Mercy Forgiveness and Patience

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me”.(Psalm 23:4) The women in passages in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today will find resonance with these words from the psalmist today. A deuterocanonical section of the Book of Daniel, Chapter 13, tells of the way lust overcomes the reason and righteousness of two old and corrupt judges who wrongly accuse Susanna of adultery. The cultural pressure of judge accusing citizen and elder accusing young woman stacks the deck against justice for this woman. The young Daniel is inspired to speak up against the injustice and through a technique of separating those under suspicion and querying them individually he reveals their false witness. The punishment under the Law for them is that which they sought for Susanna, death. Today, elements of this story illuminate practices in our culture which still require transformation like shoddy investigation, particularly in situations involving judicial authorities and citizens, or women and the powerful.Craig Zimmer of Creighton University compares the judgement of the Book of Daniel with the action of Jesus toward the woman caught in adultery in the text from the Gospel of John. Friar Jude Winkler picks up the absence of the man who was involved in this adultery in the story. He also notes that scholars suggest that this section of the Gospel of John was added after the original Gospel was completed. He comments that the tenor is a little different and the “sin” of the Gospel of John is rejection of Jesus rather than a specific transgression. The psalmist notes that comfort comes to the faithful through the rod which is justice for us when we sin and the staff which is leading us through the mercy and compassion of God to rich life. Jesus shows that mercy and forgiveness is often delivered following patient consideration of how people are seen in the eyes of God. Our vision is limited and we need to pause with the sentiment of Pope Francis and ask “Who am I to judge?”