2021년 9월 9일 연중 제23주간 목요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
<사랑을 입으십시오. 사랑은 완전하게 묶어 주는 끈입니다.>
콜로새서. 3,12-17
12 하느님께 선택된 사람, 거룩한 사람, 사랑받는 사람답게
마음에서 우러나오는 동정과 호의와 겸손과 온유와 인내를 입으십시오.
13 누가 누구에게 불평할 일이 있더라도 서로 참아 주고 서로 용서해 주십시오.
주님께서 여러분을 용서하신 것처럼 여러분도 서로 용서하십시오.
14 이 모든 것 위에 사랑을 입으십시오.
사랑은 완전하게 묶어 주는 끈입니다.
15 그리스도의 평화가 여러분의 마음을 다스리게 하십시오.
여러분은 또한 한 몸 안에서 이 평화를 누리도록 부르심을 받았습니다.
감사하는 사람이 되십시오.
16 그리스도의 말씀이 여러분 가운데에 풍성히 머무르게 하십시오.
지혜를 다하여 서로 가르치고 타이르십시오.
감사하는 마음으로 하느님께 시편과 찬미가와 영가를 불러 드리십시오.
17 말이든 행동이든 무엇이나 주 예수님의 이름으로 하면서,
그분을 통하여 하느님 아버지께 감사를 드리십시오.
복음
<너희 아버지께서 자비하신 것처럼 너희도 자비로운 사람이 되어라.>
루카. 6,27-38
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
27 “내 말을 듣고 있는 너희에게 내가 말한다. 너희는 원수를 사랑하여라.
너희를 미워하는 자들에게 잘해 주고,
28 너희를 저주하는 자들에게 축복하며,
너희를 학대하는 자들을 위하여 기도하여라.
29 네 뺨을 때리는 자에게 다른 뺨을 내밀고,
네 겉옷을 가져가는 자는 속옷도 가져가게 내버려 두어라.
30 달라고 하면 누구에게나 주고,
네 것을 가져가는 이에게서 되찾으려고 하지 마라.
31 남이 너희에게 해 주기를 바라는 그대로 너희도 남에게 해 주어라.
32 너희가 자기를 사랑하는 이들만 사랑한다면 무슨 인정을 받겠느냐?
죄인들도 자기를 사랑하는 이들은 사랑한다.
33 너희가 자기에게 잘해 주는 이들에게만 잘해 준다면 무슨 인정을 받겠느냐?
죄인들도 그것은 한다.
34 너희가 도로 받을 가망이 있는 이들에게만 꾸어 준다면 무슨 인정을 받겠느냐?
죄인들도 고스란히 되받을 요량으로 서로 꾸어 준다.
35 그러나 너희는 원수를 사랑하여라.
그에게 잘해 주고 아무것도 바라지 말고 꾸어 주어라.
그러면 너희가 받을 상이 클 것이다.
그리고 너희는 지극히 높으신 분의 자녀가 될 것이다.
그분께서는 은혜를 모르는 자들과 악한 자들에게도 인자하시기 때문이다.
36 너희 아버지께서 자비하신 것처럼 너희도 자비로운 사람이 되어라.
37 남을 심판하지 마라. 그러면 너희도 심판받지 않을 것이다.
남을 단죄하지 마라. 그러면 너희도 단죄받지 않을 것이다.
용서하여라. 그러면 너희도 용서받을 것이다.
38 주어라. 그러면 너희도 받을 것이다.
누르고 흔들어서 넘치도록 후하게 되어 너희 품에 담아 주실 것이다.
너희가 되질하는 바로 그 되로 너희도 되받을 것이다.”
September 9, 2021
Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Col 3:12-17
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (6) Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Gospel
Lk 6:27-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
What amazing and beautiful readings we have today, on the feast day of St. Peter Claver. The readings are prescriptive in how we are to live as Christians. The first reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians calls us deeper towards living in a manner that to which we’re called, and living in a way that really illuminates our identity as beloved children of God. The first reading is full of simplicity while also being so profound. The psalm reminds us that all of creation praises God. And, our Gospel compels us to reorient our values away from society’s expectations back to Christ’s values.
In this American society where I find myself, elements of a fast-paced life that seem to contradict this message from Paul and Jesus, are all around. Quick judgments, critical and precise assessments, microaggressions, people carrying the weight of past traumas and hurts…in the face of these realities, the message of the first reading can seem countercultural and unrealistic. Forgiveness for a person we have a grievance against is not easy when the hurt is deep, or the stakes are high. Letting the peace of Christ continue to control of hearts can be a struggle when we’re up against deadlines, difficult duties, selfish motivations, unreasonable expectations, a debilitating illness, or when we’re exhausted, hurt or overwhelmed. Even though we all have so much to be grateful for, filling our hearts with gratitude can seem out of reach. Even though we try, we aren’t always acting in the name of our Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of loving, of showing generosity, of letting go of grudges and of expanding our boundaries of what’s acceptable and fair.
Today is the feast day of St. Peter Claver, SJ, who left Spain after joining the Jesuits to go dedicate his life to working with, and for, slaves in South America in the early 1600s. He would greet the boats of newly arrived African people who were there to be sold into slavery, greeting them with love and dignity, and seeking to help them in any way he could despite his own hardships. He also tried to dismantle structures of the slavery. It is clear that Peter Claver truly put on love in all that he did and let peace of Christ control his heart. Everything he did and everything he said was in the name of Christ; the frightened people arriving in Columbia were met with God’s, kindness, humility and care when they encountered him.
Today, as we speak with God and welcome God into the various activities, stressors and joys of the day, I invite us to choose one line or directive from this beautiful first reading, or psalm or Gospel reading from Luke, Chapter 6. Maybe there is one specific line that that God is inviting me to sit with, today.
Or, maybe there is an invitation in St. Peter Claver’s ministry that is particularly timely for us today as we, throughout world, and especially here in the United States, are engaged in the work of antiracism. As a result of our identity as holy and beloved, we are compelled to work tirelessly against systemic racism and minister to the suffering on the margins or in captivity in some way. As Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ says in his book, Tattoos on the Heart: “soon we imagine, with God, this circle of compassion. Then we imagine no one standing outside of that circle, moving ourselves closer to the margins so that the margins themselves will be erased.”
Let this inspiration (either through a line from Scripture or through the life of St. Peter Claver) guide us a little closer to this ideal way of living as a beloved member of God’s family to all those with whom we encounter, especially those on the margins.
St. Peter Claver, pray for us!
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
A LIFESTYLE IN GOD’S WORD
“Let the word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you.” —Colossians 3:16
One reason we at Presentation Ministries publish One Bread, One Body is to encourage Catholics, and other Christians, to get into the Word of God. We pray that our readers would let the Word of Christ dwell in them (Col 3:16) to such an extent that they will bring God’s Word to many people who otherwise would never have received it.
To let the Word of Christ dwell in you, do the following:
- Devour God’s Word; let it become your happiness and joy (Jer 15:16).
- Study it daily (Acts 17:11) and allow it to burn in your heart (Lk 24:32).
- Savor God’s Word. Let it become to you more precious than riches and sweeter than honey (Ps 119:72, 103).
- Allow God’s Word to judge (Jn 12:48), pierce (Heb 4:12), and change you.
- Abide in God’s Word (Jn 8:31) and let it abide in you (Col 3:16). Spend your best time and your spare time in the Word.
- “Humbly welcome the word that has taken root in you, with its power to save you. Act on this word” (Jas 1:21-22).
- Let God’s Word fill your heart, mind, and soul to the point that your native language is Scripture (Ps 119:13; Lk 6:45).
- Teach the Word of God to others (2 Tm 4:2).
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you so “the word of God [will continue] to spread and increase” (Acts 12:24).
Prayer: Jesus, open my mind to the understanding of Your Word (Lk 24:45). “In Your word I hope” (Ps 119:114).
Promise: “The measure you measure with will be measured back to you.” —Lk 6:38
Praise: St. Peter Claver heard as many as 5,000 Confessions a year.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
What makes Christians different and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? It is grace - treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with loving-kindness and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so. How much harder when we can expect nothing in return.
Give and forgive - the two wings of prayer
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) describes Jesus double precept togive and forgive as two essential wings of prayer:
Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given you. These are the two wings of prayer on which it flies to God. Pardon the offender what has been committed, and give to the person in need" (Sermon 205.3). "Let us graciously and fervently perform these two types of almsgiving, that is, giving and forgiving, for we in turn pray the Lord to give us things and not to repay our evil deeds" (Sermon 206.2).
Bless and do not curse
Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil. How can we possibly love those who cause us harm or ill-will? With God all things are possible. He gives power and grace to those who believe in and accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. His love conquers all, even our hurts, fears, prejudices and griefs. Only the cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and gives us the courage to return evil with good. Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. That is why Paul the Apostle tells those who know the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to "bless and not curse.. nor take revenge.. and to overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:14,17,21). Do you know the power of God's love, mercy, and righteousness (moral goodness) for overcoming evil with good?
Lord Jesus, your love brings freedom and pardon. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and set my heart free with your merciful love that nothing may make me lose my temper, ruffle my peace, take away my joy, nor make me bitter towards anyone.
Psalm 139:1-3,13-14,23-24
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
13 For you formed my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for you are awesome and wonderful. Wonderful are your works! You know me right well;
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The virtue of charity, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"Love is commanded when it is said, 'Love your enemies'" so that the saying which was uttered already before the church may be fulfilled: 'Set in order love in me' (Song of Solomon 2:4). For love is set in order when the precepts of love are formed. See how it began from the heights and cast the law underneath the backs of the Gospel's blessing. The law commands the revenge of punishment (see Exodus 21:23-36). The gospel bestows love for hostility, benevolence for hatred, prayer for curses, help for the persecuted, patience for the hungry and grace of reward. How much more perfect the athlete who does not feel injury!" (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.73)
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