Monday of the Fifth
Week of Lent
(Daniel 13:1-9.15-17.19-30.33-62;
John 8:1-11)
The terms reformatory
and penitentiary were popular in
previous eras. They indicated a place
where juvenile delinquent and criminals might learn how to behave well. Perhaps because of the difficulty of making
this transformation, today we speak of prisons.
In prisons criminals are often more detained
than rehabilitated. Still the main purpose
of justice is to justify, that is to reform and not to punish.
In the readings today Jesus proves to be a wiser administrator
of justice than Daniel. The Old
Testament sage is able to ferret out the truth in a case of malicious
calumny. Daniel reveals how two elders have
lied about Susanna’s alleged adultery to condemn her to death. Jesus not only saves the woman caught in adultery
from stoning but also rehabilitates her.
His verdict is as firm as it is clement.
She must “’not sin any more.’”
We have
entered the last stages of Lent. Recalling
Jesus’ justification of the adulteress helps us to anticipate his justification
of the world on Good Friday. Jesus is
history’s only really innocent human being.
He died on the cross so that we might not be condemned for our
sins. More than that, his death and
resurrection have afforded us the Holy Spirit.
With its guidance we too can live truly virtuous lives.
