Reading 1
Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
King Nebuchadnezzar said:
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
“There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.”
King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
“Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?”
“Assuredly, O king,” they answered.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.”
Responsorial Psalm
Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Gospel
Jn 8:31-42
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”
They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”
Meditation: John 8:31-42
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
Jesus is the only way to true freedom. He won that freedom for us by dying on the cross, putting to death sin and everything else that keeps us in bondage. But like the Jews in today’s Gospel reading, we don’t always understand what it is that is enslaving us.
Perhaps you live with a nagging sense of guilt, even when you’re trying to do your best and have no reason to feel guilty. Maybe a pervasive sense of fear or anxiety has gripped your life, keeping you up
at night or afraid for the future.
Or maybe you struggle with negative feelings about yourself. We can become so accustomed to these feelings that we start to believe they are part of us, and we can’t imagine living without them. But you don’t have to live with them—Jesus has set you free!
Maybe anger is so deeply buried in your heart that it clouds your relationships and your outlook on life. Know that you can bring this anger to the Lord and ask him to release you. You don’t have to hold on to resentment and unforgiveness —Jesus has set you free!
Maybe you are bound by an addiction to food, alcohol, or drugs. Even activities like watching television, shopping, or surfing the Internet may be taking up too much of your time and energy. Jesus doesn’t want anything to control you. He is more than capable of satisfying your deepest needs. Jesus has set you free!
Today, take steps to lay hold of the freedom that Jesus has won for you. Let Jesus’ promises in today’s Gospel give you hope. Read them over and over again, letting them sink deeply into your soul. Then ask the Lord to help you detect anything that is binding you up. Finally, exercise your faith by asking Jesus to free you. Be bold and persistent! You may even want to ask some trusted friends to pray with you. Remember: Jesus loves you so much that he
laid down his life for you. He wants nothing less than for you to walk in his freedom, each and every day of your life.
“Jesus, open my eyes to the things that bind me up. Give me the faith and the courage to taste the freedom you have won for me.”
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