Daily Readings - Mon Nov 20 2017

First Reading - 1 Maccabees 1.10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64

¹⁰And they all put diadems on themselves after his death, and their sons after them, for many years; and evils were multiplied on the earth¹¹And there went forth from among them a sinful root, Antiochus the illustrious, the son of king Antiochus, who had been a hostage at Rome. And he reigned in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks¹²In those days, there went forth from Israel sons of iniquity, and they persuaded many, saying: "Let us go and negotiate a covenant with the Gentiles that are all around us. For since we have withdrawn from them, many evils have found us.¹³And the word seemed good in their eyes¹⁴And some of the people determined to do this, and they went to the king. And he gave them the power to act according to the justice of the Gentiles¹⁵And they built a sports arena in Jerusalem, according to the laws of the Nations⁴¹Her sanctuary was desolate, like a place of solitude, her feast days were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into disgrace, her honors into nothing⁴²Her shame was multiplied according to her glory, and her loftiness was turned into lamentation⁴³And king Antiochus wrote to all his kingdom, that all the people must be one, and that each one should relinquish his own law⁵⁴And these ordered the cities of Judah to sacrifice⁵⁵And many from the people, who had abandoned the law of the Lord, were gathered together by them. And they committed evils upon the land⁵⁶And they drove the people of Israel into hiding and into the secret places of fugitives⁵⁷On the fifteenth day of the month of Kislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, king Antiochus set up the abominable idol of desolation on the altar of God, and they built altars throughout all the surrounding cities of Judah⁶²And on the twenty-fifth day of the month, they sacrificed on that altar which was opposite the high altar⁶³And the women who circumcised their sons were butchered, according to the order of king Antiochus⁶⁴And they suspended the children by their necks in all their houses, and those who had circumcised them, they butchered

Gospel - Luke 18.35-43

Luke

Chapter 18

³⁵Now it happened that, as he was approaching Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting beside the way, begging³⁶And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked what this was³⁷And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by³⁸And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me!³⁹And those who were passing by rebuked him, so that he would be silent. Yet truly, he cried out all the more, "Son of David, take pity on me!⁴⁰Then Jesus, standing still, ordered him to be brought to him. And when he had drawn near, he questioned him⁴¹saying, "What do you want, that I might do for you?" So he said, "Lord, that I may see.⁴²And Jesus said to him: "Look around. Your faith has saved you.⁴³And immediately he saw. And he followed him, magnifying God. And all the people, when they saw this, gave praise to God

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the power of faith and the enduring presence of God amidst trials and darkness. In the first reading from 1 Maccabees, we hear the story of a time of great suffering for the Jewish people. King Antiochus, driven by arrogance and a desire to impose his own ways, desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem, erecting an idol and forcing the people to abandon their traditions. Many were persecuted for their fidelity to the law of God, and the Temple, once a symbol of God’s presence, became a place of desolation. Yet even in the midst of such darkness, the seeds of hope were sown. The courage of those who remained faithful, even in the face of death, reminds us that God’s light can never truly be extinguished. In the Gospel, we encounter a blind man sitting by the roadside near Jericho. His physical blindness is a metaphor for the spiritual blindness that can afflict us all. When he hears that Jesus is passing by, he cries out with persistence, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" Despite the rebukes of the crowd, he refuses to be silenced, and his faith ultimately moves Jesus to stop and heal him. This story teaches us that faith is not about having all the answers or being free from doubt; it is about trusting in God’s mercy and love, even when we cannot see the way forward. The blind man’s persistence is a powerful reminder that our prayers, though they may seem small or insignificant, are heard by God. These readings encourage us to reflect on our own lives. How often do we feel like we are walking in darkness, unsure of what lies ahead? How easily do we give up when faced with obstacles or challenges? The blind man’s story invites us to cry out to God with the same persistence and trust, knowing that He is always near. The first reading reminds us that even in the darkest moments, God’s presence remains, and His plan for our salvation is always at work. Let us strive to remain faithful, to trust in God’s providence, and to seek His light in the midst of any darkness we may face.