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 Dn 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."
Meditation: Luke 21:1-4
This poor widow put in more than all the rest.” (Luke 21:3)
Wow! Such extravagant, abundant giving —and all wrapped up in just two small coins! It wasn’t much, but it was everything she had. So it was a lavish gift indeed. This widow made herself literally dependent on God’s care and provision for her life. Her offering probably seemed inconsequential to most of the people at the Temple that day. But somehow Jesus noticed it, and it delighted his heart immensely. He could see that this was the absolute best she could do, and that always pleases the Lord.
What have you given the Lord lately? Don’t worry if it’s not a lot. Remember: None of us could adequately repay him for the gift of our lives, our salvation, and his indwelling Holy Spirit. Nothing, that is, but our love and adoration, offered to him in whatever ways we can. God isn’t looking for massive amounts of time that we don’t have. He isn’t keeping an account of our cash to see if we are giving all that we have. What he really wants is our hearts.
So even if you can’t get out of the house or if you’re locked up in prison, even if you’re deployed to the remotest Afghan outpost or working two jobs to make ends meet, don’t fret! Give what you can to the Lord. If it’s five uninterrupted minutes for prayer, give it to him. If you have only a couple of minutes to read Scripture or only a trifle for the collection basket, give it to him. If it’s simply lifting your thoughts to him as you go through your demanding day, give it to him.
It may look like two small coins, but God rejoices over everything we give from the heart. We are created to love God with everything we have. The rest —what we do and what we give —flows from that love. For each of us, every day, what it looks like is different. A little bit, given with love, delights the Lord and is far better in his sight than a lot given begrudgingly.
“Jesus, I love you. Take my heart today, despite all its shortcomings. It’s the best thing I have to offer you.”
No comments:
Post a Comment