2022년 9월 22일 연중 제25주간 목요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
코헬렛.1,2-11
2 허무로다, 허무! 코헬렛이 말한다. 허무로다, 허무! 모든 것이 허무로다!
3 태양 아래에서 애쓰는 모든 노고가 사람에게 무슨 보람이 있으랴?
4 한 세대가 가고 또 한 세대가 오지만 땅은 영원히 그대로다.
5 태양은 뜨고 지지만 떠올랐던 그곳으로 서둘러 간다.
6 남쪽으로 불다 북쪽으로 도는 바람은 돌고 돌며 가지만 제자리로 되돌아온다.
7 강물이 모두 바다로 흘러드는데 바다는 가득 차지 않는다.
강물은 흘러드는 그곳으로 계속 흘러든다.
8 온갖 말로 애써 말하지만 아무도 다 말하지 못한다.
눈은 보아도 만족하지 못하고 귀는 들어도 가득 차지 못한다.
9 있던 것은 다시 있을 것이고 이루어진 것은 다시 이루어질 것이니
태양 아래 새로운 것이란 없다.
10 “이걸 보아라, 새로운 것이다.”
사람들이 이렇게 말하는 것이 있더라도
그것은 우리 이전 옛 시대에 이미 있던 것이다.
11 아무도 옛날 일을 기억하지 않듯 장차 일어날 일도 마찬가지.
그 일도 기억하지 않으리니 그 후에 일어나는 일도 매한가지다.
복음
루카. 9,7-9
그때에 헤로데 영주는 예수님께서 하신 7 모든 일을 전해 듣고 몹시 당황하였다.
더러는 “요한이 죽은 이들 가운데에서 되살아났다.” 하고,
8 더러는 “엘리야가 나타났다.” 하는가 하면,
또 어떤 이들은 “옛 예언자 한 분이 다시 살아났다.” 하였기 때문이다.
9 그래서 헤로데는 이렇게 말하였다.
“요한은 내가 목을 베었는데, 소문에 들리는 이 사람은 누구인가?”
그러면서 그는 예수님을 만나 보려고 하였다.
September 22, 2022
Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
What profit has man from all the labor
which he toils at under the sun?
One generation passes and another comes,
but the world forever stays.
The sun rises and the sun goes down;
then it presses on to the place where it rises.
Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north,
the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
All rivers go to the sea,
yet never does the sea become full.
To the place where they go,
the rivers keep on going.
All speech is labored;
there is nothing one can say.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing
nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.
What has been, that will be;
what has been done, that will be done.
Nothing is new under the sun.
Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!"
has already existed in the ages that preceded us.
There is no remembrance of the men of old;
nor of those to come will there be any remembrance
among those who come after them.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17bc
R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Gospel
Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
"John has been raised from the dead";
others were saying, "Elijah has appeared";
still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."
But Herod said, "John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?"
And he kept trying to see him.
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.
Luke
A military retiree friend has at least half a dozen guns in his home including an AR 15 while my favorite fridge magnet says, “Like Jesus would ever own a gun …”
Yet we both love Jesus and take our Christianity seriously. We focus on different parts of the Gospels and they shape our differing views on guns and probably other topics that we avoid to keep the friendship alive.
We exemplify the 2000-year-old question that Herod asks in today’s short passage from Luke. Just who is Jesus?. Obviously, it’s complicated or Christians wouldn’t have been fighting about the question since biblical times. Perhaps it is Jesus’ complexity that keeps us fascinated enough to keep asking that question.
A recent book, “Jesus and John Wayne,” by Kristin Kobes Du Mez, an evangelical historian, sheds light on a far more militaristic version of Christianity than I espouse but it’s extremely important for people like me to understand that viewpoint.
Jesus commands us to love our enemies but opponents should not be enemies. It can be just as hard to listen with an open heart to good people like my friend who fundamentally disagree with me as to love enemies. We must find ways to embrace each other by finding common ground whenever possible.
My friend, for example, is active in his church’s outreach to the poor just as I am. Common ground. He abhors racism, more common ground. He has also raised a wonderful family, still more that we share.
I wish I were a model of being open-hearted as Jesus commands in the Sermon on the Mount. I’m not, especially when it comes to judging masses of people with whom I don’t have a relationship. It’s hard and like most people, I tend to fail when things are difficult.
