2021년 6월 22일 연중 제12주간 화요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
<너와 나 사이에 싸움이 일어나서는 안 된다. 우리는 한 혈육이 아니냐?>
창세기. 13,2.5-18
2 아브람은 가축과 은과 금이 많은 큰 부자였다.
5 아브람과 함께 다니는 롯도 양과 소와 천막들을 가지고 있었다.
6 그래서 그 땅은 그들이 함께 살기에는 너무 좁았다.
그들의 재산이 너무 많아 함께 살 수가 없었던 것이다.
7 아브람의 가축을 치는 목자들과
롯의 가축을 치는 목자들 사이에 다툼이 일어나기도 하였다.
그때 그 땅에는 가나안족과 프리즈족이 살고 있었다.
8 아브람이 롯에게 말하였다. “우리는 한 혈육이 아니냐? 너와 나 사이에,
그리고 내 목자들과 너의 목자들 사이에 싸움이 일어나서는 안 된다.
9 온 땅이 네 앞에 펼쳐져 있지 않느냐? 내게서 갈라져 나가라.
네가 왼쪽으로 가면 나는 오른쪽으로 가고,
네가 오른쪽으로 가면 나는 왼쪽으로 가겠다.”
10 롯이 눈을 들어 요르단의 온 들판을 바라보니,
초아르에 이르기까지 어디나 물이 넉넉하여
마치 주님의 동산과 같고 이집트 땅과 같았다.
그때는 주님께서 소돔과 고모라를 멸망시키시기 전이었다.
11 롯은 요르단의 온 들판을 제 몫으로 선택하고 동쪽으로 옮겨 갔다.
이렇게 두 사람은 서로 갈라지게 되었다.
12 아브람은 가나안 땅에서 살고, 롯은 요르단 들판의 여러 성읍에서 살았다.
롯은 소돔까지 가서 천막을 쳤는데,
13 소돔 사람들은 악인들이었고, 주님께 큰 죄인들이었다.
14 롯이 아브람에게서 갈라져 나간 다음, 주님께서 아브람에게 말씀하셨다.
“눈을 들어 네가 있는 곳에서 북쪽과 남쪽을, 또 동쪽과 서쪽을 바라보아라.
15 네가 보는 땅을 모두 너와 네 후손에게 영원히 주겠다.
16 내가 너의 후손을 땅의 먼지처럼 많게 할 것이니,
땅의 먼지를 셀 수 있는 자라야 네 후손도 셀 수 있을 것이다.
17 자, 일어나서 이 땅을 세로로 질러가 보기도 하고
가로로 질러가 보기도 하여라. 내가 그것을 너에게 주겠다.”
18 아브람은 천막을 거두어,
헤브론에 있는 마므레의 참나무들 곁으로 가서 자리 잡고 살았다.
그는 거기에 주님을 위하여 제단을 쌓았다.
복음
<남이 너희에게 해 주기를 바라는 그대로 남에게 해 주어라.>
마태오. 7,6.12-14
때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
6 “거룩한 것을 개들에게 주지 말고, 너희의 진주를 돼지들 앞에 던지지 마라.
그것들이 발로 그것을 짓밟고 돌아서서 너희를 물어뜯을지도 모른다.
12 남이 너희에게 해 주기를 바라는 그대로 너희도 남에게 해 주어라.
이것이 율법과 예언서의 정신이다.
13 너희는 좁은 문으로 들어가라.
멸망으로 이끄는 문은 넓고 길도 널찍하여 그리로 들어가는 자들이 많다.
14 생명으로 이끄는 문은 얼마나 좁고 또 그 길은 얼마나 비좁은지,
그리로 찾아드는 이들이 적다.”
June 22, 2021
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Gn 13:2, 5-18
Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.
Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,
so that the land could not support them if they stayed together;
their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.
There were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock
and those of Lot’s.
(At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites
were occupying the land.)
So Abram said to Lot:
“Let there be no strife between you and me,
or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are kinsmen.
Is not the whole land at your disposal?
Please separate from me.
If you prefer the left, I will go to the right;
if you prefer the right, I will go to the left.”
Lot looked about and saw how well watered
the whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar,
like the LORD’s own garden, or like Egypt.
(This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain
and set out eastward.
Thus they separated from each other;
Abram stayed in the land of Canaan,
while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain,
pitching his tents near Sodom.
Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked
in the sins they committed against the LORD.
After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram:
“Look about you, and from where you are,
gaze to the north and south, east and west;
all the land that you see I will give to you
and your descendants forever.
I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth;
if anyone could count the dust of the earth,
your descendants too might be counted.
