Posted on 03/29/2020 8:22:39 PM PDT by Salvation
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 husbands 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.
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 names 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.
I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion, that he may live.
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.
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From: Daniel 13:1-9. 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
The Two Corrupt Elders
[5] In that year two elders from the people, were appointed as judges. Concerning them the Lord had said: Iniquity came forth from Babylon, from elders who were judges, who were supposed to govern the people. [6] These men were frequently at Joakims house, and all who had suits at law came to them.
[7] When the people departed at noon, Susanna would go into her husbands garden to walk. [8] The two elders used to see her every day, going in and walking about, and they began to desire her. [9] And they perverted their minds and turned away their eyes from looking to Heaven or remembering righteous judgments.
Susanna Condemned to Death
[19] When the maids had gone out, the two elders rose and ran to her, and said: [20] Look, the garden doors are shut, no one sees us, and we are in love with you; so give your consent, and lie with us. [21] If you refuse, we will testify against you that a young man was with you, and this was why you sent your maids away?”
[22] Susanna sighed deeply, and said, I am hemmed in on every side. For if I do this thing, it is death for me; and if I do not, I shall not escape your hands. [23] I choose not to do it and to fall into your hands, rather than to sin in the sight of the Lord.
[24] Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and the two elders shouted against her. [25] And one of them ran and opened, the garden doors. [26] When the household servants heard the shouting in the garden, they rushed in at the side door to see what had happened to her. [27] And when the elders told their tale, the servants were greatly ashamed for nothing like this had ever been said about Susanna.
[28] The next day, when the people gathered at the house of her husband Joakim, the two elders came, full of their wicked plot to have Susanna put to death. [29] They said before the people, Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, who is the wife of Joakim. [30] So they sent for her. And she came, with her parents, her children, and all her kindred.
[33] But her family and friends and all who saw her wept.
[34] Then the two elders stood up in the midst of the people, and laid their hands upon her head. [35] And she, weeping, looked up toward heaven, for her heart trusted in the Lord. [36] The elders said, As we were walking in the garden alone, this woman came in with two maids, shut the garden doors, and dismissed the maids. [37] Then a young man, who had been hidden, came to her and lay with her. [38] We were in a corner of the garden and when we saw this wickedness we ran to them. [39] We saw them embracing, but we could not hold the man, for he was too strong for us, and he opened the doors and dashed out. [40] So we seized this woman and asked her who the young man was, but she would not tell us. These things we testify.
[41] The assembly believed them because they were elders of the people and judges; and they condemned her to death.
[42] Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said, O eternal God, who dost discern what is secret, who art aware of all things before they come to be. [43] Thou knowest that these men have borne false witness against me. And now I am to die! Yet I have done none of the things that they have wickedly invented against me!
[44] The Lord heard her cry.
Daniel Intervenes
[47] All the people turned to him, and said, What is this that you have said? [48] Taking his stand in the midst of them, he said, Are you such fools, you Sons of Israel? Have you condemned a daughter of Israel without examination and without learning the facts? [49] Return to the place of judgment. For these men have borne false witness against her.
[50] Then all the people returned in haste. And the elders said to him, Come, sit among us and inform us, for God has given you that right. [51] And Daniel said to them, Separate them far from each other, and I will examine them.
[52] When they were separated from each other, be summoned one of them and said to him, You old relic of wicked days, your sins have now come home, which you have committed in the past, [53] pronouncing unjust judgments, condemning the innocent and letting the guilty go free, though the Lord said, Do not put to death an innocent and righteous person [54] Now then, if you really saw her, tell me this: Under what tree did you see them being intimate with each other? He answered, Under a mastic tree.” [55] And Daniel said, Very well! You have lied against your own head for the angel of God has received the sentence from God and will immediately cut you in two.
[56] Then he put him aside, and commanded them to bring the other. And he said to him, You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you and lust has perverted your heart. [57] This is how you both have been dealing with the daughters of Israel, and they were intimate with you through fear; but a daughter of Judah would not endure your wickedness. [58] Now then, tell me: “Under what tree did you catch them being intimate with each other? He answered, Under an evergreen oak. [59] And Daniel said to him, Very well! You also have lied against your own head, for the angel of God is waiting with his sword to saw you in two, that he may destroy you both.
[60} Then all the assembly shouted loudly and blessed God, who saves those who hope in him. [61] And they rose against the two elders for out of their own mouths Daniel had convicted them of bearing false witness; [62] and they did to them as they had wickedly planned to do to their neighbor; acting in accordance with the law of Moses, they
put them to death. Thus innocent blood was saved that day.
