Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today's first reading tells of how significant it is to trust God wholeheartedly. Susanna was the beautiful wife of the wealthy Joakim and was cornered by two elders. The elders gave Susanna the choice - lay with us or we will tell everyone you laid with another man who was not your husband. Since they were elders, their word would be believed over Susanna’s. Susanna was ready to face the ultimate penalty of death because her faith and love for God was so great.
As Susanna was sent to be killed, she continued to trust in God. After hearing her prayers, the Holy Spirit came to a member of the crowd, Daniel, who gained the courage to speak up and question the elders' accusation.
The reading today shows us how in difficult moments, we need to put our trust in God. Though we face many challenges in our daily lives - both big and small - we still must trust that the Lord will provide us exactly what we need: especially in the face of injustice and cruelty. The Lord will always provide, and as difficult as it may be to have patience or of the outcome is not our anticipated outcome. We must put trust into the Lord. A personal mantra that fits today's reading is “Jesus I trust in You”. May we be able to put aside our thoughts and fears and wholeheartedly trust in God just as Susanna did.
Maeve Conlon, SFC '21
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| Susanna and the Elders | Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654) |
Beautifully written. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThank You.
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