November 18, 2025 Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: 2 Maccabees 6:18-31; Luke 19:1-10
The first reading from the Second Book of Maccabees narrates the martyrdom of a noble ninety-year old Jewish scribe Eleazar at the time of Hellenistic persecution. He was forced to eat swine’s flesh. He preferred death with honour rather than life with pollution. Those who loved him and considered their friendship with him desired to save him. All that he was required to do was a pretense and a drama as if he was eating swine’s flesh. He flatly refused such a pretense as it was not worthy of his time of life. For the sake of living a brief moment longer, he didn’t want to offer wrong example to the younger generation. He was highly resolved to maintain his dignity worthy of his age by living his life according to the holy God-given law. He embraced martyrdom confessing, “It is clear to the Lord in his holy knowledge that, though I might have been saved from death, I am enduring terrible sufferings in my body under this beating, but in my soul I am glad to suffer these things because I fear him (2 Maccabees 6:30). His death is an example of nobility and a memorial of courage to one and all.
In the Gospel Reading of yesterday, Jesus restored the sight of a born-blind beggar in Jericho. Today the evangelist presents the conversion-story of Zacchaeus. His desire to encounter Jesus changed his entire life. He had to climb the tree since he was a man of short stature. His physical stature is symbolic of the necessity to grow beyond his social responsibility ethical standard. Jesus takes note of his good will and desire and therefore he reaches out to him. He invites himself to the house of a proclaimed sinner and socially despised Zacchaeus. His open confession is amazing, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much” (Luke 19:18). Jesus bestows upon him two mighty favours. Jesus recognizes and restores him as a son of Abraham and declares that salvation has come to the house of Zacchaeus.
Call to Action: When a sinner takes one step forward towards God/Jesus, s/he finds God/Jesus taking leaps towards him/her. That is one of the lessons Zacchaeus teaches us!
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
