August 30, 2019 Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

2019년 8월 30일 연중 제21주간 금요일

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

제1독서

테살로니카 1서. 4,1-8
1 형제 여러분, 우리는 주 예수님의 이름으로 여러분에게 당부하고 권고합니다. 여러분은 어떻게 살아가야 하는지, 어떻게 해야 하느님 마음에 들 수 있는지 우리에게 배웠고, 또 그렇게 살아가고 있습니다. 더욱더 그렇게 살아가십시오. 2 우리가 주 예수님의 권위로 여러분에게 지시해 준 것들을 여러분은 잘 알고 있습니다.
3 하느님의 뜻은 바로 여러분이 거룩한 사람이 되는 것입니다. 곧 여러분이 불륜을 멀리하고, 4 저마다 자기 아내를 거룩하게 또 존중하는 마음으로 대할 줄 아는 것입니다. 5 하느님을 모르는 이교인들처럼 색욕으로 아내를 대해서는 안 됩니다. 6 그리고 이러한 일로 형제에게 잘못을 저지르거나 그를 속이지 말아야 합니다. 우리가 전에 말하고 또 엄숙히 경고한 바와 같이, 주님은 이 모든 일에 보복하시는 분이십니다.
7 하느님께서는 여러분을 더러움 속에서 살라고 부르신 것이 아니라, 거룩하게 살라고 부르셨기 때문입니다. 8 그러므로 이 사실을 무시하는 자는 사람을 무시하는 것이 아니라, 여러분에게 성령을 주시는 하느님을 무시하는 것입니다.

 

복음

마태오. 25,1-13
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 이런 비유를 들어 말씀하셨다. 
1 “하늘 나라는 저마다 등을 들고 신랑을 맞으러 나간 열 처녀에 비길 수 있을 것이다.
2 그 가운데 다섯은 어리석고, 다섯은 슬기로웠다. 3 어리석은 처녀들은 등은 가지고 있었지만 기름은 가지고 있지 않았다. 4 그러나 슬기로운 처녀들은 등과 함께 기름도 그릇에 담아 가지고 있었다. 
5 신랑이 늦어지자 처녀들은 모두 졸다가 잠이 들었다. 
6 그런데 한밤중에 외치는 소리가 났다. ‘신랑이 온다. 신랑을 맞으러 나가라.’ 7 그러자 처녀들이 모두 일어나 저마다 등을 챙기는데, 8 어리석은 처녀들이 슬기로운 처녀들에게, ‘우리 등이 꺼져 가니 너희 기름을 나누어 다오.’ 하고 청하였다.
9 그러나 슬기로운 처녀들은 ‘안 된다. 우리도 너희도 모자랄 터이니, 차라리 상인들에게 가서 사라.’ 하고 대답하였다. 
10 그들이 기름을 사러 간 사이에 신랑이 왔다. 준비하고 있던 처녀들은 신랑과 함께 혼인 잔치에 들어가고, 문은 닫혔다. 11 나중에 나머지 처녀들이 와서 ‘주인님, 주인님, 문을 열어 주십시오.’ 하고 청하였지만, 12 그는 ‘내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 나는 너희를 알지 못한다.’ 하고 대답하였다. 
13 그러니 깨어 있어라. 너희가 그 날과 그 시간을 모르기 때문이다.”

August 30, 2019

Friday of the Twenty-first 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
1 Thes 4:1-8
Brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God? 
and as you are conducting yourselves? 
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

This is the will of God, your holiness:
that you refrain from immorality,
that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself
in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion
as do the Gentiles who do not know God;
not to take advantage of or exploit a brother or sister in this matter,
for the Lord is an avenger in all these things,
as we told you before and solemnly affirmed.
For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.
Therefore, whoever disregards this,
disregards not a human being but God,
who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 97:1 and 2b, 5-6, 10, 11-12
R.  (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD loves those who hate evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful one　s;
from the hand of the wicked he delivers them.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Gospel
Mt 25:1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 
Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!’ 
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’ 
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. 
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 
Therefore, stay awake,

for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow

 «Truly, I do not know you»

Fr. Joan Ant. MATEO i García
(La Fuliola, Lleida, Spain)

Today, Friday, 21st week in ordinary time, the Lord, in the Gospel, reminds us of the convenience of staying always awake and ready to meet him. Whether at midnight, or at any other moment, a cry can ring out at our door to invite us to come out and meet our Lord. Death never makes appointments. In fact, «you do not know the day nor the hour» (Mt 25:13).

