March 20, 2021Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

2021년 3월 20일 사순 제4주간 토요일 

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

<저는 도살장으로 끌려가는 순한 어린양 같았습니다.>

제1독서

예레미야서. 11,18-20
18 주님께서 저에게 알려 주시어 제가 알아차리게 되었습니다.
당신께서 저에게 그들의 악행을 보여 주셨습니다.
19 그런데도 저는 도살장으로 끌려가는 순한 어린양 같았습니다.
저는 그들이 저를 없애려고 음모를 꾸미는 줄 알아차리지 못했습니다.
“저 나무를 열매째 베어 버리자. 그를 산 이들의 땅에서 없애 버려
아무도 그의 이름을 다시는 기억하지 못하게 하자.”
20 그러나 정의롭게 판단하시고 마음과 속을 떠보시는 만군의 주님
당신께 제 송사를 맡겨 드렸으니
당신께서 저들에게 복수하시는 것을 보게 해 주소서. 

 

복음

<메시아가 갈릴래아에서 나올 리가 없지 않은가?>

요한. 7,40-53
그때에 예수님의 40 말씀을 들은 군중 가운데 어떤 이들은,
“저분은 참으로 그 예언자시다.” 하고,
41 어떤 이들은 “저분은 메시아시다.” 하였다.
그러나 이렇게 말하는 이들도 있었다.
“메시아가 갈릴래아에서 나올 리가 없지 않은가?
42 성경에 메시아는 다윗의 후손 가운데에서,
그리고 다윗이 살았던 베들레헴에서 나온다고 하지 않았는가?”
43 이렇게 군중 가운데에서 예수님 때문에 논란이 일어났다.
44 그들 가운데 몇몇은 예수님을 잡으려고 하였지만,
그분께 손을 대는 자는 아무도 없었다.
45 성전 경비병들이 돌아오자 수석 사제들과 바리사이들이,
“왜 그 사람을 끌고 오지 않았느냐?” 하고 그들에게 물었다.
46 “그분처럼 말하는 사람은 지금까지 하나도 없었습니다.” 하고
성전 경비병들이 대답하자,
47 바리사이들이 그들에게 말하였다.
“너희도 속은 것이 아니냐?
48 최고 의회 의원들이나 바리사이들 가운데에서 누가 그를 믿더냐?
49 율법을 모르는 저 군중은 저주받은 자들이다.”
50 그들 가운데 한 사람으로
전에 예수님을 찾아왔던 니코데모가 그들에게 말하였다.
51 “우리 율법에는 먼저 본인의 말을 들어 보고
또 그가 하는 일을 알아보고 난 뒤에야,
그 사람을 심판하게 되어 있지 않습니까?”
52 그러자 그들이 니코데모에게 대답하였다.
“당신도 갈릴래아 출신이라는 말이오?
성경을 연구해 보시오. 갈릴래아에서는 예언자가 나지 않소.”
53 그들은 저마다 집으로 돌아갔다. 

March 20, 2021

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent 

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

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

Reading 1

Jer 11:18-20

I knew their plot because the LORD informed me;
at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings.
Yet I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter,
had not realized that they were hatching plots against me:
"Let us destroy the tree in its vigor;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will be spoken no more."
But, you, O LORD of hosts, O just Judge,
searcher of mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause!
 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12

R. (2a) O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
O LORD, my God, in you I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers and rescue me,
Lest I become like the lion's prey,
to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
Do me justice, O LORD, because I am just,
and because of the innocence that is mine.
Let the malice of the wicked come to an end,
but sustain the just,
O searcher of heart and soul, O just God.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
A shield before me is God,
who saves the upright of heart;
A just judge is God,
a God who punishes day by day.
R.O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
 

Gospel

Jn 7:40-53

Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said,
"This is truly the Prophet."
Others said, "This is the Christ."
But others said, "The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?
Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David's family
and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?"
So a division occurred in the crowd because of him.
Some of them even wanted to arrest him,
but no one laid hands on him.
So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees,
who asked them, "Why did you not bring him?"
The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this man."
So the Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived?
Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed."
Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, 
"Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him
and finds out what he is doing?"
They answered and said to him,
"You are not from Galilee also, are you? 

Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee."

