THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR ADVOCATE

Have you ever been in a situation where you are required to do what is wrong to save your head? Has someone ever blackmailed you, threatening to tell lies against you or expose what you have or have not done if you do not do what he/she wants? 

In the first reading of today, we see how two elders driven by passion and bodily pleasure placed Sussana in a tight situation. They threatened to lie against her if she refused to commit adultery with them. 

We see at the end of the day that it is better for human beings to be angry with you, than to do evil and annoy God. God will always vindicate the innocent from false accusations and unjust laws. We are therefore called today to be conscious of the fact that God is always with us when people are planning evils against us. Sussana lost all hope in the first reading, she cried and lamented, but she didn't know that God had placed Daniel as her advocate. 

In the gospel reading, the scribes and pharisees also accuse Jesus  of lying about who he says he is, the light of the world. Jesus quotes the law of Moses upon which Sussana was condemned to death in the first reading, which is that the testimony of two people are enough. We see very clearly that 5 or 10 people can still gang up and testify wrongly to achieve their aim. 

Sussana thought that she would be stoned to death, but Jesus our eternal advocate is always there to save us from lies, gossips and false witnesses against us. His testimony about us is sufficient to win us favour with God. Let us not give up, let us not succumb to the evil ones, God is very close to us. 

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP.