2021년 3월 24일 사순 제5주간 수요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
<하느님께서는 천사를 보내시어 당신의 종들을 구해 내셨다.>
다니엘 예언서. 3,14-20.91-92.95
그 무렵 네부카드네자르 임금이 14 물었다.
“사드락, 메삭, 아벳 느고! 너희가 나의 신들을 섬기지도 않고
또 내가 세운 금 상에 절하지도 않는다니, 그것이 사실이냐?
15 이제라도 뿔 나팔, 피리, 비파, 삼각금, 수금, 풍적 등 모든 악기 소리가 날 때에
너희가 엎드려, 내가 만든 상에 절할 준비가 되어 있다면 몰라도,
그렇지 않으면 곧바로 타오르는 불가마 속으로 던져질 것이다.
그러면 어느 신이 너희를 내 손에서 구해 낼 수 있겠느냐?”
16 사드락과 메삭과 아벳 느고가 네부카드네자르 임금에게 대답하였다.
“이 일을 두고 저희는 임금님께 응답할 필요가 없습니다.
17 임금님, 저희가 섬기는 하느님께서 저희를 구해 내실 수 있다면,
그분께서는 타오르는 불가마와 임금님의 손에서 저희를 구해 내실 것입니다.
18 임금님, 그렇게 되지 않더라도, 저희는 임금님의 신들을 섬기지도 않고,
임금님께서 세우신 금 상에 절하지도 않을 터이니 그리 아시기 바랍니다.”
19 그러자 네부카드네자르는 노기로 가득 찼다.
그리고 사드락과 메삭과 아벳 느고를 보며 얼굴 표정이 일그러지더니,
가마를 여느 때에 달구는 것보다 일곱 배나 더 달구라고 분부하였다.
20 또 군사들 가운데에서 힘센 장정 몇 사람에게,
사드락과 메삭과 아벳 느고를 묶어
타오르는 불가마 속으로 던지라고 분부하였다.
91 그때에 네부카드네자르 임금이 깜짝 놀라 급히 일어서서 자문관들에게 물었다.
“우리가 묶어서 불 속으로 던진 사람은 세 명이 아니더냐?”
그들이 “그렇습니다, 임금님.” 하고 대답하자, 92 임금이 말을 이었다.
“그런데 내가 보기에는 네 사람이 결박이 풀렸을 뿐만 아니라,
다친 곳 하나 없이 불 속을 거닐고 있다.
그리고 넷째 사람의 모습은 신의 아들 같구나.”
95 네부카드네자르가 말하였다.
“사드락과 메삭과 아벳 느고의 하느님께서는 찬미받으소서.
그분께서는 당신의 천사를 보내시어,
자기들의 하느님을 신뢰하여 몸을 바치면서까지 임금의 명령을 어기고,
자기들의 하느님 말고는
다른 어떠한 신도 섬기거나 절하지 않은 당신의 종들을 구해 내셨다.”
복음
<아들이 너희를 자유롭게 하면 너희는 정녕 자유롭게 될 것이다.>
요한. 8,31-42
그때에 31 예수님께서 당신을 믿는 유다인들에게 말씀하셨다.
“너희가 내 말 안에 머무르면 참으로 나의 제자가 된다.
32 그러면 너희가 진리를 깨닫게 될 것이다.
그리고 진리가 너희를 자유롭게 할 것이다.”
33 그들이 예수님께 말하였다.
“우리는 아브라함의 후손으로서 아무에게도 종노릇한 적이 없습니다.
그런데 어찌 ‘너희가 자유롭게 될 것이다.’ 하고 말씀하십니까?”
34 예수님께서 그들에게 대답하셨다.
“내가 진실로 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 죄를 짓는 자는 누구나 죄의 종이다.
35 종은 언제까지나 집에 머무르지 못하지만, 아들은 언제까지나 집에 머무른다.
36 그러므로 아들이 너희를 자유롭게 하면 너희는 정녕 자유롭게 될 것이다.
37 나는 너희가 아브라함의 후손임을 알고 있다. 그런데 너희는 나를 죽이려고 한다.
내 말이 너희 안에 있을 자리가 없기 때문이다.
38 나는 내 아버지에게서 본 것을 이야기하고,
너희는 너희 아비에게서 들은 것을 실천한다.”
39 그들이 “우리 조상은 아브라함이오.” 하자, 예수님께서 그들에게 말씀하셨다.
“너희가 아브라함의 자손이라면 아브라함이 한 일을 따라 해야 할 것이다.
40 그런데 너희는 지금, 하느님에게서 들은 진리를
너희에게 이야기해 준 사람인 나를 죽이려고 한다.
아브라함은 그런 짓을 하지 않았다.
41 그러니 너희는 너희 아비가 한 일을 따라 하는 것이다.”
그래서 그들이 예수님께 말하였다.
