Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary,
Religious
Alternate Proper for the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Readings for Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: 2 Maccabees 6:18-31
Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes,
a man of advanced age and noble appearance,
was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,
he spat out the meat,
and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food
which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
in this way he would escape the death penalty,
and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,
worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,
the merited distinction of his gray hair,
and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;
and so he declared that above all
he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.
He told them to send him at once
to the abode of the dead, explaining:
“At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.
Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,
they would be led astray by me,
while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,
I shall never, whether alive or dead,
escape the hands of the Almighty.
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now,
I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
and I will leave to the young a noble example
of how to die willingly and generously
for the revered and holy laws.”
Eleazar spoke thus,
and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
When he was about to die under the blows,
he groaned and said:
“The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,
although I could have escaped death,
I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,
but also suffering it with joy in my soul
because of my devotion to him.”
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 2 Mc 6:18-31
The story of Eleazar given from the Second Book of Maccabees is the companion story to that of the mother and her seven sons (see 2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14). These stories while intended to serve as examples of heroic courage and fidelity to God’s Law were popular with early Christians because they gave a solid theological underpinning to “Martyrology.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (6b) The Lord upholds me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. The Lord upholds me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. The Lord upholds me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. The Lord upholds me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Psalm 3 is a lament singing of plight of one attacked and oppressed by enemies on all sides. Faith in the Lord, the singers proclaim is the only salvation and they asks the Lord to come and be their protector. This sense of persecution provides a strong link to the first reading from 2nd Maccabees.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 19:1-10
At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 19:1-10
Today we hear the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector and Jesus. While still on his final journey to Jerusalem this encounter takes place in Jericho, on the western edge of Jordan Valley, about 6 miles north of the Dead Sea, north east of Jerusalem. Jesus chooses Zacchaeus’ home for his resting place (an unpopular choice; “…they began to grumble, saying, ‘He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.’”)
Jesus uses this occasion to give us a clear idea of why he came. When Zacchaeus tells him what he as done with his material possessions, Jesus proclaims; “…the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” His mission is salvation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Hearing the story of Zacchaeus we probably think “That’s really good advice for the wealthy.” That was the point the Lord was making with his comment to the Tax Collector, right? He undoubtedly spotted Zacchaeus in the tree and saw his fine cloths. Jesus may have turned to one of the crowd of people around him and asked “Who’s the rich guy in the tree?” (It probably sounds much more formal in Aramaic.). At any rate, he addressed him by name “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."
We are a little taken aback by his presumption. This was not a question; it was an announcement, as if he could have made that demand of anyone present. But then he recognized that Zacchaeus was Hebrew and as such was under the obligation of hospitality.
The response from Zacchaeus was immediate. Not only did he accept the Lord’s statement eagerly, but he went further, announcing publicly that he was donating half of what he owned to the poor and anyone who he had wrongly charged, he would repay four times over (Tax collectors were not paid a salary, they were expected to take a portion of what they were paid and typically padded the tax bill excessively.).
Now back to that opening line – “That’s really good advice for the wealthy.” Scripture scholars do indeed say this was the group Jesus was addressing with this story. But we, by the standards of the modern world are all wealthy. We do not have to beg in order to buy food; we do not depend upon others for survival as did the poor in the Lord’s day.
We are bound by the Lord’s injunction. We, today, hear the Lord addressing us – “… for today I must stay at your house." Again the Lord makes a statement, not a request. We are his disciples after all and we should, like Zacchaeus, be honored that he has chosen us. And what shall we tell the Lord? “Lord I am honored but I gave at the office.” Or “I’d love to have you over but I have other plans.”
In addition, today is also the feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Her example of generosity and self sacrifice for the poor is a visible reminder that all of God’s chosen are called to kindness and generosity.
No, today the call is not just to the wealthy. It is to each one of us. It is the call to love one another once more; to share what we have with those in need, be that material resources or time and effort. The Lord calls us by name today and tells us; today I must stay at your house. What is our response?
Pax
Religious
Alternate Proper for the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Readings for Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: 2 Maccabees 6:18-31
Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes,
a man of advanced age and noble appearance,
was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,
he spat out the meat,
and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food
which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
in this way he would escape the death penalty,
and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,
worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,
the merited distinction of his gray hair,
and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;
and so he declared that above all
he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.
