Blessed are those who,
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their perseverance. LK 8:15
DANIEL 3:14-20,24-25,28
My Soul's Beloved,
Faith in You can move mountains, as Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego found out. They placed their trust in the one, true, God, refusing to bow down before the golden statue erected by King Nebuchadnezzar even on pain of death. They knew that the God they worshipped had the power to save them, but they boldly said to the King that even if He saw fit not to do so, they were still prepared to die rather than commit the sin of idolatry.
So few of us, O Lord, dare to stand boldly for the Truth regardless of the consequences. Are we willing to lay down our life for the Truth, which is unchanging and is the same yesterday, today, and always? So many like craven cowards have allowed themselves to be tempted, giving in to threats of persecution and abandoning their faith. But the Hall of Saints in the Catholic Church shines luminously for all time with the names of saints who stood firm in the face of the most horrifying tortures, and their names will be remembered eternally for refusing to bow down before the evil forces in the world. The power of those given over to the work of demons is temporary; God's power is eternal.
Beloved, if I am called to stand firm in the glorious and abiding Truth that I believe in, may I stand firm like Shadrach, Meschach, and Abedneg,o saying as they did:
‘Your question hardly requires an answer: if our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, O king, he will save us; and even if he does not, then you must know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have erected.’
PSALM - DANIEL 3:52-56
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.
Blest your glorious holy name.
You are blest in the temple of your glory.
You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.
You are blest who gaze into the depths.
You are blest in the firmament of heaven.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
JOHN 8:31-42
My Soul's Beloved,
The freedom that You came to win for us is the freedom that cost our first parents paradise. All of us are enslaved to some particular sin or other that renders us unable to have a genuine relationship with You. We make excuses for our weaknesses and convince ourselves that God will understand. The more we give in to them, the more addicted we become until we are unable to fight, and they take over our lives, completely enslaving us.
Thank You, Lord, for coming into the world as the Word of God that sets all who believe in You free.
‘If you make my word your home
you will indeed be my disciples,
you will learn the truth
and the truth will make you free.’
you will indeed be my disciples,
you will learn the truth
and the truth will make you free.’
‘I tell you most solemnly,
everyone who commits sin is a slave.
Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured,
but the son’s place is assured.
So if the Son makes you free,
you will be free indeed.
I know that you are descended from Abraham;
but in spite of that you want to kill me
because nothing I say has penetrated into you.
What I, for my part, speak of
is what I have seen with my Father;
but you, you put into action
the lessons learnt from your father.’
everyone who commits sin is a slave.
Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured,
but the son’s place is assured.
So if the Son makes you free,
you will be free indeed.
I know that you are descended from Abraham;
but in spite of that you want to kill me
because nothing I say has penetrated into you.
What I, for my part, speak of
is what I have seen with my Father;
but you, you put into action
the lessons learnt from your father.’
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