November 29, 2025
Saturday of the Thirty-fourth
Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 508
Reading
1
I, Daniel, found
my spirit anguished within its covering of flesh,
and I was terrified by the visions of my mind.
I approached one of those present
and asked him what all this meant in truth;
in answer, he made known to me the meaning of the things:
"These four great beasts stand for four kingdoms
which shall arise on the earth.
But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship,
to possess it forever and ever."
But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,
so very terrible and different from the others,
devouring and crushing with its iron teeth and bronze claws,
and trampling with its feet what was left;
about the ten horns on its head, and the other one that sprang up,
before which three horns fell;
about the horn with the eyes and the mouth that spoke arrogantly,
which appeared greater than its fellows.
For, as I watched, that horn made war against the holy ones
and was victorious until the Ancient One arrived;
judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High,
and the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom.
He answered me thus:
"The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth
different from all the others;
It shall devour the whole earth,
beat it down, and crush it.
The ten horns shall be ten kings
rising out of that kingdom;
another shall rise up after them,
Different from those before him,
who shall lay low three kings.
He shall speak against the Most High
and oppress the holy ones of the Most High,
thinking to change the feast days and the law.
They shall be handed over to him
for a year, two years, and a half-year.
But when the court is convened,
and his power is taken away
by final and absolute destruction,
Then the kingship and dominion and majesty
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
shall be given to the holy people of the Most High,
Whose Kingdom shall be everlasting:
all dominions shall serve and obey him."
Responsorial
Psalm
Daniel 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86,
87
R. Give
glory and eternal praise to him.
"You sons of men, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"O Israel, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
That you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his
disciples:
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112925.cfm
Commentary on Daniel
7:15-27
Our last reading from the book of Daniel is an
interpretation of the vision that we read yesterday. Daniel says that he is
deeply troubled and alarmed by the visions he has had of the four beasts and
the “human being” (also translated as ‘son of man’). So he “approached one of
the attendants” for an explanation. “One of the attendants” must refer to one
of the thousands of angels serving at the throne of the “Ancient One”.
Daniel then receives an explanation of what he has seen. The
four beasts represent four kings who will emerge. But those who receive real
power are the “holy ones of the Most High”, namely, God’s holy people. It is
they who will receive true kingship, which will last forever.
Daniel then asks about the fourth beast, who is different
from all the others with iron teeth and bronze claws, and who ate its victims
before crushing them and trampling on their remains. In yesterday’s reading we
saw that this fourth beast represented the kingdom of Macedonia with King
Philip, followed by his famous son, Alexander the Great, who swept away all
before him and reached as far as India with his armies.
Daniel also asks about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s
head, which we saw represented the 10 kingdoms which emerged after Alexander’s
death, and also about the extra horn which sprouted and displaced three of the
original horns. This extra horn we saw represents the Seleucid King Antiochus
IV, who wiped out his rivals on the way to power.
Daniel asks why this horn has eyes and a mouth full of
arrogance and looks more impressive than its counterparts. This is the horn
which is making war on the “holy ones”, in other words, the Jewish people. He
is proving to be the stronger until the Ancient One comes and passes judgement
in favour of the “holy ones”, when the time comes for them to assume kingship.
In response to Daniel’s questions the angel (in the name of
God) replies:
As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth
that shall be different from all the other kingdoms;
it shall devour the whole earth
and trample it down and break it to pieces.
Compared to the other dynasties, the short reign of
Alexander was extraordinary (he died in his 30s) in conquering territories from
Macedonia to Egypt, from Syria to India.
As already explained, the ten horns are the ten kingdoms
which emerged (not necessarily at the same time) after the death of Alexander
when the territories he conquered were divided among his leading generals. But
after them, comes another, who is different from them, and who seizes power by
ousting three other claimants to the throne. This, of course, is Antiochus IV
Epiphanes, the scourge of the Jews, and who is the real focus of interest in
all these stories in Daniel. He is the king we saw last week in the readings
from Maccabees.
He shall speak words against the Most High,
shall wear out the holy ones of the Most High…
He is the one who planned to “attempt to change the ritual
calendar and the law”. In other words, he tried to ban the Jewish Sabbath and
feast-days and to get Jews to abandon the Law and follow the king’s hellenising
policies, which they regarded as idolatrous.
And so, says the angel to Daniel:
The holy ones of the Most High…shall be given into his
power for a time, two times, and half a time.
