Daniel 3:14-20, 24-25, 28 / John 8:31-42
The undeniable human desire is for happiness. The secret for happiness is freedom. And the secret for freedom is courage.
There will be times in our lives that we must have the courage to let go in order to be free.
But the very thing that we fear letting go of may also be the same thing that will set us free.
In the 1st reading, the three young men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, had to make a choice between worshiping the golden statue or being faithful to God.
The price of the second choice would be that they will be thrown into the fiery furnace. Their reply to king Nebuchadnezzar was really profound and worth reflecting: If our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning furnace and from your power, then He will save us. And even if He does not, then you must know that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you erected.
In stating their choice, they also showed what was really at stake, and they had the freedom to let go of their lives rather than to deny God.
In the gospel, Jesus said this: If you make my word your home, you will indeed be my disciples, you will learn the truth and the truth will make you free.
The truth is that all we have, including our lives, is given by God and belongs to Him.
God's word reveals this truth, and when we believe this truth, we will realize that there is really nothing to lose at all.
It takes courage to believe in the truth, but the truth will set us free and we will be happy.