2021년 9월 11일 연중 제23주간 토요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
<그리스도 예수님께서는 죄인들을 구원하시려고 이 세상에 오셨다.>
티모테오 1서 1,15-17.
사랑하는 그대여, 15 이 말은 확실하여
그대로 받아들일 가치가 있습니다.
그리스도 예수님께서 죄인들을 구원하시려고
이 세상에 오셨다는 것입니다.
나는 그 가운데에서 첫째가는 죄인입니다.
16 그러나 바로 그 때문에 하느님께서 나에게 자비를 베푸셨습니다.
그리스도 예수님께서 먼저 나를 당신의 한없는 인내로 대해 주시어,
영원한 생명을 얻으려고 당신을 믿게 될 사람들에게
본보기로 삼고자 하신 것입니다.
17 영원한 임금이시며 불사불멸하시고
눈에 보이지 않으시며 한 분뿐이신 하느님께
영예와 영광이 영원무궁하기를 빕니다. 아멘.
복음
<너희는 어찌하여 나를“주님, 주님!”하고 부르면서 내가 말하는 것은 실행하지 않느냐?>
루카. 6,43-49
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
43 “좋은 나무는 나쁜 열매를 맺지 않는다.
또 나쁜 나무는 좋은 열매를 맺지 않는다.
44 나무는 모두 그 열매를 보면 안다.
가시나무에서 무화과를 따지 못하고
가시덤불에서 포도를 거두어들이지 못한다.
45 선한 사람은 마음의 선한 곳간에서 선한 것을 내놓고,
악한 자는 악한 곳간에서 악한 것을 내놓는다.
마음에서 넘치는 것을 입으로 말하는 법이다.
46 너희는 어찌하여 나를 ‘주님, 주님!’ 하고 부르면서,
내가 말하는 것은 실행하지 않느냐?
47 나에게 와서 내 말을 듣고 그것을 실행하는 이가
어떤 사람과 같은지 너희에게 보여 주겠다.
48 그는 땅을 깊이 파서 반석 위에 기초를 놓고 집을 짓는 사람과 같다.
홍수가 나서 강물이 집에 들이닥쳐도,
그 집은 잘 지어졌기 때문에 전혀 흔들리지 않는다.
49 그러나 내 말을 듣고도 실행하지 않는 자는,
기초도 없이 맨땅에 집을 지은 사람과 같다.
강물이 들이닥치자 그 집은 곧 무너져 버렸다.
그 집은 완전히 허물어져 버렸다.”
SEPTEMBER 11, 2021
Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
READING
1 1 TM 1:15-17
Beloved:
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
PS 113:1B-2, 3-4, 5 AND 6-7
R. (2) Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Who is like the LORD, our God,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
GOSPEL
LK 6:43-49
Jesus said to his disciples:
"A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
"Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord," but not do what I command?
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
when the flood came, the river burst against that house
but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
is like a person who built a house on the ground
without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
When my siblings and I were young, a popular consequence my mom would pass down for misbehavior was writing sentences. And she had a favorite:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Of course, I rarely received this consequence... but when I did, I never received an order of more than 100 sentences. However, my older siblings have told tales of more severe sentences (i.e., consequences, not sentences, though the pun is most certainly intended). Well, the message stuck and absorbing today's readings I hear this most familiar of beatitudes in them. In his First Letter to Timothy, Paul has but one message for us this day: God is merciful. Following this, Psalm 113 tells us that we should praise the name of the Lord. To cap off these scriptures, we hear Jesus say in the Gospel of Luke that every tree is known by its own fruit.
Begging pardon for my brevity in referencing today's scriptures, I intend this brevity to underscore what seems to me to be a single, unified message emanating from them: As God is merciful and as we are to give praise to God, so we should be merciful. And what is the fruit of this tree of mercy? Peace.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Residing and writing in the United States, this day - September 11 - bears a special significance each year. Despite the arbitrariness of time, that today marks twenty years since September 11, 2001 makes me pause perhaps a bit longer. It was such a tragic day. I ask myself: is our world more peaceful twenty years later? Are we being peacemakers? Am I? If every tree is known by its own fruit, what fruit are we seeing in 2021?
Make no mistake, we are all God's beloved children. This is our true identity. Now, let us show it. Let us live this identity - live mercy - so that people may say, There, see those children of God. We will be known by our fruit.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
“A good man produces goodness from the good in his heart; an evil man produces evil out of his store of evil.” —Luke 6:45
We store up both the bad and the good. Eventually we get an abundance of one or the other. We speak from that abundance, which then is the fruit of our lives (Lk 6:44-45).