“우리는 사생아가 아니오. 우리 아버지는 오직 한 분, 하느님이시오.”
42 예수님께서 그들에게 이르셨다.
“하느님께서 너희 아버지시라면 너희가 나를 사랑할 것이다.
내가 하느님에게서 나와 여기에 와 있기 때문이다.
나는 나 스스로 온 것이 아니라 그분께서 나를 보내신 것이다.”
March 24, 2021
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
"Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?"
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
"There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up."
King Nebuchadnezzar's face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
"Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?"
"Assuredly, O king," they answered.
"But," he replied, "I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God."
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God."
Responsorial Psalm
Dn 3:52, 53, 55, 56
"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Gospel
Jn 8:31-42
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, 'You will become free'?"
Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father."
They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham."
Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!"
So they said to him, "We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God."
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me."
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Today’s readings begin with an encounter between the faithful Hebrews -- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego -- and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. After the king summoned his royal administrators to a desert convocation, they were asked to worship a golden idol. Most of them were fine with this -- whatever the king demands, they would do. Except some of them noted that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not show up at the convocation. “Who do these dissenters think they are! Let’s tell on them!” The king felt affronted, likely prompted by these tattletales. He then called the three dissenters to account.
Their response to the king is calm, measured, and clear: “If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O King, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up.” No fear or compromise -- just plainspoken commitment to follow the truth. They were not eager to become martyrs, but they had chosen to follow God wherever he would lead them.
This enraged the king, but his evil response produced a miracle that later caused him to repent. That was not his first repentance, of course. But for many of us, sometimes it takes more than one miracle!
This story about faithfulness reminds me of these verses: “Study the generations long past and understand; has anyone hoped in the Lord and been disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his fear and been forsaken? Has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?” (Sirach 2:10) Sirach also writes this warning: “Woe to craven hearts and drooping hands, to the sinner who treads a double path!” (v. 12). Dissonance between the truth and our willingness to live by it eventually gets sorted out. Let us resolve the dissonance before woe comes to us!
We may not face a fiery furnace, but we have similar tensions caused by demands to conform to the world rather than to conform to the truth of our faith. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, let us follow their example not to compromise but instead to persevere. Their witness caused the king to repent! If you need musical accompaniment for additional inspiration, I suggest that you try the late Johnny Cash, who along with his wife June Carter, sings through the story with enthusiasm here. “They held on to the will of God so we are told. They would not bow before the idols made of gold. They were protected by the Fourth Man in the fire. They wouldn’t bend, they wouldn’t bow, they wouldn’t burn.” I have always loved that music, which has stayed with me from my youth.
Today’s gospel presents tough words by our Lord to some good folks who, according to the text, had “believed in him” already. Perhaps they believed, but that belief did not produce understanding. I also get that feeling sometimes, don’t you? But Jesus did not mince words about the dissonance between how they thought of themselves and the reality of their condition. I sometimes hear people say, “I’d like to think that….” Of course, we would like to think many things, but that does not make them so! I am also one of those people. It is hard to see ourselves as we are, particularly when we need mercy and forgiveness for our faults and flaws.
Lord, help us see ourselves as we are, but also to see your offer of mercy just as clearly. Help us to run toward you while we have the ability to do so. Give us courage to live truly and not by lies, knowing that you are near us, even in the fire. Deliver us especially from droopy hands and double paths, which lead us away from the good we desire and so desperately need. Thanks be to God.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Do you know the joy, peace, and freedom which God offers to those who trust in him and obey his word? God sent his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to bring us God's kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Jesus came to rescue us from our sinful pride and slavery to sin. He came to rescue us from Satan's snares and the clutches of hell, and to free us from the world's temptation to empty glory and lust for greed and power. Only Jesus can truly set us free and reconcile us with God - every other way falls short of God's plan to save and deliver us from death, corruption, and sin.
Why did the religious authorities reject Jesus's offer of freedom, forgiveness, and new life in the kingdom of God? Despite Jesus' numerous signs and miracles, the Jewish authorities could not accept his claim to speak and act in the name of his heavenly Father. They were blinded by their misguided ideas of how the Messiah would restore Israel and rule the earth. And Jesus revealed to them how Satan had led them into temptation - both to reject him as the Messiah and to thwart his claim by killing him.
Jesus met their opposition and hostility with courage and determination to do his Father's will. He willingly embraced the cross in order to destroy the works of Satan and to save both Jews and Gentiles through his atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. Jesus shows us the way to the kingdom of God - through faith and obedience to God's word and will for our lives. To be a follower and disciple of the Lord Jesus requires faith and obedience - they are two sides of the same coin. The word disciple literally means one who learns from the Master and who listens to the voice of the Teacher. And the word for obedience literally means to listen under and be subordinate to the one who has rightful authority to teach and command what is just and true.