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

 In John 7 40-53 we continue to read about Jesus’ public ministry and gain insight into the community’s response to his teachings. The community includes followers who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. There are community members like the Guards who are not sure, Jesus’s teachings have caused them to question what they know.  The guards begin to doubt what they thought was the truth. Then there are the Chief Priests and Pharisees who are convinced Jesus is treacherous and they want to get rid of Jesus.  They outwardly reject Jesus, his teachings and all he represents. 

As I place myself in the crowd and imagine myself listening and observing Jesus and the events, I am very attentive. I am troubled at what I am hearing from the crowd and yet when I am near Jesus, I can feel the stirrings in my ‘heart’ and ‘gut.’  I have a feeling of safety, calmness, love and grace. I want to follow this man they call Messiah.  During Lent 2021 I seek the same direction. I seek safety, a calmness, and a grace and a desire to listen to God. During this Lenten season I have committed to spend more time in his presence. To sustain a daily practice where I sit quietly in total stillness in God’s presence.  I know that to experience God’s presence there are other ways to do so. I can walk outside and be with nature.  I can be in a community of people and observe the graces that emerge. I can be anywhere and if I stop, listen, and observe I can be in God’s presence.  As I contemplate, I recall several occurrences in this past week that I have experienced God. 

I took my niece and husband for their COVID-19 vaccination at a mass vaccination clinic at Creighton University. Hundreds of volunteers were serving others …God was there. 

Our weather pattern in Omaha, Nebraska has had quite the extremes. Three weeks ago, Omaha, Nebraska had -27F degree temperatures and over 12 inches of snow fall on the ground. This week, Omaha’s forecasts temperatures are as high as 66F degrees.  I am reminded of God’s beauty in nature.

Yesterday, during my morning prayer and reflection I was reminded to think of others and step outside of myself. So I responded and made a phone call to someone who was not feeling well and wrote a few notes to let others know I was thinking and praying for them.  Thank you for this message. 

This past week I read a disturbing email and I wanted to respond with a ‘critical-cautionary’ email … but I paused. Perhaps I did not understand the situation, I needed to recognize and respect that there could be a new and different way to proceed …. God was present reminding me too not be critical. To let it go, to step back, to pause.  Thank you, God for today’s scripture reading which reminded me to be open to new ways.  

Today, my Lenten prayer is to ask God to continue to show me the light, the way, to show me how to love deeper, to increase my understanding of others, to be patient in my observations, to be courageous and faithful, open to new ways of faithful living; and to let go of the tension, anger and anxiety. To rest, hand over the control, and to feel safe from all that makes me weary.  I pray this gives me new energy to move toward the daily challenges with renewed hope and faith and eternal love. 

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

 

“THE AVENGER OF BLOOD” (NM 35:12)

“Let me witness the vengeance You take on them.” —Jeremiah 11:20

The people to whom Jeremiah prophesied were treacherously planning to kill him (Jer 11:19). Jeremiah risked his neck to serve God, and he wanted God to back him up by taking vengeance on these enemies. In addition, Jeremiah wanted to see it personally.
We Christians have enemies also. Unlike Jeremiah, we do get to witness the vengance God takes on them. We see:
• Jesus destroying the devil’s works (1 Jn 3:8),
• the pride of the powerful crushed as they gaze upon Jesus crucified (see Is 52:15),
• sinners emerging from the confessional with tears of repentance and gratitude as Jesus in His vengeance robs Satan of still more of his former captives (Col 2:15).
God commands in His Word: “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves; leave that to [Me]...‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay’ ” (Rm 12:19). Yet we can have a role. God’s Word tells us: “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” (Rm 12:20).
God is perfectly just (1 Cor 1:30; Is 30:18). He is able to punish the wicked until they are forced to choose for Him or against Him (2 Pt 2:9). He can avenge by acting in justice or avenge through mercy. Let’s do our part as God’s agents so His enemies and ours receive the right kind of vengeance from God (Rm 12:20).

Prayer:  Father, may the burning coals of kindness I pour on my enemies melt their hearts and lead them to You.

Promise:  “No man ever spoke like that before.” —Jn 7:46

Praise:  In prayer, Jan made a distinct decision to be kind to a cantankerous neighbor and saw that woman grow in love in response to her kindness.

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

 

 

 

More Homilies

March 28, 2020 Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent