Daily Reflection for Monday, March 22, 2021
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Monday’s readings at this link:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032221.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Deuteronomy 13: 1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13: 41c-62
Responsorial: Psalm 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Gospel: John 8: 1-11
Our reflection on Monday’s readings:
I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live. Ezekiel 33:11.
Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore. John 8: 11.
The readings for today speak clearly to me about justice and call for equality for women.
The first reading tells us that “two elders of the people were appointed judges.” Even though they were judges with power, they fit the modern definition of “dirty old men.” Spying on a beautiful young woman who was bathing, they plot lies and threats, including the execution of that woman if she will not have sex with them. However, their plot is uncovered by the prophet Daniel, then a young man. Daniel exposed the lying, lust-filled elder judges who were executed for their deceitful ways.
The Gospel reading tells of a woman caught in adultery who was brought to Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees, also older men, who thought she should be stoned to death. There is no mention of the man who was also part of that act of adultery. Nevertheless, Jesus makes his stand for no capital punishment. Jesus calls for justice, by saying, Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. John 8: 7. As we know, the people drop their stones, walk away, and leave the woman alone with Jesus. He tells her in John 8: 11, Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.
In both readings, women are treated by men as sexual objects and the elderly men are sexual predators. Yet the readings clearly show that the men of God—Daniel, the prophet, and Jesus, the Lord—see the women as fully deserving of respect, equality, and justice.
These stories from thousands of years ago, remind us of how women have been unfairly treated. We have come a long way since then, but we have much further to go.
Peace and blessings,
Al Mytty