August 21, 2019 Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope

2019년 8월 21일연중 제20주간 수요일 

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

제1독서

판관기. 9,6-15
그 무렵 6 스켐의 모든 지주와 벳 밀로의 온 주민이 모여, 스켐에 있는 기념 기둥 곁 참나무 아래로 가서 아비멜렉을 임금으로 세웠다.
7 사람들이 이 소식을 요탐에게 전하자, 그는 그리짐 산 꼭대기에 가 서서 큰 소리로 이렇게 외쳤다. “스켐의 지주들이여, 내 말을 들으시오. 그래야 하느님께서도 그대들의 말을 들어 주실 것이오.
8 기름을 부어 자기들의 임금을 세우려고 나무들이 길을 나섰다네. ‘우리 임금이 되어 주오.’ 하고 올리브 나무에게 말하였네. 9 올리브 나무가 그들에게 대답하였네. ‘신들과 사람들을 영광스럽게 하는 이 풍성한 기름을 포기하고, 다른 나무들 위로 가서 흔들거리란 말인가?’
10 그래서 그들은 무화과나무에게 ‘그대가 와서 우리 임금이 되어 주오.’ 하였네. 11 무화과나무가 그들에게 대답하였네. ‘이 달콤한 것, 이 맛있는 과일을 포기하고, 다른 나무들 위로 가서 흔들거리란 말인가?’
12 그래서 그들은 포도나무에게 ‘그대가 와서 우리 임금이 되어 주오.’ 하였네. 13 포도나무가 그들에게 대답하였네. ‘신들과 사람들을 흥겹게 해 주는 이 포도주를 포기하고, 다른 나무들 위로 가서 흔들거리란 말인가?’
14 그래서 모든 나무가 가시나무에게 ‘그대가 와서 우리 임금이 되어 주오.’ 하였네. 15 가시나무가 다른 나무들에게 대답하였네. ‘너희가 진실로 나에게 기름을 부어 나를 너희 임금으로 세우려 한다면, 와서 내 그늘 아래에 몸을 피하여라. 그러지 않으면 이 가시나무에서 불이 터져 나가, 레바논의 향백나무들을 삼켜 버리리라.’”

 

복음

마태오. 20,1-16
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 이런 비유를 들어 말씀하셨다. 
1 “하늘 나라는 자기 포도밭에서 일할 일꾼들을 사려고 이른 아침에 집을 나선 밭 임자와 같다. 2 그는 일꾼들과 하루 한 데나리온으로 합의하고 그들을 자기 포도밭으로 보냈다. 
3 그가 또 아홉 시쯤에 나가 보니, 다른 이들이 하는 일 없이 장터에 서 있었다. 4 그래서 그들에게, ‘당신들도 포도밭으로 가시오. 정당한 삯을 주겠소.’ 하고 말하자, 5 그들이 갔다. 그는 다시 열두 시와 오후 세 시쯤에도 나가서 그와 같이 하였다. 
6 그리고 오후 다섯 시쯤에도 나가 보니 또 다른 이들이 서 있었다. 그래서 그들에게 ‘당신들은 왜 온종일 하는 일 없이 여기 서 있소?’ 하고 물으니, 7 그들이 ‘아무도 우리를 사지 않았기 때문입니다.’ 하고 대답하였다. 그러자 그는 ‘당신들도 포도밭으로 가시오.’ 하고 말하였다. 
8 저녁때가 되자, 포도밭 주인은 자기 관리인에게 말하였다. ‘일꾼들을 불러, 맨 나중에 온 이들부터 시작하여 맨 먼저 온 이들에게까지 품삯을 내주시오.’ 
9 그리하여 오후 다섯 시쯤부터 일한 이들이 와서 한 데나리온씩 받았다. 10 그래서 맨 먼저 온 이들은 차례가 되자 자기들은 더 받으려니 생각하였는데, 그들도 한 데나리온씩만 받았다. 
11 그것을 받아 들고 그들은 밭 임자에게 투덜거리면서, 12 ‘맨 나중에 온 저자들은 한 시간만 일했는데도, 뙤약볕 아래에서 온종일 고생한 우리와 똑같이 대우하시는군요.’ 하고 말하였다. 
13 그러자 그는 그들 가운데 한 사람에게 말하였다. ‘친구여, 내가 당신에게 불의를 저지르는 것이 아니오. 당신은 나와 한 데나리온으로 합의하지 않았소? 14 당신 품삯이나 받아서 돌아가시오. 나는 맨 나중에 온 이 사람에게도 당신에게처럼 품삯을 주고 싶소. 15 내 것을 가지고 내가 하고 싶은 대로 할 수 없다는 말이오? 아니면, 내가 후하다고 해서 시기하는 것이오?’ 
16 이처럼 꼴찌가 첫째 되고, 첫째가 꼴찌 될 것이다.”

