Wednesday of the
Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
(Daniel 5:1-6.13-14.16-17.23-28; Luke 21:12-19)
“Can’t you read
the ‘writing on the wall’?” People ask
this question when the meaning of a situation appears clear to them but not so
to the other. The term originated in the
passage from the Book of the Prophet Daniel read today.
The words “Mene,” “Tekel,”
and “Peres” may sound esoteric,
but they are not incomprehensible.
Scholars say that mene means
to count. Tekel is the root word for the ancient weight and then coin, “shekel.” It means to weigh. And peres
is related to the root for “Pharisee” – the people separated out from commoners
for their strict observance. The “writing
on the wall” then is a message to the people who are committing sacrilege by using
the vessels from Jerusalem’s temple. Their
deeds are being counted and weighed. They will be separated out for punishment.
The same is true for all of us. Our deeds, observed and judged, will merit us
salvation or damnation. As today’s
gospel relates, we want to give testimony to Christ. It’s easy to say what we are to do but at
times difficult to carry out the tasks.
We are to love one another as Jesus loves us – earnestly, patiently, self-sacrificingly.
