2022년 9월 20일 연중 제25주간 화요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
잠언. 21,1-6.10-13
1 임금의 마음은 주님 손안에 있는 물줄기, 주님께서 원하시는 대로 이끄신다. 2 사람의 길이 제 눈에는 모두 바르게 보여도,마음을 살피시는 분은 주님이시다.
3 정의와 공정을 실천함이 주님께는 제물보다 낫다.
4 거만한 눈과 오만한 마음, 그리고 악인들의 개간지는 죄악일 뿐이다.
5 부지런한 이의 계획은 반드시 이익을 남기지만, 조급한 자는 모두 궁핍만 겪게 된다.
6 속임수 혀로 보화를 장만함은, 죽음을 찾는 자들의 덧없는 환상일 뿐이다.
10 악인의 영혼은 악만 갈망하고, 그의 눈에는 제 이웃도 가엾지 않다. 11 빈정꾼이 벌받으면 어수룩한 자가 지혜로워지고,지혜로운 이가 지도를 받으면 지식을 얻는다.
12 의인은 악인의 집을 살피고, 악인을 불행에 빠지게 한다. 13 빈곤한 이의 울부짖음에 귀를 막는 자는, 자기가 부르짖을 때에도 대답을 얻지 못한다.
복음
루카. 8,19-21
그때에 19 예수님의 어머니와 형제들이 예수님을 찾아왔지만, 군중 때문에 가까이 갈 수가 없었다.
20 그래서 누가 예수님께 “스승님의 어머님과 형제들이 스승님을 뵈려고 밖에 서 계십니다.” 하고 알려 드렸다.
21 그러자 예수님께서 그들에게 이르셨다. “내 어머니와 내 형제들은 하느님의 말씀을 듣고 실행하는 이 사람들이다.”
September 20, 2022
Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-g?n, Priest, and Paul Ch?ng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
Reading 1
prv 21:1-6, 10-13
wherever it pleases him, he directs it.
All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,
but it is the LORD who proves hearts.
To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart–
the tillage of the wicked is sin.
The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,
but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.
Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue
is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.
The soul of the wicked man desires evil;
his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes.
When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser;
when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
The just man appraises the house of the wicked:
there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin.
He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself also call and not be heard.
Responsorial Psalm
ps 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Gospel
lk 8:19-21
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow
«My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it»
Fr. Xavier JAUSET i Clivillé
(Lleida, Spain)
Today, we can read a beautiful passage of the Gospel. Jesus is not showing any disrespect for his mother, inasmuch as She has been the first one to hear the Word of God, and He, who is the Word of God, was born from Her. At the same time She is who, most perfectly, has fulfilled God's will: «Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done onto me according to your word» (Lk 1:38), was Her answer to the Angel of the Annunciation.
Jesus tells us what we need to do to likewise pertain to his family: «those who hear...» (Lk 8:21) and to hear him we must get close to him, as his own relatives did, when they went where He was, but could not get to him because of the crowd. But, then, they tried to get closer. It might be convenient for us to ask ourselves if, to get closer to the Word of God, we do fight and try to overcome the obstacles we keep finding on the way. Do I devote, every day, a few minutes to reading, listening to or mulling over the Holy Scriptures? St. Thomas Aquinas reminds us «we must continuously meditate the Word of God (...); this meditation is a powerful help in our fight against sin».
And, finally, to abide by the Word. It is not enough to hear the Word; we must put it into action if we want to become God's relatives. We must put into practice what we are told! This is why it would perhaps be good to ask ourselves whether we only behave obediently when what we are asked just suits us well or is rather easy to do, or if, on the contrary, when it means giving up our comfort, our own prestige, our material things or whatever leisure time we may have at our disposal..., we use to place the Word between parenthesis, until some better time may come. Let us pray to the Virgin Mary that, as She did once, we may hear and abide by the Word of God, so that we shall, thus, be able to follow the path leading to eternal happiness.
