August 17, 2022Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

2022년 8월 17일 연중 제20주간 수요일  

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

제1독서

에제키엘 예언서 34,1-11
1 주님의 말씀이 나에게 내렸다.
2 “사람의 아들아, 이스라엘의 목자들을 거슬러 예언하여라.
예언하여라. 그 목자들에게 말하여라.
‘주 하느님이 이렇게 말한다. 불행하여라, 자기들만 먹는 이스라엘의 목자들!
양 떼를 먹이는 것이 목자가 아니냐?
3 그런데 너희는 젖을 짜 먹고 양털로 옷을 해 입으며
살진 놈을 잡아먹으면서, 양 떼는 먹이지 않는다.
4 너희는 약한 양들에게 원기를 북돋아 주지 않고
아픈 양을 고쳐 주지 않았으며,
부러진 양을 싸매 주지 않고 흩어진 양을 도로 데려오지도,
잃어버린 양을 찾아오지도 않았다.
오히려 그들을 폭력과 강압으로 다스렸다.
5 그들은 목자가 없어서 흩어져야 했다.
흩어진 채 온갖 들짐승의 먹이가 되었다.
6 산마다, 높은 언덕마다 내 양 떼가 길을 잃고 헤매었다.
내 양 떼가 온 세상에 흩어졌는데, 찾아보는 자도 없고 찾아오는 자도 없다.
7 그러므로 목자들아, 주님의 말을 들어라.
8 내 생명을 걸고 말한다. 주 하느님의 말이다.
나의 양 떼는 목자가 없어서 약탈당하고,
나의 양 떼는 온갖 들짐승의 먹이가 되었는데,
나의 목자들은 내 양 떼를 찾아보지도 않았다.
목자들은 내 양 떼를 먹이지 않고 자기들만 먹은 것이다.
9 그러니 목자들아, 주님의 말을 들어라.
10 주 하느님이 이렇게 말한다. 나 이제 그 목자들을 대적하겠다.
그들에게 내 양 떼를 내놓으라 요구하고,
더 이상 내 양 떼를 먹이지 못하게 하리니,
다시는 그 목자들이 양 떼를 자기들의 먹이로 삼지 못할 것이다.
나는 내 양 떼를 그들의 입에서 구해 내어,
다시는 그들의 먹이가 되지 않게 하겠다.
11 주 하느님이 이렇게 말한다. 나 이제 내 양 떼를 찾아서 보살펴 주겠다.’”

복음
마태오 20,1-16
 그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 이런 비유를 들어 말씀하셨다.

1 “하늘 나라는 자기 포도밭에서 일할 일꾼들을 사려고
이른 아침에 집을 나선 밭 임자와 같다.
2 그는 일꾼들과 하루 한 데나리온으로 합의하고
그들을 자기 포도밭으로 보냈다.
3 그가 또 아홉 시쯤에 나가 보니
다른 이들이 하는 일 없이 장터에 서 있었다.
4 그래서 그들에게, ‘당신들도 포도밭으로 가시오.
정당한 삯을 주겠소.’ 하고 말하자, 5 그들이 갔다.
그는 다시 열두 시와 오후 세 시쯤에도 나가서 그와 같이 하였다.
6 그리고 오후 다섯 시쯤에도 나가 보니
또 다른 이들이 서 있었다.
그래서 그들에게 ‘당신들은 왜 온종일 하는 일 없이 여기 서 있소?’ 하고 물으니,
7 그들이 ‘아무도 우리를 사지 않았기 때문입니다.’ 하고 대답하였다.
그러자 그는 ‘당신들도 포도밭으로 가시오.’ 하고 말하였다.
8 저녁때가 되자 포도밭 주인은 자기 관리인에게 말하였다.
‘일꾼들을 불러 맨 나중에 온 이들부터 시작하여
맨 먼저 온 이들에게까지 품삯을 내주시오.’
9 그리하여 오후 다섯 시쯤부터 일한 이들이 와서 한 데나리온씩 받았다.
10 그래서 맨 먼저 온 이들은 차례가 되자
자기들은 더 받으려니 생각하였는데,
그들도 한 데나리온씩만 받았다.
11 그것을 받아 들고 그들은 밭 임자에게 투덜거리면서,
12 ‘맨 나중에 온 저자들은 한 시간만 일했는데도,
뙤약볕 아래에서 온종일 고생한 우리와 똑같이 대우하시는군요.’ 하고 말하였다.
13 그러자 그는 그들 가운데 한 사람에게 말하였다.
‘친구여, 내가 당신에게 불의를 저지르는 것이 아니오.
당신은 나와 한 데나리온으로 합의하지 않았소?
14 당신 품삯이나 받아서 돌아가시오.
나는 맨 나중에 온 이 사람에게도 당신에게처럼 품삯을 주고 싶소.
15 내 것을 가지고 내가 하고 싶은 대로 할 수 없다는 말이오?
아니면, 내가 후하다고 해서 시기하는 것이오?’
16 이처럼 꼴찌가 첫째 되고 첫째가 꼴찌 될 것이다.”

August 17, 2022

Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

Daily Mass :  https://www.youtube.com/c/EWTNcatholictv                 : https://www.youtube.com/c/DailyTVMass

Reading 1 Ez 34:1-11 The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep? You have fed off their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered and wandered over all the mountains and high hills; my sheep were scattered over the whole earth, with no one to look after them or to search for them. Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: As I live, says the Lord GOD, because my sheep have been given over to pillage, and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast, for lack of a shepherd; because my shepherds did not look after my sheep, but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep; because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD: I swear I am coming against these shepherds. I will claim my sheep from them and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep so that they may no longer pasture themselves. I will save my sheep,  that they may no longer be food for their mouths. For thus says the Lord GOD:  I myself will look after and tend my sheep. Responsorial Psalm Ps. 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side With your rod and your staff that give me courage. R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Only goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life;  And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come. R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Gospel Mt 20:1-16 Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off.  And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

 

We Are the Sheep

In the Psalm today, we hear a most tender image: the Lord as shepherd and we as the sheep. Jesus, in the Gospels, identifies himself as this shepherd and his followers as his sheep. While this image is a very tender and beautiful one, we ought not forget it is an image of humility and weakness.

A typical sheep has no inherent defense mechanism. They are vulnerable to danger and attack. Their exclusive line of defense against danger is the shepherd. This is true for us in our spiritual lives: without Christ our shepherd we have no defense against those forces that would seek to devour us. Let us never forget that we are sheep, we are weak, and we are in total need of Christ for our redemption and our life. Let us pray today from a heart that is aware of its total dependence upon Christ.

—Fr. Jonathon Polce, SJ, was ordained a priest this summer and is beginning an assignment at Jesuit High School New Orleans. He is a member of the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province. 

Prayer

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

—Psalm 23:1

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

 

What can work and wages, welfare and the unemployed tell us about the kingdom of God? In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard we see the extraordinary generosity and compassion of God (Matthew 20:1-16). There is great tragedy in unemployment, the loss of work, and the inability to earn enough to live and support oneself or one's family. In Jesus' times laborers had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone hired them for a day's job. No work that day usually meant no food on the family table. The laborers who worked all day and received their payment complain that the master pays the late afternoon laborers the same wage. The master, undoubtedly, hired them in the late afternoon so they wouldn't go home payless and hungry.

God is generous and gives us work for his kingdom
God is generous in opening the doors of his kingdom to all who will enter, both those who have labored a life-time for him and those who come at the last hour. While the reward is the same, the motive for one's labor can make all the difference. Some work only for reward. They will only put in as much effort as they think they will get back. Others labor out of love and joy for the opportunity to work and to serve others. The Lord Jesus calls each one of us to serve God and his kingdom with joy and zeal and to serve our neighbor with a generous spirit as well.

Empowered to serve with a joyful and generous spirit
The Lord Jesus wants to fill each one of us with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit so we can bear great fruit for God's kingdom (the fruit of peace, joy, righteousness, and love) and also bring the fruit of his kingdom to our neighbor as well. We labor for the Lord to bring him praise, honor, and glory. And we labor for our neighbor for their welfare with the same spirit of loving-kindness and compassion which the Lord has shown to us.

Paul the Apostle reminds us, "Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not others, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward - you are serving the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24). Do you perform your daily tasks and responsibilities with cheerfulness and diligence for the Lord's sake? And do you give generously to others, especially to those in need of your care and support?

Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may serve you joyfully and serve my neighbor willingly with a generous heart, not looking for how much I can get, but rather looking for how much I can give.

Psalm 21:1-7

1 In your strength the king rejoices, O LORD; and in your help how greatly he exults!
2 You have given him his heart's desire, and has not withheld the request of his lips. [Selah]
3 For you meet him with goodly blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days for ever and ever.
5 His glory is great through your help; splendor and majesty you bestow upon him.
6 Yes, you make him most blessed for ever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the LORD; and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. 

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Christ our householder, author unknown, from the 5th century A.D.

"The householder [in Matthew's parable - chapter 20] is Christ, to whom the heavens and the earth are like a single house; the family is as it were the multitude of creatures both angelic and earthly. It is as if he built a three-storied house: hell, heaven and earth, so that those struggling may live upon the earth, those conquered below the earth, those conquering in heaven. We too, set in the middle, should strive not to descend to those who are in hell but ascend to those who are in heaven. And in case perhaps you do not know which one you ought to shun or which one you ought to aspire to, he has given you as it were a little taste of both while you live between light and darkness: night as a taste of hell, daylight as a taste of heaven." (excerpt from an incomplete Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, HOMILY 34) 

  

More Homilies

August 19, 2020 Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time