Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

684 Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

CCC Cross Reference:
Rom 10:9 343, 186, 449; Rom 10:12-13 2739; Rom 10:13 2666; Rom 10:14-15 875; Rom 10:17 875
Mt 4:19 878; Mt 4:21 878

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Reading 1
Romans 10:9-18

Brothers and sisters:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for

Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the Lord is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the Lord are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Gospel
Mt 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Romans 10:9 – 18

If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound. Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ. Let me put the question: is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 18(19):2-5

Their word goes forth through all the earth.
or
Alleluia!

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
  and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
  and night unto night makes known the message.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

or

Alleluia!

No speech, no word, no voice is heard
  yet their span extends through all the earth,
  their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

or

Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 4:18 – 22

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men’. And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Feast: St Andrew, Apostle

From: Romans 10:9-18

Israel's Infidelity (Continuation)
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[9] If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved. [11] The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." [12] For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches upon all who call upon him. [13] For, "every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." [14] But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? [15] And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!" [16] But they have not all heeded the gospel; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" [17] So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ. [18] But I ask; have they not heard? Indeed they have; for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."

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Commentary:

9. At least from the third century B.C. we have documentary evidence that, out of respect, the Jews did not utter the name "Yahweh" but generally referred to God instead as "Lord". The first Christians, by giving Christ the title of "Lord", were making a profession of faith in the divinity of Jesus.

10. To make the act of faith, human free will must necessarily be involved as St Thomas explains when commenting on this passage: "He very rightly says that man believes with his heart. Because everything else to do with external worship of God, man can do it against his will, but he cannot believe if he does not want to believe. So, the mind of a believer is not obliged to adhere to the truth by rational necessity, as is the case with human knowledge: it is moved by the will" ("Commentary on Rom, ad loc.")

However, in order to live by faith, in addition to internal assent external profession of faith is required; man is made up of body and soul and therefore he tends by nature to express his inner convictions externally; when the honor of God or the good of one's neighbor requires it, one even has an obligation to profess one's faith externally. For example, in the case of persecution we are obliged to profess our faith, even at the risk of life, if, on being interrogated about our beliefs, our silence would lead people to suppose that we did not believe or that we did not hold our faith to be the true faith and our bad example would cause others to fall away from the faith. However, external profession is an obligation not only in extreme situations of that kind. In all situations – be they ordinary or exceptional -- God will always help us to confess our faith boldly (cf. Mt 10:32-33; Lk 12:8).

14-21. To sum up what the Apostle is saying: the Jews have no excuse for not invoking Christ as Lord, for if they do not believe in him it is due to their rebelliousness, for the Good News has indeed been preached to them.

14-17. The Church's work of evangelization is aimed at eliciting faith, moving people to conversion and reception of its sacraments, in fulfillment of the Lord's commandment, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole of creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mk 16:15-16). The Acts of the Apostles give us a great deal of information about this first period of evangelization which was marked by many miracles worked by the Apostles through the power Jesus gave them.

On the very day of Pentecost we can already see how vibrant was St Peter's preaching and the miracles which accompanied it: "The men and women who have come to the city from all parts of the world listen with amazement [...]. These wonders, which take place before their very eyes, lead them to listen to the preaching of the Apostles. The Holy Spirit himself, who is acting through our Lord's disciples, moves the hearts of their listeners and leads them to the faith" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 127). It is God himself who works these miracles through the Apostles; it is he who, through the preaching of Peter and the Eleven, is revealing the mysteries; and, finally, it is he who is moving the hearts of the people. This triple divine action leads to the hearers' act of faith. "Two things are required for faith", says St Thomas. "First, the things which are of faith have to be proposed [...]; second, the assent of the believer to the things which are proposed to him" ("Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. 6, a. 1, c).

He goes on to say later that, as regards the first of these two things, faith comes from God, who reveals truths either directly, as in the case of the Apostles and the Prophets, or else indirectly through preachers of the faith sent by Him (cf. Rom 10:15). Speaking of the second, he says that in the individual's assent to the truths of faith factors come into play which are external to the person--for example, miracles, and preaching which expounds the truth of faith. But none of these factors is sufficient: even though they witness the same miracle or hear the same preaching, some believe and others do not. There must therefore be something which moves the person interiorly; although the person's free will must play a part, it cannot account for the act of faith, because that act is a supernatural one; therefore, it must be that God moves the will interiorly, by means of grace (cf. "Summa Theologiae, ibid.").

Following Jesus' example, "every catechist must constantly endeavor to transmit by his teaching and behavior the teaching and life of Jesus [...]. Every catechist should be able to apply to himself the mysterious words of Jesus: 'My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me' (Jn 7:16)" (John Paul II, "Catechesi Tradendae", 6).

Good example is not enough: apostolic action, through the spoken word, is called for. We have a mission to speak in God's name: his disciples "should everywhere on earth bear witness and give an answer to everyone who asks a reason for the hope of an eternal life which is theirs" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 10).

This was what the first Christians did. "Whenever we read the Acts of the Apostles, we are moved by the audacity, the confidence in their mission and the sacrificing joy of the disciples of Christ. They do not ask for multitudes. Even though the multitudes come, they address themselves to each particular soul, to each person, one by one. Philip, to the Ethiopian (cf. Acts 8:24-40); Peter, to the centurion Cornelius (cf. Acts 10:1-48); Paul, to Sergius Paulus (cf. Acts 13:6-12)" (St. J. Escriva, "Homily" entitled "Loyalty to the Church")

Those who accept the Gospel message feel drawn towards it when those who proclaim it also bear witness to it. "It is therefore primarily by her conduct and by her life that the Church will evangelize the world [...]. This law once laid down by the Apostle Paul maintains its full force today. Preaching, the verbal proclamation of a message, is indeed always indispensable [...]. The word remains ever relevant, especially when it is the bearer of the power of God (cf. 1 Cor 2:1-5)" (Paul VI, "Evangelii Nuntiandi", 41-42).

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From: Matthew 4:18-22

The First Disciples Called
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[18] As He (Jesus) walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. [19] And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." [20] Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. [21] And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. [22] Immediately, they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

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Commentary:

18-22. These four disciples had already met our Lord (John 1:35-42), and their brief meeting with Him seems to have had a powerful effect on their souls. In this way Christ prepared their vocation, a fully effective vocation which moved them to leave everything behind so as to follow Him and be His disciples. Standing out above their human defects (which the Gospels never conceal), we can see the exemplary generosity and promptness of the Apostles in answering God's call.

