To know
An uplifting biblical story is that of the noble old man Eleazar, who in his later years suffered persecution from King Antiochus Epiphanes. This king forced to eat meat sacrificed to idols, which was prohibited by the Jewish religion. Eleazar was an old Jewish man highly esteemed by all.
When it was his turn to eat, the king’s officials, who esteemed him, advised him to pretend to eat without doing so and thus save his life. But Eleazar opposed strongly and bravely. He decided to die rather than betray his faith, setting an example of fidelity and consistency.
Pope Francis commented that Eleazar’s courageous response, defending the honor of faith, is very timely. Some look down on faith as something ancient or superstitious.
Eleazar leaves us a great inheritance: to be consistent with one’s own faith, always act according to what we believe, regardless of the pressure.
To think
It would seem that it was a small thing to propose to Eleazar to pretend. However, Eleazar is adamant: that would dishonor the faith and would convey to the new generation the message that the faith was a fiction. The elderly, says the pope, must think about the example they leave for the young. Old age is a decisive moment to bear witness to the faith and show its importance.
To live
In our society there are tendencies that do not accept the faith, it is ridiculed. A certain ambiguous “spirituality” is accepted, but it is rejected to live according to the faith. For example, Christians who marry with pagan rites, but reject the Sacrament. It is claimed to have overcome faith considering it as something ancient, for “old people”. Perhaps it is up to us elders, says the pope, a very important mission: to restore honor to faith by being consistent to the end. Christian faith is not just saying the Creed, it is living that Creed. Demonstrate, with humility and firmness, that belief is not something “for old men”, but that it is a blessing, a gift that deserves to be respected and honored. And so, open a beautiful path of life to young people.
#Faith