February 7, 2020 Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

2020년 2월 7일 연중 제4주간 금요일

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

제1독서

 집회서. 47,2-11

2 친교 제물에서 굳기름을 따로 떼어 놓듯
다윗도 이스라엘 사람들 가운데에서 선택되었다.
3 다윗은 염소 새끼들과 놀듯 사자들과 놀고
양들 가운데 어린양과 놀듯 곰과 놀았다.
4 그가 아직 소년이었을 때 거인을 죽여 백성의 수치를 씻어 주지 않았더냐?
그는 손을 쳐들어 돌팔매로 골리앗의 교만을 꺾었다.
5 그가 지극히 높으신 주님께 호소하여 주님께서 그의 오른팔에 힘을 주셨던 것이다.
이렇게 다윗은 싸움에 능한 장수를 쓰러뜨려 백성의 사기를 높일 수 있었다.
6 그리하여 사람들은 만 명을 물리친 다윗을 칭송하였고
그가 영화로운 왕관을 쓰게 되었을 때 주님의 복을 받은 그를 찬미하였다.
7 사실 그는 에워싼 원수들을 무찔렀고 필리스티아 군대를 없애 버렸으며
오늘까지 그들이 힘을 쓰지 못하게 하였다.
8 그는 모든 일을 하면서
거룩하고 지극히 높으신 분께 영광의 말씀으로 찬미를 드렸다.
그는 온 마음을 다해 찬미의 노래를 불렀으며
자신을 지으신 분을 사랑하였다.
9 그는 제단 앞에 성가대를 자리 잡게 하여
그들의 목소리로 아름다운 가락을 노래하게 하였다.
그리하여 그들은 날마다 자신들의 노래로 찬미하였다.
10 다윗은 축제를 화려하게 벌였고 그 시기를 완벽하게 정리하였으며
주님의 거룩하신 이름을 찬미하고
그 찬미가 이른 아침부터 성소에 울려 퍼지게 하였다.
11 주님께서는 그의 죄악을 용서해 주시고 그의 힘을 대대로 들어 높이셨으며
그에게 왕권의 계약과 이스라엘의 영광스러운 왕좌를 주셨다.

복음

 마르코. 6,14-29

그때에 14 예수님의 이름이 널리 알려져
마침내 헤로데 임금도 소문을 듣게 되었다.
사람들은 “세례자 요한이 죽은 이들 가운데에서 되살아난 것이다.
그러니 그에게서 그런 기적의 힘이 일어나지.” 하고 말하였다.
15 그러나 어떤 이들은 “그는 엘리야다.” 하는가 하면,
또 어떤 이들은 “옛 예언자들과 같은 예언자다.” 하였다.
16 헤로데는 이러한 소문을 듣고,
“내가 목을 벤 그 요한이 되살아났구나.” 하고 말하였다.
17 이 헤로데는 사람을 보내어 요한을 붙잡아 감옥에 묶어 둔 일이 있었다.
그의 동생 필리포스의 아내 헤로디아 때문이었는데,
헤로데가 이 여자와 혼인하였던 것이다.
18 그래서 요한은 헤로데에게,
“동생의 아내를 차지하는 것은 옳지 않습니다.” 하고 여러 차례 말하였다.
19 헤로디아는 요한에게 앙심을 품고 그를 죽이려고 하였으나
뜻을 이루지 못하였다.
20 헤로데가 요한을 의롭고 거룩한 사람으로 알고
그를 두려워하며 보호해 주었을 뿐만 아니라,
그의 말을 들을 때에 몹시 당황해하면서도 기꺼이 듣곤 하였기 때문이다.
21 그런데 좋은 기회가 왔다.
헤로데가 자기 생일에
고관들과 무관들과 갈릴래아의 유지들을 청하여 잔치를 베풀었다.
22 그 자리에 헤로디아의 딸이 들어가 춤을 추어,
헤로데와 그의 손님들을 즐겁게 하였다.
그래서 임금은 그 소녀에게,
“무엇이든 원하는 것을 나에게 청하여라. 너에게 주겠다.”
하고 말할 뿐만 아니라,
23 “네가 청하는 것은 무엇이든,
내 왕국의 절반이라도 너에게 주겠다.” 하고 굳게 맹세까지 하였다.
24 소녀가 나가서 자기 어머니에게 “무엇을 청할까요?” 하자,
그 여자는 “세례자 요한의 머리를 요구하여라.” 하고 일렀다.
25 소녀는 곧 서둘러 임금에게 가서,
“당장 세례자 요한의 머리를 쟁반에 담아
저에게 주시기를 바랍니다.” 하고 청하였다.
26 임금은 몹시 괴로웠지만, 맹세까지 하였고 또 손님들 앞이라
그의 청을 물리치고 싶지 않았다.
27 그래서 임금은 곧 경비병을 보내며,
요한의 머리를 가져오라고 명령하였다.
경비병이 물러가 감옥에서 요한의 목을 베어,
28 머리를 쟁반에 담아다가 소녀에게 주자,
소녀는 그것을 자기 어머니에게 주었다.
29 그 뒤에 요한의 제자들이 소문을 듣고 가서,
그의 주검을 거두어 무덤에 모셨다.

February 7, 2020  

Friday of the Fourth 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 

Sir 47:2-11

Like the choice fat of the sacred offerings,
so was David in Israel.
He made sport of lions as though they were kids,
and of bears, like lambs of the flock.
As a youth he slew the giant
and wiped out the people's disgrace,
When his hand let fly the slingstone
that crushed the pride of Goliath.
Since he called upon the Most High God,
who gave strength to his right arm
To defeat the skilled warrior
and raise up the might of his people,
Therefore the women sang his praises,
and ascribed to him tens of thousands
and praised him when they blessed the Lord.
When he assumed the royal crown, he battled
and subdued the enemy on every side.
He destroyed the hostile Philistines
and shattered their power till our own day.
With his every deed he offered thanks
to God Most High, in words of praise.
With his whole being he loved his Maker
and daily had his praises sung;
He set singers before the altar and by their voices
he made sweet melodies,
He added beauty to the feasts
and solemnized the seasons of each year
So that when the Holy Name was praised,
before daybreak the sanctuary would resound.
The LORD forgave him his sins
and exalted his strength forever;
He conferred on him the rights of royalty
and established his throne in Israel.

 

Responsorial Psalm 

Ps 18:31, 47 and 50, 51

R. (see 47b) Blessed be God my salvation!
God's way is unerring,
the promise of the LORD is fire-tried;
he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!
The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
Therefore will I proclaim you, O LORD, among the nations,
and I will sing praise to your name.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed,
to David and his posterity forever.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!

 

Gospel 

Mk 6:14-29

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
"John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him."
Others were saying, "He is Elijah";
still others, "He is a prophet like any of the prophets."
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
"It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up."

Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother,
"What shall I ask for?"
Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb

http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow

 «King Herod also heard about Jesus because his name had become well-known»

Fr. Ferran BLASI i Birbe
(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, in Mark's passage we are told about Jesus' reputation —known by his teachings and miracles. His fame was such some were saying He actually was John the Baptist, Jesus' relative and precursor, who had resurrected from the dead. This is what Herod, who had ordered John's death, also thought. But this Jesus was much more than the other men of God: much more than John; much more than any of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Almighty: He was the Son of God, become Man, Perfect God and Perfect Man. This Jesus —present amongst us—, as a man, can understand us and, as God can grant us all we need.

John, the precursor, who had been sent by God before Jesus, with his martyrdom also preceded Jesus in His passion and death. It had also been an unfair death inflicted to a man who was a saint, by Herod, the tetrarch, possibly against his own will, because he respected him and liked to listen to him. Though, John was clear and firm with the king when John criticized his behavior deserving vituperation, because it was not licit to have married Herodias, his brother's sister.

Herod had accepted Herodias' daughter request, induced by her mother, when, at a banquet —after a dance that had delighted the king— he had promised her with many oaths, in front of his guests, to give her what she would ask. «What shall I ask for?», she told her mother, who replied: «The head of John the Baptist» (Mk 6:24). And the petty kinglet had the Baptist beheaded. It was certainly an oath that did not oblige him in any way, as it was an evil thing, against any justice and any conscience.

Experience teaches us, once more, that each virtue has to be always joined to all the others, and all together have to grow organically like the fingers of the hand. And, by the same token, when one incurs in some vice, soon others will follow.

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

 

Today’s first reading lauds the life of King David. The Psalm praises God and recognizes the good fortune that He granted to King David. The Gospel acclamation is the last line of the parable of the sower. The Gospel details the events leading to the beheading of John the Baptist.

While the readings spend much time on royalty (a popular media topic in recent weeks), my reflection leads me to consider how individuals respond when criticized over their actions. The two kings in today’s readings were each reminded of the sinful nature of their promiscuity by a prophet.

David feels guilt and actively repents when confronted by the prophet Nathan (and suffers the death of Bathsheba’s child). It is clear that both King Herod and particularly Herodias respond with vengeance and contempt when confronted by John the Baptist.

If I imagine myself in King David’s court, I can see a king who has changed. David seems to recognize his guilt perhaps as much due to the chastisement which he endures as to Nathan’s tricking him into condemning actions analogous to David’s own.

If I place myself in the events of the Gospel, I see a king who seems unable to admit mistakes who is manipulated by a conniving and hate-filled Herodias.

I think about how my two-year-old grandchildren respond when reprimanded. I will either be told “No, Grandpa!” or be left with a crying pair of twins. Looking at my own life, I recognize that I do not take correction much better. I often initially have a sense of being damaged. Depending on how justified I eventually feel the criticism is, I tend to end up carrying a grudge or I have feelings of failure in my work on this earth. I can be my own staunchest critic. I find it easy to relate to the line from the movie The Two Popes in which Cardinal Bergoglio says “It's not easy to entrust oneself to God's mercy. I know He has a very special capacity for forgetting our mistakes. God forgets, but I don't.”

My prayer today focusses on my response to instances where I have been addressed in a less than flattering manner.

