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March 22, 2022We probably need some context for what is happening in the first reading. (Or you can read all of Daniel 3 and skip this paragraph). King Nebuchadnezzar built an idol out of gold and ordered everyone to fall down and worship it, or they would be burned alive. Three administrators (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego/Azariah) refused to worship it because they recognized the Lord as the One true God. Thus, Nebuchadnezzar was enraged and ordered to heat the furnace seven times more than usual, to bound up these three administrators, and to throw them into the fire. However, the three were not consumed by the fire; instead, they praised God while dancing in the fire. That’s the reading we have today, a prayer of petition for continual help and recognition of God’s greatness. By the end of the chapter, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that the three men worshipped the true God and decreed that everyone worship the Lord instead.
In this season of repentance and reconciliation, we become aware that sometimes we fail significantly before recognizing that we were wrong. However, as we see in this chapter of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that he had led people through the wrong path and directed them to the true God. He repented of the evil he had done, blessed God, and did what he could to remedy the harm that was done. It would be an even greater sin to have witnessed the miracle and denied the Lord’s power. In fact, it would be adding sin upon sin. It is the sin of pride with pride overlayed. This behavior sinks us deeper into our sinful tendencies. We should learn from this story to repent quickly. To be quick to ask for forgiveness and to remedy the harm we have done whenever possible.
Peter asked Jesus in the Gospel reading how many times one should forgive someone who has harmed us. Jesus replied, “not seven times but seventy-seven times.” As Nebuchadnezzar had ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual to do harm to those who disagreed with him, so does Jesus say that we must forgive not only ‘exactly’ as much as we were harmed, but eleven times the more! Seventy-seven times. Twice perfectly. That’s what Jesus asks of us: to forgive as He does. Perfectly. And, knowing that we can’t do it alone, He sent us the Holy Spirit at our Baptism, that we may receive the grace we need. This is the grace to ask for forgiveness quickly and to forgive perfectly.
Holy Spirit, guide my conscience to see where I have wronged, that I may ask for forgiveness, and give me the grace to forgive as you do. Amen.
