June 30, 2021 Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

2021년 6월 30일 연중 제13주간 수요일

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

제1독서

<저 여종의 아들이 내 아들 이사악과 함께 상속을 받을 수는 없어요.>

창세기. 21,5.8-20
5 아브라함에게서 아들 이사악이 태어났을 때, 그의 나이는 백 살이었다.
8 아기가 자라서 젖을 떼게 되었다.
이사악이 젖을 떼던 날 아브라함은 큰 잔치를 베풀었다.
9 그런데 사라는 이집트 여자 하가르가 아브라함에게 낳아 준 아들이
자기 아들 이사악과 함께 노는 것을 보고, 10 아브라함에게 말하였다.
“저 여종과 그 아들을 내쫓으세요.
저 여종의 아들이 내 아들 이사악과 함께 상속을 받을 수는 없어요.”
11 그 아들도 자기 아들이므로 아브라함에게는 이 일이 무척이나 언짢았다.
12 그러나 하느님께서는 아브라함에게 말씀하셨다.
“그 아이와 네 여종 때문에 언짢아하지 마라.
사라가 너에게 말하는 대로 다 들어주어라.
이사악을 통하여 후손들이 너의 이름을 물려받을 것이다.
13 그러나 그 여종의 아들도 네 자식이니, 내가 그도 한 민족이 되게 하겠다.”
14 아브라함은 아침 일찍 일어나 빵과 물 한 가죽 부대를 가져다
하가르에게 주어 어깨에 메게 하고는, 그를 아기와 함께 내보냈다.
길을 나선 하가르는 브에르 세바 광야에서 헤매게 되었다.
15 가죽 부대의 물이 떨어지자 그 여자는 아기를 덤불 밑으로 내던져 버리고는,
16 활 한 바탕 거리만큼 걸어가서 아기를 마주하고 주저앉았다.
‘아기가 죽어 가는 꼴을 어찌 보랴 !’ 하고 생각하였던 것이다.
이렇게 그는 아기를 마주하고 주저앉아 목 놓아 울었다.
17 하느님께서 아이의 목소리를 들으셨다.
그래서 하느님의 천사가 하늘에서 하가르를 부르며 말하였다.
“하가르야, 어찌 된 일이냐? 두려워하지 마라.
하느님께서 저기에 있는 아이의 목소리를 들으셨다.
18 일어나 가서 아이를 들어 올려 네 손으로 꼭 붙들어라.
내가 그를 큰 민족으로 만들어 주겠다.”
19 그런 다음 하느님께서 하가르의 눈을 열어 주시니,
그가 우물을 보게 되었다.
그는 가서 가죽 부대에 물을 채우고 아이에게 물을 먹였다.
20 하느님께서는 그 아이와 함께 계셨다.
그는 자라서 광야에 살며 활잡이가 되었다.

 

복음

<예수님께서는 때가 되기도 전에 마귀들을 괴롭히시려고 여기에 오셨습니다.>

마태오. 8,28-34
.예수님께서 호수 28 건너편 가다라인들의 지방에 이르셨을 때,

마귀 들린 사람 둘이 무덤에서 나와 그분께 마주 왔다.
그들은 너무나 사나워 아무도 그 길로 다닐 수가 없었다.
29 그런데 그들이 “하느님의 아드님, 당신께서 저희와 무슨 상관이 있습니까?
때가 되기도 전에 저희를 괴롭히시려고 여기에 오셨습니까?” 하고 외쳤다.
30 마침 그들에게서 멀리 떨어진 곳에 놓아 기르는 많은 돼지 떼가 있었다.
31 마귀들이 예수님께, “저희를 쫓아내시려거든
저 돼지 떼 속으로나 들여보내 주십시오.” 하고 청하였다.
32 예수님께서 “가라.” 하고 말씀하시자, 마귀들이 나와서 돼지들 속으로 들어갔다.
그러자 돼지 떼가 모두 호수를 향해 비탈을 내리 달려 물속에 빠져 죽고 말았다.
33 돼지를 치던 이들이 달아나 그 고을로 가서는,
이 모든 일과 마귀 들렸던 이들의 일을 알렸다.
34 그러자 온 고을 주민들이 예수님을 만나러 나왔다.
그들은 그분을 보고 저희 고장에서 떠나가 주십사고 청하였다.

June 30, 2021

Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

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

Reading 1
Gn 21:5, 8-20a
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Isaac grew, and on the day of the child's weaning
Abraham held a great feast.

Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian
had borne to Abraham
playing with her son Isaac;
so she demanded of Abraham:
"Drive out that slave and her son! 
No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance
with my son Isaac!"
Abraham was greatly distressed,
especially on account of his son Ishmael.
But God said to Abraham: "Do not be distressed about the boy
or about your slave woman.
Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you;
for it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.
As for the son of the slave woman,
I will make a great nation of him also,
since he too is your offspring."

Early the next morning Abraham got some bread and a skin of water
and gave them to Hagar.
Then, placing the child on her back, he sent her away.
As she roamed aimlessly in the wilderness of Beer-sheba,
the water in the skin was used up.
So she put the child down under a shrub,
and then went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away;
for she said to herself, "Let me not watch to see the child die." 
As she sat opposite Ishmael, he began to cry.
God heard the boy's cry,
and God's messenger called to Hagar from heaven:
"What is the matter, Hagar?
Don't be afraid; God has heard the boy's cry in this plight of his.
Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand;
for I will make of him a great nation."
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.
She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink.
God was with the boy as he grew up.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 34:7-8, 10-11, 12-13
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Fear the LORD, you his holy ones,
for nought is lacking to those who fear him.
The great grow poor and hungry;
but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Come, children, hear me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Which of you desires life,
and takes delight in prosperous days?
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Gospel
Mt 8:28-34
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?"
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
"If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine."
And he said to them, "Go then!"
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

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

 Our 7-year-old grandson spent the night with us last week.  We laughed, played, and read books. The next morning, we all went to breakfast.  He returned home nibbling a huge cookie. He was eager to tell his family that he had beaten both of us in a Crazy 8s card tournament at the kitchen table.

But when we walked into his house, he saw his older sister with something new.  Instantly forgotten was the joyful time and attention he had with his grandparents.  Instead, Dan zeroed in on a trip to the store he had missed.  “No fair!” he said. “I didn’t get anything!”

How quickly we dismiss the gifts we have been given when we see what others have.  We forget how rich and bountiful our lives can be when jealousy invades the present moment.

In today’s first reading from Genesis, we see the story of Sarah and Abraham. After many years of longing for a child, God’s promise brought them a son, miraculously conceived despite both of their advanced years.  Today’s first reading begins with a happy ceremonial feast in honor of the young Isaac’s weaning.
Yet a resentful Sarah sees only Abraham’s other son, by Sarah’s maidservant, Hagar.  As the two boys played together, Sarah demanded of Abraham: “Drive out that slave and her son! No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!”

God had promised that Sarah and Abraham’s son Isaac would be the start of a multitude of nations, and that God would maintain the covenant “between me and you and your descendants after you throughout the ages.” Sarah could not enjoy the great gift she had been given with Isaac and the personal relationship Abraham had with God.  Instead, she feared that her son Isaac might lose his inheritance. Sarah’s fearful greed and jealousy drove Hagar and Ishmael away. So, Abraham reluctantly sent away Hagar with his own son, Ishmael.  But the two refugees, driven into the desert, were protected by God and Ismael grew up to become the patriarch of Islam.

How often do someone else’s gifts stir in us envy and resentment?  How quickly do we allow our own contentment and peace to be replaced by a jealousy of something someone else has - real or imagined?

God offers us a deep love and personal affection no matter how we have lived our lives, or what we have done.  That incomprehensible gift can quickly be forgotten when our hearts are filled with the demons of envy or other weaknesses.

Demons appear in Matthew’s gospel today as Jesus heals two men possessed by evil spirits.  Jesus encounters the spirits outside of town, and they recognize Jesus, calling him “Son of God.” They have terrorized the town and “were so savage that no one could travel by that road.”

Jesus calmly sends them into a herd of swine which rush into the sea and are drowned.  This is Jesus, who loves us endlessly, showing us how he can easily dispatch demons.  The demons who troubled those men are gone, and the two are left with the presence of Jesus.  I imagine them coming awake after their possession and seeing and a great peace and love as it settles into their hearts.  They hear Jesus speak to them and they know deep in their souls that their lives will never be the same again.

Jesus, with that same unending and unearned love, is here for us, too, to relieve us of our demons. It might be jealousy over someone with more money, fame or honors.  It might be the demons of judging others, drinking too much or straying from our vows.  No matter how large the demons in our own lives, Jesus stands next to us healing us and giving us strength and his powerful love.

