June 16, 2007 Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

  2007년 6월 16일 토요일 티 없이 깨끗하신 성모 성심 기념일

 

 제1독서

이사야서 61,9-11
9 내 백성의 후손은 민족들 사이에, 그들의 자손은 겨레들 가운데에 널리 알려져, 그들을 보는 자들은 모두, 그들이 주님께 복 받은 종족임을 알게 되리라.
10 나는 주님 안에서 크게 기뻐하고, 내 영혼은 나의 하느님 안에서 즐거워하리니, 신랑이 관을 쓰듯, 신부가 패물로 단장하듯, 그분께서 나에게 구원의 옷을 입히시고, 의로움의 겉옷을 둘러 주셨기 때문이다.
11 땅이 새순을 돋아나게 하고, 정원이 싹을 솟아나게 하듯, 주 하느님께서는 모든 민족들 앞에 의로움과 찬미가 솟아나게 하시리라.

 

 복음

루카 2,41-51
41 예수님의 부모는 해마다 파스카 축제 때면 예루살렘으로 가곤 하였다. 42 예수님이 열두 살 되던 해에도 이 축제 관습에 따라 그리로 올라갔다. 43 그런데 축제 기간이 끝나고 돌아갈 때에 소년 예수님은 예루살렘에 그대로 남았다. 그의 부모는 그것도 모르고, 44 일행 가운데에 있으려니 여기며 하룻길을 갔다. 그런 다음에야 친척들과 친지들 사이에서 찾아보았지만, 45 찾아내지 못하였다. 그래서 예루살렘으로 돌아가 그를 찾아다녔다.
46 사흘 뒤에야 성전에서 그를 찾아냈는데, 그는 율법 교사들 가운데에 앉아 그들의 말을 듣기도 하고 그들에게 묻기도 하고 있었다. 47 그의 말을 듣는 이들은 모두 그의 슬기로운 답변에 경탄하였다.
48 예수님의 부모는 그를 보고 무척 놀랐다. 예수님의 어머니가 “얘야, 우리에게 왜 이렇게 하였느냐? 네 아버지와 내가 너를 애타게 찾았단다.” 하자, 49 그가 부모에게 말하였다.
“왜 저를 찾으셨습니까? 저는 제 아버지의 집에 있어야 하는 줄을 모르셨습니까?” 50 그러나 그들은 예수님이 한 말을 알아듣지 못하였다.
51 예수님은 부모와 함께 나자렛으로 내려가, 그들에게 순종하며 지냈다. 그의 어머니는 이 모든 일을 마음속에 간직하였다.

 

 

 

 June 16, 2007

 Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

 Reading 1
2 Cor 5:14-21

Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Gospel
Luke 2:41-51

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

 

 

 Commentary

 

 Isaiah's words proclaim Jesus, and all those who believe in the Word of the Lord-giving all of our souls reason to rejoice and exult in the goodness and justice of God. We are clothed with the robe of righteousness (baptismal garment) and we are all called as the nation (Church/Kingdom) to be the cause of justice for all nations. The people of God in every generation has sung the praises of God-Isaiah, Hannah, Mary-and so, must each of us who have accepted the Word of the Lord into our lives.

Mary, with all believers, had to learn the wisdom of God in her child, Jesus. And even after 12 years with Jesus, she still does not know that he is not her child first, but he is the child of God the Father/Yahweh the Holy one. She had to 'keep all these things in her heart/memory, pondering the Word'. The gospel begins after this line and this is the image of the heart of Mary-pondering always the Word of her child and seeking to understand the wisdom and goodness of God ever more profoundly.

 

 

 My parish church growing up was named after the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the feast the church celebrates today. Though I don’t recall a single sermon based on our parish name, I did receive the welcome and wisdom of a mother’s love from this suburban Milwaukee parish that welcomed my immigrant family. Through youth retreats and daily Mass reflections on the readings in small summer gatherings, adult education evenings on the early roots of the sacraments, hunger awareness and advocacy workshops, the love of Christ for me and for the world became real through this Immaculate Heart of Mary. “The love of Christ impels us,” Paul tells the Corinthians in today’s first reading, and calls us all to the ministry of reconciliation. It is quite the mission Paul describes, “God appealing through us” to communicate the invitation to others and to the world to be reconciled to God.

