Daily Retreat 11/22/07
2007 Nov 22 Thu:Cecilia, v, mt M (Thanksgiving Day in the USA)
1 Mc 2:15-29/ Ps 49(50):1b-2. 5-6. 14-15/ Lk 19:41-44.
Options for Thanksgiving: Sir 50: 22-24/ 1 Chron 29:10bc, 11, 12/ Col 3:12-17/ Jn 15:9-17
From today’s readings: “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.... To the upright I will show the saving power of God.... If this day you only knew what makes for peace– but now it is hidden from your eyes....”
Mattathias: A Leader, an Honorable and Great Man
This second chapter of the first Book of Maccabees introduces Mattathias, a great man in his own right, but also the father of Judas Maccabeus, the foremost war hero in this period and thus the one for whom the books are named.
Far from following the crowd, and falling to the temptation of doing something just because everyone else is doing it, Mattathias proves himself a real leader, an honorable and great man, by his refusal to compromise his religion for political favor. In doing so, he does not hesitate even to sacrifice all his earthly wealth and security in order to be faithful to principle.
Leadership today demands no less! The political aspirant who compromises religious beliefs for popularity, or places material goods ahead of human life, or seeks security in the status quo, will never achieve the historical status of a true Leader, an Honorable and Great Man.
In the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving today - specifically and unabashedly , thanksgiving to Almighty God for blessings received! But in truth, no day should not be a day of thanksgiving - the blessings of our lives fill the cornucopia, and are sufficiently super-abundant to inspire us to at least remember to thank God and put Him first in our lives EACH and EVERY day.
1 Mc 2:15-29/ Ps 49(50):1b-2. 5-6. 14-15/ Lk 19:41-44.
Options for Thanksgiving: Sir 50: 22-24/ 1 Chron 29:10bc, 11, 12/ Col 3:12-17/ Jn 15:9-17
From today’s readings: “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.... To the upright I will show the saving power of God.... If this day you only knew what makes for peace– but now it is hidden from your eyes....”
Mattathias: A Leader, an Honorable and Great Man
This second chapter of the first Book of Maccabees introduces Mattathias, a great man in his own right, but also the father of Judas Maccabeus, the foremost war hero in this period and thus the one for whom the books are named.
Far from following the crowd, and falling to the temptation of doing something just because everyone else is doing it, Mattathias proves himself a real leader, an honorable and great man, by his refusal to compromise his religion for political favor. In doing so, he does not hesitate even to sacrifice all his earthly wealth and security in order to be faithful to principle.
Leadership today demands no less! The political aspirant who compromises religious beliefs for popularity, or places material goods ahead of human life, or seeks security in the status quo, will never achieve the historical status of a true Leader, an Honorable and Great Man.
In the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving today - specifically and unabashedly , thanksgiving to Almighty God for blessings received! But in truth, no day should not be a day of thanksgiving - the blessings of our lives fill the cornucopia, and are sufficiently super-abundant to inspire us to at least remember to thank God and put Him first in our lives EACH and EVERY day.
posted by FrPitstick | 11/21/2007
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