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Commentary:
13:1-14:42. These chapters which, as we have said, are to be found only in the Greek manuscripts, form an end-piece to the book of Daniel that has been passed down to the Church. It fits in with the rest of the book because it, too, has Daniel as the main protagonist; but here he is not an interpreter of dreams or a seer of visions: he is a judge raised up by God to save the innocent (chap. 13), a wise man who shows how ridiculous it is to worship idols, as pagans do (chap. 14). Taken together, these two chapters set at the end of the book show that life goes on and that God ensures that justice is done, and that he exposes idols for what they are.
13:1-64. The episode of Daniel in the lions den, and this story of Susanna, with its well-drawn characters and scenarios, are the two most popular passages in the book of Daniel. The Susanna story is set in a Jewish community, and it forms an independent narrative; it probably existed on its own originally, independent of the other stories in the book. The version of Theodotion puts it at the start of the book, to act as an introduction to Daniel, whose name in fact means God is my judge. There are notable differences between the Septuagint and the Theodotion texts, in the latter, the emphasis is put on Susanna’s innocence, in the former, it is on the wickedness of the two elders. Throughout the book of Daniel we have been shown that Daniel knows the secrets about the End, in the story of Susanna we see that he can read mens hearts and judge accordingly.
Some Fathers of the Church read this story as an allegory. St Hippolytus, for example, writes: “Susanna suffered at the hands of the elders what we still suffer today from the kings Of Babylon. Susanna is a figure of the Church; Joakim, of Christ. The garden beside their house is an image of the dwelling-place of the faithful, who are planted like fruitful trees in the Church. Babylon is the power of this world. The two elders stand for the two enemies of the Church—the Jews and the pagans. The words, [they] “were judges, who were supposed to govern the people”, mean that they handed down unjust sentences against the just (”Commentarium In Danielem”, 1, 15).
13:1-14: This passage describes the context of the story—a well-to-do Jewish family, all God-fearing people. Susanna could be taken as a symbol of Israel. And then there two wicked judges, who are supposed to give people leadership. These two elders may have some link with the two false prophets who committed adultery and who are denounced in Jeremiah 29:21-23. The point is clearly made that what leads them astray is lust. A work attributed to St John Chrysostom comments on this passage: If no passion undermines and corrupts it, the soul will remain clean and unstained. But if he does not guard his eyes, and looks at whatever he wants around him in the world, [...] the poison of desire will enter through a mans sight and strike to the bottom of his heart; and he who once a sober and modest man will be overwhelmed by a whirlwind of passions (”De Susanna”, col. 591).
13:15-44. The dramatic tension reaches its climax with the sentence passed on Susanna. Faced with the dilemma of saving her life by sinning against the Lord, or dying by staying faithful to her husband and to God, Susanna opts for the second course of action. She is a model for the the people in the trials they have to endure. She cannot prove her innocence to the people, but she can certainly assert it to God, who knows all hidden things; and then she waits (v. 42). How often does the trickery of those moved by envy and intrigue force many noble Christians. into the same corner? They are offered only one choice—offend God or ruin their reputation. The only acceptable and upright solution is, at the same time, highly painful. Yet they must decide: Let me rather fall into your power through no act of mine, than commit sin in the Lords sight (St Josemaria Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 68).
13:45-64. Nothing can be hidden from God (He is a great eye, ever watchful: nothing that happens in the world can be hidden from him: St Hippolytus, “Commentarium In Danielem”, 1, 33) and his judgments are just and true. Here he acts by rousing the spirit of prophecy (here called the holy spirit) in Daniel, who as a young man is very different to the elders. Daniel criticizes the people for being taken in so easily by the elders, and he convinces them to reopen the case. He tries to discover the truth, without being overawed by the seniority of the two judges. He uses a simple trick to divine the truth. All come to see that Susanna is a virtuous woman, true to her husband. She thus becomes a symbol of Israels faithfulness to her God. In the earlier part of the book Daniel was esteemed by foreign kings; now the text shows that his own people, too, hold him in high regard. This is a further reason for accepting the revelations made through him.
From: John 8:1-11
Different Opinions About Jesus (Continuation)
The Adulterous Woman
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Commentary:
1-11. This passage is absent from many ancient codexes, but it was in the Vulgate when the Magisterium, at the Council of Trent, defined the canon of Sacred Scripture. Therefore, the Church regards it as canonical and inspired, and has used it and continues to use it in the liturgy. It is also included in the New Vulgate, in the same position as it occupied before.
St. Augustine said that the reason doubts were raised about the passage was that it showed Jesus to be so merciful that some rigorists thought it would lead to a relaxation of moral rules—and therefore many copyists suppressed it from their manuscripts (cf. “De Coniugiis Adulterinis”, 2, 6).
In commenting on the episode of the woman caught in adultery Fray Luis de Granada gives these general considerations on the mercy of Christ: “Your feelings, your deeds and your words should be akin to these, if you desire to be a beautiful likeness of the Lord. And therefore the Apostle is not content with telling us to be merciful; he tells us, as God’s sons, to put on `the bowels of mercy’ (cf. Colossians 3:12). Imagine, then, what the world would be like if everyone arrayed themselves in this way.
“All this is said to help us understand to some degree the great abundance of the goodness and compassion of our Savior, which shine forth so clearly in these actions of His, for [...] in this life we cannot know God in Himself; we can know Him only through His actions. [...] But it should also be pointed out that we should never act in such a way in view of God’s mercy, that we forget about His justice; nor should we attend to His justice forgetting about His mercy; for hope should have in it an element of fear, and fear an element of hope” (”Life of Jesus Christ”, 13, 4).
1. We know that on a number of occasions our Lord withdrew to the Mount of Olives to pray (cf. John 18:2; Luke 22:39). This place was to the east of Jerusalem; the Kidron Valley (cf. John 18:1) divided it from the hill on which the temple was built. It had from ancient times been a place of prayer: David went there to adore God during the difficult period when Absalom was in revolt (2 Samuel 15:32), and there the prophet Ezekiel contemplated the glory of Yahweh entering the temple (Ezekiel 43:1-4). At the foot of the hill there was a garden, called Gethsemane or “the place of the oil-press”, an enclosed plot containing a plantation of olive trees. Christian tradition has treated this place with great respect and has maintained it as a place of prayer. Towards the end of the fourth century a church was built there, on whose remains the present church was built. There are still some ancient olive trees growing there which could well derive from those of our Lord’s time.
6. The question put by the scribes and Pharisees has a catch: our Lord had often shown understanding to people they considered sinners; they come to Him now with this case to see if He will be equally indulgent—which will allow them to accuse Him of infringing a very clear precept of the Law (cf. Leviticus 20:10).
7. Jesus’ reply refers to the way stoning was carried out: those who witnessed the crime had to throw the first stones, and then others joined in, to erase the slur on the people which the crime implied (cf. Deuteronomy 17:7). The question put to Jesus was couched in legal terms; He raises it to the moral plane (the basis and justification of the legal plane), appealing to the people’s conscience. He does not violate the law, St. Augustine says, and at the same time He does not want to lose what He is seeking—for He has come to save that which was lost: “His answer is so full of justice, gentleness and truth. [...] O true answer of Wisdom. You have heard: Keep the Law, let the woman be stoned. But how can sinners keep the Law and punish this woman? Let each of them look inside himself and enter the tribunal of his heart and conscience; there he will discover that he is a sinner. Let this woman be punished, but not by sinners; let the Law be applied, but not by its transgressors” (St. Augustine, “In Ioann. Evang.”, 33, 5).
11. “The two of them were left on their own, the wretched woman and Mercy. But the Lord, having smitten them with the dart of justice, does not even deign to watch them go but turns His gaze away from them and once more writes on the ground with His finger. But when the woman was left alone and they had all gone, He lifted up His eyes to the woman. We have already heard the voice of justice; let us now hear the voice of gentleness. I think that the woman was the more terrified when she heard the Lord say, `Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her,’ [...] fearing now that she would be punished by Him, in whom no sin could be found. But He, who had driven away her adversaries with the tongue of justice, now looking at her with the eyes of gentleness asks her, `Has no one condemned you?’ She replies, `No one, Lord.’ And He says, `Neither do I condemn you; I who perhaps you feared would punish you, because in Me you have found no sin.’ Lord, can it be that You favor sinners? Assuredly not. See what follows” `Go and sin no more.’ Therefore the Lord also condemned sin, but not the woman’ (St. Augustine, “In Ioann. Evang.”, 33, 5-6).
Jesus, who is the Just One, does not condemn the woman; whereas these people are sinners, yet they pass sentence of death. God’s infinite mercy should move us always to have compassion on those who commit sins, because we ourselves are sinners and in need of God’s
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Violet.
