July 14, 2007 Memorial of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin

  2007년 7월 14일 연중 제14주간 토요일

 

 제1독서

창세기 49,29-31.33; 50,15-26ㄱ
그 무렵 29 야곱이 아들들에게 분부하였다. “나는 이제 선조들 곁으로 간다. 나를 히타이트 사람 에프론의 밭에 있는 동굴에 조상들과 함께 묻어 다오. 30 그 동굴은 가나안 땅 마므레 맞은쪽 막펠라 밭에 있는 것으로, 아브라함께서 그 밭을 히타이트 사람 에프론에게서 묘지로 사 두셨다. 31 그곳에 아브라함과 그분의 아내 사라께서 묻히셨고, 그곳에 이사악과 그분의 아내 레베카께서 묻히셨다. 나도 레아를 그곳에 묻었다.”
33 야곱은 자기 아들들에게 분부하고 나서, 다리를 다시 침상 위로 올린 뒤, 숨을 거두고 선조들 곁으로 갔다.
50,15 요셉의 형들은 아버지가 돌아가신 것을 보고, “요셉이 우리에게 적개심을 품고, 우리가 그에게 저지른 모든 악을 되갚을지도 모르지.” 하면서, 16 요셉에게 말을 전하게 하였다. “아우님의 아버지께서 돌아가시기 전에 이렇게 분부하셨네. 17 ‘너희는 요셉에게 이렇게 전하여라. ′너의 형들이 네게 악을 저질렀지만, 제발 형들의 잘못과 죄악을 용서해 주어라.′’ 그러니 아우님은 그대 아버지의 하느님의 이 종들이 저지른 잘못을 용서해 주게.”
요셉은 그들이 자기에게 이렇게 말한 것을 듣고 울었다. 18 이어 요셉의 형제들도 직접 와서 그 앞에 엎드려 말하였다. “이제 우리는 아우님의 종들일세.”
19 그러자 요셉이 그들에게 대답하였다. “두려워하지들 마십시오. 내가 하느님의 자리에라도 있다는 말입니까? 20 형님들은 나에게 악을 꾸몄지만, 하느님께서는 그것을 선으로 바꾸셨습니다. 그것은 오늘 그분께서 이루신 것처럼, 큰 백성을 살리시려는 것이었습니다. 21 그러니 이제 두려워하지들 마십시오. 내가 여러분과 여러분의 아이들을 부양하겠습니다.” 이렇게 요셉은 그들을 위로하며 다정하게 이야기하였다.
22 이렇게 해서 요셉과 그 아버지의 집안이 이집트에 자리 잡고 살게 되었다. 요셉은 백십 년을 살았다. 23 그러면서 요셉은 에프라임에게서 삼 대를 보았다. 므나쎄의 아들 마키르의 아들들도 태어나 요셉 무릎에 안겼다.
24 요셉이 자기 형제들에게 말하였다. “나는 이제 죽습니다. 그러나 하느님께서는 반드시 여러분을 찾아오셔서, 여러분을 이 땅에서 이끌어 내시어 아브라함과 이사악과 야곱에게 맹세하신 땅으로 데리고 올라가실 것입니다.”
25 요셉은 이스라엘의 아들들에게 맹세하게 하면서 일렀다. “하느님께서 반드시 여러분을 찾아오실 것입니다. 그때 여기서 내 유골을 가지고 올라가십시오.” 26 그리고 요셉은 죽었다.

