Skip to main content

Advent Series - December 21

Image
By
+
JMJ

December 21

Yesterday, we read how the Jews were taken into captivity by the Chaldeans and forced to live in Babylon.

King Darius of Babylon liked Daniel very much and wanted to put him in charge of his kingdom. Others were jealous of Daniel and they looked for a way to get rid of him.

Using flattery, they got the king to make a law forbidding anyone to pray except to the king for 30 days. Anyone caught disobeying the king’s law would be thrown to the lions. When Daniel went to pray to God, the jealous men brought Daniel before the king.

Then the king knew he had been tricked into killing his friend, but he prayed that Daniel’s God would deliver him. The next morning, King Darius hurried to the den and Daniel answered him that an angel of the Lord had shut up the mouths of the lions.

The king was “exceeding glad” and commanded that Daniel be taken out of the den.

“Then king Darius wrote to all people, tribes and languages, dwelling in the whole earth:

PEACE be multiplied unto you. It is decreed by me, that in all my empire and my kingdom all men dread and fear the God of Daniel. For He is the living and eternal God forever: and His kingdom shall not be destroyed, and His power shall be forever. He is the Deliverer, and Saviour, doing signs and wonders in heaven, and in earth: who hath delivered Daniel out of the lion’s den” (Dan 6:25-27)

After Daniel was delivered from the lions, while he was praying, the angel Gabriel revealed to him God’s plan:
  1. For the return of the Jews to Jerusalem (which had been foretold by Isaias as well)
  2. For the rebuilding of the Temple
  3. The coming of the Persians, Greeks (with the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes) and Romans
  4. The angel Gabriel also revealed the time of the coming of the Saviour; which would be 69 weeks of years (69 X 7 = 483 years) from the rebuilding of Jerusalem! (Dan 9:25) Amazing! Who could not believe that Our Lord was the Messias! In fact, It says in the Haydock commentary of the Bible about this prophecy that “In a dispute between an Jew and a Christian, at Venice, the Rabbi who presided…put an end to the business by saying, “Let us shut up our Bibles; for if we proceed in the examination of this prophecy, it will make us all become Christians” (Haydock page 1103 regarding Daniel 9:25)

Time passed and Daniel was thrown to the lions again. This time by those who worshipped the idol, Bel and a snake, which Daniel destroyed. This time, Daniel was left with the lions for 6 days.

At that time, a few Jews had been left behind to plant crops in Judah. Among those living in Judah was Habacuc, the prophet. Habacuc was on his way to bring food for the workers in the fields when an angel appeared. Taking Habacuc by his hair, the angel carried him all the way to Babylon so that he could give the food to Daniel while he was in the den!

After 6 days, Daniel was released and the king gave thanks, ordering all to fear the God of Daniel.

(And both times, the lions ate the bad guys instead!)

The O Antiphon for today is “O Oriens”
O rising sun, brightness of eternal life and Sun of Justice: come and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”

This antiphon is fitting today because it is the shortest day of the year.
Our Lord came to bring us the light of truth.

An interesting thing to note:
From the birth of Our Lord, daylight will increase until about the feast of St. John the Baptist in June.
From the feast of Saint John, the days begin to grow shorter until the birth of Our Lord!

And in the Gospel, St. John the Baptist said of Our Lord, “He must increase and I must decrease.”
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What the heck is a congregation of "Pontifical Right"

By
+ JMJ In a discussion with a friend the question occurred to me that I didn't actually know was is involved in being a religious order of 'pontifical right'. I had a vague notion that this meant they reported to Rome as opposed to the local diocese. I'm also aware that, according to the accounts I have heard, the Archbishop received 'praise' and the written direction to incardinate priests directly into the SSPX.  This is interesting because it implies that the SSPX priests were no longer required to incardinate in the local diocese but in the SSPX. This is something that belongs to an order of 'pontifical right'. Anyway here's some definitions: Di diritto pontificio is the Italian term for “of pontifical right” . It is given to the ecclesiastical institutions (the religious and secular institutes, societies of apostolic life) either created by the Holy See or approved by it with the formal decree, known by its Latin name, Decretu
Post a Comment
Read more

The Curious Case of Steve Skojec and the Dangers of Deep Diving into the Crisis Sub-Titled: The Failings of Others

By
 + JMJ It's been a while now since Steve Skojec sold 1P5 and abandoned the Catholic Faith. I've been a 'Trad' since 1982 and in those 40+ years I seen this death-spiral before with a similar end point. It seems that anyone who jumps into the fray unprepared for the enormous task of righting wrongs will, eventually, become discouraged by not the task but the people who surround them.   I remember when Skojec complained of the treatment his family received from a traditional priest.  This seems to have been the start of the end for him. So what can we learn from the likes of Steve Skojec, Michael Voris (maybe?), Louie Verrecchio, Gerry Matatix and other celebrity Catholics? Probably quite a lot about what not to do. First, don't burn out on the crisis?  When you burn out, on work or anything else, little things assume a more greater importance than they are due.   This is one of my 'canary in the coal mine' signals that I've been stretching myself too thin
Post a Comment
Read more

De Veritate - St. Thomas Aquinas - What is necessary to believe explicitly?

By
I was recently introduced to a work of St. Thomas De Veritate ( Source ) in the course of an argument concerning the minimum content of explicit faith.  When I submitted the following quote as proof: Theological faith, that is, a supernatural faith in Revelation, is necessary, and this is an effect of grace (D 1789); nemini unquam sine ilIa contigit iustificatio (D 1793). As far as the content of this faith is concerned, according to Hebr. 11, 6, at least the existence of God and retribution in the other world must be firmly held, necessitate medii (by the necessity of means) with explicit faith. In regard to the Trinity and the Incarnation, implicit faith suffices. The supernatural faith necessary for justification is attained when God grants to the unbeliever by internal inspiration or external teaching a knowledge of the truths of Revelation, and actual grace to make the supernatural act of faith. Cf. De verite 14, I I.Ott - Fundamentals of Dogma p241 In response my opponent wrot
Post a Comment
Read more

Thirty Days Prayer to Our Lady -

By
+ JMJ Providence has cast this prayer in my path twice in the last week.  I decided to post it here in order to have a copy handy. P^3 Prayer Penance Patience Source Intro Prayer With the condition of affairs in the cultural, political and physical world in a state of disarray we enter Lent - Ash Wednesday - February 25th - 2004 - more compelled then ever to pursue, diligently and faithfully, our personal road to holiness. It is a long, difficult path each of us treads, however, we do know the journey can be sweeter and more blessed if we travel it with others. Jesus has told us: "Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, I am with you." And there are many other biblical passages, as well, that urge us to love and help one another. A 'Thirty Day Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary ' was said by many Catholics during troubled times in their lives up until Vatican II. While looking through old stored away boxes, I came across a small white prayer b
4 comments
Read more

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

By
+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3
Post a Comment
Read more