Daily Reading for Monday, November 20th, 2023

Reading 1, First Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63

¹⁰ From these there grew a wicked offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes son of King Antiochus; once a hostage in Rome, he became king in the 107th year of the kingdom of the Greeks.

¹¹ It was then that there emerged from Israel a set of renegades who led many people astray. 'Come,' they said, 'let us ally ourselves with the gentiles surrounding us, for since we separated ourselves from them many misfortunes have overtaken us.'

¹² This proposal proved acceptable,

¹³ and a number of the people eagerly approached the king, who authorised them to practise the gentiles' observances.

¹⁴ So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, such as the gentiles have,

¹⁵ disguised their circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant, submitting to gentile rule as willing slaves of impiety.

⁴¹ The king then issued a proclamation to his whole kingdom that all were to become a single people, each nation renouncing its particular customs.

⁴² All the gentiles conformed to the king's decree,

⁴³ and many Israelites chose to accept his religion, sacrificing to idols and profaning the Sabbath.

⁵⁴ On the fifteenth day of Chislev in the year 145 the king built the appalling abomination on top of the altar of burnt offering; and altars were built in the surrounding towns of Judah

⁵⁵ and incense offered at the doors of houses and in the streets.

⁵⁶ Any books of the Law that came to light were torn up and burned.

⁵⁷ Whenever anyone was discovered possessing a copy of the covenant or practising the Law, the king's decree sentenced him to death.

⁶² Yet there were many in Israel who stood firm and found the courage to refuse unclean food.

⁶³ They chose death rather than contamination by such fare or profanation of the holy covenant, and they were executed.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158

⁵³ Fury grips me when I see the wicked who abandon your Law.

⁶¹ Though caught in the snares of the wicked, I do not forget your Law.

¹³⁴ Rescue me from human oppression, and I will observe your precepts.

¹⁵⁰ My pursuers are coming closer to their wicked designs, and further from your Law.

¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your will.

¹⁵⁸ The sight of these renegades appals me; they do not observe your promise.

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