Daily Readings - Mon Nov 27 2017

First Reading - Daniel 1.1-6, 8-20

¹In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it²And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim the king of Judah and a portion of the vessels of the house of God. And he carried them away into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasure chamber of his god³And the king told Ashpenaz, the chief of the eunuchs, that he should bring in some of the sons of Israel, and some of the offspring of the king and of the sovereigns⁴young men, in whom there was no blemish, noble in appearance, and accomplished in all wisdom, cautious in knowledge, and well-educated, and who could stand in the palace of the king, so that he might teach them the letters and the language of the Chaldeans⁵And the king appointed for them provisions for each day, from his own food and from the wine which he himself drank, so that, after being nourished for three years, they would stand in the sight of the king⁶Now, among those of the sons of Judah, there were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah⁸But Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not be polluted with the king’s meal, nor with the wine he drank, and he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not be contaminated⁹And so God gave Daniel grace and mercy in the sight of the leader of the eunuchs¹⁰And the leader of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed food and drink for you, who, if he should see that your faces are leaner than those of the other youths your age, you would condemn my head to the king.¹¹And Daniel said to Malasar, whom the leader of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah¹²"I beg you to test us, your servants, for ten days, and let roots be given to us to eat and water to drink¹³and then observe our faces, and the faces of the children who eat the king’s food, and then deal with your servants according to what you see.¹⁴When he had heard these words, he tested them for ten days¹⁵But, after ten days, their faces appeared better and fatter than all the children who had eaten from the king’s food¹⁶Thereafter, Malasar took away their portions and their wine for drinking, and he gave them roots¹⁷Yet, to these children, God gave knowledge and instruction in every book, and wisdom, but to Daniel, also the understanding of all visions and dreams¹⁸And when the time was completed, after which the king had said that they would be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before the sight of Nebuchadnezzar¹⁹And, when the king conversed with them, there had not been found any so great in all the world as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and so they stood in the sight of the king²⁰And in every concept of wisdom and understanding, about which the king consulted with them, he found them to be ten times better than all the seers and astrologers put together, who were in his entire kingdom

Gospel - Luke 21.1-4

Luke

Chapter 21

¹And looking around, he saw the wealthy putting their donations into the offertory²Then he also saw a certain widow, a pauper, putting in two small brass coins³And he said: "Truly, I say to you, that this poor widow has put in more than all the others⁴For all these, out of their abundance, have added to the gifts for God. But she, out of what she needed, has put in all that she had to live on.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on faith, integrity, and the true meaning of generosity. The first reading from Daniel reminds us of the courage of Daniel and his companions, who, despite being exiles in a foreign land, remained faithful to their God. They refused to compromise their beliefs by eating the king’s food and wine, choosing instead a simpler diet of vegetables and water. This decision was not about legalism but about maintaining their identity and trust in God’s providence. Their fidelity was rewarded with wisdom, knowledge, and favor in the eyes of the king. The Gospel presents a striking contrast between the wealthy who gave from their abundance and the poor widow who gave her last two coins. Jesus highlights the widow’s offering as the greatest because she gave not out of her surplus but out of her poverty. This teaches us that true generosity is not measured by the amount we give but by the love and sacrifice behind it. The widow’s act of trust in God, even in her poverty, is a profound lesson in faith and self-giving love. Both readings challenge us to examine our own lives. Like Daniel, we are called to remain faithful in the face of worldly pressures, trusting that God will provide. Like the widow, we are invited to give generously, not just from our abundance but from our very selves. In a world that often values power and wealth, these stories remind us that true greatness lies in humility, integrity, and surrender to God’s will. Let us strive to live with the courage of Daniel and the generosity of the widow, trusting that God will multiply our efforts and bring forth fruit in His time.