Loving Jesus, thank you for the friendship and love I feel from you when I take the time to quietly talk with you.  I am grateful that you liberate me from the torments in my life as you walk with me daily.  I feel your constant presence as I struggle to escape from my fears yet feel your peace deep in my heart.

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

 

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD

“She said to herself, ‘Let me not watch to see the child die.’ As she sat opposite him, he began to cry.” —Genesis 21:16-17

When children cry, they may be praying. The Lord hears the cry of the poor, especially poor little children. In response to children crying, the Lord sends the guardian angels of these children to deal with the problem. He sends angels to take custody of our lives (Bar 6:6). These guardian angels are not fat little babies themselves, as artists have often pictured them. Guardian angels are mighty creatures not to be trifled with (see Rv 19:17). For example, when Zechariah seemed less than impressed with the angel Gabriel’s message, he was struck dumb for nine months (Lk 1:19-20).

Babies throughout the world are crying out with silent screams as they are aborted. Other babies and older children are crying for food as they starve because of the selfishness and unjust politics of others. Some children are abused physically, sexually, and/or psychologically and are even sexually exploited through pornography. Millions of angels are being marshaled in response to these deafening cries from millions of babies and children. Jesus warned: “See that you never despise one of these little ones. I assure you, their angels in heaven constantly behold My heavenly Father’s face” (Mt 18:10).

Prayer:  Father, may my angel guard me as I serve You in obedient faith.

Promise:  “The demons kept appealing to Him, ‘If You expel us, send us into the herd of swine.’ He answered, ‘Out with you!’ ” —Mt 8:31-32

Praise:  According to the Roman historian Tacitus in 64 AD, many Christians were put to death because of their “hatred of the human race.” The First Martyrs of Rome are honored for virtue, not hatred!

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

 Do you ever feel driven by forces beyond your strength? Two men who were possessed and driven mad by the force of many evil spirits found refuge in the one person who could set them free. Both Mark and Luke in their Gospel accounts of this incident describe this demonic force as a legion (Mark 5:9 and Luke 8:30). A legion is no small force but an army 6,000 strong! For the people of Palestine who were often hemmed in by occupied forces, a legion - whether human or supernatural - struck terror! Legions at their wildest committed unmentionable atrocities. Our age has also witnessed untold crimes and mass destruction at the hands of possessed rulers and their armies.

No force can withstand Christ's power and authority
What is more remarkable - the destructive force of these driven and possessed men, or their bended knee at Jesus' feet imploring mercy and release (Luke 8:28)? God's word reminds us that no destructive force can keep anyone from the peace and safety which God offers to those who seek his help. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you. ..Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation (Psalm 91:7,9).

Jesus took pity on these men who were overtaken by a legion of evil spirits. The destructive force of these demons is evident for all who can see as they flee and destroy a herd of swine. After Jesus freed the demoniacs the whole city came out to meet him. No one had demonstrated such power and authority against the forces of Satan as Jesus did. They feared Jesus as a result and begged him to leave them. Why would they not want Jesus to stay? Perhaps the price for such liberation from the power of evil and sin was more than they wanted to pay.

Jesus will free us from anything that binds us
The Lord Jesus is ready and willing to free us from anything that binds us and that keeps us from the love of God. Are you willing to part with anything that might keep you from his love and saving power?

Lord Jesus, unbind me that I may love you wholly and walk in the freedom of your way of love and holiness. May there be nothing which keeps me from the joy of living in your presence.

Psalm 34:6-12

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, O sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 What man is there who desires life, and covets many days, that he may enjoy good?

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Christ is triumphant over the forces of demons, by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD)

"[Jesus] said to them, 'Go!' The foul-smelling animals are delivered up, not at the will of the demons but to show how savage the demons can become against humans. They ardently seek to destroy and dispossess all that is, acts, moves and lives. They seek the death of people. The ancient enmity of deep-rooted wrath and malice is in store for the human race. Demons do not give up easily unless they are forcibly overcome. They are doing the harm they are ordered to do. Therefore the foul-smelling animals are delivered up that it may be made clear to the demons that they have permission to enter the swine but not to enter humans. It is by our vices that we empower them to do harm. Similarly, by our power of faith we tread on the necks of demons. They become subject to us under Christ who is triumphant." (excerpt from SERMONS 16.8)

[Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD) was a renowned preacher and bishop of Ravena in the 5th century]

 

 

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July 5, 2017 \ Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time