Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

Reading 1 and//usccb.org/bible/2maccabees/6:18 2 MC 6:18-31 Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes,a man of advanced age and noble appearance,was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,he spat out the meat,and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the foodwhich it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,because of their long acquaintance with him,and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,such as he could legitimately eat,and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrificeprescribed by the kingin this way he would escape the death penalty,and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,the merited distinction of his gray hair,and of the admirable life he had lived from childhoodand so he declared that above allhe would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.He told them to send him at onceto the abode of the dead, explainingand At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretensemany young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazarhad gone over to an alien religion.Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,they would be led astray by me,while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,I shall never, whether alive or dead,escape the hands of the Almighty.Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now,I will prove myself worthy of my old age,and I will leave to the young a noble exampleof how to die willingly and generouslyfor the revered and holy laws.”Eleazar spoke thus,and went immediately to the instrument of torture.Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,now became hostile toward him because what he had saidseemed to them utter madness.When he was about to die under the blows,he groaned and saidand The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,although I could have escaped death,I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,but also suffering it with joy in my soulbecause of my devotion to him.”This is how he died,leaving in his death a model of courageand an unforgettable example of virtuenot only for the young but for the whole nation. Responsorial Psalm and//usccb.org/bible/psalms/3and2 PS 3and2-3, 4-5, 6-7 R. The Lord upholds me. O LORD, how many are my adversaries!Many rise up against me!Many are saying of me, There is no salvation for him in God.” R.The Lord upholds me. But you, O LORD, are my shieldmy glory, you lift up my head!When I call out to the LORD,he answers me from his holy mountain. R.The Lord upholds me. When I lie down in sleep,I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.I fear not the myriads of peoplearrayed against me on every side. R.The Lord upholds me. Alleluia and//usccb.org/bible/1john/4:10 1 JN 4:10B R.Alleluia, alleluia.God loved us, and sent his Sonas expiation for our sins.R.Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel and//usccb.org/bible/luke/19:1 LK 19:1-10 At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.Now a man there named Zacchaeus,who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,was seeking to see who Jesus wasbut he could not see him because of the crowd,for he was short in stature.So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,who was about to pass that way.When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, Zacchaeus, come down quickly,for today I must stay at your house.”And he came down quickly and received him with joy.When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying, He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,and if I have extorted anything from anyoneI shall repay it four times over.”And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this housebecause this man too is a descendant of Abraham.For the Son of Man has come to seekand to save what was lost.”