Health Hope and Humility

 

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the desire for people to interpret the signs of triumph or tragedy.

Hope in Truth with Humility

The Reading from the Book of Daniel is an interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream.

* [2:36–45] The four successive kingdoms in this apocalyptic perspective are the Babylonian (gold), the Median (silver), the Persian (bronze), and the Hellenistic (iron). The last, after Alexander’s death, was divided among his generals (vv. 41–42). Of the kingdoms which emerged from this partitioning, the two that most affected the Jews were the dynasties of the Ptolemies in Egypt and the Seleucids in Syria. They tried in vain, by war and through intermarriage, to restore the unity of Alexander’s empire (v. 43). The stone hewn from the mountain is the kingdom of God awaited by the Jews (vv. 44–45). Compare the image of the stone applied to Jesus in Luke 20:17–18. (Daniel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Daniel 3 presents some additions to the Aramaic text of Daniel.

* [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. (Daniel, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents Signs of the End.

* [21:5–36] Jesus’ eschatological discourse in Luke is inspired by Mk 13 but Luke has made some significant alterations to the words of Jesus found there. Luke maintains, though in a modified form, the belief in the early expectation of the end of the age (see Lk 21:27, 28, 31, 32, 36), but, by focusing attention throughout the gospel on the importance of the day-to-day following of Jesus and by reinterpreting the meaning of some of the signs of the end from Mk 13 he has come to terms with what seemed to the early Christian community to be a delay of the parousia. Mark, for example, described the desecration of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans (Mk 13:14) as the apocalyptic symbol (see Dn 9:27; 12:11) accompanying the end of the age and the coming of the Son of Man. Luke (Lk 21:20–24), however, removes the apocalyptic setting and separates the historical destruction of Jerusalem from the signs of the coming of the Son of Man by a period that he refers to as “the times of the Gentiles” (Lk 21:24). See also notes on Mt 24:1–36 and Mk 13:1–37. (Luke, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

Larry Hopp comments that In Luke’s Gospel today, Jesus reinforces what we saw through Daniel. He provides further details of what we can expect. The temple will be completely destroyed, wars and insurrections will occur and powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues will be present throughout the world. Worst of all, many false prophets will come to deceive. Jesus warns us not to follow them!

While all of these facts sound dreadful, upon reflection, they provide incredible hope. We know that our Lord and Savior is indeed in total control. We do not need to be anxious or to live in fear. No matter what we face in this life and no matter how hopeless the world looks, Jesus is with us and has promised us an eternal life with Him in heaven. A life with no more pain, sorrow, or suffering.

Dear Heavenly Father, you truly are a God so much more than anything we could ever imagine. Help us to never forget that our lives are in your hands and that we can confidently rest in your love. You have known each of us from the beginning of time and have a specific plan for each of our lives. That truth is so amazing. We are so thankful beyond words. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen (Hopp, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “First signs of the end times,” by Maximus of Turin (died between 408-423 AD).

"Perhaps you are anxious, brothers and sisters, at the fact that we hear constantly of the tumult of wars and the onsets of battles. Perhaps your love is still more anxious since these are taking place in our times. The reason is the closer we are to the destruction of the world, the closer we are to the kingdom of the Savior. The Lord himself says, 'In the last days nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. When you see wars, earthquakes and famines, know that the kingdom of God is at hand.'This nearness of wars shows us that Christ is near." (excerpt from SERMON 85.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 21:5-11 comments that like those early Christians, we may be struggling to trust God in troubling times or to understand a tragedy. It could be a personal loss or something upsetting on the news. But in every situation, in the face of every worry, Jesus wants to remind us: Don’t be afraid. I will never leave you or abandon you. You may experience pain and hardship, you may hear frightening news, but you don’t have to let it overwhelm you. I am with you, and I am still working!

So cry out to Jesus for whatever comfort and strength you may need today. Fix your eyes on God’s faithfulness. Believe that he still has you in the palm of his hand. Trust that he is already at work to bring good out of evil. Put your hope in the Lord, and “Do not be terrified” (Luke 21:9).

“Jesus, all my hope is in you!” (Meditation on Luke 21:5-11, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Daniel 2 continues the idea of what occurs in exile in Babylon as a man who interprets dreams and he explains it in terms of history and  the sequence of empires. The stone unhewn will crumble the statue. The stone in the Temple was never to have been touched by iron. The holy people will make the empire unstable. Jesus is cagey about the destruction of the Temple. He warns people to be careful even as every economic or political revolution calls to predict the end. Friar Jude reminds us to be aware of our own end time and the possibility of it being unpredictable.

