Praising God in the midst of persecution
November 27, 2023 - Monday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time
Daniel 3:52-56
Our responsorial psalm comes from the Book of Daniel. We hear a fragment from the famous song of one of the three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to worship the golden image set by the Babylonia king Nebuchadnezzar. As they “walked about in the flames”, they were “singing to God and blessing the Lord” (Daniel 3:24).
There are two songs included in this part of the book of Daniel. The first song - Daniel 3:24-50 - is ascribed to one of these young men, Abednego also known as Azariah. It is a penitential supplication. It praises God’s justice and acknowledges people’s sins that led to their national tragedy. But, the author is convinced that the true repentance evident in people’s contrition and humility will move the Lord to show them mercy. The second song - Daniel 3:51-90 - is ascribed to all three young men. They praise the Lord and call the entire creation to join them in their praise even in the midst of persecution.
We can wonder at the fact that someone can praise God when their lives are endangered. But, we see the same thing in the New Testament. When Paul and Silas were put into prison in Philippi, we are told that “about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25). Jesus said that we should rejoice and leap for joy when we are hated, excluded, and reviled on account of our faith (see Luke 6:22-23). That is what the three young men and the first Christians were doing. What or who is the source of such joy?
The answer is obvious: the Holy Spirit. In the letter to the Galatians, Paul considered joy as one of the many fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 6:22). And one of the most joyous letters of Paul addressed to the Christian community in Philippi was written in prison. In that letter, we find the famous invitation of Paul to joy: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil 4:4). Only someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit can radiate with such joy. The Holy Spirit changes our perception of reality to such extent that we begin to rejoice in encountering various trials (see James 1:2) and in sharing in the suffering of Christ (see 1 Peter 4:13-14).
How about us today? Can we sing and praise the Lord even in the midst of persecution? Do we consider it “all joy” when we “meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2)? Paul VI once said that “technological society has succeeded in multiplying the opportunities for pleasure, but it has great difficulty in generating joy”. The reason is obvious: our gadgets cannot replace the Holy Spirit and artificial interaction on social media is a poor substitute for a genuine prayer time before the Lord. It is time that we come to our senses and return to the source of our joy, the Holy Spirit. He can make us sing and praise God even amid persecution.