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
have found myself telling our students and other groups to whom I have been asked to speak recently the story of two friends and a cricket. It goes something like this...two friends who have not seen each other in some time reunite in the home of the one friend who lives in a large, sprawling urban area. The visiting friend lives in a more rural area and is an avid practitioner of Ignatian spirituality. As the two friends are walking down a particularly congested sidewalk in the middle of the thriving, pulsing city, the rural friend stops the city friend in her tracks and says, “Wait...do you hear that?” The city friend looks around quizzically and says, “Hear what? Take your pick! There’s any number of sounds I can hear.” “No, no,” says the more contemplative friend, “Do you hear that cricket?” Now the city friend is totally puzzled. “A cricket?! In this mess of noise? Are you serious?!” The rural friend says, “Come, follow me.” They carefully dash across four lanes of traffic dodging buses and bicyclists and taxis all rushing by. They then find themselves in front of a very posh, upscale hotel outside of which are two large, potted bushes. The rural friend crouches down, parts the bottom branches of the bush, and sure enough there is a cricket in the soil singing away. The city friend is stunned. “How in the WORLD did you hear that amidst all of this,” she asks, gesturing to the crush of humanity swirling around them. The Ignatian-trained friend stands up and says, “Watch this.” She takes a few coins out of her pocket and drops them on the concrete sidewalk. Instantly everyone within earshot spins around looking at the ground, checking their pockets to see if they had dropped their money. The practitioner of Ignatian spirituality says with a wry smile, “We choose to listen to that which we value.”
Today’s readings are all about listening to God’s word - God’s voice - and acting upon it. We are invited to consider what value we place on the voice of God amidst all the other voices that clamor for our attention in life. We listen to what we value, and Jesus is calling upon us to listen to God’s voice above all else.
In the Book of Proverbs, Solomon writes, “Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.” (v.6) What a potent image. From childhood, many of us know the fragile, fleeting nature of a bubble. As they were cast into the air, we would run screaming after them only to soon realize they had burst upon the tips of our fingers or faded silently into the atmosphere. Solomon suggests that to set our eyes on worldly objects, especially those that bend our moral compass, will not only lead us astray, but will cause our feet to get caught up in snares that leave us trapped in death-dealing places. Alas, stay attentive to that which captures the gaze and the effect it has on our feet.
I was recently on a pre-sunrise hike to a mountaintop with a large group. It was pitch black and I didn’t know the route. In fact, the only person who knew the route was the one leading us. I put my trust entirely in that person at the front of the pack and in my headlamp that helped illuminate the right next step. This makes me think of what the Psalmist sings today, “Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.” Jesus goes on in the Gospel story to emphasize the importance of hearing and acting on God’s word in order to be led in a faith-filled direction - to be trusting followers who listen well and take the next step up the mountaintop where the sun will rise. We listen for the crickets.
At times we can find ourselves wondering if we are indeed listening to God’s voice or that of some imposter. It is then that we can pray the words of Thomas Merton from his work, Thoughts in Solitude:
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
JESUS, THE LIVING WORD, HAS "FULL AUTHORITY" (MT 28:18) | ||
| "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it." �Luke 8:21 | ||
The eighth chapter of Luke's Gospel, which we have been reading during the last week, teaches about the authority and power of the Word of God. The parable of the good ground (Lk 8:4-15) teaches that the Word of God will bear an abundant harvest in an open heart which submits to its authority and receives its power. Those who devote themselves to studying the Scriptures receiving the life-changing power of the Word of God, and obeying the Word will receive ever more power (Lk 8:18). They will even be received as members of God's family (Lk 8:21). God's Word has authority over the forces of nature (Lk 8:24-25), evil (Lk 8:32ff), disease (Lk 8:43-48), and even death (Lk 8:54-55). Therefore, since God's Word has such authority and such awesome power, we should "hear the word of God and act upon it" (Lk 8:21). We should "walk in the law of the Lord" (Ps 119:1), cling to the Word (Ps 119:31), and make the Word of God our joy and our happiness (Jer 15:16). God gave to Jesus, the Living Word (Heb 4:12), "full authority...in heaven and on earth" (Mt 28:18). Each day, make your home in the Word of God (Jn 8:31) and live under its authority and power. | ||
| Prayer: Father, be it done unto me according to Your Word. | ||
| Promise: "Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord." —Ps 119:1 | ||
| Praise: The doctors told Joan she would not be able to have children. She put her trust in the Lord and conceived a miracle child. |
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
"Hear the word of God and do it"
Who do you love and cherish the most? God did not intend for us to be alone, but to be with others. He gives us many opportunities for developing relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Why does Jesus seem to ignore his own relatives when they pressed to see him? His love and respect for his mother and his relatives is unquestionable. Jesus never lost an opportunity to teach his disciples a spiritual lesson and truth about the kingdom of God. On this occasion when many gathered to hear Jesus he pointed to another higher reality of relationships, namely our relationship with God and with those who belong to God.
