Daniel: Model of Hope and Courage

When a parish is named, it serves as inspiration for all those who worship there. This parish is named Daniel, The Lord is Justice. Daniel was one of the great prophets of the Old Testament. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Book of Daniel served to strengthen and comfort the Jewish people during persecution. The Book of Daniel taught that people of faith can resist temptation and conquer adversity. Daniel himself was faithful in prayer and always trusted God. Because of this faith and trust, he was able to influence others to reverence and worship God.

The traditional story of Daniel begins when he was a youth. The king of Babylon attacked Jerusalem, overran it, and took many of its people into captivity, among them Daniel. Because he was handsome and bright, he was trained in the king’s household, where he remained faithful to Jewish law despite many temptations. He became very popular with the king, for whom he interpreted dreams, including the fall of the kingdom to invaders.

Under the conquering King Darius, Daniel was thrown into a cage of lions to be eaten alive, but when God saved his life, Darius the King ruled that all in his kingdom were free to worship Daniel’s God.

(A Saint For Your Name by Albert J. Nevins, M.M.)