Wednesday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time

• Bl. James Alberione founder of the Pauline Family (1884-1971)
• St. Humilis of Bisignano religious O.F.M. (1582-1637)
• Saint of the day

First Reading

Fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing.

From the Book of the Prophet Daniel
Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
 
In those days, King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. As Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them. So the gold vessels, which had been taken from the temple of the house of God in Jerusalem, were brought in, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace, opposite the lampstand, and the king saw the palm of the hand as it wrote. Then the king’s color changed: terrifying thoughts assailed him, the joints of his hips were loosened, and his knees knocked against each other.
Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard it said of you that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and that you have extraordinary light, understanding, and wisdom. Now, I have heard it said that you are expert in giving interpretations and solving difficult problems. If, therefore, you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, wear a chain of gold around your neck, and be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. You have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of his temple have been brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which neither see nor hear nor understand, and you have not glorified the God who holds your breath in his hand and to whom belong all your ways. Therefore the palm of the hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, TEKEL, PERES. This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE: God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; TEKEL: you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; PERES: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

The Word of God.

Responsorial Psalm

Dn 3:62-67

R. To him be praise and glory forever.

Bless the Lord, all sun and moon.
Bless the Lord, all stars of heaven. R.
 
Bless the Lord, all showers and dew.
Bless the Lord, all you winds. R.
 
Bless the Lord, all fire and heat.
Bless the Lord, all cold and heat. R.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia.

Be faithful until death, says the Lord,
and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev 2:10c)

Alleluia.

The Gospel of the day, November 26, 2025

You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish.

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 21:12-19
 
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
“They will lay hands on you and persecute you, delivering you to synagogues and prisons, dragging you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. It will be a time for you to bear witness.
So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you a wisdom in discourse that all your adversaries will not be able to resist or contradict.
You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and some of you will be put to death; you will be hated by all on account of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

The Word of the Lord.

Saint Augustine (354-430)

bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church

Sermon 256, 1,3 (https://www.augustinus.it/italiano/discorsi/index2.htm rev.)

In the midst of trials, let us sing the Alleluia!

Let us sing the Alleluia here below amidst our concerns so that we may sing it above in peace. Why be concerned here below? Do you not want me to be concerned when I read: “Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery, are not his days like those of a hireling?” (Job 7:1) Do you not want me to be concerned when I am also told: “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Mt 6:13)? And how can the people who, joining with me, cry out: “Deliver us from evil,” find serenity? Despite all this, however, O brothers, even though we are in the midst of evil, let us sing the Alleluia to our God because he is good and delivers us from evil. Let us sing Alleluia even now, although in the midst of dangers and trials that come from others and from ourselves. For, the Apostle says: “God is faithful and will not permit you to be tempted beyond your strength.” Even now, therefore, let us sing Alleluia. Man still remains under the dominion of sin, but God is faithful. Nor does He say that God will not allow you to be tempted, but: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13). You are in the clutches of temptation, but God will make you find a way out so that you do not perish in the temptation. You could be compared to the potter’s vessel: with preaching you are molded, with tribulation you are fired. Well, when temptation strikes you, remember that you will get out of it: “God is faithful” and “The Lord will guard your coming and your going” (Ps 121:8).

The Words of the Popes

Jesus foretells painful trials and persecutions that his disciples will have to suffer, because of him. However, he assures: «Not a hair of your head will perish» (v. 18). He reminds us that we are totally in God’s hands! The adversities we encounter for our faith and our adherence to the Gospel are opportunities for witness; they must not distance us from the Lord, but spur us to surrender ourselves even more to Him, to the power of his Spirit and his grace. (…) Finally, Jesus makes a promise that is a guarantee of victory: «By your perseverance you will secure your lives» (v. 19). How much hope in these words! They are a call to hope and patience, to knowing how to await the sure fruits of salvation, trusting in the profound meaning of life and history: trials and difficulties are part of a greater plan; the Lord, master of history, leads everything to its fulfillment. Despite the turmoil and calamities that trouble the world, God’s plan of goodness and mercy will be fulfilled! And this is our hope: to go on this road, in God’s plan that will be fulfilled. It is our hope. (Pope Francis – Angelus, November 17, 2013)