2022년 8월 25일 연중 제21주간 목요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
코린토 1서. 1,1-9
1 하느님의 뜻에 따라 그리스도 예수님의 사도로 부르심을 받은
바오로와 소스테네스 형제가 2 코린토에 있는 하느님의 교회에 인사합니다.
곧 그리스도 예수님 안에서 거룩하게 되어
다른 신자들이 사는 곳이든 우리가 사는 곳이든
어디에서나 우리 주 예수 그리스도의 이름을 받들어 부르는
모든 이들과 함께 성도로 부르심을 받은 여러분에게 인사합니다.
3 하느님 우리 아버지와 주 예수 그리스도에게서
은총과 평화가 여러분에게 내리기를 빕니다.
4 나는 하느님께서 그리스도 예수님 안에서
여러분에게 베푸신 은총을 생각하며,
여러분을 두고 늘 나의 하느님께 감사를 드립니다.
5 여러분은 그리스도 안에서 어느 모로나 풍요로워졌습니다.
어떠한 말에서나 어떠한 지식에서나 그렇습니다.
6 그리스도에 관한 증언이 여러분 가운데에 튼튼히 자리를 잡은 것입니다.
7 그리하여 여러분은 어떠한 은사도 부족함이 없이,
우리 주 예수 그리스도께서 나타나시기를 기다리고 있습니다.
8 그분께서는 또한 여러분을 끝까지 굳세게 하시어,
우리 주 예수 그리스도의 날에 흠잡을 데가 없게 해 주실 것입니다.
9 하느님은 성실하신 분이십니다.
그분께서 당신의 아드님 우리 주 예수 그리스도와 친교를 맺도록
여러분을 불러 주셨습니다.
복음
마태오. 24,42-51
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
42 “깨어 있어라. 너희의 주인이 어느 날에 올지 너희가 모르기 때문이다.
43 이것을 명심하여라.
도둑이 밤 몇 시에 올지 집주인이 알면,
깨어 있으면서 도둑이 자기 집을 뚫고 들어오도록 내버려 두지 않을 것이다.
44 그러니 너희도 준비하고 있어라.
너희가 생각하지도 않은 때에 사람의 아들이 올 것이기 때문이다.
45 주인이 종에게 자기 집안 식솔들을 맡겨
그들에게 제때에 양식을 내주게 하였으면,
어떻게 하는 종이 충실하고 슬기로운 종이겠느냐?
46 행복하여라, 주인이 돌아와서 볼 때에 그렇게 일하고 있는 종!
47 내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다.
주인은 자기의 모든 재산을 그에게 맡길 것이다.
48 그러나 만일 그가 못된 종이어서 마음속으로
‘주인이 늦어지는구나.’ 하고 생각하며,
49 동료들을 때리기 시작하고 또 술꾼들과 어울려 먹고 마시면,
50 예상하지 못한 날, 짐작하지 못한 시간에 그 종의 주인이 와서,
51 그를 처단하여 위선자들과 같은 운명을 겪게 할 것이다.
거기에서 그는 울며 이를 갈 것이다.”
August 25, 2022
Thursday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the Church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant,
whom the master has put in charge of his household
to distribute to them their food at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so.
Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.
But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’
and begins to beat his fellow servants,
and eat and drink with drunkards,
the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day
and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely
and assign him a place with the hypocrites,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Let me begin by echoing Paul’s wonderful greeting: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today’s reading from the Gospel has a sense of urgency to it. It reminds me of a college class the week before finals when a professor is reiterating and tying together the major concepts that have been covered during the semester. Indeed, this set of teachings by Jesus (that begins at Matthew 24:4 and runs through the end of Matthew 25) occurs only a few days before He was handed over to be crucified, and Jesus is using a last opportunity to emphasize some key points.
Two chapters earlier, in Matthew 22 (something we read in the liturgy a couple days ago), Jesus was questioned about the greatest commandment, to which He replied: You shall love the Lord, your God, with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind. In today’s reading, he emphasizes that this is to be done ALL the time. Jesus continued: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. If we are to be the “faithful and prudent servant” from today’s readings, we must love our neighbor. And given Jesus’ admonition about the sheep and goats (end of Matthew 25), it seems we should love ALL our neighbors. In other words, we must continually and repeatedly extend God’s love, grace, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness to others. You shall love the Lord, your God, ALL the time with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind; and love ALL your neighbors as yourself.
