Daily Readings - Mon Nov 26 2018
Revelation
1And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.2And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:3And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.4These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.5And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Luke
1And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.2And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.3And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:4For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful visions of devotion and sacrifice. The first, from Revelation, presents a glorious scene of the Lamb on Mount Zion, accompanied by 144,000 faithful followers. These individuals are marked by their purity and unwavering commitment to God, untainted by worldly desires. They sing a new song, a hymn of praise that only they can sing, for they have been redeemed and stand without blemish before God’s throne. This passage invites us to reflect on the ultimate goal of our faith: to stand before God, pure and faithful, having given our all to Him.
In the Gospel, Luke presents a stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor widow. While the wealthy give from their abundance, the widow offers her last two coins. Jesus praises her, not for the amount she gave, but for the sacrifice it represented. She gave all she had, trusting in God’s providence. This story challenges us to examine our own giving—whether it is from our surplus or from our very need. True generosity, Jesus teaches, is not measured by quantity but by the depth of our surrender and trust in God.
Both readings call us to a life of total commitment to God. The vision in Revelation reminds us that our ultimate destiny is to stand before God, pure and faithful, having given our lives completely to Him. The story of the widow challenges us to live this commitment concretely, even in the smallest details of our daily lives. Let us ask ourselves: Am I giving God my all, or am I holding back? Am I trusting in His providence, or am I clinging to what I think I need? May we, like the widow, learn to give generously, not just from our abundance, but from the depths of our hearts, knowing that true devotion is measured by the sacrifice we make for love of Him.