Increase in Faith

The WORD today reminds me how I can increase my faith.

They say that a good way to study Is to read aloud. They say it is similar to studying twice, because if you read aloud, you not only read it, but hear it as well. Hearing something, aside from reading it, has a great impact on the memory retention and on understanding things. This is similar to what God is telling me today in the readings.

A lot of us ask for faith. We want our faith to increase. We want to have a strong faith. However, we say we do not know how to increase iur faith. Today, we see one concrete action how we can have faith. How we can improve and strengthen our faith.

Faith comes from hearing the WORD of God.

In the first reading, we see the importance of responding to God’s call to preach his word. No one will be saved if no one responds to God’s call to preach. We need to do our part to build God’s kingdom. Someone should preach, should talk about God, for people to hear about God. Hearing about God eventually leads to believe in him, and call on him. in the latter part of the reading, we see how faith is attained – from hearing the WORD of God. This goes for both the doer and receiver. OF course, the receiver hears the word of God which can be the entry point of God in his life. Then the doer actually hears what he is saying, so he is doubly blessed as well.

Another way to increase our faith, aside from hearing and talkinh about God, is to read up on him. Just like what we do when we want to know someone. We stalk the person. We talk to the person. With God, we should Read the bible. We should talk about God with others. It makes God’s love and power more concrete in our lives, and would eventually increase our faith.

In the gospel, we see people who were saved because of hearing God’s word. Jesus called them, they heard his voice, and followed his call. This is how powerful hearing God’s word is. They were probably just waiting for that call. This is why we are all sent to spread his word. We do not know what can be the effects of our actions and words.

We need not be missionaries to do this. Wherever God placed us, we can proclaim him. We can preach about him by the words we speak, by the way we live our lives, by the way we treat others, and by how well we do our work.

How is my faith? Do I have faith in God? Do I want my faith to improve? What do I do to improve my faith? Am I preaching God’s kingdom? Am I talking about him with others?

May we be reminded of the importance of talking about God, and the power of hearing about it. May not only our faith increase, but that of others as well.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. thank you for another weekend. Thank you for the reminder. Sorry for not talking about you. Sorry for not working on my faith. Sorry for not doing my part to build your kingdom and to increase my faith. Lord, help me remember this. Help me remember the importance of talking about you and of hearing you. May I be willing to proclaim you to others. and I ask that you use me and my words to brings faith to myself and others. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2017/11/immediately-follow.html

Daily Readings

November 30 2019

« 

November 29  |  December 1 »

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Lectionary: 684

Reading 1 ROM 10:9-18

Brothers and sisters:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for

Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R.(10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R.(John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Alleluia MT 4:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come after me, says the Lord,
and I will make you fishers of men.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.

Know His WORD

The WORD today reminds me of the importance of knowing God's WORD.

For a few days now, the readings have all been about judgment, about Christ’s second coming. We may initially feel scared or afraid while reading them. That is how some people see the book of Revelation - something scary. However, as Christ's followers, this is not something we should be afraid of. Rather, it should get us inspired and motivated to live life according to God’s ways. And in today’s readings, we are also reminded of something we should take joy in - that God’s words will not pass away.

His words will be fulfilled.

God did not only tell us about judgment time, he also has promises for us as we live here on earth. He has promises of provision, of great plans, of love, of protection. And we are reminded to trust in his words, all of it. However, we will not know his words if we do not read up on it

You will not know God's promises if you will not make the effort to know Him.

One of my favorite praise rap artist, Lecrae, writes this in his song: “when he gets home, I pray he'll open up the sixty-six book love letter you wrote and soak it up “ Makes sense. Sometimes we feel so down and low, but we are not doing anything about it. We won’t improve if we will just wait for things to get better. Reading God’s word, his promises, and soaking up ourselves on them will help us be better.  His love letter, the bible, will remind us of his promises and his love for us.

How do I feel right now? How is my relationship with God? Do I feel close to him? Do I know his promises? Do I work on my relationship with Him?

God’s words will not pass away. May we soak ourselves on his word and live life by it.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another weekend coming up. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your word, for your love letter to me. Sorry for the times I am too lazy to read up on it. Sorry for not giving it the importance it deserves. Sorry for not being hungry enough for you. I pray that I may have the desire to just soak it up and bask in your word. May I always remember how much you love me and the promises you have for me. I will do my best to get to know you more by reading your word. As I do this, I humbly ask that you fill me, inspire me, and assure me. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2015/11/he-will-come.html

Daily Readings

November 29 2019

« 

November 28  |  November 30 »

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 507

Reading 1 DN 7:2-14

In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,
the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,
from which emerged four immense beasts,
each different from the others.
The first was like a lion, but with eagle’s wings.
While I watched, the wings were plucked;
it was raised from the ground to stand on two feet
like a man, and given a human mind.
The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,
and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.
It was given the order, “Up, devour much flesh.”
After this I looked and saw another beast, like a leopard;
on its back were four wings like those of a bird,
and it had four heads.
To this beast dominion was given.
After this, in the visions of the night I saw the fourth beast,
different from all the others,
terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength;
it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed,
and what was left it trampled with its feet.
I was considering the ten horns it had,
when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst,
and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it.
This horn had eyes like a man,
and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.
As I watched,

Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was snow bright,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened.
I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words
which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain
and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up.
The other beasts, which also lost their dominion,
were granted a prolongation of life for a time and a season.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw

One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm DANIEL 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“Mountains and hills, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!”
“You springs, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“Seas and rivers, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Alleluia LK 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 21:29-33

Jesus told his disciples a parable.
“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.”

