34th Week in Ord. Time, Monday – 27th November 2023 – Dan 1,1-6.8-20; Lk 21,1-4
Daniel Diet
Today’s first reading is from the introduction to the book of Daniel. It presents Daniel and his three Jewish companions who are brought to serve in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. When the nation of Judah fell into the hands of Babylonians, the conquering king demanded the service of the best youth for his court. Into this service four young men were included: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were given Babylonian names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In order to keep themselves free from defiled foods, they requested to eat only uncooked vegetables and drink water. Any cooked food was most likely cooked over fires which came from the wood of the Babylonian sacred trees (would become sacrilegious). Daniel then pleaded with the official who was in charge of the training of all the youth from conquered peoples to be tested for ten days with their own diet. By their own choice, they subsisted on a meager diet of water and vegetables and ended up healthier than the other servants of the king who ate much more and drank wine. This diet is often called the “Daniel Diet”, which made them physically fit to serve in King’s court. It is clear that Daniel stands taller than his three companions and there are some clear resemblances between Daniel and Joseph, the son of Jacob who became a high official in the Pharaoh’s court.
