33rd Week, Monday, Nov 15
1 Macc 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64 / Luke 18:35-43
Antiochus becomes king; He threatened Israel's faith.
Antiochus was a Greek culture buff and considered himself an incarnation of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods. He proudly called himself Epiphanes (“God manifest"). Jews called him Epimanes (“mad man”).
In keeping with his love of Greek culture, Antiochus tried
to make Greeks out of the Jews. His first step in this direction. was to try to
stamp out their religious faith. So, he launched a massive persecution in
Israel Some Jews defected; others remained faithful.
***
How strong is our own faith? Is it strong enough to hold up
in time of trial? “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that
you should follow in his footsteps.” 1 Peter 2:21
***
This week the first reading in Year I will be taken from the
two canonical books of the Maccabees. These tell the story of the epic fight of
the Jews against the Syrian empire. The Syrian king wanted to unify the kingdom
under Hellenistic culture. Many Jews felt that their adherence to the Mosaic
law isolated them and went along, but a faithful core, later most of the Jewish
people, fought to defend their faith and their culture, some even sacrificing
their lives for this purpose.
***
In life, there will be misfortunes. That seems to be like
the unwritten rule of life. So, in life we will experience the spectrum of
sickness and suffering, of anxieties and troubles, of oppression and
persecution.
***
The Gospel of today presents a few verbs that characterise
the life and activity of Jesus. First, Jesus “passes by” Jericho; similarly,
Jesus passes by us always. Secondly, Jesus “hears” the voice of the one crying
out. His busy life and his preoccupations did not prevent him from hearing the
cry of the blind man. Similarly, Jesus listens to our cry and even listens to
our silence. Thirdly, Jesus “stops” his journey; He could have easily ignored
the cry of the blind man, but he stopped by the man. And finally, he “cures”
the blind man. By curing him, he gave him a new life – a life of relationship
with Jesus in faith. Jesus passes by us every day through thousands of signs –
small or big. Are we aware and alert to the moments of grace provided by God?
***
In the gospel, the blind beggar had had his share of misfortunes - he was blind, he had to beg, and when he called out to Jesus, he was scolded and told to shut up. That would have been enough for anyone to lose faith, but for that blind beggar, it was then that his faith was tested and proven. He not only received his sight, but his faith has also saved him.
May we see our misfortunes as opportunities for our faith to
be tested and proven, and may our faith in God also bring about salvation for
us.
***
After Jesus had scolded the apostles for their lack of
understanding and faith, Luke shows him curing the blind man. Is it perhaps to
teach the apostles a lesson and showing them that they need to be healed from
their blindness by faith? In any case, Jesus becomes light and gives light to
the blind man. We ask our Lord to give us eyes of faith.
***
Prayer
God almighty Father, each of us too could say: Let me see
again, for I am blind to the love that you show me in the people around me. Let
me see again, for I am blind to your goodness and beauty, that you reveal to me
in your creation and in the events of life. May we too, hear from the lips of
your Son: your faith has saved you. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen
