23rd NOVEMBER. MONDAY OF WEEK 34

1st Reading: Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20

For keeping God's laws, Daniel and his companions are more respected than all magicians and counselors in Babylon.

In the third year of the reigh of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and bisieged it.

The Lord let King Jehoiakim of Judah fall into his power, as well as some of the vessels of the house of God. These he brought to the land of Shinar, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his gods. Then the king commanded his palace master Ashpenaz to bring some of the Israelites of the royal family and of the nobility, young men without physical defect and handsome, versed in every branch of wisdom, endowed with knowledge and insight, and competent to serve in the king's palace; they were to be taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of that time they could be stationed in the king's court. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah.

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile with the royal rations of food and wine; so he asked the palace master to allow him not to defile himself. Now God allowed Daniel to receive favour and compassion from the palace master. The palace master said to Daniel, " I am afraid of my  Lord the king; he has appointe your food and your drink. If he should see you in poorer condition than the other young men of your own age, you would endanger my head with the king."

Then Daniel asked the guard whom the palace master had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azaria:" "Please tests your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. You can then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according  to what you observe." So he agreed to this proposal and tested them for ten days.

At the end of ten days it was observed that they appeared  better and fatter than all the youngmen who had been eating the royal ration. So the guard continued to withdraw their royal rations and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. To these four young  men God gave knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom; Daniel also had insight into all visions and dreams. 

At the end of the time that the king had set for them to be brought in, the palace master brought them into the presence of Nabuchadnezer, and the king spoke with them. And among them all, no one was found to compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they were stationed in the king's court. In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

Gospel: Luke 21:1-4

The widow gave two coppers to the temple, but it means more than the wealthiest of benefactions

One day Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the temple treasury; he also noticed a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, " Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on."

REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATIONS ON THE READINGS

Today's gospel presents to us a poor widow but with exceeding generosity because she gave all what she had, her whole livelihood for the temple treasury. And her poverty did not stop her from giving her share. We all invited in this account to give our strength at maximum capacity in serving God. It is the lesson from the gospel that whatever we have given from God as both natural and supernatural talents have to be used to serve God's people. From the gospel today, we hear that the contribution of the widow seemed to be little as compared to the contribution of the others but theirs were coming from their surplus wealth.

Why widow is so poor? Luke 20:46-47, the gospel passage before today's gospel, gives us the reason why the widow is so poor. It is because the Pharisees and the scribes ' devour the houses of the widow!' In other words, social oppression and injustice caused for the misery of the poor. No wonder that God is not pleased with the gifts of those who offer ' from their surplus wealth' which they took from the poor instead of sharing what they have with them.

Let us listen to two holy persons of all times, St. Augustine and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta that said something about wealth and giving or generosity : Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure is, there is your hear; where your heart is there is your happiness, "( St. Augustine) and " If you give what you do not need, it is not giving," ( Blessed Mother Teresa).

God is not interested in how much we give, but in why we give. God does not look at the amount of the gift but the spirit of the giver.