First Reading2 Maccabees 6:18-31
From the Second Book of Maccabees
18Eleazar, one of the principal scribes,a man already well advanced in years,and of a noble countenance,was compelled to open his mouth to eat swine’s flesh.19But he, welcoming death with honor rather than life with defilement,advanced of his own accord to the instrument of torture,but first spat out the flesh,20as men ought to comewho are resolute to repel such things as not even for the natural love of life is it lawful to taste.
21But those who had the charge ofthat forbidden sacrificial feast took the man aside,for the acquaintance which of old times they had with him,and privately implored him to bring flesh of his own providing,such as was proper for him to use,and to make as if he did eat of the flesh from the sacrifice,as had been commanded by the king;22that by so doing he might be delivered from death,and so his ancient friendship with them might be treated kindly.23But he, having formed a high resolve,and one that became his years,the dignity of old age,and the gray hairs which he had reached with honor,and his excellent education from a child,or rather the holy laws of God’s ordaining,declared his mind accordingly,bidding them to quickly send him to Hades.
24“For it doesn’t become our years to dissemble,”he said, “that many of the young should suppose that Eleazar,the man of ninety years,had gone over to an alien religion;25and so they, by reason of my deception,and for the sake of this brief and momentary life,would be led astray because of me,and I defile and disgrace myself in my old age.26For even if for the present time I would remove from me the punishment of men,yet whether I live or die,I wouldn’t escape the hands of the Almighty.27Therefore, by bravely parting with my life now,I will show myself worthy of my old age,28and leave behind a noble example to the young to die willinglyand nobly a glorious death for the revered and holy laws.”
When he had said these words,he went immediately to the instrument of torture.29When they changed the good will they bore toward him a little before into ill willbecause these words of his were,as they thought, sheer madness,30and when he was at the point to die with the blows,he groaned aloud and said,“To the Lord, who has the holy knowledge,it is manifest that,while I might have been delivered from death,I endure severe pains in my body by being scourged;but in soul I gladly suffer these thingsbecause of my fear of him.”
31So this man also died like this,leaving his death for an example of noblenessand a memorial of virtue,not only to the youngbut also to the great body of his nation.