Eating cultural pork

By Michael Incorvia

Maccabees from Wikimedia Commons.

Sometimes an event will linger with me throughout the day, into the next.  Yesterday, I had such an event.  It was the Old Testament reading at mass, 2 Maccabees.

The passage was about a prominent scribe, Eleazar, who Syrians agents were trying to force to eat pork.  The Syrians were occupying Israel, and decreed Israel abandon her Jewish culture and adapt the culture of the Greeks.  The agents presented Eleazar with face saving ways.  For example, Eleazar could provide the meat himself, so that it would only appear like he ate pork.  But Elearzar declined.  He realized that such an appearance would present scandal, particularly to the young.  The passage is included below for those who would like to read it in its entirety.

Each of us will be presented with situations to eat the pork of the culture.  Will we like Eleazar decline to partake of the cultural pork?  Will our actions present scandal, or not?


Read the passage at Michael's blog To Love and Truth.