Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

“The Widow’s Mite”
by W. T. Blandford-Fletcher, c. 1885

 
Readings for Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 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;
he carried them off to the land of Shinar,
and placed the vessels in the temple treasury of his god.
 
The king told Ashpenaz, his chief chamberlain,
to bring in some of the children of Israel 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.
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Commentary on Dn 1:1-6, 8-20
 
This reading begins the Book of Daniel and is the story of the exploits of the hero, Daniel, who becomes the model of the faithful Hebrew.  While the book found its final form in 164 B.C., it speaks of the time of the great "Diaspora," the exile of the Hebrew peoples in the 6th century B.C.  It provides, in later chapters, an example of the apocalyptic genre in Holy Scripture. In this selection Daniel, with his three companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are taken into the service of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, a Gentile who has captured Judah.
 
The young heroes reject the unclean food (in the ritual sense) of the table of the king, showing their dedication to Mosaic Law, and prosper, becoming healthier and brighter than those who have defiled themselves from the king’s table. The four are established as wise and prudent above their peers and are appointed as advisers to the king.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
 
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
 
“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.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
 
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
 
“Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
 
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
 
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
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Commentary on Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
 
The Responsorial Psalm is a song of praise to God taken from the Book of Daniel.  This selection is the hymn chanted by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they stood in the white-hot furnace. (Note: in Daniel 1:7 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were given the Babylonian names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.) This section is part of one of the litanies contained in the hymn. In this instance, it is a doxology. “In general, this word means a short verse praising God and beginning, as a rule, with the Greek word Doxa.”[4]
 
The three heroes were being punished by King Nebuchadnezzar for not worshiping a golden idol he had set up.  An angel of God came to them in their plight and kept them from harm, even though the furnace was so hot it burned those who tended it.
 
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Gospel: Luke 21:1-4
 
When Jesus 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.”
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Commentary on Lk 21:1-4
 
The widow in this Gospel story represents the poor whose focus must be on God rather than on material wealth. This emphasis in their lives brings them the blessing of God because of their genuine praise and love. The passage is a principal example of Jesus’ teaching on the importance of the gifts of the spirit.
 
“The widow is another example of the poor ones in this gospel whose detachment from material possessions and dependence on God leads to their blessedness (Luke 6:20). Her simple offering provides a striking contrast to the pride and pretentiousness of the scribes denounced in the preceding section (Luke 20:45-47). The story is taken from Mark 12:41-44.” [5]
 
CCC: Lk 21:4 2544
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Reflection:
 
Our Scripture today begins with a fairly long passage from the beginning of the Book of Daniel.  This book, which belongs to the apocalyptic genre, is especially popular with both Jews and Christians during times of intense persecution.  As we see at the very beginning, Daniel and his three companions are heroic in their adherence to Mosaic Law, risking even death (see the notes on the Responsorial Psalm) rather than betraying the covenant with God embodied in the Law of Moses.
 
At times of blatant persecution, this passage would give the victims a practical and immediately recognized lesson in how to deal with their situation.  Those of us who are diligent in trying to keep firm to our faith in our anti-Christian secular society can also see the value of their example.  U.S. society, most especially the media, try to portray as normative societal values that directly contravene what we are taught by our faith.  Although we are not tortured or overtly persecuted in a physical way like those Christians living in the Middle East (especially Iraq, Syria, and Egypt), in many cases our religious positions and resulting actions are often scorned and frowned upon by our peers and colleagues not of the faith.  Pressure, at times intense pressure, is there to abandon our faith and accept the practices that would make us more “palatable” to the hedonistic values so prevalent today.
 
The story of heroic virtue displayed by Daniel and his companions is strengthened by the short Gospel passage from St. Luke.  In it we find our Lord praising the poor widow for her gift, the gift that demonstrated that she was more concerned with her love of God and dedication to him than the things of the world.
 
As we ride out the tide of commercialism that will continue to blitz us throughout our coming Advent celebrations, we thank God for these scriptural reminders of what should be most important in our lives.  We pray that we live those values faithfully in the coming weeks.
 
Pax

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[1] The Picture used is “The Widow’s Mite” by W. T. Blandford-Fletcher, c. 1885.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Catholic Encyclopedia at New Advent.
[5] NAB footnote on Luke 21:1-4.