April 3 2022 Fifth Sunday of Lent

2022년 4월 3일 사순 제5주일 

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

제1독서

이사야서. 43,16-21
 16 주님께서 말씀하신다.

그분은 바다 가운데에 길을 내시고 거센 물 속에 큰길을 내신 분,
17 병거와 병마, 군대와 용사들을 함께 나오게 하신 분.
그들은 쓰러져 다시는 일어나지 못하고 꺼져 가는 심지처럼 사그라졌다.
18 예전의 일들을 기억하지 말고 옛날의 일들을 생각하지 마라.
19 보라, 내가 새 일을 하려 한다.
이미 드러나고 있는데 너희는 그것을 알지 못하느냐?
정녕 나는 광야에 길을 내고 사막에 강을 내리라.
20 들짐승들과 승냥이와 타조들도 나를 공경하리니
내가 선택한 나의 백성에게 물을 마시게 하려고
광야에는 샘을 내고 사막에는 강을 내기 때문이다.
21 이들은 내가 나를 위하여 빚어 만든 백성, 이들이 나에 대한 찬양을 전하리라.

제2독서

필리피서. 3,8-14
형제 여러분, 나는
8 나의 주 그리스도 예수님을 아는 지식의 지고한 가치 때문에,
다른 모든 것을 해로운 것으로 여깁니다.
나는 그리스도 때문에 모든 것을 잃었지만 그것들을 쓰레기로 여깁니다.
내가 그리스도를 얻고 9 그분 안에 있으려는 것입니다.
율법에서 오는 나의 의로움이 아니라,
그리스도에 대한 믿음으로 말미암은 의로움,
곧 믿음을 바탕으로 하느님에게서 오는 의로움을 지니고 있으려는 것입니다.
10 나는 죽음을 겪으시는 그분을 닮아, 그분과 그분 부활의 힘을 알고
그분 고난에 동참하는 법을 알고 싶습니다.
11 그리하여 어떻게든 죽은 이들 가운데에서 살아나는 부활에
이를 수 있기를 바랍니다.
12 나는 이미 그것을 얻은 것도 아니고 목적지에 다다른 것도 아닙니다.
그것을 차지하려고 달려갈 따름입니다.
그리스도 예수님께서 이미 나를 당신 것으로 차지하셨기 때문입니다.
13 형제 여러분, 나는 이미 그것을 차지하였다고 여기지 않습니다.
그러나 이 한 가지는 분명합니다.
나는 내 뒤에 있는 것을 잊어버리고 앞에 있는 것을 향하여 내달리고 있습니다.
14 하느님께서 그리스도 예수님 안에서 우리를 하늘로 부르시어 주시는 상을 얻으려고,
그 목표를 향하여 달려가고 있는 것입니다.

 

복음

요한 8,1-11
그때에 1 예수님께서는 올리브 산으로 가셨다.
2 이른 아침에 예수님께서 다시 성전에 가시니 온 백성이 그분께 모여들었다.
그래서 그분께서는 앉으셔서 그들을 가르치셨다.
3 그때에 율법 학자들과 바리사이들이 간음하다 붙잡힌 여자를 끌고 와서
가운데에 세워 놓고, 4 예수님께 말하였다.
“스승님, 이 여자가 간음하다 현장에서 붙잡혔습니다.
5 모세는 율법에서 이런 여자에게 돌을 던져 죽이라고 우리에게 명령하였습니다.
스승님 생각은 어떠하십니까?”
6 그들은 예수님을 시험하여 고소할 구실을 만들려고 그렇게 말한 것이다.
그러나 예수님께서는 몸을 굽히시어
손가락으로 땅에 무엇인가 쓰기 시작하셨다.
7 그들이 줄곧 물어 대자 예수님께서 몸을 일으키시어 그들에게 이르셨다.
“너희 가운데 죄 없는 자가 먼저 저 여자에게 돌을 던져라.”
8 그리고 다시 몸을 굽히시어 땅에 무엇인가 쓰셨다.
9 그들은 이 말씀을 듣고 나이 많은 자들부터 시작하여 하나씩 하나씩 떠나갔다.
마침내 예수님만 남으시고 여자는 가운데에 그대로 서 있었다.
10 예수님께서 몸을 일으키시고 그 여자에게, “여인아, 그자들이 어디 있느냐?
너를 단죄한 자가 아무도 없느냐?” 하고 물으셨다.
11 그 여자가 “선생님, 아무도 없습니다.” 하고 대답하자,
예수님께서 이르셨다. “나도 너를 단죄하지 않는다. 가거라.
그리고 이제부터 다시는 죄짓지 마라.”

