20200330
EROSION
OF MORAL AUTHORITY
30 March, 2020, Monday, 5th
Week in Lent
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Violet.
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First reading
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Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62 ©
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Susannah and the elders
In Babylon there
lived a man named Joakim. He had married Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, a woman
of great beauty; and she was God-fearing, because her parents were worthy
people and had instructed their daughter in the Law of Moses. Joakim was a very
rich man, and had a garden attached to his house; the Jews would often visit
him since he was held in greater respect than any other man. Two elderly men
had been selected from the people that year to act as judges. Of such the Lord
said, ‘Wickedness has come to Babylon through the elders and judges posing as
guides to the people.’ These men were often at Joakim’s house, and all who were
engaged in litigation used to come to them. At midday, when everyone had gone,
Susanna used to take a walk in her husband’s garden. The two elders, who used
to watch her every day as she came in to take her walk, gradually began to
desire her. They threw reason aside, making no effort to turn their eyes to
heaven, and forgetting its demands of virtue. So they waited for a favourable
moment; and one day Susanna came as usual, accompanied only by two young
maidservants. The day was hot and she wanted to bathe in the garden. There was
no one about except the two elders, spying on her from their hiding place. She
said to the servants, ‘Bring me some oil and balsam and shut the garden door
while I bathe.’
Hardly
were the servants gone than the two elders were there after her. ‘Look,’ they
said ‘the garden door is shut, no one can see us. We want to have you, so give
in and let us! Refuse, and we will both give evidence that a young man was with
you and that was why you sent your maids away.’ Susanna sighed. ‘I am trapped,’
she said ‘whatever I do. If I agree, that means my death; if I resist, I cannot
get away from you. But I prefer to fall innocent into your power than to sin in
the eyes of the Lord.’ Then she cried out as loud as she could. The two elders
began shouting too, putting the blame on her, and one of them ran to open the
garden door. The household, hearing the shouting in the garden, rushed out by
the side entrance to see what was happening; once the elders had told their
story the servants were thoroughly taken aback, since nothing of this sort had
ever been said of Susanna.
Next
day a meeting was held at the house of her husband Joakim. The two elders
arrived, in their vindictiveness determined to have her put to death. They
addressed the company: ‘Summon Susanna daughter of Hilkiah and wife of Joakim.’
She was sent for, and came accompanied by her parents, her children and all her
relations. All her own people were weeping, and so were all the others who saw
her. The two elders stood up, with all the people round them, and laid their
hands on the woman’s head. Tearfully she turned her eyes to heaven, her heart
confident in God. The elders then spoke. ‘While we were walking by ourselves in
the garden, this woman arrived with two servants. She shut the garden door and
then dismissed the servants. A young man who had been hiding went over to her and
they lay down together. From the end of the garden where we were, we saw this
crime taking place and hurried towards them. Though we saw them together we
were unable to catch the man: he was too strong for us; he opened the door and
took to his heels. We did, however, catch this woman and ask her who the young
man was. She refused to tell us. That is our evidence.’
Since
they were elders of the people, and judges, the assembly took their word:
Susanna was condemned to death. She cried out as loud as she could, ‘Eternal
God, you know all secrets and everything before it happens; you know that they
have given false evidence against me. And now have I to die, innocent as I am
of everything their malice has invented against me?’
The
Lord heard her cry and, as she was being led away to die, he roused the holy
spirit residing in a young boy named Daniel who began to shout, ‘I am innocent
of this woman’s death!’ At which all the people turned to him and asked, ‘What
do you mean by these words?’ Standing in the middle of the crowd he replied,
‘Are you so stupid, sons of Israel, as to condemn a daughter of Israel unheard,
and without troubling to find out the truth? Go back to the scene of the trial:
these men have given false evidence against her.’
All
the people hurried back, and the elders said to Daniel, ‘Come and sit with us
and tell us what you mean, since God has given you the gifts that elders have.’
Daniel said, ‘Keep the men well apart from each other for I want to question
them.’ When the men had been separated, Daniel had one of them brought to him.