Fr. Mike Schmitz focuses on the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch and how it demonstrates the importance of having guidance when reading Scripture. Although God's Word is infallible, we can easily misunderstand it without proper interpretation, which is why we have the Magisterium of the Church. Lastly, Fr. Mike also touches on the role of persecution in the life of the Church, and St. Paul's encouragement to abide by the law of love. Today we read Acts 8, Romans 13-14, and Proverbs 27:15-17.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Brian McLaren who highlights how gratefulness is a recurring theme in the Gospels. With these counterintuitive sayings and others like them, Jesus enrolls us in advanced classes in the school of gratitude. He shows us the disadvantages of advantages, and the advantages of disadvantages. He will make this paradox most dramatic through his own death; his suffering and crucifixion will eventually bring hope and freedom to all humanity, hope and freedom that could come no other way. Here is the deepest lesson of gratitude, then. We are to be grateful not just in the good times, but also in the bad times; to be grateful not just in plenty, but also in need; to maintain thankfulness not just in laughter, but also through tears and sorrow.

One of Jesus’s followers says that we should even rejoice in trials, because through trials come patience, character, wisdom (James 1:2–3). And another says, “I have learned to be content with whatever I have” (Philippians 4:11), so he can instruct, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). 

The words “in all circumstances” shouldn’t be confused with “for all circumstances,” of course. But neither should they be thinned to mean “in easy circumstances.” Even in pain, we can find a place of gratitude, a place where alongside the agony of loss we still count and appreciate what remains…. 

You may lose a loved one, or facet after facet of your physical health, but you can still be grateful for what you have left. And what if you lose more, and more, and more, if bad goes to worse? Perhaps at some point, all of us are reduced to despair, but my hunch is—and I hope I never need to prove this in my own life, but I may, any of us may—having lost everything, one may still be able to hold on to one’s attitude, one’s practiced habit of gratitude, of turning to God in Job-like agony and saying, “For this breath, thanks. For this tear, thanks. For this memory of something I used to enjoy but now have lost, thanks. For this ability not simply to rage over what has been taken, but to celebrate what was once given, thanks.” (McLaren, n.d.)

Perhaps we have experienced situations where our ability to “read the signs” has improved a potentially troublesome event but, for the most part, hope and humility and Spirit are key to the resolution of life events.

References

Daniel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/2?31 

Daniel, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/3?57 

Hopp, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. On line ministries. Retrieved November 25, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-november-25-2025 

Luke, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/21?5 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). In All Circumstances. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 25, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/ 

Meditation on Luke 21:5-11. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved November 25, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/11/25/1434854/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Take Heed That You Are Not Led Astray. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 25, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Gospel and Goodness

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to forces that present alternate truths to the Gospel and to our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader for all God’s Creation.

Aware of Alternate Texts 

The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Galatians declares there is no other Gospel and expresses Paul’s vindication of his apostleship.

* [1:1–5] See note on Rom 1:1–7, concerning the greeting.

* [1:1] Apostle: because of attacks on his authority in Galatia, Paul defends his apostleship. He is not an apostle commissioned by a congregation (Phil 2:25; 2 Cor 8:23) or even by prophets (1 Tm 1:18; 4:14) but through Jesus Christ and God the Father.

* [1:2] All the brothers: fellow believers in Christ, male and female; cf. Gal 3:27–28. Paul usually mentions the co-sender(s) at the start of a letter, but the use of all is unique, adding weight to the letter. Galatia: central Turkey more likely than the Roman province of Galatia; see Introduction.

* [1:4] The greeting in v. 3 is expanded by a christological formula that stresses deliverance through the Lord Jesus from a world dominated by Satan; cf. 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 6:12.

* [1:6–10] In place of the usual thanksgiving (see note on Rom 1:8), Paul, with little to be thankful for in the Galatian situation, expresses amazement at the way his converts are deserting the gospel of Christ for a perverted message. He reasserts the one gospel he has preached (Gal 1:7–9) and begins to defend himself (Gal 1:10).

* [1:6] The one who called you: God or Christ, though in actuality Paul was the divine instrument to call the Galatians.

* [1:8] Accursed: in Greek, anathema; cf. Rom 9:3; 1 Cor 12:3; 16:22.

* [1:10] This charge by Paul’s opponents, that he sought to conciliate people with flattery and to curry favor with God, might refer to his mission practices (cf. 1 Cor 9:19–23) but the word still suggests it refers to his pre-Christian days (cf. Gal 1:14; Phil 3:6). The self-description slave of Christ is one Paul often uses in a greeting (Rom 1:1). (Galatians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 111 offers praise for God’s Wonderful Works

* [Psalm 111] A Temple singer (Ps 111:1) tells how God is revealed in Israel’s history (Ps 111:2–10). The deeds reveal God’s very self, powerful, merciful, faithful. The poem is an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. (Psalms, PSALM 111 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus relates the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

* [10:25–37] In response to a question from a Jewish legal expert about inheriting eternal life, Jesus illustrates the superiority of love over legalism through the story of the good Samaritan. The law of love proclaimed in the “Sermon on the Plain” (Lk 6:27–36) is exemplified by one whom the legal expert would have considered ritually impure (see Jn 4:9). Moreover, the identity of the “neighbor” requested by the legal expert (Lk 10:29) turns out to be a Samaritan, the enemy of the Jew (see note on Lk 9:52).

* [10:25] Scholar of the law: an expert in the Mosaic law, and probably a member of the group elsewhere identified as the scribes (Lk 5:21).

* [10:31–32] Priest…Levite: those religious representatives of Judaism who would have been expected to be models of “neighbor” to the victim pass him by. (Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Kent Beausoleil, S.J comments that Jesus, in our Gospel  Luke reveals that living out our faith, seeing the light of that divine love, in the Gospel stories and parables, are also about holiness and that being holy in no small way is about being merciful as God is merciful.

So, we celebrate today as a worshiping community the devotion that is the Rosary, as we celebrate Our Lady’s Rosary for in that devotional, we meditate on, we come to know, more deeply, the great mysteries, the great stories, of our salvation. We profess and hold firm that the Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our faith, but we also give thanks that the Church is filled with a myriad of so many ways, so many devotionals, to teach us and to feed our faith as we live out our spiritual journey.  I know, at least for me, that in those devotionals, a young child, me, caught belief, catching me. (Beausoleil, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “God desires to be our neighbor,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"God our Lord wished to be called our neighbor. The Lord Jesus Christ meant that he was the one who gave help to the man lying half-dead on the road, beaten and left by the robbers. The prophet said in prayer, 'As a neighbor and as one's own brother, so did I please' (Psalm 34:14 ). Since the divine nature is far superior and above our human nature, the command by which we are to love God is distinct from our love of our neighbor. He shows mercy to us because of his own goodness, while we show mercy to one another because of God's goodness. He has compassion on us so that we may enjoy him completely, while we have compassion on another that we may completely enjoy him. (excerpt from CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTION 33) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 10:25-37 comments that due to our upbringing and environment, we have all inherited prejudices against one group or another. Moreover, our own hurts or misunderstanding can lead us to reject or look down on a person or group that is different from us. But Jesus wants us to see even these people as our neighbors.

As you reflect on this parable, ask the Lord whom you might see as the “Samaritans” in your life. Perhaps it’s someone in your neighborhood whom everyone shuns. Perhaps it’s someone at your office or school whose views or lifestyle you disagree with. It might even be someone in your own family who has earned the reputation of being the black sheep. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how he sees them: they are created in God’s image, just like you. They are affected by sin, just like you. And they need God’s mercy, just like you. Be open to the voice of the Spirit as he teaches you how to “go and do likewise” by being a neighbor to them.

“Lord, help me to see and love your image in everyone.” (Meditation on Luke 10:25-37, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the anger of Paul that some Jewish Christian missionaries were teaching a false Gospel that was contrary to the freedom of the people of God that Paul had received in a Divine revelation. Concern about ritual impurity or ambush may have motivated the abandonment of the injured man that the Samaritan stopped to support for his healing. Friar Jude underlines the “zinger” that calls us to treat all people with sacred respect as our neighbour.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares his deepening understanding of the relationship between tragedy, tears, and joy. 

I keep being more and more convinced that tears are an appropriate response to reality. I think they always will be, yet I don’t equate that with modern depression or cynicism. It’s the acceptance of what we cannot change that normally makes people cry: He’s dead forever; I’m never getting well; the church I love has never been perfect. The part of us that can surrender to that reality is somehow bright. Remember, God is always present in reality as it is, not merely as it should be. When we meet people who can smile in the presence of sadness, there’s a brightness about them—a clarity, a truth, and a freedom. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ask the Spirit to alert us to forces that seek to divide by trying to restrict our efforts to love and act for the benefit of others to people who we recognize as belonging to our tribe.

References

Beausoleil, K. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved October 7, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/100724.html 

Galatians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 7, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/1?6 

Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 7, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?25 

Meditation on Luke 10:25-37. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 7, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/07/1098599/ 

Psalms, PSALM 111 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 7, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/111?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Brightness and Clarity. Retrieved October 7, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/brightness-and-clarity/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Go and Do Likewise. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 7, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct7