Daily Readings - Wed Nov 26 2025
Daniel
1King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.2While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.3So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.4As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.5Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.6His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way.13So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, "Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.16Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom."17Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.23Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.24Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.25"This is the inscription that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin26"This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.27Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.28Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
Luke
12"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.13This will result in your being witnesses to them.14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.16You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.17All men will hate you because of me.18But not a hair of your head will perish.19By standing firm you will gain life.
Sermon
The readings today remind us of the importance of humility and trust in God’s providence. In the first reading from Daniel, we see King Belshazzar’s arrogance as he desecrates the sacred vessels from the Temple in Jerusalem, praising false idols instead of the one true God. This act of defiance leads to a dramatic and supernatural intervention: the mysterious handwriting on the wall, which only Daniel can interpret. The message is clear: Belshazzar’s kingdom will fall because he has forgotten the God who gave him life and power. Daniel’s courage in speaking the truth, even in the face of a king’s anger, shows us the importance of standing firm in our faith, even when it is uncomfortable or risky.
In the Gospel, Jesus prepares His disciples for the challenges they will face. He warns them that they will be persecuted, betrayed, and hated because of His name. Yet, in the midst of these trials, Jesus assures them that He will give them the words to speak and the wisdom to endure. He reminds them that not a hair on their head will perish, and that by their patience, they will possess their souls. This is not a promise of comfort or ease, but a call to trust in God’s plan and to remain faithful even in the face of suffering.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our own lives. Do we, like Belshazzar, sometimes forget the source of our blessings and take credit for what belongs to God? Or are we willing to humbly acknowledge His sovereignty over all things? When we face challenges or persecution, do we trust in God’s providence, or do we rely on our own strength? The moral lesson is clear: true wisdom comes from recognizing God’s presence in our lives and trusting in His plan, even when the road ahead seems uncertain. Let us strive to live with humility and courage, knowing that God is always with us, guiding us through every trial.