Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
"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" (John 8:31b-32a)
The Book of Daniel from which today’s first reading and responsorial psalm come is a book written about a great hero named Daniel who gave strength and hope through the persecutions during the Babylonian Exile. The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is one of courage and inspiration. These three Jews violate the law of King Nebuchadnezzar and are about to be punished for their insolence. The King offers them one last chance to worship the pagan god or they will be killed. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego witness to Nebuchadnezzar about the God they serve. “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.”
In choosing to stand firm, even at the cost of death, these three set an example for the Jewish people then and for all people now. We must have the courage to stand up for the truth. Our culture teaches us truths that are not always in line with our faith. It is tempting to worship the golden idols of our midst. Our Lenten journey is a small example of the sacrifices we each need to make in order to experience conversion that brings us closer to the Lord. In the end of the story the king sees God deliver these three men who gave their all to serve their God. Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was changed by their witness and God’s actions. How do we give our all to serve the Lord? How does our witness to God’s goodness reflect the face of Christ to those around us?
Standing up for the truth as an adolescent might mean resisting peer pressure and challenging others to do the same. As a faithful citizens, standing up for the truth might mean voting for candidates whose positions align with those of the Church. It may mean writing letters to the leaders of government, or organizing prayer vigils for the unborn or those on death row. As a Catholic Christians, standing up for the truth calls us to go one step further. We are called to become the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus in our broken world. Standing up for the truth means we must live our faith with a faith filled joy.
Let us ask God today to help us live our faith completely. Thus our lives will serve the God, to whom we offer “Glory and praise for ever!” Amen.
-Michael Montgomery