Daily Mass and Readings

1In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim, 2who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah; 3her pious parents had trained their daughter according to the law of Moses. 4Joakim 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. 5That 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." 6These men, to whom all brought their cases, frequented the house of Joakim. 7When the people left at noon, Susanna used to enter her husband's garden for a walk. 8When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk, they began to lust for her. 9They suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments. 15One 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. 16Nobody else was there except the two elders, who had hidden themselves and were watching her. 17"Bring me oil and soap," she said to the maids, "and shut the garden doors while I bathe." 19As soon as the maids had left, the two old men got up and hurried to her. 20"Look," they said, "the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us; give in to our desire, and lie with us. 21If you refuse, we will testify against you that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you." 22"I am completely trapped," Susanna groaned. "If I yield, it will be my death; if I refuse, I cannot escape your power. 23Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt than to sin before the Lord." 24Then Susanna shrieked, and the old men also shouted at her, 25as one of them ran to open the garden doors. 26When 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. 27At the accusations by the old men, the servants felt very much ashamed, for never had any such thing been said about Susanna. 28When 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: 29"Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, the wife of Joakim." When she was sent for, 30she came with her parents, children and all her relatives. 33All her relatives and the onlookers were weeping. 34In the midst of the people the two elders rose up and laid their hands on her head. 35Through her tears she looked up to heaven, for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly. 36The 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. 37A young man, who was hidden there, came and lay with her. 38When we, in a corner of the garden, saw this crime, we ran toward them. 39We saw them lying together, but the man we could not hold, because he was stronger than we; he opened the doors and ran off. 40Then we seized this one and asked who the young man was, 41but 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. 42But Susanna cried aloud: "O eternal God, you know what is hidden and are aware of all things before they come to be: 43you 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." 44The Lord heard her prayer. 45As she was being led to execution, God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel, 46and he cried aloud: "I will have no part in the death of this woman." 47All the people turned and asked him, "What is this you are saying?" 48He stood in their midst and continued, "Are you such fools, O Israelites! To condemn a woman of Israel without examination and without clear evidence? 49Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her." 50Then 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." 51But he replied, "Separate these two far from one another that I may examine them." 52After 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: 53passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent, and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says, "The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.' 54Now, then, if you were a witness, tell me under what tree you saw them together." 55"Under a mastic tree," he answered. "Your fine lie has cost you your head," said Daniel; "for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him and split you in two." 56Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought. "Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah," Daniel said to him, "beauty has seduced you, lust has subverted your conscience. 57This 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. 58Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together." 59"Under an oak," he said. "Your fine lie has cost you also your head," said Daniel; "for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two so as to make an end of you both." 60The whole assembly cried aloud, blessing God who saves those that hope in him. 61They 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: 62they put them to death. Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; 2he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; 3he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. 5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

1but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" 6This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." 8And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 9But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."