Fifteenth Sunday A. Pentecost (25th S. Ord. Time)
2 Maccabees, Chapter 3, Verse 29-30
29 As Heliodorus lay speechless because of God’s action and deprived
of any hope of recovery, 30 the people praised the Lord who had marvelously glorified his own
place; and the temple, charged so shortly before with fear and
commotion, was filled with joy and gladness, now that the almighty Lord had
appeared.
As Mr. H approaches the temple both he and his associates
encounter the living God where upon he and his associates are thrown into panic
and fainting. Then a rider on the magnificent horse charges H and his two
companions, who fall to the ground unconscious. Mr. H is then unceremoniously
carried away on a stretcher, utterly helpless. The people praise God who has
protected the temple. H fearful of his death, have his supporters ask the high
priest to pray for him which the High priest does, and Mr. H now proclaims
God’s power and majesty and the story continues with:
·
Simon
Maccabee opposes the high priest Onias.
·
Onias
is disposed as high priest by his brother Jason who bribes the king and is part
of the Hellenistic party.
·
Jason
doesn’t pay his bribe in a timely manner and is supplanted by Menelaus who
offers more but not paying as promised then is on the run.
·
The
king marches with is army to squash a cities that are not with the program and
leaves his trusted henchman Andronicus in charge who promptly murders the
ex-high priest Onias.
·
Menelaus
plunders the temple of its golden vessels and boom back on top; bribes away.
·
Jason
the bad man with no money dies in exile. Do we see a pattern here?
·
Antiochus
IV then attacks the Jews and profanes the temple.
·
Antiochus
IV then proscribes Jewish practices and persecutes the religious.
Eleazar the Martyr[1]
Eleazar was a Jewish man whose story is portrayed in 2 Maccabees
6. Verse 18 describes him as "one of the leading teachers of the
law," and "of distinguished bearing." We learn from verse 24
that he was ninety at the time of his death. Under a persecution instigated by
Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Eleazar was forced to open his mouth and eat pork, but
he spat it out and submitted to flogging. He was then privately permitted to
eat meat that he could pretend was pork, but he refused and was flogged to
death. The narrator relates that in his death he left "a heroic example
and a glorious memory," (verse 31). Along with the woman with seven sons depicted in the
following chapter, Eleazar, although not actually a Maccabee, is celebrated as
one of the "Holy Maccabean Martyrs" by the Roman Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox churches. Their feast day is August 1.
The focus
of this Sunday instructs us to weep over lost souls and rejoice
over converted ones. Today the church retells the rising of the widow of Nains
dead son by Christ.
THE Introit of the Mass of this day is a fervent
prayer which may be said in any need or adversity. ‘Bow down Thy ear, O Lord,
to me and hear me; save Thy servant, O my God, that trusteth in Thee; have
mercy on me, O Lord, for I have cried to Thee all day. Give joy to the soul of
Thy servant, for to Thee, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul.”
Prayer. May
continued mercy purify and defend Thy Church, O Lord; and since without Thee it
cannot remain safe, may it ever be governed by Thy bounty!
EPISTLE. Gal. v. 25, 26; vi. 1-10.
Brethren: If we live in the Spirit, let us also
walk in the Spirit. Let us not be made desirous of vainglory, provoking one
another, envying one another. And if a man be overtaken in any fault, you, who
are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering
thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so you
shall fulfil the law of Christ. For if any man think himself to be something,
whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let everyone prove his own
work, and so he shall have glory in himself only, and not in another. For everyone
shall bear his own burden. And let him that is instructed in the word
communicate to him that instructeth him, in all good things. Be not deceived:
God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap.
For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption: but
he that soweth in the Spirit, of the Spirit shall reap life everlasting. And in
doing good, let us not fail: for in due time we shall reap, not failing.
Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to
those who are of the household of the faith.
Explanation. From
this epistle we learn that humility should teach and admonish us to think
little of ourselves to shun self-confidence and vainglory; charity should
incite us, on the other hand, to be meek, loving, compassionate, and kind to
every man, even to sinners; to administer correction to the erring only with
charity, for if this be done with impertinent and insolent zeal, we shall not
only fail to correct offenders, but shall ourselves fall into the same
temptations and sins; for God, by a common and just judgment, allows the proud,
who look down upon others sins, to fall into sin themselves, that they may
learn to be humble, and to have compassion upon those who have gone astray.
Aspiration. O St.
Paul, procure for me, by thy prayers, the grace of God, that I may continually
walk in humility, may always love my neighbor, and, in particular, may bear
with patience his faults and frailties, that so I may fulfil the law of God,
and reap an abundant harvest.
GOSPEL. Luke vii. 11-16.
Why did Christ have compassion on this widow? To show us that God takes forsaken and afflicted widows under His care, and becomes Himself their comforter and helper, and to teach us that we should do likewise. Christ had, however, still other grounds for His compassion; for He foresaw in this dead youth of Nairn the death of the sinner, and in the affliction of the mother the grief which the Church would suffer over the spiritual loss of so many children.
“Why did Christ say to this widow, Weep not?” To intimate that He would restore her son to her, and at the same time to teach us that we should not mourn and weep to excess for the dead. St. Paul therefore admonishes us not to be sorrowful in regard to the dead, as others who have no hope of resurrection (i. Thess. iv. 12).
Why did Christ command the bearers to stand still? To awaken their confidence and to put it beyond doubt that the resurrection of the dead proceeded from Him. This should teach us that a soul that is dead cannot be restored to life so long as the passions which have caused its death, and borne it, as it were, to the grave, are not brought to a stop.
What more do we learn from this gospel? That no one, however young, is safe from death; and that everyone, therefore, should be always prepared for it.
What is often the cause of early
death among young persons?
1.
Gluttony and intemperance; for by surfeiting and intemperance more perish than
by the sword (Ecclus. xxxvii. 34).
2.
Lust.
3.
Anger “If you bite and devour one another, take heed you be not consumed one of
another” (Gal. v. 15). From angry words often come strife and blows, and not
unfrequently murder itself.
4.
Disobedience. We have dreadful examples to show that God has taken out of the
world, early and suddenly, disobedient children; for instance, Absalom. Not
without reason does God say to children “Honor thy father and mother, as the
Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thou mayest live a long time, and it may
be well with thee in the land” (Deut. v. 16).
ON
DEATH
Certain
it is that we shall die, but uncertain the hour of our death. Would that we
might never forget this truth that we might earnestly think of it every day!
How different our lives would then be! Have mercy, then, on thine own soul.
Keep thyself in readiness so live that thou mayest have no reason to fear
death. Do in thy lifetime what in the hour of death you will wish that you had
done. Die daily, with St. Paul, by crucifying the flesh with its desires and
lusts, and by voluntarily loosening thy heart from the world, its goods, and
its vanities, before death does this for you by violence. In time of temptation
and passion think of these truths and resist then to die will not be too hard.
Who is it that fears not death…
Whoever walks without blame, doing
what is right, speaking truth from the heart; Who does not slander with his
tongue, does no harm to a friend, never defames a neighbor; Who disdains the
wicked, but honors those who fear the LORD; Who keeps an oath despite the cost,
lends no money at interest, accepts no bribe against the innocent.
“I
hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”-Josh 1:9
Daily Devotions
·
Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving
your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after SUNSET ON SATURDAY till
Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
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