You praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence. But the God in whose hand is your very breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify. (Daniel 5:23B NABRE)
What false gods do we have today, and are they any different from those in Daniel's time? There is no doubt that money and power remain as our most desired false god. But don't forget how we praise sports figures and entertainers, how we idolize singers, and how we uplift our hobbies and leisure pursuits to a level of importance and meaning far beyond what is reasonable.
But why? Perhaps it is because we seek an elusive calm or peace, a happiness that seems just out of reach, or a sense of self worth and value we can't quite seem to manage for ourselves. All of our false gods seem to hold the promise to fill a void we experience. But they can never do that. They can only distract us for short spans of time from our pain. And not a single one of them is worth our devotion.
For the believer who trusts in God, false gods quickly lose their luster. Only the one true God sustains us along with all of his creation. Only God offers us real and lasting joy, and peace that surpasses understanding. Only God deserves praise and glory. Stone, wood, iron, bronze, silver, and gold, and all of our false gods of distraction, are merely part of his creation. They are good and beautiful parts of the creation, but they are not worthy of praise. Let us remember this as we give thanks to the one who created all things.
Today, I will praise God, in whose hand is the whole course of my life.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, patroness of philosophers and students, pray for us.
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