Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/385

 skill,  he  showed  up  the  deception  of  the  priests  of  Bel,  destroyed  his image, and  also  killed  a dragon  which  was  worshipped  as  a god. Daniel was  a valiant  servant  of  God,  and  quite  ready  to  suffer  death on account  of  his  faith.

If God  punished  the  desecration  of  the  sacred vessels of  the  Old  Law  so  severely,  how  much  more  heavily  will he punish  any  want  of  reverence  towards  the  sacraments  and  holy things of  the  New  Law! Have you  ever  made  a sacrilegious  confession? Resolve to  pay  more  reverence  to  God’s  holy  Sacraments than you  have  hitherto  done,  and  make  a better  preparation  before receiving them.

HE people  of  Babylon  worshipped  also  a great  dragon. One day  the  king  said  to  Daniel:  “Behold,  thou  canst  not say now  that  this  is  not  a living  god;  adore  him,  therefore.” Daniel replied: “Give  me  leave,  O king,  and  I will  kill  this  dragon without sword  or  club.”  The  king  replied:  “I  give  thee  leave.” Then Daniel  took  pitch,  fat  and  hair,  and  boiling  them  together, he made  lumps  and  put  them  into  the  dragon’s  mouth.

The monster,  swallowing  the  lumps,  very  soon  burst  asunder, and Daniel  said  to  the  king:  “Behold  him  whom  you  worshipped!” The Babylonians  hearing  this,  assembled  in  crowds,  and  said  that the king  had  become  a Jew,  had  destroyed  Bel,  killed  the  dragon, and put  the  priests  to  death. They came,  therefore,  to  the  king, threatening and  saying:  “Deliver  Daniel  to  us,  or  else  we  will destroy thee  and  thy  house.”

Although the  king  loved  Daniel,  he  was  forced  through  the violence of  the  people  to  give  him  up  to  their  fury. Immediately they cast  him  into  a den  of  lions. There were  seven  lions  in