오늘의 복음

May 16, 2007 Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Margaret K 2007. 5. 16. 02:20

  2007년 5월 16일 부활 제6주간 수요일

 

 제1독서

 사도행전 17,15.22─18,1
그 무렵 15 바오로를 안내하던 이들은 그를 아테네까지 인도하고 나서, 자기에게 되도록 빨리 오라고 실라스와 티모테오에게 전하라는 그의 지시를 받고 돌아왔다.
22 바오로는 아레오파고스 가운데에 서서 말하였다.
“아테네 시민 여러분, 내가 보기에 여러분은 모든 면에서 대단한 종교심을 가지고 있습니다. 23 내가 돌아다니며 여러분의 예배소들을 살펴보다가, ‘알지 못하는 신에게’라고 새겨진 제단도 보았습니다. 여러분이 알지도 못하고 숭배하는 그 대상을 내가 여러분에게 선포하려고 합니다.
24 세상과 그 안에 있는 모든 것을 만드신 하느님은 하늘과 땅의 주님으로서, 사람의 손으로 지은 신전에는 살지 않으십니다. 25 또 무엇이 부족하기라도 한 것처럼 사람들의 손으로 섬김을 받지도 않으십니다. 하느님은 오히려 모든 이에게 생명과 숨과 모든 것을 주시는 분이십니다. 26 그분께서는 또 한 사람에게서 온 인류를 만드시어 온 땅 위에 살게 하시고, 일정한 절기와 거주지의 경계를 정하셨습니다. 27 이는 사람들이 하느님을 찾게 하려는 것입니다. 더듬거리다가 그분을 찾아낼 수도 있습니다. 사실 그분께서는 우리 각자에게서 멀리 떨어져 계시지 않습니다.
28 여러분의 시인 가운데 몇 사람이 ‘우리도 그분의 자녀다.’ 하고 말하였듯이, 우리는 그분 안에서 살고 움직이며 존재합니다. 29 이처럼 우리는 하느님의 자녀이므로, 인간의 예술과 상상으로 빚어 만든 금상이나 은상이나 석상을 신과 같다고 여겨서는 안 됩니다. 30 하느님께서 무지의 시대에는 그냥 보아 넘겨 주셨지만, 이제는 어디에 있든 모두 회개해야 한다고 사람들에게 명령하십니다. 31 그분께서 당신이 정하신 한 사람을 통하여 세상을 의롭게 심판하실 날을 지정하셨기 때문입니다. 그리고 그분을 죽은 이들 가운데에서 다시 살리시어 그것을 모든 사람에게 증명해 주셨습니다.”
32 죽은 이들의 부활에 관하여 듣고서, 어떤 이들은 비웃고 어떤 이들은 “그 점에 관해서는 다음에 다시 듣겠소.” 하고 말하였다.
33 이렇게 하여 바오로는 그들이 모인 곳에서 나왔다. 34 그때에 몇몇 사람이 바오로 편에 가담하여 믿게 되었다. 그들 가운데에는 아레오파고스 의회 의원인 디오니시오가 있고, 다마리스라는 여자와 그 밖에 다른 사람들도 있었다. 18,1 그 뒤에 바오로는 아테네를 떠나 코린토로 갔다.

  

 복음

 + 요한 16,12-15
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
12 “내가 너희에게 할 말이 아직도 많지만 너희가 지금은 그것을 감당하지 못한다. 13 그러나 그분 곧 진리의 영께서 오시면 너희를 모든 진리 안으로 이끌어 주실 것이다. 그분께서는 스스로 이야기하지 않으시고 들으시는 것만 이야기하시며, 또 앞으로 올 일들을 너희에게 알려 주실 것이다. 14 그분께서 나를 영광스럽게 하실 것이다. 나에게서 받아 너희에게 알려 주실 것이기 때문이다.
15 아버지께서 가지고 계신 것은 모두 나의 것이다. 그렇기 때문에 성령께서 나에게서 받아 너희에게 알려 주실 것이라고 내가 말하였다.”

 

 

 

 May 16, 2007

 Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

 Reading 1
Acts 17:15, 22—18:1

After Paul’s escorts had taken him to Athens,
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.

Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
“You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,
I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’
as even some of your poets have said,
‘For we too are his offspring.’
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world
with justice’ through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead.”

When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
“We should like to hear you on this some other time.”
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”

 

 

 Commentary

 

 Paul preaches in Athens and uses their culture/beliefs in the Unknown God to speak about the God who creates all life and gives breath to all. He also speaks about the one who is the judge of the world who has been raised from the dead. only a few become believers, the others want to talk about these things further, and Paul goes from there to Corinth. Why do only a few believe? Perhaps where we begin to preach is important-not from creation nor philosophical realities, but the Word of the Lord that truly converts.

Jesus has more to tell us, but we cannot bear it. The gift of the Spirit of Truth will guide us always and help us to believe and teach others to believe. We must make sure that we are not teaching our own words, but teaching only what the Spirit announces and what Jesus has preached when he was sent to us from the Father.

