20251125 LIFE IS TRANSIENT
25 November 2025, Tuesday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: C(I).
First reading | Daniel 2:31-45 |
Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream
Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, ‘You have had a vision, O king; this is what you saw: a statue, a great statue of extreme brightness, stood before you, terrible to see. The head of this statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet part iron, part earthenware. While you were gazing, a stone broke away, untouched by any hand, and struck the statue, struck its feet of iron and earthenware and shattered them. And then, iron and earthenware, bronze, silver, gold all broke into small pieces as fine as chaff on the threshing-floor in summer. The wind blew them away, leaving not a trace behind. And the stone that had struck the statue grew into a great mountain, filling the whole earth. This was the dream; now we will explain to the king what it means.
‘You, O king, king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength and glory – the sons of men, the beasts of the field, the birds of heaven, wherever they live, he has entrusted to your rule, making you king of them all – you are the golden head. And after you another kingdom will rise, not so great as you, and then a third, of bronze, which will rule the whole world. There will be a fourth kingdom, hard as iron, as iron that shatters and crushes all. Like iron that breaks everything to pieces, it will crush and break all the earlier kingdoms. The feet you saw, part earthenware, part iron, are a kingdom which will be split in two, but which will retain something of the strength of iron, just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together. The feet were part iron, part earthenware: the kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak. And just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together, so the two will be mixed together in the seed of man; but they will not hold together any more than iron will blend with earthenware. In the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms, and itself last for ever – just as you saw the stone untouched by hand break from the mountain and shatter iron, bronze, earthenware, silver and gold. The great God has shown the king what is to take place. The dream is true, the interpretation exact.’
Responsorial Psalm | Daniel 3:57-61 |
All things the Lord has made, bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Angels of the Lord! all bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Heavens! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Waters above the heavens! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Powers of the Lord! all bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Gospel Acclamation | Lk21:28 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stand erect, hold your heads high,
because your liberation is near at hand.
Alleluia!
Or: | Rv2:10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Even if you have to die, says the Lord,
keep faithful, and I will give you
the crown of life.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 21:5-11 |
The destruction of the Temple foretold
When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’
‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’
LIFE IS TRANSIENT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [DN 2:31-45; DANIEL 3:57-61; LK 21:5-11]
As we come to the end of the liturgical year, the Church wants us to reflect on our history and our ultimate end. The truth is, most of us are so absorbed in our own lives that we never really think of our final end. This is especially true for those of us who are young and healthy, thinking we still have a long runway to go. We tend to take life and each day for granted because there is always a tomorrow. Many of us drift through life without stopping to think where we are heading and what our future is beyond this life.
The Lord wants us to wake us from our complacency and slumber. “When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now — the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.'” Jesus shocked His listeners when He prophesied the destruction of the magnificent Temple of Jerusalem. They had spent more than forty-six years rebuilding the temple previously destroyed by the Babylonians and later by the Greeks, with the help of King Herod. They took great pride in the Temple, only to be told that it would soon be destroyed — a prophecy fulfilled during the Roman invasion, which sacked Jerusalem and reduced the Temple to ruins in A.D. 70. Today, only the Wailing Wall remains.
Truly, let us never forget that whatever riches, wealth, status, fame or achievements we gain in life will eventually fade away. This life is transient, and nothing lasts. As the psalmist says, “You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.” (Ps 90:5f) We should learn from history. Where are all our ancestors today? Where are our leaders of yesterday? At most, they are reduced to a few lines in history books. As history grows, even those paragraphs become a single line. Their empires, wealth, and legacies have been surpassed by the present generation. What we build will eventually be torn down and replaced. What seems good for one era will not apply to the next. What we accumulate will one day be spent by those who come after us.
This is precisely the warning given to King Nebuchadnezzar when Daniel interpreted his vision. Daniel explained that the vision foretold the rise and fall of nations and empires. History is unstoppable. The king was the golden head — glorious and powerful, but even his might would not last forever. Daniel said that another, less powerful kingdom would follow, and then another, until a fourth kingdom would arise “hard as iron, as iron that shatters and crushes all. Like iron that breaks everything to pieces, it will crush and break all the earlier kingdoms.” Scholars interpret this vision as referring to the four kingdoms that rose and fell: the Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, and finally the Greeks.
This is why we should never be too confident and attached to this life and this world. No matter how great we are, how much we achieve, or how strong and fit we may be, all this will soon pass. We will share the same fate as our forefathers. So while we have these blessings, let us use them well to enrich our lives and bless others. Then we will be able to die gracefully and leave this world in the same way we came in, with nothing. We know that we have a place with God. Our life does not end here. We are pilgrims on a journey, called to return to our Creator, who is our Father.
Indeed, Daniel reminded the king that his kingship was a gift from God, not the result of his own strength and doing. He said, “You, O king, king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength and glory — the sons of men, the beasts of the field, the birds of heaven, wherever they live, he has entrusted to your rule, making you king of them all — you are the golden head.” God has chosen each one of us for a time to play our part in human history. How we use the gifts He has given to us, and the trust He has placed on us will determine our future and our happiness. This is why we must never abuse the privileges we have received. Any office or position given to us is for our growth and for the service of the community.
When the disciples asked Jesus, “Master, when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?” Jesus said, “‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said, ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them.” We must be alert and attentive. Such things happen continually. We have the lessons of our forefathers. We hear of loved ones and friends who die suddenly. We hear of terminal illnesses striking without warning. History gives us many examples. These things should not surprise us. The Kingdom of God will come like lightning — unexpectedly. We should take all these signs as warnings.
In truth, God’s coming has already begun in the person of Jesus. He is the guarantee that God is in control of history. This is why the Lord reminds us that chaos is part of human history. “When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen, but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.'” There is no need for alarm, because there have always been — and will continue to be — social chaos, civil turmoil, wars, natural disasters, and pandemics.
This is why St Paul wrote in Romans, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved.” (Rom 8:1-24)
Despite the chaos, God’s plan is still unfolding. The end will not come immediately. Worldwide disorder does not mean that God is not in control of the cosmos. As the responsorial psalm says, “All things the Lord has made, bless the Lord. Angels of the Lord! All bless the Lord. Heavens! Bless the Lord. Waters above the heavens! Bless the Lord. Powers of the Lord! all bless the Lord.” Yes, God must be praised at all times, even while we live in a chaotic world. These events are the result of an imperfect world marked by sin and selfishness. They are signs of God’s action and reminders not to cling to this world. They should move us to prepare for His second coming.
Being prepared means taking our lives seriously and not wasting it. We have only one life to live. So let us be grateful for whatever situation we are in. We must trust in divine providence as King Solomon advised us. “This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun, the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot. Likewise, all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil — this is the gift of God.” (Eccl 5:18f) Let us enjoy whatever the Lord has given us and use these gifts wisely. Let us appreciate our friends and the small joys of life. Above all, let us find joy in our work and accept the sufferings that come our way, for they keep us focused and help us grow in love.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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