Daniel 13:41-42 / John 8:1-11
A stone is a natural object that can be used for a number of purposes.
It can be used as part of an artistic creation or some other meaningful purposes.
But a stone can also be used for other intentions.
In both the readings, stones were used as a means for execution.
In the 1st reading, God intervened through Daniel and the innocent Susanna was saved from accusation and execution.
The two evil elders however, did not escape punishment, and they got the punishment that they had intended to inflict on Susanna.
But in the gospel, the woman who was caught committing adultery, was brought before Jesus for His opinion on the judgement.
His famous line “If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” was enough to rattle hearts of stone.
Jesus is the corner-stone referred to in the Scriptures. A corner-stone is an important stone as it holds the other stones of a gateway.
May Jesus be the corner-stone of our faith, and may our hearts of stone crumble and give way to forgiveness and compassion.