 

 

 Today’s scripture readings are an interesting mix. In Acts, Paul addresses the people of Athens, who have a shrine to an unknown God. Paul is a smooth talker and the audience is with him until he mentions the word resurrection. Then they scoff. I think Paul would have preferred beatings, stones or prison. The Psalmist calls on everything in heaven and earth to praise the Lord. And in the Book of John, Christ tells the disciples that the Spirit of truth will be coming to guide them.

I always find the disciples encouraging. Whenever I think that I’m disappointing God. Whenever I think that God must be frustrated with me. Whenever I think that I’m slow and not understanding what God wants me to do. I just look at the disciples. I mean, they were really slow. They walked, ate and slept with Jesus and they still didn’t get it. And yet, Jesus loved them. He was patient with them. Despite all their failings, Christ chose them to take the Good News into the world. And, as usual, Christ’s choice was right.

How did the disciples do it? How can we do it? How can we know if we are doing God’s will? Where do we get our affirmation? Why is it important? Where do we get our guidance?

God’s guidance comes in many forms. Scripture, prayer, the Holy Spirit, people, tradition, life experience, events, wisdom. Some people can tell you the year, day and hour that they were born again. Paul was knocked to the ground and blinded. For most of us, God’s guidance is more subtle. Sometimes I’m envious of those who receive a push instead of a nudge. However, to be honest, if the Holy Spirit placed a size 12 sandal in the small of my back and said, “Dan O’Reilly, this is the direction you are going and then pushed”, I’m betting I’d veer off in another direction. When I’m asking God a question, His silence can be frustrating. Sometimes I wonder if the silence is God saying, “I did not create a mindless robot, I gave you a brain and a heart; what do you think?”

My wife teases me that I cannot say a prayer without uttering the words guidance and direction. I am always asking for guidance and direction. one would think I am chronically lost. And, in a way, I guess I am. At least I am always searching.

One area where I’ve been looking for guidance is teaching. I’ve been teaching Sunday School for decades. Literally. I’m getting a little burned out and it seems the kids know more about the Bible than I do. I’ve been questioning how effective I am and whether someone else should be doing this. I’ve been asking for some direction.

A few weeks ago, I welcomed a new student into my class. The first question out of this young man’s mouth was, “What makes Jesus so special?” Great, a smart aleck. However, as the discussion progressed, I realized the question had been asked in earnest. I talked to the dad after class and discovered that this young man had led a tough life and his parents were now at the end of a bitter divorce and custody fight. As sad as I was for this young man’s circumstances, I realized that God had placed a gift in my hands. What an opportunity. To introduce a child to Christ. I often think that God put children in my life more to help me grow than for me to help them grow. What a great teacher our God is, and what a joy when he uses children to guide His people.

My prayer today is for all of us seeking to do the will of God. For everyone who is searching for guidance and direction, that God would hear us and bless our efforts.

 

 by
Daniel Patrick O'Reilly

Registrar's Office

 

 

 The Holy Spirit gives hindsight on Jesus.  And hindsight is what you don’t have at the time.  Someone said hindsight is always twenty-twenty, but that is only when it is a matter of facts.  In deeper matters, hindsight is a slow process of realisation.  This is the Spirit working in us, the patient inner teacher, opening our minds slowly to the light that has long since come into the world.  The Spirit guides us (hodegeo) along the way; it is Jesus who is the way (hodos) itself  -  indeed the truth itself (Jn 14:6). 

            ‘The Spirit will guide you into all truth,’ that is, all the truth about God.  The Son has revealed the Father, and now the Spirit will reveal the Father by revealing the Son.  We are being attracted by the Spirit into the inner life of God. 

            ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.’  The disciples to whom these words were addressed had the best of excuses for not having hindsight: the event had not taken place yet.  The event was the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.  They could not possibly have understood him at that time, except as a remarkable man. 

            When disciples of any age consider Jesus without the guidance of the Spirit, that is what they find: a remarkable man.  There were so many boring things written in the 19th century about the ‘moral excellence’ of Jesus…. This would only get him a place among the Pharisees.  It is the Spirit alone that can draw us into the mind of Jesus. 

 

 

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth" 

 What would you give to know all  truth! Truth, however, is not something we create nor is it our discovery.  It is the gift of God who is the possessor and the giver of all truth.   Jesus tells his disciples that it is the role of the Holy Spirit to reveal what is true. How can this be?  Skeptics of truth don't want to believe in an absolute Truth.  If truth is objective then it must be submitted to as authoritative.  Some fear the truth because they think it will inhibit their freedom.  Jesus told his disciples that the truth will set you free (John 8:32).The truth liberates us from doubts, illusions, and fears.  Since God is the source of all truth, then the closer we draw to him and listen to his word, the more we grow in the knowledge of him and of his great love and wisdom for us.  Jesus told his disciples that he would send them the Spirit of truth who will announce to you the things to come.  Through the Holy Spirit, we proclaim our ancient faith in the saving death and resurrection of Christ until he comes again. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit as our divine Teacher and Helper that we may grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God.  Do you seek the wisdom that comes from above and do you willingly obey God's word?

 "Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and guide me into your way of truth.  Free me from erroneous and false ways and lead me in the knowledge of your ways and your will for my life.  May there be nothing in my life that is not under your lordship."

Psalm 148:1-14

1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them for ever and ever; he fixed their bounds which cannot be passed.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!
9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth
12 Young men and maidens together, old men and children!
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted;  his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him.  Praise the LORD!

 

 REALITY HITS

'God may well have overlooked bygone periods when men did not know Him; but now He calls on all men everywhere to reform their lives.' Acts 17:30

Throughout our lives, we may not have known the Lord in a deeply personal way, but our lives seemed okay. We were happy at least some of the time. We may even have gone to church and been good people on the whole. Our lack of personal relationship with the Lord was not yet strongly challenged by life or by the Lord. But the Lord will soon question us: 'After I have been with you all this time, you still do not know Me?' (Jn 14:9)

Hopefully, we will respond to Jesus by surrendering our lives to Him and loving Him with all our hearts and souls (Mt 22:37). If we don't accept Jesus' invitation to know and love Him personally, we will no longer be able to continue as in the past. Life's realities will catch up with us. We will see that something's missing in our lives and that we don't have what it takes to face the realities of suffering, death, love, fear, freedom, and eternity. We will see the need for a Savior and a Lord, the need for God Himself, and for a personal relationship with Jesus.

Praise: For years, Mary tried to be a good person and do good works, but it wasn't until the Holy Spirit touched her heart and showed her Jesus as Savior that she had empowerment beyond imagining.
Prayer: Jesus, I need You more than I need breath, food, water, or life. Thank You for Your merciful love.
Promise: 'I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. When He comes, however, being the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth.' Jn 16:12-13

 

 

«When He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into the whole truth»

Today, once again, our Lord, wants to open our eyes for us to realize that more often than not we make things completely wrong. «The Spirit of truth comes, will guide you into the whole truth» (Jn 16:13), what the Father made known to the Son.

How odd!, rather than letting the Spirit (a great unknown of our lives!) guide us, what we do is, either ignore him or “impose upon him” what we have already decided. But what we are told today, instead, is rather the contrary: to let him guide us.

—Lord, I'm thinking aloud... I reread today's Gospel and I think of the many boys and girls that will receive their Confirmation this year. I see those around me and I feel tempted to think: —They are still so “green”! To these ones, your Spirit is practically unknown; and they can be so easily influenced by everything and nothing, at the same time!

Make us, O Lord, who can be considered adults in your faith, effective instruments of your Spirit to become “conveyors” of your truth; to try to “guide-accompany”, to help opening up the hearts and the ears of those around us.

«I still have many things to tell you» (Jn 16:12). —Do not refrain, Lord, from speaking to us and reveal us our own identities! Let your Spirit of Truth help us recognize what is false in our lives while giving us the necessary courage to get rid of it. Let him light up our hearts so that we can also recognize, whatever authentic is there inside us, which already shares your Truth. And that, by recognizing it, we know how to thank you for it and live up to it with joy.

Spirit of Truth, open up our hearts and our lives to Christ's Gospel: that this light be the light to lighten our daily existence. Holy Spirit, our Helper, make us strong to live Christ's truth, thereby giving testimony to everyone.
 

 

 In today’s first reading, Paul delivered his one and only philosophical discourse.   He uses all the right techniques of rhetoric, eloquence, and allusions to Greek authors and Greek culture.   He was speaking to the cultured intelligentsia of Athens, the men of the Areopagus.   And the sermon fell flat!   It was devastating.   When Paul mentioned the resurrection of the dead, the closed-minded Greeks tuned him out and turned him off.   (Greek philosophy and culture considered all material things as evil, and only spirit as good.   Humans were a sort of contradiction: the spiritual soul was imprisoned in a material body.   Greeks thought that death was a liberation of this spiritual soul to contemplate the good and the true.    To them, resurrection – putting the spiritual soul back into the material body – was nonsense.)
This disastrous experience was enough for Paul.   From that time on, he resolved never to use mere human “wisdom” or philosophy or eloquence.   He would preach only Jesus Christ and him crucified.   In our modern world we may make use of various techniques.   But we must always remember that faith is a gift.   We do not gain converts by argument or eloquence, but by radiating the good new in our lives: the good news that Jesus died for our sins, rose for our justification, and gives us a share in his glory.

 

 

 The joy of heaven is that we will be constantly growing in the experience of the presence of the Holy Trinity.  Such is the joy of our prayer now in this existence.  The Spirit is constantly receiving that which is of the Son and revealing it to us, as given from the Father.  Our joy is that we are never completely filled.  There is infinitely more than our human capacity can receive at one moment.  We go from one moment to another in our prayer, awaiting transformation and a deeper union in love.  Death is the entrance into the fullness of union.  Only in death we will begin to experience the fullness of Christ, ascended into heaven, at the right hand of the Father.  We are seated there already in faith and hope.  The perfect love that is found in heaven will definitively and eternally establish us in the glory of Christ.