What is the essence of being a Christian? It is certainly more than doctrine, precepts, and commandments. It is first and foremost a relationship - a relationship of trust, affection, commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, thoughtfulness, compassion, mercy, helpfulness, encouragement, support, strength, protection, and so many other qualities that bind people together in mutual love and unity.
God seeks a personal intimate relationship with each one of us
God offers us the greatest of relationships - union of heart, mind, and spirit with himself, the very author and source of love (1 John 4:8,16). God's love never fails, never forgets, never compromises, never lies, never lets us down nor disappoints us. His love is consistent, unwavering, unconditional, unrelenting and unstoppable. There is no end to his love. Nothing in this world can make him leave us, ignore us, or withhold from us his merciful love and care (Romans 8:31-39). He will love us no matter what. It is his nature to love. That is why he created us - to be united with him and to share in his love (1 John 3:1).
God is a trinity of divine persons - one in being with the eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and a community of undivided love. God made us in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26,27) to be a people who are free to choose what is good, loving, and just and to reject whatever is false and contrary to his love and righteousness (moral goodness). That is why Jesus challenged his followers, and even his own earthly relatives, to recognize that God is the true source of all relationships. God wants all of our relationships to be rooted in his love and goodness.
The heavenly Father's offer of friendship and adoption
Jesus Christ is God's love incarnate - God's love made visible in human flesh (1 John 4:9-10). That is why Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep and the shepherd who seeks out the sheep who have strayed and lost their way. God is like the father who yearns for his prodigal son to return home and then throws a great party for his son when he has a change of heart and comes back (Luke 15:11-32).
Jesus offered up his life on the cross for our sake, so that we could be forgiven and restored to unity and friendship with God. It is through Jesus that we become the adopted children of God - his own sons and daughters. That is why Jesus told his disciples that they would have many new friends and family relationships in his kingdom. Whoever does the will of God is a friend of God and a member of his family - his sons and daughters who have been ransomed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus Christ we become brothers and sisters - members of God's family
Lucian of Antioch (240-312 AD), an early Christian martyr once said that "a Christian's only relatives are the saints"- namely those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and adopted as sons and daughters of God. Those who have been baptized into Jesus Christ and who live as his disciples enter into a new family, a family of "saints" here on earth and in heaven. Jesus changes the order of relationships and shows that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood.
Our adoption as sons and daughters of God transforms all of our relationships and requires a new order of loyalty to God first and to his kingdom of righteousness and peace. Do you want to grow in love and friendship? Allow the Holy Spirit to transform your heart, mind, and will to enable you to love freely and generously as God has loved you.
"Heavenly Father, you are the source of all true friendship and love. In all my relationships, may your love be my constant guide for choosing what is good and for rejecting what is contrary to your will."
Psalm 122:1-5
1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
2 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem, built as a city which is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Those who listen and obey God's word become true children of God, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"The present lesson teaches us that obedience and listening to God are the causes of every blessing. Some entered and spoke respectfully about Christ's holy mother and his brothers. He answered in these words, 'My mother and my brothers are they who hear the word of God and do it.' Now do not let any one imagine that Christ scorned the honor due to his mother or contemptuously disregarded the love owed to his brothers. He spoke the law by Moses and clearly said, 'Honor your father and your mother, that it may be well with you' (Deuteronomy 5:16). How, I ask, could he have rejected the love due to brothers, who even commanded us to love not merely our brothers but also those who are enemies to us? He says, 'Love your enemies' (Matthew 5:44).
"What does Christ want to teach? His object is to exalt highly his love toward those who are willing to bow the neck to his commands. I will explain the way he does this. The greatest honors and the most complete affection are what we all owe to our mothers and brothers. If he says that they who hear his word and do it are his mother and brothers, is it not plain to every one that he bestows on those who follow him a love thorough and worthy of their acceptance? He would make them readily embrace the desire of yielding themselves to his words and of submitting their mind to his yoke, by means of a complete obedience." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 42)
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