Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Today’s meditative Psalm is not taken from the traditional Book of Psalms, but rather is a Psalm found in the Book of Daniel.  Today’s first reading is of the famous story of the faithful three young Jewish men who were thrown into a fiery furnace by their Babylonian conqueror because they refused to worship a pagan idol.  It is important to realize that today’s first reading is not continuous, but rather there is a gap left out of some 70 verses between the first part and the final few lines.  Today’s reflective Psalm is taken from some 34 of those omitted verses.  Daniel is an apocalyptic figure, an ideal hero rather than an historic person.  Like all apocalyptic literature it was written at a time of great persecution and danger to the faith.  It is meant to encourage believers to remain steadfast, for God will be with them.  So, in this story the fidelity of the young men saves them from a horrible death.  While under trial, instead of bemoaning their fate, they sing a song of praise to God.  Notice that Hebrew great love of repetition. In this case each line begins with the word  “Blessed”, and is follow by more or less the same refrain over and over again: “praiseworthy and exalted above all forever”  How often in our songs and hymns do we have a refrain which we sing over and over again?  Remember, they were singing.