May 29, 2007 Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

 2007년 5월 29일 연중 제8주간 화요일

 제1독서 집회서 35,1-15

1 율법을 지키는 것이 제물을 많이 바치는 것이고, 2 계명에 충실한 것이 구원의 제사를 바치는 것이다. 3 은혜를 갚는 것이 고운 곡식 제물을 바치는 것이고, 4 자선을 베푸는 것이 찬미의 제사를 바치는 것이다.
5 악을 멀리하는 것이 주님을 기쁘게 해 드리는 것이고, 불의를 멀리하는 것이 속죄하는 것이다.
6 주님 앞에 빈손으로 나타나지 마라. 7 사실 이 모든 것은 계명에 따른 것이다. 8 의로운 이의 제물은 제단을 기름지게 하고, 그 향기가 지극히 높으신 분께 올라간다. 9 의로운 사람의 제사는 받아들여지고, 그 기억은 잊혀지지 않으리라.
10 기꺼운 마음으로 주님께 영광을 드리고, 네 손의 첫 열매를 바치는 데에 인색하지 마라. 11 제물을 바칠 때는 언제나 즐거운 얼굴을 하고, 십일조를 기쁘게 봉헌하여라.
12 지극히 높으신 분께서 네게 주신 대로 바치고, 기꺼운 마음으로 능력껏 바쳐라. 13 주님께서는 갚아 주시는 분이시기에, 일곱 배로 너에게 갚아 주시리라.
14 그분에게 뇌물을 바치지 마라. 받아 주지 않으신다. 15 불의한 제사에 기대를 갖지 마라. 주님께서는 심판자이시고, 차별 대우를 하지 않으신다.

복음 마르코 10,28-31

28 그때에 베드로가 나서서 예수님께 말하였다. “보시다시피 저희는 모든 것을 버리고 스승님을 따랐습니다.”
29 예수님께서 말씀하셨다. “내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 누구든지 나 때문에, 또 복음 때문에 집이나 형제나 자매, 어머니나 아버지, 자녀나 토지를 버린 사람은 30 현세에서 박해도 받겠지만 집과 형제와 자매와 어머니와 자녀와 토지를 백배나 받을 것이고, 내세에서는 영원한 생명을 받을 것이다. 31 그런데 첫째가 꼴찌 되고 꼴찌가 첫째 되는 이들이 많을 것이다.”

 

 May 29, 2007

Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

 Reading 1
Sir 35:1-12

To keep the law is a great oblation,
and he who observes the
commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
In works of charity one offers fine flour,
and when he gives alms he presents his sacrifice of praise.
To refrain from evil pleases the LORD,
and to avoid injustice is an atonement.
Appear not before the LORD empty-handed,
for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts.
The just one’s offering enriches the altar
and rises as a sweet odor before the Most High.
The just one’s sacrifice is most pleasing,
nor will it ever be forgotten.
In a generous spirit pay homage to the LORD,
be not sparing of freewill gifts.
With each contribution show a cheerful countenance,
and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy.
Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
generously, according to your means.

For the LORD is one who always repays,
and he will give back to you sevenfold.
But offer no bribes, these he does not accept!
Trust not in sacrifice of the fruits of extortion.
For he is a God of justice,
who knows no favorites.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 50:5-6, 7-8, 14 and 23

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Hear, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you;
God, your God, am I.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Gospel
Mk 10:28-31

Peter began to say to Jesus,
‘We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

To obey the law, to give alms, and to refrain from evil; to be generous and offer sacrifice-these are the practices of a good Jew living in covenant with the God of Justice. Jesus' words reveal what makes his followers holy, as he is holy. If we sell what we have, give to the poor, store up treasure in heaven (the Body of Christ here on earth), and follow Jesus, we will know God's graciousness even now with 100-fold shared back in brothers / sisters / mothers / homes / property / children, and persecution here, and life that is everlasting in the fullness of God's kingdom. Jesus' wisdom is upside down wisdom: many who are first will be last and the last shall come first. Where do we find ourselves-first/last? What are we giving up, sharing with others?

The just one’s sacrifice is most pleasing, nor will it ever be forgotten. ...
Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means. Sirach 35

The disciples of Jesus just got a shock. They watched a young man ask Jesus what it took to be saved. He'd been obedient to the law all his life. When he asked Jesus what "more" he could do, Jesus invited him to an even closer discipleship: "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." The young man's face fell. His many possessions wouldn't let him follow Jesus further, so he went away sad.

That part was disturbing enough, but then Jesus goes on to say how hard it is to have wealth, because possessions become a really tough impediment to following Jesus fully. Jesus liked to use vivid, memorable images, so he really shocks them. Picture trying to get a camel through the eye of a needle! It is that hard.

Now none of these disciples seemed to have been rich, and they had already left home to follow Jesus, but it did shock them enough to ask, "Then, who CAN be saved?" Jesus assures them that God can make anything possible. only much later would they come to know what we celebrate: His own sacrifice of self won for us God's victory over our sin and death.

Well, Peter just had to ask. Well, what about US, Lord? He just had to go a step further and remind Jesus of the sacrifice they all had made to follow him.

Jesus' response is a consoling invitation for us all today. The more we have let go of to follow him, the more we will receive back many times over. He's never outdone in generosity. So we are not confused, he also reminds us that if we really follow him - and don't let possessions and all that come with them control us - we will be living a very counter-cultural life. Rejection and persecution is the way the world treats those who try to follow Jesus. It's to be expected. But, he'll take care of us. It's that simple. He doesn't forget his own.

It is a wonderful invitation. The strong pull that we experience so often to try and have it "both ways" is an illusion. The great, revealing discovery of life is that the only way to really "have it all" is to completely surrender to the only one who can offer us the fullness of life here and now, and forever.

Lord, Jesus, open my eyes. Help me hear your call and believe your comforting promise. Don't let me be blind to the attraction and addiction to a way of life that ultimately excludes you. Let me live more freely. Let me entrust myself to your care more completely. Let me know the joy of being with you, loving as you love me, sharing your mission of compassion for others as you do, and of doing what I can to make a difference in this world for those who are most in need. Let these desires move more deeply into my heart each day.
by
Andy Alexander, S.J.
University Ministry and the Collaborative Ministry Office

"We have left everything and followed you"
What's the best investment you can make with your life? The gospel presents us with a paradox: we lose what we keep, and we gain what we give away. When we lose our lives for Jesus Christ, we gain a priceless treasure and an inheritance which last forever. Whatever we give to God comes back a hundredfold. Generosity flows from a heart full of gratitude for the abundant mercy and grace which God grants. Do you give freely and generously? And why do you give, for reward or for love?

Right after a wealthy young man refused to follow Jesus, Peter, somewhat crudely, wanted to know what he and the other disciples would get out of it since they had freely accepted Jesus’offer to follow him unconditionally. Jesus spoke with utter honesty: Those who left all for him would receive a hundred times more now, even in this life, as well as unending  life in the age to come. Jesus’ disciples can expect opposition and persecution from those who are opposed to Christ and his gospel.

Should we be surprised if we lose favor and experience ridicule, intimidation, and injury when we take a stand for truth and righteousness? In place of material wealth, Jesus promised his disciples the blessing and joy of rich fellowship with the community of believers. No earthly good or possession can rival the joy and bliss of knowing God and the peace and unity he grants to his disciples. The Lord wants to fill our hearts with the vision of heaven and with his joy and peace. Do you know the joy of following the Lord as his disciple?  Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the joy of the gospel and the knowledge of God’s personal love.

"Lord I want to follow you as your disciple and to love you wholeheartedly with all that I have. Fill my heart with faith, hope, and love that I may always find peace and joy in your presence."

Psalm 50:5-8,14,23

5 "Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! [Selah]
7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you.  I am God, your God.
8 I do not reprove you for your sacrifices; your burnt offerings are continually before me.
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High;
23 He who brings thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me; to him who orders his way aright  I will show the salvation of God!"

The family in oriental societies was an all-embracing reality.  It was the reality, the individual was an abstraction.  The father was the decision-maker in every matter, even religious faith (notice, for example, the ｅxpression "Cornelius and his household").  There is evidence of conflict in the early Church between Jesus’ family and his disciples: it would be natural for his family members to take over once he was gone. 

