2020년 11월 27일 연중 제34주간 금요일
제1독서
요한 묵시록. 20,1-4.11ㅡ21,2
나 요한은 1 한 천사가 하늘에서 내려오는 것을 보았습니다.
그는 지하의 열쇠와 큰 사슬을 손에 들고 있었습니다.
2 그 천사가 용을, 곧 악마이며 사탄인 그 옛날의 뱀을 붙잡아
천 년 동안 움직이지 못하도록 결박하였습니다.
3 그리고 그를 지하로 던지고서는 그곳을 잠그고 그 위에다 봉인을 하여,
천 년이 끝날 때까지 다시는 민족들을 속이지 못하게 하였습니다.
그 뒤에 사탄은 잠시 풀려나게 되어 있습니다.
4 나는 또 어좌들을 보았는데, 그 위에 앉은 이들에게 심판할 권한이 주어졌습니다.
그리고 예수님에 대한 증언과 하느님의 말씀 때문에
목이 잘린 이들의 영혼을 보았습니다.
그들은 그 짐승이나 그의 상에 경배하지도 않고
이마와 손에 표를 받지도 않은 사람들입니다.
그들은 살아나서 그리스도와 함께 천 년 동안 다스렸습니다.
11 나는 또 크고 흰 어좌와 그 위에 앉아 계신 분을 보았습니다.
땅과 하늘이 그분 앞에서 달아나 그 흔적조차 찾을 수가 없었습니다.
12 그리고 죽은 이들이 높은 사람 낮은 사람 할 것 없이
모두 어좌 앞에 서 있는 것을 보았습니다. 책들이 펼쳐졌습니다.
또 다른 책 하나가 펼쳐졌는데, 그것은 생명의 책이었습니다.
죽은 이들은 책에 기록된 대로 자기들의 행실에 따라 심판을 받았습니다.
13 바다가 그 안에 있는 죽은 이들을 내놓고,
죽음과 저승도 그 안에 있는 죽은 이들을 내놓았습니다.
그들은 저마다 자기 행실에 따라 심판을 받았습니다.
14 그리고 죽음과 저승이 불 못에 던져졌습니다. 이 불 못이 두 번째 죽음입니다.
15 생명의 책에 기록되어 있지 않은 사람은 누구나 불 못에 던져졌습니다.
21,1 나는 또 새 하늘과 새 땅을 보았습니다.
첫 번째 하늘과 첫 번째 땅은 사라지고 바다도 더 이상 없었습니다.
2 그리고 거룩한 도성 새 예루살렘이 신랑을 위하여 단장한 신부처럼 차리고
하늘로부터 하느님에게서 내려오는 것을 보았습니다.
복음
루카 21,29-33
그때에 예수님께서는 제자들에게
29 비유 하나를 말씀하셨다.
“무화과나무와 다른 모든 나무를 보아라.
30 잎이 돋자마자,
너희는 그것을 보고 여름이 이미 가까이 온 줄을 저절로 알게 된다.
31 이와 같이 너희도 이러한 일들이 일어나는 것을 보거든,
하느님의 나라가 가까이 온 줄 알아라.
32 내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다.
이 세대가 지나기 전에 모든 일이 일어날 것이다.
33 하늘과 땅은 사라질지라도 내 말은 결코 사라지지 않을 것이다.”
November 27, 2020
Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven,
holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a heavy chain.
He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent,
which is the Devil or Satan,
and tied it up for a thousand years and threw it into the abyss,
which he locked over it and sealed,
so that it could no longer lead the nations astray
until the thousand years are completed.
After this, it is to be released for a short time.
Then I saw thrones; those who sat on them were entrusted with judgment.
I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,
and who had not worshiped the beast or its image
nor had accepted its mark on their foreheads or hands.
They came to life and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Next I saw a large white throne and the one who was sitting on it.
The earth and the sky fled from his presence
and there was no place for them.
I saw the dead, the great and the lowly, standing before the throne,
and scrolls were opened.
Then another scroll was opened, the book of life.
The dead were judged according to their deeds,
by what was written in the scrolls.
The sea gave up its dead;
then Death and Hades gave up their dead.
All the dead were judged according to their deeds.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of fire.
(This pool of fire is the second death.)
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life
was thrown into the pool of fire.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (Rev. 21:3b) Here God lives among his people.
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
R. Here God lives among his people.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young?
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. Here God lives among his people.
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
They go from strength to strength.
R. Here God lives among his people.
Gospel
Jesus told his disciples a parable.
“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.”
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Friends, I have not studied the book of Revelation. Neither have I studied G. K. Chesterton in any depth. So, the Chesterton quote that today’s first reading brought to mind is among his most popular:
“The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon. Exactly what the fairy tale does is this: it accustoms him for a series of clear pictures to the idea that these limitless terrors had a limit, that these shapeless enemies have enemies in the knights of God, that there is something in the universe more mystical than darkness, and stronger than strong fear.”
-From The Red Angel by G.K. Chesterton published in Tremendous Trifles, 1909
The book of Revelation is not a fairy tale, but a mystical vision; still, they share themes and symbols, like the dragon. I have always loved stories, especially fantasy stories. I’m a sucker for a good hero cycle, a well-crafted redemption arc, and a clever reveal or plot twist. Stories like that may be literally fictional, but they can powerfully tell deeper truths about human nature, good, and evil. Stories are most powerful when they echo the Gospel truth we believe: good wins, love wins, because Christ has already defeated death and darkness and invited us to come with him into new life.
