Today's Catholic Mass Readings
& Gospel Reflection -
Tuesday of the 33rd Week.
November 21, 2023.
The Presentation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
FIRST READING : 2 Mac 6:18-31
Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes, a
man of advanced age and noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork..But Eleazar 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: At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense; many young people would think the
ninety-year-old Eleazar had gone over to an alien religion.
"Should i thus pretend 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. 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. Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, i will prove myself worthy of my old age, and i will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws.
"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."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 PSALM :
"The Lord upholds me."
GOSPEL Luke 19:1-10
'At that time Jesus came to Jericho and
intended to pass through the town. Now a
man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. 'So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today i must stay at your house."And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, i shall give to the poor, and if i have extorted anything from anyone i shall repay it four times over." 'And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
Reflection from our holy gospel:
A WEALTHY MAN.
The story of Zacchaeus proves that it is possible for a rich person to enter the
Kingdom of God. Some Bible commentators opine that Luke makes use of Zacchaeus' story as an apology for wealthy people who have decided to change their lifestyle and share their wealth with the poor. Christians who are well-off-like Priscilla and Aquila, Lydia, Phoebe, and Cornelius-become patrons and are instrumental in spreading the Good News of salvation, since they themselves are recipients of God's goodness and mercy. Those rich in resources, but remain unattached to their
wealth, become charitable. They store up more valuable and lasting treasure--the one in heaven.
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