2022년 7월 11일 연중 제15주간 월요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
이사야서. 1,10-17
10 소돔의 지도자들아, 주님의 말씀을 들어라.
고모라의 백성들아, 우리 하느님의 가르침에 귀를 기울여라.
11 무엇하러 나에게 이 많은 제물을 바치느냐?
─ 주님께서 말씀하신다. ─
나는 이제 숫양의 번제물과 살진 짐승의 굳기름에는 물렸다.
황소와 어린양과 숫염소의 피도 나는 싫다.
12 너희가 나의 얼굴을 보러 올 때
내 뜰을 짓밟으라고 누가 너희에게 시키더냐?
13 더 이상 헛된 제물을 가져오지 마라. 분향 연기도 나에게는 역겹다.
초하룻날과 안식일과 축제 소집, 불의에 찬 축제 모임을 나는 견딜 수가 없다.
14 나의 영은 너희의 초하룻날 행사들과 너희의 축제들을 싫어한다.
그것들은 나에게 짐이 되어
짊어지기에 나는 지쳤다.
15 너희가 팔을 벌려 기도할지라도 나는 너희 앞에서 내 눈을 가려 버리리라.
너희가 기도를 아무리 많이 한다 할지라도 나는 들어 주지 않으리라.
너희의 손은 피로 가득하다.
16 너희 자신을 씻어 깨끗이 하여라.
내 눈앞에서 너희의 악한 행실들을 치워 버려라.
악행을 멈추고 17 선행을 배워라. 공정을 추구하고 억압받는 이를 보살펴라.
고아의 권리를 되찾아 주고 과부를 두둔해 주어라.
복음
마태오 10,34ㅡ11,1
그때에 예수님께서 사도들에게 말씀하셨다.
34 “내가 세상에 평화를 주러 왔다고 생각하지 마라. 평화가 아니라 칼을 주러 왔다.
35 나는 아들이 아버지와, 딸이 어머니와
며느리가 시어머니와 갈라서게 하려고 왔다.
36 집안 식구가 바로 원수가 된다.
37 아버지나 어머니를 나보다 더 사랑하는 사람은 나에게 합당하지 않다.
아들이나 딸을 나보다 더 사랑하는 사람도 나에게 합당하지 않다.
38 또 제 십자가를 지고 나를 따르지 않는 사람도 나에게 합당하지 않다.
39 제 목숨을 얻으려는 사람은 목숨을 잃고,
나 때문에 제 목숨을 잃는 사람은 목숨을 얻을 것이다.
40 너희를 받아들이는 이는 나를 받아들이는 사람이고,
나를 받아들이는 이는 나를 보내신 분을 받아들이는 사람이다.
41 예언자를 예언자라서 받아들이는 이는 예언자가 받는 상을 받을 것이고,
의인을 의인이라서 받아들이는 이는 의인이 받는 상을 받을 것이다.
42 내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다.
이 작은 이들 가운데 한 사람에게
그가 제자라서 시원한 물 한 잔이라도 마시게 하는 이는
자기가 받을 상을 결코 잃지 않을 것이다.”
11,1 예수님께서 열두 제자에게 다 지시하시고 나서,
유다인들의 여러 고을에서 가르치시고 복음을 선포하시려고
그곳에서 떠나가셨다.
July 11, 2022
Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot
Daily Mass : https://www.youtube.com/c/DailyTVMass
Reading 1
Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the LORD.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.
When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.
R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?"
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think you that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's enemies will be those of his household.
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Today’s Gospel is the final portion of a long instructional discourse Jesus is giving his 12 disciples as part of their missioning and commissioning.
It is not a pretty picture that he paints. He seems to be preparing them for worst-case scenarios:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.”
Wow, seriously? I imagine his detractors could have used these and other similar quotes to “prove” that he was not from God because the Messiah was to be the Prince of Peace and would bring a reign of tranquility.
Of course, his disciples didn’t see it that way. None of them left him at that point. They knew him well and they understood he was speaking metaphorically. They knew he exuded peace and love and acceptance, so they knew he was not calling them to wreak havoc among their families and friends and arm themselves with swords.
They knew, just as we should know today as well, that he was conveying the importance, the significance, the hazards that could befall them if they followed him and preached in his name. He didn’t want them to falsely believe that their lives would be all sunshine and roses as Christians. He wanted them to know that, at times, his words would divide people sharply, like a sword divides whatever it slices.
The context of what someone is saying and the essence of who people are, their complexity, matters. Unfortunately, in today’s world, with some social media platforms, sound bites, short TV news segments, political ads, and advertising in general, there is no context, just one-sided brevity, and it is often harsh.
We really can’t understand someone and the complexity of their beliefs if we don’t know much about their whole personhood and the context of what they are saying. When we know a person’s background and history, and we also have context for their views, we know more of the fullness of a person.
That’s why our first impressions of people are so often wrong. It takes time to get to know someone, and even then, there can be misunderstandings. But when we know someone well, we can straighten out the misunderstanding by asking questions and having discussions, and then carry on with the relationship.
I think the disciples knew what Jesus meant when he said:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.”
Jesus was not arrogant and self-centered. He was constantly giving himself away. But I think he said these words to the apostles just so they wouldn’t misconstrue his lack of puffery, self-importance and ego, and miss seeing who he really was. If they loved their families more than they loved God, or couldn’t shoulder difficulties that would come their way as Christian leaders, they would not be effective in getting God’s truth out to the world.
And when he said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it,” he again was stressing that pursuing one’s own goals and objectives in life, without aligning with God’s will for them, falls far short of what a life dedicated to building God’s kingdom can yield.