He told them to send him at once
to the abode of the dead, explaining:
“At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.
Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,
they would be led astray by me,
while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,
I shall never, whether alive or dead,
escape the hands of the Almighty.
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now,
I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
and I will leave to the young a noble example
of how to die willingly and generously
for the revered and holy laws.”
Eleazar spoke thus,
and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
When he was about to die under the blows,
he groaned and said:
“The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,
although I could have escaped death,
I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,
but also suffering it with joy in my soul
because of my devotion to him.”
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 2 Mc 6:18-31
The story of Eleazar given from the Second Book of Maccabees is the companion story to that of the mother and her seven sons (see 2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14). These stories while intended to serve as examples of heroic courage and fidelity to God’s Law were popular with early Christians because they gave a solid theological underpinning to “Martyrology.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (6b) The Lord upholds me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. The Lord upholds me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. The Lord upholds me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. The Lord upholds me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Psalm 3 is a lament singing of plight of one attacked and oppressed by enemies on all sides. Faith in the Lord, the singers proclaim is the only salvation and they asks the Lord to come and be their protector. This sense of persecution provides a strong link to the first reading from 2nd Maccabees.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 19:1-10
At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 19:1-10
Today we hear the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector and Jesus. While still on his final journey to Jerusalem this encounter takes place in Jericho, on the western edge of Jordan Valley, about 6 miles north of the Dead Sea, north east of Jerusalem. Jesus chooses Zacchaeus’ home for his resting place (an unpopular choice; “…they began to grumble, saying, ‘He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.’”)
Jesus uses this occasion to give us a clear idea of why he came. When Zacchaeus tells him what he as done with his material possessions, Jesus proclaims; “…the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” His mission is salvation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Hearing the story of Zacchaeus we probably think “That’s really good advice for the wealthy.” That was the point the Lord was making with his comment to the Tax Collector, right? He undoubtedly spotted Zacchaeus in the tree and saw his fine cloths. Jesus may have turned to one of the crowd of people around him and asked “Who’s the rich guy in the tree?” (It probably sounds much more formal in Aramaic.). At any rate, he addressed him by name “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."
We are a little taken aback by his presumption. This was not a question; it was an announcement, as if he could have made that demand of anyone present. But then he recognized that Zacchaeus was Hebrew and as such was under the obligation of hospitality.
The response from Zacchaeus was immediate. Not only did he accept the Lord’s statement eagerly, but he went further, announcing publicly that he was donating half of what he owned to the poor and anyone who he had wrongly charged, he would repay four times over (Tax collectors were not paid a salary, they were expected to take a portion of what they were paid and typically padded the tax bill excessively.).
Now back to that opening line – “That’s really good advice for the wealthy.” Scripture scholars do indeed say this was the group Jesus was addressing with this story. But we, by the standards of the modern world are all wealthy. We do not have to beg in order to buy food; we do not depend upon others for survival as did the poor in the Lord’s day.
We are bound by the Lord’s injunction. We, today, hear the Lord addressing us – “… for today I must stay at your house." Again the Lord makes a statement, not a request. We are his disciples after all and we should, like Zacchaeus, be honored that he has chosen us. And what shall we tell the Lord? “Lord I am honored but I gave at the office.” Or “I’d love to have you over but I have other plans.”
In addition, today is also the feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Her example of generosity and self sacrifice for the poor is a visible reminder that all of God’s chosen are called to kindness and generosity.
No, today the call is not just to the wealthy. It is to each one of us. It is the call to love one another once more; to share what we have with those in need, be that material resources or time and effort. The Lord calls us by name today and tells us; today I must stay at your house. What is our response?
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is “Zacchaeus” by James Tissot, 1886-96
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
3 comments:
Deacon Jim,
Today is Tuesday, November 17, 2009.
~Mike
Mike,
You are correct, however, I have been asked by several folks to post my blog the night before and unfortunately I haven't figured out how to stop the format from auto-inserting the date it is posted. I'll see what I can do.
Pax,
Dcn. Jim
Deacon Jim,
Sorry, I didn't know. Good luck. I enjoy reading your stuff. Thanks,
~Mike
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