I think that a lot of us grew up in the United States taking our freedom to practice our religion for granted, right? That was one of the founding values of our country. Religious persecution was something that took place way back in history or in a foreign land, but not here in the United States. There is a famous quote that Cardinal Francis George made to a gathering of priests in 2010 that reflects the reality I am speaking about: “I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history” In our reading from Daniel today, three young men - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - were faced with a choice - of choosing between God or their lives. And if these young men chose to be faithful to God, then into the flames of the fiery furnace they would go. They would be turned into ashes and their lives would be just a memory. They responded to King Nebuchadnezzar: Even if our God does not save us, if it is not his will, then we still will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you have set up. There have been martyrs throughout the history of the Church who have given up their lives in order to be faithful to God. Their are men and women today who courageously stand up for their faith in different ways. Yet, we have also seen a lot of the faithful who have left their lives of discipleship for different reasons. Our physical possessions will turn to dust one day. Our bodies will turn to dust as well. May we always choose God and the truths of our faith, those things that eternally endure.
No comments:
Post a Comment