If they didn’t understand parts of what he was saying, I’m sure the disciples asked him questions and discussed their confusion with him along the road or at a dinner table or over a firepit preparing food. That’s what friends do, and that’s what we should do, in prayer or with a spiritual advisor, when we have questions about Jesus’ words as well. And when we don’t have the full context and don’t truly know someone well, we should talk further with them if possible to try to get to know them and avoid making rash conclusions and judgments about them based on brief encounters.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
PRINCE OF PEACE?
“I have come not to bring peace, but a sword.” —Matthew 10:34, RSV-CE
Peace only fully comes when the kingdom of God is established. Peace starts and builds in one human heart at a time. Until then, there is conflict — internally within a person’s heart, and externally among people. There is resistance and a civil war (see Jas 4:1).
Jesus says that He came not to bring peace but rather a sword (Mt 10:34, RSV-CE). What sword does Jesus bring? He brings the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit (Heb 4:12-13; see also Eph 6:17). The Holy Spirit wields the sword of the Word to perform surgery on all who need to be healed. This is much like a surgeon who wields a scalpel to cut out diseased tissue from a patient.
The sword of the Spirit convicts the world (Jn 16:8). The prophetic word of Isaiah in today’s first reading is intensely challenging and convicting, even to the point of being insulting (Is 1:10). Do you want to hear that your hands are full of blood (Is 1:15) or that you hate discipline (Ps 50:17)? However, a surgeon must speak the truth before an operation. Far more does the Holy Spirit speak the truth while wielding the scalpel of the Word of God. Let the Word of God do its convicting work. Allow the Holy Spirit to operate as needed to bring peace into your life and family.
Prayer: Jesus, divine Physician, “Prince of Peace” (Is 9:5), grant me the grace to trust You more than I would trust an expert surgeon.
Promise: “Whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of these lowly ones because he is a disciple will not want for his reward.” —Mt 10:42
Praise: St. Benedict is recognized as the Father of Western Monasticism. Over the centuries, countless monks and consecrated religious have been formed and inspired by his timeless teachings.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Why does Jesus describe his mission and the coming of God's kingdom in terms of conflict, division, and war? Jesus told his disciples that he did not "come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). The "sword" which Jesus speaks of here is not a physical weapon that cuts people down, but a spiritual weapon that cuts through the inner core of our being to expose the corruption of sinful thoughts and intentions as well as the lies and deception of Satan and his kingdom of darkness.
Sword of the Spirit
Scripture describes God's word as a sharp two-edged sword that "pierces to the division of soul and spirit... discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, Revelations 19:15). Scripture also describes "God's word" as the "sword of the Spirit" which has power to destroy every spiritual stronghold that keep people in bondage to sin, deception, and Satan (Ephesians 6:17). Jesus came to rescue us from slavery to sin and to set us free to live as citizens of God's kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
Spiritual warfare
Jesus' mission was an act of war against the spiritual forces who oppose the kingdom of God and his rule over the earth. That is why Jesus identified Satan as the ruler of this world whom he will cast out (John 12:31). The battle Jesus had in mind was not an earthly conflict between individuals and nations, but a spiritual warfare between the forces of Satan and the armies of heaven. Jesus came to wage war against the spiritual powers of this present world that turn the minds and hearts of people away from God and his kingdom of joy, peace, and goodness.
Kingdom of light versus kingdom of darkness
The Scriptures make clear that there are ultimately only two kingdoms or powers and that they stand in opposition to one another - God's kingdom of light and Satan's kingdom of darkness. John the Apostle contrasts these two opposing kingdoms in the starkest of terms: We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19). The Scriptures describe the "world" as that society of people who are opposed to God and his kingdom of righteousness, truth, and goodness. Jesus came to overthrow Satan's power and to set us free from everything that would hold us back from knowing, loving, and serving God who has loved each one of us with boundless mercy, compassion, and goodness.
God must take first place in our lives
Jesus told his disciples that if they followed him it would be costly because they must put God's kingdom first and obey his word. Whenever a great call is given it inevitably causes division between those who accept and reject it. When Jesus remarked that division would cut very close to home his listeners likely recalled the prophecy of Micah: a man's enemies are the men of his own household (Micah 7:6). The love of God compels us to choose who will be first in our lives. To place any relationship or any other thing above God is a form of idolatry. Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than that owed to spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do.
The just reward
True love for God compels us to express charity towards our neighbor who is created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus declared that any kindness shown and any help given to the people of Christ will not go unrewarded. Jesus never refused to give to anyone in need who asked for his help. As his disciples we are called to be kind and generous as he is. Jesus sets before his disciples the one goal in life that is worth any sacrifice and that goal is the will of God which leads to everlasting life, peace, and joy with God. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?
Lord, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has conceived the things you have prepared for those who love you. Set us ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit, that we may love you in and above all things and so receive the rewards you have promised us through Christ our Lord. (from A Christian's Prayer Book)
Psalm 124:1-8
1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, let Israel now say --
2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone the raging waters. 6 Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth!
7 We have escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped!
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: How peace requires a sword, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"What sort of peace is it that Jesus asks them to pronounce upon entering each house? And what kind of peace is it of which the angels sing, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace'? And if Jesus came not to bring peace, why did all the prophets publish peace as good news? Because this more than anything is peace: when the disease is removed. This is peace: when the cancer is cut away. Only with such radical surgery is it possible for heaven to be reunited to earth. Only in this way does the physician preserve the healthy tissue of the body. The incurable part must be amputated. Only in this way does the military commander preserve the peace: by cutting off those in rebellion. Thus it was also in the case of the tower of Babel, that their evil peace was ended by their good discord. Peace therefore was accomplished. (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 35.1)
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