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<< Monday, November 21, 2011 >>

Presentation of Mary
Saint of the Day

Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20
View Readings

Daniel 3:52-56

Luke 21:1-4

NO-KNOW?

"In any question of wisdom or prudence which the king put to them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom." —Daniel 1:20

We all need to know things which are humanly impossible to know. We need to know things about the future and about our hearts and those of others. Otherwise, we will make very poor decisions in marriage, work, parenting, ministry, finances, etc. Yet, we can't know the future or the hearts of people (Jer 17:9).

Many people deny this, deceive themselves, and pretend they will know what they need to know by their intelligence or education. These people become increasingly frustrated as reality eventually crashes down on them. Others at least know they don't know. They usually live lives of escapism and hopelessness. However, there's one more possibility. Since our human knowledge is inadequate, we can ask the Lord for supernatural, spiritual gifts of wisdom and knowledge (Is 11:2). He has already given us divine revelation through the Church's teaching, especially the Bible. However, we need to be like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. We must be uncompromisingly obedient to the revelation we already have in order to grasp what the Spirit will teach us (Dn 1:8ff). Jesus said: "Anyone committed to the truth hears My voice" (Jn 18:37). "Whoever is of God hears every word God speaks" (Jn 8:47).

At first, knowing precedes loving, but after that those who are "in the know" are those who are "in love." Give all to God, and then know all from God.

Prayer: Father, tell me "things great beyond reach of [my] knowledge" (Jer 33:3).

Promise: "They make contributions out of their surplus, but she from her want has given what she could not afford — every penny she had to live on." —Lk 21:4

Praise: Praise be to the Triune God Who has chosen Mary for bearing and raising Jesus.

One Bread, One Body

NO-KNOW?