The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be aware of passions that lead us away from full life and the desire of Christ to be merciful in dealing with our brokenness.
The reading from the Book of Daniel is the story of Susanna and the treacherous elders.
* [13:1–14:42] The short stories in these two chapters exist now only in Greek and other translations, but probably were first composed in Hebrew or Aramaic. They were never part of the Hebrew-Aramaic Book of Daniel, or of the Hebrew Bible. They are excluded from the Protestant canon of Scripture, but the Catholic Church has always included them among the inspired writings; they existed in the Septuagint, which was used as its Bible by the early church.
* [13:55–59] The contrast between the mastic tree, which is small, and the majestic oak emphasizes the contradiction between the statements of the two elders. In the Greek text there is a play on words between the names of these two trees and the mortal punishment decreed by Daniel for the elders. The mastic tree (schinon) sounds like the verb “to split” (schisai). The oak tree (prinon) suggests a play on poisai (to saw). (Daniel, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 23 praises the Divine Shepherd.
* [Psalm 23] God’s loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Ps 23:1–4) and a host’s generosity toward a guest (Ps 23:5–6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Is 40:11; 49:10; Jer 31:10). (Psalms, PSALM 23 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus shows mercy to a woman caught in adultery.
* [7:53–8:11] The story of the woman caught in adultery is a later insertion here, missing from all early Greek manuscripts. A Western text-type insertion, attested mainly in Old Latin translations, it is found in different places in different manuscripts: here, or after Jn 7:36 or at the end of this gospel, or after Lk 21:38, or at the end of that gospel. There are many non-Johannine features in the language, and there are also many doubtful readings within the passage. The style and motifs are similar to those of Luke, and it fits better with the general situation at the end of Lk 21: but it was probably inserted here because of the allusion to Jer 17:13 (cf. note on Jn 8:6) and the statement, “I do not judge anyone,” in Jn 8:15. The Catholic Church accepts this passage as canonical scripture. (John, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)
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Don Schwager quotes “Aided by Christ's grace,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"No one of us does anything good unless aided by Christ's grace. What we do badly comes from ourselves; what we do well, we do with the help of God. Therefore, let us give thanks to God who made it possible. And when we do well, let us not insult anyone who does not act in the same way. Let us not extol ourselves above such a person." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 93,15) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 8:1-11 comments that Jesus did not condemn the woman who had committed adultery. He did not condemn the accusers who were allied against him. As St. Paul wrote, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
The woman caught in adultery thought her time was up; she thought her sin would lead to her death. But Jesus wants all of us to live! So come to him without fear, confess your sin, and let him pour out his mercy on you. Most likely you will fall again, maybe even today. But even if you do, know that Jesus is always willing to offer you his love, his mercy—and a new tomorrow!
“Lord Jesus, I praise you for a mercy that is new every morning.” (Meditation on John 8:1-11, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the account of Susanna in the Chapter 13 of Daniel, accepted as canonical by Roman Catholics and Orthodox, wherein the wise intervention of a young man convicts the elders of their treachery and consequently leads to their execution. The passage of the woman in the Gospel contains elements of style and composition that are different from that in most of John’s Gospel. Friar Jude notes that in the account of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus responds to her brokenness with mercy.
Barbara Holmes shares her experience with everyday mysticism.
The weird part is that all of this seemed normal to me. Despite the fact that schooling and further education tried to invalidate my experience, I knew that everyday mysticism was real. I could not be persuaded or taught otherwise. I’m describing mysticism as a natural part of everyday life and all of the things that I’m describing happened in ordinary time. There was no weird music, sweeping cloaks, or spooky incantations … just a deep understanding of the sacred and a willingness to allow the gifts to lead. (Holmes, n.d.)
We pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us away from following the false attraction of self satisfaction and towards the mercy of Jesus in our brokenness.
References
Daniel, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/13?1
Holmes, B. (n.d.). A Life Steeped in Mystery. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-life-steeped-in-mystery/
John, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/8?
Meditation on John 8:1-11. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/03/18/915219/
Psalms, PSALM 23 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/23?1
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=mar18
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