Reading 1
1 Mc 4:36-37, 52-59
Judas and his brothers said,
“Now that our enemies have been crushed,
let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it.”
So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion.
Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month,
that is, the month of Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-eight,
they arose and offered sacrifice according to the law
on the new altar of burnt offerings that they had made.
On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had defiled it,
on that very day it was reconsecrated
with songs, harps, flutes, and cymbals.
All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised Heaven,
who had given them success.
For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar
and joyfully offered burnt offerings and sacrifices
of deliverance and praise.
They ornamented the facade of the temple with gold crowns and shields;
they repaired the gates and the priests’ chambers
and furnished them with doors.
There was great joy among the people
now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed.
Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel
decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar
should be observed with joy and gladness
on the anniversary every year for eight days,
from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.
Gospel
Lk 19:45-48
Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.”
And every day he was teaching in the temple area.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purposebecause all the people were hanging on his words.
Meditation: 1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59
Do religious people know how to celebrate?
Well, consider this reading, which describes the first observance of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah. For eight days, the Israelites are caught up in an ecstasy of joy at the Jerusalem Temple—singing, praying, playing instruments, and even happily doing building repairs. They have good reason to rejoice: After a forty-year war against a harshly repressive ruler, they have finally regained their independence.
The earlier chapters of 1 Maccabees introduced the main players in this struggle. Heading the list of villains is King Antiochus Epiphanes, who imposed Greek ways on the Jews after gaining control of Judea in 175 b.c. He not only outlawed their religious practices but demanded—under penalty of death—that they break the Sabbath, eat forbidden foods, and join in pagan worship. He robbed and desecrated the Temple, even offering sacrifice to an idol there. But Antiochus also had Jewish partners in crime: “certain renegades” who sought advantages through alliance with a great political power.
Against this dark background, the heroes shine like the sun. There is Mattathias, who defied the king and spearheaded a revolt. Today’s reading spotlights the most renowned among his sons, Judas Maccabeus. With a fighting force of just ten thousand, he has recaptured Jerusalem, crushing an army of sixty thousand plus.
Time to celebrate! But notice how Judas goes about it. His first priority is to purify and rededicate the Temple. This housecleaning takes some work. But how sweet it must have been to see God’s house restored and to offer a pleasing sacrifice on a new altar! Every year since then, Hanukkah recalls that initial joy and gladness, inviting Jews everywhere to remember God’s saving deeds.
It’s interesting to reflect on all this in light of today’s Gospel reading, where Jesus drives the merchants out of the Temple area. Since each of us is a temple of the Holy Spirit, we can ask: What’s the state of my heart? Is it a pure sanctuary for the Lord, or is it harboring some renegades? Could it use some repairs? How can I make my house beautiful for God?
“Lord Jesus, I rejoice in your goodness to me. And I want you to be able to rejoice over me as well! With glad thanksgiving, I rededicate myself to you.”
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