Posted on 08/12/2005 4:56:28 AM PDT by Graves
THE SEVEN MACCABEES, THEIR MOTHER SOLOMONIA AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST
They all suffered for the purity of the faith of Israel under King Antiochus, called by some "Epiphanos," the "enlightened one" and by others "Epimanis" the "insane one." Because of the great sins in Jerusalem and especially the vying over priestly authority and crimes committed during the occasion of this struggle, God permitted a great calamity on the Holy City. After that, Antiochus wanted by any means to impose upon the Jews the idolatry of the Hellenes in place of their faith in the one living God and he did everything toward this goal. Assisting Antiochus in his intention were some treacherous high priests and other elders of Jerusalem. On one occasion, King Antiochus himself came to Jerusalem and ordered that all Jews eat the meat of swine, contrary to the Law of Moses, for eating pork was an apparent sign that one has disowned the faith of Israel. The elder Eleazar, a priest and one of the seventy translators of the Old Testament into the Greek language [the Septuagint] would not partake of pork. Because of that, Eleazar was tortured and burned. Returning to Antioch, the king took with him the seven sons called the Maccabees and their mother Solomonia. The seven Maccabean brothers were called: Avim, Antonius, Eleazar, Gurius, Eusebon, Achim and Marcellus. Before the eyes of their mother, the wicked king tortured the sons, one by one, ripping the skin from their faces and, afterward, casting them into the fire. They all bravely endured torture and death but they did not disown their faith. Finally, when the mother saw her last son, the three-year old in the fire, she leaped into the flames and was consumed in the fire rendering her soul to God. They all suffered honorably for the faith in the one living God about one hundred eighty years before Christ
So is Christianity Jewish? That's something to think about as we honor the Maccabee martyrs today for their bearing witness even unto death to observance of the Law (Torah) given to the Holy Prophet Moses by God Himself.
The Jews in the Old Testament always amaze me.
They had no promise of heaven or the afterlife...but they died for the Lord and His Law anyway, simply because it was His Law.
Such faith and obedience to God's Law! It makes me tear up just thinking about it :-)
I always was bad at numbers. The Feast of the Holy Maccabees is August 1. That's Sunday, not today. Dummkopf, that's me!
"They [Maccabees]had no promise of heaven or the afterlife...but they died for the Lord and His Law anyway, simply because it was His Law."
St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrew Christians 11:35-39 ... and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:..."
Now don't confuse those glorious Maccabee martyrs with their opponents of A.D. 33, the Pharisees. Pharisees would not lift a finger for the Law of Moses, but only for their warped version of it.
Wow! I didn't know this.
I began the day reading Psalm 73 (Douay-Rheims), Ut quid, Deus which foretells Antiochus.
Will wonders never cease!
incredulous bump for later
"I began the day reading Psalm 73..."
Psalm 73:4 "And they that hate thee have made their boasts, in the midst of thy solemnity. They have set up their ensigns for signs,..."(D-R)
I thank you OpusatFR for reminding me of the verse.
Now the interesting thing is that Orthodox Christians do not pay any attention to Hannukah. "Why not", one might ask, "especially when we consider all of the OT persons venerated as saints today by Orthodox Christians?" I may be wrong and often am(and especially as to dates obviously!), but I think this is because the reason for Hannukah is found nowhere in Holy Scripture. Hannukah simply is not and never was a part of the Tradition. But one might want to double check me on this and see what Cardinal Danielou says on this one (BIBLE AND THE LITURGY).
"Jews with no promise of the afterlife - or at least known to them - were willingly tortured in complete obedience to God's Law for no other reason than 'because God said so'."
"Praise God for all things!" (St. John Chrysostom)
They did, however, know of the promise. They were not Sadducees. Sadducees were as wrong as the Pharisees.
