20251118 LIVING A LIFE OF PRETENCE
18 November 2025, Tuesday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Maccabees 6:18-31 |
'I will make a good death, eagerly and generously, for the holy laws'
Eleazar, one of the foremost teachers of the Law, a man already advanced in years and of most noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth wide to swallow pig’s flesh. But he, resolving to die with honour rather than to live disgraced, went to the block of his own accord, spitting the stuff out, the plain duty of anyone with the courage to reject what it is not lawful to taste, even from a natural tenderness for his own life. Those in charge of the impious banquet, because of their long-standing friendship with him, took him aside and privately urged him to have meat brought of a kind he could properly use, prepared by himself, and only pretend to eat the portions of sacrificial meat as prescribed by the king; this action would enable him to escape death, by availing himself of an act of kindness prompted by their long friendship. But having taken a noble decision worthy of his years and the dignity of his great age and the well earned distinction of his grey hairs, worthy too of his impeccable conduct from boyhood, and above all of the holy legislation established by God himself, he publicly stated his convictions, telling them to send him at once to Hades. ‘Such pretence’ he said ‘does not square with our time of life; many young people would suppose that Eleazar at the age of ninety had conformed to the foreigners’ way of life, and because I had played this part for the sake of a paltry brief spell of life might themselves be led astray on my account; I should only bring defilement and disgrace on my old age. Even though for the moment I avoid execution by man, I can never, living or dead, elude the grasp of the Almighty. Therefore if I am man enough to quit this life here and now I shall prove myself worthy of my old age, and I shall have left the young a noble example of how to make a good death, eagerly and generously, for the venerable and holy laws.’
With these words he went straight to the block. His escorts, so recently well disposed towards him, turned against him after this declaration, which they regarded as sheer madness. Just before he died under the blows, he groaned aloud and said, ‘The Lord whose knowledge is holy sees clearly that, though I might have escaped death, whatever agonies of body I now endure under this bludgeoning, in my soul I am glad to suffer, because of the awe which he inspires in me.’
This was how he died, leaving his death as an example of nobility and a record of virtue not only for the young but for the great majority of the nation.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 3:2-7 |
The Lord upholds me.
How many are my foes, O Lord!
How many are rising up against me!
How many are saying about me:
‘There is no help for him in God.’
The Lord upholds me.
But you, Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, who lift up my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord.
He answers from his holy mountain.
The Lord upholds me.
I lie down to rest and I sleep.
I wake, for the Lord upholds me.
I will not fear even thousands of people
who are ranged on every side against me.
The Lord upholds me.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ps129:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word.
Alleluia!
Or: | 1Jn4:10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
God so loved us that he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 19:1-10 |
Salvation comes to the house of Zacchaeus
Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance: he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.’
LIVING A LIFE OF PRETENCE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 MC 6:18-31; PS 3:2-7; LK 19:1-10]
In the first reading, Eleazar, a prominent teacher of the Law, was forced to compromise his faith in God by submitting to the decrees of Antiochus Epiphanes, who sought to make the Jews abandon the Law of Moses. Already well advanced in years, he was being forced to open his mouth wide to swallow pig’s flesh. But he, resolving to die with honour rather than to live disgraced, went to the block of his own accord, spitting the stuff out — the plain duty of anyone with the courage to reject what it is not lawful to taste, even from a natural tenderness for his own life.” Such was the integrity of Eleazar, a man who refused to compromise his faith even in the face of torture and death.
Failing to force him to eat pork, they suggested that Eleazar simulate the act of eating it. “Those in charge of the impious banquet, because of their long-standing friendship with him, took him aside and privately urged him to have meat brought of a kind he could properly use, prepared by himself, and only pretend to eat the portions of sacrificial meat as prescribed by the king; this action would enable him to escape death, by availing himself of an act of kindness prompted by their long friendship.” This was certainly a tempting suggestion, for it would save his life without breaking the Law. It would only be a simulation of eating pork. But Eleazar was a man of dignity and integrity. He refused to live his life as a pretence. He was true to himself, to his identity, and to his faith in God. For Eleazar, not everything was for sale. He was conscious of the example he would set for the young. “But having taken a noble decision worthy of his years and the dignity of his great age, worthy too of his impeccable conduct from boyhood, he publicly stated his convictions, telling them to send him at once to Hades.”
