Maccabees continues to show us the tribulations of those who refused to surrender their faith and loyalty to God under the torture and oppression of the earthly king and society they lived in. The faithful Jews were being flogged and murdered for the faith and endurance in following only the law of God. It was a tough text to read about a mother losing all her sons before her very eyes and when the king tried to use her love for her sons to persuade her to talk the youngest into saving himself, he found her love for God was greater. As were all her sons love for God greater than any other love or any torture or fear.
Faithfulness to the end is what we are all called to live. Loving God above all else was the first commandment of Jesus Christ. All of us who are parents of siblings and can feel the tension and agony of the scene and relate and even ask ourselves what would we do?
What do we hold onto above God. Who do we hold onto more tightly than Jesus Christ?
We live in a world that prizes and promotes romantic love above all else. Along with eternal youth, the world screams of the pleasures and ultimate ecstasy of love between two people in love.
The world offers us the love of another to distract us from the love we are called to for God. And it is a clever subterfuge by the evil one because we all know to love another is not a bad thing. Jesus even tells us to love all people and that marriage is a sacrament and a good thing. But he also tells us to love God more.
We are called to do everything for the Lord, whatever our day contains Jesus should be there in the middle. We are called to be holy and make our day holy by living for Christ. God is loved first and foremost and others loved as we love ourselves.
The Gospel has a parable that can easily be seen to represent God, his disciples and those in the world that oppose him. The nobleman and king is God. Those that are true followers are fruitful with the blessings given them. They build up the kingdom of God on earth. Those that do not use blessings for the good work they are charged with will find themselves with less blessings and all will be taken away. But those who opposed God and sought to lead others to betray their faith will find themselves losing eternal life all together. Both are readings are about being faithful. Faithful to God now with everything we have and being faithful to God in the end when the world seeks to take eternal life away from us.
Both readings stress how important it is to be clear in our heart where our priorities are and who we are.
Are we faithful children of God above all else?
Deacon Tony Pynes 
Leave a comment