August 10, 2021Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr

2021년 8월 10일 성 라우렌시오 부제 순교자 축일 

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

제1독서

<하느님께서는 기쁘게 주는 이를 사랑하십니다.>

 코린토 2서. 9,6-10
 형제 여러분, 6적게 뿌리는 이는 적게 거두어들이고

많이 뿌리는 이는 많이 거두어들입니다.
7 저마다 마음에 작정한 대로 해야지,
마지못해 하거나 억지로 해서는 안 됩니다.
하느님께서는 기쁘게 주는 이를 사랑하십니다.
8 하느님께서는 여러분에게 모든 은총을 넘치게 주실 수 있습니다.
그리하여 여러분은 언제나 모든 면에서 모든 것을 넉넉히 가져
온갖 선행을 넘치도록 할 수 있게 됩니다.
9 이는 성경에 기록된 그대로입니다.
“그가 가난한 이들에게 아낌없이 내주니
그의 의로움이 영원히 존속하리라.”
10 씨 뿌리는 사람에게 씨앗과 먹을 양식을 마련해 주시는 분께서
여러분에게도 씨앗을 마련해 주실 뿐만 아니라
그것을 여러 곱절로 늘려 주시고,
또 여러분이 실천하는 의로움의 열매도 늘려 주실 것입니다.

 

복음

<누구든지 나를 섬기면 아버지께서 그를 존중해 주실 것이다.>

요한. 12,24-26
 그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.

24 “내가 진실로 진실로 너희에게 말한다.
밀알 하나가 땅에 떨어져 죽지 않으면 한 알 그대로 남고,
죽으면 많은 열매를 맺는다.
25 자기 목숨을 사랑하는 사람은 목숨을 잃을 것이고,
이 세상에서 자기 목숨을 미워하는 사람은
영원한 생명에 이르도록 목숨을 간직할 것이다.

26 누구든지 나를 섬기려면 나를 따라야 한다.
내가 있는 곳에 나를 섬기는 사람도 함께 있을 것이다.
누구든지 나를 섬기면 아버지께서 그를 존중해 주실 것이다.”

August 10, 2021

Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

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

Reading 1

2 Cor 9:6-10
Brothers and sisters:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written:

He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.

The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

 

Responsorial Psalm

112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9

R. (5) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Lavishly he gives to the poor, 
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

 

Gospel

Jn 12:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

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

 Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr. It is hard to imagine how one deacon could have such an impact upon the Church. St. Pope Leo the Great said of him, “The Lord has desired to exalt his glorious name in the world so much that from the East to the West, in the lively flaring of the light radiated by the greatest deacons, the same glory that came to Jerusalem from Stephen has also touched Rome thanks to Lawrence.” Other than our Lady and the apostles, only these two deacons have a “feast” on the Roman calendar. Why did Lawrence, the patron saint of deacons, chefs, and firefighters, make such a lasting mark on the Church?

The first reading from St. Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians gives us a clue. He says that “God loves a cheerful giver.” Most have likely heard of how St. Lawrence was killed by being cooked on a griddle and eventually remarked, “Turn me over; I’m done on this side” (probably the reason why he is the patron saint of chefs and firefighters)! He had a wicked sense of humor which the Emperor Valerian did not appreciate. After Sixtus II was elected pope, he put Deacon Lawrence in charge of the care of the diocese. Saint Lawrence administered goods and catered to the needs of orphans, widows, and the poor generally. After the emperor decreed that all bishops, priest, and deacons would be executed, he killed the pope but spared Lawrence because he thought that Lawrence could bring him the treasures of the diocese. Lawrence brought him the treasures: the sick, the needy, the marginalized. I can envision Lawrence doing this with a grin on his face. “God loves a cheerful giver.”

The psalm response gives us another clue: “Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.” The psalmist says that “[h]is posterity shall be mighty upon the earth….” Why? “Lavishly he gives to the poor, his generosity shall endure forever, his horn shall be exalted in glory.” Deacon Lawrence gave his life taking care of those in need. He was a nobody. Yet, we celebrate his feast today. Is there anyone alive today who really cares at all about Emperor Valerian? Of Almighty God, our Lady said it well: “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly.”

In the Gospel reading, Jesus gives us another clue to St. Lawrence’s fame. Lawrence was a simple, lowly grain of wheat but when he died the way he did, his death produced much fruit. Lawrence hated his life in this world and, thus, preserved it for eternal life. Jesus said, “The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

Many of us Catholics would do well to develop St. Lawrence’s sense of humor. It also wouldn’t hurt us to take the long view of history. Martin Luther King, Jr., said that the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Sometimes it is hard to see it bending. Days like today, when we celebrate a lowly deacon who died in 258, help us to see it. Perhaps you have heard the story of Cardinal George at Pope Benedict’s introduction to the world. As he stood out on the balcony with the other cardinals and the new pope, he was looking away from him. Someone asked him what he was doing. He said that he was looking down toward the hill where all of the Roman emperors had lived and was thinking, They are all gone and the successor of St. Peter, the lowly nobody fisherman, is right here in front of me.

