Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/403

 midst of  his  torments  he  cried  out:  “Lord,  Thou  knowest  I suffer grievous pains,  but  I am  well  content  to  suffer  these  things,  because I fear  Thee."

Firm faith.  Eleazar  was  strong  and  steadfast  in  faith,  preferring to die  under  torture  rather  than  deny  his  faith  by  eating  the  forbidden meat.

The fear  of  God.  The  fortitude  with  which  Eleazar  endured  his torture proceeded  from  the  holy  fear  of  God,  to  whom  he  said  in presence  of  the  bystanders:  “I  am  well  content  to  suffer,  because  I fear Thee”; being  persuaded  within  himself:  “If  I escape  from  this  torture by a miserable  hypocrisy,  I could  not  escape  the  punishment  of  God.” It is  thus  we  ought  to  reason  when  tempted  either  to  do  what  is  wrong, or to  neglect  what  is  right. Our Lord  has  spoken  these  warning  words: Tear not  them  that  kill  the  body,  and  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul: but rather  fear  Him  that  can  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in  hell” (Mat. 10,  28).

Bad example.  Eleazar  wished  to  avoid  even  the  appearance  of sin,  and  therefore  refused  to  adopt  the  suggestion  made  to  him  of secretly  eating  meat  which  was  allowed,  though  he  seemed  to  be  eating swine’s flesh. Every one  would  have  thought  that  he  had  eaten  forbidden meat,  and,  as  he  himself  said,  he  would  thus  have  given  a bad example to  all  the  Jews,  and  especially  to  the  young. This act  would also have  drawn  others  into  transgressing  the  law  and  denying  their faith. « Those who  are  the  occasion  of  sin  in  other  persons  give  scandal, and sin  against  the  Fifth  Commandment.

Counselling sin.  Did  those  who  advised  Eleazar  to  act  as  if  he had  eaten  the  forbidden  meat  commit  sin? Yes, for  though  it  is  true that they  felt  full  of  compassion  for  the  poor,  weak,  aged  man,  they felt no  compassion  for  his  soul; and  it  was,  after  all,  a very  erroneous sort of  compassion  which  made  them  counsel  him  to  commit  a sin.

The shameful  faithlessness  of  many  Christians.  Our  Lord  Jesus Christ had  not  yet  died  for  Eleazar. He had  not  received  the  teaching and graces  of  Christianity,  nor  was  heaven  open  to  him;  and  yet  he gave  a splendid  example  of  fortitude. How much  more  shameful would it  be  for  Christians  to  deny  their  faith,  having  before  them, in very  truth,  the  example  of  our  Lord,  of  the  holy  apostles,  and  of 13,000,000  martyrs  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  receiving,  as  they  do, so many  graces  from  God!

Are you  ready  to  suffer  a painful  death  rather than deny  the  holy  Catholic  faith,  or  commit  any  other  grievous sin? Do you  pray  for  the  gift  of  fortitude?