Homily: Monday of the 5th Week of Lent - Interesting Characters

As I mentioned on Friday, Up until Wednesday of the 4^th Week of Lent, the weekday readings really focus on our Lenten practices: the types of things we should be doing to prepare ourselves for Easter, namely doing penance through acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Our readings for the rest of Lent, focus on Christ, to help us understand the depth of his suffering, the depth of his love, the types of opposition he faced.

Types of characters and elements from our readings today will be repeated in the Passion Story on Palm Sunday and Good Friday.

From this angle, both our readings today show the treachery of those with responsibility: Susanna, like Christ, totally innocent, yet brought up on trumped up charges by those in a position of power, and the woman caught in adultery, though guilty of sin, also facing the threat of death by those in a position of power.

Their stories help us to prepare for the unjust judges among the Sanhedrin, the chief priests, the Scribes and the Pharisees, who condemn the most innocent man of all to death.

Susanna, like Christ on the Cross, cries out to God, making an act of trust, she surrenders herself into the hands of God, much like Christ who says, “Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.”

In the face of death, the woman from the Gospel is even more silent. She isn’t crying and begging and pleading for her life. It almost seemed like she was resigned herself to her punishment. Much like Christ, who is silent for most of the Passion story.

God is a character in both stories. Through Daniel, God exonerates Susanna and brings the corrupt elders to justice. In the Gospel, Jesus, releases the woman from punishment, and tells her to go and sin no more.

This reminds us that through the terrible events of the Passion, God is still present, as well. Through the Sacrifice of Christ the injustice of sin is destroyed, and all who believe in Jesus will be released punishment, and called to sin no more.

For each of these women, God's action in their life meant a new beginning for them. God wishes to enter into our hearts more deeply this Lent. We do well to pay close attention to the readings over the next few days; perhaps after Mass, go back over them, reflecting upon how they are preparing us for the events of Holy Week.

And as our Lenten prayer and reflection shed greater light on the events of Holy Week, may they shed light upon how God is acting in our lives, how he calls us to turn away from all sin, to trust in him in our trials, to surrender our lives as a sacrifice to Him for the glory of God and salvation of souls.