Homily for Tuesday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/112007.shtml

I don't know about you, but when I read the daily obituaries, I always pay special attention to the people who died who are younger than me. On March 17th, I will turn 33 years old. 33 is the best historical estimate of how old Jesus was when He was crucified. This is a birthday I have been looking forward to for this very reason. For me, it is a benchmark of when someone should be ready to die out of witness for his faith. I know that there are many young men and women who have died at a much younger age serving our country. Some of the great martyrs and saints died much younger than 33, and were not afraid to die because of their great faith. So I regard 33 as absolutely the latest date for one to be ready to do whatever Christ would ask him to do in order to strengthen his kingdom, even if this involved great sacrifice and persecution. Eleazar is the hero of today's reading from Maccabees. He says rightly how foolish it would be for one who is 90 years old like him to worry about preserving his life, rather than giving his life freely so that those after him would have a great example of faith. And so Eleazar is martyred, and the free gift of his life begs the question as to whether you and I are willing to die for our faith as well.