Pope at Mass: ‘We pray for those
who remain in fear’
 |
| Pope Francis giving his homily at the Casa Santa Marta chapel, 30 March 2020 |
Pope Francis prayed for those overcome by “fear because of
the pandemic”, and reflected on the two women from Monday’s readings during
Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. (playback included)
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp
The Pope’s intention for Mass on Monday morning at the Casa
Santa Marta was “for the many people who are not succeeding in coping and
remain in fear because of the pandemic. May the Lord help them”, he continued,
“to have the strength to cope for the good of society and the entire
community.”
The Pope’s homily was a reflection on Psalm 23. He applied
it to the two women presented in the readings for the Fifth Monday of Lent:
Susanna and the woman caught in adultery (Daniel 13; John 8:1-11).
Two women
Pope Francis began his homily reciting the first half of
Psalm 23, the Responsorial Psalm for the day. Both Susanna and the woman caught
in adultery experienced the Lord’s presence in the dark valley, he said.
Innocent Susanna had been falsely accused, the other had committed sin. Both
had a death sentence hanging over their heads.
“The Fathers of the Church saw a figure of the Church in
these women: holy but with sinful children. … Both women were desperate….
Susanna trusts in the Lord.
Two groups of men
The Pope went on to comment on the two groups of men
present. Both groups “had positions in the church”. The group of judges, and
the doctors of the law. Those who condemned Susanna were corrupt; those who
condemned the woman caught in adultery were hypocrites.
The women’s reaction
“One woman fell into the hands of hypocrites, the other
into the hands of the corrupt. There was no way out…. Both women were in
a valley of darkness…heading toward death. The first, explicitly entrusts
herself to the Lord, and the Lord intervened. The second…knows she’s guilty.
She's ashamed in front of all the people…. The Gospel doesn't say it, but
surely she was praying inside, asking for some type of help.”
The Lord intervenes
Both the men and the women receive the Lord’s intervention.
He justifies Susanna and forgives the adulterous woman, the Pope said.
"He condemns the corrupt ones, He helps the
hypocrites convert themselves. He does not forgive the corrupt ones,
simply because the corrupt person is incapable of asking for forgiveness…. They
are sure of themselves, they destroy, and continue to exploit people…. They put
themselves in place of God.”
“The Lord responds to the women. He frees Susanna from
the corrupt men... To the other He says, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin
no more.’ “
Lessons learned
In Susanna’s case, the Pope continued, the people praised
God. Those present with Jesus and the woman caught in adultery “learn about
God’s mercy”. These are lessons we all need to learn because “each one of us
has our own story, our own personal sins”, the Pope said. If we don’t recognize
our own sins, then “you are corrupt”, he said.
“Let’s look to the Lord, who does justice, but who is
extremely merciful… May each one of us, seeing how Jesus acted in
these cases, entrust ourselves to God's mercy and pray, trusting in
God's mercy, asking forgiveness, because God ‘guides me along the right path.
He is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness’ the valley
of sin, ‘no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.”
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