 

 복음

마태오 10,24-33
그때에 예수님께서 사도들에게 말씀하셨다.
24 “제자는 스승보다 높지 않고 종은 주인보다 높지 않다. 25 제자가 스승처럼 되고 종이 주인처럼 되는 것으로 충분하다. 사람들이 집주인을 베엘제불이라고 불렀다면, 그 집 식구들에게야 얼마나 더 심하게 하겠느냐?
26 그러니 너희는 그들을 두려워하지 마라. 숨겨진 것은 드러나기 마련이고 감추어진 것은 알려지기 마련이다. 27 내가 너희에게 어두운 데에서 말하는 것을 너희는 밝은 데에서 말하여라. 너희가 귓속말로 들은 것을 지붕 위에서 선포하여라.
28 육신은 죽여도 영혼은 죽이지 못하는 자들을 두려워하지 마라. 오히려 영혼도 육신도 지옥에서 멸망시키실 수 있는 분을 두려워하여라.
29 참새 두 마리가 한 닢에 팔리지 않느냐? 그러나 그 가운데 한 마리도 너희 아버지의 허락 없이는 땅에 떨어지지 않는다. 30 그분께서는 너희의 머리카락까지 다 세어 두셨다. 31 그러니 두려워하지 마라. 너희는 수많은 참새보다 더 귀하다.
32 그러므로 누구든지 사람들 앞에서 나를 안다고 증언하면, 나도 하늘에 계신 내 아버지 앞에서 그를 안다고 증언할 것이다. 33 그러나 누구든지 사람들 앞에서 나를 모른다고 하면, 나도 하늘에 계신 내 아버지 앞에서 그를 모른다고 할 것이다.”

 

 

 

 July 14, 2007

 Memorial of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin

 

 Reading 1
Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a

Jacob gave his sons this charge:
“Since I am about to be taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
the cave in the field of Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the Hittites.”

Now that their father was dead,
Joseph’s brothers became fearful and thought,
“Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!”
So they approached Joseph and said:
“Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
‘You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.’
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father’s God, committed.”
When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him
and said, “Let us be your slaves!”
But Joseph replied to them:
“Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children.”
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.

Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father’s family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation,
and the children of Manasseh’s son Machir
were also born on Joseph’s knees.

Joseph said to his brothers: “I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued,
“When God thus takes care of you,
you must bring my bones up with you from this place.”
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7

R. (see Psalm 69:33) Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!

Gospel
Mt 10:24-33

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
“Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

 

 

 Commentary

 

 Jacob charges his sons to bury him alongside Abraham/Sarah/Isaac and Rebekah and Leah. And when he is buried, Joseph's brothers once again worry if he will turn on them and pay them back for trying to kill him. They put words of Jacob into their mouths and ask Joseph to forgive them-as though they were their father's words. Joseph weeps and promises to provide for them and their children, telling them that God works through what they have done and that he does not hold their jealousy and murderous intent against them! Joseph dies old in Egypt, telling his descendants that God will lead them out of Egypt to the land that he promised their fathers before them. Joseph amazingly knew the forgiveness of God and extended it to those of his own who still did not understand that Joseph's life was bound to God and that there is nothing that cannot be redeemed and blessed by God.

We, as Jesus' disciples must learn that we are cared for that way and that our Father tends to us every moment. Nothing happens without God's witness and God holds our worth precious.

 

 

 In today’s first reading, we hear the story of the mercy Joseph shows his brothers. After the death of Israel, Joseph’s brothers expect him to be angry to the point of vengeance with them, but instead glorifies God, welcomes his brothers and their families with open arms, and provides for them out of his own wealth as a servant of Egypt. Joseph’s glorification of God, for me, is once again an incredible example from Scripture of how I am to understand how God works in my life.

I am a 28-year old student at St. Louis University. I am also a Jesuit. After finishing the two-year novitiate in St. Paul, MN, I found myself thrust into the academic world of studying philosophy in the “First Studies” phase of Jesuit formation. Lacking a college degree before I entered, I was also missioned to acquire my undergraduate degree while in this phase of my formation. So there I was, a 26-year old freshman, taking Intro to English and Meteorology 100 with 18 and 19-year old freshmen. (As well as three other “intro” courses, resulting in a full schedule.) The other Jesuit scholastics I was sent to St. Louis with, my brothers, were enjoying their flexible schedules, taking the required philosophy and/or theology courses, as well as picking up any additional classes they felt they were interested in.