First reading |
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Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62 © |
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 22(23) © |
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Gospel Acclamation | 2Co6:2 |
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Or: | Ezk33:11 |
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Gospel | John 8:1-11 © |
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John | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
John 8 |
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1. | AND Jesus went unto mount Olivet. | Jesus autem perrexit in montem Oliveti : | ιησους δε επορευθη εις το ορος των ελαιων |
2. | And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him, and sitting down he taught them. | et diluculo iterum venit in templum, et omnis populus venit ad eum, et sedens docebat eos. | ορθρου δε παλιν παρεγενετο εις το ιερον και πας ο λαος ηρχετο [προς αυτον] και καθισας εδιδασκεν αυτους |
3. | And the scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman taken in adultery: and they set her in the midst, | Adducunt autem scribæ et pharisæi mulierem in adulterio deprehensam : et statuerunt eam in medio, | αγουσιν δε οι γραμματεις και οι φαρισαιοι προς αυτον γυναικα επι μοιχεια κατειλημμενην και στησαντες αυτην εν μεσω |
4. | And said to him: Master, this woman was even now taken in adultery. | et dixerunt ei : Magister, hæc mulier modo deprehensa est in adulterio. | λεγουσιν αυτω [πειραζοντες] διδασκαλε ταυτην ευρομεν επ αυτοφωρω μοιχευομενην |
5. | Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such a one. But what sayest thou? | In lege autem Moyses mandavit nobis hujusmodi lapidare. Tu ergo quid dicis ? | εν δε τω νομω ημων μωυσης ενετειλατο τας τοιαυτας λιθοβολεισθαι συ ουν τι λεγεις [περι αυτης] |
6. | And this they said tempting him, that they might accuse him. But Jesus bowing himself down, wrote with his finger on the ground. | Hoc autem dicebant tentantes eum, ut possent accusare eum. Jesus autem inclinans se deorsum, digito scribebat in terra. | τουτο δε ελεγον πειραζοντες αυτον ινα εχωσιν κατηγοριαν κατ αυτου ο δε ιησους κατω κυψας τω δακτυλω εγραφεν εις την γην μη προσποιουμενος |
7. | When therefore they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said to them: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. | Cum ergo perseverarent interrogantes eum, erexit se, et dixit eis : Qui sine peccato est vestrum, primus in illam lapidem mittat. | ως δε επεμενον ερωτωντες αυτον ανακυψας ειπεν προς αυτους ο αναμαρτητος υμων πρωτος επ αυτην τον λιθον βαλετω |
8. | And again stooping down, he wrote on the ground. | Et iterum se inclinans, scribebat in terra. | και παλιν κατω κυψας εγραφεν εις την γην |
9. | But they hearing this, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest. And Jesus alone remained, and the woman standing in the midst. | Audientes autem unus post unum exibant, incipientes a senioribus : et remansit solus Jesus, et mulier in medio stans. | οι δε ακουσαντες και υπο της συνειδησεως ελεγχομενοι εξηρχοντο εις καθ εις αρξαμενοι απο των πρεσβυτερων [εως των εσχατων] και κατελειφθη μονος ο ιησους και η γυνη εν μεσω ουσα |
10. | Then Jesus lifting up himself, said to her: Woman, where are they that accused thee? Hath no man condemned thee? | Erigens autem se Jesus, dixit ei : Mulier, ubi sunt qui te accusabant ? nemo te condemnavit ? | ανακυψας δε ο ιησους και μηδενα θεασαμενος πλην της γυναικος ειπεν αυτη [γυναι] που εισιν εκεινοι οι κατηγοροι σου ουδεις σε κατεκρινεν |
11. | Who said: No man, Lord. And Jesus said: Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more. | Quæ dixit : Nemo, Domine. Dixit autem Jesus : Nec ego te condemnabo : vade, et jam amplius noli peccare. | η δε ειπεν ουδεις κυριε ειπεν δε [αυτη] ο ιησους ουδε εγω σε κατακρινω πορευου και [απο του νυν] μηκετι αμαρτανε |
I was struck by the NAB’s apparent pleonasm, “ ...*from now on* do not sin *any more*.” So I wanted to see the Koine.
It's interesting to pair this with Susanna. Susanna is unjustly accused while there's no suggestion “the woman” was innocent of the charge.
I think of the occasional Vespers canticle, the one that mentions the “accuser” who is always accusing us, night and day.” Again without consideration of our guilt, it's as though the judge suddenly said, “Right then. I've had just about enough of you,” and tossed the prosecutor out of the courtroom.
Food for thought.
And WHAT was Jesus writing?
Susanna had a courtroom garden with Daniel as the judge and defending attorney.
The adulterous woman had an encounter in the middle of a circle of accusers with Jesus as the prosecutor (writing down possible sins.)
Both Daniel and Jesus win their cases.
Pray for Pope Francis.
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We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]
Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]
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