Prophet Daniel

No fixed feast day in the calendar

Prophet Daniel: the back of the card, with its short story, lesson and a QR code that opens it in the Catholic Information app. The full text is below.

Flip the card and scan the QR code on the back to open it in the app

Daniel was faithful in prayer every day, and God saved him from the lions’ den.

Who is he?

Daniel is one of the prophets of the Old Testament. He lived in Babylon, where the Jewish people were sent into exile, which means they were forced to leave their homeland and live in a foreign land. The Book of Daniel in the Bible bears his name.

Life story

When King Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, many young people from Judah were taken to Babylon to study and to serve at the king’s court. Among them were Daniel and three friends. The king had them served food from the royal table, but “Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself” (Dn 1:8), and he asked to eat only vegetables and drink only water. Ten days later, the young men were healthier than all the others (cf. Dn 1:12-15). God also gave Daniel the gift of understanding visions and explaining the king’s dreams (cf. Dn 1:17; 2).

Many years later, under King Darius, Daniel had become an important official. Some jealous men talked the king into making a law: for thirty days, anyone who prayed to any god or any person other than the king would be thrown into the lions’ den (cf. Dn 6:8). But Daniel still went home, where the windows of his upstairs room faced toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt down, prayed and praised his God, just as he had always done before (cf. Dn 6:11).

So he was taken and thrown into the lions’ den. The king, who loved him, was so worried that he could not sleep all night. Early in the morning, the king hurried to the den and called out. Daniel answered that God had sent his angel to close the lions’ mouths, so that they had not hurt him (cf. Dn 6:23). He came out of the den safe and sound, and the king ordered everyone to revere the God of Daniel.

Why does the Church honor him?

Daniel stayed faithful to God in a pagan land, without fear of losing his position or even his life. In a vision, he saw “with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man” (Dn 7:13). Jesus used this title, “Son of Man,” to speak about himself.

A lesson for you

Keep your prayer times every day, morning, noon and evening, like Daniel.
When friends invite you to do something wrong, have the courage to say “no,” even if they laugh at you.
When you are afraid, pray, trust that God is always with you, and find a trusted adult to help you.

Identifying marks

A lion lying quietly at his feet: God sent his angel to close the lions’ mouths so they could not hurt him (cf. Dn 6:23).
Hands joined in prayer: three times a day he knelt to pray, even though it was forbidden (cf. Dn 6:11).
A window open toward Jerusalem: the windows of his room faced toward Jerusalem (cf. Dn 6:11).
The robe of an official at the court of Babylon: he was a young exile who became an official at the king’s court.

The text on this page is the card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.