20251120 GRIEVING FOR JUSTICE AND TRUTH
20 November 2025, Thursday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
1 Maccabees 2:15-29 |
'Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its ordinances'
The commissioners of King Antiochus who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein to make them sacrifice. Many Israelites gathered round them, but Mattathias and his sons drew apart. The king’s commissioners then addressed Mattathias as follows, ‘You are a respected leader, a great man in this town; you have sons and brothers to support you. Be the first to step forward and conform to the king’s decree, as all the nations have done, and the leaders of Judah and the survivors in Jerusalem; you and your sons shall be reckoned among the Friends of the King, you and your sons shall be honoured with gold and silver and many presents.’ Raising his voice, Mattathias retorted, ‘Even if every nation living in the king’s dominions obeys him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees, I, my sons and my brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors. Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its observances. As for the king’s orders, we will not follow them: we will not swerve from our own religion either to right or to left.’ As he finished speaking, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein as the royal edict required. When Mattathias saw this, he was fired with zeal; stirred to the depth of his being, he gave vent to his legitimate anger, threw himself on the man and slaughtered him on the altar. At the same time he killed the king’s commissioner who was there to enforce the sacrifice, and tore down the altar. In his zeal for the Law he acted as Phinehas did against Zimri son of Salu. Then Mattathias went through the town, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘Let everyone who has a fervour for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.’ Then he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind in the town.
At this, many who were concerned for virtue and justice went down to the desert and stayed there.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 49(50):1-2,5-6,14-15 |
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
The God of gods, the Lord,
has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion’s perfect beauty he shines.
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
‘Summon before me my people
who made covenant with me by sacrifice.’
The heavens proclaim his justice,
for he, God, is the judge.
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God
and render him your votive offerings.
Call on me in the day of distress.
I will free you and you shall honour me.’
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:135 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let your face shine on your servant,
and teach me your decrees.
Alleluia!
Or: | Ps94:8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 19:41-44 |
Jesus sheds tears over the coming fate of Jerusalem
As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said, ‘If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes! Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you – and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!’
GRIEVING FOR JUSTICE AND TRUTH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 MC 2:15-29; PS 50:1-2,5-6,14-15; LK 19:41-44]
In the first reading, Mattathias, the father of Judas Maccabeus, stood firm in his faith against the pressure of the commissioners of King Antiochus, who sought to force the Israelites to sacrifice to pagan gods. Even though he and his sons were offered “gold and silver and many presents” and the honour of being “reckoned among the Friends of the King,” he refused to betray the Covenant of Moses. He remained defiant against any attempt to coerce them into submission. “Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its observances. As for the king’s orders, we will not follow them; we will not swerve from our own religion either to right or to left.”
So zealous was his faith that when he saw a fellow Jew “come forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein as the royal edict required,” his righteous anger at this betrayal and scandal ignited a holy indignation against such apostasy. “He gave vent to his legitimate anger, threw himself on the man and slaughtered him on the altar. At the same time, he killed the king’s commissioner who was there to enforce the sacrifice, and tore down the altar.” Afterwards, “shouting at the top of his voice, ‘Let everyone who has a fervour for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me,'” he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind. At this, “many who were concerned for virtue and justice went down to the desert and stayed there.”
By doing so, Mattathias proved himself to be a true leader — an honourable and great man because he refused to compromise his faith and values for political or monetary favour. He did not hesitate to abandon his belongings, wealth, or security in order to remain true to himself and to his faith, even as others succumbed to political pressure out of fear of losing their safety or their lives.
Leadership today demands no less. Unfortunately, such leaders are rare — whether political, corporate, or religious. Pressures, often subtle, arise from many directions when decisions must be made. This is the difficult part of leadership: we want to appear reasonable, and so we feel compelled to compromise values and truths we genuinely believe in. At times, we know that by refusing to submit to collective decisions, we may suffer disadvantages, lose our position, or be labelled as conservative or narrow-minded. Even when we disagree, we may not be allowed to speak the truth plainly because it is deemed politically incorrect. Indeed, most international agreements are compromises designed to satisfy all parties. This is why final statements often end up weak and lacking in conviction, failing to express what many truly intend to say.
