2021년 11월 11일 연중 제32주간 목요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
<지혜는 영원한 빛의 광채이고 하느님께서 하시는 활동의 티 없는 거울이다.>
지혜서. 7,22ㅡ8,1
22 지혜 안에 있는 정신은 명석하고 거룩하며
유일하고 다양하고 섬세하며 민첩하고 명료하고 청절하며
분명하고 손상될 수 없으며 선을 사랑하고 예리하며
23 자유롭고 자비롭고 인자하며 항구하고 확고하고 평온하며
전능하고 모든 것을 살핀다.
또 명석하고 깨끗하며 아주 섬세한 정신들을 모두 통찰한다.
24 지혜는 어떠한 움직임보다 재빠르고
그 순수함으로 모든 것을 통달하고 통찰한다.
25 지혜는 하느님 권능의 숨결이고 전능하신 분의 영광의 순전한 발산이어서
어떠한 오점도 그 안으로 기어들지 못한다.
26 지혜는 영원한 빛의 광채이고 하느님께서 하시는 활동의 티 없는 거울이며
하느님 선하심의 모상이다.
27 지혜는 혼자이면서도 모든 것을 할 수 있고
자신 안에 머무르면서 모든 것을 새롭게 하며
대대로 거룩한 영혼들 안으로 들어가
그들을 하느님의 벗과 예언자로 만든다.
28 그래서 하느님께서는 지혜와 함께 사는 사람만 사랑하신다.
29 지혜는 해보다 아름답고 어떠한 별자리보다 빼어나며
빛과 견주어 보아도 그보다 더 밝음을 알 수 있다.
30 밤은 빛을 밀어내지만 악은 지혜를 이겨 내지 못한다.
8,1 지혜는 세상 끝에서 끝까지 힘차게 퍼져 가며 만물을 훌륭히 통솔한다.
복음
<하느님의 나라는 너희 가운데에 있다.>
루카. 17,20-25
그때에 20 예수님께서는 바리사이들에게서
하느님의 나라가 언제 오느냐는 질문을 받으시고 그들에게 대답하셨다.
“하느님의 나라는 눈에 보이는 모습으로 오지 않는다.
21 또 ‘보라, 여기에 있다.’,
또는 ‘저기에 있다.’ 하고 사람들이 말하지도 않을 것이다.
보라, 하느님의 나라는 너희 가운데에 있다.”
22 예수님께서 제자들에게 이르셨다.
“너희가 사람의 아들의 날을 하루라도 보려고
갈망할 때가 오겠지만 보지 못할 것이다.
23 사람들이 너희에게 ‘보라, 저기에 계시다.’,
또는 ‘보라, 여기에 계시다.’ 할 것이다.
그러나 너희는 나서지도 말고 따라가지도 마라.
24 번개가 치면 하늘 이쪽 끝에서 하늘 저쪽 끝까지 비추는 것처럼,
사람의 아들도 자기의 날에 그러할 것이다.
25 그러나 그는 먼저 많은 고난을 겪고
이 세대에게 배척을 받아야 한다.”
November 11, 2021
Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Wis 7:22b-8:1
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.
Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Gospel
Lk 17:20-25
Jesus said in reply,
"The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, "Look, here it is," or, "There it is."
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you."
Then he said to his disciples,
"The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
"Look, there he is," or "Look, here he is."
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
I wonder what I would have thought of Jesus if I had lived 2000 years ago. If I had been looking for a Messiah, my guess is that I would have expected someone coming in splendor and glory, someone who would have crushed the oppressors. Jesus defies my expectations. He is not born into a family that has wealth or influence. He does not teach the normal structure of an earthly kingdom. His path involves suffering, stresses service, and has a special place for the poor.
I realize that with age my vision is not what it used to be; my hearing is starting to fail. My mind no longer picks up on the subtleties as it once could. I realize how often I may miss the main point. I have become aware of how often my expectations and the context has me filling what I might have missed. (Having lived enough of my life in places where my language skills and understanding of the cultural context have fallen short, I am well aware of how much I have let the context define what I take away from an interaction.) Would I have recognized someone as the Messiah if He did not fit my idea of a Messiah?
Jesus responds to the Pharisees telling them that the kingdom of God is among them. The Pharisees were drawn to order, discipline, and ritual. Jesus tries to get people to recognize that what is important is the underlying spirituality rather than the structures. I can just imagine myself as a very confused observer in the crowd.
The first reading gives some insight into what wisdom really is. I am familiar with wisdom as an understanding of the physical world about us. We are reminded of wisdom in terms of virtue and our relationship with God. Wisdom is the ability to see beyond our predispositions. Having taught physics for many years, I know the difficulty of shepherding people to come to an understanding that conflicts with “common sense”; things naturally keep moving in a straight line unless there is a force to stop them; air pressure is lower where the air is moving faster; when I push on something that something pushes back on me with a force of the same size. I am reminded of the line from Miracle on 34th Street – “Faith is believing something when common sense tells you not to.” I might reword this as “Wisdom is understanding when predispositions are overcome.” This is the basis of my prayer today.
Heavenly Father,
I am confronted with my predispositions, my biases, and my susceptibilities.
This is often compounded by favoring interactions with those having similar propensities.
I ask for the wisdom to overcome these tendencies.
Too often I find myself with the mindset of a pharisee.
Assist me in looking to a Messiah who defies expectations.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
THE TODAY SHOW
“A time will come when you will long to see one day of the Son of Man but will not see it.” —Luke 17:22
Today we’re able to spend the day with Jesus without too many obstacles. Today we can read God’s Word and receive Communion. We can spend time with other Christians and freely tell the Good News of Jesus to whomever He sends us. We can work “while it is day. The night comes on when no one can work” (Jn 9:4).
Let’s appreciate today and “make the most of the present opportunity” (Eph 5:16). For there will be a time “more distressful than any between God’s work of creation and now, and for all time to come” (Mk 13:19). At that time, we “will long to see one day of the Son of Man” but will not see it (Lk 17:22). The Lord will never leave us, but it will be difficult to believe this under the circumstances.
Let’s pray, prepare for the future, and not dread it. We should pray to not be subjected to the trial but to stand erect by faith and hold our heads high “when these things begin to happen” (Lk 21:28). We prepare for the future by using fully the opportunities of the present. We have wasted enough time doing “what the pagans enjoy” (1 Pt 4:3). We are not to spend what remains of our “earthly life on human desires but on the will of God” (1 Pt 4:2). “It is now the hour...to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith” (Rm 13:11).
Prayer: Father, today is the only day I’m certain I have left. I live my life and day fully for You.
Promise: “For she [wisdom] is the refulgence of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the power of God, the image of His goodness.” —Wis 7:26
Praise: St. Martin of Tours gave his cloak to a shivering beggar. Soon afterward, he had a vision of Jesus as that beggar. He was baptized and faithfully served the Church. St. Martin converted his pagan mother.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
What can lightning tell us about the coming of the Lord and his kingdom? The Jews is Jesus' time were watching in great anticipation for some sign which would indicate when the Messiah would appear to establish the kingdom of God. The Pharisees' question on this matter was intended to test Jesus since they did not accept him as the Messiah. Jesus surprised them with the answer that the kingdom or reign of God was already here! Jesus spoke of the coming of God's kingdom as both a present event and an event which would be manifested at the end of time.
The Day of Judgment and God's final verdict
The "Day of the Lord" was understood in the Old Testament as the time when God would manifest his glory and power and overthrow the enemies of his people, Israel. The prophet Amos declared that the "Day" also meant judgment for Israel as well as the nations (Amos 5:18-20). The prophet Joel proclaimed that at this "Day" those who truly repented would be saved, while those who remained enemies of the Lord, whether Jew or Gentile, would be punished (see Joel 2).
Image of lightning and the sudden appearance of Christ on Judgment Day
Why did Jesus associate lightning with the "Day of the Lord"? In the arid climate of Palestine, storms were infrequent and seasonal. They often appeared suddenly or unexpectedly, seemingly out of nowhere, covering everything in thick darkness. With little or no warning lightning filled the sky with its piercing flashes of flaming light. Its power struck terror and awe in those who tried to flee from its presence. Jesus warned the Pharisees that the "Son of man" (a title for the Messiah given in the Book of Daniel 7:13-15) would come in like manner, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, on the clouds of heaven to bring God's judgment on the "Day of the Lord". No special sign will be needed to announce his appearance. Nor will his presence and power be veiled or hidden, but all will recognize him as clearly as the lightning in the sky.
Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead
Jesus identified himself with the "Day of the Lord." "Son of man" was understood as a Messianic title for the one who would come not only to establish God's kingdom but who would come as Judge of the living as well as the dead. Jesus points to his second coming when he will return to complete the work of restoration and final judgment. While we do not know the time of his return, we will not mistake it when it happens. It will be apparent to all, both believers and non-believers as well.
When the Pharisees asked Jesus what sign would indicate the "Day of the Lord", Jesus replied that only one sign would point to that day and that sign was Jesus himself. Jesus surprised the Jews of his time by announcing that God's kingdom was already present among them in his very person - the Son of God sent from the Father to redeem the world from sin and corruption.
Our hope is anchored in God's kingdom - not the passing kingdoms of this present world
In the Lord Jesus we see both the power and the glory of God's kingdom. His divine power overthrew the powers of darkness (the kingdom of Satan and all who opposed God's rule) and sin (which corrupts and enslaves the human mind, heart, and will to the forces of evil and wrongdoing). Jesus knew that the only way to victory was through the cross. On that cross he defeated death and canceled the debt of our sins. The victory of his cross opens the way for us to live as sons and daughters of God and citizens of his heavenly kingdom of peace, joy, and righteousness (moral goodness). Is your hope and future securely anchored to God's heavenly kingdom?
Lord Jesus Christ, may your kingdom come and my your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Be the Ruler of my heart and the Master of my life that I may always live in the freedom of your love and truth.
Psalm 119:89-91,130,135,175
89 For ever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
91 By your appointment they stand this day; for all things are your servants.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
135 Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.
175 Let me live, that I may praise you, and let your ordinances help me.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Don't pursue human glory, by John Cassian (360-435 AD)
"If the devil has been driven out and sin no longer reigns, then the kingdom of God is established in us. As it is written in the Gospel, 'The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, 'Lo here,' or 'Lo, there.' Truly I say to you that the kingdom of God is within you' (Luke 17:20-21). The only thing that can be 'within us' is knowledge or ignorance of the truth and the affection for righteousness or sin by which we prepare our hearts to be a kingdom of Christ or the devil. St. Paul described the nature of this kingdom in this way: 'For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit' (Romans 14:17). If the kingdom of God is within us and is righteousness, peace and joy, then someone that remains in these is surely within the kingdom of God. Someone that remains in unrighteousness, conflict and the melancholy that kills the life of the spirit is already a citizen of the devil's kingdom, of hell and of death. These are the signs whether it is God's kingdom or the devil's." (excerpt from CONFERENCE 1.13.5)
[John Cassian was an early 5th century church father who lived for several years with the monks in Bethlehem and Egypt before founding a monastery in southern Gaul.]
More Homilies
November 14, 2019 Thursday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
