THURSDAY OF THE 33RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR
Celebration: Ferial
Table of the Word
First Reading: 1 Maccabees 2:15–29
Gospel: Luke 19:41–44
Theme: Courage and Conversion.
Reflection
In today’s first reading, Mattathias stands as a courageous witness at a time when many Israelites bowed to the pressure of foreign influence and apostasy. He refuses to abandon the covenant, proclaiming boldly: “We will not obey the king’s command and forsake our religion in any way.” (cf. 1 Maccabees 2:15–29)
His zeal inspires others to follow him into the wilderness, choosing faithfulness over compromise.
The Church venerates this fidelity as a model of moral courage. St. John Chrysostom reminds us that “even if the whole world should desert the truth, the faithful Christian must stand firm, for God plus one is a majority.”
Mattathias prefigures the Church’s martyrs—those who resist every form of idolatry, whether ancient or modern.
In today's Gospel pericope, Jesus is seen approaching Jerusalem, He weeps over the city, lamenting that it did not recognize the time of its visitation. His tears reveal both divine compassion and the tragedy of spiritual blindness (cf. Luke 19:41–44).
Here the Fathers of the Church see Jesus’ tears as the tears of God over human hardness of heart. That is why St. Augustine writes, “Christ wept in His humanity; He foresaw in His divinity.”
The destruction Jesus foretells becomes a symbol of what happens when individuals or communities ignore God’s call to conversion.
However, today’s readings invite us into the tension between God’s persistent call and human freedom. Mattathias shows us that fidelity sometimes demands painful choices, resistance to pressure, and even sacrifice. Jesus’ tears show how God yearns for our salvation, yet is wounded when we resist grace.
Belived in Christ, I exhort you to stand firm in faith, even when the world pushes against you, and recognize the moments when God quietly visits your life.
His invitations often come in ordinary moments, through Scripture, conscience, hardship, or unexpected peace. To miss these moments is to risk spiritual decline; to embrace them is to discover profound peace.
+ Peace be with you.
© ARCHIVE 20112025
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