June 17, 2020 Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

2020년 6월17일 연중 제11주간 수요일

 

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

제1독서

열왕기 하. 2,1.6-14
1 주님께서 엘리야를 회오리바람에 실어 하늘로 들어 올리실 때였다.
엘리야와 엘리사가 길갈을 떠나 걷다가, 예리코에 도착하자
6 엘리야가 엘리사에게 말하였다.
“너는 여기 남아 있어라. 주님께서 나를 요르단 강으로 보내셨기 때문이다.”
그러나 엘리사는 “주님께서 살아 계시고 스승님께서 살아 계시는 한,
저는 결코 스승님을 떠나지 않겠습니다.” 하고 말하였다.
그래서 그 두 사람은 함께 떠났다.
7 예언자들의 무리 가운데 쉰 명이 그들을 따라갔다.

두 사람이 요르단 강 가에 멈추어 서자, 그들도 멀찍이 떨어져 멈추어 섰다.
8 엘리야가 겉옷을 들어 말아 가지고 물을 치니, 물이 이쪽저쪽으로 갈라졌다.
그리하여 그 두 사람은 마른땅을 밟고 강을 건넜다.
9 강을 건넌 다음 엘리야가 엘리사에게 물었다.
“주님께서 나를 너에게서 데려가시기 전에,
내가 너에게 해 주어야 할 것을 청하여라.”
그러자 엘리사가 말하였다.
“스승님 영의 두 몫을 받게 해 주십시오.”
10 엘리야가 말하였다. “너는 어려운 청을 하는구나.
주님께서 나를 데려가시는 것을 네가 보면 그대로 되겠지만,
보지 못하면 그렇게 되지 않을 것이다.”
11 그들이 이야기를 하면서 계속 걸어가는데,
갑자기 불 병거와 불 말이 나타나서 그 두 사람을 갈라놓았다.
그러자 엘리야가 회오리바람에 실려 하늘로 올라갔다.
12 엘리사는 그 광경을 보면서 외쳤다.
“나의 아버지, 나의 아버지! 이스라엘의 병거이시며 기병이시여!”
엘리사는 엘리야가 더 이상 보이지 않자,
자기 옷을 움켜쥐고 두 조각으로 찢었다.
13 엘리사는 엘리야에게서 떨어진 겉옷을 집어 들고 되돌아와 요르단 강 가에 섰다.
14 그는 엘리야에게서 떨어진 겉옷을 잡고 강물을 치면서,
“주 엘리야의 하느님께서는 어디에 계신가?” 하고 말하였다.
엘리사가 물을 치니 물이 이쪽저쪽으로 갈라졌다.
이렇게 엘리사가 강을 건넜다.

 

복음

마태오.6,1-6.16-18
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
1 “너희는 사람들에게 보이려고
그들 앞에서 의로운 일을 하지 않도록 조심하여라.
그러지 않으면 하늘에 계신 너희 아버지에게서 상을 받지 못한다.
2 그러므로 네가 자선을 베풀 때에는,
위선자들이 사람들에게 칭찬을 받으려고 회당과 거리에서 하듯이,
스스로 나팔을 불지 마라.
내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 그들은 자기들이 받을 상을 이미 받았다.
3 네가 자선을 베풀 때에는 오른손이 하는 일을 왼손이 모르게 하여라.
4 그렇게 하여 네 자선을 숨겨 두어라.
그러면 숨은 일도 보시는 네 아버지께서 너에게 갚아 주실 것이다.
5 너희는 기도할 때에 위선자들처럼 해서는 안 된다.
그들은 사람들에게 드러내 보이려고
회당과 한길 모퉁이에 서서 기도하기를 좋아한다.
내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 그들은 자기들이 받을 상을 이미 받았다.
6 너는 기도할 때 골방에 들어가 문을 닫은 다음,
숨어 계신 네 아버지께 기도하여라.
그러면 숨은 일도 보시는 네 아버지께서 너에게 갚아 주실 것이다.
16 너희는 단식할 때에 위선자들처럼 침통한 표정을 짓지 마라.
그들은 단식한다는 것을 사람들에게 드러내 보이려고 얼굴을 찌푸린다.
내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 그들은 자기들이 받을 상을 이미 받았다.
17 너는 단식할 때 머리에 기름을 바르고 얼굴을 씻어라.
18 그리하여 네가 단식한다는 것을 사람들에게 드러내 보이지 말고,
숨어 계신 네 아버지께 보여라.
그러면 숨은 일도 보시는 네 아버지께서 너에게 갚아 주실 것이다.”

 

June 17, 2020
Wednesday of the Eleventh 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 12 Kgs 2:1, 6-14

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,
he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here;
the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.”
“As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live,
I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.
And so the two went on together.
Fifty of the guild prophets followed and
when the two stopped at the Jordan,
they stood facing them at a distance.
Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up
and struck the water, which divided,
and both crossed over on dry ground.

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha,
“Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.”
Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”
“You have asked something that is not easy,” Elijah replied.
“Still, if you see me taken up from you,
your wish will be granted; otherwise not.”
As they walked on conversing,
a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them,
and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
When Elisha saw it happen he cried out,
“My father! my father! Israel’s chariots and drivers!”
But when he could no longer see him,
Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.

Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him,
and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan.
Wielding the mantle that had fallen from Elijah,
Elisha struck the water in his turn and said,
“Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”
When Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over.

 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 31:20, 21, 24

R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

 

Alleluia Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 GospelMt 6:1-6, 16-18Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.

And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

 

http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow

 

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

 

 

 We are all spending a lot of time in our inner rooms these days. Perhaps too much time. I for one would rather be spending more time in the churches/synagogues and on the street corners, perhaps armed with a prophetic mantle and accompanied by a vision of flaming horses and chariots. Now THAT would impress the skeptics!

