior or the most experienced. We should also learn to listen to everyone even the youngest, God works through them too, even more often.
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 had 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. 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 our 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.
Brethren, there is a penny of condemning others unjustly while we 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 unjustly because she 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 on 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 passed judgments on the others while they themselves are the leading sinners. The actions of Jesus were aimed to show that we are all sinners and in one way or the other, and that we all need the mercy of God. Thus there is no need of passing judgement on the other because of being caught while sinning; we are all sinners, only that some of us 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, some things, of which some scholars say that he was writing down everyone's sins though we can't be sure. What we are sure of is that the statement of Jesus and his writing down brought everyone to his conscience and to recognize his sinfulness. Brethren, though we pass judgement to others, our conscience continues to beat us, telling us that we are sinners also. Though we pretend we are holy, in the depths of our hearts, through our conscience, we know the truth of our lives. That's why it is necessary for us to go for the sacrament of reconciliation 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 also necessary to pray for all judges so that they can be used by God in passing judgments on others, that the Lord will shower upon them his divine wisdom to pass right judgments. We also pray for lawyers who sometimes, while knowing the truth decide to testify contrary to it, that they may always seek the truth and testify to the truth alone.
“Go and never sin again.” We have seen that the Lord is merciful and forgives, but he invites to do penance and to avoid any occasion of sin and never to sin again as Jesus told the woman. Let us not misuse the mercy of God by committing any sin we like since we are sure that God is merciful and will forgive us. It becomes even worse when we do the same sin over and over again; that's misusing God's mercy. He invites 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 difficult times that we might not despair nor become despondent but always trust in his Mercy.
Let us Pray
I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I repent with my whole heart of having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen
Blessed Lenten Period.
Amen
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