Powerful

The WORD today reminds me reminds me how powerful God is.

There are situations wherein we feel it’s a dead end. We sometimes think God cannot do anything about it anymore. There are times we know and feel that the only way to get out is a miracle – something that we think we will not experience. However, God is all powerful, and what we consider miracles are just normal things for Him. This is what Daniel experienced.

In the first reading, we saw that Daniel was faithful to God. This became an opportunity for others to have him punished. They envied him and his relationship and favor with the king, so they wanted him out. And they forced the king to have Daniel thrown in the lion’s Den, as a fulfillment of the king’s decree. However, Daniel kept his faith, and God rewarded Hm. God sealed the mouth of the lion so Daniel was unharmed.

God is powerful, and his plans cannot be destroyed by the enemy.

What the enemy intended for evil, God can turn into something good. No one is more powerful than God. The people intended evil for Daniel, but God turned it into something great - an event which saved Daniel and gave glory to God. Because of that event, people were converted because the king himself witnessed first-hand God's power. This shows that when we really trust in God and do our part in praying and getting closer to Him, he will reward us. He will take care of us. Daniel continued to pray and had great faith in God in the midst of facing death. And when he was saved, he glorified God.

No matter where we are right now, no matter what situation we are in, God is still in control. No sickness is too powerful for him. No misfortune or bad situation is a dead end. Nothing is beyond his power and control. Like Daniel, we just need to trust in him. We just need to be faithful. And he will reward us.

Do I have faith in God? Do I realize his power in this world and in my life? Do I let worldly power and challenges get the best of me? Am I working on my relationship with God? What is he telling me today? 

May we take courage, knowing How powerful God is. And be inspired that miracles can really happen in our lives.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I feel you are powerless and you cannot do anything. Sorry for the times my faith is low and I feel I won’t experience something great from you. Sorry for the times I doubt you. Help me have faith like Daniel. May my faith be strong and firm. Use my to glorify you. use me for your purpose. May I be able to spread your kingdom through my life and my testimony. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflections:

https://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2018/11/ready-and-excited.html?m=0

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.sg/2011/11/stronger-than-lion.html

Daily Readings

November 28 2019 Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

« 

November 27  |  November 29 »

Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 506

Reading 1 DN 6:12-28

Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel's home
and found him praying and pleading before his God.
Then they went to remind the king about the prohibition:
"Did you not decree, O king,
that no one is to address a petition to god or man
for thirty days, except to you, O king;
otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?"
The king answered them, "The decree is absolute,
irrevocable under the Mede and Persian law."
To this they replied, "Daniel, the Jewish exile,
has paid no attention to you, O king,
or to the decree you issued;
three times a day he offers his prayer."
The king was deeply grieved at this news
and he made up his mind to save Daniel;
he worked till sunset to rescue him.
But these men insisted.
They said, "Keep in mind, O king,
that under the Mede and Persian law
every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable."
So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions' den.
To Daniel he said,
"May your God, whom you serve so constantly, save you."
To forestall any tampering,
the king sealed with his own ring and the rings of the lords
the stone that had been brought to block the opening of the den.

Then the king returned to his palace for the night;
he refused to eat and he dismissed the entertainers.
Since sleep was impossible for him,
the king rose very early the next morning
and hastened to the lions' den.
As he drew near, he cried out to Daniel sorrowfully,
"O Daniel, servant of the living God,
has the God whom you serve so constantly
been able to save you from the lions?"
Daniel answered the king: "O king, live forever!
My God has sent his angel and closed the lions' mouths
so that they have not hurt me.
For I have been found innocent before him;
neither to you have I done any harm, O king!"
This gave the king great joy.
At his order Daniel was removed from the den,
unhurt because he trusted in his God.
The king then ordered the men who had accused Daniel,
along with their children and their wives,
to be cast into the lions' den.
Before they reached the bottom of the den,
the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Then King Darius wrote to the nations and peoples of every language,
wherever they dwell on the earth:  "All peace to you!
I decree that throughout my royal domain
the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:

"For he is the living God, enduring forever;
his Kingdom shall not be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be without end.
He is a deliverer and savior,
working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
and he delivered Daniel from the lions' power."

Responsorial Psalm DANIEL 3:68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Dew and rain, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Frost and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Ice and snow, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Nights and days, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Light and darkness, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Let the earth bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Alleluia LK 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 21:20-28

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand."