April 3 2022

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

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

eading I
Is 43:16-21
Thus says the LORD,
who opens a way in the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
who leads out chariots and horsemen,
a powerful army,
till they lie prostrate together, never to rise,
snuffed out and quenched like a wick.
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
Wild beasts honor me,
jackals and ostriches,
for I put water in the desert
and rivers in the wasteland
for my chosen people to drink,
the people whom I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
(3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Reading II
Phil 3:8-14
Brothers and sisters:
I consider everything as a loss 
because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things 
and I consider them so much rubbish, 
that I may gain Christ and be found in him, 
not having any righteousness of my own based on the law 
but that which comes through faith in Christ, 
the righteousness from God, 
depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection 
and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, 
if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

It is not that I have already taken hold of it 
or have already attained perfect maturity, 
but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, 
since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, I for my part 
do not consider myself to have taken possession.
Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind 
but straining forward to what lies ahead, 
I continue my pursuit toward the goal,
the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.

Gospel
Jn 8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, 
and all the people started coming to him, 
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman 
who had been caught in adultery 
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught 
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin 
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. 

Go, and from now on do not sin any more.” 

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

 

 What would it feel like to wake up every morning not worrying about past hurts or past events we couldn't possibly change?  What would it be like to stop condemning ourselves every day for the sins that keep replaying in our minds, even though we have confessed our sins to God and we have been forgiven?  Wouldn't it be nice to begin each day with hope, renewed trust in God's love, and the faith to know God is doing something new for us every day?  So, why do we hold on to past hurts, failures, misspoken words, and the little things that prevent us from taking steps forward towards our own resurrection into life with Christ? 

While we condemn ourselves, or expect others to judge and condemn us, we sometimes forget to ask Jesus what he thinks about what we have said, done, or didn’t do when we weren’t our better selves.  If we, in a moment of human failing, after we have hurt or disappointed another, stood before Jesus Christ and said, "Lord, I have sinned, and I am afraid everyone would judge me, unfriend me on social media accounts, ignore me, or even push me away.  I am afraid no one would like me anymore.  I am afraid I will be alone.”  Jesus might say, “No human being is completely innocent; everyone has sinned, and still I love you and stand with you.  May that love be a healing balm for your brokenness; may that love be a stop sign for the next time sin knocks at your door.” 

It is easy for anyone to say, “Forget the past, just look ahead,” or “don’t worry, time heals all wounds.”  We have all heard these words of encouragement from friends, family, mentors, and colleagues.  However, it is difficult to forget.  It is difficult to not stir up anxieties about past failings or hurts.  It is difficult to strain forward while the wind of regret and fear is right in our faces forcing us to frequently take steps backwards or stand still in terror.  It is difficult to move towards the upward calling of loving ourselves and others. 

When Jesus responded to the scribes and the Pharisees who brought him the woman who had been caught in adultery, he never proclaimed the woman’s innocence, nor did he pass judgment.  Jesus called their attention to her humanity and theirs.  Jesus chose mercy over judgment.  Jesus bent down and away from the height of judgment, standardized punishment, chastisement, and condemnation.  Jesus leaned into her humanity, her imperfection, and the impermanence of the path she had taken as he wrote on an impermanent ground that holds no one's secrets for long.  We could maybe lean into the humanity of those who have hurt us or disappointed us.  We could maybe lean into our own humanity and realize we are forgivable and loveable.  We could maybe trust in the Lord God, who doesn't condemn us, who puts water in the desert of our soul, who does great things for us and lifts us up.

Lord, please lift us up from sin and help us lean forward into a new life with you.  Amen

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

KNOWLEDGE-ABLE

“I have come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ.” —Philippians 3:8

Because of Paul’s “surpassing knowledge” of Jesus, he came to rate all as loss. Paul’s personal relationship with Jesus changed the “ratings” in his life. Things he used to rate high were reassessed as worthless and empty.

All of us have a “surpassing knowledge.” Usually, our knowledge of and attraction to pleasure surpasses all else. For many people, even Christians, food, entertainment, TV programs, money, or lifestyle rate the highest. These surpass everything else.

Eventually, we experience a “surpassing knowledge” of tragedy and/or death. This changes our ratings. In the face of death, we now rate as loss those things for which we formerly lived. We feel so empty and regret that we’ve wasted our lives. We feel condemned by the vain, empty priorities of our past life.

However, the surpassing knowledge of tragedy and/or death, which surpassed our preoccupation with pleasure, can itself be surpassed by the personal knowledge of Jesus. When we totally give our lives to Jesus, we no longer stand condemned by the empty priorities of our past (see Rm 8:1). These vanities and regrets all disappear (see Jn 8:10). We give “no thought to what lies behind but push on to what is ahead” (Phil 3:13). Life in Christ is not merely meaningless stimulation but real excitement. Because of our knowledge of Jesus, life is a race, not a drag (see Phil 3:12). Live in the light of the surpassing knowledge of Jesus.

