Dedication of the Churches of Sts. Peter and Paul

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

1 Maccabees 2:15-29

In the meantime,

The king’s representatives, who were forcing the Jews to give up their religion came to Modein to organize a sacred gathering.  While many Israelites went to them, Mattathias and his sons drew apart.

The representatives of the king ad­dressed Mattathias, and said to him: “You are one of the leaders of this city, an important and well-known man, and your many children and relatives follow you. 

Come now and be the first to fulfill the king’s order, as the men of Judah have already done, and the survivors in Jeru­salem as well. You and your sons will be named Friends of the King and the king will send you gold, silver and many other gifts.”

 But Mattathias answered in a loud voice: “Even if all the nations included in the kingdom should abandon the religion of their ancestors and submit to the order of King An­tio­chus, I, my sons and my family will remain faithful to the Covenant of our ancestors. 

May God preserve us from abandoning the Law and its precepts. We will not obey the orders of the king nor turn aside from our religion either to the right or to the left.”

 When he finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of everyone to offer incense on the altar that was built in Modein according to the king’s decree. 

When Matta­thias saw him, he was fired with zeal, his heart was stirred, and giving vent to his righteous anger, he threw himself on the Jew and cut the man’s throat on the altar.

At the same time, he killed the king’s representative who was forcing the people to offer sacrifice, and then tore down the altar. In doing this he showed his zeal for the Law, as Phi­nehas had done with Zimri, son of Salu.

 Mattathias then began to proclaim loudly in the city: “Everyone who is zealous for the Law and supports the Covenant, come out and follow me!” Immediately he and his sons fled to the mountains and left behind all they had in the city.  Many Jews who looked for jus­tice and wanted to be faithful to the Law went into the desert.

 

Ps 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊ 

Luke 19:41-44

 When Jesus had come in sight of the city, he wept over it   and said, “If only today you knew the ways of peace! But now your eyes are held from seeing. Yet days will come upon you when your enemies will surround you with barricades and shut you in and press on you from every side. 

And they will dash you to the ground and your children with you, and leave not a stone within you, for you did not recognize the time and the visitation of your God.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

Jesus rarely weeps. In His more or less three years of ministry until His passion, we count only three moments when the Savior shed tears, First, it was during the death of Lazarus, a dear friend.

Secondly, in our gospel today, Jesus weeps over the fate of Jerusalem in the years to come. Lastly, during His Passion although it is not explicitly said in the gospel, Jesus must have wept. And so, Jesus cries but rarely.

This is the human side of our Lord. The God in Him through His humanity experiences emotions that humans are subjected to. It is of great importance because one of the Trinity can tell the other two Persons what it means and how it feels.

In Jesus, humanity is forever represented in the community of Three Divine Persons constituting the One God.