Dear Lord,
Allow me to recognize that I am human. I will make mistakes.
Help me to assume good will on the part of those who seek to give me guidance.
Do not let me fall victim to my own ego.
Free me from grudges and the bad faith that they carry.
Aid me in overcoming the dark moments that grow out of my recognition of my faults.
Grant me fortitude to correct my shortcomings.
Open my heart to be the fertile soil for Your seed.

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

PRIDE: THE SIN OF SINS

"King Herod came to hear of Jesus, for His reputation had become widespread." �Mark 6:14

King Herod heard about Jesus. This could have been the opportunity for Herod to believe in Jesus (see Rm 10:17) and be saved from self-destruction. Yet Herod jumped to the wrong conclusion that Jesus was actually St. John the Baptizer raised from the dead (Mk 6:16). Possibly Herod was prone to believe this falsehood because he carried guilt from murdering John to save face and look good before the guests at his birthday party (Mk 6:26). Herod murdered John because he was proud, and this led him astray in other ways. Herod had an exceptional opportunity to meet and love Jesus shortly before His crucifixion and death. However, Herod was still on his ego-trip. He tried to use Jesus as a pawn in his own proud posturings (Lk 23:8, 11). Jesus would have no part in it and refused to speak to Herod (Lk 23:9). Herod was face to face with Jesus moments before His crucifixion and death, but there was no communication because of Herod's pride. Jesus became a man, died on the cross, and rose from the dead to have a deep, personal relationship with you forever. Will you accept, love, and worship Jesus on His terms, or will you be damned forever in pride?

Prayer: Father, may I learn from Jesus to be "gentle and humble of heart" (Mt 11:29).

Promise: "The Lord forgave him his sins and exalted his strength forever; He conferred on him the rights of royalty." —Sir 47:11

Praise: Each night, Bert leads his wife and children in a family rosary.

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

 Herod's guilty conscience

Do you ever feel haunted by a past failure or a guilty conscience? The Lord Jesus came to set us free from the oppression of sin and guilt. King Herod, the most powerful and wealthy man in Judea, had everything he wanted, except a clear conscience and peace with God. Herod had respected and feared John the Baptist as a great prophet and servant of God. John, however did not fear to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with his brother's wife, Herodias. John ended up in prison because of Herodias' hatred and jealousy. Herod, out of impulse and a desire to please his family and friends, had John beheaded. Now Herod's conscience is pricked when he hears that some think that the Baptist has risen.

Guilt and pride cripples - repentance and pardon heals
When Herod heard the fame of Jesus he supposed that John the Baptist, whom he had beheaded, had returned from the dead. Unfortunately for Herod, he could not rid himself of sin by ridding himself of the man who confronted him with his sin. Herod was a weak man. He could take a strong stand on the wrong things when he knew the right. Such a stand, however, was a sign of weakness and cowardice. The Lord gives grace to the humble, to those who acknowledge their sins and who seek God's mercy and pardon. His grace and pardon not only frees us from a guilty conscience, it enables us to pursue holiness in thought and action as well.  God's grace enables us to fight fear with faith and to overcome the temptation to compromise goodness and truth with wrongdoing and falsehood.

John Chrysostom describes John's death as a crown:

In what way, then, was this just man harmed by this demise, this violent death, these chains, this imprisonment? Who are those he did not set back on their feet - provided they had a penitent disposition - because of what he spoke, because of what he suffered, because of what he still proclaims in our own day - the same message he preached while he was living. Therefore, do not say: "Why was John allowed to die?" For what occurred was not a death, but a crown, not an end, but the beginning of a greater life. Learn to think and live like a Christian. You will not only remain unharmed by these events, but will reap the greatest benefits.(ON THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD 22.10)

Do you rely on God's grace and help to choose his way of holiness and to reject whatever would compromise your faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ?

"Heavenly Father, form in me the likeness of your Son that I may imitate him in word and deed. Help me to live the Gospel faithfully and give me the strength and courage I need to not shrink back in the face of adversity and temptation."

Psalm 18:30, 46, 49-50

30 This God - his way is perfect;  the promise of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation
49 For this I will extol you, O LORD, among the nations,  and sing praises to your name.
50 Great triumphs he gives to his king, and shows mercy to his anointed, to David and his descendants for ever.

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Weakness of the Tyrant and the Power of the Beheaded, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)

"Note well the weakness of the tyrant compared to the power of the one in prison. Herod was not strong enough to silence his own tongue. Having opened it, he opened up countless other mouths in its place and with its help. As for John, he immediately inspired fear in Herod after his murder - for fear was disturbing Herod's conscience to such an extent that he believed John had been raised from the dead and was performing miracles (Mark 6:14-16)! In our own day and through all future time, throughout all the world, John continues to refute Herod, both through himself and through others. For each person repeatedly reading this Gospel says: 'It is not lawful for you to have the wife of Philip your brother' (Mark 6:18). And even apart from reading the Gospel, in assemblies and meetings at home or in the market, in every place... even to the very ends of the earth, you will hear this voice and see that righteous man even now still crying out, resounding loudly, reproving the evil of the tyrant. He will never be silenced nor the reproof at all weakened by the passing of time." (excerpt from ON THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD 22.8-9)

  

More Homilies

February 5, 2016