Day 289: Wise Influences (2026)

Mike Schmitz (0:04)

Hi, my name is Fr. Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to The Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using The Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 289 We're reading 1 Maccabees, Chapter 8, Sirach, Chapters 22 and 23, Proverbs Chapter 22, Verses 26 through 29 As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is The Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using The Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com/bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe and receiving daily episodes and daily updates, because it is day 289

It's worth saying. I know you guys say this too often. This is incredible. This is incredible that you are still here in day 289 Think back to whenever you began this podcast, that first day, day one, you're like, man, 365 days, here we go. And here you are 289 days later, whether that was actual 289 calendar days or whether, you know, it's more than that when it comes to the calendar days, or maybe you caught up at the first couple, maybe first 100 days, you were doing two a days, you know, kind of a situation. But the fact is here you are more than more than halfway through the entire Bible. I don't even know, three quarters maybe. We're a long way through the Bible, and here you are still. So anyways, as I said, it's day 289 I just want to say I'm proud of y'all, that's all. Day 289, 1 Maccabees chapter eight, Sirach 22 and 23, Proverbs chapter 22, verses 26 through 29

The first book of Maccabees, chapter eight, and Eulogy of the Romans.

Now Judas heard of the fame of the Romans, that they were very strong and were well disposed toward all who made an alliance with them, that they pledged friendship to those who came to them and that they were very strong. Men told him of their wars and of the brave deeds which they were doing among the Gauls, how if they had defeated them and forced them to pay tribute, and what they had done in the land of Spain to get control of the silver and gold mines there, and how they had gained control of the whole region by their planning and patience, even though the place was far distant from them. They also subdued the kings who came against them from the ends of the earth until they crushed them and inflicted great disaster upon them. The rest paid them tribute every year. Philip and Perseus, king of the Macedonians, and the others who rose up against them, they crushed in battle and conquered. They also defeated Antiochus the Great, king of Asia, who went to fight against them with 120 elephants and with cavalry and chariots and a very large army. He was crushed by them. They took him alive and decreed that he and those who should reign after him should pay a heavy tribute and give hostages and surrender some of their best provinces, the country of India and Medea and Lydia. These they took from him and gave to Eumenes, the king. The Greeks planned to come and destroy them, but this became known to them and they sent a general against the Greeks and attacked them. Many of them were wounded and fell, and the Romans took captive their wives and children. They plundered them, conquered the land, tore down their strongholds and enslaved them to this day. The remaining kingdoms and islands, as many as ever opposed them, they destroyed and enslaved. But with their friends and those who rely on them, they have kept friendship. They have subdued kings far and near, and as many as have heard of their fame have feared them. Those whom they wish to help and to make kings, they make kings. And those whom they wish to depose, and they have been greatly exalted. Yet for all this, not one of them has put on a crown or worn purple as a mark of pride, but they have built for themselves a senate chamber, and every day 320 senators constantly deliberate concerning the people to govern them well. They trust one man each year to rule over them and to control all their land. They all heed the one man, and there is no envy or jealousy among them.