A reading from the second book of Maccabees.

Elizar, one of the foremost scribes, a man of advanced age and noble appearance, was being forced

to open his mouth to eat pork. But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement, he spat out the meat

and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture, as people ought to do

who have the courage to reject the food which is unlawful to taste even for the love of life.

Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately because of their

long acquaintances with him and urged him to bring meat of his own providing, such as he could

legitimately eat and pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice

prescribed by the king.

In this way he would escape to death penalty and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.

But Elazar made up his mind in a noble manner, worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced

age, the merited distinction of his gray hair, and of the admiral life he had lived

from childhood.

And so he declared that above all, he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.

He told them to send him at once to the abode of the dead, explaining,

at our age, it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense.

Many young people would think the 90-year-old Elizar had gone over to an alien religion.

Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life, they would be led astray by me, while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age,

even if for the time being I would avoid the punishment of men,

I shall never, whether alive or dead, escape the hands of the Almighty.

Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will prove myself worthy of my old age,

and I will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws.

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