Monday, 23 November 2009

Monday of the Thirty-fourth week in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates : St. Clement I, Pope and martyr,  St. Columban, abbot (+615)

See commentary below or click here
Blessed Charles de Foucauld : “Those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she… has offered her whole livelihood.”

Book of Daniel 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, which he carried off to the land of Shinar, and placed in the temple treasury of his god. The king told Ashpenaz, his chief chamberlain, to bring in some of the Israelites 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.

Dn 3:52.53.54.55.56.

“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.
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 21:1-4.

When he 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.”

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916), hermit and missionary in the Sahara
Meditations on the Gospel, 263

“Those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she… has offered her whole livelihood.”

Don’t let us despise the poor and little ones…; not only are they our brothers in God but they are the ones who most perfectly imitate Jesus in his outward life. They perfectly symbolize Jesus as workman at Nazareth. These are the firstborn among God’s elect and the first to be summoned to the Savior’s crib. They were Jesus’ constant companions from birth to death; both Mary and Joseph and the apostles belonged to them… Far from despising them, let us honor them, honoring in them the images of Jesus and his holy parents. Instead of spurning them, let us admire them… Let us imitate them and, seeing that theirs is the better state, the one chosen by Jesus for himself and those who belong to him, the one he called first around his crib, the one he showed forth in deed and word…, let us embrace it… Let us become poor workmen like him, like Mary, Joseph, the apostles, the shepherds and, if we should ever be called to the apostolate, let us remain in that life as poor as he himself remained, as poor as a saint Paul did, his «faithful imitator» (cf. 1Cor 11,1).

Let us never stop being poor in everything, brothers to the poor, friends of the poor; let us be the poorest of the poor as Jesus was and, like him, let us love the poor and keep them around us.