July 13, 2007 Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

  2007년 7월 13일 연중 제14주간 금요일

 

 제1독서

창세기 46,1-7.28-30
그 무렵 1 이스라엘은 자기에게 딸린 모든 것을 거느리고 길을 떠났다. 그는 브에르 세바에 이르러 자기 아버지 이사악의 하느님께 제사를 드렸다. 2 하느님께서 밤의 환시 중에 이스라엘에게 말씀하셨다. 하느님께서 “야곱아, 야곱아!” 하고 부르시자, “예, 여기 있습니다.” 하고 그가 대답하였다. 3 그러자 하느님께서 말씀하셨다.
“나는 하느님, 네 아버지의 하느님이다. 이집트로 내려가는 것을 두려워하지 마라. 내가 그곳에서 너를 큰 민족으로 만들어 주겠다. 4 나도 너와 함께 이집트로 내려가겠다. 그리고 내가 그곳에서 너를 다시 데리고 올라오겠다. 요셉의 손이 네 눈을 감겨 줄 것이다.”
5 그리하여 야곱은 브에르 세바를 떠났다. 이스라엘의 아들들은 아버지를 태워 오라고 파라오가 보낸 수레들에 아버지 야곱과 아이들과 아내들을 태웠다. 6 그들은 가나안 땅에서 얻은 가축과 재산을 가지고 이집트로 들어갔다. 야곱과 그의 모든 자손이 함께 들어갔다. 7 야곱은 아들과 손자, 딸과 손녀, 곧 그의 모든 자손을 거느리고 이집트로 들어갔다.
28 이스라엘은 자기보다 앞서 유다를 요셉에게 보내어, 고센으로 오게 하였다. 그런 다음 그들은 고센 지방에 이르렀다.
29 요셉은 자기 병거를 준비시켜, 아버지 이스라엘을 만나러 고센으로 올라갔다. 요셉은 그를 보자 목을 껴안았다. 목을 껴안은 채 한참 울었다. 30 이스라엘이 요셉에게 말하였다. “내가 이렇게 너의 얼굴을 보고 네가 살아 있는 것을 알았으니, 이제는 기꺼이 죽을 수 있겠구나.”

  

 복음

마태오 10,16-23
그때에 예수님께서 사도들에게 말씀하셨다.
16 “나는 이제 양들을 이리 떼 가운데로 보내는 것처럼 너희를 보낸다. 그러므로 뱀처럼 슬기롭고 비둘기처럼 순박하게 되어라.
17 사람들을 조심하여라. 그들이 너희를 의회에 넘기고 회당에서 채찍질할 것이다. 18 또 너희는 나 때문에 총독들과 임금들 앞에 끌려가, 그들과 다른 민족들에게 증언할 것이다.
19 사람들이 너희를 넘길 때, 어떻게 말할까, 무엇을 말할까 걱정하지 마라. 너희가 무엇을 말해야 할지, 그때에 너희에게 일러 주실 것이다. 20 사실 말하는 이는 너희가 아니라 너희 안에서 말씀하시는 아버지의 영이시다.
21 형제가 형제를 넘겨 죽게 하고 아버지가 자식을 그렇게 하며, 자식들도 부모를 거슬러 일어나 죽게 할 것이다. 22 그리고 너희는 내 이름 때문에 모든 사람에게 미움을 받을 것이다. 그러나 끝까지 견디는 이는 구원을 받을 것이다.
23 어떤 고을에서 너희를 박해하거든 다른 고을로 피하여라. 내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 너희가 이스라엘의 고을들을 다 돌기 전에 사람의 아들이 올 것이다.”

 

 

 

 July 13, 2007

 Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 

 Reading 1
Gn 46:1-7, 28-30

Israel set out with all that was his.
When he arrived at Beer-sheba,
he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called,
“Jacob! Jacob!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
Then he said: “I am God, the God of your father.
Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,
for there I will make you a great nation.
Not only will I go down to Egypt with you;
I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes.”

So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba,
and the sons of Israel
put their father and their wives and children
on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport.
They took with them their livestock
and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan.
Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt.
His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters(
all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.

Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph,
so that he might meet him in Goshen.
On his arrival in the region of Goshen,
Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot
and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen.
As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck
and wept a long time in his arms.
And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die,
now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Gospel
Mt 10:16-23

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves;
so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.
But beware of men,
for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.
Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes.”

 

 

 Commentary

 

Israel (Jacob), Joseph's father, goes to Beer-sheba and prays. He again has a vision and God calls out to him. He answers and God reveals himself to him, with the ancient promises given again but saying that he will return one day. So all of Israel moves to Egypt. Joseph meets his father again at long last in Goshen (where Moses will come from) and they fall into each other's arms. Israel feels that he can now die because his beloved son, first born of Rachel, is alive. The promise will continue, but it is Joseph who has learned so much about his father and the God of his ancestors-Yahweh. What have we learned from our families and elders about who God is-and have we learned forgiveness no matter what?

