Thursday of Week 33 in Ordinary Time
1 Mac 2:15-29
Lk 19:41-44
‘…we will not swerve from our own religion either to right or to left.’
In today’s reading, Mattathias is asked to set an example by offering a sacrifice to pagan gods. In return, he is promised wealth and the prestigious title of “Friend of the King.” But Mattathias refuses. When another Jew steps forward to comply, he strikes down both the man and the government official overseeing the sacrifice. Then, with his sons, he flees to the hills, leaving everything behind, and starts a rebellion against the Seleucid Empire.
Mattathias had the courage to stand firm in his faith. He refused to bend under pressure, boldly declaring that, “Even if every nation living in the king’s dominions obeys him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees, I, my sons, and my brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors.”
How can one be so bold in faith? Perhaps it’s easy to think such courage and zeal for God belong only to the saints of long ago. But it doesn’t. On 7 September 2025, the Church canonized two young saints of our time — St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. Carlo, the first millennial saint, was only 15 when he died, yet his unwavering love for God touched countless lives.
Despite being raised by ‘lapsed’ Catholic parents, Carlo’s steadfast faith brought his mother back to the Church and inspired many other conversions, including that of his Hindu nanny, Rajesh Mohur, who converted because of Carlo’s joyful witness, acts of charity, and devout faith.
In a culture obsessed with social status, popularity, and acceptance, Carlo stood apart. He was not afraid to defend Church teaching, even in situations when his classmates disagreed with him. With his friends, he spoke about the importance of going to Mass and confession, human dignity, and chastity — topics that surely would not have been popular amongst teenagers. Yet, Carlo did not shy away from speaking up.
Like Mattathias, Carlo’s zeal came from conviction. But while Mattathias acted in righteous anger, Carlo’s fire was expressed through love, joy, and evangelisation. Both are models of unwavering faith.
I am in awe of such steadfastness. It’s tempting to excuse myself, thinking that today’s secular world makes faithfulness harder — that it’s easier to follow the crowd than stand apart. Yet Carlo, so young and so normal in many ways, showed that holiness is possible in everyday life. In our society where being labeled ‘holy-holy’ often carries a negative tone, Carlo was the ‘churchy kid’ who went to Mass and prayed the rosary daily, yet still had fun playing computer games and was loved by his friends. He reminds me that faithfulness to Christ doesn’t mean withdrawing from the world, but choosing to live differently within it.
When I feel unworthy or think I’m not ‘made of the same stuff’ as the saints and could never be as convicted in my faith, I am reminded that there is help because the Lord has given us role models like St. Carlo Acutis to inspire us and to pray for us.
Brothers and sisters, how is your walk with the Lord today? May we continue to stay centered on Him, resolute in faith and unwilling to swerve to the right or to the left.
St. Carlo Acutis, pray for us.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Esther Leet)
Prayer: Lord Jesus, please help me to stay true to You when the world tempts me to swerve from Your path. Give me the courage to stand firm in faith, even when it costs me comfort, approval, or convenience. Amen.
Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for the gift of faith and the examples of saints who remained steadfast in love for You. Thank You for showing me that holiness is not distant or impossible, but found in daily choices to stay close to You. Amen.
OXYGEN 
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