today's 1st reading is Daniel 6: 11-28 and the canticle is from Daniel 3
About 5 years ago, at a celebration of a Burns Supper (which is held annually still to this day in many nations of the world, in honour of the great Scottish poet Robbie Burns), I volunteered, as part of the celebrations, to deliver the Immortal Memory. This is a talk which recounts the life and the impact of the poems of Burns, such as Auld Lang Syne, which is sung at the stroke of 12 am on New Year's Day.
Rather than recounting the rather eventful life of Burns, I took a different tack - I decided to speak about the power of the written word and how even centuries later it can profoundly impact our lives. To emphasize this point, I used the phrase from verse 33 of today's gospel, in which Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."
How true that is. Think of the magnificence of the words of Jesus - His words of teaching, consolation and wisdom - words that inspire us, console us and challenge us. Words that have touched the minds and hearts of billions - Christians and non - Christians alike. Words of truth. Words that are eternal. And words that need to be pondered and prayed with again and again.