Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 253
Reading 1
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."
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Truth Will Set You Free
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.” John 8:31–32
These words have the potential to make a transforming difference in our lives. Note that Jesus spoke these words “to those Jews who believed in him.” That is, those who had accepted His word and were, therefore, His true disciples. We who also believe in Jesus should consider these words carefully. The heart of this teaching is twofold: you must come to “know the truth” so that the truth you come to know “will set you free.”
This teaching of Jesus is exceptionally helpful on both a psychological and spiritual level. First of all, on a purely psychological level, one of the greatest helps to good mental health is the truth. Most often when one struggles with various forms of depression, it’s because they are seeing aspects of their life with confusion. “Why did this person do this to me?” Or “How will I ever get through this?” Or “My life is a mess and there is no way out.” These and other similar thoughts will inevitably lead to depression for one simple reason: they are based on erroneous thinking.
One of the best forms of psychological counseling is what could be called “truth therapy.” Every despairing question that we have and every depressing conclusion that we have come to in life must be reexamined in the light of the mind of God. What does God think? What is in the mind of God in this regard? Those truths that are waiting to be discovered are the truth that “will set you free.” Depression is more easily overcome when we look at our life in the way that God looks at our life. This produces hope, and hope brings freedom to the chains of depression and confusion.
On a spiritual level, these principles apply all the more. The truth about sin, forgiveness, salvation and Heaven must be known deeply and embraced fully. When we deny the truth of sin or forgiveness, then we live within a lie and we remain bound by that lie. True spiritual freedom that leads to salvation and eternity in Heaven is obtained only when we wholeheartedly embrace the holy and perfect spiritual truth given to us by God. We must clearly know our sin, repent of it, seek the forgiveness of God, amend our lives and live the new life of grace to which we are called.
Reflect, today, upon this powerfully transforming teaching of Jesus: “know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” What psychological and spiritual truths do you need to more deeply know? What confusion or blindness remains? Seek the remedy of the Truth as it is in the mind of God and know that freedom awaits.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
TRIPLE THREAT
“Thereupon Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.” —Daniel 3:93
At the beginning of Lent, we heard about Jesus fasting for forty days and overcoming three temptations from the devil (Mt 4:2ff). Traditionally, temptations have been ascribed to three sources: the world, the flesh, and the devil (see 1 Jn 2:16; cf Eph 2:1-3). In the book of Daniel, God’s people were attacked three times. First, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace (Dn 3:20). Second, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den where he faced being devoured (Dn 6:17). Third, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den again where he faced not only the lions but starvation (Dn 14:31).
These three attacks on God’s people can be analogous to the flesh, the devil, and the world. We Christians live in a fiery furnace of lust, addiction, and rage. Yet by living in the Holy Spirit we can be untouched by the flames of the flesh (see Dn 3:94). Second, the devil is described as a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pt 5:8). But we can close “the lions’ mouths” (Dn 6:23) in the name of Jesus. Third, we Christians live in the lions’ den of our culture of death. The world hates the Word of God (Jn 17:14) and wants to starve us to death spiritually and make us spiritually anorexic. But the Lord will feed us miraculously and make us hungry for His prophetic Word (see Dn 14:33ff).
Holy Trinity, give us three victories this Lent.
Prayer: Father, may this Lent lead to the total victory of Easter.
Promise: “If you live according to My teaching, you are truly My disciples; then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” —Jn 8:31-32
Praise: Jesus delivered Ed from an addiction to alcohol. He no longer has a desire to drink, and serves Jesus on the job and in ministry.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Martin Hogan
The story in the first reading of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were preserved alive by God, after they had been thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar, was interpreted in the early church as a foreshadowing of Jesus being preserved alive by God, after he had been nailed to a Roman cross by the governor Pilate. The three men walked about freely in the fiery furnace, in the company of a fourth man who looked ‘like a son of the gods’. After Jesus had been crucified and buried, he was raised to new life and he too walked about freely as risen Lord, appearing to his disciples. God frees those who trust in him from the power of death. According to the gospel reading, God sent his Son into the world to free us all from the power of sin and death. Jesus declares that he tells the truth ‘as I have learned it from God’ and he promises that those who become his disciples ‘will learn the truth’ from him and ‘the truth will make you free’. God’s Son is the source of true freedom, freedom from sin and death, ‘if the Son make you free, you will be free indeed’. Jesus reveals the truth about God, which is that God is Love. He pours the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God’s love, into our lives. The more we open ourselves to the coming and presence of the Holy Spirit, the freer we will be to live with the life of God, which is a life of love. As Saint Paul says in his second letter to the Corinthians, ‘where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’. Freedom is not the ability to live as we want but the ability to live as God wants, as God created us to live. The truly free person is the one who is alive with the love of God, and it is the Holy Spirit who gives us that freedom, because genuine love, the love that is of God, is the fruit of the Spirit.
Prayers
God of all Truth, Your Word is liberating, transforming and fills us with hope. May I turn my mind to You and to Your holy Word so that I may know the Truth as You speak it and allow that transforming Truth to set me free. Jesus, I trust in You.
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.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 80: At the Hour of Our Death
If you have prayed the “Hail Mary” prayer, then you have prayed for your last hour in this world: “Pray for us now and at the hour of our death.” Death is frightening to many people, and the hour of our death is not usually something we want to think about. But the “hour of our death” is a moment we should all look forward to with the utmost joy and anticipation. And we will look forward to it only if we are at peace with God, within our soul. If we have regularly confessed our sins and sought the presence of God throughout life, then our last hour will be one of great comfort and joy, even if it is mixed with suffering and pain (See Diary #321).
Think about that hour. If God were to give you the grace to prepare for that hour many months in advance, how would you prepare? What would you do differently so as to be ready for your final passing? Whatever comes to mind is most likely that which you should do today. Do not wait until the time is near to prepare your heart for your passing from death to new life. See that “hour” as an hour of the greatest grace. Pray for it, anticipate it and be watchful for the abundance of Mercy God wishes to bestow upon you, one day, at the glorious conclusion of your earthly life.
Lord, help me to be rid of all fear of death. Help me to continually remember that this world is but a preparation for the next. Help me to keep my eyes on that moment and to always anticipate the abundance of Mercy You will bestow. Mother Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
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