MONDAY 22ND MARCH 2021
FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62
John 8:1-11
NEITHER WILL I CONDEMN YOU
Some cultures and traditions as we know and may have experienced, do not really work in favour of women. A young lady worked up to me recently, saying that she was tired of the way her parents were monitoring and restricting her movements, whereas her brothers could be away from home for a long time and no one would bother.
Women are indeed very vulnerable, and could bear a lot of things in silence so as to keep their good names.
In the first reading of today, Sussana was convicted of adultery, whereas she was innocent. The question I ask myself is whether her husband Joakim would have been treated the same way if he was the one accused of the crime. In the gospel reading, we see a woman who was caught in the act of adultery, brought to Jesus. The same question again is, where is the man he committed adultery with? Some people even speculate that the scribes and pharisees who brought the woman to Jesus, may have done so out of hatred just like the case of the first reading.
The scenario in both readings show vividly that God is very alert in the midst if injustice and unjust judgements. God sent Daniel to rescue the situation in the first reading, and Jesus himself had mercy on the woman and acquainted her in the gospel reading. Though the woman was spared, she may live with the shame and disgrace for a long time. Many people who have heard that Sussana had committed adultery, may not hear the correct version that she is innocent.
Let us therefore be conscious of what we say about people, let us not allow the need for human gratification lead us to sin.
Lord, help me not to commit slander out of jealousy. Amen.
Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP
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