Alim the Maccabee

Holy Martyr Alim the Maccabee was one of the seven Maccabean brothers, killed with their mother, Solomonia, and their aged teacher, Eleazar, in the year 166 before Christ, for fidelity to the Law of God. He is commemorated on 14 August.

In Judea there lived then Eleazar, a priest and teacher of the Law, an old man but handsome in appearance, renowned for wisdom and piety. He was brought to the tyrant and forced to eat pork, forbidden by God in the Old Testament. Eleazar chose rather to die a glorious death for the Law of God than to keep his life by breaking it. In the midst of the torments, when he was nearly dead, he said: "The Lord, who has perfect knowledge, knows that, able to escape death, I accept these hard sufferings and bear them willingly out of fear of God."

Eleazar's seven disciples were also seized, the Maccabean brothers Abim, Antoninus, Gurias, Eleazar, Eusebonas, Alim and Marcellus, with their mother, Solomonia. They were brought before the lawless king and forced to eat forbidden food. One of them spoke for all: "We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws." The king ordered his tongue cut out, his skin stripped and his hands and feet cut off in sight of the other brothers and the mother. The young man, deprived of all his limbs but still breathing, was thrown into an enormous heated pan. After the death of the first the second was brought out for mockery and received the same torment; with his last breath he said: "You, tormentor, deprive us of the present life, but the King of the world will raise us, who die for His laws, to eternal life." When they tortured the third and wanted to cut out his tongue, he put it out at once, fearlessly stretched out his hands too and said with courage: "From God I received them, and for His laws I do not spare them, and from Him I hope to receive them again." Even the tormentors were amazed at the young man's courage. Then three more brothers received a martyr's death. To the seventh, the youngest, their mother, Saint Solomonia, said: "I beg you, my child, look at heaven and earth and know that God made all things out of nothing and that so the human race came to be. Do not fear this killer, but be worthy of your brothers and accept death, that by God's mercy I may receive you again with your brothers." After her sons the mother also died, joyfully thanking God that she and her children had given their souls for the Law of the Lord Almighty.