2020년 9월 10일 연중 제23주간 목요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
코린토 1서.8,1ㄷ-7.11-13
형제 여러분, 1 지식은 교만하게 하고 사랑은 성장하게 합니다.
2 자기가 무엇을 안다고 생각하는 사람은
마땅히 알아야 할 것을 아직 알지 못합니다.
3 그러나 하느님을 사랑하는 사람은, 하느님께서도 그를 알아주십니다.
4 그런데 우상에게 바쳤던 제물과 관련하여,
우리는 “세상에 우상이란 없다.”는 것과
“하느님은 한 분밖에 계시지 않는다.”는 것을 알고 있습니다.
5 하늘에도 땅에도 이른바 신들이 있다 하지만
─ 과연 신도 많고 주님도 많습니다만 ─
6 우리에게는 하느님 아버지 한 분이 계실 뿐입니다.
모든 것이 그분에게서 나왔고 우리는 그분을 향하여 나아갑니다.
또 주님은 예수 그리스도 한 분이 계실 뿐입니다.
모든 것이 그분으로 말미암아 있고 우리도 그분으로 말미암아 존재합니다.
7 그렇지만 누구나 다 지식이 있는 것은 아닙니다.
어떤 이들은 아직까지도 우상에 익숙해져 있기 때문에,
우상에게 바쳤던 제물을 정말로 그렇게 알고 먹습니다.
그리고 그들의 약한 양심이 더럽혀집니다.
11 그래서 약한 그 사람은 그대의 지식 때문에 멸망하게 됩니다.
그리스도께서는 그 형제를 위해서도 돌아가셨습니다.
12 여러분이 이렇게 형제들에게 죄를 짓고 약한 그들의 양심에 상처를 입히는 것은
그리스도께 죄를 짓는 것입니다.
13 그러므로 음식이 내 형제를 죄짓게 한다면,
나는 내 형제를 죄짓게 하지 않도록
차라리 고기를 영영 먹지 않겠습니다.
복음
루카. 6,27-38
때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
27 “내 말을 듣고 있는 너희에게 내가 말한다. 너희는 원수를 사랑하여라.
너희를 미워하는 자들에게 잘해 주고,
28 너희를 저주하는 자들에게 축복하며,
너희를 학대하는 자들을 위하여 기도하여라.
29 네 뺨을 때리는 자에게 다른 뺨을 내밀고,
네 겉옷을 가져가는 자는 속옷도 가져가게 내버려 두어라.
30 달라고 하면 누구에게나 주고,
네 것을 가져가는 이에게서 되찾으려고 하지 마라.
31 남이 너희에게 해 주기를 바라는 그대로 너희도 남에게 해 주어라.
32 너희가 자기를 사랑하는 이들만 사랑한다면 무슨 인정을 받겠느냐?
죄인들도 자기를 사랑하는 이들은 사랑한다.
33 너희가 자기에게 잘해 주는 이들에게만 잘해 준다면 무슨 인정을 받겠느냐?
죄인들도 그것은 한다.
34 너희가 도로 받을 가망이 있는 이들에게만 꾸어 준다면 무슨 인정을 받겠느냐?
죄인들도 고스란히 되받을 요량으로 서로 꾸어 준다.
35 그러나 너희는 원수를 사랑하여라.
그에게 잘해 주고 아무것도 바라지 말고 꾸어 주어라.
그러면 너희가 받을 상이 클 것이다.
그리고 너희는 지극히 높으신 분의 자녀가 될 것이다.
그분께서는 은혜를 모르는 자들과 악한 자들에게도 인자하시기 때문이다.
36 너희 아버지께서 자비하신 것처럼 너희도 자비로운 사람이 되어라.
37 남을 심판하지 마라. 그러면 너희도 심판받지 않을 것이다.
남을 단죄하지 마라. 그러면 너희도 단죄받지 않을 것이다.