To be on the alert does not mean to live with fear and anguish. It means to live our life as sons of God, our life of faith, hope and charity, in a responsible way. The Lord is continuously waiting for our response of faith and love, constant and patient, amid the chores and preoccupations that weave our life.

And this response can only be given by us; you and I. Nobody else can give it in our place. This is what it means the denial of the sensible maidens to the careless ones to share their oil for the lamps that were going out: «You had better go to those who sell and buy for yourselves» (Mt 25:9). Our response before God is, therefore, personal and not transferable.

Let us not wait for a “tomorrow” —that may never come— to trim up the lamp of our love for the Spouse. Carpe diem! We must live every second of our life with all the passion a Christian must feel for his Lord. It is a well-known saying but we might as well refresh our memory: «Live every day of your life as if it is your first, as if it is your only available day, as if it is your last day». A realistic call for a necessary and reasonable conversion that we have to carry out.

Let God give us the grace of his mercy that we may not have to hear in the supreme hour: «Truly, I do not know you» (Mt 25:12), that is, «you have had no relation whatsoever with me». Let us treat the Lord in this life in such a way we may become his acquaintances and friends in our time and in eternity.

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

 

A rather humorous thing occurred about an hour ago. I was reading an article about sleeping and dreaming during sleep and how important both sleeping and dreaming are for physical and psychological health. And then! I read the Gospel upon which I am to pray and then compose a Daily, (nightly) Reflection. Woe is me!

This chapter from Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life death and resurrection has two short parables and then the famous Last Judgement story. All three sections form quite a unity.

Several distracting questions might arise when finishing the reading or listening to this parable. If it is night, why did not the ten young women blow out their lamps? Why are the ten unmarried young women waiting up all night for an unavailable newly-married young man? Why did not the five “wise” women share their oil, one at a time and they all would have lamps alight for the late-arriving smiling young man who would be imagining such a delightful welcome party?  Why did not they have candles which last longer?

Parables are not to be literally analyzed or speculatively questioned. They are offered to be received personally through a prayerful reception.

Jesus is speaking to His disciples about the Kingdom of God and how the King is coming when He comes. Those in the Kingdom are those for whom He comes. Lamps are means by which we see, firstly ourselves, then those around us for whom and to whom the King is also coming.

The King is always coming whether we are awake or asleep. Love constantly moves toward the loved, the ones come to, come for.

As mentioned above, the Last Judgment will picture people saying to the King, “When did we see you…..” The oil is faith which is a way of seeing ourselves and others as belonging to the King. Each person has been given a longing, a sense that somehow, life is an invitation seeking a response. The oil is a symbol of a faith which lives reverently with that sense of longing, of waiting, of watching. That can seem rather passive and self-absorbed.  ”I want to be in that number.” Faith as well as religion can be “all about me!” Perhaps the “unwise” young maidens were foolish, because being included was their preoccupation.

Jesus is asking in this entire chapter, as well as in the whole of His life, to know and live the difference between “self-awareness” and “self-absorption”. The wise are those, who by the light of faith, can see themselves and then all others in the Light of Christ, belonging in and to Christ. The “unwise” have lost sight, light, and live in the darkness of a self-contained prison. They do not know themselves except in the darkness of exclusion and fear.

The ”wise” are those who have stayed awake, not to the final, last, coming of Christ, but alert to the next coming. The self-aware person is attuned to the presence of Jesus in the hungry, naked, imprisoned, thirsty and in any way, marginalized. Jesus welcomes those “wise, well-lighted” in today’s parable and He will welcome those who will enter His kingdom, because they are already there. The “self-aware” are awake to their own sacred place in the lives of others and the place others have in their continued creation by the Loving, Creating God. Staying awake is not so good for the body and mind, but quite a blessing for the “wise” watchers who continually see Jesus and themselves in His light. 

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

COULD YOU BE MORE READY?

