October 8, 2021 Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

2021년 10월 8일 연중 제27주간 금요일   



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

제1독서

<주님의 날, 어둠과 암흑의 날>

 요엘 예언서. 1,13-15; 2,1-2
13 사제들아, 자루옷을 두르고 슬피 울어라.
제단의 봉사자들아, 울부짖어라.
내 하느님의 봉사자들아, 와서 자루옷을 두르고 밤을 새워라.
너희 하느님의 집에 곡식 제물과 제주가 떨어졌다.
14 너희는 단식을 선포하고 거룩한 집회를 소집하여라.
원로들과 이 땅의 모든 주민을
주 너희 하느님의 집에 모아 주님께 부르짖어라.
15 아, 그날! 정녕 주님의 날이 가까웠다.
전능하신 분께서 보내신 파멸이 들이닥치듯 다가온다.
2,1 너희는 시온에서 뿔 나팔을 불고 나의 거룩한 산에서 경보를 울려라.
땅의 모든 주민이 떨게 하여라.
주님의 날이 다가온다.
정녕 그날이 가까웠다.
2 어둠과 암흑의 날, 구름과 먹구름의 날이다.
여명이 산등성이를 넘어 퍼지듯 수가 많고 힘센 민족이 다가온다.
이런 일은 옛날에도 없었고
앞으로도 세세 대대에 이르도록 다시 일어나지 않으리라.
 

복음

<내가 하느님의 손가락으로 마귀들을 쫓아내는 것이면 하느님의 나라가 이미 너희에게 와 있는 것이다.>

 루카. 11,15-26
 그때에 예수님께서 벙어리 마귀를 쫓아내셨는데,

군중 15 가운데 몇 사람은,
“저자는 마귀 우두머리 베엘제불의 힘을 빌려 마귀들을 쫓아낸다.” 하고 말하였다.
16 다른 사람들은 예수님을 시험하느라고,
하늘에서 내려오는 표징을 그분께 요구하기도 하였다.
17 예수님께서는 그들의 생각을 아시고 이렇게 말씀하셨다.
“어느 나라든지 서로 갈라서면 망하고 집들도 무너진다.
18 사탄도 서로 갈라서면 그의 나라가 어떻게 버티어 내겠느냐?
그런데도 너희는 내가 베엘제불의 힘을 빌려
마귀들을 쫓아낸다고 말한다.
19 내가 만일 베엘제불의 힘을 빌려 마귀들을 쫓아낸다면,
너희의 아들들은 누구의 힘을 빌려 마귀들을 쫓아낸다는 말이냐?
그러니 바로 그들이 너희의 재판관이 될 것이다.
20 그러나 내가 하느님의 손가락으로 마귀들을 쫓아내는 것이면,
하느님의 나라가 이미 너희에게 와 있는 것이다.
21 힘센 자가 완전히 무장하고 자기 저택을 지키면 그의 재산은 안전하다.
22 그러나 더 힘센 자가 덤벼들어 그를 이기면,
그자는 그가 의지하던 무장을 빼앗고 저희끼리 전리품을 나눈다.
23 내 편에 서지 않는 자는 나를 반대하는 자고,
나와 함께 모아들이지 않는 자는 흩어 버리는 자다.
24 더러운 영이 사람에게서 나가면,
쉴 데를 찾아 물 없는 곳을 돌아다니지만 찾지 못한다.
그때에 그는 ‘내가 나온 집으로 돌아가야지.’ 하고 말한다.
25 그러고는 가서 그 집이 말끔히 치워지고 정돈되어 있는 것을 보게 된다.
26 그러면 다시 나와,
자기보다 더 악한 영 일곱을 데리고 그 집에 들어가 자리를 잡는다.
그리하여 그 사람의 끝이 처음보다 더 나빠진다.”

October 8, 2021

Friday of the Twenty-seventh 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 

Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2

Gird yourselves and weep, O priests!
wail, O ministers of the altar!
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!
The house of your God is deprived
of offering and libation.
Proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the elders,
all who dwell in the land,
Into the house of the LORD, your God,
and cry to the LORD!
Alas, the day!
for near is the day of the LORD,
and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all who dwell in the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming;
Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom,
a day of clouds and somberness!
Like dawn spreading over the mountains,
a people numerous and mighty!
Their like has not been from of old,
nor will it be after them,
even to the years of distant generations.
 

Responsorial Psalm 

Ps 9:2-3, 6 and 16, 8-9

R. (9) The Lord will judge the world with justice.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out forever and ever.
The nations are sunk in the pit they have made;
in the snare they set, their foot is caught.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
But the LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He judges the world with justice;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.

 

Gospel 

Lk 11:15-26

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:
"By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
"When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
"I shall return to my home from which I came."
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.

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

 In the Gospel readings for today, Jesus confronts the issue that some of His detractors were raising – by whose authority, with whose power, did He expel demons?  A true demon is a supernatural power – a demonic force against which human powers pale without the support of a counter-force supernatural power.  And so, the people were questioning whether Jesus was acting with good will and authority from God, or ill will and channeling another powerful demon.

