Posted on 11/27/2017 7:54:15 PM PST by Salvation
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From: Daniel 2:31-45
Daniel Describes the King’s Dream (Continuation)
Daniel Interprets the King’s Dream
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
2:25-35. Daniel claims no personal credit for knowing the content of the king’s
dream; he makes it plain that God revealed the Secret to him; only God knows
what will happen in the “latter times” (vv. 27-28). We have entered the area of
divine revelation, which is what this book is all about — the world of the End time,
which as yet exists only in the mind of God. Our Lord himself will say that “of
that day and hour no one knows...” (Mt 24:36).
Daniel uses the opportunity to lead the king to the true God, the God of heaven,
who knows all mysteries.
In line with the thread of the story, Daniel first tells the king about the content of
his dream (2:31-35) and then interprets it (3:13-22). The king’s vision is full of sym-
bolism. In the Bible, statues connote idolatry, insofar as they are graven images
(cf Ex 32), even though the passage does not expressly say that the image is an
idol. As one moves from head to feet, the metals used in the statue decrease in
value. In contrast with the materials of the statue are the stone and the mountain,
symbols of solidity and stability. The interpretation reads the metals as represen-
tative of the various kingdoms. This is a classical symbolic image: Hesiod, a
Greek historian of the eighth-to-seventh century BC, in his book “Works and
Days”, 199-201, had used the very same metals and in the same order to signify
periods of history; something similar is to be found in Polybius (”Historia”, 38, 22)
and other classical authors. Now, in Daniel’s vision, the four metals all appear to-
gether, at the same time, so to speak—a sign that, for God, history is all of a
piece.
The image with “feet of clay” (vv. 32-33) is often taken as a reminder that human
nature is frail and that nevertheless it is endowed with precious gifts from God:
“Our Lord and our God: how great you are! It is you who give our life supernatural
meaning and divine vitality. For love of your Son, you cause us to say with all our
being, with our body and soul: ‘He must reign!’ And this we do against the back-
ground of our weakness, for you know that we are creatures made of clay — and
what creatures! Not just feet of clay, but heart and head too” (St. Josemaria Es-
crivá, “Christ Is Passing By”, 181).
2:36-45. Daniel is not being sycophantic by addressing the king as he does in
vv. 37-38; he is simply saying that the king has an impressive empire because
he has been given it by God, who rules over all things; he wants the king to see
that the power and glory that he enjoys are part of God’s plans. The other metals
(silver, bronze, iron), as one can deduce from the rest of the book, stand for the
empires of the Medes, Persians and Greeks, though that interpretation is not
perfectly clear because the silver could stand for the empire of the Medes and
Persians together. The divided kingdom made of clay and iron is a reference to
the Greek empire after the death of Alexander the Great (cf. 11:4) and to the po-
litical marriages made between the Seleucid and Lagid Greeks (Antiochus II
marrying Bernice; Ptolemy V marrying Cleopatra: cf. 11:6, 17) that failed to bring
about unity or union. This passage would have been composed when the Seleu-
cids and Lagids were at loggerheads, and it was against the same background
that the prophecy about the end of time seeing the establishment by God of an
everlasting kingdom was made (God’s action is symbolized by the stone that
strikes the image; there is no sign of any human power at work). It does not say
here who will be given the kingdom, but in the light of 7:26 and the fact that it
says that the kingdom will not be left to another people (v. 44), the implication
is that it will be given to faithful Israelites.
The symbol of the stone has a messianic dimension insofar as it is the means
by which the everlasting kingdom will be established and the previous kingdoms
destroyed. There are echoes here of images in other prophetical works and in
the psalms. Isaiah speaks of God as a “stone of offense”, a stumbling-block for
Israel (cf. Is 8:14) and in Psalm 118:22 the people of God are compared to a
stone which the builders have rejected and which has become the cornerstone.
In the New Testament that stone is Christ, and the kingdom which he ushers
in is the Kingdom of God which will be taken from Israel, to be given to another
people that will produce fruit (cf. Mt 21:42-43); Christ also says that anyone who
falls on that stone will be broken to pieces (cf. Lk 20:17-18). Using this Christo-
logical interpretation of the stone, some Fathers interpret the mountain from
which the stone comes as being the Blessed Virgin, and the stone cut off “by
no human hand” as an image of the conception of Jesus in the Virgin’s womb
without the involvement of a man: “When Daniel says that the one who inherits
the eternal kingdom is like a son of man, who can he mean, if not the Lord him-
self? For he was born of a woman, like a son of man, but he showed that his
life and power were not of human origin. To say that he is a stone that moves
under no external force is a mysterious description: it means that Christ is not
the fruit of the work and will of men; he is the fruit of the providence of God, the
Father of the universe” (St Justin, “Dialogus Cum Tryphone”, 76, 1).
