Tear down their Altars! (1 Mac 2:45)
Location: Delphi, Road to Athens
How often do we take time to consider the the world around us or even the world within us? Well, today was quite the opportunity to do so for me. Not much beyond sitting on a bus happened this rainy day in Greece. The few notes to mention is that we saw the Greek Farmer Blockade of the highways (by means of many tractors), we traveled through the famous “Hot Gates” of Greece where Spartans held off the Persian Army, and we visited the Delphi. However, it was too foggy to see the Hot Gates. The Shrine of Delphi was interesting to see as it was once the ‘center of the world,’ the place where Greco City-States would consult Apollo’s Oracle for wisdom concerning great state matters (such as going to war). The museum at Delphi held many examples of Greek and Roman stonework artistry, from depictions of battles to statues of Olympic champions, which told the story of what the Greek world held important and showcased their improvements in artwork.
These short stops had me pondering the question I purposed above. What is happening in the world around us, and is it good? I also wrote the title of the article before sitting down to writing this post, as it has a great connection to a book have been reading about Paul and the theories of what influenced him to become the zealous man he was. Did it grab your attention? I hope so. But it is not antagonistic, as it would seem at first glance. Tear down their altars. It is a central theme in the books of Maccabees. The altars referred to are pagan altars that were erected by a Greek conquerer, Antiochus IV, who desired to convert Jews into Greeks. This King wanted to replace the true God with the gods of his land.
This story sprung out to me because the author of the book about Paul hypothesizes that the zeal of Paul could have its origin in this story. The zeal of those Maccabean rebels was one of the key passages he referred to, mentioning how they would have been quite influential, particularly because of the actions Saul took against the Christians before his conversion. He saw any veering from the faith as deadly poison that needed to be removed with extreme prejudice. He had this extreme zeal, which was redirected in his missionary journeys afterward, granting him boundless drive to seek to make Christ’s name be known far and wide, despite all risks to himself. It was crucial for all to hear the Good News. Following his footsteps, I too consider how desperately we need to hear the Good News in our hearts and in society at large.
That said, what altars have we set up that need to be torn down so that Christ may finally be erected at the center of our hearts? Sometimes they are communal beliefs, like the Pagan gods worshiped at Delphi or the pursuit of endless gain of wealth for the sake of ‘security’ or ‘prosperity.’ Other times they are personal altars, of particular vices that we cherish and hold on to. They might even be extremely minor. Not that you cannot have hobbies and other activities. But if it is something that removes God from being the center of your life, it must be rooted out.
Thank you, readers, for taking the time to read the musings of my heart during this day of travel on the pilgrimage. I hope that you will find time this advent season (even if for just 15 minutes) to prepare for the coming of our Lord. How will you prepare a space for Him in your hearts? May God bless you this advent season and please continue to pray for us as we continue this pilgrimage. Know of my prayers this day!
-Dominic Jirak, Diocese of Wichita, KS