To me, I was thrust into Egypt; apart from my family and friends, embarking on a path that I seemingly had no control over.

During the summer of 2005, as vow day got closer and my departure from St. Paul for St. Louis approached faster and faster, it seemed to me that even though I had just spent two years going through an incredible spiritual growth phase of the novitiate, I only had reasons to lament as I left for the next phase of formation.

After I spent some time at SLU, however, I realized that these temptations and anxieties were unfounded, and were certainly coming from the evil spirit, rather than from God. As I got to know the new community of men I was living with at Bellarmine House, and got more and more comfortable with the classes I was taking, I found myself much less worrisome about how I was doing in class or how the “kids” I was in class with were reacting to me, but recognized the value my 5+ years of being in the working world and the experience of independence that came with that could be with the other students I was interacting with. The little wisdom I gained through the time between high school and becoming a Jesuit, coupled with the amazing spiritual and pilgrimage experiences I had in the Jesuit novitiate provided me with the tools to be like Joseph; and through that, the temptations of the evil one were lifted and I recognized these gifts from the Creator.

 

 by
Jeremy Cramer, S.J.
The Collaborative Ministry Office

 

 

 "Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell"

 

 What does fear have to do with the kingdom of God? Fear is a powerful force. It can lead us to panic and flight or it can spur us to faith and action.  The fear of God is the antidote to the fear of losing one's life. I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.O fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want! Come, O sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. (Psalm 34:4,9,11) What is godly fear?  It is reverence for the one who made us in love and who sustains us in mercy and kindness. The greatest injury or loss which we can experience is not physical but spiritual — the loss of one's soul to the power of hell. A healthy fear of God leads to spiritual maturity, wisdom and right judgment and it frees us from the tyranny of sinful pride, cowardice — especially in the face of evil, and spiritual deception. Do you trust in God's grace and mercy and submit to his word?

When Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God he met opposition and hostility. He tells  his disciples that they must expect the same treatment if they are to live and to proclaim the reign of God. There is both a warning and a privilege in his statement. Just as Jesus had to carry his cross, so the disciples must carry their cross and not try to evade it. To suffer for the faith is to share in the work of Christ. As one hymn states: Lift high the Cross of Christ!  Tread where his feet have trod.  The Holy Spirit gives us power and grace to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Do you trust in God’s grace to carry your cross for Jesus’ sake?

"Lord, it is my joy and privilege to your disciple. Give me strength and courage to bear any hardship and suffering which may come my way in your service. May I witness to others the joy of the gospel."

Psalm 93:1-2, 5

1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength.  Yea, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
2 thy throne is established from of old; thou art from everlasting.
5 Thy decrees are very sure; holiness befits thy house, O LORD, for evermore.

 

 FEAR

'Do not fear those who deprive the body of life but cannot destroy the soul. Rather, fear Him Who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna.' Matthew 10:28

Jesus says we must not fear the devil. We should not be afraid of anyone or be intimidated (Mt 10:26, 31). Yet we are afraid, and we don't know how to overcome fear. Fear cannot be overcome by will-power. We cannot just throw it out. Fear must be displaced. Jesus doesn't merely tell us not to fear, but He says fear of man must be pushed out of our lives by fear of God (Mt 10:28).

The fear of the Lord, that is, a respectful awe in His presence, is the beginning of wisdom, and the end of fear of man (Ps 111:10). 'He who fears the Lord is never alarmed, never afraid; for the Lord is his hope' (Sir 34:14). For example, 'a reverent fear overtook [the early Church], for many wonders and signs were performed by the apostles' (Acts 2:43). They were 'making steady progress in the fear of the Lord' (Acts 9:31) and fearlessness of man. This profound respect and awe in the Lord's presence develops into a perfect love which 'casts out all fear' (1 Jn 4:18).