The thoughtful reader cannot fail to be struck by the delightful simplicity with which the evangelists describe the calling of these men in the midst of their daily work.

"God draws us from the shadows of our ignorance, our groping through history, and, no matter what our occupation in the world, He calls us in a loud voice, as He once called Peter and Andrew" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By," 45).

"This divine and human dialogue completely changed the lives of John and Andrew, and Peter and James and so many others. It prepared their hearts to listen to the authoritative teaching which Jesus gave them beside the Sea of Galilee" ("ibid"., 108).

We should notice the words of Sacred Scripture used to describe the alacrity with which the Apostles follow our Lord. Peter and Andrew "immediately" left their nets and followed Him. Similarly, James and John "immediately" left the boats and their father and followed Him. God passes by and calls us. If we do not answer Him "immediately", He may continue on His way and we could lose sight of Him. When God passes by, He may do so rapidly; it would be sad if we were to fall behind because we wanted to follow Him while still carrying many things that are only a dead weight and a nuisance.

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

506 Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Lk 21:24 58, 674; Lk 21:27 671, 697

Back to Deacon’s Bench '07
Back to Servant of the Word ‘09
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Reading 1
Dn 6:12-28

Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel’s home
and found him praying and pleading before his God.
Then they went to remind the king about the prohibition:
“Did you not decree, O king,
that no one is to address a petition to god or man
for thirty days, except to you, O king;
otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?”
The king answered them, “The decree is absolute,
irrevocable under the Mede and Persian law.”
To this they replied, “Daniel, the Jewish exile,
has paid no attention to you, O king,
or to the decree you issued;
three times a day he offers his prayer.”
The king was deeply grieved at this news
and he made up his mind to save Daniel;
he worked till sunset to rescue him.
But these men insisted.
They said, “Keep in mind, O king,
that under the Mede and Persian law
every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable.”
So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions’ den.
To Daniel he said,
“May your God, whom you serve so constantly, save you.”
To forestall any tampering,
the king sealed with his own ring and the rings of the lords
the stone that had been brought to block the opening of the den.

Then the king returned to his palace for the night;
he refused to eat and he dismissed the entertainers.
Since sleep was impossible for him,
the king rose very early the next morning
and hastened to the lions’ den.
As he drew near, he cried out to Daniel sorrowfully,
“O Daniel, servant of the living God,
has the God whom you serve so constantly
been able to save you from the lions?”
Daniel answered the king: “O king, live forever!
My God has sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths
so that they have not hurt me.
For I have been found innocent before him;
neither to you have I done any harm, O king!”
This gave the king great joy.
At his order Daniel was removed from the den,
unhurt because he trusted in his God.
The king then ordered the men who had accused Daniel,
along with their children and their wives,
to be cast into the lions’ den.

Before they reached the bottom of the den,
the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Then King Darius wrote to the nations and peoples of every language,
wherever they dwell on the earth: “All peace to you!
I decree that throughout my royal domain
the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:

“For he is the living God, enduring forever;
his Kingdom shall not be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be without end.
He is a deliverer and savior,
working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
and he delivered Daniel from the lions’ power.”

Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Dew and rain, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Frost and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Ice and snow, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Nights and days, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Light and darkness, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Let the earth bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel
Lk 21:20-28

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Daniel 6:12 – 28

The presidents and satraps came along in a body and found Daniel praying and pleading with God. They then came to the king and said, ‘Have you not just signed an edict forbidding any man for the next thirty days to pray to anyone, god or man, other than to yourself O king, on pain of being thrown into the lions’ den?’ ‘The decision stands,’ the king replied ‘as befits the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.’ Then they said to the king, ‘O king, this man Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, disregards both you and the edict which you have signed: he is at his prayers three times each day’. When the king heard these words he was deeply distressed, and determined ; to save Daniel; he racked his brains until sunset to find some way out. But the men came back in a body to the king and said, ‘O king, remember that in conformity with the law of the Medes and the Persians, no edict or decree can be altered when once issued by the king’.

The king then ordered Daniel to be fetched and thrown into the lion pit. The king said to Daniel, ‘Your God himself, whom you have served so faithfully, will have to save you’. A stone was then brought and laid over the mouth of the pit; and the king sealed it with his own signet and with that of his noblemen, so that there could be no going back on the original decision about Daniel. The king returned to his palace, spent the night in fasting and refused to receive any of his concubines. Sleep eluded him, and at the first sign of dawn he was up, and hurried off to the lion pit. As he approached the pit he shouted in anguished tones, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God, whom you serve so faithfully, been able to save you from the lions?’ Daniel replied, ‘O king, live for ever! My God sent his angel who sealed the lions’ jaws, they did me no harm, since in his sight I am blameless, and I have never done you any wrong either, O king.’ The king was overjoyed, and ordered Daniel to be released from the pit. Daniel was released from the pit, and found to be quite unhurt, because he had trusted in his God. The king sent for the men who had accused Daniel and had them thrown into the lion pit, they, their wives and their children: and they had not reached the floor of the pit before the lions had seized them and crushed their bones to pieces.

King Darius then wrote to men of all nations, peoples and languages throughout the world, ‘May peace be always with you! I decree: in every kingdom of my empire let all tremble with fear before the God of Daniel:
‘He is the living God, he endures for ever,
his sovereignty will never be destroyed
and his kingship never end.
He saves, sets free, and works signs and wonders
in the heavens and on earth;
he has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.’

This Daniel flourished in the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:68 – 74

Dews and sleet! bless the Lord:
give glory and eternal praise to him.

Frost and cold! bless the Lord:
give glory and eternal praise to him.

Ice and snow! bless the Lord:
give glory and eternal praise to him.

Nights and days! bless the Lord:
give glory and eternal praise to him.

Light and darkness! bless the Lord:
give glory and eternal praise to him.

Lightning and clouds! bless the Lord:
give glory and eternal praise to him.

Let the earth bless the Lord,
give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel Luke 21:20 – 28

Jesus said: ‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you must realise that she will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it. For this is the time of vengeance when all that scripture says must be fulfilled. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come!

They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every pagan country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the pagans until the age of the pagans is completely over.

‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamor of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.’

