April 2, 2022 Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

 2022년 4월 2일 사순 제4주간 토요일 

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

<저는 도살장으로 끌려가는 순한 어린양 같았습니다.>

제1독서

예레미야서. 11,18-20
18 주님께서 저에게 알려 주시어 제가 알아차리게 되었습니다.
당신께서 저에게 그들의 악행을 보여 주셨습니다.
19 그런데도 저는 도살장으로 끌려가는 순한 어린양 같았습니다.
저는 그들이 저를 없애려고 음모를 꾸미는 줄 알아차리지 못했습니다.
“저 나무를 열매째 베어 버리자. 그를 산 이들의 땅에서 없애 버려
아무도 그의 이름을 다시는 기억하지 못하게 하자.”
20 그러나 정의롭게 판단하시고 마음과 속을 떠보시는 만군의 주님
당신께 제 송사를 맡겨 드렸으니
당신께서 저들에게 복수하시는 것을 보게 해 주소서. 

 

복음

<메시아가 갈릴래아에서 나올 리가 없지 않은가?>

요한. 7,40-53
그때에 예수님의 40 말씀을 들은 군중 가운데 어떤 이들은,
“저분은 참으로 그 예언자시다.” 하고,
41 어떤 이들은 “저분은 메시아시다.” 하였다.
그러나 이렇게 말하는 이들도 있었다.
“메시아가 갈릴래아에서 나올 리가 없지 않은가?
42 성경에 메시아는 다윗의 후손 가운데에서,
그리고 다윗이 살았던 베들레헴에서 나온다고 하지 않았는가?”
43 이렇게 군중 가운데에서 예수님 때문에 논란이 일어났다.
44 그들 가운데 몇몇은 예수님을 잡으려고 하였지만,
그분께 손을 대는 자는 아무도 없었다.
45 성전 경비병들이 돌아오자 수석 사제들과 바리사이들이,
“왜 그 사람을 끌고 오지 않았느냐?” 하고 그들에게 물었다.
46 “그분처럼 말하는 사람은 지금까지 하나도 없었습니다.” 하고
성전 경비병들이 대답하자,
47 바리사이들이 그들에게 말하였다.
“너희도 속은 것이 아니냐?
48 최고 의회 의원들이나 바리사이들 가운데에서 누가 그를 믿더냐?
49 율법을 모르는 저 군중은 저주받은 자들이다.”
50 그들 가운데 한 사람으로
전에 예수님을 찾아왔던 니코데모가 그들에게 말하였다.
51 “우리 율법에는 먼저 본인의 말을 들어 보고
또 그가 하는 일을 알아보고 난 뒤에야,
그 사람을 심판하게 되어 있지 않습니까?”
52 그러자 그들이 니코데모에게 대답하였다.
“당신도 갈릴래아 출신이라는 말이오?
성경을 연구해 보시오. 갈릴래아에서는 예언자가 나지 않소.”
53 그들은 저마다 집으로 돌아갔다. 

April 2, 2022

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent 

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass 

Reading 1

Jer 11:18-20

I knew their plot because the LORD informed me;
at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings.
Yet I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter,
had not realized that they were hatching plots against me:
"Let us destroy the tree in its vigor;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will be spoken no more."
But, you, O LORD of hosts, O just Judge,
searcher of mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause!
 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12

R. (2a) O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
O LORD, my God, in you I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers and rescue me,
Lest I become like the lion's prey,
to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
Do me justice, O LORD, because I am just,
and because of the innocence that is mine.
Let the malice of the wicked come to an end,
but sustain the just,
O searcher of heart and soul, O just God.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
A shield before me is God,
who saves the upright of heart;
A just judge is God,
a God who punishes day by day.
R.O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
 

Gospel

Jn 7:40-53

Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said,
"This is truly the Prophet."
Others said, "This is the Christ."
But others said, "The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?
Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David's family
and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?"
So a division occurred in the crowd because of him.
Some of them even wanted to arrest him,
but no one laid hands on him.
So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees,
who asked them, "Why did you not bring him?"
The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this man."
So the Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived?
Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed."
Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, 
"Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him
and finds out what he is doing?"
They answered and said to him,
"You are not from Galilee also, are you? 

Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee."

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

 

“The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?”

You can just picture the crowd, standing around, trying to figure out who this Jesus is. Various opinions are aired: he is the prophet. He is the Christ. But if he is the Christ he can’t have come from Galilee – he must come from Bethlehem since the Christ has to be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem where David lived. The crowd is divided. Things haven’t changed much – there are still many opinions and divisions around this Jesus.

Perhaps there were Roman guards, the occupying force, in the crowd – they go to the authorities, chief priests and Pharisees – who ask why the guards did not bring Jesus to them, presumably to arrest him. Their response is telling: “Never before has anyone spoken like this man”

The Pharisees then shame them and the crowd.

But Nicodemus, himself a high-ranking member of the Sanhedrin, utters words that put the Pharisees in their place by quoting the law: ”Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?”

There is no answer to this argument, and, muttering against Nicodemus, the Pharisees leave “each to his own house.”

Nicodemus stands out for me in this reading, remembering he had gone to Jesus under cover of darkness , perhaps not wanting any of the authorities to know,  to acknowledge Jesus’ closeness to God, to ask how it is that someone could be born again? His growth in faith and courage are shown by his standing up for Jesus in front of the Pharisees in today’s reading. And later he publicly helps the crucified Jesus with anointing.

His spiritual maturation journey can serve as a model for us. Do we have the courage to acknowledge Jesus publicly?   Do we dare gently ask the right questions when Jesus is scorned?  Are we brave and faithful enough to accompany Jesus through his passion and death?

Do we do any of these things for those we love? Do we do them for those we don’t love? 

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

JESUS, THE “HOME-MAKER”

“Then each went off to his own house.” —John 7:53

Zacchaeus encountered Jesus and opened his house to Him. That day, salvation came to his house (Lk 19:9). A royal official encountered the Lord, and Jesus promised to heal his son. “Jesus told him, ‘Return home’ ” (Jn 4:50). The royal official’s son was healed and his entire household “became believers” (Jn 4:53).  A demon-possessed man met Jesus and was set free. He wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus “told him instead: ‘Go home’ ” (Mk 5:19). The man told his family of the mercy of Jesus and all were amazed (Mk 5:20). For these people, Jesus was a home-maker.

The Jewish leaders of Jerusalem also encountered Jesus. They scorned Him and returned home (Jn 7:53). Sadly, they missed the time of their visitation and lost the path to peace for their homes (Lk 19:42-44). Within forty years, their homes were totally destroyed by the Romans (Lk 19:44). The people of the towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida encountered Jesus and saw first-hand His miracles. However, they didn’t take Jesus into their homes. As Jesus prophesied, their homes were utterly destroyed (Mt 11:20-24).

Bring Jesus into your home today. Give Him control of everything that takes place in your home. As Jesus takes charge of home repair, He may find it necessary to rip out some deteriorated or warped areas (see Lk 12:51-53). Yet Jesus is the “Restorer of ruined homesteads” (Is 58:12) and He tears down only to speed up the ultimate purpose of home restoration. Make Jesus the Lord of your home. Then your home will be so strong and united that it will survive even the worst trials (Mt 7:24-25).

Prayer:  Father, use my home as a launching pad for the spread of the Gospel.

Promise:  “A Shield before me is God, Who saves the upright of heart.” —Ps 7:11

Praise:  St. Francis advised: “Look after your spiritual well-being with judicious concern. Death is certain; life is short.”

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

 

When resistance and opposition to God's word rears its head how do you respond? With fear and doubt? Or with faith and courage? The prophet Jeremiah was opposed by his own people because the words he spoke in God's name did not sit right with them. They plotted to silence him and to "cut him off from the land of the living" (Jeremiah 11:19). Jeremiah responded with meekness and prophetic insight "like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter" (Jeremiah 11:18).

Are you willing to take a stand for the Lord Jesus?
No one can be indifferent for long when confronted with Jesus and his claim to be the Messiah and Savior of the world. Jesus' message and the miraculous signs he performed caused division for many in Israel. Some believed he was a prophet, some the Messiah, and some believed he was neither. The reaction of the armed officers was bewildered amazement. They went to arrest him and returned empty-handed because they never heard anyone speak as he did. The reaction of the chief priests and Pharisees was contempt. The reaction of Nicodemus was timid. His heart told him to defend Jesus, but his head told him not to take the risk.

Who is Jesus for you? And are you ready to give him your full allegiance? There will often come a time when we have to take a stand for the Lord Jesus and for the truth of the Gospel - the good news of God's kingdom and the free gift of salvation which Jesus came to bring us. To stand for Jesus and his kingdom may provoke mockery and opposition. It may even entail suffering and hardship - such as the loss of job, reputation, or life.The Lord Jesus richly rewards those who suffer for his name's sake.

Costly grace versus cheap grace
There are fundamentally only two choices that determine the course of our lives and the final destiny that awaits us: the choice to live for God's kingdom of peace, joy, and righteousness or the pursuit of the world's kingdom which stands in opposition to God's authority and commandments. We can choose to obey God's word and believe in his promise of blessing or we can choose to follow the voice of those who promise success and happiness apart from God's truth and laws. The costly grace and freedom - which the Lord Jesus offers to those who embrace the cross for his sake - leads to joy and blessing in this life as well as the promise of eternal happiness with God. Cheap grace - which tries to bypass the cross for the sake of being my own master and the ruler of my own destiny - leads to emptiness and endless futility. Who do you choose to be the master and ruler of your life and destiny?

Lord Jesus, your Gospel brings joy and freedom. May I be loyal to you always, even though it produce a cross on earth, that I may share in your crown of victory for all eternity

Psalm 7:1-2, 8b-11

1 O Lord my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,
2 lest like a lion they rend me, dragging me away, with none to rescue.
8b judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.
9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous, you who try the minds and hearts, righteous God.
10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Not be walking but by loving, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"We approach God not by walking but by loving. The purer our love for him toward whom we are striving, the more present to us will he be. To him, therefore, who is everywhere present and everywhere whole, we must proceed not by our feet but by our moral virtues - judged not by the object of our knowledge but by the object of our love." (excerpt from Letter 155,13) 

  

More Homilies

March 20, 2021 Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent