From the Friars: Faithful Unto Death

Today in the first reading we hear the story of the heroic seven brothers and their mother who all died as martyrs rather than violate the Law of God. This happened during the reign of the Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Greek king who ruled over Israel in the second century B.C. This is one of the many amazing stories of heroic fidelity during an extremely harsh persecution of the chosen people found in 1st and 2nd Maccabees. It helps to read both books together to get a better idea of all the reasons why so many people died.

Antiochus outlawed the practice of Judaism and tried to force everyone in his kingdom to practice the pagan Greek religion. “Where the book of the covenant was found in the possession of any one, or if any adhered to the Law, the decree of the king condemned him to death. …they put to death the women who had their children circumcised and they hung the infants from their mother’s necks. But many in Israel stood firm…They chose to die rather than … profane the holy covenant; and they did die. And very great wrath came upon Israel.” (1Mac 1: 57-64)

The sad reality of religious persecution continues in our time. An important document of the Second Vatican Council was Dignitatis Humanae, or Declaration on Religious Freedom. The most important aspect of this teaching is the grave obligation of every human person to seek the truth about God and His Law and to follow it. Secondly, it clarifies that the act of faith must be free and therefore people have a right to not be coerced in matters of religion. They cannot be forced to follow a religion against their conscience or prevented from worshipping God according to their conscience, within the limits of the moral law. St. John Paul II, then a bishop from Soviet-dominated Poland, had a significant influence in the writing of this document.

At the present time we are seeing more and more violations of religious freedom in our own country. It is more subtle than in the times of Antiochus IV or under atheistic or other oppressive regimes, but it is very real nonetheless. A few years ago, I attended a meeting of pro-life medical students at Boston University Medical School. They talked about how it was supposedly optional to learn to perform abortions, but if you did not do it you would be black-balled and persecuted. There are continual efforts to force Catholic Hospitals to perform abortions and other procedures that violate our faith. In almost all areas of society it is becoming more difficult to be faithful to the teachings of Jesus.

But He clearly warned us it would be so. (Jn:15:20)

May these holy martyrs help us to be faithful to God’s Law and not let fear or indifference lead us away from Him.

Peace.

–Fr. Peter