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Thursday of the 34th and Final Week in Ordinary Time

From: Daniel 6:12-28

Daniel Sentenced to be Put in the Lions' Den (Continuation)
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([11] Then these men came by agreement (into the upper chamber of Daniel's house) and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.) [12] Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the interdict, "0 king! Did you not sign an interdict, that any man who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, 0 king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” [13] Then they answered before the king, "That Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no heed to you, 0 king, or the interdict you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

[14] Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed, and set his mind to deliver Daniel; and he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. [15] Then these men came by agreement to the king, and said to the king, "Know, 0 king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance which the king establishes can be changed.”

[16] Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” [17] And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. [18] Then the king went to his palace, and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

Daniel's Miraculous Escape
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[19] Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. [20] When he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish and said to Daniel, "0 Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” [21] Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live for ever! [22] My God sent his angel and
shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him, and also before you, 0 king, I have done no wrong.” [23] Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God.

The King's Profession of Faith
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[24] And the king commanded, and those men who had accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions--they, their children, and their wives and before they reached the bottom of the den the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

[25] Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: "Peace be multiplied to you. [26] I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring for ever his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. [27] He delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” ([28] So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.)

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Commentary:

6:1-28. This passage, which is similar in parts to chapter 3, begins by showing how difficult it was for the Jews to stay true to their religion in the midst of a pagan society (vv. 1-18); then we see how God comes to their rescue (vv. 19-24); finally, the pagan king acknowledges the God of Israel (vv. 25-28). As in chapter 5, Daniel is center-stage; in fact, his companions are not even mentioned. The episode has no particular connection with the previous ones; in fact, it seems to be a unit in its own right; it rounds off the part of the book dealing with Daniel at the court of Babylon. The fact that the story involves Darius the Mede, a king unknown to historical scholarship (see pp. 794f, above), reinforces the impression that this is a moral tale designed to get across the message that God helps those who strive to obey the precepts of the Jewish religion.

6:1-18. Daniel seems to be very much part of the social and political world of Babylon; thanks to his skill and loyalty, he is second only to the king. The plot against him may have been hatched out of jealousy, but the fact that he was a foreigner and a Jew probably did not help. His enemies set a sort of legal trap for Daniel. The king in his vanity issues a decree which, for a period of thirty days, makes him the only god there is. It is a decree that even he cannot revoke -- much as he would wish to do so, in order to liberate Daniel from its penalty. Here Daniel the Jew is not being obliged to do something against his religion: he is being required to refrain from doing something that his religion enjoins -- to pray to God facing towards Jerusalem (cf. 1 Kings 8:48). Daniel's opponents
have managed to manipulate the king and change the law, in such a way that they can accuse Daniel of breaking the law for religious reasons; he cannot be faulted on any other score.

When Daniel learned about the interdict, he did not change his standard pattern of prayer (v. 11); there is a lesson here for Christians, as the Fathers point out. Origen, for example, says: "The commandment to "pray without ceasing" (cf. Lk 18:1) can be understood and fulfilled only if we believe that the whole of man's life is a single, unbroken prayer. One part of this long prayer of life is what we call prayer, and we should pray no less than three times a day, as is made clear in the book of Daniel, who prayed three times a day even in the midst of great dangers” ("De Oratione", 12, 2).

6:19-24. Through divine intervention (once again by means of an angel: cf. 3:26), no harm comes to Daniel from the lions. It is as if Daniel is innocent in the sight of God--a point not lost on the king (v. 22) either; in fact, it spurs him to take control of the situation, assert his rights, and see that justice is done (vv. 23-24). Daniel's fidelity to his religion, and the fact that God protected him in his ordeal,
expose the perversity of the king's edict, and cause the king to right the wrong he has done. The sacred writer points out why God intervened miraculously --because Daniel "trusted in his God” (v. 23). Daniel's rivals were punished in line with the customs of the time, that is, they were punished very severely.

St Augustine comments that the lions refrained from harming Daniel because he was faithful to God: "Submit to the one who has power over you, and you will be raised above those who once held you in thrall. In committing sin, man places above himself what should always be beneath him; he submits to things that are less than him. [...] Acknowledge the one who has power over you, so that the things that are below you will see where you stand above them. For when Daniel acknowledged the power of the Lord God, the lions saw the superiority of Daniel over them and did not touch him” ("In Epistolam Ioannis", 8).

6:25-28: The king readily issues a decree that goes against his earlier one (cf. 6:9); the tenor of it is like that issued by Nebuchadnezzar in 4:1-3. So, both the Babylonian king and Darius the Mede acknowledged the God of the Jews as the one true God whose kingdom lasts forever; and they reached that point thanks to the wisdom that God gave the Jews (particularly Daniel) and to the exemplary fidelity of the Jews to their religion in the midst of trials.

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From: Luke 21:20-28

Discourse on the Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World
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(Jesus said to his disciples), [20] "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. [21] Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it; [22] for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. [23] Alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! For great distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; [24] they shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; [24] they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

[25] "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, [26] men fainting with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. [27] And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [28] Now when these things begin to take
place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

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Commentary:

20-24. Jesus gives quite a detailed prophecy of the destruction of the Holy City. When the Christians living there saw the armies getting closer, they remembered this prophecy and fled to Transjordan (cf. Eusebius, "Ecclesiastical History," III, 5). Christ had advised them to flee as soon as possible because this is the time when God would punish Jerusalem for its sins, as the Old Testament predicted (Is 5:5-6).

Catholic tradition sees Israel as symbolizing the Church. In fact, in the Book of Revelation the Church triumphant is called the heavenly Jerusalem (cf. Rev 21:2). Therefore, by applying this passage to the Church, the sufferings the Holy City experiences can symbolize the contradictions the pilgrim Church will experience due to the sins of men, for "she herself takes her place among the creatures which groan and travail yet and await the revelation of the children of God" Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 48).

24. "The times of the Gentiles" means the period in which the Gentiles, who do not belong to the Jewish people, will become members of the new people of God, the Church, until the Jews themselves are converted at the end of the world (cf. Rom 11:11-32).

25-26. Jesus refers to the dramatic changes in natural elements when the world is coming to an end. "The powers of the heavens will be shaken"; that is to say, the whole universe will tremble at the Lord's coming in power and glory.

27-28. Applying to himself the prophecy of Daniel (7:13-14), our Lord speaks of his coming in glory at the end of time. Mankind will see the power and glory of the Son of man, coming to judge the living and the dead. Christ will deliver this judgment in his human capacity. Sacred Scripture describes the solemnity of this event, when the sentence passed on each person in the particular judgment will be confirmed, and God's justice and mercy to men throughout history will shine out for all to see. "It was necessary not only that rewards should await the just and punishments the wicked, in the life to come, but that they should be awarded by a public and general judgment. Thus they will become better known and will be rendered more conspicuous to all, and a tribute of praise will be of-
fered by all to the justice and providence of God" ("St Pius V Catechism", I, 8, 4).

