Thursday of week 33 in Ordinary Time
Saint Clement I, Pope, Martyr
Saint Columbanus, Abbot and Missionary
First reading – 1 Maccabees 2:15-29
“Let everyone who has a fervor for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.’ Then he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind in the town”. This is the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt, campaign against the Seleucid Empire. Mattathias, the Jewish priest, leads the revolt. It highlights the zeal of the people for their faith, willing to die rather than compromise their beliefs. They are not falling into temptations offered by the commissioners of the King Antiochus. Mattathias and his family left everything behind and fled to the hills. In these lines we see the zeal of Mattathias and his family in following the instructions of the covenant of God at any cost. Their method of fighting is not the model of the New Testament but the zeal for the faith is the same. Instead of fighting by violence, we fight with our faith to give up ourselves to follow Jesus. We must give up everything to follow Jesus in the Cross, overcoming temptations and giving up everything. Let’s reflect: How much zealous am I in following my faith in Jesus Christ?
Thursday 23 November