August 21, 2019

Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

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

Reading 1 

Jgs 9:6-15

All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together
and proceeded to make Abimelech king
by the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem.
When this was reported to him,
Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim and, standing there,
cried out to them in a loud voice:
“Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you!
Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves.
So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
But the olive tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my rich oil,
whereby men and gods are honored,
and go to wave over the trees?’
Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come; you reign over us!’
But the fig tree answered them,
‘Must I give up my sweetness and my good fruit,
and go to wave over the trees?’
Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’
But the vine answered them,
‘Must I give up my wine that cheers gods and men,
and go to wave over the trees?’
Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, ‘Come; you reign over us!’
But the buckthorn replied to the trees,
‘If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith,
come and take refuge in my shadow.
Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
 

Responsorial Psalm

 PS 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him 
length of days forever and ever.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
You made him a blessing forever,
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

Alleluia 

Heb 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
 

Gospel

 Mt 20:1-16

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off. 
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow

 «The last will be first, the first will be last»

Fr. Antoni CAROL i Hostench
(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, God's Word invites us to realize that divine “logic” goes beyond merely human logic. While we, men, calculate («they thought they would receive more»: Mt 20:10), God —who is a dear Father too—, simply loves («Why are you envious when I am kind?»: Mt 20:15). And the measure of love is to have no measure: «I love because I love, I love to love» (St. Bernard).

However, this does not mean justice is pointless: «I will pay you what is just» (Mt 20:4). God is not arbitrary and He wants to treat us as intelligent sons: it is, therefore, logic He makes “deals” with us. In fact, some other times, the Lord's teachings clearly state that who has received more will also be demanded more (let us remember the Parable of the Talents). In short, God is just, but charity does not conflict with justice; it rather goes beyond (cf. 1Cor 13:5).

A popular saying asserts that «justice per se is the worst injustice». Luckily for us, God's justice —let us repeat it again— exceeds our schemes. If it would be a matter of mere and strict justice, we would still be pending of redemption. What is even more, we would not have any hope of redemption. In strict justice, we should not deserve any redemption: we would simply remain disowned of what we were given in the moment of Creation and we rejected with the original sin. So, when we have to deal with others let us examine ourselves, to find out how are we doing regarding judgments, comparisons and estimations.

Furthermore, if we are talking about saintliness, we have to start from the basis that all is grace. The most evident sample is the case of Dimas, the good thief. Not only, the possibility of being deserving before God is also a grace (something that is freely given to us). God is the master, our «landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard» (Mt 20:1). The vineyard (that is, life, heaven...) is his; we are just invited there and not just in any way: it is a privilege to be able to work there and be eventually “rewarded” with heaven.

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

 

I think that the meaning of the parable is clear in saying that the justice of God is a generosity which goes beyond what is just and especially surpasses our little ideas of what justice is or should be --- and that is certainly true.  God's love is nothing but generosity; He is always looking for a way to be good to us and creating possibilities where there are none visible to us.

But that can cause a major problem for us when we see innocent children starving, abused, or suffering from cancer.  How can we speak of the love and generosity of God if we can find such cases in our world, and not as rare events? 

There is a response to that question, but it has its own problem.  That response is that we simply have to trust God, absolutely and in every situation; we have to practice the cardinal virtue of hope.  And the related problem is that such an answer seems too simple, that God must be held accountable for an illogical and absurd world (to use the term of the existentialist philosophers), one in which the innocent and the powerless die and the evil prosper. 

In the end it all comes down to one simple fact: God is God and we are not.  If all His actions, every way that He interacts with us, could be explained logically and be beyond reproach He would be only human.  God, by His very nature, is beyond our understanding and is only truly satisfying to us as God, if He surpasses us and is so different than our flawed humanity that He is and always will be mystery.  Any other God, no matter how wise, loving, or attractive, is simply not big enough to answer our longing or to deserve our complete and constant adherence.

Jesus shows us here only one aspect of that God that we believe in, and even in that generous love He is wrapped in mystery.  

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

WHAT IS JESUS TEACHING US TODAY?

