Fifth Week of Lent
20th March 2024 (Wednesday)
Psalter: Week 1
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Daniel 3:14-20, 24/91-25/92, 28/95
In those days: Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. The King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counsellors, “did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O King.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the kings command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.
Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 (R. 52b)
R/. You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!
Verse Before The Gospel
V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
V/.Blessed are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Gospel : John 8:31-42
At that time: Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practises sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house for ever; the son remains for ever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: Freedom is not a new slavery!
Guidelines: Many seek freedom and it is natural and needed. But they should realize what true freedom is. They should know how to attain it. They should also follow the right means to get it
1. Freedom is a strong theme for our reflection today. In the first reading from Daniel, three youngsters Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego lose their freedom. They are thrown into the fire because they refuse to worship false gods.
2. They prefer death rather than disloyalty to their true God. They prefer to forfeit their temporary freedom rather than lose their dignity as God’s children. They prefer slavery for the sake of faith rather than slavery to sin.
3. Many think they are free because they have free access to many things and pleasures of the world. As they have the freedom to use or abuse as they like, they imagine themselves to be free beings.
4. Thus, they equate licentiousness and self-indulgence with freedom. But actually, this is nothing but slavery to evil. This is what Jesus clearly teaches: Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin and is not free.
5. Any freedom to do wrong is only false freedom. Any freedom that does not lead and contribute to good and positive is not true freedom. Therefore, freedom is tested by truth. Freedom is true when it abides in truth and promotes truth. Any freedom that endangers truth and indulges in falsity is not freedom but only slavery.
6. That is why Jesus asserts: Know the truth and truth will make you free. The three youngsters knew the truth. They knew that only true God is the highest priority and only obedience to Him is the highest duty.
7. They knew that serving the king or the false gods may bring temporary relief and freedom but it will cause eternal loss and damnation. They were ready to be burnt in the natural fire rather than the fire of hell. They were truthful and faithful to their faith. That is why God miraculously sets them free.
8. On the contrary, the Jews do not see the truth, do not accept it, and follow it. They do not recognize the truth of Jesus, his identity as the Son of God and the Messiah. They do not accept the truth proclaimed by Jesus.
9. They do not realize the truth about their sinfulness and unfaithfulness. They do not realize that Jesus himself is the truth that sets us free. They fail to repent and believe. They fail to live truthful and authentic lives. Instead, they are steeped in hypocrisy.
Practice: We need to constantly reflect and see whether the freedom that we passionately seek and fight for is really making us free people who are not enslaved to sin. Freedom opposed to truth is only false.
