2021년 11월 7일 연중 제32주일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
<과부는 밀가루로 작은 빵을 만들어 엘리야에게 가져다주었다.>
열왕기 상. 17,10-16
그 무렵 엘리야 예언자는 10 일어나 사렙타로 갔다.
그가 성읍에 들어서는데 마침 한 과부가 땔감을 줍고 있었다.
엘리야가 그 여자를 부르고는,
“마실 물 한 그릇 좀 떠다 주시오.” 하고 청하였다.
11 그 여자가 물을 뜨러 가는데 엘리야가 다시 불러서 말하였다.
“빵도 한 조각 들고 오면 좋겠소.”
12 여자가 대답하였다.
“주 어르신의 하느님께서 살아 계시는 한,
구운 빵이라고는 한 조각도 없습니다.
다만 단지에 밀가루 한 줌과 병에 기름이 조금 있을 뿐입니다.
저는 지금 땔감을 두어 개 주워다가 음식을 만들어,
제 아들과 함께 그것이나 먹고 죽을 작정입니다.”
13 엘리야가 과부에게 말하였다.
“두려워하지 말고 가서 당신 말대로 음식을 만드시오.
그러나 먼저 나를 위해 작은 빵 과자 하나를 만들어 내오고,
그런 다음 당신과 당신 아들을 위하여 음식을 만드시오.
14 주 이스라엘의 하느님께서 이렇게 말씀하셨소.
‘이 주님이 땅에 비를 다시 내리는 날까지,
밀가루 단지는 비지 않고 기름병은 마르지 않을 것이다.’”
15 그러자 그 여인은 가서 엘리야의 말대로 하였다.
과연 그 여자와 엘리야와 그 여자의 집안은 오랫동안 먹을 것이 있었다.
16 주님께서 엘리야를 통하여 하신 말씀대로,
단지에는 밀가루가 떨어지지 않고 병에는 기름이 마르지 않았다.
제2독서
<그리스도께서는 많은 사람의 죄를 짊어지시려고 단 한 번 당신 자신을 바치셨습니다.>
히브리서. 9,24-28
24 그리스도께서는, 참성소의 모조품에 지나지 않는 곳에,
곧 사람 손으로 만든 성소에 들어가지 않으셨습니다.
이제 우리를 위하여 하느님 앞에 나타나시려고 바로 하늘에 들어가신 것입니다.
25 대사제가 해마다 다른 생물의 피를 가지고 성소에 들어가듯이,
당신 자신을 여러 번 바치시려고 들어가신 것이 아닙니다.
26 만일 그렇다면 세상 창조 때부터 여러 번 고난을 받으셔야 했을 것입니다.
그러나 이제 그분께서는 마지막 시대에
당신 자신을 제물로 바쳐 죄를 없애시려고 단 한 번 나타나셨습니다.
27 사람은 단 한 번 죽게 마련이고 그 뒤에 심판이 이어지듯이,
28 그리스도께서도 많은 사람의 죄를 짊어지시려고
단 한 번 당신 자신을 바치셨습니다.
그리고 당신을 고대하는 이들을 구원하시려고
죄와는 상관없이 두 번째로 나타나실 것입니다.
복음
<저 가난한 과부가 다른 모든 사람보다 더 많이 넣었다.>
마르코. 12,38-44<또는 12,41-44>
그때에 예수님께서는 군중을 38 가르치시면서 이렇게 이르셨다.
“율법 학자들을 조심하여라.
그들은 긴 겉옷을 입고 나다니며 장터에서 인사받기를 즐기고,
39 회당에서는 높은 자리를, 잔치 때에는 윗자리를 즐긴다.
40 그들은 과부들의 가산을 등쳐 먹으면서 남에게 보이려고 기도는 길게 한다.
이러한 자들은 더 엄중히 단죄를 받을 것이다.”
41 예수님께서 헌금함 맞은쪽에 앉으시어,
사람들이 헌금함에 돈을 넣는 모습을 보고 계셨다. 많은 부자들이 큰돈을 넣었다.
42 그런데 가난한 과부 한 사람이 와서 렙톤 두 닢을 넣었다.
그것은 콰드란스 한 닢인 셈이다.
43 예수님께서 제자들을 가까이 불러 이르셨다.
“내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다.
저 가난한 과부가 헌금함에 돈을 넣은 다른 모든 사람보다 더 많이 넣었다.
44 저들은 모두 풍족한 데에서 얼마씩 넣었지만,
저 과부는 궁핍한 가운데에서 가진 것을, 곧 생활비를 모두 다 넣었기 때문이다.”
November 7, 2021
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
1 Kgs 17:10-16
In those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
"Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink."
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
"Please bring along a bit of bread."
She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
'The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'"
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
Alleluia.
The LORD 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 he 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.
Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
Gospel
Mk 12:38-44 or 12:41-44
In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
I look at the examples of the two widows and I am humbled. A starving mother feeds Elijah even though she only has enough to make one last meal for her son and herself. A woman giving two coins to the treasury, and Jesus praises her for giving all she had. These two individuals, models of courage and faith, gave the last of what they had because that was what God called them to do.
As I go through today’s readings, I question whether I could do what they did:
Do I have the faith and courage to give my last cent? I recently heard a woman talk about the time when she and her husband made the difficult decision to stop farming. This had been the couple’s only source of income, and neither had found a job by the time they received the last harvest check. They discussed reducing or skipping their offering for church, at least until they knew more money was on the way – not an irrational consideration – but decided to give their normal tithe as an act of faith that God would provide. (He did, of course.) As difficult as their situation was, the circumstances were even more dire for the widow approached by Elijah. This mother was down to a last meal for her child, yet she responded faithfully to Elijah’s request.
Do I bring an offering of the firstfruits (Leviticus 23) of my labor, or do I wait to see what is left in my account after I pay rent, utilities, bills – and maybe a nice meal and tickets to a ball game? The temptation can be to view what I earn as “my money” with offerings and charitable donations given if and when there is money to spare. The blessing is to remember that everything I have is God’s, and that God will provide what I need when I need it – although I have to be reminded of that. I am blessed to have several people in my life who model faithful giving. I recall a friend years ago who wrote his tithe check whenever he wrote a deposit slip (and I am sure he has adjusted now that his paycheck is directly deposited). I know people who budget for gifts to church and charities, and then use that budget while deciding how much they can afford when buying a house or car. (They are also pretty good about living modestly so that they have more to give when called to do so.) I also know of people in the world who can relate closely with the woman who was down to her last coins and who responded with similar faith.
Do I treat the other resources God provides as my own or His? For many, time is a precious resource, and our days are filled with conscious and unconscious choices about how to use the time God has given us. I can be so focused on my job that I am oblivious to the signs of someone in need, which causes me to ignore a call to love my neighbor. I can be tempted to guard my personal time (see how I consider it mine, not God’s) and resist the Spirit’s prompting to help or serve others. I can fall asleep watching TV at night, so I miss praying before bedtime – and if I was up late enough, I may stay in bed a little longer, which causes me to rush through my time reading these reflections. Although it has been several years since my children were young, I recall how often sports tournaments or other extracurricular activities conflicted with church or community service; and trying to balance those competing commitments can be hard.
Do I pass when called to do something seemingly small while I wait for an opportunity to do something big or impressive? I recently watched a movie in which a wife and husband fought about his work/life balance (or imbalance). She presented him with a hypothetical scenario: The husband learns that his wife is being held hostage at the same time a bomb has been placed at the building where he works. He can either save her life or the building, but not both. The husband responds angrily that this is a ridiculous situation that would never happen. She replies, “But that is exactly my point. It is never one big dramatic choice. It is little, vague situations every single day and you’re either there or you’re not.” It occurs to me that I treat my relationship with God the same way. I keep getting distracted by demands of my career, other commitments or my own desires, when I should be available for the little, vague situations that God places before me every single day. I keep thinking that I will get around to doing something impressive, when in reality I am called to give what I have with the awareness that God will do the impressive, miraculous work. I may one day be called to do something on a grand scale, but any success that results will not be because I am self-sufficient, it will be because God is my sufficiency.
The famous acting teacher Konstantin Stanislavski once said, “There are no small parts, only small actors.” A successful play or movie requires every performer, including the person with only one line, to give his or her very best. With God, the small parts are extremely important, because those are the individuals He uses to work miracles, just like the starving widow who fed Elijah. I don’t have to wait for something major. I don’t have to wait until I am down to my last two coins or the last bit of food in the cupboard. I do have to give myself fully and completely to God.
As you consider this, I invite you to listen to These Alone Are Enough, Dan Schutte’s beautiful song based on the Prayer of St. Ignatius.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
MONEY TALKS
“This poor widow contributed more than all the others.” —Mark 12:43
The widow of Zarephath and the widow in today’s Gospel reading both gave from their want, all that they “had to live on” (Mk 12:44; 1 Kgs 17:13ff). When Zacchaeus accepted salvation, he gave half his possessions to the poor (Lk 19:8). Barnabas donated his farm to the Church (Acts 4:37). It became so common to do this that Ananias and Sapphira lied and said they gave to the Church all the money they received from selling a piece of property, although they had only given most of it (Acts 5:2-3). Paul had to caution the Macedonians about over-giving! (2 Cor 8:13) They gave to the point of impoverishing themselves. We don’t seem to have this problem today.
Christians today seem light-years away from the financial giving we see in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. Many Christians aren’t even tithing, and tithing is B.C. It’s 2,000 years behind the times. We must repent of watering down our faith. We have become lukewarm not only in financial matters, but also in many other areas (Rv 3:16). We must repent, even if we’re the first ones or the only ones to repent.
Prayer: Father, may I give as You gave to me.
Promise: Jesus “will appear a second time not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.” —Heb 9:28
Praise: Praise You, Lord Jesus, for Your gift of Paradise (see 2 Cor 12:4). Risen Jesus, lead us to Your Father’s house!
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
What is true religion and devotion to God? Jesus warns his disciples against the wrong kind of religion. In his denunciation of the scribes (the religious experts of his day), he warns against three things: the desire for prominence and first place of honor rather than lowly service for the benefit of others; the desire for deference and recognition (and seeking esteem from others) rather than seeking to promote the good of others through humble service and selfless care for others; and thirdly, attempting to use one's position (even a religious position) for self-gain and self-advancement. True religion is relating rightly to God and to one's neighbor with love, honor, and respect. The Lord puts his Holy Spirit within us that we may be filled with the joy of his presence, the joy of true worship, and the joy of selfless giving and love for others. True reverence for God frees the heart to give liberally, both to God and to neighbor.
Love is more precious than gold or silver
Jesus taught his disciples a dramatic lesson in generous giving with love and devotion. Love doesn't calculate - it spends lavishly! Jesus drove this point home to his disciples while sitting in the temple and observing people offering their tithes. Jesus praised a poor widow who gave the smallest of coins in contrast with the rich who gave greater sums. How can someone in poverty give more than someone who has ample means? Jesus' answer is very simple - love is more precious than gold!
Real giving comes from a heart full of gratitude
Jesus taught that real giving must come from the heart. A gift that is given with a grudge or for display loses most of its value. But a gift given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is invaluable. The amount or size of the gift doesn't matter as much as the cost to the giver. The poor widow could have kept one of her coins, but instead she recklessly gave away all she had! Jesus praised someone who gave barely a penny - how insignificant a sum - because it was everything she had, her whole living. What we have to offer may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord's disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it and with us what is beyond our reckoning. Do you know the joy and freedom of giving liberally to God and to neighbor with gratitude and love?
Lord Jesus, all that I have is yours. Take my life, my possessions, my time and all that I have and use them as you desire for your glory.
Psalm 146:7-10
8 My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.
14 But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.
16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Mercy and compassion are never worthless, by Leo the Great, 400-461 A.D.
"Although the spite of some people does not grow gentle with any kindness, nevertheless the works of mercy are not fruitless, and kindness never loses what is offered to the ungrateful. May no one, dearly beloved, make themselves strangers to good works. Let no one claim that his poverty scarcely sufficed for himself and could not help another. What is offered from a little is great, and in the scale of divine justice, the quantity of gifts is not measured but the steadfastness of souls. The 'widow' in the Gospel put two coins into the 'treasury,' and this surpassed the gifts of all the rich. No mercy is worthless before God. No compassion is fruitless. He has given different resources to human beings, but he does not ask different affections." (excerpt from SERMON 20.3.1.6)
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