2022년 9월 24일 연중 제25주간 토요일
제1독서
코헬렛.11,9ㅡ12,8
9 젊은이야, 네 젊은 시절에 즐기고
젊음의 날에 네 마음이 너를 기쁘게 하도록 하여라.
그리고 네 마음이 원하는 길을 걷고 네 눈이 이끄는 대로 가거라.
다만 이 모든 것에 대하여 하느님께서 너를 심판으로 부르심을 알아라.
10 네 마음에서 근심을 떨쳐 버리고 네 몸에서 고통을 흘려 버려라.
젊음도 청춘도 허무일 뿐이다.
12,1 젊음의 날에 너의 창조주를 기억하여라, 불행의 날들이 닥치기 전에.
“이런 시절은 내 마음에 들지 않아.” 하고 네가 말할 때가 오기 전에.
2 해와 빛, 달과 별들이 어두워지고
비 온 뒤 구름이 다시 몰려오기 전에 그분을 기억하여라.
3 그때 집을 지키는 자들은 흐느적거리고 힘센 사내들은 등이 굽는다.
맷돌 가는 여종들은 수가 줄어 손을 놓고
창문으로 내다보던 여인들은 생기를 잃는다.
4 길로 난 맞미닫이문은 닫히고, 맷돌 소리는 줄어든다.
새들이 지저귀는 시간에 일어나지만 노랫소리는 모두 희미해진다.
5 오르막을 두려워하게 되고 길에서도 무서움이 앞선다.
편도나무는 꽃이 한창이고 메뚜기는 살이 오르며
참양각초는 싹을 터뜨리는데
인간은 자기의 영원한 집으로 가야만 하고
거리에는 조객들이 돌아다닌다.
6 은사슬이 끊어지고 금 그릇이 깨어지며 샘에서 물동이가 부서지고
우물에서 도르래가 깨어지기 전에 너의 창조주를 기억하여라.
7 먼지는 전에 있던 흙으로 되돌아가고
목숨은 그것을 주신 하느님께로 되돌아간다.
8 허무로다, 허무! 코헬렛이 말한다. 모든 것이 허무로다!
복음
루카. 9,43ㄴ-45
그 때에 43 사람들이 다 예수님께서 하신 모든 일을 보고 놀라워하는데,
예수님께서 제자들에게 이르셨다.
44 “너희는 이 말을 귀담아들어라. 사람의 아들은 사람들의 손에 넘겨질 것이다.”
45 그러나 제자들은 그 말씀을 알아듣지 못하였다.
그 뜻이 감추어져 있어서 이해하지 못하였던 것이다.
그들은 그 말씀에 관하여 묻는 것도 두려워하였다.
September 24, 2022
Saturday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
Rejoice, O young man, while you are young
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart,
the vision of your eyes;
Yet understand that as regards all this
God will bring you to judgment.
Ward off grief from your heart
and put away trouble from your presence,
though the dawn of youth is fleeting.
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the evil days come
And the years approach of which you will say,
I have no pleasure in them;
Before the sun is darkened,
and the light, and the moon, and the stars,
while the clouds return after the rain;
When the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men are bent,
And the grinders are idle because they are few,
and they who look through the windows grow blind;
When the doors to the street are shut,
and the sound of the mill is low;
When one waits for the chirp of a bird,
but all the daughters of song are suppressed;
And one fears heights,
and perils in the street;
When the almond tree blooms,
and the locust grows sluggish
and the caper berry is without effect,
Because man goes to his lasting home,
and mourners go about the streets;
Before the silver cord is snapped
and the golden bowl is broken,
And the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the broken pulley falls into the well,
And the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the life breath returns to God who gave it.
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
all things are vanity!
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17
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.
And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours;
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
While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men."
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Ward off grief from your heart
and put away trouble from your presence,
though the dawn of youth is fleeting. Ecclesiastes 11
Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel. Alleluia: 2 Timothy 1:10
They were afraid to ask him about this saying. Luke 9
The reading from the Book of Ecclesiates offers us a moving poem with powerful imagery about the loss of youth and the experience of aging and death. It invites us to "Ward off grief from your heart." Several thousand years ago, this writer of Wisdom literature knew the human experience of loss and grief as we age and the skills, flexibility, vision, hearing, strength of our youth diminishes, until it all fails and we die, like cords being cut. The writer comforts us with the consolation that our spirits return to the Creator who breathed this life into us.
In the gospel, we experience Jesus' telling his disciples about his approaching death. It will not be a natural death for him. He will be "handed over." Betrayed. Unjustly condemned. He will ask his Father that he be spared this cup of this full, nasty human experience, but he surrendered to it as the path for him to fully enter into the depths of our humanity, even dying on a cross, at the hands of enemies of his message of mercy.
