Into the lions’ den

That is where some people feel like they are going when they gather with their extended families on Thanksgiving.

It is sheer coincidence that this is also the subject of the first reading proper to today (Daniel 6:12-28).

The basic message of this passage is stated clearly within it:

Daniel was removed from the den,
unhurt because he trusted in his God.

But the lions’ den is not the only dangerous place in this reading: the corridors of power in which Daniel walks are full of murderous treachery (as the verses immediately prior to this passage make clear) – a treachery that doubles back on the treacherous and their loved ones at the end of this passage.

Likewise in our own lives, we may have to walk, live, and work in places and situations full of danger and treachery. The world today seems to be an especially hostile place for Christians who take their faith seriously.

The message of today’s first reading is therefore more relevant than ever.

May we, like Daniel, serve our God constantly, so that – in his own way and in his own time, no matter what we may have to suffer – he will save us.