용서하여라. 그러면 너희도 용서받을 것이다.
38 주어라. 그러면 너희도 받을 것이다.
누르고 흔들어서 넘치도록 후하게 되어 너희 품에 담아 주실 것이다.
너희가 되질하는 바로 그 되로 너희도 되받을 것이다.”
September 10, 2020
Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
Reading 1
Brothers and sisters:
Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.
If anyone supposes he knows something,
he does not yet know as he ought to know.
But if one loves God, one is known by him.
So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols:
we know that there is no idol in the world,
and that there is no God but one.
Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth
(there are, to be sure, many "gods" and many "lords"),
yet for us there is
one God, the Father,
from whom all things are and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are and through whom we exist.
But not all have this knowledge.
There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.
Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction,
the brother for whom Christ died.
When you sin in this way against your brothers
and wound their consciences, weak as they are,
you are sinning against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin,
I will never eat meat again,
so that I may not cause my brother to sin.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Probe me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
and lead me in the way of old.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
"Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you."
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Hmmm, no parable today, but an extensive list of directives: “love your enemies…give to everyone who asks…pray for those who mistreat you…stop judging”. This is quite a “To Do” list for a Christian. And as a mere mortal, it is a bit overwhelming to take in, let alone try to incorporate it in my daily life.
Learning to be merciful or to stop condemning takes a long time. Knowing myself, I know I will not be able to get to that place where I can always follow the instructions Jesus laid out for us in today’s Gospel. So, do I just give up? Or do I ask for help as in today’s Psalm: “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.” Maybe I just got lucky or maybe God is trying to reinforce the idea that asking for help is not a bad idea as shortly after I said that prayer, I ran across The Grace of Silence, (Pantheon Books, 2010) by Michelle Norris. Her description of the response of African American World War II veterans to the racist treatment they suffered reminded me of today’s gospel. Her book provided models of everyday people who embodies Jesus’s directives.
“…I’ve since spoken to black World War II veterans, who like Belvin Norris [her father], endured slights and indignities while and after serving their country. To a man, they’d kept their stories to themselves, refusing to discuss them with their lovers or wives, their children or coworkers or fellow church members. Tales of bitterness or victimization did not jibe with the narratives of themselves they’d created….The treatment of black veterans during and after World War II is a hard truth for America to embrace. Unlike the civil rights struggle of the sixties, which enshrined clear-cut heroes and villains, discriminations suffered by black veterans challenges the country’s core values (page 124)…The story of these men and women instances a special brand of grace: they had every reason to stoke their anger at America but chose instead to seek a higher ground. While they hoped for and, in some cases, demanded the right to vote, fair wages, and equal housing, they were also asserting a much more basic claim. They wanted the right simply to be ordinary: to be able to walk into Woolworth’s, order a ham sandwich and savor it on the spot; to be able to fly a kite with a son or daughter anywhere in a park without fear of retribution…..” (Page 125).
The conclusion she came to in trying to understand her father’s silence about his experience of police brutality right after he was discharged from the Navy, was that he did not want his life or his children’s lives to be defined by that trauma. While his silence carried a high personal cost, his daughter Michelle, was able to grow up believing she could be anything she wanted. His silence protected her and gave her the confidence to become who she is, a successful journalist. Her live was not defined by fear based on her father’s experience. His silence created a space and opportunity for her to pursue her dreams and empowered her not to believe her life would be limited by the color of her skin.
The African American WW II veterans seems to personify the directives Jesus laid out for us today. Their grace and their dignity in demanding to be able to vote or just to be able to use a restroom helped us become a better nation and we have all benefited from their sacrifices, not just their sons and daughters. Their bravery in asking America to live up to its core values paved the way in dismantling a system that restricted people’s lives based on the color of their skin. Not that we are past that issue. It is a long journey to create inclusive communities where all are welcomed. By being “do-ers of the word, not hearers” these brave veterans moved us closer to the vision Jesus laid out in today’s gospel.
