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After Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, He returns to Bethany and dines with Lazarus and his sisters.  Mary lavishes Jesus’ feet with costly aromatic nard. Around them, crowds press in to gawk at the miracle worker and see for themselves the man who, rumor has it, staggered out from his tomb. Judas Iscariot then accuses Mary of wasting the costly oil that could have been used for the poor. Jesus replies, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial.”

Jesus’ response refers not to the poor but to what’s about to happen in a mere six days. When we avoid distractions such as neck-craning and nodding at reprimands, we may notice something: the Lord’s message. “Let her keep this for the day of my burial,” He says. I wonder what He means by this. Certainly, he wasn’t referring to the costly oil that was all absorbed into His skin and no longer available to keep.

When someone dies, we recall the last things we said and did with them. While Mary may not have known it at the time, Jesus knew that her most lavish act would be her last encounter with Him while He was alive. What a consolation it must have been for Mary that she had given Jesus her best when she heard the shocking news of His death. So the this, in “let her keep this,” I conclude, refers to the memory of her last time with her Savior. 

Mary didn’t know of Jesus’ imminent departure, yet she lavished costly oil upon Him. Unlike Mary, we do know what’s to come during Holy Week. What will we lavish upon Him?

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Después de resucitar a Lázaro, Jesús regresó a Betania y cenó con él y sus hermanas. María ungió los pies de Jesús con costoso aceite aromático de nardo. A su alrededor, una multitud se agolpaba para contemplar al hacedor de milagros y ver por sí mismos al hombre que, según los rumores, había salido tambaleándose de su tumba. Judas Iscariote acusó entonces a María de malgastar el óleo costoso que podría haberse usado para los pobres. Jesús respondió: “Déjenla. Esto lo tenía guardado para el día de mi sepultura”.

La respuesta de Jesús no se refería a los pobres, sino a lo que estaba a punto de suceder en tan solo seis días. Cuando evitamos distracciones como estirar el cuello y asentir ante las reprimendas, podemos notar algo: el mensaje del Señor. “Esto lo tenía guardado para el día de mi sepultura”, dijo. Otra traducción dice que guarde esto para el dia de mi sepultura. Me pregunto qué quiso decir con esto. Ciertamente, no se refería al costoso aceite que había sido absorbido por su piel y que ya no se podía guardar.

Cuando alguien muere, recordamos lo último que dijimos e hicimos con esa persona. Aunque María quizá no lo supiera en ese momento, Jesús sabía que su acto más generoso sería su último encuentro con Él en la vida. Qué consuelo debió sentir María al haberle dado lo mejor de sí a Jesús cuando recibió la terrible noticia de su muerte. Por lo tanto, concluyo que esto se refiere al recuerdo de su último momento con su Salvador.

María no sabía de la inminente partida de Jesús, pero aun así le derramó óleo costoso. A diferencia de María, nosotros sí sabemos lo que sucederá durante la Semana Santa. ¿Qué le vamos a derramar nosotros?

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Frances Smit is a children’s book author, a Catechist (of the Good Shepherd), educator, and mom. She serves in-the-pews Catholics seeking MORE through stories that hold space for an encounter with God. She desires everyone to experience that with God, there is always MORE.   https://fbsmit.substack.com/  and  https://www.francessmit.com/

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The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

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Saint Peter Regaldo lived at a very busy time. The Great Western Schism (1378-1417) was settled at the Council of Constance (1414-1418). France and England were fighting the Hundred Years’ War, and in 1453 the Byzantine Empire was completely wiped out by the loss of Constantinople to the Turks. At Peter’s death the age of printing had just begun in Germany, and Columbus’s arrival in the New World was less than 40 years away.

Peter came from a wealthy and pious family in Valladolid, Spain. At the age of 13, he was allowed to enter the Conventual Franciscans. Shortly after his ordination, he was made superior of the friary in Aguilar. He became part of a group of friars who wanted to lead a life of greater poverty and penance. In 1442 he was appointed head of all the Spanish Franciscans in his reform group.

Peter led the friars by his example. A special love of the poor and the sick characterized Peter. Miraculous stories are told about his charity to the poor. For example, the bread never seemed to run out as long as Peter had hungry people to feed. Throughout most of his life, Peter went hungry; he lived only on bread and water.

Immediately after his death on March 31, 1456, his grave became a place of pilgrimage. Peter was canonized in 1746.

