The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to the opposition we often encounter from the “world” to the piety, study, and action we pursue as disciples of Jesus.
The reading from the Book of Daniel describes the protection of God in the Fiery Furnace.
* [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.
* [3:25] Azariah: i.e., Abednego; cf. Dn 1:7. (Daniel, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)
The response is the Prayer of Azariah from Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
In the Gospel of John, Jesus dialogues with the Pharisees about Abraham and True Disciples
* [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).
* [8:31] Those Jews who believed in him: a rough editorial suture, since in Jn 8:37 they are described as trying to kill Jesus.
* [8:33] Have never been enslaved to anyone: since, historically, the Jews were enslaved almost continuously, this verse is probably Johannine irony, about slavery to sin.
* [8:35] A slave…a son: an allusion to Ishmael and Isaac (Gn 16; 21), or to the release of a slave after six years (Ex 21:2; Dt 15:12).
* [8:38] The Father: i.e., God. It is also possible, however, to understand the second part of the verse as a sarcastic reference to descent of the Jews from the devil (Jn 8:44), “You do what you have heard from [your] father.”
* [8:39] The works of Abraham: Abraham believed; cf. Rom 4:11–17; Jas 2:21–23. (John, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)
Carol Zuegner comments that God doesn’t ask her to face a fiery furnace, but he does ask her to find him in all things, to live out the Gospel in large and small ways.
I have to face the truth in my everyday life that my sins of omission and commission are weighing me down. It is those small sins that add up: an unkind word here, paying more attention to things than people, being too busy to pray or fast or abstain, holding back my forgiveness to satisfy some grudge. My own furnace is little flames of turning away from God and my best self because it’s convenient or easier or satisfies some petty urge.
The truth is that it is the small things that animate the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself and make up the mosaic of our lives: To take the time to listen, to care, to do the right thing, to stand up for what’s right, to take the time for thanks, for a kind word.
The truth is we face the tests of our faith every day. We won’t pass all of the tests, but we can work on being and doing more than we are now. (Zuegner, n.d.)
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) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 8:31-42 comments that Jesus promises all of us that when we “remain” in his word, the truth contained in that word will set us free (John 8:31, 32). We are all on a journey toward that freedom.
When we dwell on Jesus and ponder his words, we find the grip of sin loosening. We begin to feel a fire in our hearts because we are experiencing the power of his love. And that love leads us to action. It leads us to care for the least among us, and it leads us to share the good news of Christ with those trapped in sin. We discover the paradoxical secret to happiness: that freedom comes not from going our own way, but from following Jesus, the Savior who truly sets us free!
“Jesus, thank you for your words, which bring life to my soul, and for your love, which frees me from the bondage of sin!” (Meditation on John 8:31-42, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes that the passage from Daniel is from the 2nd Century BCE, during the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the persecution of the Seleucid Empire, but is set in the time of Nebuchadnezzar and the exile in Babylon, four centuries earlier. The young men in the furnace are protected by a fourth person who looks like a “Son of God”. Friar Jude notes that the dialogue of Jesus with the Pharisees in John's Gospel, the teaching is about “Who God is”, “What He wants of us”, and how much He loves us.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces contemplative theologian Belden Lane who shares the countercultural stance of the desert abbas and ammas.
A second major theme in the theological grounding of these desert Christians was their emphasis on radical forgiveness. They were very demanding in the discipline they embraced, but the hardness was always anchored in love. They were deeply sensitive to the wounds that the brothers and sisters invariably brought with them into the desert. Amma Syncletica emphasized that assuming a desert life as a monk didn’t automatically make anybody holy. She knew that everyone came into the monastery with a whole lot of interior baggage. So wound work, healing within the broken places they carried inside, was incredibly important….
The abbas and ammas knew that this inner work was crucial in one’s spiritual growth. It’s essential to the discipline of the heart. But as resolute as they were in demanding this soul work, they were just as resolute in practicing a radical forgiveness. They were always slow to judge others, seeing the best in the younger and weaker brothers and sisters, putting the finest possible interpretation on their behavior…. (Rohr, n.d.)
As we are reminded of the challenges from the “world” to our decision to invite the Spirit to inform our actions in accord with the truth about God and Love revealed by Christ.
References
Daniel, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 9, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/3
John, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 9, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/8?31
Meditation on John 8:31-42. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 9, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/09/1244010/
Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Countercultural Stance. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 9, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-countercultural-stance/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 9, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr9
Zuegner, C. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved April 9, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/040925.html
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