June 25, 2019 Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

2019년 6월 25일 연중 제12주간 화요일

오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp

제1독서 

창세기. 13,2.5-18
2 아브람은 가축과 은과 금이 많은 큰 부자였다. 5 아브람과 함께 다니는 롯도 양과 소와 천막들을 가지고 있었다. 6 그래서 그 땅은 그들이 함께 살기에는 너무 좁았다. 그들의 재산이 너무 많아 함께 살 수가 없었던 것이다.
7 아브람의 가축을 치는 목자들과 롯의 가축을 치는 목자들 사이에 다툼이 일어나기도 하였다. 그때 그 땅에는 가나안족과 프리즈족이 살고 있었다.
8 아브람이 롯에게 말하였다. “우리는 한 혈육이 아니냐? 너와 나 사이에, 그리고 내 목자들과 너의 목자들 사이에 싸움이 일어나서는 안 된다. 9 온 땅이 네 앞에 펼쳐져 있지 않느냐? 내게서 갈라져 나가라. 네가 왼쪽으로 가면 나는 오른쪽으로 가고, 네가 오른쪽으로 가면 나는 왼쪽으로 가겠다.”
10 롯이 눈을 들어 요르단의 온 들판을 바라보니, 초아르에 이르기까지 어디나 물이 넉넉하여 마치 주님의 동산과 같고 이집트 땅과 같았다. 그때는 주님께서 소돔과 고모라를 멸망시키시기 전이었다.
11 롯은 요르단의 온 들판을 제 몫으로 선택하고 동쪽으로 옮겨 갔다. 이렇게 두 사람은 서로 갈라지게 되었다. 12 아브람은 가나안 땅에서 살고, 롯은 요르단 들판의 여러 성읍에서 살았다.
롯은 소돔까지 가서 천막을 쳤는데, 13 소돔 사람들은 악인들이었고, 주님께 큰 죄인들이었다.
14 롯이 아브람에게서 갈라져 나간 다음, 주님께서 아브람에게 말씀하셨다. “눈을 들어 네가 있는 곳에서 북쪽과 남쪽을, 또 동쪽과 서쪽을 바라보아라. 15 네가 보는 땅을 모두 너와 네 후손에게 영원히 주겠다. 16 내가 너의 후손을 땅의 먼지처럼 많게 할 것이니, 땅의 먼지를 셀 수 있는 자라야 네 후손도 셀 수 있을 것이다. 17 자, 일어나서 이 땅을 세로로 질러가 보기도 하고 가로로 질러가 보기도 하여라. 내가 그것을 너에게 주겠다.”
18 아브람은 천막을 거두어, 헤브론에 있는 마므레의 참나무들 곁으로 가서 자리 잡고 살았다. 그는 거기에 주님을 위하여 제단을 쌓았다.

복음

마태오. 7,6.12-14
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다. 
6 “거룩한 것을 개들에게 주지 말고, 너희의 진주를 돼지들 앞에 던지지 마라. 그것들이 발로 그것을 짓밟고 돌아서서 너희를 물어뜯을지도 모른다. 
12 남이 너희에게 해 주기를 바라는 그대로 너희도 남에게 해 주어라. 이것이 율법과 예언서의 정신이다. 
13 너희는 좁은 문으로 들어가라. 멸망으로 이끄는 문은 넓고 길도 널찍하여 그리로 들어가는 자들이 많다. 14 생명으로 이끄는 문은 얼마나 좁고 또 그 길은 얼마나 비좁은지, 그리로 찾아드는 이들이 적다.”

June 25, 2019

Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/

Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass

Reading 1

Gn 13:2, 5-18
Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.

Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,
so that the land could not support them if they stayed together;
their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.
There were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock
and those of Lot’s.
(At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites
were occupying the land.)

So Abram said to Lot:
“Let there be no strife between you and me,
or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are kinsmen.
Is not the whole land at your disposal?
Please separate from me.
If you prefer the left, I will go to the right;
if you prefer the right, I will go to the left.”
Lot looked about and saw how well watered
the whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar,
like the LORD’s own garden, or like Egypt.
(This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain
and set out eastward.
Thus they separated from each other;
Abram stayed in the land of Canaan,
while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain,
pitching his tents near Sodom.
Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked
in the sins they committed against the LORD.

After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram:
“Look about you, and from where you are,
gaze to the north and south, east and west;
all the land that you see I will give to you
and your descendants forever.
I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth;
if anyone could count the dust of the earth,
your descendants too might be counted.
Set forth and walk about in the land, through its length and breadth,
for to you I will give it.”
Abram moved his tents and went on to settle
near the terebinth of Mamre, which is at Hebron.
There he built an altar to the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm

15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R. (1b) He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed. 
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Gospel

Mt 7:6, 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.”

http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow

 «Do not give what is holy to the dogs»

Deacon Fr. Evaldo PINA FILHO
(Brasilia, Brazil)

Today, the Lord makes three recommendations. The first one, «Do not give what is holy to the dogs, or throw your pearls to the pigs» (Mt 7:6), makes a contrast in which “assets” are associated with “pearls” and to what “is holy”; and “dogs and pigs” to what is impure. Saint John Chrysostom teaches us that «our enemies are like us in nature but not in faith». Although the earthly benefits are equally distributed to the worthy and unworthy, it is not so when it comes to “spiritual graces”, which are a privilege of those who are faithful to God. The right distribution of spiritual assets is related to the zeal for sacred things.

