Daily Catholic Bible Reading - 23 November 2015

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

November 23 2015

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 501

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112015.cfm

Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20
The point of this chapter is, apparently, to show how wise Daniel was. (The conclusion is he is ten times wiser than all the magicians and astrologers in the realm!) But you have to wonder who wrote this, and when, because many of the historical references are inaccurate. For example, the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim was 606 BC, at which time Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem in 597 BC. By that time Jehohiakim was dead and his son, Jehoiachin was the ruler.

For full details see Bad History in the Book of Daniel by Farrell Till
http://www.theskepticalreview.com/tsrmag/984bad.html

There's also an interesting food-related message in verses 11-16. 6)  Daniel proposes a test: See how the pulse eaters look compared to the meat eaters after ten days, and sure enough, the vegetarians were way "fairer and fatter."

Daniel 3:52-56
Once upon a time, three of Daniel’s friends: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were thrown into a "fiery furnace" by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, because they refused to bow down to the king's image. But the fire had no effect on the, even though it burnt the soldiers who threw them in. Weirdly, although only three men were in the fire, a fourth man was seen who looked like "a son of god".

The book of Daniel is claimed to have been written in the sixth century BC. However,  scholars are convinced that the book was actually written  centuries later in the second century BC.

Matthew 24:42,44
Just two cherry picked verses from this very interesting chapter which is full of talking points. A pity verse 45 missed the cut. It's a crucial verse for the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Luke 21:1-4
This is one of my favourite parables in the bible:

“And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”

And thus Jesus explains the concept of progressive taxation.

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With thanks to Steve Wells

Click here to buy his book!