You, O LORD, are My Shield"

Today's Mass Readings

In today’s first reading from the 2 Book of Maccabees, we encounter the active faith of a man named Eleazar. This passage recounts the difficult time faithful Jews had under Greek rule. Some of the Greek rulers tried to force Jews to break the laws God had given to them. The Books of Maccabees, particularly 2 Maccabees, provide us with a very early image of martyrdom. We find a similar situation in the Book of Daniel concerning the Babylonian exile. In today’s passage, however, we see that Eleazar follows God’s commands, even to the point of being tortured to death. In this way, Eleazar points toward a later martyrdom, that of Jesus Who also was tortured to death, though He had done no wrong.

This is the kind of love we are all called to have. Most of us will never face the possibility of torture or even physical death for following Jesus. And yet we are all called to die to self. None of us is called to pray to experience suffering, torture, or death like the martyrs, but we are called to pray to have the kind of love that they displayed. More Christians were physically martyred, killed because of their faith in Jesus during the twentieth century than all previous centuries combined. We don’t know what the twenty-first century will bring, but we do know that these Christian witnesses, like the faithful Jewish witness Eleazar, show us what it means to follow God. The martyrs challenge us to live radical lives of love.

Let us then strive to be a holy people, who are constantly serving others and following God. We will encounter many obstacles in following Jesus closely, but like the martyrs, like Eleazar, God will give us the ability to follow Jesus despite any obstacles. God will help us face the challenges we have to face, whether in physical martyrdom, or in smaller acts of daily martyrdom. Let this passage then be a source of encouragement for us. Passages like these in 2 Maccabees are alluded to in the Letter to the Hebrews chapter 11. We believe in the resurrection, and therefore have nothing to fear when we face death. Let our resurrection joy help embolden us to live more radical lives, and recognize that we do have the strength, with God’s grace, to give up the little things that stand between us and God.

- Jeff Morrow