Read the prayer of Azariah again. His prayer is not about himself but about the Lord. Here is one of the most inspiring prayers or passages of Scripture. A man has been thrown into a specially heated fire and his prayer focuses on the glory of the Lord and not a cry for help. His prayer is a prayer of trust and faith and not an expression of fear about the present moment.
Herein we find a wonderful example of how we should live our lives. Azariah knows where his focus should be; he knows where the real power is and he certainly knows what his redemption consists of — faith in God and trusting Him in all things. This prayer is an inspiration for all who are going through suffering and trials. It is an inspiration to those who do not know where to turn in times of need.
For Azariah it is all about the goodness and glory of God. It is irrelevant to him whether he deserves to be saved. He knows he is a sinner and deserves no favour from the Lord. He knows that deliverance can only come from God reaching out to him in mercy. This is why the second half of the prayer affirms that it does not matter how many sacrifices or holocausts he performs – what matters is whether or not he has faith in God. It is only through the hand of the Lord that the fortunes of Israel can be restored.
We will do well to learn the basic thrust of this prayer and apply it in our lives. As Christians, we are totally dependent upon the grace of God and His good will. There is nothing that we can do to deserve salvation; there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. These two truths are important — let us seek to embrace them with the humility and trust they require. We may be able to accept this truth initially but the challenge we face is to maintain it with consistency every day of our lives.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
Reflection Question:
What is the focus of my life? Do I desire to learn how to surrender everything to the Lord or am I still fighting to be my own redeemer?
Holy Spirit, open my heart to Your grace of surrender and help me to submit to it every moment of every day.
St. Firminus, pray for us.
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