This coming of the Lord is, then, a day of terror for evildoers and of joy for those who have remained faithful. The disciples should hold their heads high because their redemption is at hand. It is the day they will receive their reward. The victory won by Christ on the cross -- victory over sin, over the devil and over death -- will now be seen clearly, with all its implications. Therefore St Paul recommends that we be "awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).

"He [Christ] ascended into heaven whence he will come again to judge the living and the dead, each according to his merits. Those who have responded to the love and compassion of God will go into eternal life. Those who have refused them to the end will be consigned to the fire that is never extinguished" (Paul VI, "Creed of the People of God", 12).

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

505 Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Lk 21:12 675

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Reading 1
Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords,
with whom he drank.
Under the influence of the wine,
he ordered the gold and silver vessels
which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,
had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,
to be brought in so that the king, his lords,
his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.
When the gold and silver vessels
taken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in,
and while the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainers
were drinking wine from them,
they praised their gods of gold and silver,
bronze and iron, wood and stone.

Suddenly, opposite the lampstand,
the fingers of a human hand appeared,
writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace.
When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote, his face blanched;
his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook,
and his knees knocked.

Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king.
The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, the Jewish exile,
whom my father, the king, brought from Judah?
I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,
that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve difficulties;
if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means,
you shall be clothed in purple,
wear a gold collar about your neck,
and be third in the government of the kingdom.”

Daniel answered the king:
“You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else;
but the writing I will read for you, O king,
and tell you what it means.
You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven.
You had the vessels of his temple brought before you,
so that you and your nobles, your wives and your entertainers,
might drink wine from them;
and you praised the gods of silver and gold,
bronze and iron, wood and stone,
that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence.
But the God in whose hand is your life breath
and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.

By him were the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down.
“This is the writing that was inscribed:
Mene, Tekel, and Peres.
These words mean:
Mene, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
Tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
Peres, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Sun and moon, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Every shower and dew, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“All you winds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Fire and heat, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Cold and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel
Lk 21:12-19

Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Daniel 5:1 – 28

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his noblemen; a thousand of them attended, and he drank wine in company with this thousand. As he sipped his wine, Belshazzar gave orders for the gold and silver vessels to be brought which his father Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the sanctuary in Jerusalem, so that the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women could drink out of them. The gold and silver vessels looted from the sanctuary of the Temple of God in Jerusalem were brought in, and the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women drank out of them. They drank their wine and praised their gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared, and began to write on the plaster of the palace wall, directly behind the lamp-stand; and the king could see the hand as it wrote. The king turned pale with alarm: his thigh-joints went slack and his knees began to knock.

Daniel was brought into the king’s presence; the king said to Daniel, ‘Are you the Daniel who was one of the Judaean exiles brought by my father the king from Judah? I am told that the spirit of God Most Holy lives in you, and that you are known for your perception, intelligence and marvelous wisdom. As I am told that you are able to give interpretations and to unravel difficult problems, if you can read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be dressed in purple, and have a chain of gold put round your neck, and be third in rank in the kingdom.’
Then Daniel spoke up in the presence of the king. ‘Keep your gifts for yourself,’ he said ‘and give your rewards to others. I will read the writing to the king without them, and tell him what it means. You have defied the Lord of heaven, you have had the vessels from his Temple brought to you, and you, your noblemen, your wives and your singing women have drunk your wine out of them. You have praised gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone, which cannot either see, hear or understand; but you have given no glory to the God who holds your breath and all your fortunes in his hands. That is why he has sent the hand which, by itself, has written these words. The writing reads: Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin. The meaning of the words is this: Mene: God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it; Tekel: you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Parsin: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.’

Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:62 – 67

Sun and moon! bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Stars of heaven! bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Showers and dews! all bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Winds! all bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Fire and heat! bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Cold and heat! bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Luke 21:12 – 19

Jesus said: ‘Before all this happens, men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defense, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Wednesday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28

The Hand Writing on the Wall
-------------------------------------------
[1] King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in front of the thousand.

[2] Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. [3] Then they brought in the golden and silver vessels which had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. [4] They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

[5] Immediately the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand; and the king saw the hand as it wrote. [6] Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.

Daniel interprets the handwriting
-----------------------------------------------
[13] Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, "You are that Daniel one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. [14] I have heard of you that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. [16] But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

[17] Then Daniel answered before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. [...] [23] But you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven and the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

[24] "Then from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. [25] And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. [26] This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; [27] TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; [28] PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

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Commentary:

5:1-30. The structure here is similar to that of chapters 1 and 2, which focused on Daniel as an interpreter of dreams; here it is not a dream but a vision. First comes an account of the king's vision (vv. 1-12), then Daniel's interpretation (vv. 13-28), and finally the king's reaction, and the events that prove Daniel right. The author uses considerable artistic licence in his references to the historical context: Belshazzar was not Nebuchadnezzar's son (v. 11), nor did Darius the Mede succeed Belshazzar (6:1); cf. "Introduction", pp. 794f, above. But by depicting Belshazzar as Nebuchadnezzar's son, the sacred writer creates a link with the previous chapter and is able to explain the disappearance, by divine decree, of the empire, that is, the statue's golden head (cf. 2:38). The dependence of this on the previous chapter, to which it refers (cf. 4:5 and 5:11-12, 18-21), suggests that it is designed to round off the earlier one by showing Daniel's connection with the last king of Babylon (according to the book itself, that is--not in real life). The story illustrates, also, what was said in 1:17--that Daniel "had understanding in all visions and dreams". It is a gift that he makes available to the sacrilegious king, in the hope of changing his heart.

5:1-12. The sacrilege committed by the king and his court, and their idolatry, too, make this Belshazzar a sort of symbol of Antiochus Epiphanes, the king who sacked the temple and looted its sacred vessels (cf. 1 Mac 1:20-24; 2 Mac 5:11-16). The hand that writes on the wall, a sign of the living God (vv. 4-5), is some-thing quite different from the pagan idols, which are incapable of movement. It is surprising that the king did not consult Daniel earlier (vv. 7-8), given that he was the official chief astrologer (v. 11). However, the sacred writer tells the story as he does, in order to highlight, once again, the superiority of Daniel's wisdom over that of all the wise men of Babylon and all their magic arts. Daniel's gift is seen by this polytheistic people as a spirit of a god which makes Daniel like the gods.

5:13-28. The king is ready to believe in Daniel's supernatural powers, and offers him great rewards to use them on his behalf (vv. 14-16); but Daniel makes it clear that he never acts for personal gain. He is ready to interpret the writing on the wall, but he wants the king to acknowledge the Most High God, as his father had to do when misfortune overtook him (vv. 18-21). Therefore, he plainly tells the king what his sin has been (vv. 22-23) and reveals to him the sentence that God has passed -in other words, the meaning of the writing on the wall (vv. 24-28).

Four words were written by the mysterious hand according to the Masoretic text (which repeats the first word). They are the names of Eastern measures and coins -the mina, the shekel and the half-mina or "paras". In his interpretation, Daniel links them to three verbs that sound like them--the verb "manah", meaning to measure; "saqal", to weigh; and "paras", to divide. The last of the words in the Masoretic text is the plural ("parsim"), so that it sounds like "Persians" in Aramaic. And so, by this play on words, the end of the Babylonian empire and the arrival of the Persians is announced.

This sentence is passed on Belshazzar not only because he failed to glorify the God who gave him life (v. 23) but because he showed him disrespect through the sacrilegious use of the sacred vessels. Theodoret of Cyrus, commenting on v. 23, points out that Daniel "teaches them that they should worship the Lord God, not the things that they can see. Therefore, he denounces the vanity of the king, and tells him that the invisible God holds the high heavens in his sway. 'You,' he says to the king, 'you have not humbled your heart, nor seen the greatness of the heart of heaven, who is God and Lord of everything that is. If you had not been blinded by your pride, you would not have taken the vessels of the Lord from his temple'" "Interpretatio in Danielem", 5, 23).

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From: Luke 21:12-19

Discourse on the End of the World
--------------------------------------------------
[12] But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for My name's sake. [13] This will be a time for you to bear testimony. [14] Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; [15] for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. [16] You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; [17] you will be hated by all for My name's sake. [18] But not a hair of your head will perish. [19] By your endurance you will gain your lives."

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Commentary:

5-36. The disciples are in awe of the magnificence of the temple, and Jesus uses the occasion to give a long discourse, known as the "eschatological discourse" because it has to do with the last days of the world. The account given here is very similar to those in the other Synoptic Gospels (cf. Mt 24:1-51; Mk 13:1-37). The discourse deals with three inter-connected subjects -- the destruction of Jerusalem (which took place some forty years later), the end of the world, and the second coming of Christ in glory and majesty. Jesus, who also predicts here the persecution of the Church will experience, exhorts His disciples to be patient, to pray and be watchful.

Our Lord speaks here in the style and language of prophecy, using images taken from the Old Testament; also, in this discourse prophecies which are going to be fulfilled very soon are mixed in with others which have to do with the end of the world. It is not our Lord's intention to satisfy people's curiosity about future events, but to protect them from being discouraged and scandalized about what is going to happen in the days immediately ahead. This explains why He exhorts them: "Take heed that you are not led astray" (v. 8); "do not be tempted" (v. 9); "watch at all times" (v. 34).

19. Jesus foretells all kinds of persecution. Persecution itself is something inevitable: "all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). His disciples will have need to remember the Lord's warning at the Last Supper: "A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you" (John 15:20). However, these persecutions are part of God's providence: they happen because He lets them happen, which He does in order to draw greater good out of them. Persecution provides Christians with an opportunity to bear witness to Christ; without it the blood of martyrs would not adorn the Church. Moreover, our Lord promises to give special help to those who suffer persecution, and He tells them not to be afraid: He will give them of His own wisdom to enable them to defend themselves; He will not permit a hair of their heads to perish, that is, even apparent misfortune and loss will be for them a beginning of Heaven.

From Jesus' words we can also deduce the obligation of every Christian to be ready to lose life rather than offend God. Only those will attain salvation who persevere until the end in faithfulness to the Lord. The three Synoptic Gospels locate His exhortation to perseverance in this discourse (cf. Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13) and St. Matthew gives it elsewhere (Matthew 10:22) as does St. Peter (1 Peter 5:9) -- all of which underlines the importance for every Christian of this warning from our Lord.

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

504 Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:

Dn 3:57-58 2416
Lk 21:4 2544

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Reading 1
Dn 2:31-45

Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar:
“In your vision, O king, you saw a statue,
very large and exceedingly bright,
terrifying in appearance as it stood before you.
The head of the statue was pure gold,
its chest and arms were silver,
its belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron,
its feet partly iron and partly tile.
While you looked at the statue,
a stone which was hewn from a mountain
without a hand being put to it,
struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.
The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,
fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,
and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.
But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain
and filled the whole earth.

“This was the dream;
the interpretation we shall also give in the king’s presence.
You, O king, are the king of kings;
to you the God of heaven
has given dominion and strength, power and glory;
men, wild beasts, and birds of the air, wherever they may dwell,
he has handed over to you, making you ruler over them all;
you are the head of gold.
Another kingdom shall take your place, inferior to yours,
then a third kingdom, of bronze,
which shall rule over the whole earth.
There shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron;
it shall break in pieces and subdue all these others,
just as iron breaks in pieces and crushes everything else.
The feet and toes you saw, partly of potter’s tile and partly of iron,
mean that it shall be a divided kingdom,
but yet have some of the hardness of iron.
As you saw the iron mixed with clay tile,
and the toes partly iron and partly tile,
the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.
The iron mixed with clay tile
means that they shall seal their alliances by intermarriage,
but they shall not stay united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
In the lifetime of those kings
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;
rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms
and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.

That is the meaning of the stone you saw hewn from the mountain
without a hand being put to it,
which broke in pieces the tile, iron, bronze, silver, and gold.
The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future;
this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure.”

Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“You heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel
Lk 21:5-11

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Daniel 2:31 – 45

‘You have had a vision, O king; this is what you saw: a statue, a great statue of extreme brightness, stood before you, terrible to see. The head of this statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet part iron, part earthenware. While you were gazing, a stone broke away, untouched by any hand, and struck the statue, struck its feet of iron and earthenware and shattered them. And then, iron and earthenware, bronze, silver, gold all broke into small pieces as fine as chaff on the threshing-floor in summer. The wind blew them away, leaving not a trace behind. And the stone that had struck the statue grew into a great mountain, filling the whole earth. This was the dream; now we will explain to the king what it means.

