Daily Readings - Mon Mar 22 2021
Daniel
2And he received a wife named Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, who was very beautiful and God-fearing4But Joakim was very wealthy, and he had an orchard near his house, and the Jews flocked to him, because he was the most honorable of them all5And two elder judges had been appointed among the people that year, about whom the Lord has said, "Iniquity has come out of Babylon, from the elder judges, who seemed to govern the people.6These frequented the house of Joakim, and all came to them, who had need of judgment8And the elders saw her entering and walking around every day, and they were inflamed with desire towards her15But it happened, while they watched for an opportune day, that she entered at a particular time, just as yesterday and the day before, with only two maids, and she wanted to wash in the orchard, because it was so hot16And there was no one there, except the two elders in hiding, and they were studying her19But when the maids had departed, the two elders arose and hurried to her, and they said20"Behold, the doors of the orchard are closed, and no one can see us, and we are in desire for you. Because of these things, consent to us and lie with us21But if you will not, we will bear witness against you that a young man was with you and, for this reason, you sent your maids away from you.22Susanna sighed and said, "I am closed in on every side. For if I do this thing, it is death to me; yet if I do not do it, I will not escape your hands23But it is better for me to fall unavoidably into your hands, than to sin in the sight of the Lord.28when the people came to Joakim her husband, that the two appointed elders also came, full of wicked plans against Susanna, in order to put her to death41The multitude believed them, just as if they were elders and the judges of the people, and they condemned her to death42But Susanna cried out with a loud voice and said, "Eternal God, who knows what is hidden, who knows all things before they happen43you know that they have borne false witness against me, and behold, I must die, though I have done none of these things, which these men have maliciously invented against me.44But the Lord heeded her voice45And when she was led away to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young boy, whose name was Daniel46And he cried out with a loud voice, "I am clean of the blood of this one.48But he, while standing in the midst of them, said, "Are you so foolish, sons of Israel, that without judging and without knowing what the truth is, you have condemned a daughter of Israel49Return to judgment, because they have spoken false witness against her.50Therefore, the people returned with haste, and the old men said to him, "Come and sit down in our midst and show us, since God has given you the honor of old age.51And Daniel said to them, "Separate these at a distance from one another, and I will judge between them.52And so, when they were divided, one from the other, he called one of them, and he said to him, "You deep-rooted ancient evil, now your sins have come out, which you have committed before53judging unjust judgments, oppressing the innocent, and setting free the guilty, though the Lord declares, ‘The innocent and the just you must not put to death.54Now then, if you saw her, declare under which tree you saw them conversing together." He said, "Under an evergreen mastic tree.55But Daniel said, "Truly, you have lied against your own head. For behold, the angel of God, having received the sentence from him, will split you down the middle56And, having put him aside, he commanded the other to approach, and he said to him, "You offspring of Canaan, and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you, and desire has perverted your heart57Thus did you do to the daughters of Israel, and they, out of fear, consorted with you, but a daughter of Judah would not tolerate your iniquity58Now then, declare to me, under which tree you caught them conversing together." He said, "Under an evergreen oak tree.59And Daniel said to him, "Truly, you also have lied against your own head. For the angel of the Lord waits, holding a sword, to cut you down the middle and put you to death.60And then the entire assembly cried out in a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saves those who hope in him61And they rose up against the two appointed elders, (for Daniel had convicted them, by their own mouth, of bearing false witness,) and they did to them just as they had wickedly done against their neighbor62so as to act according to the law of Moses. And they put them to death, and innocent blood was saved on that day63But Hilkiah and his wife praised God for their daughter, Susanna, with Joakim, her husband, and all her relatives, because there had been found in her no disgrace64And so Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day, and thereafter
John
1But Jesus continued on to the Mount of Olives2And early in the morning, he went again to the temple; and all the people came to him. And sitting down, he taught them3Now the scribes and Pharisees brought forward a woman caught in adultery, and they stood her in front of them4And they said to him: "Teacher, this woman was just now caught in adultery5And in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a one. Therefore, what do you say?6But they were saying this to test him, so that they might be able to accuse him. Then Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the earth7And then, when they persevered in questioning him, he stood upright and said to them, "Let whoever is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.8And bending down again, he wrote on the earth9But upon hearing this, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest. And Jesus alone remained, with the woman standing in front of him10Then Jesus, raising himself up, said to her: "Woman, where are those who accused you? Has no one condemned you?11And she said, "No one, Lord." Then Jesus said: "Neither will I condemn you. Go, and now do not choose to sin anymore.
Sermon
Dear friends in Christ,
Today’s readings present us with powerful narratives of justice, mercy, and divine intervention. In the first reading from Daniel, we encounter the story of Susanna, a righteous woman falsely accused by two corrupt elders. Her plight seems hopeless, yet God’s justice prevails through the wisdom of the young Daniel, who uncovers the elders’ deceit and saves Susanna from death. This story reminds us of God’s unwavering commitment to justice and His ability to deliver those who trust in Him, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
In the Gospel, we find another dramatic scene where a woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus. The Pharisees, seeking to trap Him, cite the law of Moses, which prescribes stoning for such offenses. Jesus, however, responds with a profound challenge: “Let whoever is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” His words expose the hypocrisy of the accusers, and one by one, they depart, leaving the woman alone with Jesus. In His mercy, Jesus chooses not to condemn her but instead calls her to sin no more. This encounter underscores the transformative power of God’s mercy and the importance of humility and self-reflection in our lives.
Both readings invite us to reflect on how we judge others and how we respond to sin. Like Daniel, we are called to stand for justice and truth, even when it is difficult. Like Jesus, we are reminded that mercy and compassion should guide our interactions with others. In our daily lives, we encounter situations where we may be tempted to judge or condemn. Let us instead choose to see the world through the lens of God’s mercy, trusting in His justice and striving to be instruments of His love and forgiveness. May we, like Susanna and the woman in the Gospel, turn to God in times of trial and allow His grace to transform us.