"The reign of God can be likened to ten bridesmaids who took their torches and went out to welcome the groom." �Matthew 25:1

The five foolish virgins may not have been any more foolish than most people. They had enough oil in their torches if the bridegroom came at the time expected. Even the wise virgins thought that if the groom came very late, the foolish virgins might have time to go and buy some more oil (Mt 25:9). Furthermore, the foolish virgins presumed the bridegroom would let them in late if they did not get back in time (Mt 25:11). The five foolish virgins made three tragically erroneous assumptions. The first was that they thought they were sufficiently ready. Do you think you are ready enough for Christ's final coming or your death? If you could be more ready, should you be more ready? The second was that the five foolish virgins thought they could get ready at the last minute. This will not be possible at Jesus' coming or in the case of our sudden death. The last was that they thought the bridegroom might say to them: "Better late than never." In fact, he said: "If you're late, then never will you enter." Some people think no one goes to hell. If they are wrong, they will in the end be very wrong and much too late to change. Are you as ready as you can be? Are you ready for Jesus' return, your death, and abundant life today? Are you wise enough?

Prayer: Father, I want to be as ready as possible.

Promise: "Whoever rejects these instructions rejects, not man, but God Who sends His Holy Spirit upon you." —1 Thes 4:8

Praise: Frequent and soul-searching Confession prepares Thomas for whatever may come.

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

 The foolish will miss heaven's wedding feast

Are you missing out on what's most important in life? Being unprepared can lead to unnecessary trouble and even disaster! What good is a life-jacket left on the shore when the boat is sinking? Jesus' story of ten single ladies waiting for a wedding procession in the middle of the night seems strange to most westerners today. But Jesus' audience knew all too well how easily this could happen to them.

Don't miss the most important engagement of all
Wedding customs in ancient Palestine required extra vigilance and preparation for everyone involved. (Some near eastern villages still follow this custom.) The bride and groom did not go away for their honeymoon, but celebrated for a whole week with their family and friends. It was the custom for the groom, in company with his friends, to come at his discretion and get his bride and bring her to their new home. They would take the longest route possible so that many villagers along the way could join in the wedding procession. once they arrived and closed the doors, no one else could be admitted. If the groom decided to come and bring his bride at night, then lights were required by necessity to guide the travelers through the dark and narrow streets. No one was allowed on the village streets at night without a lamp!

To show up for a wedding party without proper attire and travel arrangements is like trying to get into a special event today that requires a prearranged permit or reservation. You just don’t get in without the proper pass. Can you imagine the frustration travelers might experience when going abroad and finding out that they can’t get into some country because they don't have the right visa or a valid passport.

The consequences of being unprepared to meet the Lord
Jesus warns us that there are consequences for being unprepared. There are certain things you cannot obtain at the last moment. For example, students cannot prepare for their exams when the day of testing is already upon them. A person cannot get the right kind of character, strength, and skill required for a task at hand unless they already possess it, such as a captain with courage and nautical skills who must steer a ship through a dangerous storm at sea.

When the Lord Jesus comes to lead you to his heavenly banquet will you be ready to hear his voice and follow? Our eternal welfare depends on our hearing, and many have trained themselves to not hear. We will not be prepared to meet the Lord, face to face, when he calls us on the day of judgment, unless we listen to him today. The Lord invites us to feast at his heavenly banquet table. Are you ready?

"Lord Jesus, make me vigilant and attentive to your voice that I may heed your call at all times. May I find joy in your presence and delight in doing your will."

Psalm 78:1-7

1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders which he has wrought.
5 He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children;
6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,
7 so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Kingdom of God compared with ten maidens, by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)

"The whole story is about the great day of the Lord, when those things concealed from the human mind will be revealed through our understanding of divine judgment. Then the faith true to the Lord's coming will win the just reward for unwavering hope. For in the five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:2), a complete separation between the faithful and unfaithful is established... The wise virgins are those who, embracing the time available to them, were prepared at the first onset of the coming of the Lord. But the foolish were those who were lax and unmindful. They troubled themselves only over present matters and, forgetting what God said, did not direct their efforts toward hope for resurrection." (excerpt from the commentary ON MATTHEW 27.3,5)

  

More Homilies

 September 1, 2017 Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time