The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today have inspired our commentators to consider themes of freedom and epiphany or revelation.
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| Life about God |
The texts from the Book of Daniel are used in the first reading and for the psalm.
* [3:24–90] These verses are additions to the Aramaic text of Daniel, translated from the Greek form of the book. They were probably first composed in Hebrew or Aramaic, but are no longer extant in the original language. The Roman Catholic Church has always regarded them as part of the canonical Scriptures.1
They praise God for deliverance from the furnace. In the Gospel of John, Jesus explains His relationship with Abraham.
* [8:31–59] Jesus’ origin (“before Abraham”) and destiny are developed; the truth will free them from sin (Jn 8:34) and death (Jn 8:51).2
Joe Zaborowski reflects and considers the Gospel. The answer is always the same. Keep Christ centered and put my faith in Him.
We may seem to be in the middle of a burning furnace now but with our reliance on Christ at the center our lives, we will be in the only place we need to be to ride out these times of uncertainty3
Don Schwager quotes “The upright of heart,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Do you know who the upright of heart are? They are those who wish what God wishes. Therefore, do not try to twist God's will to you own but correct your will to that of God. The will of God is a rule of conduct. By it you have the means of being converted and of correcting your evil ways." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 93,18)4
The Word Among Us Meditation on (Psalm) Daniel 3:52-56 comments that there’s one detail to this story that we often overlook: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego sang God’s praises, not after they had been delivered from the fiery furnace, but while they were in the midst of the flames. These three young men were prepared not to be saved. Even before they were rescued from the furnace, they exulted in God’s goodness and glory.
So how do you do it? Well, you can base your praise on what the Scriptures say about God. He is the Good Shepherd who knows you and is zealously concerned for your life (John 10:10-11). He is Emmanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14). He will never leave you or forsake you (Joshua 1:5). He will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-29). Using these passages, you can praise God, even as you are waiting for him to act.
God always hears you and always answers you, even though sometimes you still have to endure the “heat” of difficulties. He is with you when you feel as if you’re in the fiery furnace just as surely as he is with you when all seems right with the world. So thank and praise him for being by your side. Perhaps he will speak to you right then and there. Or perhaps his answer will come much later, and you will recognize it only through the lens of hindsight. Whatever happens, always declare God’s goodness, and it will come to you—in his time and according to his wisdom.
“Lord, thank you for always being with me, even when all I feel is the heat of adversity.”5
Friar Jude Winkler explains the probable historic connection of the Book of Daniel to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Hellenistic king of the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. The Gospel dualism underlines a choice between Jesus and Satan. Friar Jude points to the First Letter of John for a more nuanced text concerning grey areas.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that accepting that our lives are not about us is a Copernican revolution of the mind, and it is just as hard for each individual today as it was for earthbound humans when they discovered that our planet was not the center of the universe. It takes a major and monumental shift in consciousness, and it is always given and received with major difficulty. It comes as an epiphany, as pure grace and deliverance, and never as logic or necessary conclusion.
Understanding that our lives are not about us is the connection point with everything else. It lowers the mountains and fills in the valleys that we have created, as we gradually recognize that the myriad forms of life in the universe are merely parts of the one life that most of us call God. After such a discovery, we are grateful to be a part—and only a part! We do not have to figure it all out, straighten it all out, or even do it perfectly by ourselves. We do not have to be God. It is an enormous weight off our backs. All we have to do is participate!
After this epiphany, things like praise, gratitude, and compassion come naturally—like breath. True spirituality is not taught; it is caught once our sails have been unfurled to the Spirit. Henceforth our very motivation and momentum for the journey toward holiness and wholeness is immense gratitude for already having it!6
The truth will set you free as promised in the Gospel but first it may challenge us with an epiphany concerning the grace of God in our lives.
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