33rd Week, Wednesday, Nov 22
2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31 / Luke 19:11-28
Seven brothers are martyred; Their mother exhorted them to persevere.
Parents still exercise the greatest influence over their
children we see in this Truman story and in today's reading.
***
Recall a time when your father or mother did something that
moved you deeply. “An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.” Spanish
Proverb
***
We hear the inspiring story of the mother and her seven sons
who with great courage preferred to die for their faith rather than to sin
against the Law.
***
Whenever we hear of the term "Judgement Day" just what are the feelings and thoughts that we get? It is certainly a day of reckoning, a time when we have to give an account of our lives, and only we ourselves know what kind of an account to give. Because out of our own mouths, we will pronounce judgment on ourselves.
In the gospel parable, that was what the master told the servant who kept the pound and did nothing with it. Knowing what was expected and yet not bothering about it certainly calls for accountability and punishment. So what is expected of us? The 1st reading gives a terrible account of what it means to be faithful to God and to do what is expected of us.
We may not have to face that kind of physical torture and
torment when it comes to keeping faith in God. Yet in our trials and
temptations, we will surely face the spiritual torture and torment of the evil
one to sin and go against God. The evil one will also entice us with lies and
deception to take the soft and easy way and slowly walk into the blindness of
darkness.
Yes, we need to pray that the Lord will deliver us from evil and to grant us the grace to live a holy life so that we can sincerely give an account of our lives on Judgement Day.
***
Faith, the Gospel and the life of Christ are rich gifts
which we have received to work with, to produce with, to do business with, as
the Gospel says. We cannot just take our faith for granted. We are stewards of
the goods of the kingdom; a good steward does not only keep what the master
gives him or her, but invests it to produce more. One who has will be given more.
This is Luke’s presentation of the parable of the talents. How productive is
our faith?
***
Life is the greatest “pound (talent)” we have received.
Every faculty, every talent and every opportunity are “pounds” that we have
received and continue to receive in addition. These “pounds” are not our
property but something we need to be accountable for before the giver – God.
The parable of the pound teaches us to make maximum use of the gifts and
talents we have received to build up the kingdom of God. An attitude that says
“I don’t do any harm” is not a sign of a good Christian but it is imperative
that, “I do something good.” A Christian should have the courage to use his/
her God-given gifts. The more we make use of the given “pounds”, the more will
be given to us; the more creatively we use our ideas, the more creative we
become, because the gifts of God are never exhausted.
***
Prayer
Good and loving Father, you have made us rich in many ways, our
faith, the good news of the Gospel, your Son Jesus Christ, above all, with his
life and his Spirit, and the people around us. Help us grow in this faith and
this love, teach us to invest ourselves in your kingdom of goodness and hope, that
we may be worthy of your trust, by the power of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
***
Saint Cecelia
Feast Day November 22
For centuries St. Cecelia has remained one of the church’s
most beloved saints. Parents give their daughters her lovely name, which means
“lily of heaven.” However, all we know about Cecelia comes from a fifth-century
legend that has no historical evidence to support it. Except that two young men
featured in the story, Valerian and Tiburtius, were known to have been martyred
in the third century and buried in the catacombs. However, no catacomb grave or
contemporary writer validates the fascinating tale of St. Cecelia.
However, the story still charms and inspires us. Cecelia, a
patrician maiden, dedicated her virginity to Christ, but her father betrothed
her to Valerian, a young pagan. Forced into marriage, Cecelia determined to
keep her commitment. According to the legend:
As the wedding day approached, she fasted for two or three
days. On her nuptial day she wore a hair shirt next to her flesh, concealed by
her gown of cloth of gold. She sang in her heart to God alone, saying, “O Lord,
let my heart and my body be undefiled.” That night, when with her spouse she
sought the secret silences of the bridal chamber, she spoke to him as follows:
“O sweetest and most loving youth, there is a secret that I may confess to you,
if only you will swear to guard it faithfully.” Then Valerian swore that no
necessity would make him betray it in any way. Then she said: “I have for my
lover an angel of God, who guards my body with exceeding zeal! If he sees you
but lightly touch me for sordid love, he will smite you, and you will lose the
fair flower of your youth. But if he knows that you love me with a pure love,
he will love you as he loves me, and will show you his glory!”
Then Valerian, guided by the will of God, said: “If you will
have me believe you, show me the angel! If I find that he is really an angel, I
shall do as you ask me!”
We might wonder if bad breath from fasting and the stink of
the hair shirt might not have been enough to protect Cecelia from Valerian’s
touch. However, the youth followed Cecelia’s directions and sought baptism from
Pope Urban I. Upon his return, Valerian saw Cecelia’s angel, who crowned both of
them with floral wreaths. Then Valerian’s brother, Tiburtius, was also
converted. The two new Christians were soon beheaded for burying the bodies of
those who had been martyred.
Cecelia herself was condemned for refusing to worship the
gods. An attempt to suffocate her in her own bathroom failed. So a soldier was
ordered to behead her, but he bungled the job. Cecelia lay dying for three
days, during which she bequeathed her property to the church.
The Cecelia legend may be purely fictitious, but this fiction conveys truths that stimulate our faith. St. Cecelia testifies to the supernatural realities that penetrate our lives and invite us to live for God alone no matter what it costs.
