2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31
Chapter 7
The Seven Brothers and Their Mother
It happened also that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king had them scourged and flogged to force them to eat the flesh of a pig, which was prohibited by the law.Above all, their mother should be admired and remembered. She watched her seven sons die in a single day. Despite this, she endured it with joy because she had placed her hope in the Lord.
Full of a noble sense of honor, she encouraged each of them in their ancestors’ language. Her woman’s heart was moved by manly courage, so she told them:
“I wonder how you came from me; it was not I who gave you breath and life, nor I who commanded how your body was formed.
The Creator of the world, who formed man in the beginning and ordered the unfolding of all creation, will, in his mercy, give you back breath and life since you now despise them for love of his laws.”
Antiochus thought she was making fun of him and suspected she had insulted him. As the youngest was still alive, the king tried to win him over not only with his words but even promised to make him rich and happy if he would abandon the traditions of his ancestors. He would make him his friend and appoint him to a high position in the kingdom.
But the young man did not pay him any attention, so the king ordered the mother to be brought in. He urged her to advise her son to save his life.
After being asked twice by the king, she agreed to persuade her son.
She bent over him and fooled the cruel tyrant by saying in her ancestral language: “My son, have pity on me. For nine months, I carried you in my womb and nursed you for three years; I raised you up and educated you until this day.
I ask you now, my son, that when you see the heavens, the earth, and everything in it, you understand that God made all of this from nothing, including the human race.
Do not fear these executioners, but instead make yourself worthy of your brothers—accept death so that you may reunite with them in a time of mercy.”
When she finished speaking, the young man said: “What are you waiting for? I do not obey the king’s order but the precepts of the law given by Moses to our ancestors.
And you who have devised such tortures against the Hebrews, shall not escape the hands of God.
Commentaries
The Seven Brothers and Their Mother.
From the martyrdom of one man, we shift to that of an entire family. The story teaches several lessons that, along with those of Eleazar, help develop a theology of martyrdom. Let’s explore some of them: 1. It is better to die than to break the law or God’s plan (2). 2. God has compassion on those who die for his cause (6). 3. Those who die for God’s cause will rise to eternal life in their mortal bodies (9.11.14.23.29). 4. God gives life, but for his sake, one must be willing to lose it (11). 5. Those who try to thwart God’s plan will face their just punishment from God himself (17.19.31) and will not be resurrected to life (14). 6. Despite human sin, God never abandons his people (15). 7. The strength and tenderness of women are God’s breath, inspiring those preparing for martyrdom (21-23). 8. Resurrection is an act of God’s mercy (23). 9. No one can escape God’s judgment (35).