“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”

St. Lawrence, pray for us. 

 

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

A LOT OF LAUGHS

“God loves a cheerful giver.” —2 Corinthians 9:7

The word in the Greek text of Scripture translated “cheerful” is “hilaron,” from which we get the English word “hilarious.” However, because the word “hilarious” has connotations which are not in the Greek, it would not be good to translate the sentence as “God loves a hilarious giver.” Nevertheless, the translation “cheerful giver” is weak. The sentence may be better translated: “God loves a jovial giver.” We should give with more than a pleasant attitude and a smile. We should give with a laugh — even a belly laugh.

Moreover, we are called not only to give something to God but to give all — to be a grain of wheat which falls to the earth and dies (Jn 12:24). We must give God our bodies, minds, emotions, money, time, energy, work, sexuality, wills, etc.

We can laugh heartily and joyfully when we give our lives totally to the Lord because we know that God the Father has adopted us, Jesus has died for us, and the Holy Spirit has made our bodies His temple (1 Cor 6:19). After what God has done for us, the least we can do is to give Him everything and to enjoy the privilege of giving such a gift. Give all to the Lord with jovial laughter.

Prayer:  Father, I trust You completely. I am secure in Your love.

Promise:  “The man who loves his life loses it, while the man who hates his life in this world preserves it to life eternal.” —Jn 12:25

Praise:  St. Lawrence rejoiced as he was being martyred, even joking to his executioners.

Reference:  

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

 Are you surprised to see the disciples discussing with Jesus who is the greatest? Don't we do the same thing? The appetite for glory and greatness seems to be inbred in us. Who doesn't cherish the ambition to be "somebody" whom others admire rather than a "nobody"? Even the Psalms speak about the glory God has destined for us. You have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5).

Whose glory do you seek?
Jesus made a dramatic gesture by placing a child next to himself to show his disciples who really is the greatest in the kingdom of God. What can a little child possibly teach us about greatness? Children in the ancient world had no rights, position, or privileges of their own. They were socially at the "bottom of the rung" and at the service of their parents, much like the household staff and domestic servants. What is the significance of Jesus' gesture? Jesus elevated a little child in the presence of his disciples by placing the child in a privileged position of honor at his right side. It is customary, even today, to seat the guest of honor at the right side of the host.

The lowly of heart empty themselves of pride
Who is the greatest in God's kingdom? The one who is humble and lowly of heart - who instead of asserting their rights willingly empty themselves of pride and self-seeking glory by taking the lowly position of a servant and child before God. The simple of heart know that they belong to God - he is their father, teacher, and provider - the one who shows them the way of peace, joy, and life everlasting. They are content to recognize their total dependence on God who is the source of all goodness and every good gift.

Jesus restores us to the people he has made holy
What does Jesus' story about a lost sheep tell us about God and his kingdom? Shepherds normally counted their sheep at the end of the day to make sure all were accounted for. Since sheep by their very nature are very social, an isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered and even neurotic. The shepherd's grief and anxiety is turned to joy when he finds the lost sheep and restores it to the fold. What was new in Jesus' teaching was the insistence that sinners must be sought out and not merely mourned for. God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that all be saved and restored to fellowship with him. That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to fellowship with God (Luke 15:7). Seekers of the lost are much needed today. Do you pray and seek after those you know who have lost their way to God?

Lord Jesus, teach me your way of humility and simplicity of heart that I may find perfect joy in you. May your light shine through me that others may see your truth and love and find hope and peace in you.

Psalm 119:14,24,72,103,111,131

14. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.
24. Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.
72. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
103. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!.
111. Your testimonies are my heritage forever; yes, they are the joy of my heart.
131. With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments. 

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: What it means to become a child a God, by Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century) 

"Here the Lord not only repressed the apostles' thoughts but also checked the ambition of believers throughout the whole world, so that he might be great who wanted to be least. For with this purpose Jesus used the example of the child, that what he had been through his nature, we through our holy living might become - innocent, like children innocent of every sin. For a child does not know how to hold resentment or to grow angry. He does not know how to repay evil for evil. He does not think base thoughts. He does not commit adultery or arson or murder. He is utterly ignorant of theft or brawling or all the things that will draw him to sin. He does not know how to disparage, how to blaspheme, how to hurt, how to lie. He believes what he hears. What he is ordered he does not analyze. He loves his parents with full affection. Therefore what children are in their simplicity, let us become through a holy way of life, as children innocent of sin. And quite rightly, one who has become a child innocent of sin in this way is greater in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives such a person will receive Christ." (excerpt from INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 27)

 

 

More Homilies

August 10, 2020 Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr