June 25, 2020 Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

2020년 6월 25일 연중 제12주간 목요일

 

 

제1독서

열왕기 하. 24,8-17
8 여호야킨은 열여덟 살에 임금이 되어, 예루살렘에서 석 달 동안 다스렸다. 그의 어머니 이름은 느후스타인데 예루살렘 출신 엘나탄의 딸이었다. 9 여호야킨은 자기 아버지가 하던 그대로 주님의 눈에 거슬리는 악한 짓을 저질렀다.
10 그때에 바빌론 임금 네부카드네자르의 부하들이 예루살렘으로 올라와서 도성을 포위하였다. 11 이렇게 그의 부하들이 예루살렘을 포위하고 있는 동안, 바빌론 임금 네부카드네자르가 이 도성에 이르렀다. 12 그러자 유다 임금 여호야킨은 자기 어머니와 신하들, 대신들과 내시들과 함께 바빌론 임금에게 항복하였다. 그리하여 바빌론 임금은 그의 통치 제팔년에 여호야킨을 사로잡았다.
13 주님께서 말씀하신 대로, 네부카드네자르는 주님의 집에 있는 모든 보물과 왕궁에 있는 모든 보물을 내가고, 이스라엘 임금 솔로몬이 주님의 집에 만들어 놓은 금 기물들을 모조리 떼어 냈다. 14 또한 온 예루살렘 주민과 모든 대신과 모든 용사 등 포로 일만 명과 모든 장인들과 대장장이들을 끌고 갔다. 그리하여 나라 백성 가운데 가난한 이들 말고는 아무도 남지 않았다. 15 네부카드네자르는 여호야킨을 모후와 왕비들, 내시들과 나라의 고관들과 함께 바빌론으로 끌고 갔다. 그들을 끌고 예루살렘에서 바빌론으로 데려간 것이다. 16 바빌론 임금은 또 훌륭한 사람 칠천 명과 장인과 대장장이 천 명 등, 전투할 수 있는 건장한 모든 사람을 바빌론으로 데려갔다.
17 그런 다음에 바빌론 임금은 여호야킨의 삼촌인 마탄야를 그 뒤를 이어 임금으로 세우고, 이름을 치드키야로 바꾸게 하였다.

 

 

복음

마태오. 7,21-29
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
21 “나에게 ‘주님, 주님!’ 한다고 모두 하늘 나라에 들어가는 것이 아니다. 하늘에 계신 내 아버지의 뜻을 실행하는 이라야 들어간다.
22 그날에 많은 사람이 나에게, ‘주님, 주님! 저희가 주님의 이름으로 예언을 하고, 주님의 이름으로 마귀를 쫓아내고, 주님의 이름으로 많은 기적을 일으키지 않았습니까?’ 하고 말할 것이다.
23 그때에 나는 그들에게, ‘나는 너희를 도무지 알지 못한다. 내게서 물러들 가라, 불법을 일삼는 자들아!’ 하고 선언할 것이다.
24 그러므로 나의 이 말을 듣고 실행하는 이는 모두 자기 집을 반석 위에 지은 슬기로운 사람과 같을 것이다. 25 비가 내려 강물이 밀려오고 바람이 불어 그 집에 들이쳤지만 무너지지 않았다. 반석 위에 세워졌기 때문이다.
26 그러나 나의 이 말을 듣고 실행하지 않는 자는 모두 자기 집을 모래 위에 지은 어리석은 사람과 같다. 27 비가 내려 강물이 밀려오고 바람이 불어 그 집에 휘몰아치자 무너져 버렸다. 완전히 무너지고 말았다.”
28 예수님께서 이 말씀들을 마치시자 군중은 그분의 가르침에 몹시 놀랐다. 29 그분께서 자기들의 율법 학자들과는 달리 권위를 가지고 가르치셨기 때문이다.

 

June 25, 2020

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Daily Readings — Audio 

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

 

Reading 12 kgs 24:8-17

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign,
and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 
His mother’s name was Nehushta,
daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
He did evil in the sight of the LORD,
just as his forebears had done.

