Thirty-Fourth Monday of Ordinary Time

Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief chamberlain had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days. Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men who eat from the royal table, and treat your servants according to what you see." He acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days; after ten days they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate from the royal table.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah trusted that as long as they sought to remain pure and undefiled God would provide them with the sustenance they would need to survive and even thrive. They chose to risk their lives in order to live out their faith. They chose to fast for their Lord and God instead of feast on worldly pleasures. Because of their faith, they grew in wisdom and prudence and found favor with the king. Their trust was rewarded just as our trust in God is rewarded today. We might not be taken captive and asked to eat unclean foods, but we are tempted and the world asks us to partake in lives of sin. This is why it is so important for us to place our faith in God and trust He will deliver us from all evil. He may let us suffer setbacks in this life, but they are only meant to strengthen our beliefs and prove our love for Him above all. It is not an easy path to keep ourselves clean from sin, but it is necessary if we want to have a place in the everlasting feast.

Do we trust God will see us through every trial? How can we keep ourselves pure and undefiled? Are we willing to suffer and fast in this life in order to enjoy and celebrate the next one?

O Lord, see us through every test of our faith, hope, and love.

Amen.