Indeed, the devil is very subtle, for when he cannot tempt us to sin outrightly, he seduces us to make compromises by pretending to sin so as to save our skin or our reputation. To gain acceptance from others, we may go through the motions of rituals from other religions even though we do not believe in them, simply to gain popularity. Teenagers often face such simulated sins so they can “fit in” with their peers by smoking, drinking, using vulgar language that they think is cool, skipping classes, shoplifting, or even sleeping with their boyfriends or girlfriends, though they know it is wrong. Indeed, some Catholics deliberately downplay their faith commitments with their friends and colleagues so they do not appear “fanatical” or “holy,” hoping instead to be welcomed to clown around with them.
The truth is that pretending to sin is itself a sin. The simulation of sin can be as scandalous as the act itself because it misleads others into thinking that this is what we believe and that Catholics conduct themselves in this way. Although it might be objectively less sinful than carrying out the act, we still sin by failing to acknowledge Christ and our identity as Catholics. We weaken the faith of those who are spiritually weak and encourage them to do the same. This was why Eleazar did not succumb to their suggestion to save his life. He knew that his actions would set an example for the younger ones and for others. He did not want to mislead anyone into thinking it was right to preserve one’s life by cheating others and, above all, cheating God. Indeed, the Lord said, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” (Lk 9:24) He also said, “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.” (Mt 10:32f) Truly, Eleazar’s example would have inspired the seven young men who heard of his faithfulness and courage under pressure and were therefore ready to shed their blood for their faith (cf. 2 Mc 7:1-31). The blood of these martyrs brought about a great renewal of faith.
Indeed, few of us would die for our faith today. Many of us are afraid even to let others know of our Catholic identity for fear of losing the favour of our peers, clients, or fans. This is because we are not fully Catholic but merely appear to be. We do some Catholic things — go to Mass on Sundays, give donations, say a few prayers, and attend certain rituals. But we do not wear our Catholic identity wherever we go. Outside the church, we behave like everyone else so that no one will know our faith. We adopt worldly behaviour: using vulgar words, cheating people, or doing unscrupulous things. Some do not even want others to know their Christian names — not because they do not have one but because they do not want others to suspect they are Christians. Others are afraid to wear religious symbols or medals like the crucifix for fear of prejudice. When we live this way, we live a double life, lacking coherence between who we are and what we do. Not only do we deceive others, but we also deceive ourselves and betray God.
In the Gospel, we have another person who sought to live a life of integrity. Zacchaeus was a rich man because he was a tax collector in one of the wealthiest towns in Palestine. Jericho was a profitable taxation centre because it was a key trading hub. Zacchaeus had been very successful as a tax collector. “He was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man.” Tax collectors like Zacchaeus were never popular because they worked for the Romans and often overtaxed the people to make a profit. Although wealthy, Zacchaeus was unhappy. His life was unfulfilled. He was lonely and had no real friends. He lived the life of an outcast. Indeed, all who have reached the pinnacle of success understand that money, fame, and power cannot make one happy. Their hearts and minds will not be at peace. When love and joy are missing in our lives, such a life is not worth living.
When Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, “He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd; so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus, who was to pass that way.” He must have heard about this preacher or rabbi. His heart was empty, and the Holy Spirit must have stirred it to seek something more. Perhaps Jesus could be the answer to his emptiness and loneliness. His desperation is seen in the fact that he did not sit in his house, hoping his life would change. Instead, he cooperated with God’s grace. He took the courage to mingle with the crowd who considered him an outcast. But he did not let fear or obstacles stop him. He was determined to catch at least a glimpse of the Lord. He was creative — running ahead and climbing a sycamore tree.
And to his great surprise, “when Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.” Such is the mercy and compassion of God in forgiving and accepting us. He forgives us even before we repent. God loves each and every one of us, saints and sinners alike. All He desires is that we welcome Him into our hearts, as Zacchaeus did.
When we truly welcome Jesus into our lives, we will change and be transformed. Indeed, when the people complained that Jesus had “gone to stay at a sinner’s house,” Zacchaeus showed that he was a changed man. He became more generous than before. He decided to give half of his property to the poor and went beyond what the law required in restitution by paying back those he had cheated four times the amount. This was integrity: a man who welcomed Christ into his home, his life, and his heart. Hence the Lord said, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.” Zacchaeus was sincere in his love for Christ and proved it by living a transformed life. Truly, faith transforms people and keeps us true to our belief in Christ.
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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