The free gift of faith
How can we grow in faith and discipleship - by faithfully following the Lord and obeying his word. Faith is a free supernatural gift of God. It is more than just a belief in the truths of God. It is first and foremost a personal relationship of trust and obedience to the Lord and his word. The Lord is worthy of our complete trust and wholehearted devotion because he is utterly reliable, just and true, and he is faithful to his word. That is why we can entrust our lives to him and submit to him without reservation.
God does not leave us in the dark or remain distant and silent. He reveals himself to all who earnestly seek him and hunger for his truth. God, in fact, first seeks us out and draws us to himself. We could not find him if he did not first seek to reveal himself to us. That is why we need to respond to God's gracious gift of invitation with an open and receptive heart that wants to listen, learn, and receive what God wishes to give us. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said, "I believe, in order to understand - and I understand, the better to believe" (Sermon 43:7,9).
The test of faith
In the Old Testament Book of Daniel we see a remarkable example of faith being put to the test in the midst of trial and adversity. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three young companions of Daniel, were commanded by the king of Persia to bow down and submit to the pagan idols of his nation, they unhesitatingly said, "We will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up" (Daniel 3:18). They knew God's command, "Do not worship false idols"(Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 12:29-31). They decided it was far better to obey God and entrust their lives to him rather than give in to the threats of others. God gave them courage to take a bold stand for their faith. They willingly accepted the King's punishment as they were bound and thrown into a burning fiery furnace.
Daniel tells us how God was very present to these three young men as they proclaimed their faith in him. God showed his presence to the three men and walked with them in the fiery furnace. As a remarkable sign of God's power to the pagan rulers of Persia, God kept the three men from harm and delivered them from death (Daniel 3:25,28). Do you trust in God to give you his help and strength when your faith is put to the test?
True and false sources of identity
The scribes and Pharisees, who were the religious authorities of the Jews, questioned Jesus' authority to speak and act in God's name. They questioned Jesus' claim to forgive sins and to set people free from slavery to sin. They understood that only God had power to forgive sins and to release people from their burden of guilt and shame. They refused to accept that Jesus' authority was given to him by his Father in heaven. Jesus tells them that they think evil of him and desire to kill him because they are under the influence and power of the "father of lies" who is opposed to the one true Father and Creator who made us in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27).
Jesus explains that he is speaking of two different senses of "fatherhood". The first is a physical identity through natural fatherhood. And the second and more significant identity is a self-chosen one that is the result of being led and formed in a moral way of thinking and living one's life that has been shaped through the example, words, and influence of someone we are consciously or unconsciously following and imitating.
We do not grow or learn in a vacuum. We are shaped for better or for worse by those we choose to imitate and follow. Sin leads us away from God's truth and the help he gives us to follow him. Slavery to sin is ultimately rooted in the father of lies (John 8:44), whom Scripture calls the devil (Luke 4:1) and Satan (Luke 10:18), the ruler of this present world who is opposed to God (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
True freedom comes from God
The freedom which Jesus offers his followers is freedom from the power of sin, Satan, and the worldly influence of those who oppose God and his ways. We are powerless to set ourselves free from bondage to Satan, sin, and death (Romans 3:23; 5:6). That is why the Lord Jesus took our sins upon himself and nailed them to the cross (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5-6; Colossians 2:14). His death on the cross has won victory and pardon for us, and peace with God. Through Jesus' sacrifice we are not only forgiven and reconciled with God - we become the adopted sons and daughters of God (Romans 8:14-16). We can call God our Father because the Lord Jesus has reconciled us and redeemed us from slavery to sin and Satan.
A redeemed slave is not entirely free until all of his chains and weights have been broken and destroyed. The Lord Jesus alone has the power to release us from every chain and burden that would keep us in bondage to sinful habits and hurtful desires. Are there any chains - any sinful patterns, harmful attitudes, and addictive behavior - that you need to be released from? Allow the Lord Jesus to unbind you and bring you healing, pardon, and freedom to walk in his way of love and truth. The Lord Jesus sets us free from slavery to our own selfishness and sinful desires in order to set us free for a joy-filled life of love and service for his kingdom. Paul the Apostle reminds us that Christ has won freedom for each one of us - not to serve ourselves or do as we please - but rather to please the Lord and to serve our neighbors in love for their sake (Galatians 5:1,13). Do you accept and believe Christ's word of truth, love, and freedom for your life?
Lord Jesus, write your words of love and truth upon my heart and make me a diligent student and a worthy disciple of your word.
Psalm 18: 25-27
25 With the loyal you show yourself loyal; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26 with the pure you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.
27 For you deliver a humble people; but the haughty eyes you bring down.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The upright of heart, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Do you know who the upright of heart are? They are those who wish what God wishes. Therefore, do not try to twist God's will to you own but correct your will to that of God. The will of God is a rule of conduct. By it you have the means of being converted and of correcting your evil ways." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 93,18)
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