2020년 11월 13일 연중 제32주간 금요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
요한 2서. 4-9
선택받은 부인이여,
4 그대의 자녀들 가운데, 우리가 아버지에게서 받은 계명대로
진리 안에서 살아가는 사람들이 있는 것을 보고 나는 매우 기뻤습니다.
5 부인, 이제 내가 그대에게 당부합니다.
그러나 내가 그대에게 써 보내는 것은 무슨 새 계명이 아니라
우리가 처음부터 지녀 온 계명입니다. 곧 서로 사랑하라는 것입니다.
6 그리고 그 사랑은 우리가 그분의 계명에 따라 살아가는 것이고,
그 계명은 그대들이 처음부터 들은 대로
그 사랑 안에서 살아가야 한다는 것입니다.
7 속이는 자들이 세상으로 많이 나왔습니다.
그들은 예수 그리스도께서 사람의 몸으로 오셨다고 고백하지 않는 자들입니다.
그런 자는 속이는 자며 ‘그리스도의 적’입니다.
8 여러분은 우리가 일하여 이루어 놓은 것을 잃지 않고
충만한 상을 받을 수 있도록 자신을 살피십시오.
9 그리스도의 가르침 안에 머물러 있지 않고
그것을 벗어나는 자는 아무도 하느님을 모시고 있지 않습니다.
이 가르침 안에 머물러 있는 이라야 아버지도 아드님도 모십니다.
복음
루카. 17,26-37
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
26 “사람의 아들의 날에도 노아 때와 같은 일이 일어날 것이다.
27 노아가 방주에 들어가는 날까지
사람들은 먹고 마시고 장가들고 시집가고 하였는데,
홍수가 닥쳐 그들을 모두 멸망시켰다.
28 또한 롯 때와 같은 일이 일어날 것이다.
사람들은 먹고 마시고 사고팔고 심고 짓고 하였는데,
29 롯이 소돔을 떠난 그날에
하늘에서 불과 유황이 쏟아져 그들을 모두 멸망시켰다.
30 사람의 아들이 나타나는 날에도 그와 똑같을 것이다.
31 그날 옥상에 있는 이는 세간이 집 안에 있더라도 그것을 꺼내러 내려가지 말고,
마찬가지로 들에 있는 이도 뒤로 돌아서지 마라.
32 너희는 롯의 아내를 기억하여라.
33 제 목숨을 보존하려고 애쓰는 사람은 목숨을 잃고,
목숨을 잃는 사람은 목숨을 살릴 것이다.
34 내가 너희에게 말한다. 그날 밤에 두 사람이 한 침상에 있으면,
하나는 데려가고 하나는 버려둘 것이다.
35 두 여자가 함께 맷돌질을 하고 있으면,
하나는 데려가고 하나는 버려둘 것이다.”
(36)·37 제자들이 예수님께, “주님, 어디에서 말입니까?” 하고 묻자,
예수님께서 그들에게 이르셨다.
“시체가 있는 곳에 독수리들도 모여든다.”
November 13, 2020
Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
[Chosen Lady:]
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth
just as we were commanded by the Father.
But now, Lady, I ask you,
not as though I were writing a new commandment
but the one we have had from the beginning:
let us love one another.
For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments;
this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning,
in which you should walk.
Many deceivers have gone out into the world,
those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh;
such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for
but may receive a full recompense.
Anyone who is so “progressive”
as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God;
whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.”
They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather.”
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Today’s readings could, if one were so disposed, create fear in us. In the first reading from the second letter of John, one could become anxious about the warning against being deceived by those who say they represent true teaching but in fact do not.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus leads the disciples, and us, to reflect on scary times that occurred in the past; namely, the Great Flood, in which only Noah and his family were spared, and the raining of fire and brimstone upon the town of Sodom (and the subsequent turning of Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt), as well as frightening images of people being separated at the Second Coming.
And the reading ends with a grim picture of vultures circling a carcass. These are a lot of doom and gloom images in one day’s scriptures!
But, as is always the case with God, we need to sit a while, be still, reflect a little deeper, and ask the Spirit to speak to us.
When I first read these passages, I admit they added to the anxiety I was already feeling about many things going on in the world today: confusion, a pandemic, rivalry and distrust, and uncertainty about the future.