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On Palm Sunday, also known as the Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, the Christian world steps into Holy Week, marking the commencement of a period steeped in profound religious significance. This day memorializes Christ’s majestic entry into Jerusalem, an event that saw the city’s inhabitants lay their garments on the streets, heralding him as their sovereign with shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

In the Western Church tradition, the observance of Palm Sunday begins with the blessing of palms. These palms, destined for the subsequent procession, are sanctified, setting the stage for the retelling of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Should logistical constraints prevent an outdoor procession, a solemn entrance within the church suffices, maintaining the ceremonial essence.

The day’s hymns and psalms echo Christ’s kingly dignity, while Palm Sunday’s alternative moniker, Fig Sunday, hearkens back to the cursing of the fig tree by Christ, integrating a tradition of consuming figs. Across England, the day has borne various names like Olive or Branch Sunday and Sunday of the Willow Boughs, each reflecting local botanical substitutes for palms.

Customs around Palm Sunday have evolved distinctly across regions. In Slavic nations, for instance, the blessed palms traverse homes, fields, and outbuildings in a ritual seeking divine safeguarding and blessings on the land and its yield.

Historical accounts, such as that of the pilgrim Egeria, confirm the practice of Palm Sunday processions as far back as the 4th century in Jerusalem, indicating the deep-rooted tradition of commemorating this event. By the 8th century, texts like the Gallican Bobbio Missal already documented the palm blessing, symbolizing Christ’s triumph.

While the grandeur of the Middle Ages has given way to more subdued observances in the Western Church, the essence of Palm Sunday — reflective of Christ’s victory and anticipation of the Passion — remains unchanged. Notably, the ashes used on Ash Wednesday originate from the palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday, linking the cycle of penitence and renewal to this significant day.

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Saint Berthold seems to have had a connection with the beginnings of the Carmelite Order. He was a relative of Aymeric, the Latin patriarch of Antioch who was installed in Antioch during the crusades. At the time, there were a number of hermits from the West scattered throughout Palestine, and Berthold gathered them together, founded a community of priests who settled on Mount Carmel, and became their first superior.

There is a legend that he was born at Limoges in France, studied in Paris, and was ordained a priest there. According to the legend, he accompanied Aymeric on the crusades and found himself in Antioch when it was being besieged by the Saracens. Through his urgings, the Christians in Antioch turned to prayer and penance, and the city was delivered.

What is known for certain is that St. Berthold directed the building of a monastery and church on Mount Carmel and dedicated the church in honor of the prophet Elias, who had defeated the priests of Baal there and seen the vision of the cloud out over the sea. This is confirmed in a letter of Peter Emilianus to King Edward I of England in 1282.

Berthold lived out his days on Mount Carmel, ruling the community he had founded for forty-five years until his death about 1195. His example and way of life stamped the beginnings of the Carmelite Order, leading to the drawing up of the order’s rule by St. Albert, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, about 1210. That rule was approved by Pope Honorius III in 1226 and it is this primitive rule that is considered the foundation of the Order of Mount Carmel.

But it seems to have been Berthold who first organized the monastic life of the hermits on Mount Carmel and governed them until his death. St. Brocard, who apparently was his successor, petitioned Albert to compose a rule for them, undoubtedly codifying and completing the work begun by Berthold.

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Saint John of Egypt, originally a carpenter in Lycopolis (now Assiut, Egypt), felt a divine pull towards a life of solitude. He spent his early years crafting wood under his father’s guidance but soon sought a deeper connection with God, leading him to abandon worldly life for the desert’s isolation.

Mentored for a decade by a venerable hermit, whom he revered as his “spiritual father,” John was imbued with the essence of sanctity. Following his mentor’s death, John’s quest for spiritual depth led him through various monasteries, eager to understand the monastic ways of prayer and existence.

Ultimately, John settled in a secluded cave, ingeniously partitioned into areas for living, working, and prayer. Here, he enclosed himself, only accessible via a solitary window, through which he shared his insights with those who sought his counsel, attracting even Emperor Theodosius I’s attention for guidance.

The local community supported him with food and essentials, drawn by his wisdom and holiness. His reputation as a sage attracted disciples, prompting the construction of a hospice nearby to accommodate the influx of seekers.

Saints such as Augustine and Jerome acknowledged John’s sanctity, marveling at his prophetic abilities and profound insight into the human soul. His healing touch, through the anointment with blessed oil, brought physical relief to many.

Despite his renown, John’s life was marked by asceticism and humility. He fasted until sunset, subsisting on dried fruits and vegetables, shunning meat and warm meals, in a continual quest for spiritual purity. John passed away in 394 at the age of ninety, having devoted his final days entirely to divine communion, departing this world in a posture of prayer.

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Margaret Clitherow was born into a Protestant family in Middleton, England, in 1555. Known for her beauty, wit, and vivacity, she captivated those around her.

In 1571, she wed John Clitherow, a prosperous grazier and butcher, and mothered two children. Later, Margaret converted to Catholicism, a decision that marked her life with profound zeal. She became a sanctuary for priests on the run, defying the authorities of the time. Despite being arrested and subjected to severe attempts to break her faith, Margaret remained unwavering.

Her steadfastness led to a brutal sentence on March 25, 1586: death by pressing. Executed by being laid on the ground with a sharp stone beneath her back, a door was placed on top of her, and crushing weights were added. She succumbed within fifteen minutes, her body shattered.

Margaret’s strength and sanctity are echoed in her words to a friend upon hearing of her fate: “The sheriffs have decided my death is imminent this Friday; my body trembles, yet my soul leaps with joy. For God’s love, keep me in your prayers, and ask others to join.”

Her life is celebrated on March 26th, her feast day.

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Today’s Gospel is the pivot point in all of human history, all of salvation history, all of eternity.  Everything hinges on this moment when an angel brings a stupendous message to a young virgin in Galilee. Everything has been leading up to this moment, all of history cascades from this moment, and it all depends on the heart of this young maiden, on her conformity to the will of God with immense faith and loving obedience.

Some pious writers have imagined all of Heaven peering down in anticipation, as if wondering whether she will say “yes.” Of course she will; she is free to say no, but her heart and soul were prepared from all eternity and preserved from all stain of Original Sin. She was uniquely free with the Original Freedom and Original Innocence that Adam and Eve were given. Gabriel refers to her as “FULL of grace.” In this unique state of nearness to God, she cannot refuse His will. What He does in us, He does only with our active cooperation; it is necessary for Mary to surrender her will – actively WILL what God wills – in order for the Incarnation to happen within her.

And so, with majestic power and virginal simplicity, she replies, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

In that moment, the Davidic king who will rule over the nations, save us from our sin, and fulfill every Old Testament prophecy becomes enfleshed, real, one of us. In that moment, the Gospel is realized, Adam’s fall is undone, salvation is made possible, the reign of God with us begins. In that moment, when the one who is “full of grace” utters her humble yes in loving submission to the will of God, Love becomes Flesh and dwells among us, forever and always to remain with us, forever and always to remain human and divine. With her submissive word, the Word becomes Flesh. In that moment, the daughter of God becomes the Mother of God, and therefore, Mother of us all.

For hundreds of years, Catholics have commemorated this profound mystery by praying the Angelus three times each day – at morning, noon, and evening. If this is not yet part of your daily prayer, consider adding it before your Grace at mealtimes, to ponder and give thanks for this great Gift!

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El Evangelio de hoy es el punto central de toda la historia de la humanidad, de toda la historia de la salvación, de toda la eternidad. Todo gira en torno a este momento en que un ángel trae un mensaje trascendental a una virgen joven de Galilea. Todo ha estado encaminado a este momento, toda la historia se despliega a partir de este instante, y todo depende del corazón de esta joven, de su conformidad con la voluntad de Dios con una fe inmensa y una obediencia amorosa.

Algunos escritores piadosos han imaginado a todo el Cielo observando expectante, como preguntándose si ella dirá “sí”. Por supuesto que sí; es libre de decir que no, pero su corazón y su alma fueron preparados desde la eternidad y preservados de toda mancha del pecado original. Ella era singularmente libre, con la libertad y la inocencia originales que se les dieron a Adán y Eva. Gabriel se refiere a ella como “llena de gracia”. En este estado único de cercanía a Dios, no puede rechazar su voluntad. Lo que Él hace en nosotros, lo hace solo con nuestra cooperación activa. Es necesario que María entregue su voluntad —que desee activamente lo que Dios desea— para que la Encarnación se produzca en ella.

Y así, con majestuosa fuerza y ​​sencillez virginal, responde: “Yo soy la esclava del Señor; cúmplase en mí lo que me has dicho”.

En ese instante, el rey davídico que reinará sobre las naciones, nos salvará del pecado y cumplirá todas las profecías del Antiguo Testamento, se encarna, se hace real, se convierte en uno de nosotros. En ese instante, el Evangelio se realiza, la caída de Adán se deshace, la salvación se hace posible, el reinado de Dios entre nosotros comienza. En ese instante, cuando la que está “llena de gracia” pronuncia su humilde sí en amorosa sumisión a la voluntad de Dios, el Amor se hace carne y habita entre nosotros para siempre y permanece con nosotros, permanentemente humano y divino. Con su palabra sumisa, el Verbo se hace carne. En ese instante, la hija de Dios se convierte en la Madre de Dios y, por lo tanto, en Madre de todos nosotros.