Surprise

The WORD today reminds me that God will surprise us, especially when we least expect it.

In the first reading, we see a powerful man in the sense of the world. King Belshazzar gave a banquet. He is powerful and influential, and he is enjoying it. He is having the time of his life when suddenly, God surprised him. He saw a vision, and he was disturbed. Eventually he had Daniel interpret it

God will come when we least expect it – and we cannot deny the state of our hearts when he sees it.

We eventually saw through Daniel that the king was not living right. The king has rebelled against God. He disrespected God and worshipped worldly possessions – gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. All things that are in the world. Beautiful but useless. We see what he considers important when he told Daniel that he will be given gifts, money and power if he can interpret the dream. This shows that these things are really important for him. and he thinks these are the things other people consider important as well

Sometimes, we feel that God is silent, but his silence does not mean his approval. He is always watching.

The king may have been able to live wickedly for a while. He may have thought he was unstoppable. However, God sees us. And in his perfect time, he will come. And he will catch us doing what our heart contains and not what we project to other people. He may be silent, but that does not mean he approves wickedness. Sometimes he is just giving us a chance to repent and come to our senses. But when we refuse to, if we continue to ignore him, then he will come and judge us.

May we never equate God’s silence to his approval, and be aware that when God surprises us, we cannot deny the state of our lives. And we will be punished, or rewarded, as we deserve.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for another reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I think your silence means your approval. Sorry for the times I try to get awy with bad things and think it’s okay since you seem to be silent. Sorry for all my excuses. Help me always live right. Help me listen to your small voice. Help me live pleasing to you. So that when you come to surprise me, it will be a happy occasion – the start of eternity with you. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflections:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.sg/2011/11/hes-got-your-back.html

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.sg/2014/11/protected.html 

Daily Readings

November 27 2019

« 

November 26  |  November 28 »

Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 505

Reading 1 DN 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28

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

R.(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 RV 2:10C

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 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."

Do Not be Deceived

The WORD today reminds me that we should be carful and not be deceived by impostors.

There are a lot of criminals nowadays. In the Philippines, one of the modus being used is called the "Budol Budol" wherein people are tricked into believing that their master/parents got into an accident and needs money. They are told to break in to the house vault or forcibly take jewelry and precious items supposedly for their master's use. When they give it to the criminals, who pretend to be friends of their master, they will eventually find out they have been victimized. They were deceived in believing the impostors.

This is similar to what the devil will try to do. The devil will always try to deceive us and take us away from God.

In the gospel Jesus says that there will be people who will come in his name and deceive others. We are warned not to be deceived. There are a lot of people and groups who claim to be the true group, true religion, or have divine origins. Whatever they say, no matter how other people may take it, we should not believe it. We should not be deceived

Jesus will come back, Yes, but not in the form of another person. He will come back as Jesus. When he comes back, there will be no question. We will know it is him. This is why we should only believe in Him and guard our faith against those who try to distract us and keep us away from God

May we guarded and careful as we follow only God

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for always providing for me. Thank you for all the blessings. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I lose my focus on you. help me be vigilant of my faith. Help me always keep my focus on you. May I never be deceived by others, no matter what they say, do and how the people react to them. Help me keep my eyes and my heart to you. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

November 26 2019

November 25  |  November 27 »

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 504

Reading 1 DN 2:31-45

Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar:
"In your vision, O king, you saw a statue,
very large and exceedingly bright,
terrifying in appearance as it stood before you.
The head of the statue was pure gold,
its chest and arms were silver,
its belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron,
its feet partly iron and partly tile.
While you looked at the statue,
a stone which was hewn from a mountain
without a hand being put to it,
struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.
The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,
fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,
and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.
But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain
and filled the whole earth.

"This was the dream;
the interpretation we shall also give in the king's presence.
You, O king, are the king of kings;
to you the God of heaven
has given dominion and strength, power and glory;
men, wild beasts, and birds of the air, wherever they may dwell,
he has handed over to you, making you ruler over them all;
you are the head of gold.
Another kingdom shall take your place, inferior to yours,
then a third kingdom, of bronze,
which shall rule over the whole earth.
There shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron;
it shall break in pieces and subdue all these others,
just as iron breaks in pieces and crushes everything else.
The feet and toes you saw, partly of potter's tile and partly of iron,
mean that it shall be a divided kingdom,
but yet have some of the hardness of iron.
As you saw the iron mixed with clay tile,
and the toes partly iron and partly tile,
the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.
The iron mixed with clay tile
means that they shall seal their alliances by intermarriage,
but they shall not stay united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
In the lifetime of those kings
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;
rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms
and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.
That is the meaning of the stone you saw hewn from the mountain
without a hand being put to it,
which broke in pieces the tile, iron, bronze, silver, and gold.
The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future;
this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure."

Responsorial Psalm DANIEL 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"You heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Alleluia RV 2:10C

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 21:5-11

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, "All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him,
"Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"
He answered,
"See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
'I am he,' and 'The time has come.'
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end."
Then he said to them,
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."