2022년 3월16일 사순 제2주간 수요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
<어서 그를 치자.>
예레미야서. 18,18-20
유다 사람들과 예루살렘 주민들이 18 이렇게 말하였습니다.
“자, 예레미야를 없앨 음모를 꾸미자.
그자가 없어도 언제든지 사제에게서 가르침을, 현인에게서 조언을,
예언자에게서 말씀을 얻을 수 있다.
어서 혀로 그를 치고, 그가 하는 말은 무엇이든 무시해 버리자.”
19 주님, 제 말씀을 귀담아들어 주시고 제 원수들의 말을 들어 보소서.
20 선을 악으로 갚아도 됩니까?
그런데 그들은 제 목숨을 노리며 구덩이를 파 놓았습니다.
제가 당신 앞에 서서 그들을 위해 복을 빌어 주고
당신의 분노를 그들에게서 돌리려 했던 일을 기억하소서.
복음
<그들은 사람의 아들에게 사형을 선고할 것이다.>
마태오. 20,17-28
예수님께서 예루살렘으로 올라가실 때,
열두 제자를 따로 데리고 길을 가시면서 그들에게 이르셨다.
18 “보다시피 우리는 예루살렘으로 올라가고 있다.
거기에서 사람의 아들은 수석 사제들과 율법 학자들에게 넘겨질 것이다.
그러면 그들은 사람의 아들에게 사형을 선고하고,
19 그를 다른 민족 사람들에게 넘겨 조롱하고 채찍질하고 나서
십자가에 못 박게 할 것이다.
그러나 사람의 아들은 사흗날에 되살아날 것이다.”
20 그때에 제베대오의 두 아들의 어머니가 그 아들들과 함께
예수님께 다가와 엎드려 절하고 무엇인가 청하였다.
21 예수님께서 그 부인에게 “무엇을 원하느냐?” 하고 물으시자,
그 부인이
“스승님의 나라에서 저의 이 두 아들이 하나는 스승님의 오른쪽에,
하나는 왼쪽에 앉을 것이라고 말씀해 주십시오.” 하고 말하였다.
22 예수님께서 “너희는 너희가 무엇을 청하는지 알지도 못한다.
내가 마시려는 잔을 너희가 마실 수 있느냐?” 하고 물으셨다.
그들이 “할 수 있습니다.” 하고 대답하자,
23 예수님께서 그들에게 말씀하셨다.
“너희는 내 잔을 마실 것이다.
그러나 내 오른쪽과 왼쪽에 앉는 것은 내가 허락할 일이 아니라,
내 아버지께서 정하신 이들에게 돌아가는 것이다.”
24 다른 열 제자가 이 말을 듣고 그 두 형제를 불쾌하게 여겼다.
25 예수님께서는 그들을 가까이 불러 이르셨다.
“너희도 알다시피 다른 민족들의 통치자들은 백성 위에 군림하고,
고관들은 백성에게 세도를 부린다.
26 그러나 너희는 그래서는 안 된다.
너희 가운데에서 높은 사람이 되려는 이는
너희를 섬기는 사람이 되어야 한다.
27 또한 너희 가운데에서 첫째가 되려는 이는 너희의 종이 되어야 한다.
28 사람의 아들도 섬김을 받으러 온 것이 아니라 섬기러 왔고,
또 많은 이들의 몸값으로 자기 목숨을 바치러 왔다.”
March 16, 2022
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Jer 18:18-20
"Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah.
It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests,
nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets.
And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;
let us carefully note his every word."
Heed me, O LORD,
and listen to what my adversaries say.
Must good be repaid with evil
that they should dig a pit to take my life?
Remember that I stood before you
to speak in their behalf,
to turn away your wrath from them.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 31:5-6, 14, 15-16
You will free me from the snare they set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
I hear the whispers of the crowd, that frighten me from every side,
as they consult together against me, plotting to take my life.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
Gospel
Mt 20:17-28
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day."
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, "What do you wish?"
She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom."
Jesus said in reply,
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
He replied,
"My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many."
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Matthew 20: 17-28
In the second week of Lent Matthew’s scripture is robust and a rich source for reflection. Jesus chooses this time to share important information to the 12 apostles.
