Catholic Ireland
Liturgical Readings for : Friday, 1st December, 2023
Friday of the 34th week in Ordinary Time, Year 1
FIRST READING
A reading from the prophet Daniel 7:2-14
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man.
I , Daniel said, have been seeing visions in the night.
I saw that the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea; four great beasts emerged from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings; and as I looked its wings were torn off, and it was lifted from the ground and set standing on its feet like a man; and it was given a human heart. The second beast I saw was different, like a bear, raised up on one of its sides, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth.
“Up!” came the command “Eat quantities of flesh!” After this I looked, and saw another beast, like a leopard, and with four bird’s wings on its flanks; it had four heads, and power was given to it. Next I saw another vision in the visions of the night: I saw a fourth beast, fearful, terrifying, very strong; it had great iron teeth, and it ate, crushed and trampled underfoot what remained. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.
‘While I was looking at these horns, I saw another horn sprouting among them, a little one; three of the original horns were pulled out by the roots to make way for it; and in this horn I saw eyes like human eyes, and a mouth that was full of boasts. As I watched:
‘Thrones were set in place and one of great age took his seat.
His robe was white as snow, the hair of his head as pure as wool.
His throne was a blaze of flames, its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out, issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held and the books were opened.
‘The great things the horn was saying were still ringing in my ears, and as I watched, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and committed to the flames. The other beasts were deprived of their power, but received a lease of life for a season and a time.
I gazed into the visions of the night.
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man.
He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship,
and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away,
nor will his empire ever be destroyed.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Dan 3: 75-81 Rv: 59
Response Give glory and eternal praise to him!
1. Mountains and hills! bless the Lord. R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
2. Everything that grows on the earth! bless the Lord. R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
3.Springs of water! Bless the Lord R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
4. Seas and rivers, Bless the Lord R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
5. Sea beasts and everything that lives in the water!
Bless the Lord R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
6. Birds of heaven! Bless the Lord R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
7. Animals wild and tame! Bless the Lord R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Gospel Acclamation Lk 21: 28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 21:29-33 Glory to you, O Lord.
When you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near.
Jesus told them a parable,
‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near.
I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Friday Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Luke 21:29-33
We are all familiar with the hymn, ‘Abide With Me’. In one of the verses we sing, ‘change and decay in all around I see, O thou who changest not, abide with me’. There is a recognition there that everything changes, everything passes, but the Lord himself does not change or pass away. That sentiment is very much in keeping with what Jesus says in today’s gospel reading. Jesus has been speaking about so much that is destined to pass away, including the wonderful Temple in Jerusalem, the city of Jerusalem itself, even the elements of the cosmos. Yet, he declares that ‘my words will never pass away’. The Lord’s words will never pass away because he himself will never pass away.
In the Book of Revelation, the risen Lord declares, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end’. He is our past, our present and our future. His loving presence in our lives endures forever. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul says, ‘Love never ends’. God who is love never ends, and Jesus who is God in human form never ends. His loving presence is steadfast, enduring and faithful. All genuine love is life-giving and the Lord’s enduring love is supremely live-giving for us, bringing new life out of death itself. The Lord’s love endures beyond this earthly life and his relationship with us endures beyond this earthly life. It changes but does not end. Because the Lord’s love endures, never passes away, we can look forward in hope to a deepening of our relationship with him beyond this earthly life.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd
