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
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[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
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[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
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[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.
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