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.”
Obviously, Jesus knows things are not going well and the apostles react in a very human and prescriptive way. They do not quite understand what was just said by Jesus? I wonder how well they were listening. Did they understand? In this intimate moment when Jesus shared what the future held did they demonstrate compassionate, caring concern to Jesus?
Continuing with Matthews scripture, the mother of James and John (sons of Zebedee) tried to secure what she thought would be a prestigious position for her sons. James and John appeared to be perfectly ok with this request and were very self-focused. The other apostles did not hesitate to display their anger at this behavior. But Jesus intervenes.
Jesus with his love, kindness and patience says: “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Beautifully said. Reflecting on Matthews scripture I commit to:
Listen attentively and clarify for deeper understanding. Listen with care and love which should involve my ears (focused only on you); my eyes (engaged with yours), and my body (which should lean in toward you).
Embrace humility and recognize when my pride and ego are at the center. Recognize the gifts and light of others who interact with me and let their light shine brightly.
Pray for others …be specific, I will carry their names with me and throughout the day say a prayer of special intention for that person.
Take action ….when the holy spirit whispers in my ear to do something “Just Do It.” Don’t hesitate.
My commitment to these three action items will deepen and change my Lenten experience.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU
“Must good be repaid with evil?” —Jeremiah 18:20
Jeremiah sacrificed and suffered to be a prophet and turn away God’s wrath (Jer 18:20) from “the men of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem” (Jer 18:11). Although Jeremiah saved many people’s lives, they did not realize this. They hated Jeremiah and plotted to kill him. They reasoned that Jeremiah’s death would not be a loss (Jer 18:18) but their gain. The good Jeremiah had done was “repaid with evil” (Jer 18:20).
We all want to be appreciated. So we are disappointed when we are not thanked. Even more so, when those who have benefited from our good acts repay us by doing evil against us, we are often crushed. At this point we feel like quitting, and we definitely will quit if we are serving the Lord for any other reason than for the Lord alone.
Are you serving the Lord only for the Lord? If not, you will burn out. Love for the Lord is the only motivation which lasts. Thank the Lord when you get nothing out of serving Him but Him. This is our opportunity to love unconditionally as He loves us. This is our opportunity to be crucified with Jesus (Gal 2:19).
Prayer: Father, I accept Your grace to forgive those who have hurt me unjustly.
Promise: “The Son of Man...has come, not to be served by others, but to serve, to give His own life as a ransom for the many.” —Mt 20:28
Praise: Praying the Stations of the Cross, Anna’s own misery melted as she experienced Jesus’ overwhelming sacrificial love for her.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Who or what takes first place in your life? You and what you want to do with your life or God and what he desires for you? When personal goals and ambitions are at odds with God's will, whose will prevails? The prophet Jeremiah spoke a word that was at odds with what the people wanted. The word which Jeremiah spoke was not his personal opinion but the divinely inspired word which God commanded him to speak. Jeremiah met stiff opposition and even threats to his life for speaking God's word. Jeremiah pleaded with God when others plotted to not only silence him but to destroy him as well. Jesus also met stiff opposition from those who opposed his authority to speak and act in God's name. Jesus prophesied that he would be rejected by the religious authorities in Jerusalem and be condemned to death by crucifixion - the most painful and humiliating death the Romans had devised for enemies who opposed their authority.
Jesus called himself the "Son of Man" (Matthew 20:17) - a prophetic title for the Messiah which came from the Book of Daniel. Daniel was given a prophetic vision of a "Son of Man" who is given great authority and power to rule over the earth on behalf of God. But if Jesus is the Messiah and "Son of Man" prophesied by Daniel, why must he be rejected and killed? Did not God promise that his Anointed One would deliver his people from their oppression and establish a kingdom of peace and justice? The prophet Isaiah had foretold that it was God's will that the "Suffering Servant" who is "God's Chosen One" (Isaiah 42:1) must first make atonement for sins through his suffering and death (Isaiah 53:5-12) and then be raised to establish justice on the earth (Isaiah 42:4). Jesus paid the price for our redemption with his own blood. Jesus' life did not end with death on the cross - he triumphed over the grave when he rose victorious on the third day. If we want to share in the Lord's victory over sin and death then we will need to follow his way of the cross by renouncing my will for his will, and my way for his way of self-sacrificing love and holiness.
Seeking privilege and power
Right after Jesus had prophesied his impending death on the cross, the mother of James and John brought her sons before Jesus privately for a special request. She asked on their behalf for Jesus to grant them a special status among the disciples, namely to be placed in the highest position of privilege and power. Rulers placed their second-in-command at their right and left side. James and John were asking Jesus to place them above their fellow disciples.
Don't we often do the same? We want to get ahead and get the best position where we can be served first. Jesus responds by telling James and John that they do not understand what they are really asking for. The only way one can advance in God's kingdom is by submitting one's whole life in faith and obedience to God. Jesus surrendered his will to the will of his Father - he willingly chose the Father's path to glory - a path that would lead to suffering and death, redemption and new life.
When the other ten disciples heard what James and John had done, they were very resentful and angry. How unfair for James and John to seek first place for themselves. Jesus called the twelve together and showed them the true and rightful purpose for seeking power and position - to serve the good of others with love and righteousness. Authority without love, a love that is oriented towards the good of others, easily becomes self-serving and brutish.
Jesus does the unthinkable - he reverses the order and values of the world's way of thinking. If you want to be great then become a servant for others. If you want to be first, then became a slave rather than a master. How shocking and contradictory these words must have rang in the disciples ears and in our own ears as well! Power and position are tools that can be used to serve and advance one's own interests or to serve the interests of others. In the ancient world servants and slaves had no personal choice - they were compelled to serve the interests of their masters and do whatever they were commanded.
Freedom and servanthood
The model of servanthood which Jesus presents to his disciples is based on personal choice and freedom - the decision to put others first in my care and concern and the freedom to serve them with love and compassion rather than with fear or desire for reward. That is why the Apostle Paul summed up Jesus' teaching on freedom and love with the exhortation, "For freedom Christ has set us free... only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh [for indulging in sinful and selfish desires], but through love be servants of one another" (Galatians 5:1,13). Jesus, the Lord and Master, sets himself as the example. He told his disciples that he "came not to be served but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). True servanthood is neither demeaning nor oppressive because its motivating force is love rather than pride or fear.
The Lord Jesus summed up his mission by telling his disciples that he came "to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). The shedding of his blood on the cross was the payment for our sins - a ransom that sets us free from slavery to wrong and hurtful desires and addictions. Jesus laid down his life for us. This death to self is the key that sets us free to offer our lives as a sacrifice of thanksgiving and love for the Lord and for the people he calls us to serve.
Can you drink my cup?
The Lord Jesus asks each of us the same question he asked of James and John, "Can you drink the cup that I am to drink"? The cup he had in mind was a cup of sacrificial service and death to self - even death on a cross. What kind of cup might the Lord Jesus have in mind for each one of us who are his followers? For some disciples such a cup will entail physical suffering and the painful struggle of martyrdom - the readiness to die for one's faith in Christ. But for many followers of Jesus Christ, it entails the long routine of the Christian life, with all its daily sacrifices, disappointments, set-backs, struggles, and temptations. A disciple must be ready to lay down his or her life in martyrdom for Christ and be ready to lay it down each and every day in the little and big sacrifices required as well.
An early church father summed up Jesus' teaching with the expression "to serve is to reign with Christ". We share in God's reign by laying down our lives in humble service of one another as Jesus did for our sake. Are you ready to lay down your life and to serve others as Jesus did?
Lord Jesus, make me a servant of love for your kingdom, that I may seek to serve rather than be served. Inflame my heart with your love that I may give generously and serve others joyfully for your sake.
Psalm 31:5-6, 14-16
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.
6 You hate those who pay regard to vain idols; but I trust in the LORD.
14 But I trust in you, O LORD, I say, 'You are my God.'
15 My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors!
16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Do you wish to be great? by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Do you wish to be great? Then begin from what is slightest. Do you plan to construct a high and mighty building? Then think first about the foundation of humility. When people plan to erect a lofty and large building, they make the foundations all the deeper. But those who lay the foundation are forced to descend into the depths." (excerpt from Sermon 69, 2)
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