‘You, O king, king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength and glory – the sons of men, the beasts of the field, the birds of heaven, wherever they live, he has entrusted to your rule, making you king of them all – you are the golden head. And after you another kingdom will rise, not so great as you, and then a third, of bronze, which will rule the whole world. There will be a fourth kingdom, hard as iron, as iron that shatters and crushes all. Like iron that breaks everything to pieces, it will crush and break all the earlier kingdoms. The feet you saw, part earthenware, part iron, are a kingdom which will be split in two, but which will retain something of the strength of iron, just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together. The feet were part iron, part earthenware: the kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak. And just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together, so the two will be mixed together in the seed of man; but they will not hold together any more than iron will blend with earthenware. In the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms, and itself last for ever – just as you saw the stone untouched by hand break from the mountain and shatter iron, bronze, earthenware, silver and gold. The great God has shown the king what is to take place. The dream is true, the interpretation exact.’

Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:57 – 61
All things the Lord has made, bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Angels of the Lord! all bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Heavens! bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Waters above the heavens! bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Powers of the Lord! all bless the Lord.
  Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Luke 21:5 – 11

When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed’. And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’

‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand”. Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Tuesday of the 34th and Final Week in Ordinary Time

From: Daniel 2:31-45

Daniel Describes the King's Dream (Continuation)
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(Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar,) [31] "You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. [32] The head of this image was of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, [33] its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. [34] As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it smote the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces; [35] then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Daniel Interprets the King's Dream
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[36] "This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. [37] You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, [38] and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the sons of men, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air, making you rule over them all--you are the head of gold. [39] After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. [40] And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these. [41] And as you saw the feet and toes partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the miry clay. [42] And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. [43] As you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever; [45] just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."

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Commentary:

2:25-35. Daniel claims no personal credit for knowing the content of the king's dream; he makes it plain that God revealed the Secret to him; only God knows what will happen in the "latter times" (vv. 27-28). We have entered the area of divine revelation, which is what this book is all about -- the world of the End time, which as yet exists only in the mind of God. Our Lord himself will say that "of that day and hour no one knows..." (Mt 24:36).

Daniel uses the opportunity to lead the king to the true God, the God of heaven, who knows all mysteries.

In line with the thread of the story, Daniel first tells the king about the content of his dream (2:31-35) and then interprets it (3:13-22). The king's vision is full of symbolism In the Bible, statues connote idolatry, insofar as they are graven images (cf Ex 32), even though the passage does not expressly say that the image is an idol. As one moves from head to feet, the metals used in the statue decrease in value. In contrast with the materials of the statue are the stone and the mountain, symbols of solidity and stability. The interpretation reads the metals as representative of the various kingdoms. This is a classical symbolic image: Hesiod, a Greek historian of the eighth-to-seventh century BC, in his book "Works and Days", 199-201, had used the very same metals and in the same order to signify periods of history; something similar is to be found in Polybius ("Historia", 38, 22) and other classical authors. Now, in Daniel's vision, the four metals all appear together, at the same time, so to speak--a sign that, for God, history is all of a piece.

The image with "feet of clay" (vv. 32-33) is often taken as a reminder that human nature is frail and that nevertheless it is endowed with precious gifts from God: "Our Lord and our God: how great you are! It is you who give our life supernatural meaning and divine vitality. For love of your Son, you cause us to say with all our being, with our body and soul: 'He must reign!' And this we do against the background of our weakness, for you know that we are creatures made of clay – and what creatures! Not just feet of clay, but heart and head too" (St. Josemaria Escrivá, "Christ Is Passing By", 181).

2:36-45. Daniel is not being sycophantic by addressing the king as he does in vv. 37-38; he is simply saying that the king has an impressive empire because he has been given it by God, who rules over all things; he wants the king to see that the power and glory that he enjoys are part of God's plans. The other metals (silver, bronze, iron), as one can deduce from the rest of the book, stand for the empires of the Medes, Persians and Greeks, though that interpretation is not perfectly clear because the silver could stand for the empire of the Medes and Persians together. The divided kingdom made of clay and iron is a reference to the Greek empire after the death of Alexander the Great (cf. 11:4) and to the political marriages made between the Seleucid and Lagid Greeks (Antiochus II marrying Bernice; Ptolemy V marrying Cleopatra: cf. 11:6, 17) that failed to bring about unity or union. This passage would have been composed when the Seleucids and Lagids were at loggerheads, and it was against the same background that the prophecy about the end of time seeing the establishment by God of an everlasting kingdom was made (God's action is symbolized by the stone that strikes the image; there is no sign of any human power at work). It does not say here who will be given the kingdom, but in the light of 7:26 and the fact that it says that the kingdom will not be left to another people (v. 44), the implication is that it will be given to faithful Israelites.

The symbol of the stone has a messianic dimension insofar as it is the means by which the everlasting kingdom will be established and the previous kingdoms destroyed. There are echoes here of images in other prophetical works and in the psalms. Isaiah speaks of God as a "stone of offense", a stumbling-block for Israel (cf. Is 8:14) and in Psalm 118:22 the people of God are compared to a stone which the builders have rejected and which has become the cornerstone. In the New Testament that stone is Christ, and the kingdom which he ushers in is the Kingdom of God which will be taken from Israel, to be given to another people that will produce fruit (cf. Mt 21:42-43); Christ also says that anyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces (cf. Lk 20:17-18). Using this Christological interpretation of the stone, some Fathers interpret the mountain from which the stone comes as being the Blessed Virgin, and the stone cut off "by no human hand" as an image of the conception of Jesus in the Virgin's womb without the involvement of a man: "When Daniel says that the one who inherits the eternal kingdom is like a son of man, who can he mean, if not the Lord himself? For he was born of a woman, like a son of man, but he showed that his life and power were not of human origin. To say that he is a stone that moves under no external force is a mysterious description: it means that Christ is not the fruit of the work and will of men; he is the fruit of the providence of God, the Father of the universe" (St Justin, "Dialogus Cum Tryphone", 76, 1).

