FIRST READING - Dan 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28

"The fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace."

A reading from the Book of Daniel

¹ King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, with whom he drank. ² Under the influence of the wine, he ordered the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,^[a] had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, to be brought in so that the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines might drink from them. ³ When the gold vessels taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, had been brought in, and while the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines were drinking ⁴ wine from them, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

⁵ 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 hand that wrote, ⁶ his face became pale; his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook, and his knees knocked. ¹³ Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king. The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, whom my father, the king, brought from Judah? ¹⁴ I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, that you have shown brilliant insight and extraordinary wisdom. ¹⁶ But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems; now, if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be clothed in purple, wear a chain of gold around your neck, and be third in governing the kingdom.”

¹⁷ Daniel answered the king: “You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else; but the writing I will read for the king, and tell what it means. ²³ 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 consorts and your concubines, 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 very breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify. ²⁴ By him was the hand sent, and the writing set down.

²⁵ “This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Tekel, and Peres.^[a] These words mean: ^26 [b]Mene, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; ²⁷ Tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; ²⁸ Peres, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 21:12-19

^"You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed."

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

¹² “Before all this happens,^[a] however, 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. ¹³ It will lead to your giving testimony. ¹⁴ Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, ¹⁵ for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking^[b] that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. ¹⁶ You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ You will be hated by all because of my name, ¹⁸ but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. ¹⁹ By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

34 TH WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 21:12-19)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear people of God,

The Word of God in today's Gospel, God invites His disciples to have firm faith in God’s love; do not worry, do not be afraid, do not be anxious when encountering big waves and strong winds, or challenges and persecutions brought by the world; for the Son of God Himself also had to go through these difficulties.

God desires of His disciples to have firm faith in His love, firm faith in His power and strength.

He can do all things; He provides for all things.

God teaches His apostles, as well as all of humanity, to know that those who are carrying out the works in God's plan of salvation but are persecuted, imprisoned, or mistreated should not worry, should not be afraid, and should not worry about how to defend themselves; for at that very moment, God will enlighten them to know on what to say and what to do.

God desires all of humanity to always have firm faith in His love and providence, to walk according to the path of righteousness, the path of truth, the path of God's light, so that Satan will not be able to harm our souls and bodies.

God calls on those who are still weak, timid, and afraid to stand up, to Hold firm to His love, hold firm to His light, so that He may increase our strength and increase the grace of courage to stand firm in the plan of salvation that God grants to all humanity.

God loves all souls; He does not want to lose a single soul.

Therefore, today's Word of God calls on His apostles as well as all humanity to walk on the path of God's light so that God Himself will grant peace and happiness to humanity, and bestow eternal life in His Kingdom.

God will grant a worthy reward to those who do everything according to God's instructions and remain faithful and loyal to God until their last breath; and their souls and bodies will also behold the holy face of God when He calls them out of this world.

The Word that God has promised, He will fulfill.

Thanks be to God. Amen.