November 26, 2025 Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28; Luke 21:12-19
It is the turn of King Belshazzar son of Nebuchadnezzar to defile the holy articles brought from the Temple of Jerusalem. He and the entire royal household drank wine to their heart’s content and committed a great sin. Even in his drunken state he was able to see a hand scribbling something on the wall. It terrified him. Daniel was called in to solve the mystery. The king knew of God’s spirit dwelling in Daniel that he possessed enlightenment, understanding and an excellent wisdom. The king promised Daniel that he would be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold and third rank in his kingdom. Gifts didn’t matter anything to Daniel. He was ready to interpret the writing on the wall. A person such as Daniel possessed God’s spirit in him because of his fidelity to the observances of law of God. He didn’t look forward to rewards on earth. His only reward was God’s blessings!
Today’s Gospel text is the continuation of yesterday’s passage. Together with all kinds of natural calamities, the rulers too will play their role to test the fidelity of the believers. They will arrest them, persecute them, and hand them over to synagogues and prisons. The believers will also be tried before kings and governors because of Jesus’ name. Thus the rulers will provide the believers an opportunity to testify and bear witness to Jesus. They will be betrayed by members of their own families and even put them to death. They will become objects of hatred. A great assurance comes from the Lord: “not a hair of your head will perish” (verse 18) and “by your endurance you will gain our souls” (verse 19). Nothing will go in vain. Ultimate vindication is in the hands of the Lord. There is no need for modern believers to panic. It is just a warning that serves the purpose of preparation.
Call to Action: Christian believers are to endure at all costs because Christianity is synonymous to persecutions. Modern world gives many opportunities to suffer. The one who suffers for the sake of Christ will give meaning to her/his life.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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