Jesus warns us that if we preach the gospel we will have much to contend with in the world of politics, as well as in military and economic power. We will be jailed, beaten, flogged, and brought to trial (which was the experience of the church for the first 300+ years). But he gives us the Spirit to abide with us, gives us words, courage, and strength to stand up for what we believe-the Father will be speaking through us. There will be violence in families just like there was of old with Joseph and his brothers. But if we are faithful then we will escape death-the death of the soul, the heart, and the spirit. And our God, the Son of Man, will one day come and there will be vindication-there will be a reckoning of justice, and yet there will also be forgiveness.
 

 

 

 Today’s scripture readings appear to be about family and the love and pain that can result from being a part of a family. In Genesis, Jacob packs up the family and travels to Egypt to see his son Joseph, long presumed dead. Their reunion is emotional and beautiful. The psalmist proclaims, trust in the Lord and do good. In Matthew, Jesus prepares to send the disciples out to spread the Good News. And he warns them of horrible things that may come if they remain faithful. They will be persecuted by the courts, the church and possibly their own family members.

Usually the Old Testament is fire and brimstone and the New Testament is happiness and love. Here it seems reversed.

Two very different images of family. one where Jacob and Joseph reunite in a tearful embrace. And one where Jesus warns the disciples that as they spread the Good News, Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child. Jesus doesn’t sugar coat it much, does He? This is one of those scripture passages I’d just as soon skip. Chilling images. ones that are hard to imagine. Images that I don’t like to think about. Despite the fearful images, Christ finishes by promising that those who remain faithful will be saved. Jesus makes it crystal clear that the joy of being part of the body of Christ may be tempered with some pain.

If I knew I would go to jail or, worse, if I knew that my family would split and betray me, would I remain faithful to Christ? And if I did remain faithful, would my reward balance out the hurt, pain and disappointment?

When someone asks me why I am a Christian, I usually respond that Jesus said that he came so we would have life and have it more abundantly. It’s one of those things I don’t understand, but I know is true. Faith in Christ means we will have a richer, fuller and more joyful life. And we will be better prepared for death. In other words, Christ helps you live better and die better. The flip side is that it may also mean that we may be persecuted, whipped, jailed or betrayed by family members. Is it worth the risk?

The image of a family split reminded me of a time in my life. A few years ago we welcomed a Japanese student named Yuki into our home. We were warned by the student exchange organizers that the students could seem cold and formal. I was concerned about a young lady coming into a house full of boys. Would the language barrier be too much to overcome? My fears were groundless. Yuki loved the boys and they loved her. My wife was overjoyed to have another female in the house. Yuki called me father, and treated me with great respect. Then came the day when Yuki had to return to Japan. As we stood in line waiting to put Yuki on the plane, she put her head on my shoulder and sobbed. As Yuki’s plane flew away, I walked to the car and it was my turn to cry. It was a horrible and painful day. There was an option to avoid the pain. To not welcome Yuki into our house in the first place. Christ tells us that answering his call will bring great joy and reward, but can also bring pain. As painful as the day of Yuki’s departure was, having her in our home was a wonderful, rewarding experience. Part of the price of loving someone is that somewhere down the road you will experience pain and grief as a result of that love.

Christ loved the disciples and he knew the world he was sending them out into. Jesus must have felt great pain knowing he was sending some of his friends to their deaths. Jesus knew what was in store for the disciples and for himself. Christ stayed faithful to his mission despite people inflicting incredible pain and humiliation on him. He remained faithful to his mission, even to death. And thank God for it.

My prayer today is for those of us who are fearful about obeying Christ’s command. Whose fear of pain keeps them from loving. That we would know that Christ loves us and that our reward for remaining faithful will be to one day see Him face to face.

 

 by
Daniel Patrick O'Reilly
Registrar's Office

 

 

 "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves”

 

What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must be sheep in the midst of wolves? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25). This certainly refers to the second coming of Christ when all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put down his enemies and established the reign of God over the heavens and the earth.  In the meantime, the disciples must expect opposition and persecution from those who oppose the gospel. Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him.  Here Jesus says to his disciples: This is my task for you at its grimmest and worst; do you accept it?  This is not the world's way of offering a job. After the defeat at Dunkirk, Churchill offered his country blood, toil, sweat, and tears. This is not the message we prefer to hear when the Lord commissions us in his service.  Nonetheless, our privilege is to follow in the footsteps of the Master who laid down his life for us.  Are you willing to accept hardship and suffering in following after the Lord?

"Lord, help me to patiently and joyfully accept the hardships, adversities, and persecution which come my way in serving you.  Strengthen my faith and give me courage that I may not shrink back from doing your will”.

