May 28, 2007 Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

 2007년 5월 28일 연중 제8주간 월요일

 제1독서 집회서 17,24-29
주님께서는 24 회개하는 이들에게는 돌아올 기회를 주시고, 인내심을 잃어버린 자들은 위로하신다.
25 주님께 돌아오고 죄악을 버려라. 그분 앞에서 기도하고 잘못을 줄여라. 26 지극히 높으신 분께 돌아오고 불의에서 돌아서라. 그분께서 너를 이끄시어 어둠에서 구원의 빛으로 인도하실 것이다. 또 너는 그분께서 역겨워하시는 것을 혐오하여라.
27 살아서 감사하는 이들을 대신하여 누가 저승에서 지극히 높으신 분께 찬미를 드리겠느냐? 28 존재하지 않는 자처럼 죽은 이에게서는 찬양이 그치지만, 건강하게 살아 있는 이는 주님께 찬미를 드리리라.
29 주님의 자비는 얼마나 크시며, 당신께 돌아오는 이들에 대한 그분의 용서는 얼마나 크신가!

 

복음 마르코 . 10,17-27
그때에 17 예수님께서 길을 떠나시는데 어떤 사람이 달려와 그분 앞에 무릎을 꿇고, “선하신 스승님, 제가 영원한 생명을 받으려면 무엇을 해야 합니까?” 하고 물었다.
18 그러자 예수님께서 그에게 이르셨다. “어찌하여 나를 선하다고 하느냐? 하느님 한 분 외에는 아무도 선하지 않다. 19 너는 계명들을 알고 있지 않느냐? ‘살인해서는 안 된다.
간음해서는 안 된다. 도둑질해서는 안 된다. 거짓 증언을 해서는 안 된다. 횡령해서는 안 된다. 아버지와 어머니를 공경하여라.’”
20 그가 예수님께 “스승님, 그런 것들은 제가 어려서부터 다 지켜 왔습니다.” 하고 대답하였다.
21 예수님께서는 그를 사랑스럽게 바라보시며 이르셨다. “너에게 부족한 것이 하나 있다. 가서 가진 것을 팔아 가난한 이들에게 주어라. 그러면 네가 하늘에서 보물을 차지하게 될 것이다. 그리고 와서 나를 따라라.” 22 그러나 그는 이 말씀 때문에 울상이 되어 슬퍼하며 떠나갔다. 그가 많은 재물을 가지고 있었기 때문이다.
23 예수님께서 주위를 둘러보시며 제자들에게 말씀하셨다. “재물을 많이 가진 자들이 하느님 나라에 들어가기는 참으로 어렵다!” 24 제자들은 그분의 말씀에 놀랐다. 그러나 예수님께서는 그들에게 거듭 말씀하셨다. “얘들아, 하느님 나라에 들어가기는 참으로 어렵다! 25 부자가 하느님 나라에 들어가는 것보다 낙타가 바늘귀로 빠져나가는 것이 더 쉽다.”
26 그러자 제자들이 더욱 놀라서, “그러면 누가 구원받을 수 있는가?” 하고 서로 말하였다.
27 예수님께서는 그들을 바라보며 이르셨다. “사람에게는 불가능하지만 하느님께는 그렇지 않다. 하느님께는 모든 것이 가능하다.”

 

 May 28, 2007

Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

 Reading 1
Sir 17:20-24

To the penitent God provides a way back,
he encourages those who are losing hope
and has chosen for them the lot of truth.
Return to him and give up sin,
pray to the LORD and make your offenses few.
Turn again to the Most High and away from your sin,
hate intensely what he loathes,
and know the justice and judgments of God,
Stand firm in the way set before you,
in prayer to the Most High God.

Who in the nether world can glorify the Most High
in place of the living who offer their praise?
Dwell no longer in the error of the ungodly,
but offer your praise before death.
No more can the dead give praise
than those who have never lived;
You who are alive and well
shall praise and glorify God in his mercies.
How great the mercy of the LORD,
his forgiveness of those who return to him!

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7

R. (11a) Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you

in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.

Gospel
Mk 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.”
He replied and said to him,
“Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
“How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the Kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
“Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
“Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”

The book of Sirach is wisdom literature, small pieces culled from around the time of Solomon and specific to Jewish schools of thought. Each piece is almost separate and can be taken at face value-and much of it isn't wisdom at all, but cultural beliefs. It should be read through the lens of Jesus' words in the gospels and the understanding of the Spirit in community. Here is the best of this segment: how great is the mercy of the Lord!

Back to Mark's gospel, Jesus is met by a man who wants a share in everlasting life and calls Jesus 'good'. Jesus says that only God is good-our terms are relative at best. And what gives life is obedience to the law, which the man says he obeys. He is looked at with love and told there is one more thing-go sell what you have, give to the poor and then come follow Jesus. If we are to become Jesus' followers we too must go beyond the law, towards living the poverty, the generosity, and the sharing of the kingdom.

Today’s Gospel is one tough message. It’s not enough to just follow the Commandments. Jesus wants us to sell what we have and give it to the poor to enter heaven. He tells the apostles “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”

It’s a tough message because how do we reconcile it with our striving for success – a good job, a nice salary, a better life for our children? We think how is that possible? How can I do that? Jesus knows it’s a tough message; he certainly gets feedback from the apostles who are astonished and mutter among themselves: “Then who can be saved?”

This message is about the spirit of the Gospel, not just the letter of the law. We are to love others as ourselves. That means doing what we can and perhaps more than we think we can for others. Jesus tells the apostles that it may be impossible for man, but with God all things are possible. We have to try, to take that first step in doing what we can for others. My favorite part of this Gospel comes right before Jesus delivers that tough message to the man seeking the way to the kingdom of heaven. Mark tells us that Jesus looked at the man, loved him and then said sell what you have.

We are loved in our imperfections, but we can’t stop there. We have to strive to become men and women for others, to make that the center of our lives, not the striving for material success.
by
Carol Zuegner
Journalism Department

"You will have treasure in heaven"

What gives hope and satisfaction to our desire for happiness and security?  A young man who had the best the world could offer -- wealth and security -- came to Jesus because he lacked one thing.  He wanted the kind of lasting peace and happiness which money could not buy him.  The answer he got, however, was not what he was looking for.  He protested that he kept all the commandments; but Jesus spoke to the trouble in his heart.  one thing kept him from giving himself whole-heartedly to God.  While he lacked nothing in material goods, he was nonetheless possessive of what he had.  He placed his hope and security in what he possessed.  So when Jesus challenged him to make God his one true possession and treasure, he became dismayed.  Why did he go away from Jesus with sadness rather than with joy?  His treasure and his hope for happiness were misplaced. Jesus challenged the young man because his heart was possessive. He was afraid to give to others for fear that he would lose what he had gained.  He sought happiness and security in what he possessed rather than in who he could love and serve and give himself in undivided devotion.

Why does Jesus call his disciples to "sell all" for the treasure of his kingdom? Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. The Lord himself is the greatest treasure we can have. Giving up everything else to have the Lord as our treasure is not sorrowful, but the greatest joy. [See Jesus' parable about the treasure hidden in a field in Matthew 13:44.] Selling all that we have could mean many different things--letting go of attachments, friendships, influences, jobs, entertainments, styles of life--really anything that might stand in the way of our loving God first and foremost in our lives and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts, and service.

Those who are generous towards God and towards their neighbor find that they cannot outgive God in his generosity towards us. God blesses us with the priceless treasures of his kingdom -- freedom from fear and the griping power of sin, selfishness and pride which block his love and grace in our lives; freedom from loneliness, isolation and rejection which keep his children from living together in love, peace, and unity; and freedom from hopelessness, despair, and disillusionment which blind our vision of God's power to heal every hurt, bind every wound, and remove every blemish which mar the image of God within us. God offers us treasure which money cannot buy. He alone can truly satisfy the deepest longing and desires of our heart. Are you willing to part with anything that might keep you from seeking true joy with Jesus?

Why does Jesus issue such a strong warning to the rich (as well as to the rest of us who desire to be rich)?  Was he really against wealth? We know that Jesus was not opposed to wealth per se, nor was he opposed to the wealthy.  He had many friends who were well-to-do, including some notorious tax collectors!  one even became an apostle!  Jesus' warning reiterated the teaching of the Old Testament wisdom: Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his ways (Proverbs 28:6; see also Psalm 37:16). Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist (Proverbs 23:4).  Jesus seems to say that it is nearly impossible for the rich to live as citizens of God's kingdom.  The camel was regarded as the largest animal in Palestine.  The "eye of the needle" could be interpreted quite literally or it could figuratively describe the narow and low gate of the city walls which was used by travellers when the larger public gate was locked after dark.  A normal sized man had to "lower" himself to enter that gate.  A camel would literally have to knell and crawl through it.  Why is Jesus so cautious about wealth?  Wealth can make us falsely independent.  The church at Laodicea was warned about their attitude towards wealth and a false sense of security:  "For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing" (Revelations 3:17). Wealth can also lead us into hurtful desires and selfishness (see 1 Tim. 6:9-10).  Look at the lesson Jesus gave about the rich man and his sons who refused to aid the poor man Lazarus (see Luke 16:19ff).  They also neglected to serve God. The scriptures give us a paradox: we lose what we keep and we gain what we give away.  Generosity will be amply repaid, both in this life and in eternity (Proverbs 3:9-10, Luke 6:38). Jesus offers us an incomparable treasure which no money can buy and no thief can steal.   The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. Material wealth will shackle us to this earth unless we guard our hearts and set our treasure on God and his everlasting kingdom. Where is your treasure?

"Lord, you have captured our hearts and opened to us the treasures of heaven. May you always be my treasure and delight and may nothing else keep me from giving you my all."

Psalm 90: 11-16

11 Who considers the power of thy anger, and thy wrath according to the fear of thee?
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on thy servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with thy steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad as many days as thou hast afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let thy work be manifest to thy servants, and thy glorious power to their children.

There are many legends about Antony of the Desert.  one legend has a young man coming to him and saying, “I sold everything I owned, and gave the money to the poor.  I kept only a few things that could help me to survive out here.  I would like you to show me the path to salvation.”  Antony looked at the things the young man had brought with him.  Then he instructed him to go back to the city, sell those things, buy some meat, put it in his back-pack and bring it back to him.  The young man did as he was told.  But on the return journey he was constantly harassed by dogs and birds of prey who wanted to get the meat.  "I'm back," said the young man, showing Antony his wounded body and his tattered clothing.  Antony said to him: "Those who embark on a new way of life and want to keep a bit of the old life, wind up lacerated by their own past."