Homily: November 18, 2025, Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time (Courage)

 “This is how he died, leaving in his death a model of courage and an unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation.”

Today’s first reading recounts the martyrdom of Eleazar, one of the most inspiring figures in the Old Testament. Listening to his story, especially how he died, gives us goosebumps.  A grand 90-year-old wise man was brutally tortured and killed because he refused to abandon his faith or eat what was forbidden by God’s law.

He believed it was not worthy of his old age to give a poor example to the young. His heroic death thus gave courage to a whole generation.

His story reminds me of another great model of unwavering faith.  St. Polycarp, the 80-year-old bishop of Smyrna. When he was brought before the Roman authorities and told to deny Christ, he said: “Eighty years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” Then, with peace and courage, he accepted martyrdom by fire.

The Book of Maccabees recorded many such powerful stories of extraordinary faith, which took place during those 400 silent years between the prophet Malachi and St. John the Baptist. 

We too live in a time when faith is often tested not by persecution, but by indifference, ridicule, and the temptation to compromise. The world tells us our faith is outdated, unnecessary, or at best, a private and personal practice. But Eleazar’s story reminds us that faith must be lived boldly and publicly.

Like Eleazar, like St. Polycarp, like so many martyrs St. Justin, St. Joan of Arc, St. George, St. Sebastian and more, we too are called to bear witness to Christ courageously. St. Paul said, “For to me, life is Christ, and death is gain.”

Let us pray for that same courage to let our faith shine, to speak truth with love, and to remain firm and strong when our faith is tested. Amen.