Fr Daniele's Daily Homily: 1st April
1st April 2020
Today's readings talk to us in a special way about the theme of freedom. The reading from the book of Daniel presents us with three young men made prisoners and thrown in a furnace by the king. Despite the horrible external situation, they show a deep inner freedom, based on the certainty that nothing will separate them from God.
The Gospel also talks to us about freedom, once again not external, but inside of us. That's the most important freedom we can achieve, that is, to really feel that we are children of God: "the slave’s place in the house is not assured, but the son’s place is assured." In order to have this experience Jesus invites us to be his disciples and to be open to his truth, whatever it may be. "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." That means to be open to let Jesus set us free from our sins, whatever they may be: "everyone who commits sin is a slave...if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."
Today's readings talk to us in a special way about the theme of freedom. The reading from the book of Daniel presents us with three young men made prisoners and thrown in a furnace by the king. Despite the horrible external situation, they show a deep inner freedom, based on the certainty that nothing will separate them from God.
We also need this deep inner freedom, despite the fact that our external freedom is extremely limited at the moment. Victor Frankl Nothing, a psychiatrist who survived Auschwitz, wrote: "Everything can be taken from a man but… the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way." Nothing external can separate us from God, or prevent us from praying. We will experience more and more that everything is in God's hands and nothing can be out of his plans. We are called to hold on to his arms very tightly in this moment.
The Gospel also talks to us about freedom, once again not external, but inside of us. That's the most important freedom we can achieve, that is, to really feel that we are children of God: "the slave’s place in the house is not assured, but the son’s place is assured." In order to have this experience Jesus invites us to be his disciples and to be open to his truth, whatever it may be. "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." That means to be open to let Jesus set us free from our sins, whatever they may be: "everyone who commits sin is a slave...if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."
During this time of lock down we can think more about our own life and about what doesn't correspond to Jesus' truth. We will discover that this conversion is more important than so many external things we are renouncing in this time of isolation.
First Reading
Daniel 3:14-20,24-25,28
God has sent his angel to rescue his servants
King Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods, and that you refuse to worship the golden statue I have erected? When you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, or any other instrument, are you prepared to prostrate yourselves and worship the statue I have made? If you refuse to worship it, you must be thrown straight away into the burning fiery furnace; and where is the god who could save you from my power?’ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘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.’ These words infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar; his expression was very different now as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He gave orders for the furnace to be made seven times hotter than usual, and commanded certain stalwarts from his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar sprang to his feet in amazement. He said to his advisers, ‘Did we not have these three men thrown bound into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ ‘But,’ he went on ‘I can see four men walking about freely in the heart of the fire without coming to any harm. And the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: he has sent his angel to rescue the servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their own.’
Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:52-56
Glory and praise to you for ever!
You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
Blest your glorious holy name.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
You are blest in the temple of your glory.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
You are blest who gaze into the depths.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
You are blest in the firmament of heaven.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
Gospel
John 8:31-42
If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed
To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said:
‘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.’
They answered, ‘We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, “You will be made free”?’ Jesus replied:
‘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.’
They repeated, ‘Our father is Abraham.’ Jesus said to them:
‘If you were Abraham’s children,
you would do as Abraham did.
As it is, you want to kill me
when I tell you the truth
as I have learnt it from God;
that is not what Abraham did.
What you are doing is what your father does.’
‘We were not born of prostitution,’ they went on ‘we have one father: God.’ Jesus answered:
‘If God were your father, you would love me,
since I have come here from God;
yes, I have come from him;
not that I came because I chose,
no, I was sent, and by him.’
First Reading
Daniel 3:14-20,24-25,28
God has sent his angel to rescue his servants
King Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods, and that you refuse to worship the golden statue I have erected? When you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, or any other instrument, are you prepared to prostrate yourselves and worship the statue I have made? If you refuse to worship it, you must be thrown straight away into the burning fiery furnace; and where is the god who could save you from my power?’ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘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.’ These words infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar; his expression was very different now as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He gave orders for the furnace to be made seven times hotter than usual, and commanded certain stalwarts from his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar sprang to his feet in amazement. He said to his advisers, ‘Did we not have these three men thrown bound into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ ‘But,’ he went on ‘I can see four men walking about freely in the heart of the fire without coming to any harm. And the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: he has sent his angel to rescue the servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their own.’
Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:52-56
Glory and praise to you for ever!
You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
Blest your glorious holy name.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
You are blest in the temple of your glory.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
You are blest who gaze into the depths.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
You are blest in the firmament of heaven.
Glory and praise to you for ever!
Gospel
John 8:31-42
If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed
To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said:
‘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.’
They answered, ‘We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, “You will be made free”?’ Jesus replied:
‘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.’
They repeated, ‘Our father is Abraham.’ Jesus said to them:
‘If you were Abraham’s children,
you would do as Abraham did.
As it is, you want to kill me
when I tell you the truth
as I have learnt it from God;
that is not what Abraham did.
What you are doing is what your father does.’
‘We were not born of prostitution,’ they went on ‘we have one father: God.’ Jesus answered:
‘If God were your father, you would love me,
since I have come here from God;
yes, I have come from him;
not that I came because I chose,
no, I was sent, and by him.’
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