Prayer:  Father, “I wish to know Christ” (Phil 3:10).

Promise:  “See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” —Is 43:19

Praise:  “But Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise; awake and sing, you who lie in the dust” (Is 26:19). Praise the risen Jesus!

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

 

 Are you ready to be changed and transformed in Christ-like holiness? God never withholds his grace from us. His steadfast love and mercy is new every day (Lamentations 3:22-23). Through the gift and grace of the Holy Spirit we can be changed and made new in Christ. He can set us free from our unruly desires and passions.

Unjust accusations against Jesus
The Gospel accounts frequently describe how Jesus had to face unjust accusations made by the Pharisees, the ruling elders of Israel. They were upset with Jesus' teaching and they wanted to discredit him in any way they could. They wanted to not only silence him, but to get rid of him because of his claim to speak with God's authority. When a moral dilemma or difficult legal question arose, it was typical for the Jews to take the matter to a rabbi for a decision. The scribes and the Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. John writes that they wanted to "test" Jesus on the issue of retribution so " they might have some charge to bring against him" (John 8:6).

Jewish law treated adultery as a serious crime since it violated God's ordinance and wreaked havoc on the stability of marriage and family life. It was one of the three gravest sins punishable by death. If Jesus said the woman must be pardoned, he would be accused of breaking the law of Moses. If he said the woman must be stoned, he would lose his reputation for being the merciful friend of sinners.

Jesus then does something quite unexpected - he begins to write in the sand. The word for "writing" which is used here in the Gospel text has a literal meaning "to write down a record against someone" (for another example see Job 13:26). Perhaps Jesus was writing down a list of the sins of the accusers standing before him. Jesus now turns the challenge towards his accusers. In effect he says:Go ahead and stone her! But let the man who is without sin be the first to cast a stone.The Lord leaves the matter to their own consciences.

Pardon, restoration, and new life
When the adulterous woman is left alone with Jesus, he both expresses mercy and he strongly exhorts her to not sin again. The scribes wished to condemn, Jesus wished to forgive and to restore the sinner to health. His challenge involved a choice - either to go back to her former way of sin and death or to reach out to God's offer of forgiveness, restoration, and new life in his kingdom of peace and righteousness. Jesus gave her pardon and a new start on life. God's grace enables us to confront our sin for what it is - unfaithfulness to God, and to turn back to God with a repentant heart and a thankful spirit for God's mercy and forgiveness. Do you know the joy of repentance and a clean conscience?

God our Father, we find it difficult to come to you, because our knowledge of you is imperfect. In our ignorance we have imagined you to be our enemy; we have wrongly thought that you take pleasure in punishing our sins; and we have foolishly conceived you to be a tyrant over human life. But since Jesus came among us, he has shown that you are loving, that you are on our side against all that stunts life, and that our resentment against you was groundless. So we come to you, asking you to forgive our past ignorance, and wanting to know more and more of you and your forgiving love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Prayer of Saint Augustine)

Psalm 126:1-6

1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
3 The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb!
5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy!
6 He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: A humble examination, by Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.

"In line with our usual human way of doing things, we can understand that the reason why the Lord might wish to bend before his unprincipled tempters and to write on the ground was that by directing his look elsewhere he might give them the freedom to go away. He foresaw that as they had been astounded by his answer, they would be more inclined to depart quickly than to ask him more questions...
Figuratively speaking, the fact that both before and after he gave his opinion he bent and wrote on the ground admonishes us that both before we rebuke a sinning neighbor and after we have rendered to him the ministry of due correction, we should subject ourselves to a suitably humble examination, lest perhaps we be entangled in the same things that we censure in [our neighbors] or in any other sort of misdeeds. For it often comes about, for example, that people who publicly judge a murderer to be a sinner may not perceive the worse evil of the hatred with which they themselves despoil someone in secret. People who bring an accusation against a fornicator may ignore the plague of the pride with which they congratulate themselves for their own chastity. People who condemn a drunkard may not see the venom of envy with which they themselves are eaten away.
In dangers of this sort, what saving remedy is left for us except that, when we look at some other sinner, we immediately bend down - that is, we humbly observe how we would be cast down by our frail condition if divine benevolence did not keep us from falling? Let us write with a finger on the ground - that is, let us meticulously ponder with discrimination whether we can say with blessed Job, 'For our heart does not censure us in all our life' (Job 27:6), and let us painstakingly remember that if our heart censures us, God is greater than our heart and he knows all things." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.25)

  

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