The interpretation of the dream, the message it contains, would interest the reader of the book--but not Nebuchadnezzar, who died centuries earlier. It describes how, after the kingdoms of this world which succeed one another over the course of history, an everlasting kingdom will be established by God himself -- a kingdom surpassing any that man could create. A Christian will read this as heralding the Kingdom of Christ, although that will not be an earthly, political kingdom, but a spiritual one, as Jesus will tell Pilate at his trial: "My kingship is not of this world" (Jn 18:36).

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From: Luke 21:5-11

Discourse on the Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World
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[5] And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, He (Jesus) said, [6] "As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." [7] And they asked Him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?" [8] And He said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them. [9] And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once."

[10] Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; [11] there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven."

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Commentary:

5-36. The disciples are in awe of the magnificence of the temple, and Jesus uses the occasion to give a long discourse, known as the "eschatological discourse" because it has to do with the last days of the world. The account given here is very similar to those in the other Synoptic Gospels (cf. Mt 24:1-51; Mk 13:1-37). The discourse deals with three inter-connected subjects -- the destruction of Jerusalem (which took place some forty years later), the end of the world, and the second coming of Christ in glory and majesty. Jesus, who also predicts here the persecution the Church will experience, exhorts His disciples to be patient, to pray and be watchful.

Our Lord speaks here in the style and language of prophecy, using images taken from the Old Testament; also, in this discourse prophecies which are going to be fulfilled very soon are mixed in with others which have to do with the end of the world. It is not our Lord's intention to satisfy people's curiosity about future events, but to protect them from being discouraged and scandalized about what is going to happen in the days immediately ahead. This explains why He exhorts them: "Take heed that you are not led astray" (v. 8); "do not be terrified" (v. 9); "watch at all times" (v. 36).

8. On hearing that Jerusalem is going to be destroyed, the disciples ask what sign will be given as a warning of these events (vv. 5-7). Jesus answers by telling them "not to be led astray," that is to say, not to expect any warning; not to be misled by false prophets; to stay faithful to Him. These false prophets will come along claiming to be the Messiah ("I am He!"). Our Lord's reply in fact refers to two events which in the Jewish mind were interrelated -- the destruction of the Holy City and the end of the world. This is why He goes on to speak of both events and implies that there will be a long gap between the two; the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem are a kind of sign or symbol of the catastrophes which will mark the end of the world.

9-11. Our Lord does not want His disciples to confuse just any catastrophe --famine, earthquake, war -- or even persecution with the signals of the end of the world. He exhorts them quite clearly: "Do not be terrified," because although all these has to happen, "the end will not be at once;" in spite of difficulties of all kinds the Gospel will spread to the ends of the earth. Difficulties should not paralyze the preaching of the faith.

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

503 Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Lk 21:4 2544

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Reading 1
Dn 1:1-6, 8-20

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came
and laid siege to Jerusalem.
The Lord handed over to him Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
and some of the vessels of the temple of God;
he carried them off to the land of Shinar,
and placed the vessels in the temple treasury of his god.

The king told Ashpenaz, his chief chamberlain,
to bring in some of the children of Israel of royal blood
and of the nobility, young men without any defect,
handsome, intelligent and wise,
quick to learn, and prudent in judgment,
such as could take their place in the king’s palace;
they were to be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans;
after three years’ training they were to enter the king’s service.
The king allotted them a daily portion of food and wine
from the royal table.
Among these were men of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah.

But Daniel was resolved not to defile himself
with the king’s food or wine;
so he begged the chief chamberlain to spare him this defilement.
Though God had given Daniel the favor and sympathy
of the chief chamberlain, he nevertheless said to Daniel,
“I am afraid of my lord the king;
it is he who allotted your food and drink.
If he sees that you look wretched
by comparison with the other young men of your age,
you will endanger my life with the king.”
Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief chamberlain
had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah,
“Please test your servants for ten days.
Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men
who eat from the royal table,
and treat your servants according to what you see.”
He acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days;
after ten days they looked healthier and better fed
than any of the young men who ate from the royal table.
So the steward continued to take away
the food and wine they were to receive, and gave them vegetables.

To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency
in all literature and science,
and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.
At the end of the time the king had specified for their preparation,
the chief chamberlain brought them before Nebuchadnezzar.
When the king had spoken with all of them,
none was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah;
and so they entered the king’s service.
In any question of wisdom or prudence which the king put to them,
he found them ten times better
than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom.

Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!

Gospel
Lk 21:1-4

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Daniel 1:1 – 20

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched on Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hands, with some of the furnishings of the Temple of God. He took them away to the land of Shinar, and stored the sacred vessels in the treasury of his own gods.

The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to select from the Israelites a certain number of boys of either royal or noble descent; they had to be without any physical defect, of good appearance, trained in every kind of wisdom, well-informed, quick at learning, suitable for service in the palace of the king. Ashpenaz himself was to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldaeans.

The king assigned them a daily allowance of food and wine from his own royal table. They were to receive an education lasting for three years, after which they were expected to be fit for the king’s society. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, who were Judaeans. Daniel, who was most anxious not to defile himself with the food and wine from the royal table, begged the chief eunuch to spare him this defilement; and by the grace of God Daniel met goodwill and sympathy on the part of the chief eunuch. But he warned Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king: he has assigned you food and drink, and if he sees you looking thinner in the face than the other boys of your age, my head will be in danger with the king because of you’. At this Daniel turned to the guard whom the chief eunuch had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He said, ‘Please allow your servants a ten days’ trial, during which we are given only vegetables to eat and water to drink. You can then compare our looks with those of the boys who eat the king’s food; go by what you see, and treat your servants accordingly.’ The man agreed to do what they asked and put them on ten days’ trial. When the ten days were over they looked and were in better health than any of the boys who had eaten their allowance from the royal table; so the guard withdrew their allowance of food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

And God favored these four boys with knowledge and intelligence in everything connected with literature, and in wisdom; while Daniel had the gift of interpreting every kind of vision and dream. When the period stipulated by the king for the boys’ training was over, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king conversed with them, and among all the boys found none to equal Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. So they became members of the king’s court, and on whatever point of wisdom or information he might question them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:52 – 56

You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.

  To you glory and praise for evermore.

Blest your glorious holy name.

  To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest in the temple of your glory.

  To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.

  To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest who gaze into the depths.

  To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest in the firmament of heaven.

  To you glory and praise for evermore.

Gospel Luke 21:1 – 4

As he looked up, Jesus saw rich people putting their offerings into the treasury; then he happened to notice a poverty-stricken widow putting in two small coins, and he said, ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them; for these have all contributed money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in all she had to live on.’