I wondered about this reading for a while, and it struck me that for many of us a demon is a metaphor for the temptations and obsessions we find in our lives.  I am old enough to recall the phrase “demon rum” to explain alcoholism; the old, uninformed explanation was not that alcohol dependency is a disease, but that the “demon” possessed the person through the use of alcohol, thus destroying their normal life and leaving them as a shell of a well-adjusted human.  Demon rum ruined someone’s marriage, family life, and place in society as a valuable contributor to communal good.  A variety of other forces have the potential to possess someone, to be an obsession or a demon – the drive for career success, the desire for power, maintaining good looks or health, both legal and illegal drugs, sex, social media, video games, television, exercise, eating, among others.

It seems to me the common thread throughout these obsessions and demons is that God has provided us with a good thing that we somehow corrupt through our unnatural attachment.  Career success is a good thing, but in perspective.  So too with good health, alcohol, sex, pharmaceuticals, and so on.  All are neutral, and are good if they lead us closer to God, and bad (thus the demonization) if they don’t.  We can put them to good use and enjoy them within moderation.  Or we can overuse them, and thus become possessed by, dependent on, or addicted to them.  Even people can present themselves as disordered if they pull us away from God.

To Ignatius, these disordered or unhealthy attachments should be resisted because they interfere with an authentic relationship with God.  Having a drink in moderation for most of us would not interfere in our relationship with God and God’s creation (our family and friends and communities) but overindulging, even if not to the point of dependency, can prevent us from engaging our true selves with our fellow travelers on our journeys through this life.  

Part of the reflective process in the Spiritual Exercises is building the awareness to objectively look at our actions regarding these goods that God has given us, to discern if we are using them in the manner God intended (to bring us to a closer relationship with God, and to deepen our love for God and our neighbor).  The more we are aware, the more we can ask for God’s help in resisting using these gifts inconsistently with God’s purpose for us in providing the gifts.

This gift of awareness enables us to drive out these demons, because the awareness is itself a gift that we receive every time we pause to discern in that moment what we are doing and why.  The gift is based on our (simple to state but so hard to admit) dependency on God to not only provide these gifts but also to assist us in becoming wise in using them for God’s purposes.  A regular practice in Ignatian spirituality is to, periodically through the day, pause to examine what you are doing, and why, and how God is present in that moment.  The Examen is generally thought of as an evening exercise, but can be prayer at any time during the day, especially during times of stressful temptation. 

And so, my prayer today is for the grace to be in the moment, to be aware of the gift being presented by God, and to discern if I am using it as God intended.

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

 

FULL HOUSE

“Next it goes out and returns with seven other spirits far worse than itself, who enter in and dwell there. The result is that the last state of the man is worse than the first.” —Luke 11:26

“No man can serve two masters” (Mt 6:24); there’s only room for one. That’s what Jesus refers to in today’s Gospel passage. We cannot be double-minded (see Jas 3:9ff). It’s important to empty ourselves of ungodly things and desires, but once that emptying is done, there is a vacuum, a void. Something will fill that void — either godly desires or ungodly ones. It’s so critical that we constantly, day by day, fill ourselves with the things of God. The Lord says: “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it” (Ps 81:11). The Holy Spirit wants to fill us (Acts 2:4).

Let the Lord protect you against demons and fill you:

• with the Word of God. A heart full of Scripture leaves no room for the temptations of the devil (see Ps 119:11).
• by praying daily the St. Michael and Guardian Angel prayers.
• by praying the Rosary, for Satan hates anything having to do with Mary. She defeats Satan by her perfect obedience (see Rm 16:20; Lk 1:38).
• by praising the name of Jesus and professing Him daily as Lord (see 1 Cor 12:3).
• by resisting the devil; stand firm and he will flee (Jas 4:7).

Empty yourself of the things of the world, fill yourself with the things of God, and there will be no room for the demon and its seven companions in your soul. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer:  Father, I give You my entire life, all my soul, all my strength, all my heart, and all my mind (Lk 10:27).

Promise:  “The Lord sits enthroned forever; He has set up His throne for judgment.” —Ps 9:8

Praise:  Joe read the Bible through the night to fight his urge to return to his addiction.

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

 When danger lurks, what kind of protection do you seek? Jesus came to free us from the greatest danger of all - the corrupting force of evil which destroys us from within and makes us slaves to sin and Satan (John 8:34). Evil is not an impersonal force that just happens. It has a name and a face and it seeks to master every heart and soul on the face of the earth (1 Peter 5:8-9). Scripture identifies the Evil One by many names, 'Satan', 'Beelzebul - the 'prince of demons', the 'Devil', the 'Deceiver', the 'Father of Lies', and 'Lucifier', the fallen angel who broke rank with God and established his own army and kingdom in opposition to God.

Jesus has power to cast out the Deceiver and set us free
Jesus declared that he came to overthrow the power of Satan and his kingdom (John 12:31). Jesus' numerous exorcisms brought freedom to many who were troubled and oppressed by the work of evil spirits. Jesus himself encountered personal opposition and battle with Satan when he was put to the test in the wilderness just before his public ministry (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1). He overcame the Evil One through his obedience to the will of his Father.

Some of the Jewish leaders reacted vehemently to Jesus' healings and exorcisms and they opposed him with malicious slander. How could Jesus get the power and authority to release individuals from Satan's influence and control? They assumed that he had to be in league with Satan. They attributed his power to Satan rather than to God. Jesus answers their charge with two arguments. There were many exorcists in Palestine in Jesus' time. So Jesus retorted by saying that they also incriminate their own kin who cast out demons. If they condemn Jesus they also condemn themselves.

Whose kingdom do you follow and serve?
In his second argument Jesus asserts that no kingdom divided against itself can survive for long. We have witnessed enough civil wars in our own time to prove the destructive force at work here for the annihilation of whole peoples and their land. If Satan lends his power against his own forces then he is finished.

Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th century church father explains the force of Jesus' argument:

Kingdoms are established by the fidelity of subjects and the obedience of those under the royal scepter. Houses are established when those who belong to them in no way whatsoever thwart one another but, on the contrary, agree in will and deed. I suppose it would establish the kingdom too of Beelzebub, had he determined to abstain from everything contrary to himself. How then does Satan cast out Satan? It follows then that devils do not depart from people on their own accord but retire unwillingly. "Satan," he says, "does not fight with himself." He does not rebuke his own servants. He does not permit himself to injure his own armor bearers. On the contrary, he helps his kingdom. "It remains for you to understand that I crush Satan by divine power." [Commentary on Luke, Homily 80]

How can a strong person be defeated except by someone who is stronger? Jesus asserted his power and authority to cast out demons as a clear demonstration of the reign of God. Jesus' reference to the 'finger of God' points back to Moses' confrontation with Pharoah and his magicians who represented Satan and the kingdom of darkness (see Exodus 8:19). Jesus claims to be carrying on the tradition of Moses whose miracles freed the Israelites from bondage by thefinger of God. God's power is clearly at work in the exorcisms which Jesus performed and they give evidence that God's kingdom has come.

God and his Word is the source of our protection and security
What is the point of Jesus' grim story about a vacant house being occupied by an evil force? It is not enough to banish evil thoughts and habits from our lives. We must also fill the void with God who is the source of all that is good, wholesome, true, and life-giving for us. Augustine of Hippo said that our lives have a God-shaped void which only God can fill. If we attempt to leave it vacant or to fill it with something else which is not of God, we will end up being in a worse state in the end.

What do you fill the void in your life with? The Lord Jesus wants to fill our minds and hearts with the power of his life-giving word and healing love. Jesus makes it very clear that there are no neutral parties in this world. We are either for the Lord Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God or against it. We cannot serve two kingdoms opposed to each another. There are ultimately only two universal kingdoms which stand in opposition to one another - the kingdom of God - his kingdom of light and truth - and the kingdom of darkness - which is opposed to God's truth and justice and which is dominated by Satan's lies and deception. If we disobey God's word, we open to door to the power of sin and the deception of Satan in our personal lives.

Is Jesus the Lord of your mind, heart, and home?
If we want to live in true freedom, then our "house" (the inner core of our true being) must be occupied by Jesus where he is enthroned as Lord and Savior. The Lord assures us of his protection from spiritual harm and he gives us the help and strength we need to resist the devil and his lies (James 4:7). The Scriptures remind us that God is our refuge and his angels stand guard over us:

"Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways"(Psalm 91:9-11).

Do you know the peace and security of a life submitted to God and his word?

Lord Jesus, be the ruler of my heart and the master of my home. May there be nothing in my life that is not under your lordship.

Psalm 9:1-5,7-8

1 I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you, I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before you.
4 For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.
5 You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
7 But the LORD sits enthroned for ever, he has established his throne for judgment;
8 and he judges the world with righteousness, he judges the peoples with equity.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Jesus has conquered Satan, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)

"[Jesus] has conquered the ruler of this world. Having, so to speak, hamstrung him and stripped him of the power he possessed, he has given him over for a prey to his followers. He says, 'The strong man, being armed, guards his house; all his goods are in peace. But when one who is stronger than he shall come on him and overcome him, he takes away all his armor wherein he trusted and divides his spoil.' This is a plain demonstration and type of the matter depicted after the manner of human affairs... Before the coming of the Savior, he was in great power, driving and shutting up in his own stall flocks that were not his own but belonging to God over all. He was like some voracious and most insolent robber. Since the Word of God who is above all, the Giver of all might and Lord of powers attacked him, having become man, all his goods have been plundered and his spoil divided. Those of old who had been ensnared by him into ungodliness and error have been called by the holy apostles to the acknowledgment of the truth and been brought near to God the Father by faith in his Son."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 81)

 

 

More Homilies

October 11, 2019 Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time