How, then, do we act today? This is a difficult question, for the contemporary world is deeply secular, agnostic, and even atheistic. Even those in power who claim to be believers often do not live by their religious values, but by what is pragmatic and popular. Religion is no longer the basis for decision-making in a globalised world of diverse religions and moral systems. In a climate of moral relativism, it is hard to assert that something is undeniably right or wrong. Everyone can justify their actions — even acts of terrorism or war. What is considered right often depends simply on who has more power. Those with might, wealth, and influence dictate global policy. This is the reality.
Sadly, what is said of the world is also true within the religious sphere. Even within a single religion or religious organisation, there are differing views — not only in doctrine but in morality. We are told to respect all views, yet often the minority speaks so loudly that it appears to be the majority. Some leaders, seeking popularity and acceptance, advocate changes in doctrine or morality to align with the world’s shifting values. Even within the Church, there are voices calling for the modification of long-held teachings on marriage, gender, and the dignity of human life. They attempt to impose the world’s confused moral framework onto the life of the Church. Speaking out becomes intimidating, for one risks being labelled conservative, narrow-minded, or traditionalist.
So, to whom do we listen? How do we deal with opposition to our faith in daily life? Certainly, we cannot act as Mattathias did in his time. We cannot literally kill our enemies or those who oppose us. This would contradict the Gospel, for Jesus commanded us to love our enemies. We do not have to resort to extreme measures and advocate violence because it will cause greater evil than good. Yet, the truth remains: we cannot serve two masters. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Mt 6:24). Nor can we straddle the fence between the world and the Lord, as Elijah challenged his people: “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kgs 18:21).
Like Jesus, we are called to grieve for our people. Jesus foresaw the fate of His homeland. “As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city, he shed tears over it and said, ‘If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes!'” Jesus wept because He knew that, since they did not choose the way of peace but instead followed the path of hostility, hatred, and war, they would eventually be annihilated, and Jerusalem and its temple would be reduced to ruins. Today, in Gaza, Ukraine, and many other places torn by conflict, people, too, are missing the moment of the Lord’s visitation.
World leaders — political and religious have repeatedly warned that extreme economic disparity and widespread poverty could lead to a world war. Yet human selfishness and the pursuit of power, fame, and wealth continue to resist calls for peace, cooperation, and adherence to international law. This is precisely what the Lord warns us of: “A time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all around you… they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you, and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!” Tragically, we have not learned from history.
Pope Francis rightly said during the Jubilee Year of Mercy: “A war can be justified … with so many, many reasons. But when the whole world, as it is today, is at war — the whole world! It is a world war being fought piecemeal: here, there, there, everywhere.” And “there is no justification. God weeps. Jesus weeps.” He further went on to say that today, “this world is not a peacemaker” and “while the arms dealers do their work, there are poor peacemakers who, simply in order to help one person, and another and another, give their life.” Yet amid this darkness, there is a glimmer of hope in prophets such as St Teresa of Calcutta and the many who champion peace in war-torn regions. Some even lose their lives working for peace.
This is why we must continue to proclaim the message of truth, charity, and peace. We need the world to weep and cry for the many innocent people who are killed for their faith or for the cause of world peace. The more the world cries out, the greater the pressure on political and religious leaders to act rightly. We must also pray that God will enlighten them, so that they may use their power and resources to promote peace, harmony, and the well-being of all peoples — not only their own nations but the entire human family. We need to promote mutual respect among religions, work for the common good of society, the protection of the family, and the dignity of human life. In doing so, we will be heeding the call of our King to weep, to call the world to repentance, and to open its eyes to the suffering inflicted upon humanity — especially the innocent, the vulnerable, the weak, and the poor.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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