The second is the so called “rule of gold” (cf. Mt 7:12), which encompasses everything the Law and the Prophets recommended, like branches of a single tree: the love of one’s neighbor presupposes the love of God, from which it comes.

Doing unto our neighbor what we would have done to us implies transparency of actions towards the other, the acknowledgement of their similitude to God, of their dignity. Why do we want the Good for ourselves? Because we recognize it as a means of identity and union with the Creator. Since the Good is, for us, the only means to achieve life in its fullest, its absence is unconceivable in our relationship with our neighbors. There is no place for the good where falseness prevails and evil preponders.

Lastly, the “narrow gate”… Pope Benedict asks us: «What does this "narrow door" mean? Why do many not succeed in entering through it? Is it a way reserved for only a chosen few? » No! The message of Christ is that «everyone may enter life, but the door is "narrow" for all. We are not privileged. The passage to eternal life is open to all, but it is "narrow" because it is demanding: it requires commitment, self-denial and the mortification of one's selfishness».

Let us pray to the Lord, who won universal salvation with His own life and resurrection, to gather us all in the eternal life Banquet.

«Enter through the narrow gate»

+ Fr. Lluís ROQUÉ i Roqué
(Manresa, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, Jesus makes us three important recommendations. We shall, however, pay attention to the last one: «Enter through the narrow gate» (Mt 7:13), in order to attain the plenitude of Life and be always happy, while avoiding going to perdition and be forever doomed.

If you look around you and around your own existence, you will easily verify that whatever is worthwhile is costly, and that all things having a certain level are subject to the Master's recommendation: as the Church Fathers have said with wisdom, «by way of the Cross all mysteries contributing to our salvation are fulfilled» (St. John Crysostom). In her deathbed, an elderly woman who had suffered much in her life, told me once: «Father, if you do not savour the Cross, you do not desire Heaven; if there is no Cross there is no Heaven».

All this contradicts our falling human nature, even though it has been redeemed. For this reason, in addition to facing up to our natural tendencies, we shall have to go against the tide because of our environmental upbeat founded on materialism and the uncontrolled relish of our senses, that —at the price of not-being— long for getting more and more each time, to be able to enjoy the maximum pleasure.

When we follow Jesus —who said «I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life» (Jn 8:12)—, we realize that the Gospel does not condemn us to a boring and unhappy life in darkness; on the contrary, it promises and gives us the true happiness. We only have to review the Beatitudes and look at those who, having entered through the narrow gate, have been very happy and have made others happy too, while obtaining —for having believed in and waited for He who never let us down— the reward of self-denial: «Many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life» (Lk 18:30). The Virgin's “yes” is accompanied by humility, poverty, the Cross, but also by the prize to fidelity and generous surrender.

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

 

"He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord." Psalm 15

In 1964 as the nation was rocked by urban riots, my mom took my sisters and me to New York for the World’s Fair. For farm girls who had never traveled, seeing the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and a Broadway play was exciting.

But the sight I remember most was the shocking view of New York’s slums during our train ride into the city. Suddenly the rioting we had watched on the TV made sense. I remember thinking that if I lived in these neighborhoods, I’d throw a brick too.

I recalled that ride and the definition of justice I had memorized in grade school when I reflected on today’s readings. Even as a teen-ager, I knew that slum conditions in New York didn’t constitute “justice” and that fighting for justice was imperative if I took my religion seriously.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines justice as working for equity among people. The full definition makes it clear that our faith obliges us to work for justice – it’s not optional.

This is especially true for those of us who won what I call “the birth lottery.” We did so when we “picked” loving parents located in peaceful and reasonably prosperous locations that gave us a good start in life. I hate it when someone says, “I did it all myself” because no one succeeds on their own. Sure, we’ve worked hard but we had a huge head start if we “picked” parents who could afford to invest in our future. Justice demands that we recognize our totally random good fortune rather than taking credit for it.

Unlike our parish’s refugee family, I didn’t have to flee my home due to ethnic cleansing or spend 12 years in a camp hoping to go somewhere better. I didn’t have to drop out of school to help support my family. I’m not threatened with deportation because my parents brought me illegally to the U.S. as a small child.

It’s interesting to reflect on the difference between justice and charity which is wonderful but optional. Charity is fun because it’s being lady bountiful. It’s buying something that I don’t need to help my granddaughter’s summer project or doing something cool for my old Creighton department or my beloved Omaha Public Library. on the other hand, justice demands serious action against social evil – pick your cause although I keep coming back to refugees and migrants.

