November 25.  Vincent described another event in Daniel’s story.  Some spies reported to the king that Daniel had been seen praying to God.  The king had signed a law that anyone found praying to any god other than himself would be thrown into the lion’s den. The king was upset because he valued Daniel but he had to stand by his own law.  He even prayed and fasted while Daniel was thrown to the lions. The next morning they found Daniel alive and well. “Daniel said, “O king live for ever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him and also before you, O king. I have done no wrong.” The spies who had betrayed him were thrown to the lions instead. King Darius then wrote to all his subjects praising Daniel’s God, “for he is the living God enduring forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed and his dominion shall be to the end.” Things went well for the Jews in Babylon and in time they were freely allowed to return to Jerusalem. Daniel 6.   Gloria said, “Wow, all these stories of Daniel do tell us a lot about God and people, good and bad, innocent and cruel.  This is also the 1st day of the 16 days of activism against abuse.  Sadly abuse in families is all too common, especially some of the cases of femicide are absolutely shocking. Even cruelty to animals can be shocking.  Have such people lost their humanity, lost their respect for life?”       

Pope Francis: If everything is related then the health of a society’s institutions has consequences for the environment and the quality of human life.  Social ecology is necessarily institutional and extends to the whole of society, from the primary social group, the family, to the wider local, national and international communities. Anything which weakens those institutions has negative consequences, such as injustice, violence and loss of freedom.   LS142.