June 20, 2007 Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

   2007년 6월 20일 연중 제11주간 수요일

 

 제1독서

코린토 2서 9,6-11
형제 여러분, 6 요점은 이렇습니다. 적게 뿌리는 이는 적게 거두어들이고 많이 뿌리는 이는 많이 거두어들입니다. 7 저마다 마음에 작정한 대로 해야지, 마지못해 하거나 억지로 해서는 안 됩니다. 하느님께서는 기쁘게 주는 이를 사랑하십니다.
8 하느님께서는 여러분에게 모든 은총을 넘치게 주실 수 있습니다. 그리하여 여러분은 언제나 모든 면에서 모든 것을 넉넉히 가져 온갖 선행을 넘치도록 할 수 있게 됩니다. 9 이는 성경에 기록된 그대로입니다. “그가 가난한 이들에게 아낌없이 내주니, 그의 의로움이 영원히 존속하리라.”
10 씨 뿌리는 사람에게 씨앗과 먹을 양식을 마련해 주시는 분께서 여러분에게도 씨앗을 마련해 주실 뿐만 아니라 그것을 여러 갑절로 늘려 주시고, 또 여러분이 실천하는 의로움의 열매도 늘려 주실 것입니다. 11 여러분은 모든 면에서 부유해져 매우 후한 인심을 베풀게 되고, 우리를 통하여 그 인심은 하느님에 대한 감사를 불러일으킬 것입니다.

 

 복음

마태오 6,1-6.16-18
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
1 “너희는 사람들에게 보이려고 그들 앞에서 의로운 일을 하지 않도록 조심하여라. 그러지 않으면 하늘에 계신 너희 아버지에게서 상을 받지 못한다.
2 그러므로 네가 자선을 베풀 때에는, 위선자들이 사람들에게 칭찬을 받으려고 회당과 거리에서 하듯이, 스스로 나팔을 불지 마라. 내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 그들은 자기들이 받을 상을 이미 받았다.
3 네가 자선을 베풀 때에는 오른손이 하는 일을 왼손이 모르게 하여라. 4 그렇게 하여 네 자선을 숨겨 두어라. 그러면 숨은 일도 보시는 네 아버지께서 너에게 갚아 주실 것이다.
5 너희는 기도할 때에 위선자들처럼 해서는 안 된다. 그들은 사람들에게 드러내 보이려고 회당과 한길 모퉁이에 서서 기도하기를 좋아한다. 내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 그들은 자기들이 받을 상을 이미 받았다.
6 너는 기도할 때 골방에 들어가 문을 닫은 다음, 숨어 계신 네 아버지께 기도하여라. 그러면 숨은 일도 보시는 네 아버지께서 너에게 갚아 주실 것이다.
16 너희는 단식할 때에 위선자들처럼 침통한 표정을 짓지 마라. 그들은 단식한다는 것을 사람들에게 드러내 보이려고 얼굴을 찌푸린다. 내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 그들은 자기들이 받을 상을 이미 받았다.
17 너는 단식할 때 머리에 기름을 바르고 얼굴을 씻어라. 18 그리하여 네가 단식한다는 것을 사람들에게 드러내 보이지 말고, 숨어 계신 네 아버지께 보여라. 그러면 숨은 일도 보시는 네 아버지께서 너에게 갚아 주실 것이다.”

 

 

 

 June 20, 2007

 Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

  

 Reading 1
2 Cor 9:6-11

Brothers and sisters, consider this:
whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written:

He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.

The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

You are being enriched in every way for all generosity,
which through us produces thanksgiving to God.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 112:1bc-2, 3-4, 9

R. (1b) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

 

 

 Commentary

 

 Do we give according to how God has given to us? This question is posed in regard to money, resources, privilege, education, food, material possessions. To believe in God our Father is to give as Jesus gave. Could we be described as those who scattered abroad and gave to the poor so his justice may endure forever?-and that's from the earlier testament. Do we consistently show how thankful we are to our God or do we take so much for granted?

Jesus is intent on reminding us that it is our heart that must direct our actions: in giving alms, in praying, fasting, and participating in ritual. What we do for show, for others' praise and to be thought well of, (or to take off our income tax returns) is not worth much to us and does little or nothing for our well-being. We are supposed to do such things, hidden with Christ in God and know then, the response of God in Christ to us.

