St. Anthony's Catholic Church

·       Session 7 covered the Return of the Israelites (just the southern Kingdom of Judah returned) to Jerusalem. The color is yellow to depict brighter days and is found in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.  This session also covered The Maccabean Revolt, whose color is orange for the fire in the oil lamps in the purified temple and is covered in I Maccabees.

·       The prophet Jeremiah had predicted that they would be exiled for 70 years and the prophet Isaiah predicted Cyrus, the King of Persia, would allow them to come back.

·       Just as there were three deportations, there are now three returns:

o  538 BC Zerubbabel leads the first return and the priority is to rebuild the temple

o  525-457 BC Ezra the scribe returns with this group to teach the people the law

o  444 BC Nehemiah is allowed to return and rebuild the walls around Jerusalem

·       There are major obstacles these returned exiles must face: problems from without in the form of the Samaritans who had been living in their land; and problems from within where the people were spending more time on rebuilding their own homes and interests rather than the temple, the walls, and their spiritual identity.  These concerns are found in Haggai, Zechariah,and Malachi. (Jesus faces some of these same obstacles as he builds His temple out of living stones.  We, as the living stones, struggle with our sinfulness and are not always cooperative with our builder)

·       The Maccabean Revolt took place within the time of history shortly after Alexander the Great

·       Alexander was a great military leader who conquered and Hellenized the known world (Western Civilization). With a common language and culture, the people were united.

·       The problem for the Israelites occurred after Alexander died, leaving his generals in control.  The Ptolemies weren’t so bad; however the Seleucids, under the leadership of Antiochus Epiphanes (which means god made manifest) desecrated the Temple and forced the people to give up their Jewish faith.  As an example, the price for circumcising one’s child was death.

·       In one particular situation, soldiers arrived in Modein and found the upstanding family of Mattathias Maccabeus.  They tried persuading Mattahias and his sons to break the law of the Covenant as an example to the people.  He refused, and when another Jew came forward to offer the unholy sacrifice, Mattathias killed him for his unfaithfulness to God.  

·       Many people followed and revolted against the tyranny, thus began the Maccabean Revolt.  Others fell into sin and allowed theirr eligious Traditions to be taken away from them.  Today, in our own culture, there are situations where the secular world is calling us away from our Catholic faith.  As Americans we are free to stay, BUT in some situations we are expected to change our internal faith. Are wegoing to change and allow our Traditions to be taken from us? An example Jeff Cavins used is our current debate on what defines a marriage. Our culture would like us to ignore what we believe.

·       In the year 164BC, the temple was purified.  Only one vial of oil was found to light the lamps, and miraculously it lasted eight days.  This event is remembered by the Jewish people in the celebration of Hanukah

·       Rome then becomes the world power.  Greeks had brought a unified language, and Romans will build roads connecting the empire. The fullness of time for the long awaited Messiah is just about here…