Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Reading 1 and//usccb.org/bible/daniel/3:14 DN 3:14-20, 91-92, 95 King Nebuchadnezzar saidand Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,that you will not serve my god,or worship the golden statue that I set up?Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,and all the other musical instrumentsotherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnaceand who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, There is no need for us to defend ourselves before youin this matter.If our God, whom we serve,can save us from the white-hot furnaceand from your hands, O king, may he save us!But even if he will not, know, O king,that we will not serve your godor worship the golden statue that you set up.”King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rageagainst Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usualand had some of the strongest men in his armybind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednegoand cast them into the white-hot furnace.Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles, Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” Assuredly, O king,” they answered. But,” he replied, I see four men unfettered and unhurt,walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in himthey disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodiesrather than serve or worship any godexcept their own God.” Responsorial Psalm and//usccb.org/bible/daniel/3:52 DN 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 R. (52b)Glory and praise for ever! Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,praiseworthy and exalted above all foreverAnd blessed is your holy and glorious name,praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.” R.Glory and praise for ever! Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. R.Glory and praise for ever! Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.” R.Glory and praise for ever! Blessed are you who look into the depthsfrom your throne upon the cherubimpraiseworthy and exalted above all forever.” R.Glory and praise for ever! Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,praiseworthy and glorious forever.” R.Glory and praise for ever! Verse Before TheGospel and//usccb.org/bible/luke/8:15 SEE LK 8:15 Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heartand yield a harvest through perseverance. Gospel and//usccb.org/bible/john/8:31 JN 8:31-42 Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”They answered him, We are descendants of Abrahamand have never been enslaved to anyone.How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”Jesus answered them, Amen, amen, I say to you,everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.A slave does not remain in a household forever,but a son always remains.So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.I know that you are descendants of Abraham.But you are trying to kill me,because my word has no room among you.I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presencethen do what you have heard from the Father.”They answered and said to him, Our father is Abraham.”Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham’s children,you would be doing the works of Abraham.But now you are trying to kill me,a man who has told you the truth that I heard from GodAbraham did not do this.You are doing the works of your father!”So they said to him, We were not born of fornication.We have one Father, God.”Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me,for I came from God and am hereI did not come on my own, but he sent me.”