33rd Week, Monday, Nov 17; St Elizabeth of Hungary
1 Macc 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64 / Luke 18:35-43
Antiochus was a Greek culture buff and considered himself an incarnation of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods. He proudly called himself Epiphanes (“God manifest"). Jews called him Epimanes (“mad man”).
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How strong is our own faith? Is it strong enough to hold up in time of trial? “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.” 1 Peter 2:21
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This week the first reading in Year I will be taken from the two canonical books of the Maccabees. These tell the story of the epic fight of the Jews against the Syrian empire. The Syrian king wanted to unify the kingdom under Hellenistic culture. Many Jews felt that their adherence to the Mosaic law isolated them and went along, but a faithful core, later most of the Jewish people, fought to defend their faith and their culture, some even sacrificing their lives for this purpose.
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In life, there will be misfortunes. That seems to be like the unwritten rule of life. So, in life we will experience the spectrum of sickness and suffering, of anxieties and troubles, of oppression and persecution.
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The Gospel of today presents a few verbs that characterise the life and activity of Jesus. First, Jesus “passes by” Jericho; similarly, Jesus passes by us always. Secondly, Jesus “hears” the voice of the one crying out. His busy life and his preoccupations did not prevent him from hearing the cry of the blind man. Similarly, Jesus listens to our cry and even listens to our silence. Thirdly, Jesus “stops” his journey; He could have easily ignored the cry of the blind man, but he stopped by the man. And finally, he “cures” the blind man. By curing him, he gave him a new life – a life of relationship with Jesus in faith. Jesus passes by us every day through thousands of signs – small or big. Are we aware and alert to the moments of grace provided by God?
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In the gospel, the blind beggar had had his share of misfortunes - he was blind, he had to beg, and when he called out to Jesus, he was scolded and told to shut up. That would have been enough for anyone to lose faith, but for that blind beggar, it was then that his faith was tested and proven. He not only received his sight, but his faith has also saved him.
May we see our misfortunes as opportunities for our faith to be tested and proven, and may our faith in God also bring about salvation for us.
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After Jesus had scolded the apostles for their lack of understanding and faith, Luke shows him curing the blind man. Is it perhaps to teach the apostles a lesson and show them that they need to be healed from their blindness by faith? In any case, Jesus becomes light and gives light to the blind man. We ask our Lord to give us eyes of faith.
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Prayer
God almighty Father, each of us too could say: Let me see again, for I am blind to the love that you show me in the people around me. Let me see again, for I am blind to your goodness and beauty, that you reveal to me in your creation and in the events of life. May we too, hear from the lips of your Son: your faith has saved you. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen
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Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Feast day November 17
Elizabeth was born in 1207. Her father was Alexander II, the king of Hungary. Her marriage was arranged when she was just a child, and at age four, she was sent to Thuringia for education and eventual marriage. When she was 14, she married Louis of Thuringia. They loved each other deeply.
According to legend, Elizabeth went out with loaves of bread to feed those who were poor. Her husband saw her and took hold of her cape to see what she was carrying. What he saw was roses rather than bread! Because of this, she is also known as the patroness of bakers. Louis supported her in all she did to relieve the suffering of those who were poor or sick. But Louis’s mother, Sophia, his brother, and other members of the court resented Elizabeth’s generosity. She was taunted and mocked by the royal family, but deeply loved by the common people. Louis loved her and defended her. They had three children.
In 1227, after six years of marriage, Louis went to fight in the Crusades. He died on the way. Elizabeth was grief-stricken. Her in-laws accused her of mismanaging the finances of the kingdom, forcing her and her children out of the palace. For a while, they found refuge only in barns. Finally, they were taken in by her uncle, the bishop of Bamberg. When her husband’s friends returned from the Crusades, they helped restore her to her rightful place in the palace. Elizabeth increased her service to others. She was 24 when she died. She was canonized only four years later. Elizabeth is symbolized by a triple crown—for roles as a member of royalty, as a mother, and as a saint, crowned in heaven. She is the patroness of the Franciscan Third Order and of all Catholic Charities.