“Here God lives among his people. Blessed are [those] whose strength you are! They go from strength to strength,” the psalmist proclaims. The last line of the psalm and the last line of the Chesterton quote speak of strength. Perhaps it is the strength to go forth and do great things for God. As I write this, though, I think it is more like the courage to stand up and listen as God speaks, as the Gospel verse calls us to do; the courage to lean on God in the midst of strong fear, and to see our fears for what they are; the courage to love those we find difficult to love; the courage to continue acting on the belief that Christ has already won, putting one foot in front of the other, one day at a time, as we continue working towards the Kingdom. The old is passing away and we are invited to be new in Christ.
“A New Creation,” from A New Creation by René Clausen
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
TIME OUT
“The heavens and the earth will pass away, but My words will not pass.” —Luke 21:33
Imagine you thought today was Thanksgiving Day and you wondered where the turkey was. Then you found out you were the “turkey.” Did anyone ever call you at 3AM and ask if they woke you? These are situations where people have no sense of time.
This time warp is even worse in spiritual reality. Some people think they have years to live but really they have only minutes. Others expect our civilization and lifestyle to last forever, although history indicates just the opposite. Some think the “thousand year” millennium mentioned in Revelation hasn’t started; others think it’s about to end (Rv 20:3, 6). Some believe there’s no chance of Jesus’ final coming today; others say “soon and very soon.” Jesus says: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. You observe them when they are budding, and know for yourselves that summer is near. Likewise when you see all the things happening of which I speak, know that the reign of God is near” (Lk 21:29-31).
What time is it? “Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor 6:2) “It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent; the day draws near” (Rm 13:11-12; cf Eph 5:14). “You are not in the dark, brothers, that the day should catch you off guard, like a thief” (1 Thes 5:4).
“Therefore let us not be asleep like the rest, but awake and sober!” (1 Thes 5:6) God is signaling for a time-out. Time will be out and eternity will be in.
Prayer: Lord, I want to be ready.
Promise: “Then I saw new heavens and a new earth. The former heavens and the former earth had passed away.” —Rv 21:1
Praise: After his nearly fatal car accident, Matthew thanks God for each new day.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Do you recognize the signs of God's presence and action in your life and the world today? Jesus used the image of a fig tree to teach his disciples an important lesson about reading the "signs of the times." The fig tree was a common and important source of food for the Jews. It bore fruit twice a year, in the autumn and in the early spring. The Talmud (teachings and commentaries of the ancient rabbis on the Jewish Scriptures) said that the first fruit came the day after Passover. The Jews believed that when the Messiah came he would usher in the kingdom of God at Passover time.
Let the fruit of God's kingdom grow within you
The early signs of a changing season, such as springtime, summer, or autumn, are evident for all who can see and observe the changes. Just so are the signs of God's kingdom and his return in glory on the day of judgment. The "budding" of God's kingdom begins first in the hearts of those who are receptive to God's word. Those who trust in God's word will bear the fruits of his kingdom. And what are the fruits of that kingdom? "The kingdom of God ..is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). The Lord gives the first-fruits of his kingdom to those who open their hearts to him with expectant faith and trust in his word.
We do not know the day nor the hour when the Lord Jesus will return again in glory. But the Lord does give us signs, not only to "wake us up" as a warning, but also to "rouse our spirits" to be ready and eager to receive his kingdom when he comes in all his power and glory. The "Day of the Lord" will strike terror in those who have ignored or rejected God, but it will be a day of joy and rejoicing for those who long to see the Lord face-to-face. The Lord Jesus wants us to be filled with joyful anticipation for his coming again.
The Lord opens the word for us - listen and respond
While we wait for the Lord's physical return in glory, we can know his presence with us through the work and action of the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts. The Lord Jesus comes daily and frequently to those who long for him and he speaks tenderly to our hearts like a lover who whispers in the ear of the beloved. He comes to show us the way to our heavenly Father and to give us the hope of eternal life. Do you recognize his presence and do you listen to his word?
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all history, and the lord of all creation. Give me joyful hope and assurance that I will see you face to face and be united with you forever when you return in glory.
Psalm 119:49-56
49 Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction that your promise gives me life.
51 Godless men utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law.
52 When I think of your ordinances from of old, I take comfort, O LORD.
53 Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law.
54 Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.
55 I remember your name in the night, O LORD, and keep your law.
56 This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: My words will not pass away, by an anonymous early author from the early Greek fathers
"'This generation' refers both to those who suffer temptation and to those who cause it. It refers to sinners among men and to the demons who are at work in them. For neither group will cease being in the world until its consummation. For Christ said, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels' (Matthew 25:41). Moreover, it is necessary that the source of temptation be preserved as long as there is faith which needs testing. It is also possible, however, that 'this generation' refers to those mortal Christians who would not pass over into eternal life and be made immortal and impassible 'until' all the events about which Christ was speaking had taken place.
"'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away' because heaven and earth were created to serve you, but my words were uttered to govern you. Both heaven and earth are subject to vanity, as the apostle said, 'Creation is subject to vanity' (Romans 8:20). Truth, however, is by nature unable to deceive and can never die." (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 49, the Greek fathers).
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