March 2, 2021 Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

2021년 3월 2일 사순 제2주간 화요일 

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

제1독서

이사야서 1,10.16-20
10 소돔의 지도자들아, 주님의 말씀을 들어라.
고모라의 백성들아, 우리 하느님의 가르침에 귀를 기울여라.
16 너희 자신을 씻어 깨끗이 하여라.
내 눈앞에서 너희의 악한 행실들을 치워 버려라.
악행을 멈추고 17 선행을 배워라. 공정을 추구하고 억압받는 이를 보살펴라.
고아의 권리를 되찾아 주고 과부를 두둔해 주어라.
18 주님께서 말씀하신다.
“오너라, 우리 시비를 가려보자.
너희의 죄가 진홍빛 같아도 눈같이 희어지고
다홍같이 붉어도 양털같이 되리라.
19 너희가 기꺼이 순종하면 이 땅의 좋은 소출을 먹게 되리라.
20 그러나 너희가 마다하고 거스르면 칼날에 먹히리라.”
주님께서 친히 말씀하셨다. 

 

복음 

마태오. 23,1-12 

 1 그때에 예수님께서 군중과 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.

2 “율법 학자들과 바리사이들은 모세의 자리에 앉아 있다.
3 그러니 그들이 너희에게 말하는 것은 다 실행하고 지켜라.
그러나 그들의 행실은 따라 하지 마라. 그들은 말만 하고 실행하지는 않는다.
4 또 그들은 무겁고 힘겨운 짐을 묶어 다른 사람들 어깨에 올려놓고,
자기들은 그것을 나르는 일에 손가락 하나 까딱하려고 하지 않는다.
5 그들이 하는 일이란 모두 다른 사람들에게 보이기 위한 것이다.
그래서 성구갑을 넓게 만들고 옷자락 술을 길게 늘인다.
6 잔칫집에서는 윗자리를, 회당에서는 높은 자리를 좋아하고,
7 장터에서 인사받기를, 사람들에게 스승이라고 불리기를 좋아한다.
8 그러나 너희는 스승이라고 불리지 않도록 하여라.
너희의 스승님은 한 분뿐이시고 너희는 모두 형제다.
9 또 이 세상 누구도 아버지라고 부르지 마라.
너희의 아버지는 오직 한 분, 하늘에 계신 그분뿐이시다.
10 그리고 너희는 선생이라고 불리지 않도록 하여라.
너희의 선생님은 그리스도 한 분뿐이시다.
11 너희 가운데에서 가장 높은 사람은 너희를 섬기는 사람이 되어야 한다.
12 누구든지 자신을 높이는 이는 낮아지고 자신을 낮추는 이는 높아질 것이다.”

March 2, 2021

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent 

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

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

eading 1

Is 1:10, 16-20

Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!

Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.

Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;
But if you refuse and resist,
the sword shall consume you:
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken! 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?"
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God. 

Gospel

Mt 23:1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master';
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; 

but whoever humbles himself will be exalted." 

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

 Today’s readings share a common theme, a call for renewal. The passages from the first chapter of Isaiah point out the hypocrisy of external acts of ritual practiced along side injustice. The Psalm continues the rebuke of those religious actions which are not partnered with ethical action. The Gospel acclamation is an explicit call for repentance and change. In the Gospel Jesus takes issue with publicizing the signs of one’s religious practice and one’s standing.

In the first reading, Isaiah calls out the leadership of Jerusalem as being deserving of punishment like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. In the intervening verses, which are not included in today’s reading, he outlines the shortcomings and hypocrisy of these individuals, and he calls on them to change.

In the Gospel, Jesus makes clear his opinion of those with lay leadership roles in Jerusalem’s Jewish community. He points out their double standard in the application of Mosaic Law. Jesus goes on to address attempts on the part of these leaders and of his own disciples who would use religiosity to gain praise and honor.

Lately I have been giving attention to my thoughts before falling asleep. I would like to claim that it is prayerful reflection, but it is not and seldom has been. As I move into “retirement”, I am noticing a change in these thoughts. During my busiest years, these thoughts often had a focus on the shortcomings of others. More recently these thoughts tend to look at my own shortcomings. A few weeks ago, I started to label this as an awareness of “my inner Pharisee.” During my busiest years, I tended to follow the rules or at the very least justify my actions in terms of the greater good. I became very judgmental of others, often with the harshest judgments for those whose actions mirrored my own inadequacies. I integrated the titles and awards that I received into my self image. While avoiding boastfulness, I would not have called myself the picture of humility. Although I still drew my motivation from what I considered important rather than the opinions of others, the need to exceed the performance of those others in terms of teaching, research and service as well as being regarded as “Doctor” or “Professor” were clearly parts of my ego. I had a disproportionately high opinion of myself. If I imagine myself in today’s Gospel, after Jesus’ comments I see myself walking away with my tail between my legs (as was likely also the case for some of His disciples).

My prayer today is a call for personal renewal.

Dear Lord,
It is so much easier to make pronouncements than to listen.
Grant me the understanding that true empathy brings.
Before attempting to judge others, allow me to recall my own failings.
Free me from the desire to serve my own ego.
Help me to keep in mind that my mission is more about others and less about me.