Mat 22:23-28 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,...Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her"
To which our Lord responded, Mat 22:29-32 "...Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God...God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
So who are the Pharisees of today, the ones who with bared head go about and brazenly brag of their descent from the God-accursed Pharisees? They are the Rabbinic Jews (Orthodox, Conservative, and Reformed). And who are the Sadducees of today, the ones who reject Pharisaic teaching and also the Christian Faith? Are they not the Karaite Jews, declared heretics by the Rabbinic Jews?
And Pope Benedict XVI says he intends to pray in one of their temples in Cologne??????????????????????????????? Is this guy for real?
Apostolic Canon LXIV. "If any clergyman or layman shall enter into a synagogue of Jews or heretics to pray, let the former be deposed and let the latter be excommunicated."
Bump to seamole's excellent post.
A summary of the Catholic view as I understand it. I know it differs from most Protestant views. I suspect we would be in agreement with the Orthodox, but you can tell me otherwise.
The covenants of Noah and Abraham belong to all people of faith. So does the natural law which all men discern through reason as well as revelation, and are obliged to obey.
The Old Testament Law was given exclusively to the Jews. Jesus fulfilled it on the Cross. The "fulfillment" means that the perfect sacrifice was made, the priestly Jewish tradition is unnecessary, and all Christians share in His sacrifice as they rejoice in the freedom of Savior Christ. It also means that a discernment has been made regarding the Jewish Law, as per the teaching of Christ. Christ taught a critical reasoning attitude regarding the Jewish Law. He affirmed some of it (e.g. most of the Decalogue), infused a new meaning in other commandments (e.g. the selebration of the Sabbath as day 7 of Divine rest is transformed into the celebration of day 1 of new creation, the Resurrection Day; the prohibition on divine images was lifted), and rejected the ceremonial and dietetic Jewish law through His apostles. The discernment of the Natural Law continues in His Church.
The prophesied Glory of Israel should not be necessarily identified with the success or failure of the political state of Israel.
Opinions have been voiced that the Old Covenant remains valid on the Jews. I am not sure if it has any official status with Rome. It meshes in with another view, that one not prepared to convert should at least follow his religion inasmuch as it reflects the eternal truths. While popular and reasonable, that view is not doctrinal either. Certainly, we are to strive and pray for conversion of the Jews, even as we venerate their prophets and martyrs as ours.
As the apostolic Christian Church, the Catholic Church can be viewed as the proper form of Messianic Judaism. The same claim is, of course, available for the Orthodox to make. This is not doctrinal, but I heard it said and I agree with this view.
Not doctrinal?
"As the apostolic Christian Church, the [One, Holy,] Catholic [and Apostolic] Church can be viewed as the proper form of Messianic Judaism."
Not CAN be viewed. It is viewed as such because the Church is one, not two, or three, or a thousand. And, as our Lord said, Jhn 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. And Jhn 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,..."
Of course, certain high mucky mucky muck Cardinals (Oooo, CARDINALS. My, my! I am SO impressed.), say otherwise, e.g. Cardinal Lustiger, retd Abp of Paris whom all the Europeans wanted instead of who they got as a pope. For more on him, just read the back issues of THE ANGELUS (SSPX).
Sort of ridiculous is it not?
"Despite being of great importance to Jewish and Protestant life, none of the books of the Maccabees are not[?] included in their canons of Scripture. I feel sorriest for the Jews who celebrate Hannukah each year, many of whom have never even heard any part of these books read in shul(sic)"
But do remember, the only set of books the Rabbinic Jews really care about is the TALMUD (Satan's hymnal). Karaites, to their credit, will gladly spit on the TALMUD. Curious what?
..................
Well, I am not sure if it is doctrinal, re. Messianic Judaism. It sounds perfectly Catholic to me.
I am sure you understand that "not doctrinal" simply means "an opinion not included and not controverted in the Catholic doctrine". Men are free to hold it or not hold it.
Raw, undiluted Christianity based anti Semitism.
Not seen often on FreeRepublic.
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