It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law. (2 Macc 7:1, 20-31)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111925.cfm
Thanks to the lectionary makers we are spared the gruesome details of the martyrdom of the mother and her seven sons. The Books of the Maccabees are written to encourage people to resistance in times of persecution and to be faithful to the Law of God. https://youtu.be/vte_291mnZ0?si=vX-5e8PpwfD7STs5
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Wednesday XXXIII, Ordinary Time