'Love has no room for fear' (1 Jn 4:18). Be filled with the Holy Spirit, especially with the spiritual gift of fear of the Lord (Is 11:2) and the Spirit's fruit, love (Gal 5:22).

Praise: Bl. Kateri expressed her complete faith in Jesus' provision by taking a vow of virginity at an early age. In her Indian culture, a woman received her total support from her husband.
Prayer: Father, may I become so aware of Your presence that I forget to be afraid of human threats.
Promise: Joseph said, 'Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?' Gn 50:19

 

 

«A student is not above his teacher»

Today, the Gospel invites us to ponder over the relationship student teacher: «A student is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master» (Mt 10:24). Amongst us it is not impossible a student can excel over the teacher who taught him the basics of a given subject. We have instances in History like the painter Giotto who quickly surpassed his teacher Cimbaue, or Manzoni, excelling over abbot Pieri. But the key to supreme wisdom is to be found only in the hands of the Man-God, where all of us can share it, although with a possibility to absorb it at different levels: from the great theologist St. Thomas Aquinas down to the boy getting ready for his First Communion. We may adorn it with as many different styled ornaments as we wish, but they will never amount to anything of essence that may enrich the intrinsic value of the doctrine. And, on the other hand, there are chances we may fall into some kind of heresy.

We must be careful not to try any mixtures that may distort us without any substantial contribution to the Good News. St. Augustine says, «We must abstain from meals, but even more so should we be fasting in errors». one time, someone lent me a book about the Guardian Angels where mention is made of some esoteric doctrines, such as the metempsychosis, and of an incomprehensible need of redemption allegedly affecting these pure spirits confirmed in goodness.

Today's Gospel opens our eyes to the unavoidable fact the student may, at times, be misunderstood, face obstacles or even be persecuted for declaring himself a follower of Christ. Jesus' life was a continuous service in defense of truth. If He was even named “Beelzebul”, it is not surprising that in quarrels, in cultural confrontations or in TV debates we are called retrogrades. Our faithfulness to Christ-Master is the maximum acknowledgement, which we can be proud of: «Whoever acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my Father in Heaven» (Mt 10:32). 

 

 

 Today we have the conclusion of the “Joseph stories,” and the end of the book of Genesis.  Genesis means “beginnings.”   The first eleven chapters of the book showed the beginnings of this universe and world and humankind.   The remaining chapters have shown how God chose a particular people and brought them to a special land.   It continued by showing how this people settled in Egypt.  The second book of the bible, Exodus, will show how God delivers this people and brings them back to their heritage.    Throughout the Pentateuch, we see the providence of God over this people whom he has chosen.   It is the same as the providence which he has over us each day.
The gospel may continue this theme: We must never worry or be afraid of anything or anyone on this earth.    We shall probably incur the same treatment as our Master.   He was accused of being a devil, of promoting evil, and suffered horribly.    The servants will be like the master.   But through it all, the Lord will watch over and protect us.   God knows each of the sparrows; how much more does he know and care for us.   Therefore, at all times and in all places be faithful to living and proclaiming the greatness of God.

Also Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (1656 - 1680)
   Blessed Kateri is the first Native American candidate for canonization.   She was born near what is now Auriesville, New York, of a Catholic Algonquin mother.   But her mother was captured by the Iroquois and made the wife of a chief of the Mohawks.   Kateri’s entire family died in a smallpox epidemic.  
In 1667, she encountered Jesuit missionaries.   She liked the faith, but she did not become Catholic until 1675.   Her outstanding Christian example stirred up the jealousy of others in her tribe.   She escaped to a village near Montreal where she led a life of extreme austerity and charity.   She died at the age of 24.
The French missionaries who knew her best have left extensive sources about her holiness.  These were the basis for her beatification in 1932.   Let us pray for her speedy canonization.   Pray also that all Native Americans will achieve justice and will come to the fullness of faith in Christ.