Baby steps, I tell myself. Take baby steps. That’s why I’ve just invited my friend for dinner. Maybe we’ll just talk about sports and the weather but someday maybe we’ll have the courage to lovingly discuss the significant differences in our Christian beliefs.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
FROM VANITY INTO FULLNESS
“Nothing is new under the sun.” —Ecclesiastes 1:9
The author of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes is a wise man named Qoheleth (Eccl 1:1). He is wise, but he lived before the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. From his perspective, “all things are vanity!” (Eccl 1:2) Many people today are likewise pessimistic about living in this world filled with misery and tears. The New Testament recognizes this. Life “without God in the world” is definitely a life “without hope” (Eph 2:12). Apart from Jesus, we “can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).
Yet the Good News is that God loved us so much that He sent His only-begotten Son that we might have the opportunity to believe in Him and have eternal life (Jn 3:16). God in His mercy has offered us life “with and in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6), “life to the full” (Jn 10:10). Jesus proclaims: “See, I make all things new!” (Rv 21:5) God and God alone can make all things new and beautiful. Therefore, “fix your eyes on Jesus” (Heb 3:1).
Are you feeling hopeless, like Qoheleth? Do you feel alone, dejected, discouraged, pessimistic? Is your life without hope? Come to Jesus (Mt 11:28). He will change your “mourning into dancing” (Ps 30:12). Jesus will give you His very own, eternal, boundless, complete joy (Jn 15:11). In Jesus, we are new creations (2 Cor 5:17).
Prayer: Father, when I am without hope, give me the grace to turn to Jesus rather than turning in on myself.
Promise: “A thousand years in Your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past.” —Ps 90:4
Praise: With simplicity of faith, Randy, a four-pack-a-day smoker, was instantly healed of that addiction by a humble prayer empowered by the Holy Spirit.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Who do you most admire and want to be like? People with power, influence, fame, or wealth? Scripture warns us of such danger (see Proverbs 23:1-2). King Herod had respected and feared John the Baptist as a great prophet and servant of God. John, however did not fear to rebuke Herod for his adulterous affair with his brother's wife. Herod, however, was more of a people pleaser than a pleaser of God. Herod not only imprisoned John to silence him, but he also beheaded him simply to please his family and friends.
God's truth cannot be suppressed
Now when reports of Jesus' miracles and teaching reach Herod's court, Herod became very troubled in conscience. He thought that John the Baptist had risen from the dead! Herod sought to meet Jesus more out of curiosity and fear than out of a sincere desire to know God's will. He wanted to meet Jesus - not to follow him but to prevent him from troubling his conscience any further.
We can try to rid ourselves of guilt and sin by suppressing the truth or by ridding ourselves of anyone or anything that points us to the truth. No power on earth, however, can remove a guilty conscience or free us from slavery to sin - only God can set us free through the atoning sacrifice which his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ made for us on the cross.
Whose voice and message do you follow?
How can we find true peace with ourselves and with God? The Lord Jesus shows us the way. Jesus explained to his followers, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31-32). Only Jesus can set us free. If we listen to his voice and obey his word, we will find true peace, joy, and freedom to live as sons and daughters of God.
Does God's word take priority in your daily life? Or do you allow other voices and messages to distract you or lead you astray. The Lord Jesus promises to be with us and to guide us continually if we will listen to his voice and obey his word.
Heavenly Father, form in me the likeness of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and deepen his life within me that I may be like him in word and deed. Increase my eagerness to do your will and help me to grow in the knowledge of your love and truth.
Psalm 149:1-6a,9b
1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful!
2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker, let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King!
3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with timbrel and lyre!
4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.
6a Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
9b This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Integrity is a hardship for the morally corrupt, by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD)
"John aroused Herod by his moral admonitions, not by any formal accusation. He wanted to correct, not to suppress. Herod, however, preferred to suppress rather than be reconciled. To those who are held captive, the freedom of the one innocent of wrongdoing becomes hateful. Virtue is undesirable to those who are immoral; holiness is abhorrent to those who are impious; chastity is an enemy to those who are impure; integrity is a hardship for those who are corrupt; frugality runs counter to those who are self-indulgent; mercy is intolerable to those who are cruel, as is loving-kindness to those who are pitiless and justice to those who are unjust. The Evangelist indicates this when he says, "John said to him, 'It is not lawful for you to have the wife of your brother Philip.'" This is where John runs into trouble. He who admonishes those who are evil gives offense. He who repudiates wrongdoers runs into trouble. John was saying what was proper of the law, what was proper of justice, what was proper of salvation and what was proper certainly not of hatred but of love. And look at the reward he received from the ungodly for his loving concern!" (excerpt from SERMONS 127.6-7)
[Peter Chrysologus, 400-450 AD, was a renowned preacher and bishop of Ravena in the 5th century]
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