Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Lent, March 28,2007

Scripture: Daniel 3:14-20.91-92.95. Resp. Daniel 3:52-56. John 8:31-42:
Lectionary # 254

In the response from Daniel which is used as our "Responsorial Psalm" we
have a beautiful prayer that expresses belief in God through praising God
with blessings or benedictions. Daniel is telling God how great he is.
Now this is an open profession of faith that he uttered and through a prior
miracle Daniel was able to resist the King who wanted to put him to death
for his beliefs. As for us, we are rarely put through such a test unless
we come from another part of planet earth where this does take place as we
have heard news in former years about Biafra and more recently Dafur and
Rwanda. We feel rather comfortable here in America about living out our
faith quietly and almost imperceptibly. During the time of Daniel and that
of Jesus it was not that easy to be a believer in God or Jesus. Today's
Gospel is urging us to give a good look at how our faith must deepen if we
are to be authentic believers. Both a profession of faith and standing up
against those who are opposed to what we believe in were challenges that
both readings are speaking about. Jesus is addressing the ordinary
believers who have come to have a certain amount of trust in him, but still
are not really believing disciples who would give their lives for his
message and for his person. Would we be different? The Judeans center
their response to his call to deepen their belief by resorting to the
traditional tried and true reliance on Abraham our common father in faith.
They are pure, free, and true descendants of Abraham and it is this that
they affirm as their freedom. Blood relationship to him is their heritage
and what Jesus is saying does not move them further or deeper into belief
in him. This reminded me of the Gospel of Mark where Jesus' mother and
brethren come to seek him out. He reminds his listeners that flesh and
blood is not what matters to him in the realm of faith but doing the will
of His Father. Even his mother Mary is called to transcend in faith her
physical relationship to him. To be a daughter and son of God we need to
believe with all our heart, our mind, and our total spirit and person.
This is what the covenant made with Abraham, Noah, Moses, and David calls
for. Then for us who believe in Jesus we are called to go beyond the
search for signs (miracles in John's Gospel) and to let Jesus push us
beyond devotional sentimentality, search for the magic of miracles and
boasting because we consider ourselves followers of God and Jesus. The
only faith that sets us free is not human traditions or heritages but total
and unreserved commitment of our lives to God and God's Apostle and Son,
Jesus. Our Scripture passage for today should help us to make a decision
to really live out our faith both in private and in public. Not an easy
task in a comfortable country where we are not in much danger of being
persecuted for such belief. Amen.