Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Daily Prayer
Father of Love, You sent Your Son to teach us love and mercy, along with justice. Pour out Your Holy Spirit on us so that we may become an advocate for the oppressed and those treated unjustly. Grant that we may honor You with all our mind and love everyone in truth of heart. Amen
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Scripture Readings
Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62; John 8:1-11
(Click for today’s Readings.)
Scripture Quote
John 8:7
Jesus said:
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Reflection
In today’s readings, both the Book of Daniel and the Gospel of John write women whom the crowd had turned against. In both, a man of God—young Daniel and Jesus, respectively—challenged the accusers and the woman was allowed to go free.
In the First Reading, “God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel.” This shows the holy spirit is in each of us, encouraging to do what is right such as defending those who are unjustly accused.
There are multiple parables where Jesus defends those who are unjustly accused. In this Gospel reading, the scribes and the Pharisees were testing Jesus.
If Jesus had said to stone the woman, they would have charged Him with hypocrisy, because He was always teaching about mercy. If Jesus said not to stone her, they would have charged Him with breaking the Mosaic Law.
Spotting their own hypocrisy, Jesus stooped down and wrote something on the ground. Have you wondered what He was writing? It was the names of the accusers and their sin. “Those who turn away from You will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.” (Jeremiah 17:13)
Reflection Questions
Like the scribes and Pharisees, do I value law over love and mercy?
Do I stand up for someone who is unjustly treated?
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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