Daniel, Chapter 1, Verse 10
Though God had given Daniel the favor and sympathy of the chief chamberlain, he nevertheless said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king; it is he who allotted your food and drink.
As a Catholic in the modern world have you ever
felt like you were living in exile; because those who are not of the body of
Christ are sort of foreign?
The
story begins when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieges Jerusalem. He breaks in,
conquers the city, and captures the king and some of the sacred vessels
dedicated to God in the temple. After this mad-cap spree, the king orders his
palace master Ashpenaz to take some of the royal and well-educated Israelites
and bring them back to Babylon to serve at the king's palace. Daniel and his
friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are among the people who get exiled to
Babylon. The palace master makes them cash in their Hebrew names for slick, new
Babylonian ones. Daniel receives the totally metal name of
"Belteshazzar"; Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah become respectively
"Shadrach," "Meshach," and "Abednego." Um,
is this Kosher? Immediately, Daniel n' pals run into a problem. The king offers
them daily rations of fine Babylonian cuisine and wine—but the food isn't
kosher. Fortunately, God has mercy on Daniel by making the palace master
merciful. After some back and forth, he gives Daniel, Shadrach, and co.
permission to do a trial run: they'll "go veg" for ten days, eating
nothing but water and vegetables. If they don't look worse than everyone else
after that time, they can consider the next step to take. Of course, they end
up looking better than the people who are chowing down on the
Babylonian cheeseburgers and lobster rolls (or whatever they were serving), and
they're allowed to keep eating appropriate kosher and vegetarian meals. Rather
than collapsing from weakness, Daniel and his friends load up on wisdom,
knowledge, and skills—all provided by God. Daniel also receives the ability to
interpret dreams and visions, which will prove handy pretty soon. When
Nebuchadnezzar finally calls in the elite Israelites, after their training in
Babylonian ways has been completed, he discovers that no one is wiser or more
knowledgeable than Daniel and his friends. They're superior to all the Babylonian
wise men, as well. The book notes that Daniel remained in Nebuchadnezzar's
court until the first year the Persian king Cyrus came to reign.
Maybe there is
something to this vegan gig?
Daily Devotions
·
Ask for the Prayers and assistance of the Angels
ü I plan to attend Mass daily or via EWTN or the internet
ü Mediate on the virtues of Mary (Humility, Generosity, Chastity,
Patience, Temperance, Understanding/love and Wisdom. One for each day.
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