Daily Lenten Reflections

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Wednesday of the Fifth Week

Reflection

The imagery of fire is a powerful one. In the first reading, we hear of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being cast into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar for not worshipping a false god, yet they walked around in the fire unburned. I have always been fascinated and amazed by this story. Their conviction was so strong and steadfast that they would willingly walk into a burning furnace. The outcome of whether God would save them or not was not as large of a concern to them as doing what was right and standing up for the truth—that the God they serve is the one true God. This truth gave them the freedom to risk even their lives. In the Gospel, Jesus says, “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.” In our world today, it still takes courage and conviction to stand up for what is true and right and good, and just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, God will be with us, even among the flames.

I walk into the “fires” in my life with much less confidence. When faced with “fires”, my energy goes into trying to get out of it, trying to control it, or trying not to “get burned.” I’m so distracted by the flames of the situation I find myself in, that I sometimes forget that God is with me in the midst of it. So often we demand that God remove the fires from our lives rather than trying to find our way through them. Being in the fire is uncomfortable and painful, but fire is also known for purifying and burning away what is unnecessary, leaving behind something refined and precious. Walking into a fire with the confident and unwavering trust of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego inspires me to a greater and deeper trust that God will be with me, no matter what the circumstance. This Lent, maybe we need a fire to reignite our faith and strip away and burn off any unnecessary things that we are carrying with us so we can walk in truth and freedom with our God.

Prayer

Merciful God, help us let go of the things that bind us and give us the courage to stand up for what is right and true. May we trust that You will be with us, even among the “fires” in our lives. May this Lent be a time for us to embrace the truth and walk in freedom. Amen.

Anna Lester, ’98, M’11, Assistant Director of Edmundite Campus Ministry

Scripture

First Reading: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
Psalm: Daniel 3:52-56
Gospel: John 8:31-42

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

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Mission of Edmundite Campus Ministry

The Mission of Edmundite Campus Ministry at Saint Michael’s College is to share the Good News of the Gospel with the College community by facilitating encounter with Jesus Christ. We do this through the celebration of the Church’s Liturgy, in programs promoting knowledge of the Catholic faith, by developing ecumenical and interreligious relationships, and providing retreats and other opportunities for personal spiritual growth.

The Catholic and Edmundite tradition upon which the College was founded is grounded in the conviction that all women and men are created in the image and likeness of God providing a special dignity unique to each person. Such dignity requires human life to be respected in all of its stages recognizing that we are all children of God.

Therefore, in its pursuit of furthering the Reign of God, the Edmundite Campus Ministry staff seeks to interact with and support every member of the College community in their search for Truth, contributing to the “enhancement of the human person and to the advancement of human culture in light of the Catholic faith.”