Along with Jesus’ tough instructions, I will remember the line from today’s first reading: “love builds up” as I try to follow in the footsteps of the World War II veterans and act so I ‘build up’ everyone.
This refleciton was first written for this day in 2018.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
HOW TO LOVE YOUR ENEMIES LAVISHLY
“Love your enemies.” —Luke 6:27
Jesus commanded His followers: “To you who hear Me, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Lk 6:27). A few verses later, Jesus repeated: “Love your enemy and do good” (Lk 6:35). This may be the use of the literary device called an inclusion. Ancient texts had no paragraphs. An inclusion is one way the author could indicate when the treatment of a subject begins and ends. The use of an inclusion greatly affects the interpretation of these verses.
Jesus may be commanding us to show our love to our enemies more than we show it to our friends. We may be called to lavishly love our enemies who have not repented but are presently hurting us. They continue to hate (Lk 6:27), curse, maltreat (Lk 6:28), and slap us (Lk 6:29). They may even be presently stealing from us (Lk 6:29). We as followers of Jesus are at the same time to love them by doing them good (Lk 6:27), blessing and praying for them (Lk 6:28), and even make it easier for them to hurt us and steal from us (Lk 6:29). We are to give to all these enemies (Lk 6:30) and even give them loans without expecting repayment (Lk 6:34).
This interpretation of these verses would seem absurd but for St. Paul’s admonition: “ ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; by doing this you will heap burning coals upon his head.’ Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good” (Rm 12:20-21). Ultimately, this interpretation seems confirmed by Jesus’ death on the cross. When Jesus was crucified, He poured out infinite love and mercy on His enemies — many of whom would never repent.
By His grace, love your enemies as Jesus does.
Prayer: Father, may I live the radical life of the baptized.
Promise: “The measure you measure with will be measured back to you.” —Lk 6:38
Praise: Joe pled against the death penalty for his daughter’s killer.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
What makes Christians different and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? It is grace - treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with loving-kindness and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so. How much harder when we can expect nothing in return.
Give and forgive - the two wings of prayer
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) describes Jesus double precept togive and forgive as two essential wings of prayer:
Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given you. These are the two wings of prayer on which it flies to God. Pardon the offender what has been committed, and give to the person in need" (Sermon 205.3). "Let us graciously and fervently perform these two types of almsgiving, that is, giving and forgiving, for we in turn pray the Lord to give us things and not to repay our evil deeds" (Sermon 206.2).
Bless and do not curse
Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil. How can we possibly love those who cause us harm or ill-will? With God all things are possible. He gives power and grace to those who believe in and accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. His love conquers all, even our hurts, fears, prejudices and griefs. Only the cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and gives us the courage to return evil with good. Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. That is why Paul the Apostle tells those who know the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to "bless and not curse.. nor take revenge.. and to overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:14,17,21). Do you know the power of God's love, mercy, and righteousness (moral goodness) for overcoming evil with good?
Lord Jesus, your love brings freedom and pardon. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and set my heart free with your merciful love that nothing may make me lose my temper, ruffle my peace, take away my joy, nor make me bitter towards anyone.
Psalm 139:1-3,13-14,23-24
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
13 For you formed my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for you are awesome and wonderful. Wonderful are your works! You know me right well;
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The virtue of charity, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"Love is commanded when it is said, 'Love your enemies'" so that the saying which was uttered already before the church may be fulfilled: 'Set in order love in me' (Song of Solomon 2:4). For love is set in order when the precepts of love are formed. See how it began from the heights and cast the law underneath the backs of the Gospel's blessing. The law commands the revenge of punishment (see Exodus 21:23-36). The gospel bestows love for hostility, benevolence for hatred, prayer for curses, help for the persecuted, patience for the hungry and grace of reward. How much more perfect the athlete who does not feel injury!" (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.73)
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