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

 

MARCH MADNESS

“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” —Matthew 23:12

It’s March, and in the USA college basketball tournaments, known fondly as “March Madness,” are in full swing. Hundreds of athletes have trained diligently for months and are competing for the chance to be exalted as “Number One.”
An athlete practices to make his or her vertical jump higher and jump shot more accurate. We disciples of Jesus, however, must train ourselves to grow in humility much more diligently than any athlete trains to win a tournament. “Athletes deny themselves all sorts of things” to win a contest (1 Cor 9:25), but “the discipline of religion” and training in humility “with its promise of life here and hereafter” is “incalculably more” important than any athletic contest (1 Tm 4:8). They train to win a trophy; we train to spend eternity with Jesus!
This Lent, let us work much harder at discipleship, especially in the virtue of humility. We can practice growing in humility by:
• actively seeking “the lowest place” (Lk 14:10),
• keeping our deeds of mercy secret (Mt 6:4),
• fasting so that no one is aware of it (Mt 6:16-18),
• taking the less desirable tasks and chores,
• decreasing so that Jesus increases (Jn 3:30), and
• forgiving and serving those who hurt us.
“Bow humbly under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may lift you high” (1 Pt 5:6).

Prayer:  Father, I will clothe myself with humility (1 Pt 5:5) and continually extol You as Lord (Ps 34:4, RNAB).

Promise:  “Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow.” —Is 1:18

Praise:  Jesus healed Martha’s shoulder at a healing service.

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

 Who doesn't desire the praise and respect of others? We want others to see us at our best with all of our strengths and achievements - rather than at our worst with all of our faults and shortcomings. God sees us as we truly are - sinners and beggars always in need of his mercy, help, and guidance.

The prophet Isaiah warned both the rulers and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah to humbly listen and submit to God's teaching so they could learn to do good and to cease from evil (Isaiah 110,17). Jesus warned the scribes and Pharisees, the teachers and rulers of Israel, to teach and serve their people with humility and sincerity rather than with pride and self-promotion. They went to great lengths to draw attention to their religious status and practices. In a way they wanted to be good models of observant Jews. "See how well we observe all the ritual rules and regulations of our religion!" In their misguided zeal for religion they sought recognition and honor for themselves rather than for God. They made the practice of their faith a burden rather than a joy for the people they were supposed to serve.

True respect for God inclines us to humble ourselves and to submit to his wisdom and guidance. We cannot be taught by God unless we first learn to listen to his word and then obey his instruction.

One Father and Teacher
Was Jesus against calling anyone a rabbi, the Jewish title for a teacher of God's word (Matthew 23:7-8), or a father? The law of Moses in Scripture specifically instructed all fathers to be teachers and instructors for their children to help them understand and obey God's instructions (Deuteronomy 6:7)? Why did Jesus rebuke the scribes and Pharisees, the religious authorities of the Jewish people, in the presence of his disciples? Jesus wanted to warn both his own disciples and the religious leaders about the temptation to seek honors and titles that draw attention to ourselves in place of God and his word. Pride tempts us to put ourselves first above others.

The Scriptures give ample warning about the danger of self-seeking pride: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; Proverbs 3:24).

Origen (185-254 AD), an early Christian teacher and bible scholar, reminds those who teach and lead to remember that they are first and foremost "disciples" and "servants" who sit at the feet of their Master and Teacher the Lord Jesus Christ:

"You have one teacher, and you are all brothers to each other...Whoever ministers with the divine word does not put himself forward to be called teacher, for he knows that when he performs well it is Christ who is within him. He should only call himself servant according to the command of Christ, saying, Whoever is greater among you, let him be the servant of all."

True humility
Respect for God and for his ways inclines us to humility and to simplicity of heart - the willing readiness to seek the one true good who is God himself. What is the nature of true humility and why should we embrace it as essential for our lives? We can easily mistake humility as something demeaning or harmful to our sense of well-being and feeling good about ourselves. True humility is not feeling bad about yourself, or having a low opinion of yourself, or thinking of yourself as inferior to all others. True humility frees us from preoccupation with ourselves, whereas a low self-opinion tends to focus our attention on ourselves. Humility is truth in self-understanding and truth in action. Viewing ourselves honestly, with sober judgment, means seeing ourselves the way God sees us (Psalm 139:1-4).

A humble person makes a realistic assessment of oneself without illusion or pretense to be something one is not. A truly humble person regards oneself neither smaller nor larger than one truly is. True humility frees us to be ourselves as God regards us and to avoid falling into despair and pride. A humble person does not want to wear a mask or put on a facade in order to look good to others. Such a person is not swayed by accidentals, such as fame, reputation, success, or failure. Do you know the joy of Christ-like humility and simplicity of heart?

Humility is the queen or foundation of all the other virtues because it enables us to see and judge correctly, the way God sees. Humility helps us to be teachable so we can acquire true knowledge, wisdom, and an honest view of reality. It directs our energy, zeal, and will to give ourselves to something greater than ourselves. Humility frees us to love and serve others willingly and selflessly, for their own sake, rather than for our own. Paul the Apostle gives us the greatest example and model of humility in the person of Jesus Christ, who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and... who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). Do you want to be a servant as Jesus loved and served others? The Lord Jesus gives us his heart - the heart of a servant who seeks the good of others and puts their interests first in his care and concern for them.

Lord Jesus, you became a servant for my sake to set me free from the tyranny of selfish pride and self-concern. Teach me to be humble as you are humble and to love others generously with selfless service and kindness.

Psalm 50:8-9,16-17,21,23

8 I do not reprove you for your sacrifices; your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will accept no bull from your house, nor he-goat from your folds.
16 But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.
21 These things you have done and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.
23 He who brings thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me; to him who orders his way aright I will show the salvation of God!"

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Who are the proud? by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Who are the proud? Those who do not perform penance and confess their sins in order to be healed through humility. Who are the proud? Those who attribute to themselves the few good qualities they seem to possess and endeavor to diminish the mercy of God. Who are the proud? Those who, while attributing to God the good they accomplish, insult others for not performing such works and raise themselves above them." (Commentary on Psalm 93, 15)

 

 

More Homilies

March 10, 2020 Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent