Daily Readings - Wed Nov 29 2017

First Reading - Daniel 5.1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28

¹Belshazzar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and each one of them drank according to his age²And so, when they were drunk, he instructed that the vessels of gold and silver should be brought, which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had carried away from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, so that the king, and his nobles, and his wives, and the concubines, might drink from them³Then the gold and silver vessels were presented, which he had carried away from the temple and which had been in Jerusalem, and the king, and his nobles, wives, and concubines, drank from them⁴They drank wine, and they praised their gods of gold, and silver, brass, iron, and wood and stone⁵In the same hour, there appeared fingers, as of the hand of a man, writing on the surface of the wall, opposite the candlestick, in the king’s palace. And the king observed the part of the hand that wrote⁶Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts disturbed him, and he lost his self-control, and his knees knocked against one other¹³Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke to him, saying, "Are you Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom my father the king led out of Judea¹⁴I have heard of you, that you have the spirit of the gods, and that greater knowledge, as well as understanding and wisdom, have been found in you¹⁶Furthermore, I have heard about you that you can interpret obscure things and solve difficulties. So then, if you succeed in reading the writing, and in revealing its interpretation, you will be clothed with purple, and you will have a chain of gold around your neck, and you will be the third leader in my kingdom.¹⁷To this Daniel responded by saying directly to the king, "Your rewards should be for yourself, and the gifts of your house you may give to another, but I will read to you the writing, O king, and I will reveal to you its interpretation²³But you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been presented before you. And you, and your nobles, and your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. Likewise, you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, and brass, iron, and wood and stone, who neither see, nor hear, nor feel, yet you have not glorified the God who holds your breath and all your ways in his hand²⁴Therefore, he has sent the part of the hand which has written this, which has been inscribed²⁵But this is the writing that has been decreed: MANE, THECEL, PHARES²⁶And this is the interpretation of the words. MANE: God has numbered your kingdom and has finished it²⁷THECEL: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking²⁸PHARES: your kingdom has been divided and has been given to the Medes and the Persians

Gospel - Luke 21.12-19

Luke

Chapter 21

¹²But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and into custody, dragging you before kings and governors, because of my name¹³And this will be an opportunity for you to give testimony¹⁴Therefore, set this in your hearts: that you should not consider in advance how you might respond¹⁵For I will give to you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to resist or contradict¹⁶And you will be handed over by your parents, and brothers, and relatives, and friends. And they will bring about the death of some of you¹⁷And you will be hated by all because of my name¹⁸And yet, not a hair of your head will perish¹⁹By your patience, you shall possess your souls

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful lessons about pride, humility, and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Daniel recounts the story of Belshazzar, the king who defiantly used sacred vessels from the Temple in Jerusalem to toast his gods during a lavish feast. His arrogance was met with a mysterious and terrifying sign: a hand writing a message of judgment on the wall. Daniel, the prophet, interpreted the writing, declaring the end of Belshazzar’s reign. This story reminds us that pride and disregard for the divine can lead to downfall, while humility and faith in God’s wisdom bring true understanding and grace. The Gospel from Luke shifts our focus to the challenges of discipleship. Jesus warns His followers that they will face persecution, betrayal, and even death because of His name. Yet, in the midst of such trials, He assures them that He will give them the words and wisdom to testify to the truth. This passage invites us to reflect on our own willingness to stand firm in faith, even when the world opposes us. Like Daniel, who trusted God’s plan despite the dangers, we are called to remain steadfast, knowing that our perseverance will ultimately lead to the triumph of God’s will. Both readings encourage us to trust in God’s providence and to live with courage and integrity. In a world often marked by pride and division, we are called to be humble, to seek wisdom, and to remain faithful, even in the face of adversity. May we, like Daniel, interpret the signs of our times with hearts open to God’s truth, and may we, like the disciples, bear witness to the power of His name with patience and hope.