Luke 21:12-19

Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28

Daniel 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67

Luke 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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me to endure the persecution and trials in my life that you have mysteriously permitted. Enlighten my mind to give true testimony to you and your Son. May I be inspired by your Spirit of Wisdom to know what to say and not say, and how to say it.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Persecution of Jesus’ Disciples: In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that, during the time leading up to Jerusalem’s fall in A.D. 70, they will be persecuted by civil and religious authorities. This persecution, narrated to some degree in the Acts of the Apostles, will give the disciples the opportunity to give testimony to Jesus. The persecution will even divide families, such that family members will even hand them over to the authorities. “Jesus demands heroic allegiance that may drive a wedge between family members (Luke 14:26). Whether martyred or persecuted, the faithful will ‘gain’ their lives (Luke 1:19) by laying them down for Christ (Luke 9:24)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1872). By being hated in this life on account of Jesus’ name, Jesus’ disciples will receive the blessing of a great reward in heaven: “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way” (Luke 6:22-23). 

2. Sustained by God during Persecution: The Gospel today tells us that, as followers of God, we will be persecuted. Persecution is a way for us to share in Christ's sufferings. We are not to worry about what exactly we will say if and when we are on trial, for no human wisdom can compare to divine wisdom. As well, amid persecution, our faithful actions will be stronger than our words. Ultimately, no persecution can truly harm us. As Jesus says, “Do not fear those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28). Sustained and strengthened by God’s grace, we will be saved. God only asks for our faithful collaboration, for our filial trust, and for our steadfast love.

3. The Judgment of Belshazzar: The First Reading is taken all this week from the Book of Daniel. Up to this point in the book, Daniel has successfully interpreted two dreams for King Nebuchadnezzar. Today, we read that Daniel correctly interprets the meaning of the mysterious writing on the wall for the crown prince Belshazzar. The words written by the mysterious hand on the wall agreed with Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of a statue: The Babylonian Kingdom would be given to another kingdom, to that of the Persians. And this happened in 539 B.C. A lesson that we can draw out for our lives is that the prideful, like Belshazzar, will be cast down from their thrones, and that the lowly will be lifted up. In this sense, the three words on the wall also apply to us. Mene (numbered) – the number of our days is known to God, and one day we will be judged. Tekel (weighed) – we will be found wanting if we have lived a life centered on ourselves and a life centered on earthly pleasures. We will not be found wanting if we entrust ourselves in our lowliness to the mercy of God. Peres (divided) – the prideful will be shut out of God's kingdom, while the humble will be given the Kingdom of God.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you know the number of my days, how I will be judged when they come to an end, and what my definitive lot will be. Help me always to be prepared for my encounter with you and work always with your grace to do what is right and just.

Living the Word of God: The reality that our days are numbered and that one day we will be judged is a sobering thought. We can be wrapped up in the day-to-day and lose sight of our ultimate end. How can I raise my eyes today toward my heavenly home and bring to prayer the changes I need to make in my daily life? How do I want my final judgment to go?