The truth shall set you free.

The truth in these readings hit me like a ton of bricks today. I am not sure I would say do your worst to the king when I could see the heat of the white-hot flames. In the first reading from Daniel, the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the face of threats and retribution is so solid. Even if God did not rescue them from the flames, they were willing to make that sacrifice. I get cranky when Sunday Mass times don’t really fit my schedule. God doesn’t ask me to face a fiery furnace, but he does ask me to find him in all things, to live out the Gospel in large and small ways.

I have to face the truth in my everyday life that my sins of omission and commission are weighing me down. It is those small sins that add up: an unkind word here, paying more attention to things than people, being too busy to pray or fast or abstain, holding back my forgiveness to satisfy some grudge. My own furnace is little flames of turning away from God and my best self because it’s convenient or easier or satisfies some petty urge.

The truth is that it is the small things that animate the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself and make up the mosaic of our lives: To take the time to listen, to care, to do the right thing, to stand up for what’s right, to take the time for thanks, for a kind word.
The truth is we face the tests of our faith every day. We won’t pass all of the tests, but we can work on being and doing more than we are now.

My prayer today is from the verse before the Gospel: Let me keep the word with a generous heart and with perseverance.