11/17/09 CHARLES BORROMEO CHURCH

11/17/09 Charles Borromeo Church, (noon): Message (generally verbatim) "three great lies of satan..nobody will find out...eleazar was smart enough to see the devil working thru friends...& he refused to compromise or pretend in order to escape death...refused to eat pork & took death instead...how often in our own lives, think nobody is looking...reading maccabees before daniel, all have to do w/ being faithful...maccabeans determined to change jewish people ..make jews worship idols..one story after another...refuse to offend the Lord...reminder...we can get into difficulties..devil telling us nobody will find out...cause of emba incarnation
1st Reading: 2 Maccabee 6.18-31: 19 But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement, he spat out the meat, and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture, 20 as men ought to do who have the courage to reject the food which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life. 21 Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately, because of their long acquaintance with him, and urged him to bring meat of his own providing, such as he could legitimately eat, and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice prescribed by the king 22 in this way he would escape the death penalty, and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him 23 But he made up his mind in a noble manner, worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age, the merited distinction of his gray hair, and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood; and so he declared that above all he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God. He told them to send him at once to the abode of the dead, explaining 24"At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense; many young men would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar had gone over to an alien religion. 25 Should I thus dissimulate for the sake of a brief moment of life, they would be led astray by me, while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age. 26 Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men, I shall never, whether alive or dead, escape the hands of the Almighty. 27 Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will prove myself worthy of my old age, 28 and I will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws." He spoke thus, and went immediately to the instrument of torture 29 Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed, now became hostile toward him because what he had said seemed to them utter madness. 30 When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned and said: "The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that, although I could have escaped death, I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging, but also suffering it with joy in my soul because of my devotion to him." 31 This is how he died, leaving in his death a model of courage and an unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation. Responsorial: "The Lord upholds me"; Gospel Reading: Luke 19.1-10: 1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He going to pass that way. looked up and saw him,[ a] and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 So So haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”