Word to the Wise
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - Wednesday in the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
[Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 and Luke 21:12-19]Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king's palace. When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote, his face blanched; his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook, and his knees knocked. [Daniel]
In yesterday's adventure from the Book of Daniel, the vision of a statue, Daniel supplied us with the source of an old saying about someone who looks strong but is actually weak. We say, "He/she has feet of clay!" Today's adventure supplies us with another old saying, "the handwriting on the wall!" This means not just a warning but a sign that something ominous is going to happen soon. The king's reaction, in keeping with good story-telling, seems like something out of "Caspar the Friendly Ghost!" The Book of Daniel is definitely oriented to making a hero of Daniel as the ideal Jewish youth and sage, but, as I mentioned yesterday, the goal is to strengthen those who were weakening under the onslaught of Greek culture backed by pagan royal authority in the years 164-167 BC. Victory belongs to those who remain faithful to the Law of Moses. I cannot help but think of the continual onslaught on secularism and negative media attention that many Catholics experience in our own culture and times. The idols of materialism, consumerism, and false freedom of choice ultimately have "feet of clay." But the handwriting on the wall could be for us if we do not remain faithful to the gospel. AMEN
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