November 25, 2003, Saturday of the 33rd week in ordinary time.

A reading from the first book of Maccabees.

As King Antiochus was traversing the inland provinces,

he heard that in Persia there was a city called Elimeus,

famous for its wealth in silver and gold, and that its temple

was very rich, containing gold helmets, breastplates, and weapons, left there by Alexander's

son of Philip, king of Macedon, the first king of the Greeks.

He went therefore and tried to capture and pillage the city, but he could not do so because

his plan became known to the people of the city who rose up in battle against him.

So he retreated, and in great dismay, withdrew from there to return to Babylon.

While he was in Persia, a messenger brought him news that the armies sent into the land of

Judah had been put to flight, and that Lyceus had gone at first with a strong army and been

driven back by the children of Israel.

That they had grown strong by reason of the arms, men, and abundant possessions taken from the armies they had destroyed,

that they had pulled down the abomination which he had built upon the altar in Jerusalem,

and that they had surrounded with high walls both the sanctuary as it had been before

and his city of Beth Zure.

When the king heard this news, he was struck with fear and very much shaken,

sick with grief because his designs had failed, he took to his bed.

There he remained many days, overwhelmed with sorrow, for he knew he was going to die.

So he called in all his friends and said to them,

Sleep has departed from my eyes, for my heart is sinking with anxiety.

...