Today we commemorate the Prophet Daniel and his companions Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael. From the Treasury and our Synod's website:Daniel the prophet and the Three Young Men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were among the leaders of the people of Judah who were taken into captivity in Babylon. Even in that foreign land they remained faithful to the one true God in their piety, prayer, and life. On account of such steadfast faithfulness in the face of pagan idolatry, the Three Young Men were thrown into a fiery furnace, from which they were saved by the Lord and emerged unharmed (Daniel 3). Similarly, Daniel was thrown into a pit of lions, from which he also was saved (Daniel 6). Blessed in all their endeavors by the Lord—and in spite of the hostility of some—Daniel and the Three Young Men were promoted to positions of leadership among the Babylonians (Dan 2:48–49; 3:30; 6:28). To Daniel in particular the Lord revealed the interpretation of dreams and signs that were given to King Nebuchadnezzar and King Belshazzar (Daniel 2, 4, 5). To Daniel himself the Lord gave visions of the end times.
According to the Apocryphal addition to Daniel's prophesy, from the flames the young men sang the hymn we know as Benedicite Omnia Opera, which we sing always at the close of the Service of Readings at the great Vigil of Easter:
All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord - praise Him and magnify Him forever!
You angels, bless the Lord, You heavens, bless the Lord; all you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord;
All you powers of the Lord, bless the Lord - praise Him and magnify Him forever!
You sun and moon, bless the Lord; you stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
All you showers and dew, bless the Lord - praise Him and magnify Him forever!
All you winds of God, bless the Lord, You fire and heat, bless the Lord;
You winter and summer, bless the Lord - praise Him and magnify Him forever!
...
You spirits and souls of the righteous, bless the Lord; You pure and humble of heart bless the Lord;
let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, praise Him and magnify Him forever! (LSB 931)
I love the Benedicite Omnia Opera.
ReplyDeleteIt includes Lucy, too, you know!
Christine
Last night, we celebrated Vespers at the local Greek Church since it is their patronal feast of St. Dionysius of Zakynthos (commemorated today along with Daniel and the 3 Holy Children). The priest gave a little homily on these oft-forgotten Old Testament saints though we sing their hymn on Holy Saturday and read from the Prophecy of Daniel quite often. One thing that I did not know is that all of them were eventually martyred in old age, beheaded. According to the tradition whose locus classicus is St. Cyril of Alexandria, and is reproduced in the Prologue of Ohrid, Ananias was beheaded first and his head was caught by Azarias who was then beheaded and his head was caught by Misael whose head was then caught by Daniel. Then Daniel was executed.
ReplyDeleteAt the Resurrection of Christ, these four in particular were seen and appeared to many and were recognized.
ONe thing, the Prologue of Ohrid is the only place I can find this particular tradition. According to the HTM Great Horologion, all four reposed in peace.
We commemorate these saints today, as well as last Sunday and will again this coming Sunday which is the Sunday of Genealogy.
It's really quite unfortunate that we overlook the great saints of the Old Testament.