At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
himself arrived at the city
while his servants were besieging it.
Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,
his ministers, officers, and functionaries,
surrendered to the king of Babylon, who,
in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.
And he carried off all the treasures
of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace,
and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel,
had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold.
He deported all Jerusalem:
all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number,
and all the craftsmen and smiths.
None were left among the people of the land except the poor.
He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon,
and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon
the king’s mother and wives,
his functionaries, and the chief men of the land.
The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylon
all seven thousand men of the army,
and a thousand craftsmen and smiths,
all of them trained soldiers.
In place of Jehoiachin,
the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king,
and changed his name to Zedekiah. 

Responsorial Psalmps 79:1b-2, 3-5, 8, 9

R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake. 
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us. 

Gospelmt 7:21-29

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.

 

 

http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow

 «Not everyone who says to me: ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven»

Fr. Joan Pere PULIDO i Gutiérrez
(Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain)

 

Today, Jesus' categorical claim strikes us: «Not everyone who says to me: ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my heavenly Father» (Mt 7:21). If nothing else, these words demand, in our condition as Christians, our responsibility while letting us feel the urge to bear witness to our faith.

Building the house on rock is a clear image that invites us to value our commitment to our faith, which cannot be limited to just a few nice words, but must be based on the authority of our achievements, impregnated with charity. In June, the Church remembers young St. Pelayo's life who, rather than giving up his faith, preferred to be executed by the moors in a most tortuous manner. St. Bernard, while recalling St. Pelayo's life, tells us in his treatise on customs and duties of bishops: «No matter how beautiful it may be, chastity is of no value and merit without charity. Purity without love is like an oil-candle with no oil; but wisdom claims: how beautiful wisdom is with love! With that love the Apostle explains to us: emanating from a pure heart, a straight conscience and a sincere faith».

With the strength of charity, Jesus expresses his authority with the clear word that dumbfounds people: «The crowds were struck by the way he taught, because he taught with authority unlike their teachers of the Law» (Mt 7:28-29). Today's contemplation and our prayer, must be followed by a serious consideration: how do I speak and behave like a Christian in my life?; how do I define my testimony?; how do I undertake the commandment of love in my life, whether personal, family, professional, etc.? Words and prayers without any commitment do not count, but only our desire to live in accordance with God's Project. Our prayer should always be an expression of our craving for doing good deeds along with a request for help, because we recognize our own failings.

Let our prayer, O Lord, to be always joined by the strength of charity.

 

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

 

Years ago I collaborated with a small group of peacemakers to form a nonprofit agency committed to providing conflict resolution services to our community.  Those were heady days as we worked to define our mission and core values.  We were discerning how our limited resources could have the most impact for our community and not simply talk a good game.  One of our wise founders said you  can easily understand a person’s values by examining their calendar and their bank account.  We used this wisdom to bring our mission to life.

I was reminded of this simple lesson as I read today’s Gospel from Matthew.  Jesus teaches that we must both hear the word of God and act on those words to enter the Kingdom of heaven.  It is not enough to study the word and simply proclaim it.  We must live the words through our actions.

The combination of the pandemic and the global cry for racial justice is providing the opportunity for us to each examine how we are bringing our values to action.  Jesus calls us to ensure our values are aligned with his teachings.  And he uses the metaphor of building a home as he implores us to build our home on rock so we can withstand all of the challenges and temptations of our secular world.

Today in prayer I ask for God’s support in exploring these questions:  Are my deeply held values grounded in the teaching of Jesus? Do I spend my time and money in alignment with these values?  How can I push myself to go beyond my comfort zone as Jesus so gracefully modeled throughout his life?   When I feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problems we face, how can I act in an impactful way?

Spending my gifts to act on the will of God is a rock solid plan.

