1 Macc 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64 / Luke 18:35-43
In life, there will be misfortunes. That seems to be like the unwritten rule of life.
So in life we will experience the spectrum of sickness and suffering, of anxieties and troubles, of oppression and persecution.
The 1st reading ends off with this line - It was a dreadful wrath that had visited Israel.
Indeed it was a dreadful wrath as those who wanted to stay faithful to the Lord would have to face the possibility of torture and death.
It is most unfortunate that just because one believes in God and wants to remain faithful to Him, he would have to pay for it with his life.
But it is in times like these that faith is tested and proven.
In the gospel, the blind beggar had had his share of misfortunes - he was blind, he had to beg, and when he called out to Jesus, he was scolded and told to shut up.
That would have been enough for anyone to lose faith, but for that blind beggar, it was then that his faith was tested and proven.
He not only received his sight, but his faith has also saved him.
May we see our misfortunes as opportunities for our faith to be tested and proven, and may our faith in God also bring about salvation for us.