God's Mercy and Forgiveness

God’s Mercy and Forgiveness.

The first reading and the Gospel reading for today are both compelling. They both involved justice but in two different lenses: the first in the case of Susanna, obtaining justice through the Prophet Daniel in the lens of man; and second one, in the case of the adulterous woman, the justice of God as reflected by the action of Jesus.

In the first reading, Susanna was accused by the two cunning elderly men when Susanna refused to give way to their lustful desire for her. They accused her of adultery which was punishable by stoning to death. We know what had happened in the process when Daniel mediated. In the end, Susanna was proven not guilty of the accusations and in the context of this story, justice prevailed. The two old men were punished according to what they wished to happen to Susanna. Perhaps, this was the ancient justice was all about, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

In the Gospel, Jesus was set by the Pharisees to be the judge regarding the case of the adulterous woman. Up to this time, the law didn’t change, this sin of adultery was still punishable by death. But Jesus, being bringing the old law to perfection, said to them, “if any one of you who has no sin be the first one to cast the stone” and the elders were the ones who first leave. Soon, everybody leave. Nobody did cast the first stone. The woman was spared. What did Jesus told the woman, “do not sin again.”

The Gospel told us a moving story wherein the mercy and compassion of God has transcended the human understanding of justice. Here, the element of mercy has become the indelible mark of the love of God for all of us for it reveals the person of God, through Jesus, who is a God of forgiveness.

God is “just,” but God did not condemns; God is merciful, but he also remains “fair.”

Perhaps, this is a good call for all of us this season of lent. To forgive also all those who wronged us. I myself, from my experiences in life, has undergone such persecutions but at the end, the grace of the Holy Spirit, just like in the case of Susanna, reveals the truth in the hearts of men. I know that the process of such a persecution almost killed my faith but at the end, I realized that I am still living in the grace of God. To forgive is the greatest learning I have learned in the entire process of pain and agony and indeed this has finally shaped my personhood as a Sacramentino religious who just like in the Gospel will be the face of Jesus Christ for the other.

Jesus has inspired me to bear his loving gaze, to look on others who are sinners like me, with mercy and compassion. Indeed this gaze of love of Jesus has moved not only the soul of the woman but the conscience of entire community who became witness to the charity of Jesus that has made them to reflect to have a change of heart and mind.

The Gospel posted a more challenging question to me.  “Am I the face of Jesus Christ to others?” How I hope, in some sense, I am. I am always praying to God to make me grounded in the reality that I am a sinner like the others are. For that I am inspired to change every day and moved to love every day because in my heart that I am forgiven by God, that I am loved by God.

As a Sacramentino, these are the message that I am praying to bring to others: despite of our sins, we are always loved by God.

May each one of us be inspired and be changed by the forgiving love of God. Amen.