Daily Readings - Mon Nov 24 2025
Daniel
1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.3Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility,4youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.5The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.6Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.8But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.9And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,10and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king."11Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,12"Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.13Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see."14So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.15At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food.16So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.17As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.18At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.19And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king.20And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.
Luke
1Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box,2and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.3And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.4For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories of faith, integrity, and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Daniel tells the story of Daniel and his companions, who, despite being exiles in a foreign land, remained faithful to their God. Refusing to compromise their beliefs by eating the king’s food and drink, they trusted that God would provide for them. Their faith was rewarded with wisdom, understanding, and favor in the eyes of the king. The Gospel, on the other hand, presents us with the humble widow who, despite her poverty, gave all she had to live on as an offering to God. Jesus highlights her generosity, teaching us that true giving comes not from abundance but from sacrifice.
Both readings remind us that our relationship with God is not about external appearances or material wealth but about the depth of our faith and the sincerity of our actions. Daniel and the widow both acted out of trust in God, even when the circumstances seemed daunting. Daniel could have easily conformed to the king’s expectations to gain favor, but he chose integrity over comfort. The widow could have kept her meager coins for survival, but she chose to give everything to God, trusting that He would provide. Their examples challenge us to examine our own lives: Are we willing to stand firm in our faith, even when it’s difficult? Are we generous with what we have, trusting that God will multiply our efforts?
These readings call us to live with courage and generosity. Like Daniel, we may face pressures to conform to the world around us, but we are invited to remain steadfast in our values and trust in God’s plan. Like the widow, we are called to give freely, not out of what we have extra, but out of our very lives. True faith is not about what we say but about how we live. Let us ask ourselves: Where am I being called to trust God more deeply? How can I live with greater integrity and generosity today? May we, like Daniel and the widow, be examples of faith and trust in a world that often values power and wealth over humility and sacrifice.