Homily: Thirty-fourth Week of Ordinary Time
Thirty-fourth Week of Ordinary Time (Daniel 3:68,69,70,71,72,74) “Foolishness or Faith?”
The last week of the church year we read stories from the Book of Daniel. Today we read the story of the three young men in the fiery furnace (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego). These men were friends of Daniel and they refused to bow down and worship a golden idol.
Because of that, they were thrown into a furnace by Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon. He wanted to burn them to death. To his surprise, their God protected them in the furnace, and they walked around unharmed amid the heat and flames.
After they came out of the furnace Abednego uttered the song that we read at Mass today. Abednego had a Hebrew name which is Azariah which means “God has helped.” The song is a song of praise.
The song reminds us that God is in everything. The song is in two parts. The first part is recited by Azariah as he stands in the furnace. He praises God for being fair. Azariah reflects on the sins of the Israelites which have led them into the exile they are suffering in Babylon.
He expresses faith in God as he stands in the flames. He speaks of trusting the Lord despite where he finds himself. Azariah believes he will be delivered from the furnace and so indeed he is.
All this is a prelude to the second hymn which Azariah sings after an angel drives the flames out of the furnace. Azariah sings a pray of praise and thanks which is very beautiful.
He breaks down the parts of creation from the cold and the wind to the mountains and hills. The hymn goes on for many verses. It seems like an appropriate hymn to read the day before Thanksgiving. It is a reminder that God has given us every good gift.
Reflection Questions:
- Do I respect creation? What steps have I taken to preserve it?
- Would I praise God if I were being persecuted? Does this speak of faith or does is it foolish to have such trust in God?
Dear Parishioners,
I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving. I will be spending the holiday with my sister’s family in Quincy Illinois. I hope I will be seeing my nephew and nieces and their children. Since I will be out of town there will be no posts the next two days.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Fr. Mark
Thanksgiving Prayer
As the grain is gathered in for the harvest, O Lord, we thank you for gathering us together as your plantings to grow and flourish for you. May the fruit of your Spirit ripen within us and nourish you people so that relationships among us may develop and strengthen. Make our faith plentiful and fill our lives with your goodness and grace. Let this meal be a blessing to us all and let your peace be with us always. Amen.