Daniel (Greek) 3:58-73: a reflection

58O all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 59O you heavens, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all for ever! 60O you angels of the Lord, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 61O all you waters that are above the sky, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 62O all you powers of the Lord, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 63O you sun and moon, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 64O you stars of heaven, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 65O every shower and dew, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 66O all you winds, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 67O you fire and heat, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 68O you dews and storms of snow, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 69O you nights and days, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 70O you light and darkness, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 71O you cold and heat, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 72O you frost and snow, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever! 73O you lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all forever!

From within the fiery furnace, the three faithful ones lift up a great song that calls all creation to join in praising God. O all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord! they sing; and they name them one by one: heavens and angels, sun and moon and stars, showers and dews and winds, fire and heat, nights and days, light and darkness, frost and snow, lightnings and clouds. All the works of the Lord are summoned to bless and exalt him forever. The whole creation, from the highest heavens to the smallest dew, is called to praise its Maker; and the three, even in the fire, join their voices to that great chorus. All creation praises God, and we are invited to join it. The sun and moon, the winds and waters, the seasons and elements, all bless the Lord; and we take our place in that praise. The praise of God is not a lonely thing but a chorus in which all creation joins.

Notice the scope of the praise the three sing: all the works of the Lord, the whole creation, called to bless him. Even in the furnace, the three do not sing alone; they summon all creation to join them, heavens and angels, sun and stars, winds and waters, seasons and elements, every work of God. The whole creation is called to bless and exalt its Maker. This is a great and joyful vision: all that God has made praising him, and we joining our voices to that chorus. When we praise God, we are not praising alone; we join a praise that rises from all creation, from the heavens to the smallest dew. To bless the Lord is to take our place in a chorus that includes all his works. And even in the fire, in trouble, in suffering, we can join that praise, as the three did. The praise of the Creator is the proper voice of all creation, and ours within it. All that God has made blesses him; we join the song.

That is worth taking to heart, for all creation praises God, and we are invited to join that great chorus of praise. We can think of praising God as a small or solitary thing; but the three in the furnace summoned all creation to bless the Lord, and joined their voices to that chorus, heavens and angels, sun and stars, winds and waters, all the works of God. When we praise God, we join a praise that rises from all creation. And even in trouble, as the three sang in the fire, we can take our place in that song. Do not think of praising God as a small or solitary act; join the great chorus of all creation blessing its Maker, as the three did even in the furnace. Join the great chorus of all creation in blessing and praising God, taking your place among the works of the Lord that bless him, as the three in the furnace summoned the heavens and angels, sun and stars, winds and waters to bless the Lord and join their voices even in the fire; for the praise of God is not a lonely or small thing but a chorus that rises from all he has made, and we are invited to take our place within it, blessing our Maker even in the midst of trouble, as all creation blesses him.

Lord, from within the fiery furnace, the three faithful ones lift up a great song that calls all creation to join in praising you. O all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord! they sing; and they name them one by one: heavens and angels, sun and moon and stars, showers and dews and winds, fire and heat, nights and days, light and darkness, frost and snow, lightnings and clouds. All the works of the Lord are summoned to bless and exalt you forever. The whole creation, from the highest heavens to the smallest dew, is called to praise its Maker; and the three, even in the fire, join their voices to that great chorus. Show me the scope of the praise the three sing: all the works of the Lord, the whole creation, called to bless you. Even in the furnace, the three do not sing alone; they summon all creation to join them, every work of God. This is a great and joyful vision: all that you have made praising you, and we joining our voices to that chorus. When I praise you, I am not praising alone; I join a praise that rises from all creation. And even in the fire, in trouble, I can join that praise, as the three did. Take that to my heart, for all creation praises you, and I am invited to join that great chorus of praise. I can think of praising you as a small or solitary thing; but the three in the furnace summoned all creation to bless you, and joined their voices even in the fire. Keep me from thinking of praising you as a small or solitary act; help me join the great chorus of all creation blessing you, Lord, its Maker, as the three did even in the furnace, taking my place among your works that bless you, even in the midst of trouble.