Reading 1
1 Mc 2:15-29
The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy
came to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices.
Many of Israel joined them,
but Mattathias and his sons gathered in a group apart.
Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias:
“You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city,
supported by sons and kin.
Come now, be the first to obey the king’s command,
as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah
and those who are left in Jerusalem have done.
Then you and your sons shall be numbered among the King’s Friends,
and shall be enriched with silver and gold and many gifts.”
But Mattathias answered in a loud voice:
“Although all the Gentiles in the king’s realm obey him,
so that each forsakes the religion of his fathers
and consents to the king’s orders,
yet I and my sons and my kin
will keep to the covenant of our fathers.
God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.”
As he finished saying these words,
a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all
to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein
according to the king’s order.
When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal;
his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused;
he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar.
At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king
who was forcing them to sacrifice,
and he tore down the altar.
Thus he showed his zeal for the law,
just as Phinehas did with Zimri, son of Salu.
Then Mattathias went through the city shouting,
“Let everyone who is zealous for the law
and who stands by the covenant follow after me!”
Thereupon he fled to the mountains with his sons,
leaving behind in the city all their possessions.
Many who sought to live according to righteousness and religious custom
went out into the desert to settle there.
Gospel
Lk 19:41-44
As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Meditation: 1 Maccabees 2:15-29
The events in 1 and 2 Maccabees took place in the second century b.c., when the Seleucid kings invaded Israel and tried to eradicate the Jewish religion.
They set up pagan altars in the Temple, and many faithful Jews died because they continued to circumcise their children, avoid forbidden foods, and keep copies of God’s Law.
Mattathias, a respected elder with five sons, was a natural leader. Recognizing this, the officials who came to enforce pagan sacrifice addressed him first. They offered enticements if he would lead others in giving in. “You’ll be rich,” they promised. “You’ll be known as the king’s friend.”
“In a loud voice,” Mattathias refused. Even if everyone else abandoned their ancestral religion, he was determined that he and his family would not “depart from our religion in the slightest degree”?(1 Maccabees 2:19,22). Mattathias exercised defiant leadership, inviting faithful Jews to rally to his cause, even though that meant leaving their homes, livelihood, and security. The courageous actions of this family, eventually made it possible for Israel to drive out their enemies and exist as a sovereign state again.
What kind of leadership position are you in? Are you in charge of a business? Do you have responsibilities for a major project at work? Are you the head of a family? Even if you see yourself as just an “underling,” you can still be a leader. You can model diligent work habits. You can be a source of encouragement and inspiration to your co-workers. You can even engage in spiritual warfare through intercessory prayer.
The most important leadership role any of us can take is to lead people to Jesus. For example, simply taking the time after Mass to get to know a young couple and share with them about God’s work in your life can make a huge difference. Offering to help a neighbor can open up opportunities for witnessing. Volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center can put you in a position to begin to pray with people and help them find the Lord. You can make a difference because Christ is in you. Each of us can lead, even as we follow the Lord!
“Lord, you have called me to follow you. Help me to keep my eyes on you and to discover how you want me to influence others.”
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