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Ordinary Time · The Most Holy Trinity · Year A

Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55+56 (52b)

The Canticle of the Three Young Men

May 31, 2026

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the Burning Fiery Furnace, J. M. W. Turner
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the Burning Fiery Furnace, J. M. W. Turner, 1832Tate, London
Turner dissolves the furnace into a vortex of light so that the architecture and the crowd are almost burned away, with the three figures standing in the middle of it.We boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance: Romans 5 argues it, and the Daniel canticle is sung from inside the furnace.J. M. W. TurnerTurner (1775-1851) spent a long career pushing landscape toward light itself, until in his last decades the subject is often barely recoverable from the atmosphere around it.Tate, LondonThe national collection of British art and of international modern art, founded on a sugar fortune and now spread across four sites.Tate, London
Roman Lectionary
GospelJohn 3:16-18Jn 3:16-18
Second Reading2 Cor. 13:11-132 Cor 13:11-13
First ReadingExod. 34:4b-6, 8-9Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9
Responsorial PsalmDan. 3:52, 53, 54, 55+56 (52b)Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55+56 (52b)

Overview & Insights

"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever." (Daniel 3:52)

From within the fiery furnace the three young men sing a blessing that calls on God and all creation to praise him. The church uses this canticle from Daniel as the Trinity Sunday response.

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Take it further: Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55+56 (52b)

Commentary

Daniel 3 CommentaryDn 3 Commentary Enduring Word · David Guzik

Verse by verse study of the furnace and the song of praise.

Barnes' Notes: Daniel 3Barnes' Notes: Dn 3 StudyLight

A historic verse by verse commentary on the chapter.

Background & Word Study

Daniel 3 (Douay-Rheims with Haydock)Dn 3 (Douay-Rheims with Haydock) New Advent · Catholic Encyclopedia

The Catholic text that includes the canticle sung in the furnace with Haydock's notes.

Daniel 3 (Hebrew and English)Dn 3 (Hebrew and English) Sefaria

The canonical furnace narrative in which the canticle is set, with Jewish commentary.

The Church Fathers

Daniel 3 - CatenaDn 3 - Catena Catena

Patristic comment on the song of the three young men from the Church Fathers.

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