BUT THAT WE MAY NOT OFFEND THEM

Ez 1,2-5.24-28c; Ps 148; Mt 17,22-27
13 AUGUST
Just as a match can ignite a field of wheat ready to harvest in a few moments, so a single scandal can incinerate years and years of work in the Lord’s vineyard. In addition, a single scandal can make our person untrustworthy and remove many from the right path. The operators of scandals are a real pest. For them evil spreads in hearts, producing spiritual and often physical death. From the scandal we must also be guarded at the cost of our lives. Eleazar is offered sight, provided he simulated eating meat prohibited by law. He chose an atrocious death so as not to scandalize the young, leading them into error.

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 men ought to do who have the courage to reject the food which 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 sacrifice prescribed by the king; in this way he would escape the death penalty, and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him. But he 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 childhood; and so he declared that above all he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God. He told them to send him at once to the abode of the dead,

explaining: “At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretence; many young men would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar had gone over to an alien religion. Should I thus dissimulate for the sake of a brief moment of life, they would be led astray by me, while I would bring shame and dishonour 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 example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws.” He 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 said seemed to them utter madness. When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned and said: “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 soul because of my devotion to him.” This is how he died, leaving in his death a model of courage and an unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation (2Mac 6,18-31).

Jesus is the Son of the Father. He is not obliged to pay any temple fees. He asks Peter to pay so that no one is scandalized. It would have been enough that the voice of Jesus’ non obedience to the Law had spread, so that his mission were seriously compromised. The credibility of one’s mission is worth more than anything else. Everything must be renounced so that the mission is made ever more credible.

As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief. When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes,” he said. When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”

Every Christian must be holy not only for himself, much more for the salvation of the world.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that the disciple of Jesus shines with perfect exemplarity.