"...begin with the last group and end with the first..." �Matthew 20:8

Jesus, the "Teacher" (Mt 19:16), is always teaching, always teaching, always teaching. Therefore we, as His disciples, should be always listening for Him, always watching Him, and always docile to His lessons. Jesus describes the master who began paying the late arrivals first. Yet notice that He had gathered all those who had labored that day to watch the distribution of wages. Jesus was giving a lesson to those who had worked all day. His lesson was to display the lavish mercy and generosity of God, and He wanted the early workers to observe His joy in being generous. Since the early workers missed the lesson in the visual demonstration, Jesus had to give them the lesson in words later on. Focusing only on the rewards of serving God is so limiting. Jesus promised to give His servants a just reward (Mt 20:4). He also gave them a merciful one 춻 far beyond anything they could ask for or imagine (Eph 3:20), life on high with Him (Phil 3:14). one day, one lifetime, in His service is far better than a thousand elsewhere (Ps 84:11). St. Thomas Aquinas had spent his entire life serving God. Near the end of his life, the Lord appeared to St. Thomas and asked him what reward he wished for his life of service. Thomas replied: "None but Yourself, O Lord!" Let us imitate St. Thomas and fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb 3:1; 12:2), not on the rewards He gives.

Prayer: Father, may I guard against grumbling by spending every day of my life thanking You for Your loving mercy.

Promise: "You have granted him his heart's desire; you refused not the wish of his lips." —Ps 21:3

Praise: Pope St. Pius X was outstanding for his personal holiness and spirit of poverty. He died on the cusp of World War I. His motto was to "renew all things in Christ."

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

 "Do you begrudge my generosity?"

What can work and wages, welfare and the unemployed tell us about the kingdom of God? In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard we see the extraordinary generosity and compassion of God (Matthew 20:1-16). There is great tragedy in unemployment, the loss of work, and the inability to earn enough to live and support oneself or one's family. In Jesus' times laborers had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone hired them for a day's job. No work that day usually meant no food on the family table. The laborers who worked all day and received their payment complain that the master pays the late afternoon laborers the same wage. The master, undoubtedly, hired them in the late afternoon so they wouldn't go home payless and hungry.

God is generous and gives us work for his kingdom
God is generous in opening the doors of his kingdom to all who will enter, both those who have labored a life-time for him and those who come at the last hour. While the reward is the same, the motive for one's labor can make all the difference. Some work only for reward. They will only put in as much effort as they think they will get back. Others labor out of love and joy for the opportunity to work and to serve others. The Lord Jesus calls each one of us to serve God and his kingdom with joy and zeal and to serve our neighbor with a generous spirit as well.

Empowered to serve with a joyful and generous spirit
The Lord Jesus wants to fill each one of us with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit so we can bear great fruit for God's kingdom (the fruit of peace, joy, righteousness, and love) and also bring the fruit of his kingdom to our neighbor as well. We labor for the Lord to bring him praise, honor, and glory. And we labor for our neighbor for their welfare with the same spirit of loving-kindness and compassion which the Lord has shown to us.

Paul the Apostle reminds us, "Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not others, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward - you are serving the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24). Do you perform your daily tasks and responsibilities with cheerfulness and diligence for the Lord's sake? And do you give generously to others, especially to those in need of your care and support?

"Lord Jesus,fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may serve you joyfully and serve my neighbor willingly with a generous heart, not looking for how much I can get, but rather looking for how much I can give."

Psalm 21:1-7

1 In your strength the king rejoices, O LORD; and in your help how greatly he exults!
2 You have given him his heart's desire, and has not withheld the request of his lips. [Selah]
3 For you meet him with goodly blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days for ever and ever.
5 His glory is great through your help; splendor and majesty you bestow upon him.
6 Yes, you make him most blessed for ever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the LORD; and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Christ our householder, author unknown, from the 5th century A.D.

"The householder [in Matthew's parable - chapter 20] is Christ, to whom the heavens and the earth are like a single house; the family is as it were the multitude of creatures both angelic and earthly. It is as if he built a three-storied house: hell, heaven and earth, so that those struggling may live upon the earth, those conquered below the earth, those conquering in heaven. We too, set in the middle, should strive not to descend to those who are in hell but ascend to those who are in heaven. And in case perhaps you do not know which one you ought to shun or which one you ought to aspire to, he has given you as it were a little taste of both while you live between light and darkness: night as a taste of hell, daylight as a taste of heaven." (excerpt from an incomplete Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, HOMILY 34)

  

More Homilies

 August 23, 2017 Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time