Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
November 24, 2021
Readings for the Memorial of Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Memorial of Saint Andrew Dŭng-Ląc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 505
Reading I
King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords,
with whom he drank.
Under the influence of the wine,
he ordered the gold and silver vessels
which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,
had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,
to be brought in so that the king, his lords,
his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.
When the gold and silver vessels
taken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in,
and while the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainers
were drinking wine from them,
they praised their gods of gold and silver,
bronze and iron, wood and stone.
Suddenly, opposite the lampstand,
the fingers of a human hand appeared,
writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace.
When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote, his face blanched;
his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook,
and his knees knocked.
Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king.
The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, the Jewish exile,
whom my father, the king, brought from Judah?
I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,
that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve difficulties;
if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means,
you shall be clothed in purple,
wear a gold collar about your neck,
and be third in the government of the kingdom.”
Daniel answered the king:
“You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else;
but the writing I will read for you, O king,
and tell you what it means.
You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven.
You had the vessels of his temple brought before you,
so that you and your nobles, your wives and your entertainers,
might drink wine from them;
and you praised the gods of silver and gold,
bronze and iron, wood and stone,
that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence.
But the God in whose hand is your life breath
and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.
By him were the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down.
“This is the writing that was inscribed:
MENE, TEKEL, and PERES.
These words mean:
MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67
- (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Sun and moon, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Every shower and dew, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“All you winds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Fire and heat, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Cold and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
Alleluia
- Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.”
Reflection: TESTIFYING TO JESUS IN TIMES OF TRIAL
As you can see, today's Gospel passage is a continuation of the description of the apocalyptic times (the last days) presented yesterday. The reading of yesterday ended with a sad and despairing note, whereas today's reading gives us hope and confidence. The Gospel passage ends with the following words: “they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls”. Natural and man-made calamities there will be, including persecution for the sake of Jesus, but amidst all this the Lord is present and guiding us. These days, we hear a lot of doomsday prophets speaking of a bleak future for the world as a whole and for India particularly in area of economy, employment, education, health, and business. There are people who can give an intelligent analysis of the situation and how this can be rectified and lead the world and the country to success. In all their talk, there is only human wisdom and analysis. Nothing is left to chance and accident. We hardly have persons giving hope and future for the world that is mired in such a mess of unbridled consumerism leading to gross imbalance in the society. The presence of God is never brought to discussion in all this. Human beings have decided that they will govern the world without the wisdom and inspiration from above. This is sheer human pride. That we have to use all our energies and resources to better this world amidst calamities, but the need for God and His protection cannot be overlooked as it is being done in many of the reports and solutions of the present situation.