Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6John 8:1-11
Praise to Jesus, our Savior; by his death he has opened for us the way of salvation.
Let us ask him:
Lord, guide your people to walk in your ways.
God of mercy, you gave us new life through baptism,
- make us grow day by day in your likeness.
May our generosity today bring joy to those in need,
- in helping them may we find you.
Help us to do what is good, right and true in your sight,
- and to seek you always with undivided hearts.
Forgive our sins against the unity of your family,
- make us one in heart and spirit.
Help us to pass from our old life of sin to our new life of grace. This week we let the powerful light of God's love shine into the deepest, darkest corners of our soul, revealing the most un-loving parts of our hearts, and we ask for forgiveness and healing.
We might make the Stations of the Cross to stir our hearts more deeply with the sense of his love for us.
Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me. Psalm 23
Let us pray faithfully :
God of love,
We know that You are the source of all
that is good and graced in our Life.
Help us to move from the Life of sin
to which we so often cling,
into the new Life of Grace You offer us.
You know what we need to prepare for Your Kingdom.
Bless us with those gifts.Amen
Let us end the this day meditation by reading the recommended Bible texts .
Today’s readings move me every time I hear them. They stir up a lot of different emotions.
The first reading reminds me of how much I abhor injustice and lies. The two elders, whom people revered because of their wisdom, knew that their word would carry more weight than that of the righteous woman, Susanna. They knew that their reputation would serve as a perfect cover for their accusation and lies. Their lust and power could overcome their “conscience” with impunity. Susanna recognized that she was in a “no win” situation. She chose to trust in the Lord, to trust Him with her predicament. I must admit that I would find it difficult to let go of my “rational” brain and to trust God in such a precarious situation. I often find that I rely on my own problem solving capabilities rather than to rely on the power of prayer. I often forget how powerful it can be to share my problems with the Lord. Susanna was saved because she believed that justice would prevail.
John’s Gospel 8:1-11 reminds me of how easy it is to judge others and how easy it is to condemn others for some action.
Individuals tend to attribute invariable dispositions or traits to people’s action while underestimating the impact of situational factors. We are quick to judge others. To make us feel better, we tend to judge others as inferior to our own. We see ourselves as “better than average.” This better-than-average effect is helpful in keeping our self-esteem and self-concept intact. However, it also assumes that others are worth somewhat less than us, that they may be acting wickedly while we would refrain from doing the same. Jesus made explicit what we typically do not see: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” It is so much easier to judge others than to be honest with ourselves. This parable goes to the heart of what it means to be human. We are sinners; we are imperfect and rather than look inwards and ask for forgiveness, we look outward and judge others.
I pray that I will not judge others, that I will work toward a just world, and that I will see the light, “even though I walk in the dark valley.” I pray that I will trust the Lord, for He is at my side.
( meditation taken from Daily Reflections ~~Isabelle Cherney )
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