November 18, 2013

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 497
Reading 1 1 MC 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63

[From the descendants of Alexander’s officers]
there sprang a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes,
son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome.
He became king in the year one hundred and thirty seven
of the kingdom of the Greeks.

In the year one hundred and thirty seven of the Greeks, Antiochus Epiphanes, a sinful man, took power.

In those days there appeared in Israel
men who were breakers of the law,
and they seduced many people, saying:
“Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us;
since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us.”

That same time in Israel wicked men appeared who advised the Jews to make an alliance with the Gentiles.

The proposal was agreeable;
some from among the people promptly went to the king,
and he authorized them to introduce the way of living
of the Gentiles.

 They went so far as to propose that the Jews should live in accordance with Gentile ways.

Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem
according to the Gentile custom.
They covered over the mark of their circumcision
and abandoned the holy covenant;
they allied themselves with the Gentiles
and sold themselves to wrongdoing.

 And they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem. And the Jews began to live according to Gentile customs.  They abandoned the holy covenant with God and joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves into sin.

Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people,
each abandoning his particular customs.
All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king,
and many children of Israel were in favor of his religion;
they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.

 And the king decreed that all were one people Jew and Gentile and would hold one set of customs. And many of the Jews abandoned the Sabbath.

On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-five,
the king erected the horrible abomination
upon the altar of burnt offerings
and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars.

 And in the year 145 the king erected an abominable idol in the temple.

They also burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets.
Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt.
Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,
and whoever observed the law,
was condemned to death by royal decree.

 And whoever was observed keeping the laws of God was condemned to death.

But many in Israel were determined
and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;
they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food
or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
Terrible affliction was upon Israel.

 But many faithful Jews were determined to be righteous and keep the laws of God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158

R. (see 88) Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Indignation seizes me because of the wicked
who forsake your law.

R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Though the snares of the wicked are twined about me,
your law I have not forgotten.

R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Redeem me from the oppression of men,
that I may keep your precepts.

R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I am attacked by malicious persecutors
who are far from your law.

R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Far from sinners is salvation,
because they seek not your statutes.

R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I beheld the apostates with loathing,
because they kept not to your promise.

R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.

 Give me life, oh Lord, and I will do your commands. This sounds as though the prophet is bargaining with God. But far from it. He recognizes that without God's grace he cannot live a life of righteousness. It is God who moves first. It is God who calls us.

Gospel LK 18:35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.

 As Jesus was walking towards Jericho followed by a huge crowd, a blind man inquired what was happening.

They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

 And they informed him, "Jesus is coming back."

He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”

 So he called out, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!"

The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”

 Jesus followers told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, "son of David save me!"

Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;

 And Jesus stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him.

and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”

 And Jesus asked him, "what would you like me to do for you?"

He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”

 And he replied, "that I may see."

Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

 And Jesus said to him, "have sight, your faith has saved you." And the crowd gave glory to God because immediately the blind man's eyes were opened.