Catholicism’s deep Jewish roots allow us to look at Judaism as a faith to which we are inextricably linked. Even in modern Judaism, which seems so unique from the expression of Catholicism, there are elements that still tie us together. We are able to look at the Jewish feasts that were celebrated by Christ during his life and are still celebrated today, and see how they connect to the children of God in the context of His Son. In this passage from the first book of Maccabees, we hear about the origins of the festival of Hanukkah, in which the Temple is declared for the people of Israel and dedicated through celebrations and adornment. Hanukkah is perhaps the most familiar Jewish feast in our culture, despite it being a minor feast to the Jewish faith, because of its close proximity to our celebration of Christmas. Theologically, though, the connection between the Catholic liturgical year and the feast of Hanukkah go much deeper.

Hanukkah, the feast of the dedication of the Temple, lasts 8 days. Occasionally based on the calendar, Hanukkah and the season of Advent, the new liturgical year in Catholicism, could potentially begin on the same day, just as they always coincide at the same time of year. Advent is a time in which we as Christians spend 4 weeks before Christmas in anticipation of the coming of Christ. It seems serendipitous whenever the beginning of Hanukkah and the beginning of Advent coincide: Hanukkah marks the dedication and preparation of the House of the Lord, while Advent marks the time in which we wait for the coming of the Lord. Just as a husband and wife will prepare a nursery for the coming of a child, and just as the owner of a house will prepare the house for a special guest, we look at the Jewish feast of the dedication of the Temple in the same way. Advent is a time of excitement, because we know exactly who is coming to us, and we prepare his house in anticipation for him. 

Jews and Christians alike understand the Temple as not merely a house of worship, but as the house of God on earth. For Catholics, though, the Temple’s purpose is carried on now by church buildings, as they now house the presence of God in the Eucharist. Because of this, our churches must be treated with reverence as God’s House; we are not meant to treat it as our own dwelling place or as a simple gathering space. Just as Christ treated the Temple as a place specifically for prayer and worship, we must treat our churches in the same way. With this in mind, we should adorn this house of prayer for the coming of its inhabitant.

The entirety of Scripture is set against the backdrop of tension between the children of God (Jews and early Christians) and pagan forces. From the Egyptians to the Babylonians to the Greeks and to the Romans, Israel was constantly under the threat of powers that aimed to attack the crucial methods of worship, which usually meant participation in the Temple. In the Book of Daniel, the writer recounts the story of King Antiochus replacing the sacrifice of the Temple with Pagan sacrifices. This is referred to in Scripture as the “Abomination of Desolation”. Daniel is apocalyptic literature and focuses on the return of Temple worship and the crushing of this pagan abomination. Jesus, whose preferred title for himself (Son of Man) comes directly from Daniel, also speaks about this abomination of desolation. However, the Abomination of Antiochus was hundreds of years before the time of Christ; Jesus instead speaks of a future apocalyptic abomination of desolation, one that will indicate the advent of the Son of Man. 

With the context of history after the time of Christ, we now know that the Temple was ultimately destroyed by the Romans, fulfilling Jesus’ prophetic message. However, we must still be on guard for the abominations of desolation in our day. Churches and holy sites are being destroyed, defaced or even reappropriated for non-religious things. Even with good intentions, there are many who change fundamental aspects of a place of worship without understanding their theological necessity or their purpose in worshipping God. In addition to all of this, churches are beautiful places with priceless pieces of art and precious items. It is also possible, if one is not careful, to give in to the power and wealth that can come from being patrons or protectors of these sites. In all of these examples, individuals narrow their focus to the things of this world while ignoring God. By gaining the entire world, they lose their soul. When Antiochus realized his life was over, there was no reflection on how satisfied or proud he was of his accomplishments. Instead, he realized for the first time that all the power and wealth he gained for himself and the abomination he caused to the Temple defined his life and ultimately led to his undoing.

Antiochus, and the abominations of the things that actually matter in this world, serve a valuable lesson to us that we must heed. Sooner or later, we will realize how meaningless worldly possessions are. We are only tied to the things of this world when we are part of this world. Instead, we should focus on uniting ourselves to each other, rather than things, as we traverse our time here on earth so that we may empower each other and bring more lives to honor God.