Conversion – from death to life
THE WORD IN LENT 2026 – MONDAY FIFTH WEEK
March 23 – Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62; John 8: 1-11
Conversion, as the journey from death to life – that is the last
phase of our Lenten journey that we have begun from yesterday, before we enter
into the Holy week very soon! Death and life are not merely two states of the
body…it is actually, spiritually speaking, state of our being or our spirits. Said
in simple words, they are two ways of life.
How can death be a way of life? We are very often reminded these
days of our late Pope Benedict XVI, who spoken often about the “culture of
death” that is trying to prevail these days. This is where death becomes a way
of life… that is, a choice in life. When I choose to wish the ruin of the
other, when I choose to avenge the other, when I choose not to forgive, when I
choose to judge, when I choose to condemn the other, when I choose not to give
the other a possibility… I choose death.
We have two persons or two cases presented to us – and a third one
that is symbolically referred to – in the Word today. The cases of Susanna
condemned by the sinful elders and the so-called sinful woman brought to be
condemned by the elders… the Word taken together seems to suggest, it is not
whether someone is innocent or someone is a sinner that matters to God: what
matters to God is that persons live, they find the right meaning of their life
and live, live on through the mercy of God!
We said a third one symbolically referred to: Jesus who was
condemned by the elders and chief priests, to death! It is this symbolic
reference that raises the real question from the Word today: what do I choose?
A style of life that is death-inducing? or that which is life-giving?
A life-giving mode of living is first and foremost, choosing life
– there can be no neutrality in life; either I am with life or I am against!
Those who are not with me are against me; those who do not gather, they scatter!
Secondly that mode ensures that I promote life in all sense – that I give
myself, and the other, the possibility of new life, renewed life, a life of
fullness.