WEDNESDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT(YEAR B) DATE: 24/3/2021.

1st Reading: Daniel 3:14-20,24-25,28: God has sent his angel to rescue his servants.

Resp. Psalm Daniel 3:52-56: To glory and praise for evermore.

Gospel: John 8:31-42: If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

REFLECTION

In today’s first reading taken from the book of Ass Daniel, we hear of an interchange between King Nebuchadnezzar and three gentlemen named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three men refuse to worship the King’s man-made statue, because they know the One, true God and worship Him alone. These three men are willing to put their full faith and trust in God claiming,
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 (Daniel 3:17-18).

Did you catch that one phrase, “But even if he will not…?”  These men know that their fate truly rests in God’s hands and not the King’s hands. If it be God’s will they will be spared. However, if God chooses to let the King’s deeds be carried out, then so be it; for these three men place God’s will first, rather than their own. The King decides to throw them into a fiery furnace. There they meet a fourth figure, a man looking like the son of God. It means that no matter the situation , anyone who believes in him and call upon his name will be saved and even though he dies he will be saved at the end. Just as these three young men (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) believe that the God of Israel deserve their full allegiance and constant trust no matter the circumstances, we too must be steadfast in our love and commitment to him in all situations no matter what.

WEDNESDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT(YEAR B) DATE: 24/3/2021.

We see this confidence. undying love, loyalty and faith in God deeply found in the person of Christ Jesus. In today’s gospel, Jesus lays claim to that loyalty in the fulfillment of His mission when He states, “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).
Where the “truth” is salvation through Jesus and “freedom” is freedom from death caused by sin and the choice to do what is good.

Jesus is telling the people that the way to the God of Israel is through Him. However, the Jews are skeptical. For millennia, they have placed their loyalty in the God of Israel. Who was this Jesus, that He should now lay such a claim? Because of their suspicions, the Jews plotted to kill Jesus. All along, Jesus knew what they were doing and that is why He closes this teaching with a powerful statement; ‘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” (John 8:42).

So, here is the big question: Are you like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with the full knowledge of Jesus as the Son of God, and you love Him with your whole heart, soul and mind even when you are faced with tough decisions and hard situations ? Or, are you placing something of temporal value between you and God? Do you bow down to idols and still bow down to God? Do you bow down to man or to the will of God the Father?

Think carefully before you answer this question, and don’t deceive yourself for God demands your maximum allegiance . Then, during this Lenten season, make it to the Confessional and ask Jesus for a heart like His.

Fr. Joseph