Thirty-Fourth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

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. "This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, TEKEL, and PERES. These words mean: 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."

We should all hope we don’t suffer the same fate as King Belshazzar. However, there are times in our lives when we are tempted to act like him. We fall into deadly sins and instead of our thoughts, words, and works giving glory to God, we take the glory for ourselves. We let our pride and selfishness blind us from giving God the credit for our successes. He is the source of all Good and deserves all glory, praise, and thanksgiving. If we fail to amend our lives, then like King Belshazzar, we shall find our days numbered, our souls found wanting, and our possessions divided. However, if we give our lives over to God completely, then He shall find us worthy to stay with Him in Heaven, give us spiritual treasures beyond counting, and provide us endless days.

Are we allowing our pride and selfishness to keep us from living in accordance with God’s commandments, teachings, and inspirations? In what ways are we giving glory to God? Do we recognize God as the source of all Good, the center of our lives, and the summit of our faith?

O Lord, we give you all glory, praise, and thanksgiving.

Amen.