St. Cecila, Virgin & martyr 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20

 (……..)As Daniel was resolved

Not to make himself unclean with the king’s food  or  wine,  he  begged  the  chief eunuch to spare him this defilement.   By the grace of God, the chief eunuch had been sympathetic to Daniel.  

But he was afraid of the king, and so he said, “If the king, who has allotted your food and drink, sees that you look more emaciated than the other young men of your age, he might think ill of me. It will put my life in danger to give in to your wish.”

 Daniel then turned to the steward whom the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mis­hael, and Azariah.   “Please test your servants for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink,   and see how we look in comparison with the young men who eat food from the king’s table. Then treat us in accordance with what you see.”

 The steward agreed and tested them for ten days,  at the end of which they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate  the king’s food.   So the steward continued to give them vegetables instead of the choice food and wine.

 To these four youths God gave wisdom and proficiency in literature, and to Daniel the gift of interpreting visions and dreams. At the end of the period set by the king for the youths’ training, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.  

 The king talked with them and found none to equal Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Aza­riah. These four became members of the king’s court.   In any matter of wisdom and discernment about which the king consulted, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

 

Dn 3:52, 54, 55, 56

Glory and praise forever!

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊   

Luke 21:1-4

 Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasure box;   he also saw a poor widow dropping in two small coins.  And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them.  For all gave an offering from their plenty, but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

Jesus is people watching in the temple of Jerusalem.He comes upon an interesting sight of people giving their alms for the upkeep of the temple. The rich naturally give more. But what caught His attention is the widow.

He marvels at her donation. The widow gives everything she has to live off of that day. She contributes all she has for the good of others. In this way, she sacrifices her day for that one singular act of charity.

Contrast this with the others who simply give out of their surplus. It will not inconvenience them as much as the widow will be inconvenienced by her action. This simple act by an anonymous widow should give us pause. We should not measure the gifts we give by size or amount, but by the sacrifice they entail.