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Monday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20

Arrival at the Court
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[1] In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. [2] And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. [3] Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, [4] youths without blemish, handsome and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to serve in the king's palace, and to teach them the letters and language of the Chaldeans. [5] The king assigned them a daily portion of the rich food which the king ate, and of the wine which he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. [6] Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Misha-el, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.

Royal Fare -- God's Servants Tested
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[8] But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's rich food, or with the wine which he drank; therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. [9] And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs; [10] and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear lest my lord the king, who appointed your food and your drink, should see that you were in poorer condition than the youths who are of your own age. So you would endanger my head with the king." [11] Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; [12] "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. [13] Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's rich food be observed by you, and according to what you see deal with your servants." [14] So he hearkened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. [15] At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's rich food. [16] So the steward took away their rich food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

The Wisdom of the Three Young Men
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[17] As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all letters and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. [18] At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. [19] And the king spoke with them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, therefore they stood before the king. [20] And in every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.
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Commentary:

1:1-6:29. These chapters deal with Daniel at the court of the kings of Babylon --Nebuchadnezzar (1:1-4:37), Belshazzar (chap. 5) and Darius the Mede (chap. 6). These three reigns, arranged in a line as if they really followed one another cover the entire period from the start of the Babylonian captivity to the arrival of Cyrus of Persia, who allowed the Jews to return to their homeland (cf. 1:21). The main themes running through these chapters are: 1) divine protection afforded Daniel and his companions; 2) the help that these young Jews render the kings; 3) their faithfulness to the Lord despite trials and ordeals; 4) the acknowledgment of the God of Israel by these pagan kings. In the overall context of the book, these first six chapters introduce the God of Israel and Daniel, who will later receive a revelation about the end of the world. They also provide the Jews of the Diaspora with a model of how a Jew in a pagan society ought to live. For that reason, the Church will read them with interest because she lives in the midst of the world and "realizes that she is truly linked with mankind and its history by the deepest of bonds" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 1).

1:1-4:37 Nebuchadnezzar was the king who was responsible for the deportation of the Jews, and the most famous of the Babylonian kings. That may explain why he gets so much space in the book: Daniel interprets two dreams for him (2:1-49; 4:1-37), and the king three times acknowledges the God of Israel (2:46-49; 4:1-3; 4:37). Each episode in these chapters is an independent unit, and they all combine to show the qualities that Daniel and these other Jews had: they were accomplished people, successful in life; at the same time they stayed true to God, even when their religion was put to the test.

1:1-21. This chapter acts as an introduction to the whole book. It tells us who Daniel was and how he and his companions became members of Nebuchadnezzar's household. The dates given at the start and finish of the chapter (vv. 1, 21) show that Daniel was connected with the whole period of the exile.

1:1-7. The third year of the reign of Jehoiakim was 606 BC, but the siege and sack of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar took place in 597. The sacred writer is content to use vague references like this; and it may well be that he is advancing the date of the deportation because that is more in line with seventy years – the length of the exile according to Jeremiah 25:11. The Hebrew word translated as "eunuch" (v. 3) is "saris", which could refer to any palace officials or guards, not necessarily eunuchs. The country of Shinar is Babylonia, which is how the Greek version translates the name. It was quite common in the ancient East for a victorious king to appoint state officials from among the noblemen of subject peoples; Jewish officials, for example, could be very useful in dealings with Jewish communities.

1:8-16. The sacred writer extends Jewish regulations about food (cf. 1 Mac 1:62) to wine, to show that keeping to the Jewish law was much better for the youths than eating the king's fare would have been. Besides, to eat and drink at the royal table would have involved eating and drinking things offered to the gods; it would have been a form of communing with pagan gods. As those young men saw it, being good Jews was not incompatible with the performance of duties for which they were trained. Similarly, "to remind a Christian that his life is meaningless unless he obeys God's will does not mean separating him from other men" (St. Josemaria Escrivá, "Christ Is Passing By", 21).

God can afford protection by making use of people's good dispositions; here he causes the chief eunuch to be well-disposed to the Jewish youths (v. 9). Thus, "though often unconscious collaborators with God's will, men can also enter deliberately into the divine plan by their actions, their prayers and their sufferings" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 307).

1:17-21. Although Daniel and his companions are given a very good Chaldean education, their wisdom comes from God, not from that training (v. 17). It includes the understanding of all things human and, in Daniel's case, the ability to interpret dreams and visions. The king will soon see for himself that Daniel and the Jews have greater wisdom than others, but he does not yet know where it comes from (he will, later; cf. 2:47). But the Jewish or Christian reader of the book does know what the source of this true wisdom is: "God's truth is his wisdom which commands the whole created order and governs the world (cf. Wis 13:1-9). God who alone made heaven and earth (cf. Ps 115:15), can alone impart true knowledge of every created thing in relation to himself" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 216).

Summing up the career of these Jewish youths in Babylon, and aware that their wisdom came from the Word of God, St Hippolytus of Rome comments: "It was the Word who gave them wisdom and made them faithful witnesses [to him] in Babylon, so that through them what was worshipped in Babylon would be scorned. Nebuchadnezzar was defeated by three young men whose faith was tested in the fires of the furnace; the holy woman Susanna was delivered from the jaws of death; and the terrible depth of ancient evil was laid bare. These were the victories won by four young men in Babylon; they were beloved of God and nurtured the fear of the Lord in their hearts" ("Commentarium In Danielem", 1, 11).

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From: Luke 21:1-4

The Widow's Mite
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[1] He (Jesus) looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; [2] and He saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. [3] And He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; [4] for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living she had."

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Commentary:

1-4. Our Lord, surrounded by His disciples, watches people putting offerings into the treasury. This was a place in the women's courtyard, where there were various collection boxes for the offerings of the faithful. Just then, something happens whose significance Jesus wants His disciples to notice: a poor widow puts in two small coins, of very little value. He describes this as the greatest offering of all, praising the generosity of giving alms for this purpose, particularly that of those people who give part of what they need. Our Lord is moved by this tiny offering because in her case it implies a big sacrifice. "The Lord does not look", St. John Chrysostom comments, "at the amount offered but at the affection with which it is offered" ("Hom. on Heb", 1). Generosity is of the essence of almsgiving. This woman teaches us that we can move God's heart if we give Him all we can, which will always amount to very little even if we give our very lives. "How little a life is to offer to God!" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 42).

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

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