In those days the people of Babylon gathered together against the king, and said to him: “Deliver up to us Daniel who has destroyed Bel and killed the Dragon, otherwise we will destroy you and your house.” And the king saw that they pressed on him violently, and being constrained by necessity he delivered Daniel to them. And they cast him into the den of lions, and he was there six days. And in the den there were seven lions, and they had given to them two carcasses every day, and two sheep: but then they were not given to them, to the intent that they might devour Daniel. Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habacuc, and he had boiled pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl, and was going into the field to carry it to the reapers. And the Angel of the Lord said to Habacuc: “Carry the dinner which you have into Babylon to Daniel,who is in the lions’ den.” And Habacuc said: “Lord, I never saw Babylon, nor do I know the den.” And the Angel of the Lord took him by the top of his head, and carried him by the hair of his head, and set him in Babylon over the den in the force of his spirit. And Habacuc cried, saying: “O Daniel, you servant of God, take the dinner that God has sent you.” And Daniel said: “You have remembered me, O God, and you have not forsaken them that love you.” And Daniel arose and ate. And the Angel of the Lord presently set Habacuc again in his own place. And on the seventh day the king came to bewail Daniel, and he came to the den and looked in, and behold Daniel was sitting in the midst of the lions. And the king cried out with a loud voice, saying: “Great are you, O Lord, the God of Daniel.” And he drew him out of the lions’ den. But those that had been the cause of his destruction, he cast into the den and they were devoured in a moment before him. Then the king said: “Let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the God of Daniel, for He is the Saviour, working signs and wonders in the earth, who has delivered Daniel out of the lions’ den.”Thanks be to God.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
This Lesson was intended in an especial manner as an instruction to the catechumens. They were preparing to enroll themselves as Christians. It was therefore necessary that they should have examples put before them, which they might study and imitate. Daniel, cast into the lions’ den for having despised and destroyed the idol Bel was the type of a martyr. This Prophet had confessed the true God in Babylon. He had put to death a Dragon to which the people, after Bel had been destroyed, had given their idolatrous worship: nothing less than Daniel’s death could appease their indignation. The holy man full of confidence in God allowed himself to be thrown into the lions’ den, thus setting an example of courageous faith to the future Christians: they would imitate him, and for three centuries would nobly shed their blood for the establishment of the Church of Christ. In the Roman catacombs we continually meet with the representation of Daniel surrounded by lions, and many of these paintings date from the ages of persecution. Thus, the eye of the catechumens could see what their ear heard. Both told them to be ready for trial and sacrifice. It is true, the history of Daniel showed them the power of God interfering and delivering him from death, but they were fully aware that in order to merit a like deliverance they would have to show a like constancy, and be ready to suffer death, rather than deny their faith. From time to time, a Christian was led to the amphitheatre, and the wild beasts would fawn at his feet: but such miracles only put off the martyr’s sacrifice, and perhaps won others to the faith.
It was the Prophet’s courage, and not his victory over the lions, that the Church proposed to her catechumens. The great thing for them to bear in mind was this maxim of our Lord: “Fear not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body into hell” (Matthew x. 28). We are the descendants of these early Christians, but our faith has not cost us what it cost them. And yet we have a tyrant to try even ours: we have to confess our faith, not indeed before proconsuls or emperors, but before the world. Let the example of the brave martyrs send us forth from our Lent with a courageous determination to withstand this tyrant, with his maxims, his pomps, and his works. There has been a truce between him and us during these days of retirement and penance, but the battle will soon be renewed, and then we must stand the brunt and show that we are Christians.Gospel – John vii. 1‒13
At that time Jesus walked in Galilee, for He would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews’ feast of Tabernacles was at hand. And His brethren said to Him: “Depart from here and go into Judea that your disciples also may see your works which you do. For there is no man that does anything in secret, and he himself seeks to be known openly; if you do these things, manifest yourself to the world.” For neither did His brethren believe in Him. Then Jesus said to them: “ My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but me it hates because I give testimony of it that the works of it are evil. Go up to this festival day, but I go not up to this festival day, because my time is not accomplished.” When He had said these things, He Himself stayed in Galilee. But after His brethren had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. The Jews therefore sought Him on the festival day and said: “Where is he?” And there was much murmuring among the multitude concerning Him. For some said: “He is a good man.” And others said: “No, but he seduces the people.” Yet no man spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.Praise be to you, O Christ.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
The facts here related refer to an earlier part of our Lord’s life, but the Church proposes them to our consideration today on account of their connection with those given us in the Gospels read to us during the last few days. We learn from these words of Saint John that the Jews were plotting the death of Jesus, not only when this the last Pasch for the synagogue was approaching, but even so far back as the Feast of Tabernacles, which was kept in September. The Son of God was reduced to the necessity of going from place to place as it were in secret. if He would go to Jerusalem, He must take precautions! Let us adore these humiliations of the Man-God who has deigned to sanctify every position of life, even that of the just man persecuted and obliged to hide himself from his enemies. It would have been an easy matter for Him to confound His adversaries by working miracles, such as those which Herod’s curiosity sought for. He could have compelled them to treat Him with the reverence that was due to Him. But this is not God’s way. He does not force man to duty. He acts and then leaves man to recognise his Creator’s claims. In order to do this man must be attentive and humble, he must impose silence on his passions. The divine light shows itself to the soul that thus comports herself. First, she sees the actions, the works, of God. Then, she believes and wishes to believe: her happiness, as well as her merit, lies in faith, and faith will be recompensed in eternity with light —with the Vision. Flesh and blood cannot understand this. They love show and noise. The Son of God having come down on this earth could not subject Himself to such an abasement as that of making a parade of His infinite power before men. He had to work miracles in order to give a guarantee of His mission, but as Man everything He did was not to be a miracle. By far the longest period of His life was devoted to the humble duties of a creature. Had it not been so, how should we have learned from Him what we so much needed to know? His brethren (the Jews gave the name of brothers to all who were collaterally related), His brethren wished Jesus to make a display of His miraculous power, for some of the glory would have accrued to them. This their ambition caused our Lord to address them in these strong words on which we should meditate during this holy season, for later on we will stand in need of the teaching: “The world cannot hate you, but me it hates.” Let us, therefore, for the time to come, not please the world. Its friendship would separate us from Jesus Christ.