But upon further reflection I saw the simplicity of the letter to the new Christians, urging them to focus on loving one another and not being swayed by the Gnostics, who denied that Jesus was fully human as well as fully God. I saw how God’s will does prevail, because what once was a great threat to the Church (Gnosticism) was overcome and vanquished. And that bolstered my faith.
In the Gospel, Jesus warns us not to be totally consumed with the daily preoccupations we all have. These things are not wrong – eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, building – they are the stuff of life. But there is more, much more, beyond those activities. And on that Truth, the truth that Jesus came in the flesh to lead all souls to heaven, we should reflect and be centered upon each and every day.
“Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.” So easily said, but so rife with heavy repercussions. Throughout our lives we do seek our own preservation. But down deep, I believe all human beings, let alone people of faith, know that there is much more to life than just building ourselves up. If we only seek our own glorification, we find ourselves empty indeed.
And the image of the vultures circling the carcass I now saw as Jesus allaying his followers’ fears about when and where the end times would happen. He was saying, “It will be obvious, if you stay close to me, to the Holy Spirit. Don’t worry about it.” Again, this is God’s world and we don’t need to worry about anything except touching base with God as often as we can.
Today is the Feast Day of St. Frances Cabrini, and she is a marvelous example of putting one’s faith and trust in the Lord. She had all the odds stacked against her. She was born two months premature in Italy in 1850, at a time when that usually did not mean survival. Out of the 13 children her parents had, she was one of only four who lived to adulthood.
And she was frail the rest of her life – so frail and sickly that she was rejected from a religious order of nuns, so she went off by herself to serve people as she felt called. Her tenacious spirit of service gathered followers, and eventually she established her own faith community. She wanted to lead her sisters to be missionaries to China, but God had other plans. The pope asked her to serve the throngs of poor Italian immigrants in America, and in 1889 she emigrated to the U.S. with six sisters and they began their new work.
Because one woman listened to the Spirit of God’s whispers in her heart, this patron saint of immigrants went on to found orphanages, schools and hospitals, 67 in all, in several U.S. cities as well as other countries.
Mother Cabrini followed God’s promptings in her heart, seeking not to preserve her life but to lose it for love of God and neighbor. We can do the same.
And when we feel anxious, we can Be Still and Know That He is God, and that he will work all things together for good.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED
“Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it; whoever loses it will keep it.” —Luke 17:33
At the very end of the world, two people will be “in one bed; one will be taken and the other left” (Lk 17:34). Two women will be working together; “one will be taken and the other left” (Lk 17:35). What determines whether a person is taken to meet Jesus or left for destruction?
Jesus answered: “Wherever the carcass is, there will the vultures gather” (Lk 17:37). A carcass is a dead body. Thus Jesus is saying that, where there is death, there the vultures of the end-time destruction will gather. He is referring to the spiritual death due to sin (see Rm 6:23). So those repentant of their sins will fly away, and those left behind are earthbound because of the weight of their unrepented sins.
To escape the end times, we must be living bodies, not dead carcasses. We should be pro-life in the fullest sense of the word. We must not only be against abortion but against sins of violence, hatred, racism, unforgiveness, injustice, and pornography. The death at the world’s end will only destroy those already among the living dead (1 Jn 3:14). At the world’s end, the spiritually dead will be destroyed physically, and the spiritually alive will meet Jesus (1 Thes 4:17).
Prayer: Father, “subject us not to the trial but deliver us from the evil one” (Mt 6:13).
Promise: “Anyone who is so ‘progressive’ that he does not remain rooted in the teaching of Christ does not possess God, while anyone who remains rooted in the teaching possesses both the Father and the Son.” —2 Jn 9
Praise: Mother Cabrini has become a symbol of care for the immigrant. Born in Italy, she came to the United States in 1889. She helped educate and catechize countless Italian Americans. She was the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
What can nature teach us about the return of the Lord Jesus on the day of final judgment at the end of the world? Jesus quoted a familiar proverb to his audience: Where the body is, there the eagles (or vultures) will be gathered together (Luke 17:37). Eagles, like vultures, are attracted to carrion - the carcass of dying or dead animals. The Book of Job describes the eagle spying out its prey from afar (Job 39:29). The eagles swoop to catch their prey when the conditions are right, especially if the prey is exposed and vulnerable to a surprise attack. Severely weakened or dying prey have no chance of warding off forces that can destroy and kill.
Sign of the gathering eagles and vultures
What's the point of this analogy? When the day of God's final judgment and vindication comes, the scene and location will be obvious to all. Those who have rejected God and refused to believe in his Son the Lord Jesus Christ will perish on the day of judgment - just like the beasts of prey who are cut off from the land of the living. The Lord Jesus will vindicate those who have believed in him and he will reward them with everlasting joy and happiness in his kingdom. The return of the Lord Jesus at the close of this present age is certain, but the time is unknown. The Day of the Lord's judgment and final verdict will come swiftly and unexpectedly. Jesus warns his listeners to not be caught off guard when that day arrives. It will surely come in God's good time!
Those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord will enter his everlasting kingdom
What does Jesus mean when he says that one person will be taken and another left? God judges everyone individually on how each person has responded to his gracious mercy and invitation to accept his Son as Lord and Ruler over all. The Lord Jesus gives us personal freedom to accept or reject him as Lord and Savior. We are free to live as citizens of his kingdom or to choose for the kingdom of darkness that stands in opposition to God and his rule. No one can pass off their personal responsibility to someone else - no matter how close the ties may be in this present life. We will each have to give an account to the Judge of All for how we have accepted or rejected him as our lord and savior.
The good news is that the Lord Jesus freely offers each one of us the grace, strength, and help we need to turn to him to receive pardon for our sins and healing for our minds and hearts so we can embrace his good will for our lives and find the way to our heavenly Father's home. The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in his wisdom, truth, and love. The Holy Spirit helps us to turn away from sin and rebellion and to embrace God's way of love, righteousness (moral goodness), and holiness.
The Lord's warning of judgment is motivated by his love for each one of us. He does not desire the death of any one (Ezekiel 18:23 and 33:11). He bids us to choose for life rather than death - for goodness and righteousness rather than sin and evil (Deuteronomy 30:19). The Lord's 'Day of Judgment' will bring terror and disaster for those who have not heeded his warning or who have refused his gracious help. The Day of the Lord's Return will be a cause for great joy and vindication for those who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus.
The choices we make now - for or against Christ - will either lead us on the path of life or death - heaven or hell
God's Day of Judgment is a cause for great joy and reward for those who have waited with patient hope and longing for the Lord Jesus to return again in glory and power. The people in Noah's time ignored the Lord's warning of judgment because their hearts were hardened and they were rebellious towards God. When the great flood swept over the earth, they missed the boat, literally! Whose boat or safety net are you staking your life on - the world's life-raft to short-lived success and happiness or to the indestructible Ark of God whose foundation is Jesus Christ and his victorious cross? Those whose hope is firmly anchored in heaven will not be disappointed when the day of final judgment comes. They rejoice even now that their names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20) and they look with eager longing for the day when they will see the Lord face to face (Revelation 22:4). Is your hope firmly placed in the Lord Jesus and his return in glory?
Lord Jesus Christ, I place all my hope in you because you have redeemed the world by your death on the cross and by your victory over the grave. Help me to never lose sight of the goal of heaven that I may live each day in joyful anticipation of your return in glory.
Psalm 19:1-4
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Those working in the field are sowing the Word of God, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"'He that will be on the housetop, do not let him go down. He that will be in the field, do not let him turn back.' How may I understand what is the field unless Jesus himself teaches me? He says, 'No one putting his hand to the plough (plow) and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God' (Luke 9:62). The lazy person sits in the farmhouse, but the industrious person plants in the field. The weak are at the fireplace, but the strong are at the plough. The smell of a field is good, because the smell of Jacob is the smell of a full field (Genesis 27:27). A field is full of flowers. It is full of different fruits. Plough your field if you want to be sent to the kingdom of God. Let your field flower, fruitful with good rewards. Let there be a fruitful vine on the sides of your house and young olive plants around your table (Psalm 127:3). Already aware of its fertility, let your soul, sown with the Word of God and tilled by spiritual farming, say to Christ, 'Come, my brother, let us go out into the field' (Song of Solomon 7:11). Let him reply, 'I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my vintage of myrrh' (Song of Solomon 5:1). What is better than the vintage of faith, by which the fruit of the resurrection is stored and the spring of eternal rejoicing is watered?" (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 8.43.27)
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