CCC Cross Reference:
Lk 21:4 2544
Back to Deacon’s Bench '07
Back to Servant of the Word '09
Back to SOW II '11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '15
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '19
Back to SOW II '21
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
---------------------------
[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
--------------------------------------------------
[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
------------------------------------------------------
[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.
*********************************************************************************************
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).
*********************************************************************************************
From: Luke 21:1-4
The Widow's Mite
--------------------------
[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."
*********************************************************************************************
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).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment