God chose Moses to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt around 1,500 BC. A thousand years later, they were enslaved by Babylonia. A few hundred years later, by 170 BC, He chose Mattathias Maccabee to keep His People from again being enslaved by those who ruled parts of Alexander the Great’s conquests between Afghanistan and Greece. In 1 Maccabees 2:15-29, the God-hating King, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, “sent officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy” of replacing the Jewish Faith, “to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices.”
As in every age, “Many of Israel joined them.” When Mattathias and his sons “gathered in a group apart”, they were complimented: “You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city… come now, obey the King’s command, as all the Gentiles and men of Judah and those who are left in Jerusalem have done. Then, you and your sons will be numbered among the King’s Friends.”
Mattathias responded: “Me, and my sons, and my kin will keep to the covenant of our fathers… God forbid that we should forsake the law and commandments. We will not obey the words of the King, nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.”
Then, “a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer a sacrifice on the altar of Modein… Mattathias saw him… his just fury was aroused; he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar… he killed the messenger of the King and tore down the altar.”! Then, “He fled to the mountains with his sons, leaving behind in the city all their possessions.” The War of the Faithful began. Those who “left their possessions” won!
Mattathias Maccabee was among those predicted by Psalm 50:1-2, 5-6, 14-15 from King David, a thousand years earlier! “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.” Judith, between David and the Maccabees, had also set an example of curing “Confusion Headaches” by obeying God rather than evil Kings when she cut off the head of Holofernes, another leader of those who wanted to destroy the Jewish Faith.
Today, Luke 19:41-44 blesses Catholics to cure our “Confusion Headaches” by seeing what happens to those who disobey God. He Who Fulfilled the Prophecies made this Prophecy about Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-44: “As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If this day you only knew what makes for peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.’” 35 years later, that Prophecy was fulfilled when Vespasian and Titus literally “flattened” Jerusalem in 70 AD.
For 2,000 years, Catholics have been blessed to cure our “Confusion Headaches” with the “peace” of believing Jesus and blessing our souls by obeying The Church-Creating Word Jesus Spoke to each of us at our “visitation”! “And I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”
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Today’s Simple Rhyme: “Some follow God. Others follow kings. / Their souls are lost to earthly things.”
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