The wicked servant, on the other hand, chooses to take a break from serving others and engages in selfish, abusive “me” time. How often are we tempted to give only SOME of our heart, soul and mind, withholding a part for ourselves to do with as we please? We are “good” Christians at church or around people we hope will think well of us, but we may be less motivated to act lovingly when we have a sense of anonymity or isolation. Think of drivers who yell obscenities from the safety of their cars; of social media users who write mean-spirited comments; or of difficult customers who demean overworked clerks and wait staff. (You can extrapolate from those examples to think of your own areas that may need attention. One of mine is yelling at referees at soccer matches.) Maybe we join with other “good” people to gossip, judge, and engage in other behaviors that are unloving, unmerciful, uncharitable, ungracious. In our interactions, public and private, with individuals and groups who oppose and belittle us and our faith, we can be downright vicious, hostile, hateful – in short, un-Christian – forgetting that, as Dr. King put it: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” We may even behave acceptably, by society’s standards, at our jobs, in politics, as members of community boards; but do we take actions and make decisions that prioritize loving our neighbors? When we act unlovingly – individually or collectively, for whatever reason – we become that wicked servant Jesus warns against.
If this feels a bit daunting, take heart. Thankfully, as Paul assures the Corinthians and us, God has bestowed His grace on us in Christ Jesus. He provides for us and will keep us “firm to the end.” God is faithful! Alleluia! Amen.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
THANK GOD FOR YOU!
“I continually thank my God for you.” —1 Corinthians 1:4
Father Al Lauer, founder and long-time author of One Bread, One Body (OBOB), passed from this life to the next on October 13, 2002. In the final weeks of his battle with cancer, Father often expressed his thanks to those who had supported him, prayed for him, and received him.
In the last two weeks of his life, Father could no longer leave his bedroom. Masses were celebrated in his room. Although Father could not celebrate the Mass, he did give short homilies from his bed. Near the end of one of the last Masses, Father wasn’t able to say much, but over and over he softly spoke to all present the words, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
If Father Al were writing this teaching today, he would want you to know that he continually thanks God for you, the readers of OBOB (1 Cor 1:4). He found joy and encouragement in your letters. He rejoiced when you wrote of the great things God had done in your lives. Just as St. John rejoiced to see his children “walking in the path of truth” (2 Jn 4; 3 Jn 3-4), Father delighted in your love of God’s Word and of the Church. Your faithfulness, zeal, generosity, and fruitfulness gave him fresh courage and delight. Now that Father has gone to the Lord, be assured that he is still alive for God (Lk 20:38), is even more fervently praying to God on your behalf, and is still thanking God for you.
Prayer: Lord, may every reader of OBOB be “richly endowed with every gift of speech and knowledge” (1 Cor 1:5) and bear much fruit in becoming Your disciple (Jn 15:8).
Promise: “Happy that servant whom his master discovers at work on his return!” —Mt 24:46
Praise: St. Louis, king of France, was renowned for his concern for the poor, and daily invited thirteen of them to dine with him.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Has your community or town ever participated in a grand homecoming party for a celebrated hero or champion who courageously and selflessly risked all to serve their people and nation - who risked great odds to protect people from harm and who achieved great victory over an enemy bent on destroying their land and freedom? The Lord Jesus promises us a great victory celebration when he returns again to put down his enemies and to establish his everlasting kingdom of peace, joy, and righteousness. That day when the Lord Jesus returns will be joy and peace for those who are prepared to meet him - but grief and sorrow for those who did not accept him as Lord and ruler of all.
Jesus will return to establish his everlasting kingdom
Jesus' first coming was a rescue mission - he was sent by the eternal Father in heaven to save us from the tyranny of sin, Satan, and death. Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross and his triumphant victory over the grave won pardon for us and reconciliation with our heavenly Father, and the promise of everlasting life and joy in his kingdom. The Lord Jesus told his disciples on a number of occasions that he would return again at the end of this present age - not simply to rescue us again from our enemies - but as a victor King and Lord who will vindicate all who have believed in him - by releasing us from the curse of death and condemnation and restoring for us the plan he had from the beginning of creation - a new heavens and earth for a people perfectly united with God in peace, joy, and harmony forever. This is the background to Jesus story (parable) about the householder and the thief in the night (Matthew 24:42-51). When the Lord Jesus returns, he doesn't want to find us flirting with the enemy or worse joining forces with enemies who are opposed to God and his kingdom.
