All That a Prayer Should Be

The prayer that we read from the Book of Daniel from the Lectionary for Mass (Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent) comes to us from the Book of the Prophet Daniel. This particular book is grouped with the books of the prophets but is different than all of the others. First of all, it is named for the hero of the book rather than for the writer himself. Secondly, this book is a mixture of both classical prophecy and wisdom literature with a fair amount of apocalyptic literature as well. In other words, it is unique.

The prayer that we read today comes from the episode of the three young men who were persecuted by the Babylonian king because they refused to offer incense to idols and because they insisted on keeping the dietary laws. Their refusal to offer incense highlights one of the chief premises of the Hebrew Scriptures; namely, the prohibition against any worship of "other" gods. Rants against idolatry were, without doubt, the chief complaint of the prophets. This explains why this book is grouped with the rest of the prophets.

Azariah, one of the three young men, prays a prayer of repentance, praise, intercession and thanksgiving all wrapped into one. (It is one of the canticles from the Hebrew Scriptures which appears in the four week psalter of the Liturgy of the Hours.) In that prayer Azariah admits his own sins and the sins of the people. “For we have sinned and transgressed by departing from you, and we have done every kind of evil.” (Daniel 3:29) He praises God and offers thanks for God's judgments: “Blessed are you, and praiseworthy, O Lord, the God of our ancestors, and glorious forever is your name. For you are just in all you have done; all your deeds are faultless, all your ways right, and all your judgments proper.” (Daniel 3:26-27) Most of the prayer, however, is intercessory in nature, asking God to deliver his countrymen, his companions and him from the power of King Nebuchadnezzar: “For your name's sake, do not deliver us up forever, or make void your covenant. Do not take away your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one. . .” (Daniel 3:36-37)

I am sure that it is included in the Lenten Lectionary because if focuses our attention on the need for repentance and upon Azariah's steadfast belief in God's mercy. However I have long felt that this prayer is appropriate for all seasons of the year. I am grateful, therefore, that it appears at least once every four weeks in the Liturgy of the Hours as it is, in my view, the embodiment of all that prayer should be.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator