Prophecy and Endurance

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to find full life in relationship with Jesus as we ponder the “writing on the wall.”

Writing on the Wall

The reading from the Book of Daniel describes Belshazzar’s Feast and The Writing on the Wall.

* [5:2] Nebuchadnezzar, his father: between Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar several kings ruled in Babylon. Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus, and he acted as regent in Babylon during his father’s absence.

* [5:25] MENE, TEKEL, and PERES: these seem to be the Aramaic names of weights and monetary values: the mina, the shekel (the sixtieth part of a mina), and the parsu (a half-mina).

* [5:26–28] Daniel interprets these three terms by a play on the words: MENE, connected with the verb meaning to number; TEKEL, with the verb meaning to weigh; PERES, with the verb meaning to divide. There is also a play on the last term with the word for Persians. (Daniel, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)

The response psalm is from Daniel 3 of Wednesday November 29, 2023

* [3:24–90] These verses are additions to the Aramaic text of Daniel, translated from the Greek form of the book. They were probably first composed in Hebrew or Aramaic, but are no longer extant in the original language. The Roman Catholic Church has always regarded them as part of the canonical Scriptures.

* [3:25] Azariah: i.e., Abednego; cf. Dn 1:7. (Daniel, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus urges endurance in persecution.

* [21:12] Before all this happens…: to Luke and his community, some of the signs of the end just described (Lk 21:10–11) still lie in the future. Now in dealing with the persecution of the disciples (Lk 21:12–19) and the destruction of Jerusalem (Lk 21:20–24) Luke is pointing to eschatological signs that have already been fulfilled.

* [21:15] A wisdom in speaking: literally, “a mouth and wisdom.” (Luke, CHAPTER 21, n.d.)

Gladyce Janky tries to imagine the reactions of the people after hearing Jesus proclaim they will seize and persecute you..because of my name. 

Following a brief silence, one of the women speaks up.  I choose not to run or live in fear.  Since I started listening to Jesus, I feel more peaceful and hopeful.  If I leave, I might feel empty and hopeless.  My choice is to use my talents to help others.  Remember the story of the Samaritan?  That is how I want to live, gifting joy and a sense of community to those around me, even if they are not part of my tribe.  I will rely on Jesus to give me the wisdom to know what to do if someone opposes me.  And let’s not forget what He said at the end: although we will die, we with perseverance we will secure a place for ourselves in God’s Kingdom. (Janky, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “The faithful Christian is recognized by belief in the resurrection of the body,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"We should have no doubt that our mortal flesh also will rise again at the end of the world... This is the Christian faith. This is the Catholic faith. This is the apostolic faith. Believe Christ when he says, 'Not a hair of your head shall perish' Putting aside all unbelief, consider how valuable you are. How can our Redeemer despise any person when he cannot despise a hair of that person's head? How are we going to doubt that he intends to give eternal life to our soul and body? He took on a soul and body in which to die for us, which he laid down for us when he died and which he took up again that we might not fear death." (excerpt from Sermon 214.11-12) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 21:12-19 comments that this gift of eternal life is at the very heart of the gospel. It’s the promise embedded in every one of Jesus’ miracles. It’s the core truth behind all his parables and sermons. It’s the animating principle of the Beatitudes and the reason why Jesus embraced the suffering of the cross. He did it all so that we could live forever.

So today, ask yourself, “Where is my faith in the resurrection?” But even more, ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the promise of eternal life. Let him convince you that what Jesus promised to the disciples is true for you as well: not a hair on your head will be destroyed.

“All praise to you, Jesus! You have conquered death forever!” (Meditation on Luke 21:12-19, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler shares the action of Daniel at the King’s Banquet where the words on the wall foretell the destruction of Babylon. The text was written during the Seleucid persecution of Israel. Friar Jude comments that the Gospel resonates with “they will kill us but never harm us” as we try to do our best to trust in God even in impossible situations.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, has long drawn comfort and wisdom from the writings of the young Jewish woman Etty Hillesum (1914–1943), believing her to be a voice of inspiration for our times. Shortly before her departure for internment at the Westerbork transit camp, Hillesum wrote in her journal:

Something has crystallised. I have looked our destruction, our miserable end which has already begun in so many small ways in our daily life, straight in the eye and accepted it into my life, and my love of life has not been diminished. I am not bitter or rebellious, or in any way discouraged. I continue to grow from day to day, even with the likelihood of destruction staring me in the face. I shall no longer flirt with words, for words merely evoke misunderstandings: I have come to terms with life.…

By “coming to terms with life” I mean: the reality of death has become a definite part of my life; my life has, so to speak, been extended by death, by my looking death in the eye and accepting it, by accepting destruction as part of life and no longer wasting my energies on fear of death or the refusal to acknowledge its inevitability. It sounds paradoxical: by excluding death from our life we cannot live a full life, and by admitting death into our life we enlarge and enrich [life]. [2] (Rohr, 2023)

We seek the consolation of the Spirit as we wrestle with the mystery of death and our living in fullness of life.

References

Daniel, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/3 

Daniel, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/5?1 

Janky, G. (2023, November 29). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/112923.html 

Luke, CHAPTER 21. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/21?12 

Meditation on Luke 21:12-19. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/11/29/839043/ 

Rohr, R. (2023, June 16). Always in God’s Presence. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/always-in-gods-presence/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=nov29