Today’s first reading at Mass was from the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Daniel. I was surprised to hear the name “Suzanna”; I didn’t know there was a Suzanna in the Bible! In the story she refuses to let two old guys bully her into sleeping with them; she stands up for the truth and refuses to be threatened, even if it means her death. Her name means “Lily”.

First off, it felt like this was a bit of God reminding me to get back to my own Suzanna and her story. It also made me wonder if my Suzanna is at all religious. I think we’re all religious, whether we subscribe to a particular faith or not. Each one of us has our own God or gods to whom we are devoted. Many times we think we are worshiping God when really we’re devoting ourselves to our own preferences. We just dress it up with clouds and a long gray beard and baby heads with wings scattered here and there and call it God in heaven.

Who is Suzanna’s god? In the reading today He was the Hebrew God, the one to whom she called out, the one who rescued her from treachery and death. Would my Suzanna know there was such a one to call out to? And if so, would she believe He would respond?

Advertisement