Today's Readings

Here's some more readings 4 2day Mon 19 Nov:

Luke 18: 35-43
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was going on. They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.” So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stopped and ordered the beggar to be brought to him. When the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” And immediately he regained his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they too gave praise to God.

1 Maccabees 1
From them [the officers of Alexander the Great] came forth a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king; he had been a hostage in Rome. He began to reign in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks [the Seleucid Era- 175@174]. In those days lawless men came forth from Israel, and misled many, saying, "Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles round about us, for since we separated from them many evils have come upon us." This proposal pleased them, and some of the people eagerly went to the king. He authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and did all sorts of other evil things.
...Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and that each should give up his customs. All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted the king's religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.
...Now on the fifteenth day of Kislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year [the Seleucid Era- 6/12/167], they erected a desolating sacrilege upon the altar of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding cities of Judah, and burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. The books of the Law which they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire. Where the book of the covenant was found in the possession of any one, or if any one adhered to the Law, the decree of the king condemned him to death.
...But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. And thus did Israel suffer greatly.