The Justice and Saving Graces of our God

In today’s first reading, Dan 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, the elder judges falsely accuse Susanna, an innocent woman, of committing adultery. God raised up Daniel to confront these wicked elders of their unjust sentences that sent many innocent women to their deaths.  The innocent woman is spared and the unjust men, elder judges, face the sentence they had leveled against her, and so many others.

In today’s Gospel, John 8: 1-11, the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus caught in adultery: “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” Jesus bends down and writes in the sand with his finger.  They ignored Him and continued begging the question. Jesus then stands up and says to them: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” One by one, “beginning with the elders,” the men accusing her walk away! Jesus says to the woman: Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She says “No, Lord.” And Jesus says to her: “Neither do I condemn you.”

In Ez 33: 11, we are reminded that God takes “no pleasure in the death of the wicked…, but rather in [a person’s] conversion, that [each individual] may live” (Ez 33:11).   That is God’s attitude toward the wicked.  His attitude, obviously, toward the just is the same.  John reminds us in John 3: 17 that “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world but so that through him the world might be saved.” B Both Scripture readings, today, witness to these truths! And our faith tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We, too, will encounter Jesus’ justice, a justice secured for us by His death on the cross on Good Friday and His resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday, both of which are celebrated at every Catholic Liturgy! And each of us entered into this Paschal Mystery at our Baptism and in our reception of the Sacraments!

God be praised and honored, glorified and thanked by every breath we take and every beat of our hearts throughout this day God has given us!