In today’s reading Jesus seems to be calling people out of family.  His own family not only found it hard to understand him; they thought he was mad.  “They set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).  A Scripture scholar announced (in an attempt to get people’s attention), “Jesus did not believe in family values!”  In support he quoted: “Another of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’"  (Matthew 8:21-22).  “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).  “Call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father - the one in heaven” (Matthew 23:9).  These are forceful ways of saying that the demands of discipleship are above those of family. 

GIVE IN, GIVE OUT, GIVE UP

'Appear not before the Lord empty-handed.' Sirach 35:4

Whenever we pray, whenever we enter into God's presence, we must come like the wise men to the manger, bearing gifts (Mt 2:11). Since Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, we enter into His courts bearing gifts. Praying hands are never empty hands. It's not difficult to always have something to give to the Lord. For when we give, we find that 'the Lord is one Who always repays, and He will give back' to us sevenfold, that is, indefinitely (Sir 35:10).

We can give everything constantly, eternally, to God and still have more to give than ever before. Jesus said: 'I give you My word, there is no one who has given up home, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children or property, for Me and for the gospel who will not receive in this present age a hundred times as many homes, brothers and sisters, mothers, children and property and persecution besides and in the age to come, everlasting life' (Mk 10:29-30).

We always receive much more than we give, so we always have much more to give. Sometimes our gifts are money and material possessions. Always our gift is ourselves. When we stand before the throne of the Lamb That was slain, a gift of anything less than everything would be blasphemous. For 'God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life' (Jn 3:16).

Praise: For years Rick sacrificially has given up his lunch hour to attend daily Mass.
Prayer: Father, may I take a giant step forward in giving money, property, and self to You.
Promise: 'Give to the Most High as He has given to you.' Sir 35:9

«Truly, there is no one who has left house for my sake and for the Gospel who will not receive his reward in the present time and in the world to come eternal life»

Today, just like that landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard, the Lord is seeking disciples, followers and friends. His, is a universal call. A captivating offer, the Lord entrust us with! on one condition, though. one condition that may dishearten us: «For my sake and for the Gospel» you are to leave «house, brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children, or lands» (cf. Mk 10:29).

But, is there any compensation? Shall there be any reward? Shall we make any gain out of it? Peter, in the name of the Apostles, reminds the Master: «We have given up everything to follow you» (Mk 10:28), as if asking: what benefit shall we get?

The Lord's promise is very generous: «but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time (…) and in the age to come eternal life» (Mk 10:30). He cannot be surpassed as far as generosity. But He adds: «even in the midst of persecution». Jesus is very realistic and He does not want to deceive anybody. To be a disciple of his, if we are truly so, will bring us troubles and problems. However, Jesus considers persecutions and troubles a reward, for they help us to grow, if we accept and live through them as an opportunity to gain in maturity and responsibility. Whatever act of sacrifice makes us more like Jesus Christ who, by dying in the Cross, saves us.

We have always time to revise our life and get closer to Jesus Christ, especially during the times of Advent and Lent. Through prayer and the sacraments, these times and all times, we can find out whether we are amongst the disciples He is seeking, and decide which our answer must be to that call. Next to radical responses (such as those from the Apostles) there are others. For many, “to leave house, brothers or sisters, or father or mother…” will just mean whatever unable us to live deeply in Jesus' close friendship and, as a consequence, become his testimony before the world. And this is urgent, don't you think so?

Jesus taught us to pray by giving us the "Our Father", a vocal prayer that invokes in all its ｅxpressions a contemplative route into God.  John 17 is the "Our Father" extended into more expansive words that reveal the Holy Trinity and our union with the Trinity.  We pray into John 17, remain in the words, and pray deeper, therefore, into the Trinity.  This portion of John 17.1-11 has to do with Jesus' union with the Father and his achieving the glory of resurrection and ascension.  Again, the ominous "world" hovers about.  The world is not the earth, nor people in themselves.  The world is the systematic rejection of, and the militant stance against, the Mystery of the Trinity revealed in Christ and the salvific work of Christ's redemptive death and resurrection.  We must live into the Trinitarian life within the sacrament of the Church.  Meanwhile, we are on a pilgrimage through the world that sometimes serves as a vestige of God and sometimes as a vehicle of distraction.  Ultimately it all comes together so that nothing is excluded in God's plan, even though we are capable of willing our exclusion from the Kingdom.  Let the words of John 17 become the pattern of our prayer in its depth and simplicity.