PRE THANKS AND PRAISE

DANIEL 5:1-28; GIVE GLORY AND ETERNAL PRAISE TO HIM; LUKE 21:12-1

We encounter the proverbial "writing on the wall" in today's first reading.  Though it is not proverbial for the king of Babylon.

Nor should it be considered proverbial for us.  The message to the king is a message for all.

Mene, Tekel, Peres....

Counted, weighed & found wanting, thus separated from the rest.

This was the message to the king because as Daniel recites for us, "you have rebelled against the Lord of Heaven,  you praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, that neither see nor have intelligence.  But the God in whose hand is your life breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.  By him were the wrist and hand sent and the writing set down."

Thus he was counted, weighed & found wanting, separated from all.

As we prepare for the day of thanks and praise and gather with friends, perhaps we should pause and before we count our blessing, we should take an inventory on where we stand before God.  We know God is good an this goodness is immense.  But let us count ourselves and weigh ourselves lest we too be separated.

Where have we given ourselves over to the false idols of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, stone?  That is where have we let greed become an idol or money or riches or wealth or power or self-reliance or lust?

Abraham Lincoln on the proclamation of the day of thanks stated not only should be give thanks and praise for God's generosity but we should also do penance for our nation's perverseness.  In his own right, he was a prophet.

What perverseness have we sat idly by and let take hold of our country?

Our praise and thanks will mean much more if we do a little penance first.  Let us fast before we feast and check ourselves before we step on the scales of justice.  Then perhaps our thanksgiving that is not just a gesture of passing whim but true and sincere can tip the scales in the right direction.


Perhaps then we can truly give him glory like the sun and moon and stars and shower and dew and even the winds that blow by becoming who we are created to be a creature that enters in to praise and thanks whole heartedly.


Then our perverseness will give way to perseverance in truth and love and praise and thanks and we will finally live the fullness we were made for form the beginning.

"By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

Rooted in his love, mature in the full stature of Christ, pure in intention in serving him alone.