This strange expression is not as obscure as it sounds. The
word ‘time’ here represents one year. Hence, when added up, we get three and a
half years, which corresponds to the length of the persecution the Jews
experienced under Antiochus. As ‘seven’ is a perfect number in Scripture, half
of that implies great imperfection. The Book of Revelation calculates the same
period as 42 months of 30 days each, totalling 1,260 days (Rev 11:2-3).
However, in Revelation it is persecution in the Roman Empire which is being
spoken about. In all these texts, as throughout Daniel, the figure stands for a
period of distress allowed by God for a limited time after which there will be
relief for the faithful.
Finally, comes the message of hope:
Then the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and totally destroyed.
This is the court mentioned yesterday over which the Ancient
One presides in majesty. Then he, that is, Antiochus, will be stripped of his
royal authority and reduced to nothing.
Then the:
…kingship and dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High;
their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey them.*
Considering that these words were written in the midst of
persecution and before the successful revolt of the Maccabees, they represent a
great spirit of hope and confidence in the outcome and in God’s protection. Nor
were they to be disappointed. Antiochus did indeed fall.
Later Jesus will come and inaugurate the Kingdom which
begins with him and will last forever. This is a Kingdom of which we, too,
sincerely hope to be a part. This messianic vision was one which the author
never saw or realised himself. We now have our Messiah-King in Jesus Christ. He
is the “Son of Man” who now sits at the right hand of the “Ancient One”, the
Father. And, as the reading predicts, we share in Christ’s kingship. Through
our baptism we become, with Christ and in Christ, priest, prophet and king.
They are three titles which we must take seriously and which
we must realise are to become active in the lives of every single Christian.
Because, as has been said here more than once before, the guarantee of our
future is how we perform in the present, how we respond to the call of our
King. And that is the principal lesson as we arrive at this, the end of our
liturgical year.
So it is on that confident note of hope and expectancy,
which we know to have been fulfilled in the person of Jesus, that we come to
the end of our Scripture readings for the year.
_____________________________________
*Parenthetically, the Aramaic version of the Book of Daniel ends here. The
remainder of the book from chapter 8 to the end was written in Greek.
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Commentary on Luke
21:34-36
Our final reading from Luke (and this Church year) continues
the messages of warning that he has been giving during the week. The warning is
not to become immersed in a life of self-centred indulgence and hedonism, nor
to be overcome by many worries and anxieties. It is these two things which can
dominate the lives of so many: a combination of escapism from what is
difficult, and a running to activities where happiness is confused with
pleasure.
“That day” is going to close in “like a trap”—quickly and
without previous warning:
For it will come upon all who live on the face of the
whole earth.
Of course, for every single one of us, “that day” is the day
on which we will be called individually to face our Lord and Creator.
One might ask, what do we do while we are waiting for the
rest of the world to join us? Perhaps we should remember that ‘on the other
side’ it is an eternal ‘now’, with no past or future. It is like going to the
hub of a wheel from any part of the rim. All converge together in the same
place.
So we are warned to be permanently on the watch—to pray
constantly for the strength to avoid what is bad for us, and to be able to
stand secure when we come face to face with the Son of Man. In some ways, the
demands are very simple, although we find them difficult at times, i.e. showing
our fidelity to God by a loving concern for the well-being of every other
person, especially those most in need.
Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least
of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me. (Matt 25:40)
Whatever the circumstances of our life, we look forward in
confidence to the ultimate victory of God, of Jesus and of the Kingdom. As has
been said here more than once, the best preparation for that unpredictable
moment of leaving this world is to live as fully as we can in the presence of
our always-present God. Let us seek him, find him and respond to him in every
single person and in every single experience of our daily lives. We pray:
O Lord, grant that all my thoughts, intentions, actions
and responses may directed solely to your love and service this day and every
day. Amen
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/o1347g/
Saturday,
November 29, 2025
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord, increase our
eagerness to do Your will and help us to know the saving power of Your love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 21:34-36
Jesus said to His
disciples: “Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened by debauchery
and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will come upon you
unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come down on all those living on the
face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive
all that is going to happen, and to stand before the Son of man.”
3) Reflection
•
We are reaching the end of the long Apocalyptic
Discourse and getting to the end of the ecclesiastical year. Jesus gives a last
piece of advice, inviting us to watch (Lk 21: 34-35) and to pray (Lk 21:
36).
