Salve, Regina, Mater Misericordiae.
Praised be Jesus and Mary.
We see the first reading that comes from the book of Maccabees,
exhorts us to be faithful and not to make any compromises with the faith.
This is in the second century B.C., the first book of Maccabees,
makes mention of Alexander the Great,
who had died and left to his officers the various parts of this kingdom,
the kingdom of the Greeks.
And the scripture says that,
in those days there had appeared in Israel men who were breakers of the law.
Okay, those Israelites who were unfaithful to the law.
And now we know there are consequences if we're unfaithful to God's law.
That is, our minds become darkened,
and we're no longer able to reason properly.
And so, having experienced various events,
and we're no longer able to reason properly,
we're no longer able to reason properly.
And so, having experienced various events,
is in reference to material evils.
Okay, probably a lack of prosperity,
and not raising up large families,
and things like that.
They say, let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us.
Since we separated from them,
many evils have come upon us.
Alright, so they were breakers of the law,
which then affected their reasoning,
and they attributed to,
to their distancing themselves from the Gentiles,
these evils.
Now, because of their bad example,
and their poor reasoning,
they managed to seduce many people.
Right?
It says,
the proposal was agreeable.
Some from among the people promptly went to the king,
and he authorized them to introduce the way
of living of the Gentiles.
And thereupon, it describes the different things they did,
among which they covered over the mark of their circumcision,
and abandoned the holy covenant.
And I think about,
those times you hear in the news,
Catholics compromising their faith,
you know, removing crucifixes from classrooms,
or covering up crucifixes,
you know, as the Israelites covered over the mark of their circumcision,
and abandoned the holy covenant.
You know, how many have abandoned the holy new and everlasting covenant,
by not going to mass anymore?
Many, very many.
And so there are consequences to these compromises,
and infidelity.
So what happens,
then,
the king sees his opportunity.
All right?
If there is a weak faith like this,
all should be one,
all of the people should be one,
each abandoning his own particular customs.
All right?
We're going to have a state-enforced religion.
And so all the Gentiles gladly, of course,
conformed to the command of the king,
and many of the children of Israel.
They were already weakened.
Okay?
By their lack of fidelity,
by their compromises.
And so many of them were in favor of the king's religion.
They sacrificed to idols,
and profaned the Sabbath.
Now think about how many don't observe the Lord's day,
don't keep holy Sunday,
but instead,
because the state,
and the laws of the state,
encourage working on Sunday,
and we need to make money,
and,
you know,
how many Christians are living just like those who don't believe?
As if they had no faith.
And so all of these horrible abominations,
taking place,
the building of pagan altars,
and whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,
or whoever observed the law,
was condemned to death
by royal decree.
But many in Israel were determined and resolved in their hearts
not to eat anything unclean.
Okay?
There were those who remained faithful,
notwithstanding the threat of death.
They preferred to die,
rather than to be defiled with unclean food,
or to profane the holy covenant.
And they did die.
Terrible affliction,
terrible affliction was upon Israel.
Alright,
so we can all learn something from this.
No compromises of the faith,
always be faithful,
even until death.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
,
.
Galatians,
Galatians verses 3-4.
Galatians 1.
Galatians version 2.