2021년 9월 5일 연중 제23주일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
<귀먹은 이들은 귀가 열리고, 말못하는 이의 혀는 환성을 터뜨리리라.>
이사야서. 35,4-7ㄱ
4 마음이 불안한 이들에게 말하여라.
“굳세어져라, 두려워하지 마라. 보라, 너희의 하느님을!
복수가 들이닥친다, 하느님의 보복이! 그분께서 오시어 너희를 구원하신다.”
5 그때에 눈먼 이들은 눈이 열리고, 귀먹은 이들은 귀가 열리리라.
6 그때에 다리저는 이는 사슴처럼 뛰고, 말못하는 이의 혀는 환성을 터뜨리리라.
광야에서는 물이 터져 나오고, 사막에서는 냇물이 흐르리라.
7 뜨겁게 타오르던 땅은 늪이 되고, 바싹 마른 땅은 샘터가 되리라.
제2독서
<하느님께서는 가난한 사람들을 골라 약속하신 나라의 상속자가 되게 하지 않으셨습니까?>
야고보서. 2,1-5
1 나의 형제 여러분, 영광스러우신 우리 주 예수 그리스도를 믿으면서,
사람을 차별해서는 안 됩니다.
2 가령 여러분의 모임에 금가락지를 끼고 화려한 옷을 입은 사람이 들어오고,
또 누추한 옷을 입은 가난한 사람이 들어온다고 합시다.
3 여러분이 화려한 옷을 걸친 사람을 쳐다보고서는
“선생님은 여기 좋은 자리에 앉으십시오.” 하고,
가난한 사람에게는 “당신은 저기 서 있으시오.” 하거나
“내 발판 밑에 앉으시오.” 한다면,
4 여러분은 서로 차별하는 것이 아니겠습니까?
또 악한 생각을 가진 심판자가 된 것이 아니겠습니까?
5 나의 사랑하는 형제 여러분, 들으십시오.
하느님께서는 세상의 가난한 사람들을 골라 믿음의 부자가 되게 하시고,
당신을 사랑하는 이들에게 약속하신 나라의 상속자가 되게 하지 않으셨습니까?
복음
<예수님께서는 귀먹은 이들은 듣게 하시고 말못하는 이들은 말하게 하신다.>
마르코. 7,31-37
그때에 31 예수님께서 티로 지역을 떠나 시돈을 거쳐,
데카폴리스 지역 한가운데를 가로질러 갈릴래아 호수로 돌아오셨다.
32 그러자 사람들이 귀먹고 말 더듬는 이를 예수님께 데리고 와서,
그에게 손을 얹어 주십사고 청하였다.
33 예수님께서는 그를 군중에게서 따로 데리고 나가셔서,
당신 손가락을 그의 두 귀에 넣으셨다가 침을 발라 그의 혀에 손을 대셨다.
34 그러고 나서 하늘을 우러러 한숨을 내쉬신 다음,
그에게 “에파타!”곧 “열려라!” 하고 말씀하셨다.
35 그러자 곧바로 그의 귀가 열리고 묶인 혀가 풀려서 말을 제대로 하게 되었다.
36 예수님께서는 이 일을 아무에게도 말하지 말라고 그들에게 분부하셨다.
그러나 그렇게 분부하실수록 그들은 더욱더 널리 알렸다.
37 사람들은 더할 나위 없이 놀라서 말하였다.
“저분이 하신 일은 모두 훌륭하다.
귀먹은 이들은 듣게 하시고 말못하는 이들은 말하게 하시는구나.”
September 5, 2021
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Is 35:4-7a
Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
Alleluia.
The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow the LORD sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
Alleluia.
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality
as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say, “Sit here, please, ”
while you say to the poor one, “Stand there, ” or “Sit at my feet, ”
have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?
Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?
Gospel
Mk 7:31-37
Again Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis .
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!”? that is, “Be opened!” ?
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
In today’s Gospel reading, we witness another instance of Jesus healing those in need. We see early on that some people brought a deaf man to Jesus. The man did not bring himself to Jesus and ask to be healed, rather those in his life saw his struggle and sought to do something about it. This is a beautiful reminder that good things happen to us often times due to the good will and prayers of those in our community. How amazing is it that this man was loved by those so much that they were willing to go to this length for him!
When the deaf man arrives, Jesus takes him away from the crowd so He can be with him alone. This gesture shows Jesus’s desire to know us as individuals and care for our personal needs. Lastly, he orders the crowd not to tell anyone what they saw there. Jesus’s desire to do these works was not for the spectacle, but rather for the impact He knew it would have on the life of the man and those around him.