•
Luke 21: 34-35: Attention to not lose
conscientiousness. “Watch yourselves or your hearts will be coarsened by
debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will come upon
you unexpectedly, like a trap; for it will come down on all those living on the
face of the earth”. Jesus had already given similar advice when they asked Him
about the coming of the Kingdom (Lk 17: 20-21). He answers that the coming of
the Kingdom will arrive like lightening; unexpectedly and without warning.
People must be attentive and always prepared (Lk 17: 22-27). When the wait is
very long, there is a risk of not being attentive and not paying attention to
the events of life: “the hearts become coarsened by debauchery and drunkenness
and the cares of life”. Today, there are many distractions which render us
insensitive, and the news,
TV, Internet, and other propaganda
can ruin our perspective on life. Being far away from the suffering of so many
people in the world, we are not conscious of the injustices which are
committed. The converse of this is also possible. The speed of communication
today through satellite and Internet can overwhelm us with “bad news” and cause
anxieties, fear, and worry and disturb our peace.
•
Luke 21:36: Prayer, the source of critical
conscience and hope. “Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to
survive all that is going to happen, and to hold your ground before the Son of
Man”. Constant prayer is an important means to not lose the presence of spirit.
We must deepen in our hearts the knowledge and awareness of God’s presence
among us. In this way, He gives us the strength and the light to bear the bad
days and to increase our hope.
•
Summary of the Apocalyptic Discourse (Lk 21:
5-36). We have spent five days, from Tuesday to Saturday, meditating on and
deepening the sense of the Apocalyptic Discourse for our life. All three
Synoptic Gospels have this discourse of Jesus, each one in its own way. Let us
try to see which version the Gospel of Luke offers us. Here we give a brief
summary of what we have been able to meditate on during these five days. The
whole of the Apocalyptic Discourse is an attempt to help the persecuted
communities place themselves in the overall plan of God, and in this way, have
hope and courage to continue on the way. In the case of the Apocalyptic
Discourse of the Gospel of Luke, the persecuted communities were living in the
year 85. Jesus speaks in the year 33. His discourse describes the stages, or
the signs, of the realization of God’s plan. In all, there are eight signs and
periods of time Jesus describes up through our time. Reading and interpreting
their lives in the light of the signs given by Jesus, the communities
discovered how the execution of the plan was to be found. It was thought that
the first seven signs had already taken place and that they all belonged to the
past. Especially in the 6th and 7th signs (persecution and destruction of
Jerusalem), the communities found the image or reflection of what was happening
in their present time.
•
The following are the seven signs:
-
Introduction to the discourse (Lk 21: 5-7)
-
1st sign: the false Messiahs (Lk 21: 8);
-
2nd sign: war and revolutions (Lk 21: 9);
-
3rd sign: nations which fight against other
nations, a kingdom against another kingdom (Lk 21: 10);
-
4th sign: earthquakes in different places (Lk
21: 11);
-
5th sign: hunger, plagues and signs in the sky
(Lk 21: 11);
-
6th sign: persecution of Christians and mission
that they have to carry out (Lk 21: 12-19) + Mission
-
7th sign: destruction of Jerusalem (Lk 21:
20-24)
-
Arriving at this 7th sign, the communities
conclude: “We are in the 6th and 7th signs. So this is the more important
question: “How much is lacking until the end?” Anyone who is persecuted does
not want to know or hear about the distant future. He wants to know if he will
be alive the following day or if he will have the strength to bear the
persecution until the following day. The response to this disturbing question
comes in the eighth sign.
-
8th sign: changes in the sun and the moon (Lk
21: 25-26) announce the coming of the Son of Man (Lk 21: 27-28).
•
Conclusion: little is lacking, all is according
to God’s plan, and all is like birth pangs. God is with us. It is possible to
bear all this. Let us try to give witness of our faith in the Good News of
Jesus At the end, Jesus confirms everything with His authority (Lk 21:
29-33).
4) Personal questions
•
Jesus tells us to watch out so as not to be
surprised by news or events. How do I live this advice of Jesus?
•
How do I balance being aware and compassionate
in my larger local community with the constant TV and Internet reporting of
injustice and disasters in real time from all over the world? •The last warning
of Jesus, at the end of the ecclesiastical year is this one: Watch and pray at
all times. How do I put into practice in my life this advice of Jesus?
5) Concluding prayer
For Yahweh is a great God,
a king greater than all the gods. In His power are the depths of the earth, the
peaks of the mountains are His; the sea belongs to Him, for He made it, and the
dry land, molded by His hands. (Ps 95:3-5)
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