1 Maccabees 3

Upon the death of Mattathias, Judas Maccabeus, his son, succeeded him, whom all his brothers and all who had joined his father assisted. What, then, does this event suggest to us, except that our Redeemer, after completing his passion and resurrection, ascended into heaven, and, having sent the Holy Spirit from heaven, first appointed successors to himself in the preaching of the Gospel, namely the apostles, who are rightly considered by the name of Judas, that is, confessors, because of whom Luke says in the Gospel: They were always in the temple, praising and blessing the Lord (Luke 24:53). Therefore, all his brothers and all who had joined his father assisted him: because men of lower rank, and all believers who came to faith through the doctrine of Christ, work together with the apostolic choir in the testimony of the Gospel according to their ability.

For that apostolic assembly, filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, everywhere sincerely preached the word of God, rejoicing in tribulations and in hardships and in necessities, increasing and multiplying everywhere the number of believers in the Lord.

For with the strength of faith he protected himself on all sides.

In accordance with that saying of the Apostle Paul, who taught, saying: Therefore stand, having bound your thighs with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shoed your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; in all things taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:14-17). And therefore, he fought against the enemies and protected the camps of the Church. And he became like a lion in his deeds, and like a lion's cub roaring in the hunt. Indeed, he was very similar to that lion of whom it is written: The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered (Rev. 5:5); and of whom the patriarch Jacob, by way of figure, in the mystical blessing of his sons, among other things, says: Judah is a lion's cub; you have gone up, my son, to the prey: resting you have lain down as a lion, and as a lioness: who shall rouse him? (Gen. 49:9) That hunt, moreover, was spiritual, when spiritual hunters, with the nets of the Gospel, seized men for the faith. Therefore, then, Judas mystically pursued the wicked and those who disturbed his people, setting them aflame, because whether persecuting wicked men or evil spirits with such zeal and such action, they brought about even the slightest disturbance, kindling the flames of envy.

Namely, those who tried to resist the Gospel of Christ.

When he strengthened the people of believers with word and examples.

According to the words of the wise: The wisdom of the saints will be recounted by all peoples, and their praise will be proclaimed by the whole Church of the saints (Sirach 44, 39).

For by examining the faith of the Churches, he struck with anathema the heretics who held views contrary to the true faith.

For their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. (Ps. 18:5)

What is expressed by Apollonius except the cruelty of the Jews, who had gathered great strength from Samaria against Israel, because through the observance of the letter of the law they strove to fight against the faith of Christ, as if it were contrary to the commandments of God.

Because Christ, in his apostles, overcoming the error of the Jews by the testimony of the law itself and the prophets, destroyed it, showing that the shadows of the law and the prophets prefigured the truth of the Gospel.

Because, through envy, many of the Jews were struck down. The rest, however, fled. That is, they sought salvation for themselves from ecclesiastical doctrine. Judas received their spoils, as all the ceremonies of the law, which they had carnally observed, the disciples of Christ converted to spiritual use.

We understand the sword of Apollonius to be nothing other than the word of the law and the prophets, which the holy preachers, taking up, fight with all their days, when, taking away from the carnal people the history of the divine law, interpreted with spiritual meaning by apostolic tradition, they overcome the errors of all nations, and throughout all the days of this age the virtue of joy of the holy Church brings forth a most glorious victory.

By Seron, the leader of the army of Syria, is signified the rulers of this world, who are rightly designated by the name Syria: for Syria is interpreted as exalted or moistening, because this world is cultivated by pride and boasts in luxury. Therefore, Seron plans to defeat Judas and those who are with him, as worldly arrogance plots against holy teachers and the faithful people, and gathers the camps of the wicked for this purpose, so that by the comfort of many who do harm he may oppress the innocent, trusting more in the power of the kingdom than in the virtue of God. But contrary to his expectation, it happens to him that the stone cut out of the mountain without hands (Dan. 2:45) will crush the statue of pride, will break gold and silver, bronze and iron, and the kingdom will be given to the people of the saints. The lion from the tribe of Judah has conquered, the root of David (Rev. 5:5), to whom all power in heaven and on earth has been given (Matt. 28:18).

It is rightly said that the army of Syria was approaching, because it carries out all its actions with uproar. But Bethoron is interpreted as the house of wrath. Judas, however, met them with a few, because the company of the saints responds to their enemies not with wrath, but with patience and humility, as they are commanded by the Lord saying: Be reconciled quickly with your adversary while you are on the way with him; but I say to you, do not resist evil; but if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, offer him the other also; and to him who wishes to resist with you in court and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well (Matt. 5:39).

The words of those who are afraid express the weakness of certain subordinates, who, considering their own frailty more, fear disaster rather than have confidence in the Lord through the strength of faith; but the wisdom of the teachers, restraining that fear with sincere encouragements, gives them sure hope of the future help of God, who is the protector of all who faithfully trust in Him.

