Large Catechism – Confident.Faith

Today we commemorate Daniel the Prophet and the Three Young Men. Daniel the Prophet and the three young men — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego — were among those taken from Judah into captivity in Babylon. For remaining faithful to the Lord God, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were denounced to the king of Babylon and thrown into a fiery furnace, but they were miraculously saved by God’s direct intervention. Similarly, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den for refusing to worship any god save the Lord, but was also miraculously saved by God’s intervention. Blessed with wisdom and understanding, Daniel and the three men were promoted to positions of authority in Babylon. Daniel, as a prophet, was given visions of the End Times.

Today we commemorate Lucia, Martyr. Born into a wealthy family, Lucia gave away her dowry to the poor. When this came to the attention of the Roman governor, he ordered Lucia to burn a sacrifice to the emperor. Upon her refusal, the governor commanded that she be condemned to a brothel; Lucia was martyred by the soldiers who came to execute the governor’s sentence. As the name “Lucia” means light, many European nations have long held festivals in her memory involving lanterns or lights; such festivals have been particularly popular in the Scandinavian countries, where this time of year is quite short on daylight.