Daily Readings - Tue Nov 21 2017

First Reading - 2 Maccabees 6.18-31

¹⁸And so, Eleazar, one of the chief scribes, a man advanced in years and of stately countenance, was compelled to open his mouth wide to consume the flesh of swine¹⁹Yet he, embracing a most glorious death as greater than a detestable life, went forward voluntarily to the torments²⁰And so, thinking over the manner by which he ought to approach it, enduring patiently, he was determined not to permit, due to a love for life, any unlawful things²¹Yet those who stood near, being moved by an iniquitous pity because of long friendship with the man, taking him aside privately, asked that flesh be brought which was lawful for him to eat, so that he could pretend to have eaten, just as the king had commanded, from the flesh of the sacrifice²²So then, by doing this, he might be freed from death. And it was because of their old friendship with the man that they performed this kindness for him²³But he began to consider the eminent dignity of his stage of life and old age, and the natural honor of gray hair, as well as his exemplary words and deeds from childhood. And he responded quickly, according also to the ordinances of the sacred law preserved by God, saying, that he would first be sent to the underworld²⁴"For it is not worthy for those of our age," he said, "to deceive, so that many adolescents might think that Eleazar, at ninety years, had converted to the life of the foreigners²⁵And so, they, because of my pretense and for the sake of a brief time of a corruptible life, would be misled, and, through this stain and desecration, I would defile my last years²⁶But if, in the present time, I were rescued from the torments of men, I would then not escape the hand of the Almighty, neither in life, nor in death²⁷For this reason, by departing life with fortitude, I will show myself to be clearly worthy of my long life²⁸And so, I will bequeath an example of fortitude to youths, if, with a ready soul and constancy, I carry out an honest death, for the sake of the most serious and most holy laws." And having said this, he was immediately dragged away to execution²⁹But those who led him, and who were more mild a little before, were turned to anger because of the words spoken by him, which they considered to have been brought forth by way of arrogance³⁰But when he was ready to perish by the scourges, he groaned, and he said: "O Lord, who holds all holy knowledge, you clearly understand that, although I could be freed from death, I suffer grievous pains in body. Truly, according to the soul, I willingly endure these things, because of your fear.³¹And the way in which this man passed from this life, bequeathed, not only to youths, but also to the entire people, the memory of his death as an example of virtue and fortitude

Gospel - Luke 19.1-10

Luke

Chapter 19

¹And having entered, he walked through Jericho²And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. And he was the leader of the tax collectors, and he was wealthy³And he sought to see Jesus, to see who he was. But he was unable to do so, because of the crowd, for he was small in stature⁴And running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree, so that he might see him. For he was to pass near there⁵And when he had arrived at the place, Jesus looked up and saw him, and he said to him: "Zacchaeus, hurry down. For today, I should lodge in your house.⁶And hurrying, he came down, and he received him joyfully⁷And when they all saw this, they murmured, saying that he had turned aside to a sinful man⁸But Zacchaeus, standing still, said to the Lord: "Behold, Lord, one half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone in any matter, I will repay him fourfold.⁹Jesus said to him: "Today, salvation has come to this house; because of this, he too is a son of Abraham¹⁰For the Son of man has come to seek and to save what had been lost.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories of faith and integrity. The first reading from 2 Maccabees tells the story of Eleazar, an elderly scribe who refused to compromise his Jewish faith, even in the face of death. When pressured to eat pork, which was forbidden by Jewish law, Eleazar chose to endure torture rather than betray his beliefs. His courage was rooted in his deep conviction that living a life of integrity was more important than preserving his life. He saw his death as a witness to the faith, leaving behind an example of fortitude for future generations. In the Gospel, we meet Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector who was shunned by society for his dishonest practices. Yet, when he encountered Jesus, something profound happened. Zacchaeus was moved to repentance and made a radical decision to change his life. He promised to give half of his possessions to the poor and to repay those he had cheated. Jesus, seeing the sincerity of his heart, declared that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house. This story reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace and that true conversion leads to tangible acts of justice and compassion. Both Eleazar and Zacchaeus teach us about the importance of living with integrity and being open to transformation. Eleazar’s story challenges us to stand firm in our faith, even when it is difficult or unpopular. Zacchaeus’ story invites us to examine our lives and to make amends where we have fallen short. Together, they remind us that our faith should shape our actions and that living a life of integrity is a powerful witness to the world. Let us ask ourselves: Are we willing to stand firm in our beliefs, even in the face of challenges? Are we open to the transformative power of God’s grace, allowing it to change our hearts and our lives? May we, like Eleazar and Zacchaeus, live in such a way that our lives reflect the values of our faith and bring hope and redemption to those around us.