King Belshazzar made a great festival for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.

Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the vessels of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the vessels of gold and silver that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace, next to the lampstand. The king was watching the hand as it wrote. Then the king’s face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. His limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, “So you are Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard of you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that enlightenment, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you.

But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you are able to read the writing and tell me its interpretation, you shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around your neck, and rank third in the kingdom.”

Then Daniel answered in the presence of the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, or give your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless I will read the writing to the king and let him know the interpretation.

You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven! The vessels of his temple have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in whose power is your very breath, and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honored.

“So from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: mene, mene, tekel, and parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Disembodied fingers writing strange words on a plaster wall. What a perplexing, discomforting image. I believe God has, on a couple of occasions, sent me similar mysterious and unsettling messages - in dreams. Vivid dreams that were unique, detailed and unusually memorable.

Fortunately, at those times I was working with subtle spiritual directors who helped me slowly reflect into an understanding of the dreams’ different messages. Basically, cautions about tendencies in my life and personality and where they might lead. I wasn’t seeking any messages and am thankful that God took the initiative to reach out and write on my wall.

When the need arises, may God continue to grace each of us with uncomfortable and memorable messages.

—Allain Andry is a spiritual director and OCIA leader at St. Peter Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC, the Jesuit parish in the Diocese of Charlotte.

We pray, almighty God,
that those to whom you give the joy
of participating in divine mysteries
may never be parted from you.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen

—ICEL Prayer after Communion for Wednesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (C)