The key to a good life, good fruit, and good speech is what we’re storing inside. If we’re harboring resentments, unforgiveness, bitterness, hurts, and lusts, it won’t be long till we have an abundance. Then we will mass-distribute all that poison, and the fruit of our lives will be destruction and death both for ourselves and others (see Mt 15:11).
Instead, let’s store up the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness, and chastity” (Gal 5:22-23). These will flow from our mouths like pure spring water and bear fruit to life everlasting. Like Mary, we store up things by treasuring and reflecting on them in our hearts (Lk 2:19, 51).
Therefore, “your thoughts should be wholly directed to all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous, or worthy of praise” (Phil 4:8).
Prayer: Father, I keep thinking about bad things. Remove these evil things before they overflow and hurt us all.
Promise: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I myself am the worst. But on that very account I was dealt with mercifully, so that in me, as an extreme case, Jesus Christ might display all His patience.” —1 Tm 1:15-16
Praise: Leading a Bible study has prompted Jim to frequently ponder the Scriptures and the teachings of the Magisterium.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Why does Jesus set figs and grapes over against thorns and brambles? The fig tree was the favorite of all trees for the people of Palestine. It symbolized fertility, peace, and prosperity. Grapes, likewise, produced wine, the symbol of joy. Thorns and brambles were only good for burning as fuel for the fire. There's a proverbial saying that you know a tree by its fruit. Likewise a person will produce good or bad fruit depending on what is sown in the heart. Charles Read said: "Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny." Character, like fruit, doesn't grow overnight. It takes a lifetime.
A healthy and sound mind produces good fruit
Jesus connects soundness with good fruit. Something is sound when it is free from defect, decay, or disease and is healthy. Good fruit is the result of sound living - living according to moral truth and upright character. The prophet Isaiah warned against the dangers of falsehood: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20). The fruits of falsehood produce an easy religion which takes the iron out of religion, the cross out of Christianity, and any teaching which eliminates the hard sayings of Jesus, and which push the judgments of God into the background and makes us think lightly of sin.
How do we avoid falsehood and bad fruit in our lives? By being true - true to God, his word, and the grace and help he gives us so we can turn away from evil and wrongdoing. And that takes character! Those who are true to God know that their strength lies not in themselves but in God who supplies everything we need to live as his disciples. The Lord strengthens us with the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit - with faith, hope and love, justice, prudence, fortitude and temperance. And we grow in godly character through exercising the gifts and strength which God supplies. Do you want to bear good fruit in your daily life? Allow the Holy Spirit to train you in godliness and the wisdom to distinguish good fruit from bad fruit (1 Timothy 4:7-8, Hebrews 5:14).
What kind of foundation are you building your life?
Jesus told another story about the importance of building on the right foundation to reinforce his lesson about sound living. When Jesus told the story of the builders he likely had the following proverb in mind: When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm for ever (Proverbs 10:25). What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster!
Our character is revealed in the choices we make
Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool other people with our speech and gestures, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2). There is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be proved, and that is by one's practice. Fine words can never replace good deeds. Our character is revealed in the choices we make, especially when we are tested. Do you cheat on an exam or on your income taxes, especially when it will cost you? Do you lie, or cover-up, when disclosing the truth will cause you injury or embarrassment? A true person is honest and reliable before God, themselves, and their neighbor. Their word can be counted on. What foundation is your life built upon?
Lord Jesus, you are the sure foundation and source of life and strength for us. Give me wisdom and strength to live according to your truth and to reject every false way. May I be a doer of your word and not a hearer only.
Psalm 113
1 Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!
2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised!
4 The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down upon the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Scripture is the field where we build our house, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"In a certain place in the Gospel, the Lord says that the wise hearer of his word ought to be like a man who, wishing to build, digs rather deeply until he comes to bedrock. There without anxiety he establishes what he builds against the onrush of a flood, so that when it comes, rather it may be pushed back by the solidity of the building than that house collapse by the impact. Let us consider the Scripture of God as being a field where we want to build something. Let us not be lazy or content with the surface. Let us dig more deeply until we come to rock: 'Now the rock was Christ' (1 Corinthians 10:4)." (excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 23.1)
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