If we wish to describe fortitude rightly, we must note that it is from heaven. Whence in the book of Machabees: "The victory of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength is from heaven." Therefore fortitude is a gift of God.

Because often the humility of the holy fathers lessens the fury of those who persecute, and the meekness of the humble overthrows the boldness of the proud. Therefore it is that Paul teaches, saying: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire upon his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:20-21).

The total of those who fall is fittingly concluded by the number eight, because those who voluntarily yield to the truth, and by spiritual circumcision cut off from themselves all spiritual pleasures, strive to gather within themselves the virtues of the eight beatitudes.

For some of the persecutors, although they are in no way able to resist the truth, nevertheless prefer to take refuge in the hiding places of their errors rather than to yield and obey the beneficial counsel of spiritual teachers. And it is well said that they fled into the land of the Philistines. For Philistines is interpreted as double ruin; he who first falls by sin and then, despairing of himself, continues in evil, has a double ruin.

The fear of Judah and his brothers fell upon all the nations, when the power of Christ shone forth in his members through virtues and miracles.

That the preaching of his gospel became known to the rulers of this world; and all nations spoke of the battles of Judah, as the nations of the whole world proclaim the victory of our Redeemer over death and the author of death.

The passions of this historical Antiochus, by which he was immediately inflamed, namely, anger, desire, and pride, well express the character of the spiritual Antiochus, by which he most powerfully afflicts the whole world now through his members, but at the end of the world through himself; when there will be such tribulation as has not been before nor will be after (Matt. 24:21). He becomes angry when he hears of the glory of the saints, and their virtue and determination, and he gathers an army, giving it pay for a year, when by the advantages of the present life and ambitious honors he provokes various people to persecute the faithful: he chooses his nobles for their wicked lives, worldly pride, and greed, so that they may manage the affairs of the kingdom, when he appoints his ministers and followers to suggest the allurements of present things, and by provoking to earthly pleasures, draws those who consent to himself. By the name of sons, those are counted who are imitators of Christ. For he nourishes these through his nobles, when by corrupting them with various vices through the most wicked people, he makes them fuel for eternal fire. He especially commands his magistrates to root out the virtues of Israel and the remnants of Jerusalem, and to appoint foreigners in their place, because there is no device, no effort more characteristic of the Devil than to overthrow the Church of Christ, to weaken the strength of faith in the elect, and to introduce vices in place of virtues.

What is signified by Lysias, if not worldly pride, which through three men, that is, three orders of persecutors, brings war upon the Church of Christ, namely through pagans, heretics, and false Christians? To these are added forty thousand men and seven thousand horsemen, to destroy Judas according to the king's command. What is signified by the number forty, if not the entirety of time which the Church endures persecution in the world? For there are four principal parts of the world, that is, East, West, North, and South, in which the Church, having been spread, stands. To gather it, the Son of God descended into the world; where before his passion he fasted for forty days and forty nights, showing our temptation in his flesh, which he stooped to take from our mortality, wishing to share it. Therefore, from the hour of his death until the dawn of his resurrection, there are forty hours, if the ninth hour itself is counted. After the resurrection, he wished to be with his disciples on this earth for no more than forty days: therefore, their lives still mingled with human conversation, and with them he received the food of mortals, although now no longer to die; so that through those forty days he might signify that he would fulfill what he permitted by his hidden presence, when he said: "Behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world" (Matt. 28:20). By the number seven, however, by which the thousands of horsemen are described, nothing else is shown but the fullness of persecutions; because just as by the number seven the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit is shown, so also when, on the contrary, it is read in the Gospel that the evil spirit brought with him seven spirits more wicked than himself into a man (Matt. 12:45), and elsewhere it is read that the Lord cast out seven demons from the sinful woman (Luke 8:2), therefore all persecutors, rightly instigated by the Devil, are united for this purpose, that the Church of Christ may be destroyed, and the confessors of almighty God compelled to blaspheme; and this they accomplish not sluggishly, but with all their strength.

What is signified by Emmaus except lovers of this world, who through desire for the age neglect to have friendship with God? Therefore it is written: Whoever wishes to be a friend of this world is constituted an enemy of God (James 4:4); and John says: Whoever loves the world, the love of God is not in him (1 Jn. 2:15). And rightly are such people called by this name. For Emmaus is interpreted as "rejected people," and indeed those who prefer love of the present age to the love of God are worthy of rejection. Therefore Truth itself says in the Gospel: Whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me (Matt. 10:37). Nor is it inappropriate that Emmaus is said to be in a plain, because broad and spacious is the way that leads to death, and many enter through it (Matt. 7:13).

