Superman and The Pope

Superman fought for justice.

The slogan we heard on the old TV show was: Truth, justice, and the American way.

Certainly, we consider justice to be a good and important concept.

It’s the idea of fair and equal treatment for everyone.

Of everyone getting what they deserve.

It’s not only part of the American way.

It’s ingrained in our human nature.

We have a basic need to be treated with justice.

And we quickly recognize it and strongly resent it

When we ourselves, or someone we identify with, is not treated justly.

We may be less quick to recognize it when our treatment of someone else is not just.

Receiving justice is a fundamental need.

Dispensing justice is a virtue.

The need to be treated with justice may be even deeper than human nature.

Scientists at Emory University studied a group of Capuchins.

That’s the monkeys—not the friars.

And concluded that they too demonstrate this basic need to be treated fairly.

Our new pope, Francis, has a long history of involvement in social justice.

Partially, perhaps, from his Jesuit roots.

Jesuits are noted for their commitment and activism in social justice matters.

Even more than the Capuchins—the Franciscan friars not the monkeys.

Those Franciscans are particularly noted more for their humility and service to the poor.

Following in the footsteps of their founder, St Francis of Assisi.

And our new pope chose his name, Francis, for that reason.

Pope Francis has earned a reputation as a humble, holy man and a servant to the poor.

Not only the materially poor, but also the spiritually poor.

On his first official outing from the Vatican as Pope,

Francis visited St Mary Major basilica across town in Rome.

When he saw the people congregated there, he told the priests with him:

Mercy, mercy, mercy.

Saying that the Church must offer mercy to the people.

So, who’s looking out for us better, Superman or Francis?

What’s our greater human need, justice or mercy?

Justice may be a fundamental need.

But mercy seems to outrank anything we try to balance against it.

Our priests wear a stole, a symbol of authority.

But they cover it over with a chasuble, a symbol of mercy.

Mercy trumps authority.

Scripture tells us that God himself desires mercy more than sacrifice.

Mercy trumps sacrifice.

In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees bring Jesus a woman caught in adultery.

And ask him what they should do with her.

The Law of Moses says she should be stoned to death.

She knew the law, she sinned and broke the law.

She deserves to face the consequences.

Justice calls for her stoning.

Of course, the Pharisees and scribes had no legal reason to bring her to Jesus.

They brought her to him as a test.

Hoping to put him in a no-win dilemma.

If he said let her go, he’d be ignoring the Law of Moses.

If he said stone her, he’d be contradicting his own message of love and mercy.

He'd also be going against Roman Law.

Either way, they figured he’d at least lose credibility with some of his followers.

But Jesus escaped their trap with his simple, but very wise and instructive answer.

Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone.

Jesus lets mercy prevail over justice.

And it's an example he wants us to follow.

He even taught us to pray:

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

We might each imagine ourselves standing alone in front of Jesus—like that woman.

There’s no question of guilt or innocence.

We’re guilty.

Our fate is in his hands.

We deserve justice.

As we imagine that scene, we can draw great hope from the Good News of our Gospel.

We can dare to echo the words of Pope Francis—Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.

And we can hope to hear those same words the woman heard.

Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.

It would be good, from time-to-time, to re-imagine ourselves in this scene.

It could help us to follow Jesus' example of mercy.

And that's important.

Because soon, we will be standing there.

5th Sunday of Lent

Jn 8:1-11                                 Read this Scripture @usccb.org