Don't let Satan rob you of your heavenly treasure
What does Jesus' parable of the thief in the night teach us about God's kingdom? If you knew that a thief was prowling about and trying to strike your home and threaten your life, wouldn't you seek to protect yourself from harm's way? Jesus' parable of the thief in the night brings home the necessity for watchfulness and being on guard to avert the danger of plunder and destruction, especially under the cover of darkness and secrecy! While no thief would announce his intention in advance, nor the time when he would strike, lack of vigilance would nonetheless invite disaster for those who are unprepared to keep their treasure and their lives secure at all times! The intruder strikes when he is least expected!
Our adversary the devil seeks to rob us of the treasure which the Lord freely offers us. What is the treasure which the Lord Jesus wants us to guard lest we lose it? It is the treasure of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus himself - who is our greatest gift and portion in this life. The Scriptures remind us that there is no greater treasure on earth or in heaven than the Lord himself (Psalm 16:5,11, Job 22:25-26, and Philippians 3:8):
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever" (Psalm 73:25-26).
The Lord Jesus chooses to come and dwell in our hearts through the gift and working of his Holy Spirit. He knocks at the door of our heart and invites us to let him enter (Revelation 3:21). Are you ready to meet the Lord - each and every day?
Be ready to give your account to the Lord Jesus
Jesus ends his teaching on watchfulness and vigilance with another parable about a master and his servants (Matthew 24:.45-49). The storyline is similar. There is an element of surprise - the master suddenly returns home unexpectedly, probably from a long journey. He rewards the dutiful servant for his faithfulness to his master. He has performed his service with diligence and has done all that the master required of him. The master punishes the other servant who behaved wickedly. This servant was not only irresponsible - he was frequently absent from work and spent his master's money by throwing endless parties with his friends. The wicked servant also abused his fellow workers with physical force and violence - probably to make them do the work he was supposed to do for his master. The master not only throws him out of his house, he fires him from his job! He also throws him into the worst possible place - a prison of no return where there is nothing but torment and misery.
Should we be surprised to see the master acting with such swift judgment? After all he is only giving back what they have given to him. The master rewards the faithful servant with honor, promotion, and friendship, and he punishes the unfaithful servant - who stole from his master and used his position to abuse others - by removing him from his position of trust with the master and by throwing him into prison for robbing the master and mistreating his fellow servants. The Lord has entrusted each of us with his gifts and grace - the grace to love God with faithfulness, trust, and obedience - and the grace to love our neighbor as our self. Do you love faithfulness?
Always be prepared for your homecoming
The Lord Jesus calls us to be vigilant in watching for his return and to be ready to meet him when he calls us to himself. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit so that we may have the wisdom, help, and strength we need to turn away from sin to embrace God's way of love, justice, and holiness. The Lord's warning of judgment causes dismay for those who are unprepared, but it brings joyful hope to those who eagerly wait for his return in glory. God's judgment is good news for those who are ready to meet him. Their reward is God himself, the source of all truth, beauty, goodness, love and everlasting life.
Lord Jesus, you have captured my heart and it is yours. Take my life and all that I possess that I may have you alone as my treasure and joy. Make me strong in faith, steadfast in hope, and generous in love that I may seek to please you in all things and bring you glory.
Psalm 145:2-7
2 Every day I will bless you, and praise your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 Men shall proclaim the might of your awesome acts, and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: You do not know the day, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"But his meaning is like this: If ordinary persons knew when they were going to die, they would surely be striving earnestly at that hour. In order therefore that they may strive, not at that hour only, he does not tell them the hour or day. He wants to keep them on their toes looking for it, that they may be always striving. This is why he made the end of each person's life so uncertain. In this passage he openly implies that he himself is Lord. Nowhere before has he spoken of this so distinctly. But here he seems to me also to be putting to shame those who remain careless about his lordship. They take much more care about a thief taking their money than about their own soul. Those who care about their house and do not want their possessions stolen take measures against the thief. They watch; they are prepared for the thief. So it is with you. You do not know when he will come. But you know assuredly that he will come. If you do not continue to watch, you will not be ready on that day. You will be unprepared. Destruction will come in your sleep. If the person had known when the thief was coming, he would have been prepared. So be like the one who is prepared at all times, so you will escape free. Having then mentioned the judgment, he directs his thoughts next to teachers, speaking of honorable and dishonorable actions. His discourse closes with that which is alarming, for he speaks first of those who do right, then of those who continue in sin." (excerpt from the THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 77.2-3)
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