Today’s first reading is very long, but don’t despair—it’s one of the most dramatic and engaging stories in the Bible. It tells of innocent Susanna, unjustly condemned by the old men who try to seduce her while she takes a bath. This story of attempted adultery connects to today’s Gospel, where Jesus forgives the woman caught in adultery, and saves her from being stoned.

In both stories, the people you would least expect are the ones called out for their sins—high ranking judges and religious leaders. But maybe this is not so unexpected. We as Christians should know better, but we still repeatedly fall into sin just like the old men do:

“When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk, they began to lust for her. They suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments.”

We do the same thing. When we are faced with temptation of any kind, we suppress our consciences; we ignore the little voice that tells us “Um, this is not a good idea.”

Then we refuse to look to Heaven; we think we can muscle through temptation without God’s help, and so we avoid asking Him.

And then we do not keep in mind justice or consequences; instead, we focus on our feelings or emotions. At that point, we succumb to temptation without a second glance, and slide right from temptation into the mire and muck of the sin itself.

This Lent, it is time to practice turning to God when we are tempted, rather than relying on ourselves. Only He can help us in the struggle with temptation, and only He can forgive us when we fall.

Cecilia Pigg is Managing Editor of the CatholicMatch Institute.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Amen. I need Him, to help me free myself of bitter recriminations against those whom I feel ignore my I’ll health.
    I need Him to fill me up, so that all I feel is a reflection of His will. His Mercy and Grace.

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