Reading 1
Dn 7:15-27
I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its covering of flesh,
and I was terrified by the visions of my mind.
I approached one of those present
and asked him what all this meant in truth;
in answer, he made known to me the meaning of the things:
“These four great beasts stand for four kingdoms
which shall arise on the earth.
But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship,
to possess it forever and ever.”
But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,
so very terrible and different from the others,
devouring and crushing with its iron teeth and bronze claws,
and trampling with its feet what was left;
about the ten horns on its head, and the other one that sprang up,
before which three horns fell;
about the horn with the eyes and the mouth that spoke arrogantly,
which appeared greater than its fellows.
For, as I watched, that horn made war against the holy ones
and was victorious until the Ancient One arrived;
judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High,
and the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom.
He answered me thus:
“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth
different from all the others;
It shall devour the whole earth,
beat it down, and crush it.
The ten horns shall be ten kings
rising out of that kingdom;
another shall rise up after them,
Different from those before him,
who shall lay low three kings.
He shall speak against the Most High
and oppress the holy ones of the Most High,
thinking to change the feast days and the law.
They shall be handed over to him
for a year, two years, and a half-year.
But when the court is convened,
and his power is taken away
by final and absolute destruction,
Then the kingship and dominion and majesty
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
shall be given to the holy people of the Most High,
Whose Kingdom shall be everlasting:
all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
Gospel
Lk 21:34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Meditation: Luke 21:34-36
Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy. (Luke 21:34)
Have you ever felt drowsy? Maybe you had some time on your hands without much to do, or you felt worn down by the demands of life and didn’t want to deal with anything. Drowsiness feels very passive, like a waking sleep. It certainly doesn’t conjure images of a bright-eyed, eager participant in life!
But there’s another side to the drowsiness that Jesus is warning us against. In today’s Gospel reading, it is a state of dullness to spiritual things—a dullness that can come not just from indulging our senses but from the very real demands and anxieties of life. We can get so weighed down by everything we have to do that we become dull to the life of God in and around us. Our eyes get focused on this world, leaving our spiritual vision blurry and tired. And that sets us up for missing out on the ways God makes himself present to us every day.
How can we avoid this drowsiness? One answer lies in the verses used for today’s responsorial psalm: Praising God raises our hearts and minds up to heaven. It wakes us up to spiritual realities as we recall and praise God for who he is and all he has done in our lives and throughout history.
There are many ways we can praise God every day—many ways we can focus our minds and guard against spiritual drowsiness. Some days, you may want to recall God’s wonderful works of creation, the salvation he brought us in Jesus, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the promise of the second coming. Other days, you may want to praise each person of the Trinity for their attributes: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Or another day, you may turn to the psalms to help you focus your attention.
However you decide to begin, just start thanking God for who he is. The more you praise God, the easier it gets. As you remember more things to thank him for, your praise can become like an avalanche! And the very act of raising your mind above your own concerns and gazing heavenward will wake up your heart and mind to spiritual realities!
“Father, you are exalted above all things! You have made everything and are enthroned in power! You are worthy of all praise!”
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