Where and how do I sense the love of Christ impelling me today? The need for deep peace-making, reconciliation and healing are all around me. I take this invitation on this feast today to enter into prayer surrounded by the mantilla of stars of our Mother. I bring to her all the need for healing I most acutely feel ? in my own life, my own family and those needs in the world I am most aware of near and far.

The gospel today paints such a human picture of Mary and Joseph’s concern as parents suffering three long days of worry for their missing son. As parents, we can taste the nauseating anxiety. This is our mother too ? who knows our boundless love for our own children and our confusion and sense of powerlessness at times to help them discern important choices and to help them trust the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, Christ’s love impelling them in directions we don’t always understand. (A book I have found to be a great aid is The Power of Discernment, Helping your Teens Hear God’s Voice Within by Maggie Pike, 2003.) It is a wonderful ministry of reconciliation God has given us as parents and as people involved with the growth and development of others. Let us draw near to implore our Mother today to renew us in healing love to be faithful ambassadors for Christ in our homes and in our world.

 

 by
Maria Teresa Gaston
Center for Service and Justice

 

 

“Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'”

 

How forceful are honest words! (Job 6:25) Jesus addressed the issue of honesty and truthfulness in one’s conduct and speech. What does it mean to be true to one’s word? To be true to oneself and to others requires character. Unfortunately many people today miserably fail here. No wonder we don’t trust many in positions of leadership and influence. God is the source of all truth and there is nothing false or deceitful in him. His word is truth and his law is truth. His truth liberates us from illusion, deceit, and hypocrisy.  Jesus told his disciples that the truth will make you free (John 8:32).

Why is it so hard to be true and to speak the truth? Truth demands commitment?that we live our lives according to it and be faithful witnesses of the truth. Jesus teaches his disciples the unconditional love of truth. He speaks against bearing false witness and all forms of untruthfulness and swearing unnecessary oaths to God.  A disciple's word should be capable of being trusted without verbal rituals to give it validity. Christ’s disciple must speak truthfully without “stretching” the truth by adding to it or by compromising the truth by speaking untruth or by leaving out what is necessary to convey what is truthful. Thomas Aquinas said: People could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one another. ...(In justice) as a matter of honor, one person owes it to another to manifest the truth. Are you true?to God, to yourself, and to others? And do you allow God’s word of truth to penetrate your mind and heart and to form your conscience?

"Set a watch, Lord, upon my tongue, that I may never speak the cruel word which is not true; or being true, is not the whole truth; or being wholly true, is merciless; for the love of Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-10

1 Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, "Thou art my Lord; I have no good apart from thee."
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; thou holdest my lot.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.
10 For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit.

 

 

 'If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.' 2 Corinthians 5:17

There is an old maxim used by realtors that the worth of a piece of property can be evaluated by the three L's: location, location, and location. It's where the property is located that counts. The 'three L's' apply even more fully to Christianity: it's where you are located that makes the eternal difference. To be Christians, we must be in Christ.

The New Testament refers to being in Christ over ninety times. This ｅxpression is not merely Christian jargon: it proclaims the good news that being located in Jesus makes all the difference. 'There is no condemnation now for those who are in Christ Jesus' (Rm 8:1). In Jesus, we have redemption (Rm 3:24), sanctification (1 Cor 1:2), freedom (Gal 2:4), and triumph (2 Cor 2:14). Nothing can 'separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus' (Rm 8:39). God 'has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens!' (Eph 1:3)

If we are not located in Christ, then we are still in the 'old order' (2 Cor 5:17). We stand outside of reconciliation with God, and we look at everyone 'in terms of mere human judgment' (2 Cor 5:16). When we are located in Christ, our whole existence is centered on what He is doing. We gain such a radiant identity in Him that we are made wholly new (2 Cor 5:17).

