Sat., Nov. 28: Dan 7:15-27; Luke 21:34-36

… And that day catch you by surprise like a trap. Anyone who attends to the word of the Lord should be well aware that we have had fair notice to be watchful for the appearance of the Son of Man. We also know how impatient and distractible most of us are and how easy it is to allow our thoughts to stray to the trivialities of daily life. Only through a constant dialogue of prayer can we lessen the trap of how daily anxieties sidetrack us and not be caught off-guard.

*Gentle Jesus, lighten our hearts so that we may focus on you, we pray.

Fri., Nov. 27: Dan 7:2-14; Luke 21:29-33

… Know that the kingdom of God is near. We like to make plans for the future. We ask children what they want to be when they grow up. We live for tomorrow with little time for the gift of today. We do the same with our views of faith and salvation. We speak of the time many years from now when we will die and, by God’s grace, go to heaven. In doing so we fail to recognize an obvious and fundamental truth of our faith — the reign of God is at hand, if we only work to bring it about. We must focus on how the kingdom is already in our midst and live in a way that helps others see it as well.

*O Lord, show us the way to accept today as a sign of your kingdom, we pray.

Thurs., Nov. 26: Dan 6:12-28; Luke 21:20-28

… And he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. Amid the celebrations of family, friends and food on Thanksgiving Day, let us be ever mindful that the plentiful gifts we celebrate and share are only possible through the love and goodness of God. The greatest show of gratitude that we can offer is to reach out to those who experience suffering and want while so many others overindulge, or to offer companionship to those who suffer loneliness while so many others squeeze into crowded and joyous homes. If we are truly grateful we’ll do all that we can to ensure that all God’s children experience the loving abundance of God.

*Generous Lord, give us the grace to show our gratitude today and every day, we pray.

Wed., Nov. 25: Dan 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28; Luke 21:12-19

… For I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking. Many Christians, despite a firm belief in God, dismiss their personal role in evangelization. They fear their own limited grasp of theology or their lack of experience talking in front of others. Indeed, one of the greatest fears among adults is public speaking — adds to that the often private and very personal topic of speaking of faith, and most quickly and quietly shrinks into the background. Thus we begin to view the task of professing God’s word as the sole domain of those called to religious vocations. While there are many excellent preachers, we all have a story of faith and trust in the Lord’s role in our lives that can be of hope or inspiration to others. Profess the Lord’s goodness. You never know how God will speak through your voice.

*Lord, open our hearts and our mouths to profess your greatness before all, we pray.

Tues., Nov. 24: Dan 2:31-45; Luke 21:5-11

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! There is no question that we must make sacrifices to follow the Lord. Does what we surrender bring joy or grumbling? We’re often weak and fearful. We doubt our ability to emulate the Lord’s great sacrifice and, truthfully, most of us dread being called upon to do so. Andrew Dung-Lac, priest and martyr, and his companions paid dearly for following the one true God. Between 1820 and 1862, over 130,000 Christians suffered martyrdom in Vietnam. Later 117 martyrs were canonized and represented countless other unnamed individuals who followed the same agonizing path, in life and in death, of Jesus Christ, the king of the martyrs. They would not be deceived, even if it meant persecution and death. Truly our sacrifices are miniscule in comparison. Let’s hope, however, that our fervor to follow the Lord isn’t.

*Give us the strength, O God, to follow your will for our lives, we pray.

Mon., Nov. 23: Dan 1:1-6, 8-20; Luke 21:1-4

… And he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. As we enter into the holiday season, despite our best efforts it’s easy to get carried away in consumerism. When our mood is light, a little splurging here and there seems reasonable and deserved. It’s important for us to remember that some people, like the widow, are so poor that splurging isn’t an option. We must come to know dependence on what will truly lighten our mood and our burden — dependence on the Lord and complete trust in his ability to provide what we truly need. Few of us need more things, but we could all rely more on God to understand how truly blessed we are.

*That we may forego the temptation of the fleeting excesses of this life, we pray.

Sat., Nov. 21: 1 Macc 6:1-13; Luke 20:27-40

And he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive. In response to the ridiculous hypothetical situation presented by the Sadducees, Jesus points to scriptural evidence of the resurrection of the dead: Moses’ encounter with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — ancestors gone from this life but still very much alive with God. Of course, we know the rest of the story: Jesus himself is the resurrection. In him, we have already begun to live the resurrected life. As we say in prayer when a loved one dies, life is changed, not ended. While we cannot yet know the fullness of heaven, we have every reason to hope for it, and, in the meantime, to work for the fullness of God’s kingdom on earth.

*For trust in God’s promise of eternal life, we pray.

Fri., Nov. 20: 1 Macc 4:36-37, 52-59; Luke 19:45-48

And every day he was teaching in the temple area. Today’s readings center on characters demonstrating zeal for the temple. The first reading commemorates the institution of the feast of Hanukkah. The temple, having been occupied and desecrated by invaders, is regained by Israel. The joyful, eight-day celebration of its purification and rededication is to be remembered as an annual celebration. Jesus purifies the temple, too, by driving out those who have reduced it to a marketplace. Do we have this sort of zeal for our place of worship? Do we protect it from those who might like to use it as a multipurpose facility? Do we resist those who suggest we can legitimately, for convenience’s sake, hijack the liturgical assembly — people who have come to church to pray — to do business?

*For respect for God’s house and God’s people, we pray.

Thurs., Nov. 19: 1 Macc 2:15-29; Luke 19:41-44

The days will come when … your enemies … will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. Life is full of reasons to give thanks, to rejoice and to stand in awe of God’s power and goodness. But life can turn on a dime. It also brings us experiences of unspeakable suffering and grief, days of sorrow or even despair, encounters with inexplicable evil — what theologian Edward Schillebeeckx calls “contrast experiences” because they differ so radically from our experiences of God’s goodness and love. Ironically, such contrast experiences have unique revelatory power. Jesus is headed toward Jerusalem and the cross, the quintessential contrast experience. His disciples’ experience of him will be turned on its head, their understanding broken wide open.

*He tells them to pay attention. For the grace to find God in all circumstances, we pray.

Wed., Nov. 18: 2 Macc 7:1, 20-31; Luke 19:11-28

With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. The heartless execution of seven brothers before their mother (today’s first reading) illustrates pure wickedness. But the description “wicked” seems a bit harsh for the poor fellow in Jesus’ parable, doesn’t it? Surely we could ascribe various unflattering labels to him: stupid, lazy, irresponsible. But wicked? Perhaps we need to consider how both evil and goodness grow and evolve. Evil often begins with what seem mild offenses, little omissions, wrongs so small that we readily excuse ourselves for committing them. But each one adds grease to an increasingly slippery slope. Conversely, when we take what we have been given, little though it might be, and use it conscientiously and well, remarkable good can result.

*For gratitude and diligence in serving the Lord, we pray.

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Tues., Nov. 17: 2 Macc 6:18-31; Luke 19:1-10

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. Today’s readings present two models of faith, Eleazar and Zacchaeus. In 2 Maccabees, we find the aged Eleazar under persecution for his faith. When offered the chance to avoid torture and death, he refuses, finding the cost — a subterfuge that could lead others astray — unacceptable. In the Gospel, Zacchaeus overcomes the problem of his small stature by climbing a tree to see Jesus. Later, when Jesus is criticized for associating with him, Zacchaeus pledges in real, tangible terms to reform his ways. What challenges to our faith will we encounter today? What creativity or virtue will we need to remain true to Jesus?

*For the integrity and zeal of faithful disciples, we pray.