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Message of the Day
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Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.
-Clare of Assisi
(Take some time to slowly meditate on this lovely prayer. It is a real gift from St. Clare)
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Readings of the Day
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Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28; Dn
3:62 - 67 Lk 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." USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“The fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace.” —Daniel 5:5
Today’s first reading shows a human hand writing God’s message upon a wall, as it were, writing “graffiti” to the King (see Dn 5:5). The King could not stop the hand from writing (see 2 Tm 2:9). Last Thursday was the holiday of Thanksgiving in the USA. Many of you gathered with family members for a festive dinner. Perhaps there were
people present who did not believe in God and were vocal in opposing any thanks being offered to God at all. Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “I bid you resolve not to worry about your defense beforehand, for I will give you words and a wisdom which none of your adversaries can take exception to or contradict” (Lk 21:14-15). You may be in a situation where you are not even allowed to speak. In that case,
radiate Christ’s love through Your lifestyle of faith (Mt 5:16). Be encouraged that even though you may feel “silenced” by some loved ones on the topic of God, the Lord Himself is testifying to them. He is able to write graffiti messages to them that they cannot ignore. Perhaps he may speak through your faithful lifestyle or through the grandeur of His creation (Rm
1:19-20). Jesus is the Word of God (Jn 1:14). He is writing His messages even to those who have thus far been ignoring Him. His messages are “living and effective,” and reach even the most closed hearts (Heb 4:12-13). Prayer: Father, let Your love flow through me to those who do not believe in
You. Promise: “By patient endurance you will save your lives.” —Lk 21:19 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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-Readings from Jesus Alive in Our Lives, by Philip St. Romain. Ave Maria Press, 1985. Contemplative Ministries, Inc. 2011. Part Two, Encountering the Risen Christ Chapter 7: The Cosmic Christ, part
II - Selected quotes I don’t think it’s too far a stretch to say that Christian love is a type of cosmic consciousness, for it is really a kind of seeing the world “in Christ,” through the lenses of his own compassion. I also suspect that this type of experience is quite
common. Think about it. Have you ever experienced a deep love for others, even though there was little they could give you in return? In looking at them (or him or her), you saw them as simply creatures with needs, fellow children of your heavenly Creator, with the same kinds of struggles that you have. It may have been one of your children, a spouse, or even a group of people on TV. Doesn’t matter! In that experience of pure love, there was no thought of self, only
a deep concern for the other, and a willingness to “do whatever” to help them in some way. It may have persisted for hours, or even days; maybe it was very short-lived. But the effect of it changed something inside you, enabling you to feel more authentic . . . yourself . . . courageous!
Such experiences, I believe, are a direct participation in
Christ’s ongoing love for the human race and all of creation. From them, we can understand something of the love that moved him as Word to become incarnate for our sake, to forego his divine rights, and to die on the cross, thus breaking the hold that Satan and death had placed on our hearts and minds. This love is a “seeing” with him at the level of the spiritual heart, awakening a perspective of universal compassion. It is seeing all things through the eyes of Christ’s love,
and that’s very different from the kataphatic type of seeing Christ’s love mediated through creation discussed in our previous chapter.
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