FIRST READING
Daniel 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
Daniel 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!
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL
See Luke 8:15
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.
GOSPEL
John 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.”
REFLECTIONS:
What saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed'nego from
the fiery furnace? It was their obedience to God’s will. They were willing
to suffer death rather than disobey their God. God was with them in the
fiery furnace and he rewarded them for their faithfulness. Jesus came to
do the will of his Father in heaven. He was not spared the cross which
he willing embraced for our sake. His obedience reversed the curse of Adam’s
disobedience. The Father crowned him with victory over sin, death, and
Satan. Jesus shows us the way to true freedom and victory – by freely submitting
our heart, mind, and will to an all-merciful, all-loving, and all-wise
God. What the Father offers us in exchange is a kingdom of righteousness,
peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans14:17). The happiest, freest people
are those who delight in God. Their joy is the pleasure of doing the Father’s
will. Do you know the joy of obeying God and trusting in his life-giving
word?
The world presents us with a false notion of truth and freedom – “truth
is relative so I choose my own criteria for what is true” and worldly freedom
means “I can do whatever I please – regardless of what God or others might
think.” This is really a mask for slavery to one’s passions and unruly
desires. Jesus offers his disciples true freedom – freedom from slavery
to pride and arrogance, disbelief and ignorance, selfishness and greed,
hatred and revenge, fear and anxiety, despair and depression, and a host
of many other hurtful desires and addictions which cripple our lives. The
good news is that Jesus Christ has truly set us free from sin and its destructive
force in our lives. How is this possible? Through the gift and power of
the Holy Spirit we can choose to renounce sin and we can yield to God's
grace which enables us to walk each day and each moment in Christ’s way
of love and holiness.
A disciple is a follower and a listener. If we want to follow Christ
and live as his disciples, then we must listen to the words of Jesus, with
a humble and teachable spirit. As we listen with faith and obey with trust,
Christ himself gives us grace – the enabling power of his Holy Spirit –
to live, think, and act in the truth of his word. Do you believe in the
transforming power of the Holy Spirit to change your life and to set you
free to walk in Christ's way of love and holiness? .
"Lord Jesus, write your words of love and truth upon my heart and make
me a diligent student and a worthy disciple of your word."
No comments:
Post a Comment