Wednesday of week 33 in Ordinary Time
Reading: 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31
The courageous mother in 2 Maccabees offers one of the most moving testimonies of faith in all of Scripture. As she watches her sons face martyrdom, she does not cling to fear or despair but speaks to them of the Creator who made heaven and earth from nothing and who likewise brought each of them into being. Her gaze is lifted toward the eternal, and she invites her sons to look at creation with the same eyes of faith, eyes that see beyond suffering to the mercy of God who gives life and restores it. Her words reveal a love that is both tender and heroic: “Do not be afraid of this executioner… be worthy of your brothers… so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again.” This is the faith that transforms tragedy into hope, because it trusts in the God who created all things and who will gather His faithful ones again in the fullness of His mercy. Her example reminds us that real courage comes not from strength, but from a heart anchored in the Creator, certain that nothing done in fidelity is ever lost. Let’s reflect: Do I face life’s trials with the same trust in the Creator’s power and mercy, looking beyond present suffering to the eternal life God promises?
Don Giorgio