When we perform acts of justice, we’re not being noble. As the psalmist reminds us today, we’re just trying to become worthy to “live in the presence of the Lord.”

 http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp

STRAIGHT STREET (ACTS 9:11)

"How narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!" �Matthew 7:14

The homilist at this morning's Mass gave a vivid example from his childhood of following the narrow way. In his youth, his scout troop was holding a skills contest. one of the skills involved riding a bicycle along a straight and thin line. To succeed in the contest, the bicyclist had to keep his wheels on the line. When he focused on keeping the bike's wheels on the line, his wheels invariably strayed off in one direction or the other. He was getting frustrated by his inability to control his path exactly. The scout leader pulled him aside and advised him to focus ahead on the finish line instead of looking down at the line, and to also approach the start of the line with a bit of speed. To his amazement, he discovered that by looking at the goal with some forward momentum, he actually stayed on the line and found success. This is an apt analogy for the Christian life. When we "keep our eyes fixed on Jesus" (Heb 12:2) and continue moving toward Him each day with our entire attention on the finish line (Phil 3:14), we can stay on the narrow path because Jesus draws us irresistibly to Himself (Jn 12:32). When we take our eyes off Jesus to focus on our own efforts and look at the path instead of the Lord of the path, we stray off the narrow way (see Lk 9:62). "Fix your eyes on Jesus" (Heb 3:1) and draw near to Him.

Prayer: Father, "draw [me] with human cords, with bands of love" (Hos 11:4).

Promise: "He who does these things shall never be disturbed." —Ps 15:5

Praise: Trusting in the Lord to change hearts made Thomas a much better evangelizer.

 http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/

 "Not to be served but to serve"

Who doesn't want to be first, and to be esteemed and honored by others? We seem to have an unquenchable thirst for recognition and fame, power and authority to rule our own lives as we please as well as the lives of others. Should we be surprised to see the disciples of Jesus thirsting for power, position, and authority? James and John, the sons of Zebedee, urged their mother to strike a deal with Jesus, their Master and Messiah. They wanted the distinction of being first and most important in position, next to Jesus, of course!

Jesus turns authority and power upside down
When Jesus called the twelve apostles to be his inner circle of disciples who would teach and exercise spiritual authority on his behalf, he did the unthinkable! Jesus taught contrary to the world's understanding of power, authority, and position, by reversing the order of master and servant, lord and subject, first and last! Jesus wedded authority with love, position with sacrifice, and service with humility. Authority without love is over-bearing and slavish. Position without respect and concern for the subordinate is demeaning and rude. And service without generosity and sacrifice is cheap and unkind.

Those who wish to serve with the Lord Jesus and to exercise authority in God's kingdom must be prepared to sacrifice - not just some of their time, money, and resources - but their whole lives and all that they possess! Jesus used stark language to explain what kind of sacrifice he had in mind. His disciples must drink his cup if they expect to reign with him in his kingdom. The cup he had in mind was a bitter one involving crucifixion. What kind of cup does the Lord have in mind for us? For some disciples such a cup entails physical suffering and the painful struggle of martyrdom. But for many, it entails the long routine of the Christian life, with all its daily sacrifices, disappointments, set-backs, struggles, and temptations.

Christ's way of love and service
A disciple of Jesus must be ready to lay down his or her life - each and every day in the little and big sacrifices required - and even to the point of shedding one's blood if necessary for the sake of Christ and his Gospel. What makes such sacrifice a joy rather than a burden? It is love - the kind of "love which God has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). An early church father summed up Jesus' teaching with the ｅxpression: "to serve is to reign with Christ."  We share in God's reign by laying down our lives in humble service and love for one another, just as Jesus did for our sake. Are you ready to lay down your life and to serve others as  Jesus has taught and modeled for us?

"Lord Jesus, make me a servant of love for your kingdom, that I may seek to serve rather than be served. Inflame my heart with love that I may give generously and serve joyfully for your sake."

Psalm 126:1-6

1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;  then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
3 The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb!
5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy!
6 He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Not to be served but to serve, by John Chrysostom (344-407 AD)

    "[Jesus] says, 'The Son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.' It is as if he were saying, 'I willed not even to stop at death but even in death gave my life as a ransom. For whom? For enemies. For you. If you are abused, my life is given for you. It is for you. Me for you.' So you need not be too picky if you suffer the loss of your honor. No matter how much it is lowered, you will not be descending as far as your Lord descended. And yet the deep descent of one has become the ascent of all. His glory shines forth from these very depths. For before he was made man, he was known among the angels only. But after he was made man and was crucified, so far from lessening that glory, he acquired further glory besides, even that from his personal knowledge of the world."
    "So fear not then, as though your honor were put down. Rather, be ready to abase yourself. For in this way your glory is exalted even more, and in this way it becomes greater. This is the door of the kingdom. Let us not then go the opposite way. Let us not war against ourselves. For if we desire to appear great, we shall not be great but even the most dishonored of all. Do you see how everywhere Jesus encourages them by turning things upside down? He gives them what they desire but in ways they did not expect.  (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 65.4.25)

  

More Homilies

 June 27, 2017 Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time