Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62
John 8:1-11
GOD SAVES
Dear Brothers and sisters in christ jesus, today’s readings are very familiar and powerful as they illustrate perfectly God’s intervention to save his loved ones.
First Reading:
In the first reading, we read the Story of Susanna, who was falsely accused of adultery by two elders and sentenced to death according to the law, however God intervened through a young boy Daniel defended her and saved.
She was innocent and was unjustly accused. No matter how she tried to defend her integrity and faithfulness, the community believed the elders and decided to stone her to death.
All that was left was to leave the situation to God and she rightly did so for her protection.
God indeed heard and has not abandoned his her who lived her life in obedience to His law.
God inspired a young boy Daniel to rescue her. The spirit of God was leading him to take no part in her sentence, then led him to speak the truth, and then guided him to prove the truth (his point).
It was a very clever and separate examination of the accusers (the elders) which led the people to realise the inconsistencies in their evidence and he proved them to be liars. They received the punishment intended for Susanna.
Although she was falsely accused, she kept her faith in God, and God inspired and guided Daniel with his truth, wisdom, perception and sense of justice to save the innocent from impending death.
Gospel:
In the Gospel, in contrast to Susanna, here the woman was actually guilty of adultery and was also sentenced to death, however Jesus forgave her and saved. She was as per the law justly accused and sentenced, therefore as regards this there was no hope for her because the law says so. But on the way to her execution, something extraordinary happens like that of Susanna’s case.
The Pharisees and others in this context were emotionally running high, tempers were rising high on account of the act and they felt a kind of self righteous in their execution.
A note to the Parents:
Especially the Parents and the elders need to pay attention to their words and actions in front of their children when they are emotionally caught up, tempers racing and feel righteous because this will have a long standing effect in their growth process.
Therefore, first Jesus calms the situation by not replying to their demands.
Then, he writes something on the sand, he changes their direction for sometime to get their better attention.
A neutral situation was established.
Then Jesus says,“if there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her”, they realise and in silence one by one leave the place. Of course Jesus is not condoning her act but going beyond he is forgiving and saving her from her sins. This was a kind of intervention needed in her life to realise that she is respected and loved by God and is given another opportunity to life worthy of and in obedience to God.
Let us not run emotionally high and react judgmentally or with an attitude of self righteousness to condemn others' mistakes or sins.
God is forgiving and let us not throw stones at others in our words, thoughts and actions.
“I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” (Luke 5:32)
“For God so loved the world that he gave* his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)
Fr. Jayaraju Manthena OCD
