Nov 25 2024

First reading Apocalypse 14:1-5

The redeemed have Christ and his Father’s name written on their foreheads

In my vision I, John, saw Mount Zion, and standing on it a Lamb who had with him a hundred and forty-four thousand people, all with his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. I heard a sound coming out of the sky like the sound of the ocean or the roar of thunder; it seemed to be the sound of harpists playing their harps. There in front of the throne they were singing a new hymn in the presence of the four animals and the elders, a hymn that could only be learnt by the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the world; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they have been redeemed from amongst men to be the first-fruits for God and for the Lamb. They never allowed a lie to pass their lips and no fault can be found in them.

Responsorial Psalm 23(24):1-6

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

He shall receive a blessing from the Lord,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Gospel Luke 21:1-4

The widow’s mite

As Jesus looked up, he saw rich people putting their offerings into the treasury; then he happened to notice a poverty-stricken widow putting in two small coins, and he said, ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them; for these have all contributed money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in all she had to live on.’

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Greater attachment to God

In the gospel, the widow showed that her trust and dependence were placed in God rather than in her material possessions. In contrast, the rich people depended and trusted more on their wealth. While valuing material resources is not inherently wrong, since they support our daily lives, we must not forget that they are just means for us to live. They are not the source of our lives. Ultimately, it is God who truly sustains us in life.

The poor widow showed that her understanding through her way of life. She was more attached to God and, thus, less attached to her money. As Henri Nouwen wrote, “It is not so much a question of detachment as it is a question of fully trusting and following the voice of love. Detachment is only a consequence of a greater attachment. Who would worry about his few possessions when invited to be intimate with the lord of abundance, who offers more fish than we can catch and more bread than we can eat?” Today, let us continue our journey toward greater attachment to God.

Reflective question:
How can I trust and depend more on God?

Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.