These merchants, who seek the service of the Hebrews, I believe signify none better than the evil spirits, who desire the destruction of the faithful, and strive to take away from us heavenly glory through earthly desire, and to turn the liberty we have in the grace of Christ into the worship and servitude of the Devil. Therefore, it is read in the Gospel that the Devil himself, taking our head, that is, the mediator between God and men, up to a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and, tempting him, said: All these things will I give you if you will fall down and worship me (Matt. 4:9). And it is rightly said that the armies of Syria and the land of foreigners were added to them, because all the lustful and those unfamiliar to the true worship of God are joined to our enemies, and by plotting our destruction, they become collaborators of unclean spirits.

As the persecutors raged and prepared battle against the faithful, they themselves, following the example of Judah and his brothers, were stirred up all the more to increase in faith and advance in virtues, according to the words of the Psalmist: While the wicked man is proud, the poor man is set on fire (Ps. 9:23). Therefore, such should be the intention of the servants of God: to fight for their people and His saints, because for the preservation of the faith of the Christian religion and for the salvation of their brothers, they ought to fight earnestly against spiritual wickedness and against evil men, and to implore help with constant prayer, because He is the one of whom it is written: A helper in times of need, in tribulation; to you alone the poor man has been left, and you will be the helper of the orphan (Ps. 10:14), because with fatherly compassion He considers the labor and sorrow of His own, He will break the arm of the sinner and the wicked (Ibid), He judges for the orphan and the humble, so that man may no longer exalt himself upon the earth (Ibid.).

Those who had gathered to fight against the enemies came to Mizpah against Jerusalem. And what does Mizpah, which is interpreted as judgment, signify if not the Old Testament; Mizpah was a place of prayer, which always looks forward to the New Testament, and the Testament provides for the Gospel of Christ. For it is necessary that the spiritual soldiers of God turn the intention of their hearts there, so that they may be instructed by divine reading on how they ought to fight against spiritual enemies. For Mizpah was a place of prayer. Not, however, in Israel; because divine oracles were first made known to us through the books of the law and the prophets, then through the Gospel. They fasted that day. Because they devoted themselves to purity. They clothed themselves in sackcloth and put ashes on their heads. Because they worthily serve God by doing penance for their sins, which they have contracted through human weakness. And they tore their garments. When they discipline the body and degrade carnal desires within themselves.

Showing that they demonstrate the memory of divine precepts by good deeds, those who are found worthy to serve as soldiers. For the law of the Lord is blameless, converting the souls (Ps. 19:7) of the elect, it criticizes the evil deeds of the faithless, and despises the worship of idols, and opposes every work of wickedness. They put on priestly ornaments, those who worthily perform the duties of the ecclesiastical priesthood; they give first fruits and tithes, those who attribute the beginning and perfection of good works to God; they raise up Nazirites who have fulfilled their days, those who strive to offer a pleasing life to God at all times through the purity of chastity; and he cried out with a loud voice to heaven, who by sincere prayers and good deeds provoke the Divinity to mercy. For just as the cry of the wicked, which they utter through blasphemy and evil deeds, provokes God to anger; so the confession and faith of the saints, which works through love, at all times appeases the divine majesty.

He calls tribunes those who were in charge of a thousand soldiers (whom the Greeks call χιλιάρχους); centurions, those who were in charge of a hundred; decurions, those who were in charge of ten. For holy preachers arrange their subjects so that nothing disordered may be found among them, but that they may fulfill the service of Christ in a rational manner. Therefore Paul says to his hearers: Let all things among you be done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40); and again: No one, he says, will be crowned unless he has competed lawfully (2 Tim. 2:5).

Therefore it is written in Deuteronomy: A fearful man and one of a timid heart shall not go out to war; let him go and return to his house, lest he make the hearts of his brothers fear, as he himself is terrified by fear. (Deut. 20:8) By these words, he teaches that no one can take up the profession of contemplation or the army of spiritual warfare, who still fears to be stripped of earthly works, lest, through weakness of mind, he return again to his former filth, and by his example turn others away from evangelical perfection and weaken the strength of the faithful: therefore, such men are ordered, departing from the battle, to return to their house, because they cannot fight the battles of the Lord with a double heart. For a man who is double-minded is unstable in all his ways. Such as these ought not even to begin the renewal; for whom it is better to remain in active life than, lukewarmly pursuing contemplation, to involve themselves in greater danger; it is better not to vow than to vow and not fulfill. Similarly, he is suspended from such warfare who has taken a wife, who has planted a vineyard, etc. For the servant of a wife cannot serve in the divine army, nor can he attain to the pursuit of contemplation who is still fixed in the delight of the flesh. No one, says the Apostle, serving as a soldier for God, entangles himself in worldly affairs, so that he may please him to whom he has given proof (2 Tim. 2:4).

It is rightly said that the army of Judah set up camp to the south of Emmaus, because the soldiers of Christ, when they prepare to do battle against their enemies, choose to inspire themselves more with the warmth of faith than to grow numb with the cold of unbelief.

Such should be the teaching of holy preachers and such their incitement, that they stir up the minds of their listeners, and strengthen their hearts to resist the Devil and his army, entrusting the hope of victory to God alone.