I found it interesting when I put myself in the position of the deaf man. I have just been taken to a new place to meet a strange man, and I probably understand little of what is going on around me. This stranger reaches out to touch me, and suddenly I can hear! I can speak! What love and trust I suddenly have in this man. Now, I like to imagine that perhaps some of us have had a moment like this in our faith journeys. A moment when our faith became ours, and we could truly see and feel the power of God in our world. For me, this happened the first time I went on an overnight retreat with some of my family members. I remember praying during a worship session, and viscerally feeling the presence of God. For the first time, God was real to me, instead of just something I was taught to believe in.
I pray that each one of us may have the chance to experience God’s presence with a certainty similar to the deaf man in today’s Gospel.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
JESUS AND FEAR
“Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” —Isaiah 35:4
When you see a frightened child, your heart goes out to him or her with compassion. This is a shadow of our heavenly Father’s love poured out on those struggling and fearful. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit He saves” (Ps 34:19). He wants to free you from the slavery of fear (Heb 2:14-15) and give you a peace beyond understanding (Phil 4:7).
“Is it possible that He Who did not spare His own Son but handed Him over for the sake of us all will not grant us all things besides?” (Rm 8:32) “What shall we say after that? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rm 8:31) “The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s Refuge; of whom should I be afraid?” (Ps 27:1)
Let the Lord love you. Let Him free you. You need no longer be afraid. Give your life to Him. Let the fear of the Lord be the beginning of fearlessness. Let faith rise above fear. Let complete love cast out all fear (1 Jn 4:18). Jesus says “It is I. Do not be afraid!” (Mt 14:27)
Prayer: Jesus, confirm this word with signs and wonders (Mk 16:17, 20). May the blind see, the deaf hear, the mute speak, and the lame walk as they read the Scriptures and the teaching on this page (Is 35:5-6).
Promise: “Listen, dear brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom He promised to those who love Him?” —Jas 2:5
Praise: “May the God of peace, Who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant” (see Heb 13:20), give you a courageous spirit. Thank You, risen Jesus.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
How do you expect the Lord Jesus to treat you when you ask for his help? Do you approach with fear and doubt, or with faith and confidence? Jesus never turned anyone aside who approached him with sincerity and trust. And whatever Jesus did, he did well. He demonstrated both the beauty and goodness of God in his actions.
The Lord's touch awakens faith and brings healing
When Jesus approaches a man who is both deaf and a stutterer, Jesus shows his considerateness for this man's predicament. Jesus takes him aside privately, not doubt to remove him from embarrassment with a noisy crowd of gawkers (onlookers). Jesus then puts his fingers into the deaf man's ears and he touches the man's tongue with his own spittle to physically identify with this man's infirmity and to awaken faith in him. With a word of command the poor man's ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
What is the significance of Jesus putting his fingers into the man's ears? Gregory the Great, a church father from the 6th century, comments on this miracle: "The Spirit is called the finger of God. When the Lord puts his fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, he was opening the soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit."
The transforming power of kindness and compassion
The people's response to this miracle testifies to Jesus' great care for others: He has done all things well. No problem or burden was too much for Jesus' careful consideration. The Lord treats each of us with kindness and compassion and he calls us to treat one another in like manner. The Holy Spirit who dwells within us enables us to love as Jesus loves. Do you show kindness and compassion to your neighbors and do you treat them with considerateness as Jesus did?
Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and inflame my heart with love and compassion. Make me attentive to the needs of others that I may show them kindness and care. Make me an instrument of your mercy and peace that I may help others find healing and wholeness in you.
Psalm 146:1, 7-10
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
5 Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith for ever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the sojourners, he upholds the widow and the fatherless; but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign for ever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The touch of the Lord, by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD)
"That power which may not be handled came down and clothed itself in members that may be touched, that the desperate may draw near to him, that in touching his humanity they may discern his divinity. For that speechless man the Lord healed with the fingers of his body. He put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue. At that moment with fingers that may be touched, he touched the Godhead that may not be touched. Immediately this loosed the string of his tongue (Mark 7:32-37), and opened the clogged doors of his ears. For the very architect of the body itself and artificer of all flesh had come personally to him, and with his gentle voice tenderly opened up his obstructed ears. Then his mouth which had been so closed up that it could not give birth to a word, gave birth to praise him who made its barrenness fruitful. The One who immediately had given to Adam speech without teaching, gave speech to him so that he could speak easily a language that is learned only with difficulty (Genesis 1:27-28). (excerpt from HOMILY ON OUR LORD 10.3)
More Homilies
September 9, 2018 Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