Set forth and walk about in the land, through its length and breadth,
for to you I will give it.”
Abram moved his tents and went on to settle
near the terebinth of Mamre, which is at Hebron.
There he built an altar to the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1b) He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.
“Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.”
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets. “ - Matthew
At the end of two months of imposing on my friend Jane for rides to church due to a broken ankle, I happily informed her that she was off the hook. I was surprised by her response.
“Oh, but we’ve had so much fun,” she said.
We quickly agreed to continue carpooling, alternating driving. Eventually I became the chauffeur as we continued having “so much fun” on Saturday evenings until the pandemic closed churches. Sadly, Jane died before they reopened.
Ironically one of my most treasured friendships was rooted in doing something I hate: asking for help.
I thought about this when I meditated on Jesus’ admonition to do to others what we would have them do to us. I think the contrary also applies. We need to let others do for us what we would happily do for them. I see Jesus telling us to mutually support each other. And that’s harder than it seems.
Most of the women I know are “Marthas” who bring extra food to potlucks or bake sales just in case someone shows up empty handed. Midwestern women????? Are you kidding? We were raised to say we preferred chicken wings to breasts or thighs so our families could have their choice. It felt good to do for others what we would have others do for us if we ever gave them that chance.
Ironically, when we deprive others of the joy of giving, we risk falling into the traps of martyrdom and victimhood that lead to resentment and guilt feelings. You can tell that I speak from experience!
Above all, Jesus wants us to form healthy relationships with others. We need to play the roles of giver and receiver with equal comfort and ease. We believe that when we give, we receive, but in receiving, we give others the chance to give.
I am so thankful that Jane told me that she had had “so much fun” driving me to church because years later, when she became unable to drive, the memory of how our partnership began allowed her to accept my help more comfortably. I doubt that she would have asked for those rides if our longtime pattern hadn’t existed. It’s tough to overcome backgrounds like ours.
And I know Jesus smiled as we drove to St. John’s, laughing most of the way. We were both doing to others what we would have them do for us. So take today’s admonition as an invitation to work on healthy relationships, not as just another guilt trip.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
PEARLS AND PIGS
“Do not give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before swine. They will trample them under foot, at best, and perhaps even tear you to shreds.” —Matthew 7:6
Have you ever been tempted to toss your pearls before swine? Even if we take this command to mean: “Don’t share the pearls of the Gospel with the swine-eating Gentiles,” the first Jewish Christians did not initially evangelize the Gentiles. In fact, the Lord did call the Jewish Christians to evangelize the Gentiles, but only after they had first devoted themselves to evangelizing the Jews.
Are we saying that God both commands us to toss our pearls before swine and not to toss our pearls before swine? The point is not the pearls or the swine but the timing. Could it be that you’re working at the church when you should be working at home? Maybe you’re sharing the Gospel with strangers but not with your wife.
What if you’re not tossing the pearls of the Gospel before swine? What if your timing’s off because you’re not obeying God? We should be evangelizing whether we want to or not. We should be evangelizing first those closest to us, especially those the hardest to talk to. We should be evangelizing those that the Lord assigns to us and not those we have chosen. We toss our pearls before swine when we do the “right” thing at the wrong time, to the wrong people, or in the wrong place.
Prayer: Father, may I do it Your way, all the way and all the time.
Promise: “I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth; if anyone could count the dust of the earth, your descendants too might be counted.” —Gn 13:16
Praise: St. John Fisher was not only a bishop and cardinal, but also a leading intellectual in England. He courageously defended the validity of King Henry VIII’s marriage, winning a martyr’s crown.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
What can pearls and narrow gates teach us about God's truth and holiness? In the ancient world pearls were of very great value and were even considered priceless. They were worn as prized jewels to make a person appear more beautiful and magnificent to behold. Holiness, likewise, is a very precious jewel that radiates the beauty of God's truth, goodness, and glory. God offers us the precious gift of his holiness so that we may radiate the splendor of his truth and goodness in the way we think, speak, act, and treat others. We can reject or ignore this great gift, or worse yet, we can drag it through the mud of sinful behavior or throw it away completely.
Pearls before dogs and swine
Why does Jesus contrast holiness and pearls with dogs and swine (Matthew 7:6)? Some things don't seem to mix or go together, like fire and water, heat and ice, sweat and perfume, pure air and poisonous vapors, freshly cleaned clothes and filthy waste. The Talmud, a rabbinic commentary on the Jewish Scriptures, uses a proverbial saying for something which appears incongruous or out of place: an ear-ring in a swine's snout. Jesus' expression about "pearls before swine" and "not giving dogs what is holy" is very similar in thought (Matthew 7:6). Jewish law regarded swine as unclean. Wild dogs were also treated as unfit for close human contact, very likely because they were dirty, unkept, lice-infested, and prone to attack or cause trouble.
What is the point of avoiding what is considered unclean? Jesus' concern here is not with exclusivity or the shunning of others (excluding people from our love, care, and concern for them). His concern is with keeping spiritual and moral purity - the purity of the faith and way of life which has been entrusted to us by an all-holy, all-loving, and all-wise God. The early church referenced this expression with the Eucharist or the Lord's Table. In the liturgy of the early church, a proclamation was given shortly before communion: Holy things to the holy. The Didache, a first century church manual stated: Let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist except those baptised into the name of the Lord; for, as regards this, the Lord has said, 'Do not give what is holy to dogs.' The Lord Jesus invites us to feast at his banquet table, but we must approach worthily.
The law of perfect love seeks the highest good and best interests of one another
Jesus summed up the teaching of the Old Testament law and prophets with the expression, So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them (Matthew 7:12) - and in the same breath he raised the moral law to a new level of fulfillment and perfection. God's law of love requires more than simply avoiding injury or harm to one's neighbor. Perfect love - a love which is unconditional and which reaches out to all - always seeks the good of others for their sake and gives the best we can offer for their welfare. When we love our neighbors and treat them in the same way we wish to be treated by God, then we fulfill the law and the prophets, namely what God requires of us - loving God with all that we have and are and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
How can we love our neighbor selflessly, with kindness, and genuine concern for their welfare? If we empty our hearts of all that is unkind, unloving, and unforgiving, then there will only be room for kindness, goodness, mercy, and charity. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). It is the love of God that fuels our unconditional love for others. Are you ready to let the Holy Spirit transform your life with the purifying fire of God's love?
The narrow gate and way of life
Jesus used a second illustration of a narrow gate which opens the way that leads to a life of security and happiness (Matthew 7:13-14) to reinforce his lesson about choosing the one true way which leads to peace with God rather than separation and destruction. The Book of Psalms begins with an image of a person who has chosen to follow the way of those who are wise and obedient to God's word and who refuse to follow the way of those who think and act contrary to God's law : Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). When a path diverges, such as a fork in the road, each way leads to a different destination. This is especially true when we encounter life's crossroads where we must make a choice that will affect how we will live our lives. Do the choices you make help you move towards the goal of loving God and obeying his will?
The Lord Jesus gives us freedom to choose which way we will go. Ask him for the wisdom to know which way will lead to life rather than to harm and destruction. See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil... Therefore choose life that you and your descendants may live (Deuteronomy 3:15-20). Choose this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15). Behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death (Jeremiah 21:8). If we allow God's love and wisdom to rule our hearts, then we can trust in his guidance and help to follow his path of love, truth, and holiness.
Let me love you, my Lord and my God, and see myself as I really am - a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect and love all whose lives I touch, those in authority over me or those under my authority, my friends and my enemies. Help me to conquer anger with gentleness, greed by generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me to forget myself and reach out towards others. (Prayer attributed to Clement XI of Rome)
Psalm 48:1-10
1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.
4 For lo, the kings assembled, they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded, they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in travail.
7 By the east wind you did shatter the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes for ever. [Selah]
9 We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10 As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with victory;
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Unreadiness to receive Godly teaching, by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.
"Now in this precept we are forbidden to give a holy thing to dogs or to cast pearls before swine. We must diligently seek to determine the gravity of these words: holy, pearls, dogs and swine. A holy thing is whatever it would be impious to profane or tear apart. Even a fruitless attempt to do so makes one already guilty of such impiety, though the holy thing may by its very nature remain inviolable and indestructible. Pearls signify all spiritual things that are worthy of being highly prized. Because these things lie hidden in secret, it is as though they were being drawn up from the deep. Because they are found in the wrappings of allegories, it is as though they were contained within shells that have been opened.(1) It is clear therefore that one and the same thing can be called both a holy thing and a pearl. It can be called a holy thing because it ought not to be destroyed and a pearl because it ought not to be despised. One tries to destroy what one does not wish to leave intact. One despises what is deemed worthless, as if beneath him. Hence, whatever is despised is said to be trampled under foot... Thus we may rightly understand that these words (dogs and swine) are now used to designate respectively those who assail the truth and those who resist it." (excerpt from SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.20.68-69)
(1) The interpretive task is to crack through the shell of the language to its inner spiritual meaning.
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