The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to acknowledge that our relationship with Christ is the Way to bring light into situations that are darkened by human passions and prejudices.
The reading from the Book of Daniel describes the false accusations against Susanna.
* [13:1–14:42] The short stories in these two chapters exist now only in Greek and other translations, but probably were first composed in Hebrew or Aramaic. They were never part of the Hebrew-Aramaic Book of Daniel, or of the Hebrew Bible. They are excluded from the Protestant canon of Scripture, but the Catholic Church has always included them among the inspired writings; they existed in the Septuagint, which was used as its Bible by the early church. (Daniel, CHAPTER 13, n.d.)
Psalm 23 proclaims The Divine Shepherd.
* [Psalm 23] God’s loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Ps 23:1–4) and a host’s generosity toward a guest (Ps 23:5–6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Is 40:11; 49:10; Jer 31:10). (Psalms, PSALM 23, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims The Light of the World.
* [8:12–20] Jesus the light of the world. Jesus replaces the four torches of the illumination of the temple as the light of joy.
* [8:14] My testimony can be verified: this seems to contradict Jn 5:31 but the emphasis here is on Jesus’ origin from the Father and his divine destiny. Where I am going: indicates Jesus’ passion and glorification.
* [8:15] By appearances: literally, “according to the flesh.” I do not judge anyone: superficial contradiction of Jn 5:22, 27, 30; here the emphasis is that the judgment is not by material standards.
* [8:17] Your law: a reflection of later controversy between church and synagogue. (John, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)
Kent Beausoleil, S.J. comments that the texts today challenge us to live in the light, to live always in the light of the truth of God’s undying love for us, and uncover what is still dark in us, our human condition, and our world.
Susanna and Jesus called us, on this fifth Monday in Lent, in a not so ordinarily Monday liturgically, to take a stand for truth and light in the many ways that that the energies of deception, hate, violence, false witness, and powers that shame, perpetuate injustice and are not God’s mercy still have energy because of our complacency, fear in believing that God loves us to the core of our being, and then looking out from that love, out into the world and then doing nothing about transforming that world with love. We, through our inaction and lack of belief, let deception, and darkness, live. I don’t know about you, but I have some powerful prayer and reflection in me, concerning this message today. (Beausoleil, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “Walking in the Light of Life,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
[That unfailing Light] has taken you from the eyes of the flesh and brought you back again to the eyes of the heart! He does not think it enough to say... "shall have light" but adds "of life," even as in the psalm it was said, "[In your light shall we see light]; for with you is the fountain of life" (Psalm 36:9). See how the words of our Lord agree with the truth of that psalm where light is placed with the fountain of life and now here he speaks of the "light of life." For bodily uses, light is one thing and a well another. Our mouths seek a fountain; our eyes seek the light. When we thirst, we seek a fountain; when we are in darkness we seek light. And if we happen to get thirsty in the night, we kindle a light to come to a fountain. With God the light and the well are the same. The one who shines on you so that you may see him is the same one who flows to you so that you may drink him.
You see then what kind of light this is if you see inwardly the light of which he says, "He that follows me shall not walk in darkness." Follow the sun, and let us see if you will not walk in darkness. When the sun rises, it comes toward you and heads on to the west. But perhaps your journey is toward the east. So if you follow the sun, then you will certainly err and instead of going east you will go west, whether by land... or by sea. Finally, you decide that you should follow the sun, and you travel to the west, where it also travels. Let us see if, after it sets, you will not still walk in darkness. See how, though you are unwilling to desert it, yet it will desert you in order to finish out its service for the day. But our Lord Jesus Christ, even when he was not made known to all through the cloud of his flesh, still held all things by the power of his wisdom. Your God is everywhere entirely. If you do not fall away from him, he will never fall away from you. [excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 34.5-6.18] (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 comments that there are times in life when we, too, face difficult choices with unknown outcomes. Perhaps we have felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to have a challenging conversation with someone, but we are unsure how the person will respond. Or we have seen the need to distance ourselves from an unhealthy friendship, but we are apprehensive about how we will fill the empty space left behind.
It can be easy to limit ourselves to what we think is possible. Either I will win or lose this argument; either I keep the peace or risk humiliation. But God is so much bigger than the possibilities that we see in front of us! He can use a young prophet to intervene; he can even speak through a donkey (Numbers 22:28)! So trust him today, even if your options seem bleak. Acknowledge his love and care for you, and watch how he comes through for you.
“Lord, strengthen me to obey and follow you today, even in the hard choices. I trust you!” (Meditation on Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that Daniel 13 is a very long account of false accusations against Suzanna, existing only in Greek and not included in the Hebrew and Protestant canon. Old men, who are supposed to be virtuous, seek to trap Suzanna for sexual purposes but she is saved by the cleverness of young Daniel. Friar Jude notes that Jesus' testimony to be the Light of the World is supported by the witness of the Father.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, emphasizes how the desert mystics were not just seeking a change in lifestyle but a change in consciousness. The seeking of “dispassion” or apatheia for ancient solitary monastics referred to the inner peace and contentment that they discovered through their profound experience of what they often called “prayer of quiet,” building on Jesus’ talk of “going to your inner room” and “not babbling on like the pagans do” (see Matthew 6:6–8). In this early period, “prayer” didn’t refer to some kind of problem-solving transaction between humans and God, nor was it about saying words to God. It was quite literally “putting on a different thinking cap,” as the nuns used to say to us. It seems that it wasn’t “thinking” at all, as we now understand it, because such thinking is too often just reacting to or writing repetitive commentaries on the moment.
“Dispassion” was the desert mothers’ and fathers’ notion of freedom and salvation, long before we devolved into the much-later notion of salvation as being transported to another realm. For many today, God is seen—and used—as a partner in our private evacuation plan more than any Love Encountered that transforms mind or liberates heart. This is revealed in the little, if any, concern that many Christians show for justice, the earth, or the poor. The fruits of love are often not apparent in them, and not even of much interest to many of them.
I now believe that the other reality we are rightly seeking is not elsewhere or in the future but right in our own hearts and heads! If we put on an entirely different mind, then heaven takes care of itself and, in fact, begins now. (Rohr, n.d.)
We implore the Spirit to guide our transformation to allow love to be our guide to understanding how to make the Light of Christ present in the trials and transactions of our journey.
References
Beausoleil, K. (2025, April 7). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/040725.html
Daniel, CHAPTER 13. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/13?1
John, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/8?12
Meditation on Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/07/1242895/
Psalms, PSALM 23. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/23?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Change in Consciousness. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-change-in-consciousness/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Whoever Follows Me Will Not Walk in Darkness. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr7
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