 

 

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

GIFTS PLUS

“Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? Have we not exorcised demons by its power? Did we not do many miracles in Your name as well?” —Matthew 7:22

Jesus clearly states that we won’t get to heaven by using our spiritual gifts, but by doing the will of our heavenly Father (Mt 7:21). Some who have prophesied, driven out demons, and worked miracles may hear the dreadful words from Jesus: “I never knew you. Out of My sight, you evildoers!” (Mt 7:23) Some people wrongly conclude from this that the gifts of the Spirit are not important. However, unless we obey God’s command to set our hearts on the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 14:1), we will not be doing His will.
In addition to commanding us to seek His gifts, the Lord commands us to use the gifts of hospitality (Heb 13:2), redemptive suffering (2 Tm 1:8), ministry (1 Pt 4:10), intercession (1 Tm 2:1), mercy (Mt 18:33), encouragement (Heb 10:24-25), etc. Consequently, if we are not using the gifts of the Spirit, we are disobeying several of the Lord’s commandments and so are not doing the will of our heavenly Father. Therefore, to enter God’s kingdom, we must both use our spiritual gifts and obey the Lord in what He commands us. Using our spiritual gifts is an essential part, but only a part, of entering God’s kingdom.

Prayer:  Father, may I live “a life of obedience” (1 Pt 1:2).

Promise:  “Help us, O God our Savior, because of the glory of Your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for Your name’s sake.” —Ps 79:9

Praise:  The members of Don’s home-based community use the spiritual gifts of healing and prophecy at healing services throughout each year.

Reference:  (For a related teaching on Seek the Gifts of the Spirit, order, view or download our booklet or order, listen to, or download our CD 3A-1, CD 3A-3, CD 4A-1 and CD 4A-3 or DVD 3A and DVD 3B on our website.)

 

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

 "The wise who built their house upon the rock"

If you could foresee a threat to your life and the lose of your home and goods, wouldn't you take the      necessary precautions to avoid such a disaster? Jesus' story of being swept away by flood waters and wind storms must have caught the attention of his audience who knew that terrific storms did occasionally sweep through their dry arid land without any warning signs. When Jesus described the builders who were unprepared for such a life-threatening storm, he likely had the following proverb in mind: When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm for ever (Proverbs 10:25).

The only foundation that can keep us safe 
What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms and trials of life that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool one another with our words, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2).

There is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be proved, and that is by one's practice. Fine words can never replace good deeds. Our character is revealed in the choices we make, especially when we must choose between what is true and false, good and evil. Do you cheat on an exam or on your income taxes, especially when it will cost you? Do you lie, or cover-up, when disclosing the truth will cause you pain or embarrassment? A true person is honest and reliable before God, neighbor, and oneself. Such a person's word can be taken as trustworthy.

Christ is the only rock that can save us 
What can keep us from falsehood and spiritual disaster? If we make the Lord Jesus and his word the rock and foundation of our lives, then nothing can shake us nor keep us from God's presence and protection. Is the Lord Jesus and his word the one sure foundation of your life?

"Lord Jesus, you are the only foundation that can hold us up when trials and disaster threaten us. Give me the wisdom, foresight, and strength of character I need to do what is right and good and to reject whatever is false and contrary to your will. May I be a doer of your word and not a hearer only."

Psalm 79:1-5,8-9

1 O God, the heathen have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple;  they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 
2 They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the air for food, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. 
3 They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them. 
4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those round about us. 
5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry for ever? Will your jealous wrath burn like fire? 
8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our forefathers; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. 
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name;  deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name's sake!

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The house falls if Christ is not the rock and foundation, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)

"'For neither death nor life nor angels nor other things can separate us from the love of Christ' (Romans 8:38-39). Neither can the flooding of rivers, as in the lands of Egypt and Assyria [symbolize worldly wisdom opposed to God], do harm. Only those are harmed who build on sand, who practice the wisdom of the world. The winds that blow are like the false prophets. All these, coming together in one place, 'beat upon' the house. If it is founded on rock, they do no harm. 'The way of a snake upon a rock' is not to be found (Proverbs 30:19). But in the form of temptations and persecutions, which may mount into a flood, they beat upon even the one who seems to be well-founded. The house falls if it does not have Christ as its basis and foundation. But the truly wise person builds one's house 'upon a rock.' This is the way the Lord builds his church - upon the rock, with steadfastness and strength. This is why 'the gates of hell shall not prevail against it' (Matthew 16:18). All the persecutions that fall upon that house accomplish nothing. The house is founded upon the rock. (excerpt from FRAGMENT 153)

  

 

More Homilies

June 23, 2016 Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time