YOUR VOICE COUNTS, FOR JUSTICE TO PREVAIL.

REFLECTION: MONDAY Of THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT.

YEAR B

READINGS: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62; 

Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; John 8:1-11

BY: Bro.  Sylvester Magnus-Junior Nwankwo, SDV

Some time ago, during my Philosophy days, while moving through the shelves at the St. Jerome corner of Seat of Wisdom Library, Owerri, a book won my interest and ceased my movement. The book portrays a clear true image of a very beautiful girl, whose appearance won my love at first sight. Her name is Teri Schiavo, and the book was published in her honour, with the title: A Life That Matters. Teri as a matter of fact, suffered humiliation that reduced her humanity to “nothingness” and eventually died of euthanasia. The last moments of her life seem to be equal to the lower animals, due to the wickedness of men, precisely the inhumane physicians, legal practitioners and her heartless husband. In fact, Teri suffered to a fault.  Her death is a punch to reality, a painful exit, a century lost. Her death echoes most assiduously the beats of justice, because she died out of injustice, championed by her brutal husband.

Today, we hear that same beats of Justice resounding in the Readings. We see through the Readings two salvific figures in the Persons of Daniel and Jesus Christ who in the midst of injustice never compromised the truth. By the First and Gospel Reading of today, we have come to the realization that not all who claim to speak in the name of the Lord, actually stand by the truth, and that God will always save the innocents from the plot of the evil ones. Susanna in the First Reading, simply because she refused the lustful demand of the Elders, was falsefully accused of adultery and eventually condemned to death by same elders who by their position as Judges ought to condemn evil and ensure the prevalence of justice. But God who is Justice per excellence, the true Judge who can never compromise the truth, intervened and spared the life of Susanna through the young lad Daniel. On the other hand, in the Gospel Reading, Jesus Christ stood in defense of the woman caught in the act of adultery: though guilty she was, but Christ spared her life from the clutching hands of the Jews, to teach us that God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that they repent from their iniquities (Ezekiel 33:11).

Today, around us, we find traces of injustice, those who suffer like Teri, Susanna, and the woman caught in the act of adultery. If you find yourself in such a shoe, do not be discouraged, find solace in the words of the Psalmist: though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death, no evil would I fear for you are with me. Justice is a refusal of whatever opposes the truth. As such, a just Religious, a just Student is one who always stand for the truth, even at the detriment of his/her life.  The decision to always be at the side of truth, and responsible freedom, is invariably a decision to stake your life for justice, because the ungodly men, those who delight in evil, will come for you, will seek your downfall. Their minds will be so troubled because someone is trying to get it right. And in order to discourage the good intention and sincere efforts of that individual who desires to get it right, the First Reading of today tells us that “they will lie in wait to condemn him to a shameful death.” Little wonder, in the Gospel reading the Jews sought to kill the woman caught in adultery as though they were not sinful themselves.

while preparing for this Reflection, I could not understand why the innocent suffer humiliation and condemnation for no just cause. I tried to understand what could give one the motivation to consider a fellow human being as a stumbling block, and at the same time, a stepping stone to his selfish interest? And I came to the conclusion that our world is a wicked world. No wonder, there are corpses all over the streets, mad people uselessly roaming around the streets; little children, the aged, the poor crying for survival, due to abandonment; continuous increase of abortion, sexual promiscuity, diabolical exhibitions and all manners of inhuman considerations you can think of; all because of selfishness, which could be the cause of the plague of corona virus the world is passing through.

Dear brethren in Christ, until our world gives justice, a chance, our society will not be conducive; for justice is the unseen force in action, which brings out the dignity, the rights, the authenticity of every individual. It is the unseen backbone that enables one to stand erect at the face of evil. It is the facial reflection of the beauty of the human identity. Hence, justice is the true definition of man, that which puts smiles on the faces of those in affliction.

Who then will comfort the afflicted? Who will wipe the soaked eyes? Who will confidently mount the pulpit of justice to give hope to the down trodden? In fact, who will salvage humanity? Dear brothers and sister(s), I think it is time we pick up the amour of truthfulness, sincerity, and justice, to fight against wickedness, even if we die in the process. It is better we die today, to give hope for tomorrow; than to live today, to die tomorrow.

Your voice counts for the just to be exonerated, 

to gain justice, to be vindicated. 

Never belittle what God can do with you, 

nothing, nobody is too little 

or valueless in his hands, before him.

 Remember, the greatest injustice is hiding from saying the truth.

© 2021