Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 23, 2017
First Reading: 1 Maccabees 2.15-29
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Psalm 50
1The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.2From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.3Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages.4He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people:5"Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."6And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah7"Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.8I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.9I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens,10for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.11I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.12If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.13Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?14Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,15and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."16But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?17You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.18When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers.19You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.20You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son.21These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.22"Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:23He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."
Gospel: Luke 19.41-44
41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it42and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes.43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
Sermon
The first reading from 1 Maccabees tells the story of Mattathias, a Jewish priest who refused to comply with King Antiochus' decree to sacrifice to idols and abandon the law of God. When a Jew in his city attempted to obey the king's command, Mattathias, filled with righteous anger and fidelity to God, killed both the man and the king's emissary, then destroyed the altar. He called upon all who were faithful to the law to follow him, and they fled to the mountains to continue their resistance. This passage highlights the courage and conviction required to stand firm in one’s faith, even in the face of persecution and societal pressure.
The Gospel reading from Luke presents a very different scene. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, lamenting that its people did not recognize "the time of your visitation." He foresees the destruction that will come upon the city because its inhabitants failed to discern the significance of his presence among them. This passage emphasizes the importance of spiritual awareness and the tragic consequences of missing God’s offer of peace and salvation.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God and our commitment to living according to His will. Mattathias’ boldness reminds us that faith requires sacrifice and the courage to stand against worldly influences that contradict God’s law. Jesus’ lament, on the other hand, challenges us to remain spiritually alert and open to God’s presence in our lives. In a world filled with distractions and temptations, we must strive to discern God’s voice and remain faithful, even when it is difficult. Let us pray for the grace to be both courageous and attentive, that we may live as true witnesses of God’s love and truth.