30 March, 2020. Monday of Week 5 of Lent

1st Reading: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 31-62

Susanna is falsely accused; Daniel’s questions uncover the truth

There was a man living in Babylon whose name was Joachim. And he took a wife named Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, a very beautiful woman and one who feared the Lord. Her parents were righteous, and had taught their daughter according to the law of Moses. Joachim was very rich, and had a spacious garden adjoining his house; and the Jews used to come to him because he was the most honoured of them all.
That year two elders from the people were appointed as judges. Concerning them the Lord had said: “Iniquity came forth from Babylon, from elders who were judges, who were supposed to govern the people.” These men were often at Joachim’s house, and all who had suits at law came to them there.
When the people departed at noon, Susanna would go into her husband’s garden to walk. The two elders used to see her every day, going in and walking about, and they began to desire her. And they perverted their minds and turned away their eyes from looking to Heaven or remembering righteous judgments.
Once, while they were watching for their opportunity, she went in as before with only two maids, intending to bathe in the garden, for it was very hot. Nobody else was there except the two elders, who had hid themselves and were watching her. She said to her maids, “Bring me oil and ointments, and shut the garden doors so that I may bathe.” . . .
Now Susanna was a woman of great refinement and beautiful appearance. As she was veiled, the wicked men ordered her to be unveiled, that they might feed upon her beauty. But her family and friends and all who saw her wept.
The two elders stood up in the midst of the people, and laid their hands upon her head. And she, weeping, looked up toward heaven, for her heart trusted in the Lord. The elders said, “As we were walking in the garden alone, this woman came in with two maids, shut the garden doors, and dismissed the maids. Then a young man came out of hiding to her and lay with her. We were in a corner of the garden, and when we saw this wickedness we ran to them. We saw them embracing, but we could not hold the man, for he was too strong for us, and he opened the doors and dashed out. So we seized this woman and asked her who the young man was, but she would not tell us. These things we testify.” The assembly believed them, because they were elders of the people and judges; and they condemned her to death.
Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said, “O eternal God, who dost discern what is secret, who art aware of all things before they come to be, you know that these men have borne false witness against me. And now I am to die though I have done none of the things they have wickedly invented against me!” The Lord heard her cry; and as she was being led away to be put to death, God aroused the holy spirit of a young lad named Daniel, who cried aloud, “I am innocent of the blood of this woman.”
All the people turned to him, and said, “What is this you have said?” Taking his stand among them he said, “Are you such fools, you sons of Israel? Have you condemned a daughter of Israel without examining and learning the facts? Return to the place of judgment. For these men have borne false witness against her.” Then all the people quickly returned there and the elders said to him, “Come, sit among us and inform us, for God has given you that right.”
Daniel said to them, “Separate them far from each other, and I will examine them.” When they were separated from each other, he summoned one of them and said to him, “You old relic of wicked days, your sins have now come home, which you have committed in the past, pronouncing unjust judgments, condemning the innocent and letting the guilty go free — although the Lord said, ‘Do not put to death an innocent and righteous person.” Now then, if you really saw her, tell me this: Under what tree did you see them being intimate with each other?” He answered, “Under a mastic tree.” And Daniel said, “Very well! You have lied against your own head, for the angel of God has received the sentence from God and will immediately cut you in two.”
Then he put him aside, and commanded them to bring the other. And he said to him, “You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you and lust has perverted your heart. This is how you both have been dealing with the daughters of Israel, and they were intimate with you through fear; but a daughter of Judah would not endure your wickedness. Now then, tell me: Under what tree did you catch them being intimate with each other?” He answered, “Under an evergreen oak.” And Daniel said to him, “Very well, you also have lied against your own head, for the angel of God is waiting with his sword to saw you in two, that he may destroy you both.”
Then all the assembly shouted loudly and blessed God, who saves those who hope in him. And they rose against the two elders, for out of their own mouths Daniel had convicted them of bearing false witness; and they did to them as they had wickedly planned to do to their neighbour; acting in accordance with the law of Moses, they put them to death. And so innocent blood was saved that day.

Responsorial: Psalm 23

Response: Though I walk in the valley of darkness I fear no evil, for you are with me

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.

Gospel: John 8:1-11

Mercy shown to the woman caught in adultery

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

During the Global Pandemic, O Lord, may your words be on our lips, and in our hearts. May they give us courage and hope – and draw us nearer to you…

Defending the defenceless

Susanna’s story illustrates the depth of her faith: “she trusted in the Lord with all her heart.” By contrast, lust drove her accusers to suppress their consciences, driving out any thought of mercy or justice. Her story suggests that if we reach out to God, we get a true perspective on things, even in very dark moments. Things may look hopeless but the Lord knows our need. In that spirit Susanna prayed: “Eternal God, you know what is hidden and are aware of all things.” She did not lash out against her accusers or faint in panic, but trusted God and declared her innocence aloud. Then, in the light of her obvious innocence Daniel is led to find the right solution.
We pray for the wisdom to know when to choose silence and when to speak. It is this kind of character that we seek in the presence of God. He becomes our light, our witness, our justification. It can be true of us too, what was said about Susanna, “blessed is God who saves those who hope in him.”
In the Gospel, an unfortunate woman was dragged into Jesus’ presence. We admire his restraint in responding to the case put to him, for he simply bent down and started doodling on the ground in the dust. Then he looked up and suggested, ‘Let whoever among you is without sin be the first to stone her.’ The accused woman showed equal restraint. She might have accused the man who was caught with her but was let off scot free. Clearly her accusers were just using the woman to put Jesus into a dilemma. But he refused to be trapped, and so did the woman lying on the ground, who projected more dignity by her silence than the pomposity of her accusers. Eventually they went off one by one, beginning with the elders.
The judges who brought the sinful woman to Jesus were suggesting a radical punishment for her moral failure: death by stoning. The story shows that this was not Jesus’ response to moral failure. The situation was far more complex that the crude solution proposed in the Law of Moses. The ones judging the woman saw her only in terms of one wrong action. Jesus’ assessment was far more generous, taking into account the whole shape of her life rather than just one little part of it. Seeing the whole picture, he saw a good future, which her accusers would have denied her.
When Jesus looks at us he sees us through and through. Knowing the full story about us, he does not judge us on our lapses. Our story is still unfinished, and will only be complete when he returns to transfigure our lowly bodies into full union with himself.