Daily Readings - Tue Nov 25 2025
Daniel
3And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.9But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.10The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.27Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;31Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.32This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,33His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.34Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.35Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.36This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.37Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.38And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.39And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.40And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.41And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.42And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.43And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.45Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Luke
5And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,6As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.7And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?8And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.9But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.10Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:11And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of power, the fleeting nature of human achievements, and the ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom. In the first reading from Daniel, we hear the story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, which Daniel interprets as a vision of the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms. The statue in the dream, made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay, represents the succession of empires, each weaker than the last. The stone that shatters the statue symbolizes God’s kingdom, which will endure forever. Daniel’s interpretation reminds us that all human power is temporary and that God’s plan will ultimately prevail.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, a structure that was the center of Jewish worship and identity. While the disciples marvel at its beauty and grandeur, Jesus warns them that even such an imposing edifice will one day be reduced to rubble. He cautions them against being deceived by false messiahs and against being alarmed by wars, earthquakes, and other signs of turmoil. Jesus is teaching us to look beyond the surface of things, to trust in God’s plan, and to remain steadfast in our faith even when the world around us seems to be falling apart.
Both readings remind us that our ultimate hope is not in the things of this world, which are fragile and impermanent, but in the kingdom of God, which is eternal and unshakable. In our daily lives, we are often tempted to put our trust in wealth, power, or human institutions, but these can fail us. Instead, we are called to build our lives on the rock of faith, to trust in God’s providence, and to remain vigilant in the face of temptation and uncertainty. Let us ask for the grace to keep our eyes fixed on what truly endures, and to live each day with hope and confidence in the triumph of God’s kingdom.