24 November 2023 - Friday of the 33rd week in Ordinary Time - 1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59

     After the people of Israel were exiled to Babylon, returning to Jerusalem in 538 BC, they were faced with rebuilding their city. Several centuries later, they were conquered by the Greeks, becoming a part of the Greek empire. During the reign of King Antiochus IV in the 2nd century before Christ’s birth, God called Judas Maccabeus to lead the people of Israel to overthrow the Greeks. Judas Maccabeus took back control of the Temple and restored the rituals of worship there. In today’s reading from 1st Maccabees, we hear about the cleansing of the Temple, which our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate in their holiday of Hanukkah. In the Gospel, Jesus quotes Jeremiah, stating that the Lord’s house is to be a place of prayer and worship. The Mass we celebrate each Sunday is supposed to be sacred and holy to us as we gather together around the Lord’s altar. We are to see our church as God’s house, as a holy place dedicated to our liturgies.  Let us never forget God’s presence with us as we worship him around his altar. 

22 November 2019 - Friday of 33rd week in Ordinary Time - 1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59

The books of 1 and 2 Maccabees in the Old Testament tell the story of a Jewish revolt against the occupying Greek government that took place in the years of  175 to 134 BC.  The original Hebrew text of these books has been lost to history, so they are only included in the Catholic Bible, not in the Protestant and Hebrew versions.  The Greek government suppressed Jewish worship in the Temple, replacing it with pagan rituals.  In the passage we hear today, the Jewish revolt has succeeded, with Jewish faith traditions being restored in the Temple.  This connects to Jesus’ anger at the way the Temple in his day had also been turned from a house of prayer to a place of business and commerce.  How are we keeping God’s place holy in our own day?  And how are we incorporating prayer in our own lives?  Does prayer have a place in our lives?  Or do we not have time for it? 

I want to mention the saint we celebrate today: St Cecilia. She is one of the most famous of the Roman martyrs, but like some of the saints from the early Church, her story grew with time and the passing of history.  Tradition passes down that Cecilia was a young Christian of high rank who betrothed to a Roman named Valerian. Cecilia, her husband, his brother, and several others were martyred, according to tradition.  It is said that she sang to God with her heart at her wedding, which is why she is named the patron saint of music.  The national academy of St Cecilia in Rome, established back in the 16th century, is one of the most prestigious and oldest musical institutions in the world.  Today, we unite our prayers with the prayers of St Cecilia.  

November 24, 2017 - Friday of the 33rd week in Ordinary Time - 1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59

     After the people of Israel were exiled to Babylon, returning to Jerusalem in 538 BC, they went about the task of rebuilding their city.  However, they eventually were conquered by the Greeks, becoming a part of their empire.  During the reign of King Antiochus IV in the 2nd century before Christ’s birth, Judas Maccabeus was called by God to lead his people to overthrow the Greek domination.  He took back control of the Temple and restored the rituals of worship there.  In today’s reading from 1st Maccabees, we hear about the cleansing of the Temple, which our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate in Hanukkah.  In the Gospel, Jesus quotes Jeremiah, stating that the Lord’s house is to be a place of prayer and worship.  The mass we celebrate each Sunday is supposed to be something very sacred.  We gather around the altar of the Lord.  We are to see it as God’s house, as a very holy place.  It takes us back to our faith that has been passed down to us throughout the generations.  May we never forget that.