Pentecost Season · Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time · Year C

2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14

The Seven Brothers' Witness to the Resurrection

November 12, 2028

The Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabees (Das Martyrium der sieben Makkabäer), Antonio Ciseri — **The Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabees (Das Martyrium der sieben Makkabäer)**, Antonio Ciseri, 1863Antonio Ciseri, The Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabees (1863) - Santa Felicita, Florence

Roman Lectionary

GospelLuke 20:27-38 orLuke 20:27, 34-38

First Reading2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14

Responsorial PsalmPs. 17:1, 5-6, 8+15 (15b)

Second Reading2 Thess. 2:16–3:5

Overview & Insights

"The King of the universe will raise us up to live again forever." (2 Maccabees 7:9)

Seven brothers and their mother choose torture and death rather than break the law, each one professing that God will raise them to life again. It is the Old Testament's clearest statement of bodily resurrection and pairs directly with this Sunday's Gospel.

From Sermons.com: Join Today to access the most scholarly & well written preaching resources anywhere.

Take it further

Commentary

2 Maccabees 7 - Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary StudyLight

Haydock is the one full Catholic commentary set on the apocrypha available online.

2 Maccabees 7 BibleHub

Gives the full apocryphal text of the chapter for reference.

2 Machabees 7 (Haydock) Haydock Commentary

A classic Douay-Rheims Catholic commentary, which covers the Maccabees books most Protestant commentaries omit.

Background & Word Study

2 Machabees, Chapter 7 (Douay-Rheims) New Advent · Catholic Encyclopedia

The Catholic Douay-Rheims text with verse-by-verse Challoner notes.

The Books of Machabees - Catholic Encyclopedia New Advent · Catholic Encyclopedia

Explains the book's origin, canonicity, and historical setting.

The Church Fathers

2 Maccabees 7 in the Fathers Catena

A catena of patristic comment on the mother and her seven sons, a favourite text of the Fathers on resurrection.

Prep at sermons.com

Ready to write?

Full sermons on Luke 20:27-38 or Luke 20:27, 34-38
Illustrations cleared for use in worship
Commentary, quotes, and Bible dictionary

Open it at sermons.com →

Trusted by pastors since 1995.

Free every Tuesday

Illustrations & Sermon Prep in your inbox

The coming Sunday’s readings, a cleared-for-use illustration, and a sermon-prep head start. One email, free.