Durante siglos, los católicos han conmemorado este profundo misterio rezando el Ángelus tres veces al día: por la mañana, al mediodía y por la noche. Si aún no forma parte de tu oración diaria, considera añadirlo antes de la oración de las comidas, para meditar y dar gracias por este gran Don.

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and eleven grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com

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The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

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Solemnity Of The Annunciation of The Lord, also called in old calendars: FESTUM INCARNATIONIS, INITIUM REDEMPTIONIS CONCEPTIO CHRISTI, ANNUNTIATIO CHRISTI, ANNUNTIATIO DOMINICA and The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the East, where the part which Mary took in the Redemption is celebrated by a special feast, 26 December, the Annunciation is a feast of Christ; in the Latin Church, it is a feast of Mary. It probably originated shortly before or after the council of Ephesus (c. 431). At the time of the Synod of Laodicea (372) it was not known; St. Proclus, Bishop of Constantinople (d. 446), however, seems to mention it in one of his homilies. He says, that the feast of the coming of Our Lord and Saviour, when He vested Himself with the nature of man (quo hominum genus indutus), was celebrated during the entire fifth century. This homily, however, may not be genuine, or the words may be understood of the feast of Christmas.

In the Latin Church this feast is first mentioned in the Sacramentarium of Pope Gelasius (d. 496), which we possess in a manuscript of the seventh century; it is also contained in the Sacramentarium of St. Gregory (d. 604), one manuscript of which dates back to the eighth century. Since these sacramentaries contain additions posterior to the time of Gelasius and Gregory, Duchesne (Origines du culte chrétien, 118, 261) ascribes the origin of this feast in Rome to the seventh century; Probst, however, (Sacramentarien, 264) thinks that it really belongs to the time of Pope Gelasius. The tenth Synod of Toledo (656), and Trullan Synod (692) speak of this feast as one universally celebrated in the Catholic Church.

All Christian antiquity (against all astronomical possibility) recognized the 25th of March as the actual day of Our Lord’s death. The opinion that the Incarnation also took place on that date is found in the pseudo-Cyprianic work “De Pascha Computus”, c. 240. It argues that the coming of Our Lord and His death must have coincided with the creation and fall of Adam. And since the world was created in spring, the Saviour was also conceived and died shortly after the equinox of spring. Similar fanciful calculations are found in the early and later Middle Ages, and to them, no doubt, the dates of the feast of the Annunciation and of Christmas owe their origin. Consequently the ancient martyrologies assign to the 25th of March the creation of Adam and the crucifixion of Our Lord; also, the fall of Lucifer, the passing of Israel through the Red Sea and the immolation of Isaac. (Thruston, Christmas and the Christian Calendar, Amer. Eccl. Rev., XIX, 568.) The original date of this feast was the 25th of March. Although in olden times most of the churches kept no feast in Lent, the Greek Church in the Trullan Synod (in 692; can. 52) made an exception in favour of the Annunciation. In Rome, it was always celebrated on the 25th of March. The Spanish Church transferred it to the 18th of December, and when some tried to introduce the Roman observance of it on the 25th of March, the 18th of December was officially confirmed in the whole Spanish Church by the tenth Synod of Toledo (656). This law was abolished when the Roman liturgy was accepted in Spain.

The church of Milan, up to our times, assigns the office of this feast to the last Sunday in Advent. On the 25th of March a Mass is sung in honour of the Annunciation. (Ordo Ambrosianus, 1906; Magistretti, Beroldus, 136.) The schismatic Armenians now celebrate this feast on the 7th of April. Since Epiphany for them is the feast of the birth of Christ, the Armenian Church formerly assigned the Annunciation to 5 January, the vigil of Epiphany. This feast was always a holy day of obligation in the Universal Church. As such it was abrogated first for France and the French dependencies, 9 April, 1802; and for the United States, by the Third Council of Baltimore, in 1884. By a decree of the S.R.C., 23 April, 1895, the rank of the feast was raised from a double of the second class to a double of the first class. If this feast falls within Holy Week or Easter Week, its office is transferred to the Monday after the octave of Easter. In some German churches it was the custom to keep its office the Saturday before Palm Sunday if the 25th of March fell in Holy Week. The Greek Church, when the 25th of March occurs on one of the three last days in Holy Week, transfers the Annunciation to Easter Monday; on all other days, even on Easter Sunday, its office is kept together with the office of the day. Although no octaves are permitted in Lent, the Dioceses of Loreto and of the Province of Venice, the Carmelites, Dominicans, Servites, and Redemptorists, celebrate this feast with an octave.

(original Catholic Encyclopedia article) 

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Reading I Numbers 21:4-9

From Mount Hor the children of Israel set out on the Red Sea road,
to bypass the land of Edom.
But with their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!”

In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
“Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live.”
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.         

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21

R.        (2)  O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
O LORD, hear my prayer,
            and let my cry come to you.
Hide not your face from me
            in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;          
            in the day when I call, answer me speedily.
R.        O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
            and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
            and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
            and not despised their prayer.
R.        O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
            and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
            from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
            to release those doomed to die.”
R.        O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

Verse Before the Gospel

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.

Gospel John 8:21-30

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“I am going away and you will look for me,
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going you cannot come.”
So the Jews said,
“He is not going to kill himself, is he,
because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?”
He said to them, “You belong to what is below,
I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins.”
So they said to him, “Who are you?”
Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world.”
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
“When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him.”
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Reading I Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62

In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim,
who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna,
the daughter of Hilkiah;
her pious parents had trained their daughter
according to the law of Moses.
Joakim was very rich;
he had a garden near his house,
and the Jews had recourse to him often
because he was the most respected of them all.

That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges,
of whom the Lord said, “Wickedness has come out of Babylon:
from the elders who were to govern the people as judges.”
These men, to whom all brought their cases,
frequented the house of Joakim.
When the people left at noon,
Susanna used to enter her husband’s garden for a walk.
When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk,
they began to lust for her.
They suppressed their consciences;
they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,
and did not keep in mind just judgments.

One day, while they were waiting for the right moment,
she entered the garden as usual, with two maids only.
She decided to bathe, for the weather was warm.
Nobody else was there except the two elders,
who had hidden themselves and were watching her.
“Bring me oil and soap,” she said to the maids,
“and shut the garden doors while I bathe.”

As soon as the maids had left,
the two old men got up and hurried to her.
“Look,” they said, “the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us;
give in to our desire, and lie with us.
If you refuse, we will testify against you
that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you.”

“I am completely trapped,” Susanna groaned.
“If I yield, it will be my death;
if I refuse, I cannot escape your power.
Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt
than to sin before the Lord.”
Then Susanna shrieked, and the old men also shouted at her,
as one of them ran to open the garden doors.
When the people in the house heard the cries from the garden,
they rushed in by the side gate to see what had happened to her.
At the accusations by the old men,
the servants felt very much ashamed,
for never had any such thing been said about Susanna.

When the people came to her husband Joakim the next day,
the two wicked elders also came,
fully determined to put Susanna to death.
Before all the people they ordered:
“Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah,
the wife of Joakim.”
When she was sent for,
she came with her parents, children and all her relatives.
All her relatives and the onlookers were weeping.

In the midst of the people the two elders rose up
and laid their hands on her head.
Through tears she looked up to heaven,
for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly.
The elders made this accusation:
“As we were walking in the garden alone,
this woman entered with two girls
and shut the doors of the garden, dismissing the girls.
A young man, who was hidden there, came and lay with her.
When we, in a corner of the garden, saw this crime,
we ran toward them.
We saw them lying together,
but the man we could not hold, because he was stronger than we;
he opened the doors and ran off.
Then we seized her and asked who the young man was,
but she refused to tell us.
We testify to this.”
The assembly believed them,
since they were elders and judges of the people,
and they condemned her to death.

But Susanna cried aloud:
“O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me. 
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me.”

The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
“I will have no part in the death of this woman.”
All the people turned and asked him, “What is this you are saying?”
He stood in their midst and continued,
“Are you such fools, O children of Israel! 
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.”

Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
“Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age.”
But he replied,
“Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them.”

After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
“How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together.”
“Under a mastic tree,” he answered.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two.”
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.
Daniel said to him,
“Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you,
lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.”
“Under an oak,” he said.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both.”

The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

OR:

The assembly condemned Susanna to death.

But Susanna cried aloud:
“O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me.”

The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
“I will have no part in the death of this woman.”
All the people turned and asked him,
“What is this you are saying?”
He stood in their midst and continued,
“Are you such fools, O children of Israel!
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.”

Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
“Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age.”
But he replied,
“Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them.”

After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
“How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’ 
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together.”
“Under a mastic tree,” he answered.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two.”
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought. 
Daniel said to him, “Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah,
beauty has seduced you, lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.”
“Under an oak,” he said.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,”
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both.”

The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (4ab) Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

Verse before the Gospel Ezekiel 33:11

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion, that he may live.

Gospel John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, 
and all the people started coming to him, 
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman 
who had been caught in adultery 
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught 
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin 
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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