I have to confess that I identify with the disciples who were afraid to ask him more about the meaning of all of this, for them. It is remarkable how tempting it is not to look very far down the road, to want everything to stay the same, to not face diminishment of life, nor the path of discipleship. When Jesus asks us to die to ourselves, to literally lose ourselves, in order to truly find ourselves, it is easy to so fear the consequences that we don't ask for the grace to do it with peace and trust. Fear of loss is paralyzing and a terrible loss in itself. Trust is liberating and offers us courage and hope. Self-sacrificing love is full of grace.
The consolation Jesus offers us is that he does not leave us alone as we journey in his path. He is always with us. Always loving us. Always there to embrace us in whatever diminishment we face - in the aging process or in the process of dying to self in love for others. The more we ask, "Show me the way," the more we are given the grace to take up the journey of life with greater freedom, joy, compassion, mercy, generosity and peace. The more I let my way of life be like Jesus' , the more I can feel a closeness, an intimacy with him. Living our lives this way is our mission, not only to live the Gospel, but to witness it to others in a world whose values are so different from the way of Jesus.
Dear Jesus, thank you for your love and your grace. Let me place my life in your hands. Let me enjoy the peace of your presence as I age. Let me continue to love as you have loved me, so that I might enter more deeply into intimacy with you and be a credible witness of the Gospel for others.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
THIS I KNOW
“They failed...to understand.” —Luke 9:45
Our human existence has limits; our minds cannot understand everything (see Lk 9:45). Our body parts wear out — eyes, ears, legs, teeth, and digestive systems (Eccl 12:2ff). Our bodies live only a limited time, seventy or eighty years “if we are strong,” and then we die (Ps 90:10).
When we know our limits, we are in a position to call upon God as our only refuge (Ps 90:1). If we fail to understand many things, at least we can know by grace that Jesus is our Savior, “the Resurrection and the Life” (Jn 11:25), and that the Church He established is the “pillar and bulwark of truth” (1 Tm 3:15).
I don’t fully understand why Jesus had to suffer such a brutal death for our sins. I don’t know why bad things happen to good people, and why evil seemingly goes unchecked. But I do know that my Redeemer lives (Jb 19:25, RSV-CE). I do know that God is “rich in mercy” and came to call sinners (Eph 2:4; Mk 2:17).
What don’t you understand? When you don’t understand, will you walk away from Jesus? (Jn 6:66) Or will you respond to Him like St. Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68)?
Prayer: Father, “teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart” (Ps 90:12).
Promise: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come.” —Eccl 12:1
Praise: Trying to conduct works of service bore only resentment in Maria’s heart until she met Jesus and sat at His feet. Out of that love, her new sense of service flourished.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Do you know the majesty of God? When we ascribe majesty to someone or something we acknowledge greatness in that person or thing and voice our respect for it. The miracles of Jesus revealed the awesome power and majesty of God and his favor and blessing (grace) - especially towards the lowly and humble of heart.
God's way to victory and glory is through the cross
But with the miracles Jesus also gave a prophetic warning: There can be no share in God's glory without the cross. Jesus prophesied concerning his own betrayal and crucifixion - but it did not make any sense to the disciples because it did not fit their understanding of the Messiah who was supposed to come and free his people from tyranny and oppression. Little did they know that the way to victory over sin and death would be through the cross and resurrection of Christ.
Our fear of suffering betrays our lack of hope in Christ's victory
When the disciples heard Jesus' prediction of suffering and betrayal they were afraid to ask further questions. Like a person who might receive bad news from the doctor about some tumor or disease that could destroy them and then refuse to ask any further questions, the disciples of Jesus didn't want to know any more about the consequences of possible suffering, defeat, and death on a cross. They couldn't understand how the cross could bring victory and lead to new life and freedom in Christ.
How often do we reject what we do not wish to see? We have heard God's word and we know the consequences of accepting it or rejecting it. But do we give it our full allegiance and mold our lives according to it? Ask the Lord Jesus to show you his majesty and glory that you may grow in reverence of him and in godly fear (reverence) of his word.
Lord Jesus, by your cross you have redeemed the world and revealed your glory and triumph over sin and death. May I never fail to see your glory and victory in the cross. Help me to conform my life to your will and to follow in your way of love and holiness.
Psalm 90:3-6,12-14,17
3 You turn man back to the dust, and say, "Turn back, O children of men!"
4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep men away; they are like a dream, like grass which is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us, yes, the work of our hands establish it.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The scapegoat foreshadowed Christ's passion, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"The mystery of the passion may be seen also in another instance. According to the Mosaic law, two goats were offered. They were not different in any way from one another (Leviticus 16:7-8), but they were alike in size and appearance. Of these, one was called 'the lord,' and the other was called 'sent-away.' When the lot was cast for the one called 'lord,' it was sacrificed. The other one was sent away from the sacrifice, and therefore had the name of 'sent-away.' Who was signified by this? The Word, though he was God, was in our likeness and took the form of us sinners, as far as the nature of the flesh was concerned. The male or female goat was sacrificed for sins. Death was our desert, for we had fallen under the divine curse because of sin. When the Savior of all undertook the responsibility, he transferred to himself what was due to us and laid down his life, that we might be sent away from death and destruction."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 53)
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