Official Translation
Reading 1 – 2 Maccabees 6.18-31
Eleazar, one of the chief scribes,
a man already advanced in years
and having a face beautiful in appearance,
was forced to open his mouth to eat swine's flesh.
But he, choosing rather a great death than an unclean life,
went forward voluntarily to the tools of torment.
And considering the way he had arrived at this suffering,
he determined not to do any unlawful things for the love of life.
But those who stood by, being moved with wicked pity,
for the old friendship they had with the man,
took him aside and wanted him to bring
meat which it was lawful for him to eat,
so that he might act as if he had eaten as the king had commanded,
from the flesh of the sacrifice.
By so doing he would be delivered from death.
They did him this kindness
for the sake of their old friendship with the man.
But he began to consider the dignity
of his age and his ancient years,
and the inherent honor of his grey head,
and his good life and conversation from a child,
and he answered without delay,
according to the ordinances of the holy law made by God.
He said that he would rather be sent into Sheol,
“For it does not become our age, said he, to pretend:
whereby many young people might think that Eleazar,
at the age of ninety, went over to the life of the heathens,
and they, through my pretending, and this only for a little time of a corruptible life,
should be deceived, and hereby I would bring a stain and a curse upon my old age.
For though, for the present time,
I should be delivered from the punishments of men,
yet I, whether alive or dead, would never escape the hand of the Almighty.
Whereas, by departing manfully out of this life,
I shall show myself worthy of my old age.
I will leave an example of fortitude to young men,
if with a ready mind and constancy I suffer an honorable death,
for the most venerable and most holy laws.
Having spoken thus, he was immediately carried to execution,
and those who led him, although before they had been a little mild,
became angry because of the words he had spoken,
which they thought were uttered out of arrogance.
When he was now ready to die with the beatings,
he groaned, and said, “O Lord, who has the holy knowledge,
you know manifestly that while I might be delivered from death,
I am suffering grievous pains in body.
But in soul I am well content to suffer these things because I fear you.
Thus did this man die, leaving not only to young men,
but to the whole nation as well, the memory of his death:
an example of virtue and fortitude.
Responsorial – Psalm 3.2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Resp. Ps 3.6b
R. The LORD sustained me.
Lord, how increased are those who trouble me!
Many rise up against me.
Many say of my soul,
“There is no help for him in God.”
R. The LORD sustained me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, and the lifter up of my head.
I cried to the LORD aloud,
and he heard me from his holy mountain.
R. The LORD sustained me
I laid me down and slept,
and I woke up again; for the LORD sustained me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousand people,
who have set themselves against me on every side.
R. The LORD sustained me
Gospel – Luke 19.1-10
Jesus entered Jericho to pass through.
And, you see, there was a man named Zacchaeus,
who was the chief tax collector, and he was rich.
And he sought to see who Jesus was,
but could not because of the crowd,
for he was short.
So he ran ahead and climbed up
into a sycamore tree to see him,
for he was going to pass that way.
And when Jesus came to the place,
he looked up and saw him,
and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down;
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he made haste and came down and received him joyfully.
But when they saw it, they all murmured, saying,
“He went to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord,
“Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor,
and if I have taken anything from anyone falsely,
I will give it back fourfold.
And Jesus said to him,
“This day salvation has come to this house,
for he also is a son of Abraham.”
For the Son of Human has come to seek and to save what was lost.
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