Memorial of Saint
Andrew Dŭng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
(Daniel 1:1-6.8-20, Luke 21:1-4)
Your doctor would not be surprised at all with the
outcome of Daniel’s vegetarian diet. She
will tell you to eat like them, consuming less red meat, taking in more
vegetables, and drinking little alcohol but lots of water. Giving dietary advice, however, was not the author’s
intention in the Book of Daniel. Quite
certainly he meant to lend moral counsel.
He wrote to encourage his fellow Jews not to disregard the Law. Rather they are to follow its every
precept. As in the case here, their
adhesion to the Law will bring about the good.
The Book of Daniel was written in the second century
before Christ. As the Books of Maccabees
testify, Jews at the time were being terribly persecuted. Foreign kings wanted to impose their beliefs
and customs on the people. The Jews
resisted and ultimately prevailed to establish home rule. Unfortunately that
too proved to be seriously defective.
Religious persecution is threatening citizens in western
societies today. People are not being
forced to eat forbidden foods but to violate their consciences in other
ways. Should a Catholic doctor be threatened
with loss of license for refusing to perform an abortion? Should a priest be demanded by law to “marry”
a homosexual couple? Should a Catholic
school principal be prosecuted for failing to treat as a girl a “transgendered”
male child? These kinds of questions are
all too real in today’s world. Faith-filled
people will hopefully take courage from these mass readings.
No comments:
Post a Comment