 

 

 As is often the case, today’s first reading and Gospel make a great tag team. The first reading provides suggestions on how to approach our daily lives and the Gospel narrows that down to discuss how to approach the three major acts of faith: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Both readings focus on how to deal with the abundance given us.

If you are reading this daily reflection, you definitely have a better quality of life than 90% of the world’s population and maybe even better than 99% of the world. Fully 99% of the world’s population works for less than $15 per hour with 90% of the population working for less than $1 per hour. Less than one dollar per hour!! You and I are the epitome of 2 Cor 9:8, “Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.” Knowing this, Paul suggests that we are to “sow bountifully” in our good work, being generous and giving more rather than less. God gives to us in abundance and will even increase the impact of our good work to a greater abundance than merited by our work alone. In our daily lives, God gives us all we need and we are called to give generously so that God can give even more abundantly through our gifts to others.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus suggests that when we give to God we also do so abundantly, giving to God singly and not trying to get “double credit” by also trying to impress people around us. Indeed, Jesus tells us that we won’t get double credit, that we can EITHER impress others OR we can give to God as part of our relationship with Him/Her. This applies to our culture today in a rather straightforward fashion compared to the culture Jesus lived. We are called to pray and to give our money, time, and other material goods to others less fortunate than ourselves without drawing attention to ourselves. Ok, fair enough.

But, what about fasting? We are definitely not a culture that fasts. All you need to do is tune into any national report on obesity in this country for confirmation of this fact. Fasting is something Catholics are asked to do less than a dozen times a year ? every Friday in Lent and the two days that mark the beginning and end of Lent. (I suppose you can count not eating an hour before Mass as fasting, but that is hardly an inconvenience.) And even then, during the Fridays in Lent we are asked to fast only by eliminating our consumption of meat. Perhaps we would see lower obesity rates if our culture connected the limiting of food, currently called dieting, with our relationship with God instead. Unfortunately, neither our secular culture nor the way we live our faith supports any type of true fasting. Jesus need not be concerned that we continue to bathe and be cheerful when we fast!

Maybe there are other methods for us to fast in our culture in this day and age. The key to fasting is to abstain or to eat sparingly. But, what if we applied this practice of abstaining and using sparingly to other areas of our life? We are starting to hear more about simplifying our lives, of refusing to live our society’s consumeristic lifestyle. If we purposefully limit our consumption as part of our faith, as an intentional way to relate with God, this too can be considered fasting. Or what if we limit some of the time we spend in less than healthy ways? If we intentionally cut our TV viewing time in half as part of our faith practice in relationship to God, this too would be fasting. And, if you are like me and struggle to not eat too much, the actual limitation of the amount and kind of food consumed undertaken as a way to give to God would not be a bad idea either!

 

 by
Kristina DeNeve
Cardoner at Creighton

 

 

 “When you pray, fast, and give alms”

Why did Jesus single out prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for his disciples?  The Jews considered these three as the cardinal works of the religious life.  These were seen as the key signs of a pious person, the three great pillars on which the good life was based.  Jesus pointed to the heart of the matter.  Why do you pray, fast, and give alms? To draw attention to yourself so that others may notice and think highly of you?  Or to give glory to God?  The Lord warns his disciples of self-seeking glory -- the preoccupation with looking good and seeking praise from others. True piety is something more than feeling good or looking holy. True piety is loving devotion to God. It is an attitude of awe, reverence, worship and obedience. It is a gift and working of the Holy Spirit that enables us to devote our lives to God with a holy desire to please him in all things (Isaiah 11:1-2).

What is the sure reward which Jesus points out to his disciples?  It is communion with God our Father.  In him alone we find the fulness of life and happiness, and truth and love. Saint Augustine, the great fourth century bishop wrote the following prayer in his Confessions: When I am completely united to you, there will be no more sorrows or trials; entirely full of you, my life will be complete. The Lord rewards those who seek him earnestly with humble and repentant hearts. He renews us each day and he gives us new hearts of love and compassion that we may serve him and our neighbor with glad and generous hearts.  Do you want to grow in your love for God and for your neighbor?  Seek him expectantly in prayer, with fasting, and in generous giving to those in need.

“Lord, give me a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent charity, and a great love for you.  Take from me all lukewarmness in the meditation of your word, and dullness in prayer. Give me fervor and delight in thinking of you and your grace, and fill me with compassion for others, especially those in need, that I may respond with generosity”

Psalm 31:20,21,24

20 In the covert of thy presence thou hidest them from the plots of men;  thou holdest them safe under thy shelter from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me  when I was beset as in a besieged city.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!

