23 November 2023

But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: ‘Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to obey his commandments, everyone of them abandoning the religion of their ancestors, I and my sons and my brothers will continue to live by the covenant of our ancestors. Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. We will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left.’

From 1 Maccabees 2:15-29 , NRSV

In today’s first reading we hear of the opposition to the rule of  King Antiochus by another prominent Jewish priest named Mattathias. The king had hoped that  he could persuade Mattathias and his family to renounce the Jewish Law and conform to his rule. By doing so, the king would have stood to gain the support of other Jews. He promised Mattathias and his family wealth and prestige. In response, Mattathias made it very clear that his loyalty lay with the religion of his ancestors and that nothing could persuade him to abandon this. When another Jew stepped forward to make the sacrifice required by the king, Mattathias was so enraged that he killed both the Jew and one of the king’s servants. Mattathias then proceeded to make his way through the town calling on others who shared his zeal to follow him. Mattathias and his family then had to abandon their home and all their possessions to go and live in the wilderness. Many others followed his example.

• • What do you make of Mattathias’s killing of his fellow Jew and the king’s servant – was this justified?
  • When have you needed courage to follow your conscience and how did you find this? 

Pray for all who need the courage to remain faithful to their beliefs.