The New York City Area held its monthly First Monday Mass on April 7th, celebrated by Rev. Msgr. Douglas Mathers, ChM in the Lady Chapel of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In his homily, Msgr. Mathers tied Monday’s reading of the story of Susanna being falsely accused of adultery together with Sunday’s Gospel of Jesus and the crowd who wants to stone the woman caught in adultery.

Both women seem to have no way out, but God provides an answer and a way out to both. In the Gospel, Jesus saves the woman by telling the crowd “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” and telling the woman “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” Susanna is provided a way out and saved as God stirs up the Holy Spirit in Daniel, thereby exposing her unjust accusers.  

Msgr. Mathers said we find our answer, our way out, for our own personal spiritual shortcomings through Christ, as shown in Monday’s gospel: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Msgr. Mathers also asked the congregation to apply these lessons to our Order of Malta works with the sick and the poor, by understanding that many of those we minister to may feel they have no way out of the difficult conditions they may be dealing with — and that we are ministers of God’s Good News to them.