In Chapter 3 of the Book of Daniel we find a rather striking prayer in the form of a litany that is truly a canticle of creation. We read different parts of this prayer on several occasions during morning prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.

We have just heard the main part of this prayer, which is a majestic, cosmic chorus, of which the two antiphons at the beginning and the end are a summary: “Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. … Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever” (verses 56-57).

Between these two shouts of acclamation, a solemn hymn of praise unfolds that is expressed in the repeated invitation to “bless.” Properly speaking, it is simply an invitation that is addressed to all creation to bless God. In reality, it is a song of thanksgiving that the faithful sing to the Lord for all the wonders of the universe. Man becomes the spokesman for all of creation by praising and thanking God.

The Power of Prayer

Three young Hebrew men sing this hymn and invite all creation to praise God. Their hymn flows forth from a rather dramatic situation. The three young men, who are being persecuted by the king of Babylon, have been thrown into a burning furnace because of their faith. Nevertheless, even when they are about to suffer martyrdom, they do not hesitate to sing, be glad and give praise. The harsh and violent pain of the their trial vanishes; it almost seems to dissolve in the presence of prayer and contemplation. It is precisely this attitude of trusting abandonment that causes God to intervene.

In fact, as Daniel's thought-provoking account attests, “The angel of the Lord went down into the furnace with Azariah and his companions, drove the fiery flames out of the furnace and made the inside of the furnace as though a dew-laden breeze were blowing through it. The fire in no way touched them or caused them pain or harm” (verses 49–50). Nightmares dissipate like fog in the sun, fears vanish and suffering is wiped out when a human being is transformed by praise, trust, hope and expectation. The strength of prayer shines forth when it is pure, intense and total in its abandonment to God, who provides all things and redeems all things.

All Creation Praises God

In the canticle of the three young men, we see before us a kind of cosmic procession. It begins in the heavens, where the angels dwell and where the sun, moon and stars shine. From on high, God pours down on the earth his gift of the waters that are above the heavens (see verse 60) in the form of rain and dew (see verse 64).

Then the winds also blow, lightning flashes and the seasons break forth with their warmth and their cold, both with the burning heat of summer and with frost, ice and snow (see verses 65-70,73). The poet also includes the rhythm of time in his song of praise to the Creator — day and night, light and darkness (see verses 71-72). Finally his gaze turns to the earth, beginning with the mountaintops, which seem to unite heaven and earth (see verses 74-75).

Soon the plants that grow on earth unite in praising God (see verse 76), together with the springs that are the source of life and fresh waters, as well as the seas and rivers with their abundant and mysterious waters (see verses 77–78). In fact, the composer of this canticle even mentions “sea monsters” along with fish (see verse 9), which is a sign of the primordial aquatic chaos on which God imposed certain limits (see Psalm 93:3-4, Job 38:8-11, Job 40:15-41 and Job 26).

Then it is the turn of the vast and varied animal kingdom, which lives and moves in the waters, on the earth and in the skies (see Daniel 3:80–81).

The last creature to appear is man. First the poet's gaze encompasses all the “sons of men” (see verse 82). Later, he focuses his attention on Israel, the people of God (see verse 83). Then he turns to those who are totally consecrated to God, not only as priests (see verse 84), but also as witnesses of faith, justice and truth. They are the “servants of the Lord,” the “spirits and souls of the just,” the “holy men of humble heart” and, among them, the three young men, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, who are spokesmen for all creatures in their universal and eternal hymn of praise (see verses 85-88).

Three verbs that glorify God resound over and over like a litany throughout the song: “bless,” “praise” and “exalt” the Lord. This is the true spirit of prayer and song: to celebrate the Lord unceasingly as a joyful part of a choir that includes all creatures.

God Blesses All Creatures

We would like to conclude our meditation by quoting the fathers of the Church, like Origen, Hyppolitus, Basil of Caesarea and Ambrose of Milan, who have commented on the account of the six days of creation (see Genesis 1:1-2, 4a) and who have actually connected it with the canticle of the three young men. But we will limit ourselves to a comment by St. Ambrose, who, referring to the fourth day of creation (see Genesis 1:14-19), imagines that the earth speaks and, while talking about the sun, finds all creatures united in praise of God: “In truth, the sun is good, because it serves, helps my fruitfulness and nourishes my fruits. It was given to me for my good and is subject with me in my labor. It groans with me, for the adoption as sons and the redemption of the human race, so that we also can be released from slavery. At my side, together with me, it praises the Creator. Together with me it raises a hymn to the Lord our God. Where the sun blesses, there the earth blesses, the trees that bear fruit bless, the animals bless and the birds bless with me” (I Sei Giorni della Creazione, SAEMO, I, Milan-Rome, 1977-1994, pp. 192-193).

The Lord excludes no one from his blessing, not even the sea monsters (see Daniel 3:79). Indeed, St. Ambrose goes on to say: “Even the serpents praise the Lord, because their nature and aspect reveal to our eyes a certain beauty and show that they have their reason for existing” (Ibid., pp. 103-104).

This is all the more reason why we, as human beings, should add our joyful and trusting voice to this concert of praise, coupled with a lifestyle that is consistent and faithful.

(Register translation)