Yet this gospel resonates in a deeper way for me during this time of COVID-19. This “new normal” remains deeply disorienting; I miss the rhythms of communal Mass and regular sacramental practice. I want to be out and about, engaging my church community, eating in restaurants, teaching my students, visiting my relatives, or even protesting without fear of crowd contagion. And I grapple with the creeping realization that the “way I used to know” is permanently consigned to the dustbin of history. Our medium-term future appears to be one of public masks, social distancing, and lots of time in our inner rooms. As much as I am comforted by my 7-year-old daughter’s recent comments to my wife – “We can find Jesus anywhere!” – I find myself wanting to seek Jesus outside my living room.

And this desire in itself is good. Jesus is not calling us in today’s gospel to consign our prayer and practice to the domestic sphere. This would make no sense for disciples called earlier in the Sermon on the Mount to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). Rather, the deeper challenge of today’s gospel is the demand to reevaluate our motives. Why do we pray, fast, give alms, or perform other righteous deeds? Public affirmation? Religious obligation? Therapeutic sentimentalism? Proving something to ourselves? Communion with God? Love of neighbor? If you’re like me, the honest answer is likely a combination of these and many other factors.

So without downplaying its economic costs, physical suffering, and social isolation, this time of COVID offers an opportunity. As a friend said recently, “I am thrown back on prayer right now.” It is in this deeper prayer that we can emerge with a more honest understanding of ourselves and our motivations. For, like Elisha, we too will be asked to cross back over the Jordan. May we use this time to prepare well. 

 

 

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

THE STRONGEST DESIRE

“Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha answered, ‘May I receive a double portion of your spirit.’ ” —2 Kings 2:9

All Christians have been baptized in the Holy Spirit (see Mk 1:8). We are immersed in the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Blessed Trinity. We are filled with the Spirit and surrounded by the Spirit. We are preoccupied with the Holy Spirit, if we are living our Baptisms fully.
It is normal for Christians living their Baptisms to desire full life in the Spirit even more than Elisha desired to receive a double portion of the Spirit which was upon Elijah (see 2 Kgs 2:9). It is normal for those baptized in the Spirit not to quench (1 Thes 5:19) nor grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30). Therefore, the Lord commands us to resist these temptations. It is normal for the baptized to thirst for the living waters of the Spirit (Jn 7:37-38) more than we thirst for any pleasure or need, even breath itself.
May we learn from Elisha to do whatever it takes to receive the Holy Spirit in a new Pentecost (2 Kgs 2:2ff). May we learn from the apostles to pray for as many days as necessary to increase our desire for the fullness of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:14). You are baptized in the Holy Spirit. Desire accordingly.

Prayer:  Father, may I want zealously what You want.

Promise:  “Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see. Otherwise expect no recompense from your heavenly Father.” —Mt 6:1

Praise:  George has grown in his love for Jesus in the Eucharist and now spends hours per week in Eucharistic adoration.

 

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

 When you pray, fast, and give alms

Why did Jesus single out prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for his disciples? The Jews considered these three as the cardinal works of the religious life. These were seen as the key signs of a pious person, the three great pillars on which the good life was based. Jesus pointed to the heart of the matter. Why do you pray, fast, and give alms? To draw attention to yourself so that others may notice and think highly of you? Or to give glory to God?

True piety and devotion to God
The Lord warns his disciples of self-seeking glory - the preoccupation with looking good and seeking praise from others. True piety is something more than feeling good or looking holy. True piety is loving devotion to God. It is an attitude of awe, reverence, worship and obedience. It is a gift and working of the Holy Spirit that enables us to devote our lives to God with a holy desire to please him in all things (Isaiah 11:1-2).

Completely united with God our Father 
What is the sure reward which Jesus points out to his disciples? It is union with God our Father. In him alone we find the fullness of life and happiness, truth and beauty, love and joy. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) wrote the following prayer in his Confessions: When I am completely united to you, there will be no more sorrows or trials; entirely full of you, my life will be complete.

The Lord rewards those who seek him with humble and repentant hearts. He renews us each day and he gives us new hearts of love and compassion that we may serve him and our neighbor with glad and generous hearts. Do you want to grow in your love for God and for your neighbor? Seek him expectantly in prayer, with fasting, and in generous giving to those in need.

“Lord Jesus, give me a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent charity, and a great love for you. Take from me all lukewarmness in meditating on your word, and dullness in prayer. Give me fervor and delight in thinking of you and your grace. Fill my heart with compassion for others, especially those in need, that I may respond with generosity.”

Psalm 112:1-2,5-9

1 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 
2 His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. 
6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered for ever. 
7 He is not afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. 
8 His heart is steady, he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire on his adversaries. 
9 He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever;  his horn is exalted in honor.

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Pray with the angels, by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.

"When you pray, it is as if you were entering into a palace - not a palace on earth, but far more awesome, a palace in heaven. When you enter there, you do so with complete attentiveness and fitting respect. For in the houses of kings all turmoil is set aside, and silence reigns. Yet here you are being joined by choirs of angels. You are in communion with archangels and singing with the seraphim, who sing with great awe their spiritual hymns and sacred songs to God, the Lord of all. So when you are praying, mingle with these voices, patterning yourself according to their mystical order. It is not to human beings that you are praying but to God, who is present everywhere, who hears even before you speak and who knows already the secrets of the heart. If you pray to this One, you shall receive a great reward. 'For your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.' He did not merely say he would give it to you but reward you, as if he himself had made a pledge to you and so honored you with a great honor. Because God himself is hidden, your prayer should be hidden." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 19.3)

  

 

More Homilies

June 20, 2018 Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time