Daily Reflection – Nov 26, 2015
Thursday 26 November 2015
First Reading: Daniel 6:12-28
Psalm Response:
Give glory and eternal praise to him
Daniel 3:68-74
Gospel Reading: Luke 21:20-28
Gospel Reading:
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.”
Reflection:
‘May God send his angel’
The two readings for today speak of God’s merciful love. We see in both God’s presence within very challenging circumstances. Perhaps we could ponder on the basic cause of Daniel’s punishment—jealousy—but what, to the reader, is the main message in this story?
Does it, in fact, connect with the advice given by Jesus after his predictions about the destruction of Jerusalem? His advice to his listeners was to ‘stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is at hand’. Does this resonate with Daniel’s total and utter faith in God, which brought about his liberation?
Do Daniel’s unshakeable faith and Jesus’ advice help us as we think about and deal with the major challenges in our times—in our personal lives and in the public domain?