 

 

 THE BIG GIVE-AWAY

'Everyone must give according to what he has inwardly decided.' 2 Corinthians 9:7

Jesus told us it is better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Most people don't believe this because they haven't given by Biblical standards.

The Bible tells us to:
1. give bountifully (2 Cor 9:6),
2. inwardly decide to give (2 Cor 9:7),
3. give cheerfully (2 Cor 9:7), and
4. give secretly sometimes (Mt 6:3).

Because the Lord gave His all for us by even dying for us on the cross, we should give all to Him not just all our money and possessions but all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mk 12:30).

When we give in imitation of Christ, we experience more happiness in giving than in receiving (Acts 20:35). We want to give even beyond our means (2 Cor 8:3), all that we have to live on (Lk 21:4). At this point, we will need for the first time to hear Paul's warning not to go overboard in giving but to give only to the point of equality (2 Cor 8:12-13). We will give until the first world and the third world are equal, and then there will be one world.

Praise: Veronica has volunteered full-time for Presentation Ministries for over twenty-five years.
Prayer: Father, may I give as if other people's lives depend on it because they do.
Promise: 'He will multiply the seed you sow and increase your generous yield.' 2 Cor 9:10

 

 

 In the first reading, St. Paul continues his motivation for the Corinthians to give generously.   If they give sparingly, then they will reap the fruits of charity sparingly.    We shall be rewarded in proportion to our generosity.   Whatever we give, we must do it cheerfully, joyously.    The Lord loves a cheerful giver.   A person who gives a great amount but lets everyone know it ? and who complains that he had to give so much ? such a person has lost all eternal reward.   Remember, elsewhere Jesus says that we must not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing.   God is the giver of all gifts.    He gives to all of us the fruits of the earth.   If we happen to have more than someone else, we are called to share.   After all, the entire earth and its riches really belong to God.
The gospel tells us to keep our practice of virtue and of penitence secret.   If we do a good thing in order to be noticed, we have lost all eternal reward.    In relation to the collection above, then, the Corinthians ? and all of us ? must not let others know what we are doing.     The same is true of fasting: No one should know what we “give up” as an act of penitence.    If we let others know, we have lost our reward.   And when we pray, we aren’t to put on jolly good show.    Surely, public prayer is in order.    But we also need that time of private and personal prayer, the prayer of the closet.    This kind of prayer will be rewarded by the Lord.

 

 

?Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people?

Today, Jesus invites us to act always for the glory of God, to please the Father, as this is why we have been created for. This is how the Catechism of the Church confirms it: ?God created everything for man, but man in turn was created to serve and love and to offer all creation back to him?. This is the meaning of our life and our honour: to be liked by the Father, to please God. This is the example Christ left with us. If only the Father could give for each one of us the same testimony as He gave for his Son in the moment of his baptism: ?This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased? (Mt 3:17).

Dishonesty of intention would be especially grave and ridiculous if happening in actions such as prayer, fasting or alms, as these are pious and charitable deeds, that is, deeds that ?per se? are due to the virtue of religion or deeds we carry out for the love of God.

Therefore, ?be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven? (Mt 6:1). How could we please God if, to start with, we are trying to be seen in order to be praised ?first of all? by others? It is not that we have to hide from our fellow men so that they will not see us, but it is rather a question, in the first place, of directly addressing our good deeds to God. It does not matter, nor is it bad others may see us: on the contrary, we may give them example with the coherent testimony of our deeds.

But what it does matter ?and a lot!? is that we can see God behind our deeds. We must, therefore, carefully examine our true intentions in whatever we are doing, and see that we are not seeking our own interest, if we are really trying to serve the Lord? (St. Gregory the Great).
 

 

 Insatiable is my thirst to taste myself.  Whether in emotional, physical or spiritual matters, this pull toward the center of my own satisfaction is deep within my psyche.  It is the long process of prayer to find the center in the Father and in his delight.  I must be secret even from myself.  I will hide behind the closed doors of unknowing and ignorance so that my heart rest only in the direction toward the center which is the Father.  Little by little the taste for the silence and the absolute of complete surrender to the Father will purge the thirst for self-praise and the admiration of others.  Prayer, fasting and alms-giving will become part of the divine mercy flowing through me, through the church out to all I serve and live among.