Day 240: Remaining Humble

Jeremiah 23:1-8 Despite the end of the Davidic monarchy, God promised to send a new and righteous king from the line of David to bring prosperity and salvation to his people. This prophecy refers to the future Messiah, Jesus.


Ch 23:9-40 False prophets, who were self-appointed prophets without a divine calling, were interested in notoriety and the material benefits resulting from that position. They would ingratiate themselves with the people by preaching what was consoling and pleasant. They posed a serious problem for Jeremiah since his message contradicted theirs blatantly. In summary, Jeremiah predicted severe punishment while the false prophets promised prosperity and victory in war.


Daniel 4:28-37 The king wavered between faith and incredulity and never managed to embrace the religion of Israel totally. (CCC 543)


Ch 5:1-30 Some factual errors exist here (e.g., Belshazzar was not the son of Nebuchadnezzar), but they are secondary to the intended meaning of the narrative. 


Fingers of a man’s hand: Implicitly, the hand and finger of God. These images are also used elsewhere in Scripture. In the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus (“Come, Holy Spirit”), which is sung at First Vespers of Pentecost in the Liturgy of the Hours, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the “finger of God.” (CCC 700)

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)



Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you praise and glory. We thank you so much. Thank you for this day. Thank you for a new day. Thank you for bringing us to this moment where we get to not only hear your Word, but we get to be united. We get to be united as a group of people, as a community of people, who are listening to your Word and are bound together not only by your love for us, our love for you. Your Word and also this bond of prayer that we lift each other up in prayer every single day because we need your Grace and we need each other. We cannot make this journey on our own. You have not left us orphans. You have called us your sons and daughters. You have become our Father. You made us brothers and sisters from all across the world, Lord God. From every race, from every ethnicity, from every nationality, we are united by your Holy Spirit, and we are truly brothers and sisters belonging to you, our true Dad, our true Father. Thank you. Please hear our prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.”