'In Him we live and move and have our being' (Acts 17:28). Choose 'life on high in Christ Jesus' (Phil 3:14).

Praise: Praise You, Father, for Mary's Immaculate Heart, whose every beat was 'through Him, with Him, and in Him.'
Prayer: Jesus, may I live no longer for myself but for You (see 2 Cor 5:15).
Promise: 'Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness.' Ps 103:8

 

 

 ?As for his mother, she kept all these things in her heart?

Today, we celebrate the memory of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. A spotless Heart, full of God, totally willing to listen to him and obey him. In Bible's language, the heart refers to a person's deepest essence, where all thoughts, words and deeds emanate from. What does emanate from the Virgin Mary's heart? Faith, obedience, tenderness, availability, spirit of service, fortitude, humility, simplicity, gratitude, and a countless rosary of virtues.

Why? We find the answer in Jesus' words: ?For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also? (Mt 6:21). Mary's treasure is her Son, and in him she has set her heart; Mary's thoughts, words and deeds have their beginning and their end in the contemplation and satisfaction of the Lord.

Today's Gospel offers us a good sample. After narrating the scene of Jesus lost and found in the temple, it tells us: ?As for his mother, she kept all these things in her heart? (Lk 2:51). St. Gregory of Nyssa comments: ?God allows to be seen by those who have a pure heart?. What does Mary keep in her heart? From the Incarnation to Jesus' Ascension to Heaven, through the bitter hours of the Calvary, there are so very many meditated and profound remembrances: the joy of Angel Gabriel's visit announcing Mary God's designs for her, the first kiss and the first embrace to the newly born child, the first steps of her Son on earth, contemplating him growing in wisdom and grace, her “involvement” in the wedding of Cana, Jesus' teachings during his preaching, the saviour pains of the Cross, her hopes in the triumph of Resurrection...

Let us beg God to give us the joy of loving him more perfectly every day, with all our heart, as the good sons of the Virgin Mary that we are.

 

 

This celebration, recently raised to the rank of an obligatory Memorial, comes on the day after Sacred Heart.   The meaning is clear: The heart of Mary was united with that of her Son.   Mary’s response to God was always “yes.”   Recall her reply to Gabriel in the Annunciation scene: “I am the handmaid of the Lord....Let it be done to me as you say.”  

All celebrations of Mary teach us what we should have been if sin had not entered the world.  They challenge us to become what God wants us to be.  William Wordsworth said that Mary is our tainted nature’s solitary boast.  The heart of Jesus is a symbol of his infinite mercy and love.   We do not deserve his mercy, and we can in no way merit it.   God loved us even when we were unlovable; he sent his Son to die for us even when we were his enemies by sin.    Mary, Mother of Jesus, perfectly reflected this love and responded to it.   Her heart, too, is filled with the compassion and love of God for all.   As the symbol of the Church and as the counter-type of Eve, she reaches out in love to all her children. 
In our times, ethnic hatred, cruelty, violence, and terror are rampant.   Somehow we must break the cycle of hatred.   We must put aside our divisions and seek reconciliation, gathered around Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of us all.   Let us invoke the intercession of Mary to reconcile all peoples and nations.
The gospel today describes the Annunciation.  May Mary’s response to Gabriel always be ours.
 

 

 Let what I say come from my heart.  Let my heart be formed in simplicity.  My word, “Yes,” or my word, “No,” will stand for itself in my relations with others.  The simplicity of my life and of my words reflects the simplicity of my heart in love with God who is all simplicity.  My prayer is simple and direct.  My speech will be simple and direct, sincere, from the heart.  No need to elaborate and to complicate with many words.  No compulsion to have to speak at all.  No need to have a whole spiel of self-justification and defense.  The Holy Spirit moves me in this direction through contemplative prayer.  The Word calls me to such behavior in speech and style of life.  Christ himself is my Yes to the Father and my No to the Evil one. 

--William C. Fredrickson, Obl. OSB, D.Min.