Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/373



The Omnipresence  of  God.  The  old  sinners  “perverted  their  own mind and  turned  away  their  eyes  that  they  might  not  look  into  heaven, nor remember  just  judgments”  (Dan.  13,  9). They intentionally  banished all thought  of  the  ever  present  and  most  just  God,  and  said  to  Susanna: “No one  seeth  us.”  But  on  the  other  hand  the  holy  woman  did  remember Him, and  said:  “It  is  better  for  me  to  fall  into  your  hands  without sinning, than  to  sin  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord.”

The Omniscience  of  the  Eternal  God.  “O  Eternal  God,  who  knowest hidden things,  who  knowest  all  things  before  they  come  to  pass,  Thou knowest that  they  have  borne  false  witness  against  me.”  God  knows everything that  is  hidden,  what  is  past,  and  what  is  still  to  be. He revealed to  Daniel  that  the  two  elders  had  borne  false  witness  against Susanna; and it  was  the  thought  of  God’s  omniscience  that  gave  Susanna courage and  comfort  in  her  hour  of  peril.

The Justice  of  God.  He  brought  to  light  the  innocence  of  Susanna, and the  guilt  of  her  accusers,  in  the  most  wonderful  manner,  in  order that she  might  be  rewarded,  and  they  punished. God often  manifests His justice  in  this  way,  even  upon  earth.

Fortitude. Susanna  was  a valiant  woman,  a very  heroine  of  virtue. She preferred  to  die  rather  than  sin. St. Chrysostom  says  of  her: “Susanna stood  as  a lamb  between  two  wolves. She was  left  alone between these  two  beasts,  with  no  one  to  help  her  but  God  alone. He looked down  from  heaven,  and  suffered  the  dispute  to  make  clear  both the chastity  of  Susanna,  and  the  wickedness  of  the  elders;  so  that  she might become  a glorious  example  to  women  of  all  times. Susanna endured a severe  fight,  more  severe  than  that  of  Joseph. He, a man, contended with  one  woman; but  Susanna,  a weak  woman,  had  to  contend with two  men,  and  was  a spectacle  to  men  and  to  angels. The slander against her  fidelity  to  her  marriage-vow,  the  fear  of  death,  her  condemnation by  all  the  people,  the  abhorrence  of  her  husband  and relations, the  tears  of  her  servants,  the  grief  of  all  her  household,  she foresaw all  this,  and  yet  nothing  could  shake  her  fortitude.”

The way  to  preserve  chastity. Susanna’s  example  shows  us  how we ought  to  act  when  tempted  to  sin  against  holy  purity. She not  only reminded herself  of  the  Presence  of  the  Just  and  Holy  God,  but  she called loudly  for  help  to  drive  away  the  two  wicked  tempters. Thus, if we  were  to  find  ourselves  in  a similar  position,  we  ought  to  think  of God  and  crave  His  help,  and  besides  this  (if  we  cannot  flee,  as  Joseph did  in  the  house  of  Putiphar),  we  should  seek  the  help  of  others.

Consequences of  want  of  chastity.  The  two  elders  committed  sin upon sin. They coveted  their  neighbour’s  wife;  they  intentionally sought her  out,  and  by  threats  tried  to  drive  her  to  sin; they  calumniated her to  her  maids;  they  bore  false  witness  against  her  in  the  court  of