November 24, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Andrew Dŭng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20
Reflect on the Word //
I once had the blessing of working alongside a religious sister who received a call to live among the poor. Sister was different from the aid workers supplied by secular organizations. She gained the people’s trust and became like one of them. The people knew if they needed help or hope, they could call her. She was always ready to respond and give her very best because she was holding herself to God’s standards, not the world’s.
When I imagine Daniel and the other three men of Judah taken into training in this foreign king’s palace in today’s First Reading, I think there must have been trepidation about being different. And yet, they were different. These men were committed to being faithful to the Jewish law and loyal to no other God or king but the God of Israel. When they were presented with food and drink from the king’s table, I wonder why they did not just grab a bite, set their consciences aside, and “live a little.”
Yet Daniel spoke with resolve and bravery, “Please test your servants [ . . . ] see how we look in comparison with the other young men” (Daniel 1:12-13). Daniel placed his confidence not in the power of food to change his appearance but in the power of his God. Being faithful to the Lord would be for him and his companions enough sustenance to get through the days of training and to far exceed expectations (see Daniel 1:20).
When we think about our lives in this world, it can be easy to follow along with what others are doing so that we are not considered different. However, in our hearts we know the living Word and what He asks of us, how He challenges us to be better. To forgive when it would be easier to fester a grudge, to carry our crosses when it would be easier to walk away, to choose love when it would be easier and even understandable to perpetuate hate. In our here and now, Christ is calling us, sister, to be different, to stand bravely like Daniel and his companions and be faithful.
Relate to the Lord // Consider how your life looks different from the world. In what ways is God setting you apart?
Rocio Hermes is a Dominican-born, US-raised, stay-at-home mom who is excited about building community, baking desserts, and writing poetry. She holds a Master’s degree in Theology and has lived in Ethiopia as a missionary. Rocio now lives in Israel with her German husband and their son. She is a contributing author to Blessed Conversations: Dwell as well as Teaching Author on Blessed Conversations: Gift, a Study on the Eucharist. You can read more from her at graceandmercyblog.com.
Rocío Hermes es una mama de casa nacida en República Dominicana y criada en Estados Unidos, a quien le entusiasma construir una comunidad, hornear postres y escribir poesía. Tiene una maestría en Teología y ha vivido en Etiopía como misionera. Rocío ahora vive en Israel con su marido alemán y su hijo. Es autora colaboradora de Blessed Conversations: Dwell. Puede leer más sobre ella en Graceandmercyblog.com.
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