Monday
of the 5th Week of Lent
March 23, 2015 6:30am
If we take today’s two readings together,
they present us with a kind of buffet of ideas for our reflection.
For starters, Daniel in the first
reading and Jesus in the gospel are similar.
They live their lives from a firm
center
They are one with God and God’s
will and God’s ways.
They are just persons and persons
who seek what is just and right.
They act with a peaceful and insightful
wisdom.
Then, there is a similarity
between the woman in the first reading and Jesus. Both are unjustly accused and
made to suffer.
Next, there is a difference
between the two women in today’s readings and Jesus.
Both of these women are fortunate
to have someone to speak up for them and advocate justice or mercy.
Unlike both of these women, Jesus
will have no one to act on his behalf and ward off the harsh judgment of
others.
Then, on the surface both
passages are about accusations of sexual infidelity. But below the surface, the
passages are really more about spiritual fidelity – fidelity to God.
We see that fidelity in Susanna and
Daniel in the first reading and in Jesus in the gospel.
Finally, both passages are about
the reality of evil.
They are about evil that is the
clearly defined breaking of God’s law.
We see this in the gospel, with
the woman who apparently had committed adultery, and in the first reading with
the two men who falsely accused Susanna.
And the readings are also about evil
that is the not-so-clearly defined breaking of God’s law.
We see this in the gospel, with
the righteous and religious upholding God’s law to the point of being
self-righteous and harshly judgmental.
So, these passages are rich and
offer a buffet of themes for our Lenten reflection today.