‘You have grown old in wickedness,’ he said ‘and now the sins of your earlier
days have overtaken you, you with your unjust judgements, your condemnation of
the innocent, your acquittal of guilty men, when the Lord has said, “You must
not put the innocent and the just to death.” Now then, since you saw her so
clearly, tell me what tree you saw them lying under?’ He replied, ‘Under a
mastic tree.’ Daniel said, ‘True enough! Your lie recoils on your own head: the
angel of God has already received your sentence from him and will slash you in
half.’ He dismissed the man, ordered the other to be brought and said to him,
‘Spawn of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you, lust has led your heart
astray! This is how you have been behaving with the daughters of Israel and
they were too frightened to resist; but here is a daughter of Judah who could
not stomach your wickedness! Now then, tell me what tree you surprised them
under?’ He replied, ‘Under a holm oak.’ Daniel said, ‘True enough! Your lie
recoils on your own head: the angel of God is waiting, with a sword to drive
home and split you, and destroy the pair of you.’
Then
the whole assembly shouted, blessing God, the saviour of those who trust in
him. And they turned on the two elders whom Daniel had convicted of false
evidence out of their own mouths. As prescribed in the Law of Moses, they
sentenced them to the same punishment as they had intended to inflict on their
neighbour. They put them to death; the life of an innocent woman was spared
that day.
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm 22(23) ©
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If
I should walk in the valley of darkness, no evil would I fear.
The
Lord is my shepherd;
there
is nothing I shall want.
Fresh
and green are the pastures
where
he gives me repose.
Near
restful waters he leads me,
to
revive my drooping spirit.
If
I should walk in the valley of darkness, no evil would I fear.
He
guides me along the right path;
he
is true to his name.
If I
should walk in the valley of darkness
no
evil would I fear.
You
are there with your crook and your staff;
with
these you give me comfort.
If
I should walk in the valley of darkness, no evil would I fear.
You
have prepared a banquet for me
in
the sight of my foes.
My
head you have anointed with oil;
my
cup is overflowing.
If
I should walk in the valley of darkness, no evil would I fear.
Surely
goodness and kindness shall follow me
all
the days of my life.
In
the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for
ever and ever.
If
I should walk in the valley of darkness, no evil would I fear.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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2Co6:2
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Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Now
is the favourable time:
this
is the day of salvation.
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
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Or:
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Ezk33:11
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Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
I
take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man
– it
is the Lord who speaks –
but
in the turning back of a wicked man
who
changes his ways to win life.
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
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Gospel
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John 8:1-11 ©
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'Let the one among you who has not sinned be the first to throw a
stone'
Jesus went to the
Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the
people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them.
The
scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing
adultery; and making her stand there in full view of everybody, they said to
Jesus, ‘Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery,
and Moses has ordered us in the Law to condemn women like this to death by
stoning. What have you to say?’ They asked him this as a test, looking for
something to use against him. But Jesus bent down and started writing on the
ground with his finger. As they persisted with their question, he looked up and
said, ‘If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw
a stone at her.’ Then he bent down and wrote on the ground again. When they
heard this they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus
was left alone with the woman, who remained standing there. He looked up and
said, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir’ she
replied. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus ‘go away, and do not sin any
more.’
EROSION OF MORAL
AUTHORITY
The story of Susanna
evokes many thoughts and stirs up our sentiments as well. It is a story that is reflective of
everyday life, the challenges and injustices that vulnerable and innocent
people suffer because of the abuse of authority. Indeed, Susanna
was placed in a dilemma of either succumbing to the demands of her lechers or
be falsely accused of committing adultery. In spite of feeling trapped,
it took a woman not just of courage but also of faith to be able to say to her
seducers, “But I prefer to fall innocent into your power than to sin in the
eyes of the Lord.” She chose the Lord rather than sin against Him and her
husband. Such was the moral integrity of Susanna.
This case of Susanna of
course cannot but make us think of the many sexual abuses caused by priests and
religious, and then covered up by those in higher authority. This betrayal of trust has been the
greatest scourge of the Catholic Church in this millennium. Priests are
called “Father” in the Catholic Community because they are called to be the
Spiritual Father of the community. As such, their task is to
educate, to form, to nurture and to protect the people under their
charge. To manipulate and make use of them whether for their sexual satisfaction
or even for their material and physical needs is to abuse their power.
Consequently, such betrayal of trust and authority scandalize not just the
entire Catholic community but also everyone regardless of faith and
belief. If religious leaders supposedly have no credibility, what more
for those who have no faith or belief at all? That is why today the world
is facing a crisis of moral authority of leaders.
This was the case of the
judges who abused their authority. Instead of protecting the innocent and the weak,
they used their power and position to benefit themselves even to the extent of
violating the integrity of persons. God’s indictment of the situation of
the leaders of Israel was this, “Wickedness has come to Babylon through the
elders and judges posing as guides to the people.” We who read the story
of Susanna cannot but feel indignant at what the judges did. They were
supposed to be people of reputation. They were highly respected and
commanded the trust and confidence of the people. However, they used
their authority to satisfy their lust for Susanna. When their overture
was rejected, they took revenge by turning the table against her, accusing her
of committing adultery.
This abuse of power is
not just in the area of lust and sex. It is also present in other forms
as well. In the
case of the adulterous woman in the gospel, she was guilty. She was
brought before the Lord, not so much because she was guilty of adultery and
therefore deserved condemnation. She was but a pawn in the hands of the
Jewish leaders so that they could use her to find fault with Jesus. Their
motive of bringing the woman to the Lord was not because they were concerned
with justice or putting the woman right. Rather, they wanted to use her
as a test so that they could find something to use against our Lord. They
wanted to put the Lord in a dilemma, just as Susanna was. If Jesus were
to say that she should not be stoned to death for her crime, He would be
accused of going against the Law of Moses and therefore be deposed as a
rabbi. If He were to agree, then He would be seen as lacking mercy and
compassion.
Why is the abuse of
power and authority such a grievous crime? It is because their crimes are hard to
investigate and prosecute. They have power, money and influence.
Moreover, people tend to naturally believe in someone who has authority and
power. They can cover up their crimes easily. They can buy over
people to support them. They can get the best lawyers to defend
them. We see this in the political, corporate and even religious world!
The poor and the ordinary on the other hand, do not have such support to defend
themselves.
As a result, the
temptation to use power and authority to satisfy one’s needs and selfish
interests is very great.
This is why the Devil wants to tempt those in power. As it is said,
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Those in power
feel that no one can harm them or their evil deeds exposed. Most of the
time the temptation lies in the areas of sex, power and money. These are
the three most powerful temptations of the evil one. With power and
money, man can obtain sexual favours or even manipulate women to surrender
their bodies. The reality is that the sin of lust is a very powerful
temptation that few men can resist once exposed to it.
Indeed, whilst
condemning the abuse of authority and power, we should also ask why such abuses
happen at all, especially today.
Notwithstanding the checks and balances it is becoming more prevalent.
Why are leaders losing their moral authority in the world today? I believe it
is due to secularism and the corollary of secularism, namely, moral relativism,
materialism and individualism. If Susanna was able to resist the
snare of her seducers, it was because she came from a God-fearing family. “She
was God-fearing, because her parents were worthy people and had instructed
their daughter in the Law of Moses.” She was more afraid of offending God
then men. And when she was innocently condemned, she commended her life
to the Lord. “Eternal God you know all secrets and everything before it
happens; you know that they have given false evidence against me. And now
have I to die, innocent as I am of everything their malice has invented against
me?” So her upbringing, her environment molded her faith in God and
to fear God and respect His laws.
Unfortunately, the root
of all sins is always the sin of impiety, the rejection of God as the supreme
law giver. This is what St
Paul wrote, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the
truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God
has shown it to them.” (Rom 1:18f)
When we reject God, we supplant the place of God. Everything is made in
reference to us. We become the norm and judge of everything. “And
since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased
mind and to things that should not be done. They were filled with every
kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife,
deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent,
haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish,
faithless, heartless, ruthless.” (Rom 1:28-31)
Indeed, this is the sad
reality of the world today. A world without God is a world where everyone
claims to be his or her own god. From being ignorant of what is right and wrong, they
fall into sin and soon become addicted to the sinful way of life. As if
it is not bad enough, the Devil will tempt them by propagating their selfish
and sensual way of life in the world. Sinners do not want to commit sin
alone. They need to have company so that they won’t feel guilty when they
sin because others are also doing it. This is what the world is doing,
normalizing what is evil or wrong to be something acceptable and good.
Because of social media and advertising, it becomes politically incorrect even
to say that anything is wrong or bad. So, even political and religious leaders
cannot make comments in public condemning anything that we perceive as wrong.
We lack leaders like
Daniel who was young and courageous enough to challenge the judges for their
lack of impartiality and wrong judgment. He was the one who took the courage to stand up
against the so-called authority of his day. Same, too, for our Lord, who
did not condemn the woman although He certainly did not condone her sin.
But He was aware that the religious leaders were just using her for their
political gain. It is not easy to be a leader today because if we do the
right thing, we are opposed and ridiculed. It seems that if one cannot
beat them, better to join them. That is what the world is doing.
They are just following the crowd which has been misled by a few powerful, rich
and influential people who are selfish, manipulative and thinking about their
interests than the common good of society and humanity.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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