Reading I 1 Mc 2:15-29
The officers of
the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy
came to the city
of Modein to organize the sacrifices.
Many of Israel
joined them,
but Mattathias
and his sons gathered in a group apart.
Then the officers
of the king addressed Mattathias:
“You are a
leader, an honorable and great man in this city,
supported by sons
and kin.
Come now, be the
first to obey the king’s command,
as all the Gentiles
and the men of Judah
and those who are
left in Jerusalem have done.
Then you and your
sons shall be numbered among the King’s Friends,
and shall be
enriched with silver and gold and many gifts.”
But Mattathias
answered in a loud voice:
“Although all the
Gentiles in the king’s realm obey him,
so that each
forsakes the religion of his fathers
and consents to
the king’s orders,
yet I and my sons
and my kin
will keep to the
covenant of our fathers.
God forbid that
we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey
the words of the king
nor depart from
our religion in the slightest degree.”
As he finished
saying these words,
a certain Jew
came forward in the sight of all
to offer
sacrifice on the altar in Modein
according to the
king’s order.
When Mattathias
saw him, he was filled with zeal;
his heart was
moved and his just fury was aroused;
he sprang forward
and killed him upon the altar.
At the same time,
he also killed the messenger of the king
who was forcing
them to sacrifice,
and he tore down
the altar.
Thus he showed
his zeal for the law,
just as Phinehas
did with Zimri, son of Salu.
Then Mattathias
went through the city shouting,
“Let everyone who
is zealous for the law
and who stands by
the covenant follow after me!”
Thereupon he fled
to the mountains with his sons,
leaving behind in
the city all their possessions.
Many who sought
to live according to righteousness and religious custom
went out into the
desert to settle there.
Responsorial Psalm 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15
R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving
power of God.
God the LORD has
spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From Zion, perfect
in beauty,
God shines forth.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power
of God.
“Gather my
faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by
sacrifice.”
And the heavens
proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power
of God.
“Offer to God
praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me
in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify
me.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power
of God.
Alleluia Ps 95:8
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
If today you hear
his voice,
harden not your
hearts.
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Gospel Lk 19:41-44
As Jesus drew
near Jerusalem,
he saw the city
and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you
only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is
hidden from your eyes.
For the days are
coming upon you
when your enemies
will raise a palisade against you;
they will
encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash
you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not
leave one stone upon another within you
because you did
not recognize the time of your visitation.”