Wednesday of the
Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
(II Maccabees 7:1.20-31; Luke 19:11-28)
During persecutions in the early Church some Christians
balked at martyrdom. They rationalized their
refusal to die by saying Christ sacrificed himself so that they might live. In today’s first reading seven youths reject
such sophistry. They give themselves to martyrdom
not for Christ but to uphold Israel’s law.
Coaxed by their mother, the young Jews refuse to let fear
of death deter them from doing what is right. The passage focuses on the
youngest of the sons and the last to die.
It is expected that the mother would plea for mercy from the king. Rather her plea for mercy is directed to her
son. She asks him to have pity on her by
not doing anything vile. The child responds
heroically. He defies his executioners and
is summarily executed.
Bishops in many nations today foresee persecution of the
Church. They realize that ultra-secular
governments will not allow people to practice their faith fully. Catholic doctors will be charged to perform abortions. Priests will face criminal penalties if they
refuse to witness “homosexual marriages.”
Employers today are forced to pay insurance for immoral treatments. These
may not be capital crimes. Still the individuals involved will suffer in
support of their beliefs.
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