The interpretation of the dream, the message it contains, would interest the rea-
der of the book—but not Nebuchadnezzar, who died centuries earlier. It describes
how, after the kingdoms of this world which succeed one another over the course
of history, an everlasting kingdom will be established by God himself — a kingdom
surpassing any that man could create. A Christian will read this as heralding the
Kingdom of Christ, although that will not be an earthly, political kingdom, but a
spiritual one, as Jesus will tell Pilate at his trial: “My kingship is not of this world”
(Jn 18:36).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 21:5-11
Discourse on the Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World
[10] Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom; [11] there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and
pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
5-36. The disciples are in awe of the magnificence of the temple, and Jesus uses
the occasion to give a long discourse, known as the “eschatological discourse”
because it has to do with the last days of the world. The account given here is
very similar to those in the other Synoptic Gospels (cf. Mt 24:1-51; Mk 13:1-37).
The discourse deals with three inter-connected subjects — the destruction of Je-
rusalem (which took place some forty years later), the end of the world, and the
second coming of Christ in glory and majesty. Jesus, who also predicts here the
persecution the Church will experience, exhorts His disciples to be patient, to
pray and be watchful.
Our Lord speaks here in the style and language of prophecy, using images taken
from the Old Testament; also, in this discourse prophecies which are going to be
fulfilled very soon are mixed in with others which have to do with the end of the
world. It is not our Lord’s intention to satisfy people’s curiosity about future events,
but to protect them from being discouraged and scandalized about what is going
to happen in the days immediately ahead. This explains why He exhorts them:
“Take heed that you are not led astray” (v. 8); “do not be terrified” (v. 9); “watch
at all times” (v. 36).
8. On hearing that Jerusalem is going to be destroyed, the disciples ask what
sign will be given as a warning of these events (vv. 5-7). Jesus answers by telling
them “not to be led astray,” that is to say, not to expect any warning; not to be
misled by false prophets; to stay faithful to Him. These false prophets will come
along claiming to be the Messiah (”I am He!”). Our Lord’s reply in fact refers to
two events which in the Jewish mind were interrelated — the destruction of the
Holy City and the end of the world. This is why He goes on to speak of both
events and implies that there will be a long gap between the two; the destruction
of the temple and of Jerusalem are a kind of sign or symbol of the catastrophes
which will mark the end of the world.
9-11. Our Lord does not want His disciples to confuse just any catastrophe —
famine, earthquake, war — or even persecution with the signals of the end of the
world. He exhorts them quite clearly: “Do not be terrified,” because although all
these has to happen, “the end will not be at once;” in spite of difficulties of all
kinds the Gospel will spread to the ends of the earth. Difficulties should not pa-
ralyze the preaching of the faith.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading | Daniel 2:31-45 © |
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Responsorial Psalm | Daniel 3:57-61 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | Lk21:28 |
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Or | Rv2:10 |
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Gospel | Luke 21:5-11 © |
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Pray for Pope Francis.
Is This Bishop Right about the Rosary Conquering Boko Haram? [Catholic Caucus]
Why Boko Haram and ISIS Target Women
Report reveals scale of Boko Haram violence inflicted on Nigerian Catholics
Military evacuating girls, women rescued from Boko Haram
Echos of Lepanto Nigerian bishop says rosary will bring down Boko Harm
After vision of Christ, Nigerian bishop says rosary will bring down Boko Haram (Catholic Caucus)
Nigerian Bishop Says Christ Showed Him How to Beat Islamic Terror Group
We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
(For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins." II Maccabees 12
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. As a reminder of our duty to pray for the suffering faithful in Purgatory, the Church has dedicated the month of November to the Holy Souls. The Holy Souls are those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven for which satisfaction is still to be made. They are certain of entering Heaven, but first they must suffer in Purgatory. The Holy Souls cannot help themselves because for them the night has come, when no man can work (John 9:4). It is our great privilege of brotherhood that we can shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
To Help the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
1. Have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered up for them.
2. Pray the Rosary and or the Chaplet of Divine Marcy for them, or both.
3. Pray the Stations of the Cross.
4. Offer up little sacrifices and fasting.
5. Spread devotion to them, so that others may pray for them.
6. Attend Eucharistic Adoration and pray for them.
7. Gain all the indulgences you can, and apply them to the Holy Souls
8. Visit to a Cemetery
The just shall be in everlasting remembrance;
He shall not fear the evil hearing.
V. Absolve, O Lord, the souls of the faithful departed
from every bond of sin,
R. And by the help of Thy grace
may they be enabled to escape the avenging judgment,
and to enjoy the happiness of eternal life.
Because in Thy mercy are deposited the souls that departed
in an inferior degree of grace,
Lord, have mercy.
Because their present suffering is greatest
in the knowledge of the pain that their separation from Thee is causing Thee,
Lord, have mercy.
Because of their present inability to add to Thy accidental glory,
Lord, have mercy.
Not for our consolation, O Lord;
not for their release from purgative pain, O God;
but for Thy joy
and the greater accidental honour of Thy throne, O Christ the King,
Lord, have mercy.
For the souls of our departed friends, relations and benefactors,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those of our family who have fallen asleep in Thy bosom, O Jesus,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those who have gone to prepare our place,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
(For those who were our brothers [or sisters] in Religion,)
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For priests who were our spiritual directors,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For men or women who were our teachers in school,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those who were our employers (or employees),
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those who were our associates in daily toil,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For any soul whom we ever offended,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For our enemies now departed,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those souls who have none to pray for them,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those forgotten by their friends and kin,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those now suffering the most,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those who have acquired the most merit,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For the souls next to be released from Purgatory,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those who, while on earth,
were most devoted to God the Holy Ghost,
to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament,
to the holy Mother of God,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For all deceased popes and prelates,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For all deceased priests, seminarians and religious,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For all our brethren in the Faith everywhere,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For all our separated brethren who deeply loved Thee,
and would have come into Thy household had they known the truth,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those souls who need, or in life asked, our prayers,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
For those, closer to Thee than we are, whose prayers we need,
grant light and peace, O Lord.
That those may be happy with Thee forever,
who on earth were true exemplars of the Catholic Faith,
grant them eternal rest, O Lord.
That those may be admitted to Thine unveiled Presence,
who as far as we know never committed mortal sin,
grant them eternal rest, O Lord.
That those may be housed in glory,
who lived always in recollection and prayer,
grant them eternal rest, O Lord.
That those may be given the celestial joy of beholding Thee,
who lived lives of mortification and self-denial and penance,
grant them eternal rest, O Lord.
That those may be flooded with Thy love,
who denied themselves even Thy favours of indulgence
and who made the heroic act
for the souls who had gone before them,
grant them eternal rest, O Lord.
That those may be drawn up to the Beatific Vision,
who never put obstacles in the way of sanctifying grace
and who ever drew closer in mystical union with Thee,
grant them eternal rest, O Lord.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord,
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
Let Us Pray
Be mindful, O Lord,
of Thy servants and handmaids,
N. and N.,
who are gone before us
with the sign of faith
and repose in the sleep of grace.
To these, O Lord,
and to all who rest in Christ,
grant, we beseech Thee,
a place of refreshment,
light and peace,
through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen
Bringing back the dead
Catholic style
All Souls, Purgatory and the Bible
Letter #95: Remembering the Dead
Hungry Souls (a bit of a [Book] review) Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
What Is All Souls Day (Commemoration of the Faithful Departed)?
All Saints or All Souls? Differences should be black and white
All Souls' Day [Catholic Caucus]
Why I Am Catholic: For Purgatory, Thank Heavens (Ecumenical)
Q and A: Why Pray for the Dead? [Ecumenical]
“….and Death is Gain” – A Meditation on the Christian View of Death [Catholic Caucus]
99 & 1/2 Won’t Do – A Meditation on Purgatory
The Month of November: Thoughts on the "Last Things"
To Trace All Souls Day
November 2 -- All Souls Day
On November: All Souls and the "Permanent Things"
"From the Pastor" ALL SAINTS & ALL SOULS
Praying for the Dead [All Souls Day] (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
To Trace All Souls Day [Ecumenical]
All Souls Day [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Roots of All Souls Day
The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
During Month of Souls, Recall Mystic, St. Gertrude the Great
All Saints and All Souls
Nation will rise against nation
In view of the numerous dangers and threats against human existence, Christians battle with all the strength of their hope, in union with all people of good will, for a more stable future that is worth living. Furthermore, what motivates us is not just a purely earthly hope but also and above all that hope which comes from faith, whose foundation and goal are ultimately God himself: the God who, in Jesus Christ, has spoken his definitive yes to humankind. In his cross and resurrection Christ has overcome all the worlds suffering and disaster, thus becoming for all of us the sign of hope.
Hope is indeed a divine virtue. It is fundamentally a gift that you already obtain
whenever you pray together with others and for others
We Christians equally have the duty of manifesting our hope publicly and sharing it with others. By words and actions rich in hope we shall help others to overcome their fear of life, their resignation and indifference, and have confidence in God and in other people. As disciples of Christ
you are to give people of today, surrounded as they are by a thousand threats and so full of confusion, the words and the hope that set us free.
St. Augustine
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women, |
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