April 9, 2025
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 253
Reading 1
King Nebuchadnezzar said:
"Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?"
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
"There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
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."
King Nebuchadnezzar's face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
"Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?"
"Assuredly, O king," they answered.
"But," he replied, "I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God."
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God."
Responsorial Psalm
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Verse Before the Gospel
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous
heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
Gospel
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
"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."
They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, 'You will become free'?"
Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father."
They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham."
Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!"
So they said to him, "We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God."
Jesus said to them, "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."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040925.cfm
Commentary on Daniel
3:14-20,24-25,28
Today’s First Reading helps us to see that our lives find
their centre in God; all else takes second place. The verses come from a
different section of a passage we already saw on Tuesday of the 3rd week in
Lent.
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had built a golden statue and
commanded all his subjects to bow down in adoration before it as a test of
loyalty (this is not unlike the requirement that early Christians had to bow
down before an image of the Roman emperor as a sign of abandoning their faith
in Christ as Lord). Three young Jewish men in the service of the royal court,
and who were particular favourites of the king for their outstanding qualities,
refuse to worship the statue. They prefer death rather than turn their back on
their God.
In his anger, the king threatens to have them thrown into a
white-hot furnace from which no god will save them. The young men calmly reply
that either their God will save them, because he can, or, even if
he does not, they will still remain steadfast in their trust of God. The king,
now even more angry, has them thrown into a furnace which has been made seven
times hotter.
Later, when he makes enquiries, the king finds that the
three young men, now in the company of a fourth (recognized by the king as an
angel), are walking around unscathed in the fire. The pagan king is deeply
moved by what he sees. First, he is filled with admiration for the God that
delivered them from certain death and, second, he deeply respects the young men
who disobeyed him and were ready to sacrifice their lives, rather than turn
their back on their God. He exclaims:
Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him.
Today’s reading is linked with the Gospel in which Jesus
speaks of those who are truly descendants of Abraham. If those attacking him
were true descendants, then they would recognise Jesus as truly the Son of God.
As it is, they show they are not true descendants.
Reflecting on the First Reading I might ask: What are the
idols in my life? Is there anything in my life which I would find very difficult
to sacrifice if God asked me to give it up? Is there any thing or any person in
my life which comes between God and me?
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Commentary on John
8:31-42
Contentious dialogue between Jesus and the Jews continues in
today’s Gospel reading. There are some sayings here which we would do well to
reflect on deeply.
If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
The Pharisees take umbrage at that statement. As descendants
of Abraham, they were never slaves to anyone. But in fact, in the long history
of their people, the Jews were almost continuously enslaved by invading powers.
However, the slavery Jesus speaks about is the slavery of sin.
In responding to Jesus’ words, how many of us who want to be
disciples of Christ have truly made his word our ‘home’? How many of us have to
admit that we are not really very familiar with Jesus’ word in the New
Testament? Yet we cannot truly follow him unless we are steeped in that word.
As well, how many of us really believe that the truth about
life, communicated to us through Jesus, makes us genuinely free? How many of us
experience our commitment to Christianity as a liberation? How many have left
the Church because they felt suffocated and wanted to be free?
What freedom were they looking for? For many, being a
Christian is sacrificing freedom in exchange for a promise of a future
existence of pure happiness. We can say with confidence that, if we do not find
being a Christian a liberating experience here and now, we do not really
understand the true nature of our Christian faith. In today’s Gospel, Jesus
says:
If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came
from God, and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.
To know Jesus, to love Jesus and to follow Jesus is the way
to God, and it is in God, and only in God, that we will find true happiness,
freedom and peace. But the only way to know the truth of that statement is to
experience it personally.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/l1054g/
Wednesday,
April 9, 2025
Season of Lent
Opening Prayer
Lord our God, you
call us to be free people. Help us to give you always a response of freedom.
Set free by Christ’s liberating word and death, may we never again shackle
ourselves with self-made chains, of selfish sin and false attachments. We ask
you this through Christ our Lord.
Gospel Reading - John 8: 31-42
To the Jews who believed in him
Jesus said: If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you
will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free. They answered,
'We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone;
what do you mean, "You will be set free?" '
Jesus replied: In all truth
I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now a slave has no permanent
standing in the household, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets
you free, you will indeed be free. I know that you are descended from Abraham;
but you want to kill me because my word finds no place in you. What I speak of
is what I have seen at my Father's side, and you too put into action the
lessons you have learnt from your father. They repeated, 'Our father is
Abraham.'
Jesus said to them: If you
are Abraham's children, do as Abraham did. As it is, you want to kill me, a man
who has told you the truth as I have learnt it from God; that is not what
Abraham did.
You are doing your father's work.
They replied, 'We were not born illegitimate, the only father we have is God.'
Jesus answered: If God were your father, you would love me,
since I have my origin in God and have come from him; I did not come of my own
accord, but he sent me.
Reflection
The reflection on chapter 8
of the Gospel of John continues today. In the form of concentric circles, John
deepens the mystery of God which envelopes the person of Jesus. It seems like a
repetition, because he always goes back to speak of the same point. In reality,
it is the same point, but every time at a more profound level. Today’s Gospel
treats the theme of the relationship of Jesus with Abraham, the Father of the
People of God. John tries to help the communities to understand how Jesus places
himself within the whole history of the People of God. He helps them to
perceive the difference that existed between Jesus and the Jews, and also the
Jews and the others, all of us are sons and daughters of Abraham.
•
John 8: 31-32: The liberty which comes from
fidelity to the word of Jesus. Jesus affirms to the Jews: “If you make my word
your home you will indeed be my disciples; 32 you will come to know the truth
and the truth will set you free.” To be a disciple of Jesus is the same as
opening oneself to God. The words of Jesus are in reality words of God. They
communicate the truth, because they make things known as they are in the eyes
of God and not in the eyes of the Pharisees. Later, during the Last Supper,
Jesus will teach the same thing to the disciples.
•
John 8: 33, 38: What is it to be a son or a
daughter of Abraham? The reaction of the Jews is immediate: “We are descended
from Abraham, and we have never been the slaves of anyone: what do you mean:
You will be set free?” Jesus repeats and confirms making a distinction between
son and slave and says: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave. The slave has no
permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if
the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.” Jesus is the son and remains
in the house of the Father. The slave does not live in the house of the Father.
To live outside the house, outside of God means to live in sin. If they would
accept the word of Jesus, they could become sons and attain liberty. They would
no longer be slaves. And Jesus continues: “I know that you are descended from
Abraham; but you want to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.” The
distinction is immediately very clear: “What I speak of is what I have seen at
my Father’s side, and you too put into action the lessons you have learnt from
your father.” Jesus denies to them the right to say that they are sons of
Abraham, because their works affirm the contrary.
•
John 8: 39-41ª: A son of Abraham fulfils the
works of Abraham. They insist in affirming: “Our father is Abraham!” as if they
wanted to present to Jesus a document of their identity. Jesus repeats: “If you
are sons of Abraham do the works of Abraham! 40 Now, instead you are seeking to
kill me, because I have told you the truth heard from God; Abraham has not done
this. 41 You do the works of your father.” Between the lines, he suggests that
their father is Satan (Jn 8: 44). He suggests that they are sons of
prostitution.
•
John 8: 41b-42: If God was your Father,
certainly, you would love me, because I have my origin in God and I come from
Him; I did not come of my own accord, but he sent me.” Jesus repeats the same
truth using diverse words: “Whoever comes from God listens to the words of
God.” The origin of this affirmation is from Jeremiah who says: “Within them I
shall plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I shall be their God and
they will be my people. There will be no further need for everyone to teach
neighbor or brother, saying: ‘Learn to know Yahweh!’ No, they will all know me,
from the least to the greatest, Yahweh declares, since I shall forgive their
guilt and never more call their sin to mind” (Jr 31: 33-34). But they will not
open themselves to this new experience of God, and because of this they will
not recognize Jesus as the one sent by the Father.
Personal Questions
•
Liberty which submits itself totally to the
Father. Does something of this type exist in you? Do you know persons who are
like that?
•
Which is the deepest experience in me which
leads me to recognize Jesus as the one sent by God?
Concluding Prayer
May you be blessed, Lord, God of our ancestors, be praised
and extolled forever.
Blessed be your glorious and holy name, praised and
extolled forever.
Blessed on the throne of your kingdom, exalted above all,
glorified forever. (Dn 3: 52, 54)
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