The readings of today depict God's mercy and compassion. In the first reading, Daniel, stirred by the spirit, acts as an instrument of God’s mercy towards Susanna, whom the elders wrongly accuse. In her moment of crisis, Susanna wholeheartedly relies on God with all her heart. She does not retaliate against her accusers but places her trust in God and proclaims her innocence. God, in his compassion, extends His care to her and delivers her from harm.

The Gospel passage provides the story of Jesus and the adulterous woman. The story is not just about her sin but also about the judgmental and condemning attitude of the Pharisees and the compassionate and merciful attitude of Jesus. While the Pharisees look to punish the woman by stoning her to death for the crime she committed, Jesus is offering her a new life, another opportunity to turn away from her sin and change her ways.  The Gospel emphasizes the importance of treating individuals who have sinned with compassion, mainly when they show humility and sorrow for their actions. Everyone deserves our compassion, regardless of their past mistakes, because every person is made in the image and likeness of God and possesses inherent dignity.

Jesus's statement, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her," emphasizes the importance of recognizing that no one has the right to condemn others. In our lives, it is so easy to fall into the trap of being judgmental and condemning others for their sins, yet so hard to be an instrument of God’s mercy by forgiving and showing compassion to others. We need to remind ourselves that we are not perfect and that we ought to forgive others just as God forgives us in the same measure. The invitation of the Gospel today is to imitate the compassionate heart of Jesus in our own lives.