December 17: Judas Maccabeus

[Read 1 & 2 Maccabees, from the Apocrypha]

Around the Christian celebration of Advent and Christmas, our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate their own festival of Hanukkah, which is detailed in the deuterocanonical or apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees.

King Antiochus, of the Greeks, profaned the temple by placing idols on the altar and allowing pagan sacrifices. The Maccabeans revolted under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus and reclaimed the Jewish temple. They celebrated for eight days, inaugurating the festival of lights for the rededication of the altar.

Judas Maccabeus led several military battles detailed throughout 1 and 2 Maccabees. Their army was small when compared to their opponents’ armies. When Judas was questioned about it, he resiliently said, “It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from Heaven. … [W]e fight for our lives and our laws” (1 Maccabees 3:19, 21).

These people experienced persecution for their beliefs and in 2 Maccabees 6 and 7, the martyrdom of Eleazar and a mother and her seven sons is recounted. They knew what they believed in, and they would not relent. Their courage to stand up against injustice emboldens us to stand up for our Christian faith and belief. We often hear the adage, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” When secularization tries to cancel Christmas, let us stand up like Judas Maccabeus and the Maccabeans, and fight for our beliefs and values.

Father Edward Looney
St. Francis & St. Mary Catholic – Brussels



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