Psalm 51:1-4,8-9,12-14,17

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love;  according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment.
8 Fill me with joy and gladness; let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

 

 

LIFE WITH FATHER

'Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as he saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms.' Genesis 46:29

Joseph was the second most powerful man on earth. Yet his heart was anguished because he hadn't seen his father in thirty years. Similarly, a very successful professional athlete was once asked to sum up his feelings toward his great career. He responded that his heart was heavy because his estranged father had never attended any of his games.

I often heard Fr. Al Lauer, founder of one Bread, one Body, teach that our relationship with our earthly father can impact our ability to relate to our heavenly Father. Children abused, belittled, or neglected by their earthly fathers might face a challenge even realizing God the Father loves them, much less being able to trust Him and let Him father them. Children of a loving father are likely to find it easier to trust God the Father (see Catechism, 2214).

Perhaps your father treated you horribly (see Mt 10:21). Nonetheless, forgive him and reach out to him, both for your good and for his. It may seem easier to move mountains than to move the wall between you and your father (Mt 17:20-21). Yet even if all you have is a tiny mustard seed of faith, go with the faith you have.

God turned the world's economy upside-down to restore Joseph and his father. Have faith that He can still do the same today.

Praise: St. Henry, king of Bavaria, came from a holy family. His brother became a bishop, his sister married a saint, and another sister became abbess of a monastery. Finally, his wife also became a canonized saint.
Prayer: Father, 'turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers' (Mal 3:24).
Promise: 'Take delight in the Lord, and He will grant you your heart's requests.' Ps 37:4 

 

 

«Everyone will hate you because of me»

Today, the Gospel emphasizes the troubles and contradictions we Christians have to suffer because of Christ and his Gospel, and how we must stand firm and persevere to the end. Jesus promised us: «I am with you always, until the end of the age» (Mt 28:20); but He did not promise his disciples an easy journey; on the contrary, He told them: «Everyone will hate you because of me» (Mt 10:22).

The Church and the world are two difficult to coexist realities. Church is bound to convert the world to Jesus Christ, but our world is not a neuter reality, as if of virgin wax waiting for the mould to shape it. That is how it could be had there had not been a history of sin between the creation of man and his redemption. But, as an isolated from God structure, the world obeys another lord, that St. John's Gospel names as “the lord of this world”, the soul's foe, whom —when baptized— the Christian has promised to disobey to, to stand up to him, so as to only belong to Jesus Christ and to the Mother Church, which begot him in Jesus Christ.

However, though christened, we still live in this world and not somewhere else; we do not give up our earthly citizenship nor do we deny our honest contribution to sustain and improve our world; our civic duties are also Christian duties; to pay taxes is a duty of fairness for Christians. Jesus said that his followers are in the world, but do not belong to the world (cf. Jn 17:14-15). We do not unconditionally belong to the world, we only belong to Jesus Christ and to the Church, our true spiritual fatherland, that is down here in our earth and goes through space and time barriers to finally disembark us in our definite destination, Heaven.

This double citizenship necessarily stumbles upon the forces of sin and its influence that powers the worldly mechanisms. When reviewing the history of Church, Newman said that «Church's brand is persecution and, perhaps, a longer-lasting one». 

 

 

The first reading describes the reunion of Joseph with hisfather Jacob (Israel).  The words of Jacob are repeated in the New Testament by Simeon: Now he can depart in peace.   In the gospel, Jesus continues his instruction to the apostles before sending them out.   They must never be discouraged.   They will face fierce opposition and persecution.   But throughout all difficulties, the Holy Spirit will be with them.    Throughout the history of the Church, there have been very dark days.   At times it may seem to us that things cannot get any worse.   We must constantly remind ourselves that God is with us.  He will never permit his Church to be destroyed.   Somehow all things will turn out for the good, if only we persevere in faith.

Also St. Henry (972-1024 A.D.)
Very few saints are “born;” most are “made.”   Henry had a lot of faults.   He often meddled in Church affairs.   He was not above “using” the Church for political aims.  Nevertheless, he did recognize the basic independence of the Church, and was part of the reform of Cluny.   Perhaps Henry is one of those (like Jerome, Augustine, and other) about whom we could say, “If they became saints, there is hope for me!”
 

 

 The fruit of my prayer is real relationship that incorporates me into the life of the Holy Trinity.  The Spirit of Jesus enables me to live experientially in the Father.  Prayer intensifies this living knowledge of love and relationship that only God in grace can impart.  But it is in trials, in persecutions and tribulations, indeed in the face of death, that this experience of the Spirit becomes real.  So Jesus says in the Gospel, that we should not be anxious what to say or do in those moments.  It is the Spirit of the Father who speaks through me.  It is the habit of prayer that makes me to recollect that inward presence of strength that articulates, in the midst of the problem, the logic of Christ's Kingdom.  The voice of the Spirit is heard above the tumult of the many waters.  Our salvation is to persevere in that Spirit that is given to us.  Our salvation is to persevere in grace, even to the end of the ages, when Christ will come in glory.