Reflection on Today's Readings, Thursday of 33rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, November 18th, 2021
Texts: 1Mac. 2: 15-29; Ps. 50: 1-2.5-6.14-15; Luke19:41- 44
Yesterday, we were presented with seven brothers who died for their faith and with their mother encouraging them and sharing from their martyrdom. Their death proves to us that faith in God worths dieing for. Today, we are presented with another family who proves to us that faith not only worths dieing for but also worths fighting for. They challenge us to brace up and fight for our faith. We are to fight for our faith: where there is hatred let us fight for love; where there is injustice, let us fight for justice; where lies and falsehood abound, let us fight for truth; where there are insecurity and fear, let us fight for peace; where there are corruption and bribery, let us fight for incorruption and fairness; where there is disorder, let us fight for order; etc. Many a time we falter in this regard, we fail often to defend our faith. Many a time instead of fighting for our faith, we allow ourselves to be dragged along.
We learn from Mattathias the usefulness of human anger. Anger is a useful phenomenon as well as evil, depending on its engagement with the reason and will (CCC no. 1767). Pope St. Gregory the Great says, "there is an anger which is engendered of evil, and there is an anger engendered of good. Hastiness of temper is the cause of the evil, divine principle is the cause of the good, such as that which Phinehas felt when he allayed God's anger by the use of his own sword." When anger is directed at a noble cause, it is good. When an anger is directed at righteous cause, it is righteous. The act of Mattathias, in the first reading, is an example of righteous anger. It is said about him thus: "When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice upon the altar in Modein, according to the king’s command. When Mattathias saw it, he burnt with zeal and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and killed him upon the altar. At the same time he killed the king’s officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. Thus he burnt with zeal for the law, as Phinehas did against Zimri the son of Salu." He vented his anger to resist evil and in defend of righteousness.
Edward Sri discusses three factors to be considered in judging whether an anger is sinful or righteous (https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/philos). The first thing to consider is what we are angry about. If we are angry about wrong thing, then it is sinful. For example if the anger is because we are corrected, it is sinful. We ought not to direct our anger at resisting correction. If we are angry about right thing, then it is righteous. For instance if the anger is about injustice, it is righteous. The second thing to consider is the object or motive of the anger. If the anger aims at harm or destruction, it is sinful. If the anger aims at good, it is righteous. For instance when we correct our children for the wrong thing they do, it is righteous. We also need to be mindful of the measure of the anger. If the anger is fierce, it is sinful. If the anger is moderate and controlled, it is righteous.
Jesus Christ, in today's gospel reading, wept over Jerusalem for its ignorance; it did not recognise the time of its peace. Just as Jesus Christ wept over Jerusalem, He still weeps over so many of us for our ignorance. He weeps over us, for many a time we forfeit the peace He offers us. We are called, today, to embrace His peace.
Lord our God, fill us with zeal and boldness to defend our faith wherever we find ourselves. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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