Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Homily – 03-12-2008 - Wednesday

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, in our first reading today from the Prophet Daniel experienced the freedom of the children of God – in anticipation of the freedom that Jesus would bring by his death and resurrection!

The Spirit of God was with them and they had absolutely no fear of what anyone could do to them in the physical realm – not even being cast into a white-hot furnace. Belief in God and trust in him yields an invincible coating of protection that can withstand anything that anyone can do to the body – or anything that the body can do to itself.

And so these three young men refused to deter their belief in God and they were rewarded with his providence and protection. Even though they were thrown into a fiery furnace they were totally unscathed, unharmed, protected. An angel came to strengthen them in the midst of the flames and they breathed in the wonderful air of the freedom of the children of God.

In the gospel passage, Jesus is telling the children of Abraham that if they truly were children of Abraham they would recognize and accept him as Son of God - because Abraham worshiped the One God whose Son Jesus was. And if they truly knew the Father, they would know the Son. He is telling them that they must not even be good children of Abraham if they are not experiencing the freedom that comes from their belief and the certainty that comes from hearing the Word of God made flesh speaking to them.

Jesus came from God the Father – to establish and proclaim our freedom to believe, our freedom to love, our freedom to serve the needs of one another in proof of our love for God. May we truly be sons and daughters of Abraham – sons and daughters in faith – brothers and sisters of Jesus our Lord and Brother who accomplished so great a victory over sin and death for us – to set us free forever!

Glory and praise forever!

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