Wednesday of the Thirty-four Week in Ordinary Time

REFLECTION:

I’ve always admired teachers for many reasons, but one simple gift they often have is beautiful handwriting. Their penmanship is clear, steady, and easy to read—even from the back of a classroom. I, on the other hand, wouldn’t say I have the best handwriting. I still love writing cards and notes to people, but every time I do, I find myself hoping they can actually read what I wrote! It’s one thing to write something… but it’s another thing for the person reading it to understand the message.

That same idea appears in today’s reading from Daniel. A hand appears and writes on the wall, but no one in the room knows what it means. The words are visible, the message is there, but the people are spiritually unable to read it. Belshazzar sees the handwriting clearly, yet the meaning remains hidden from him because his heart is far from God.

The mysterious message—MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PERES — was not a puzzle meant to entertain. It was God’s way of revealing truth to a king whose life had drifted from wisdom, humility, and reverence. Belshazzar could see the writing, but he could not understand it. His spiritual vision was blurred.

And that becomes the deeper reflection for us: How often does God write on the walls of our lives, but we fail to understand what He is trying to say?

God writes through moments of grace, through people who speak truth to us, through Scripture, through the events that shake us awake, through the quiet stirrings of conscience. But if our hearts are distracted, divided, or closed off—then even God’s handwriting becomes unreadable.

One thing is certain: God still writes. God still speaks. God still calls. But reading His message requires humility, attention, and a heart willing to listen.

When Daniel finally enters the scene, he does what no one else could do: he reads and explains the message because his life is aligned with God. Daniel shows us that understanding God’s handwriting requires more than intelligence—it requires a relationship with the One who writes.

Just as handwriting reveals something about the writer, God’s handwriting reveals something about His love for us. His message is never meant to confuse or condemn us but to guide us, correct us, and draw us closer to Him.

So perhaps the question for us today is this:

• What is God writing on the walls of my life right now?
• Is He calling me to change something?
• Is He warning me about something?
• Is He inviting me to grow in holiness, integrity, or humility?
• And am I able to read His message?

Because it is one thing for God to write…
But it is another thing entirely for us to understand what He is saying. May God give us the grace not only to see His handwriting but to recognize His voice and respond with wisdom and faith.