The Bible has often been called the greatest story book, and certainly there are good reasons for saying that.
As a matter of fact, almost every other page of the Bible has a story.
There are also many moving and dramatic stories, like the parting of the Red Sea in the book of Exodus, the strength of Samson in the book of Judges and the healing accounts of Jesus in the gospels.
One of the dramatic stories is from the book of the prophet Daniel in the Old Testament.
King Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was giving a banquet for over a thousand people, when he ordered for the sacred vessels which were looted from the Temple in Jerusalem to be brought out and used for serving food and wine.
In the midst of feasting and drinking, idolatry and immorality, a hand appeared on the wall beside the king’s throne.
The king turned pale as he saw the hand wrote these – Mene, Tekel, Parsin.
Nobody could understand the meaning of these three words until Daniel was brought in to translate them.
Daniel revealed the meaning of those three words : mene – measured; tekel – weighed; parsin – divided
Daniel explained the meaning. God had measured the sovereignty of king Belshazzar and will put it to an end; he had been weighed in a balance and found wanting; his kingdom will be divided.
It is a dramatic story and that’s where the saying came about : the writing is on the wall.
As we gather for the Eucharist, is the Lord God telling us something? Is there any writing on the wall?
Well, the gospel parable is disturbing enough, especially with that last line : I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.
As we come to the last couple of Sundays in Ordinary Time, there is this recurring theme of being alert and ready for the arrival of the coming hour, and all will be judged by their readiness for that hour.
There is no leniency for the foolish because to be foolish is to be unprepared for the hour – the hour where everyone, like king Belshazzar will be measured, weighed and divided.
So like the wise and sensible bridesmaids who were prepared with extra flasks of oil for their lamps, how are we to be prepared for that hour when Jesus comes knocking on our doors.
Surely we don’t want to be freeze in fear like king Belshazzar who was measured, weighed and divided.
Certainly we need some wisdom to be in that state of alertness and readiness for the arrival of the Lord.
Yet Jesus wants us to be prepared moment by moment for that last and final moment.
There is this story of a powerful and mighty king who called his advisors and wise men to come up with a wise saying which works in every situation, every circumstance, in every place and every time, in joy, in sorrow, in defeat and in victory.
The wise men thought and thought about it and finally came up with the wise saying.
It was written on a piece of paper and slipped into a wristband that the king was to wear, and the condition was that the king was not to take it out and look at it out of curiosity.
Only in extreme danger, when the king finds himself alone and there seems to be no way out, only then can he take out that paper and read the contents.
So the king complied and wore the wristband with that piece of paper in it.
Some time later, enemies attacked the kingdom and the mighty and powerful king was defeated.
The king fled on his horse with the enemies chasing after him.
Then his horse was struck down, and he ran until he came to the edge of a cliff.
Down below was a deep rocky valley and jumping down was certainly a dead end.
The sound of the enemies’ horses were approaching and the king was desperate. There was no way out.
Then suddenly he saw his wristband, and remembered that there was a wise saying in the piece of paper.
He took out the paper and read the contents. The message was just four words – THIS TOO SHALL PASS.
The king read it, read it again, and then it struck him. Yes, this too shall pass.
He thought about how mighty and powerful a king he was, until he was defeated, and now there is nothing left, all gone.
And now he was to going to lose his life as well. So like everything that had come and gone, this too shall pass.
A calmness came upon him and he stood there waiting for his life to pass.
He even began to admire the beauty of the place and the freshness of the air.
He was so calm and relaxed that he forgot about the enemies who were chasing him.
After a while, he realized that the sound of the enemies horses were fading away.
The king quickly went back and reorganized his army and began to drive out the enemy, and defeated them and regained his kingdom.
As he rode back to his city, there was much fanfare and praise of him, and his people celebrated and exalted him.
The king thought to himself : Indeed I am the greatest and mightiest king. And pride was welling up in him.
Then he saw his wristband, and he slowly took out that piece of paper with that wisdom saying : THIS TOO SHALL PASS.
He became silent and pensive. From being full of pride, he became humble. Yes, he thought, this victory, this exaltation, this too shall pass.
Yes, this too shall pass. The writing is on the wall. God has spoken, and we must listen, we better listen.
Jesus has already warned us – stay awake, be alert, for you do not know either the day or the hour.
Yes, in joy and in sorrow, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, that too shall pass.
Yes, that too shall pass, this too shall pass, yet that is not all.
This too shall pass, but what will last?
The last thing will be the final thing; the last thing will be the eternal thing, and that shall not pass.
The writing is on the wall – be alert, and be prepared.
Hence it is good to be very familiar with the Hail Mary prayer, especially that part that says “pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death”.
Yes, the hour of our death is the final thing, it is the last thing.
And we need to prepare it moment by moment, so that we would not be found measured, weighed and divided.