2022년 9월 28일 연중 제26주간 수요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
욥기 9,1-12.14-16
욥이 친구들의 1 말을 받았다.
2 “물론 나도 그런 줄은 알고 있네. 사람이 하느님 앞에서 어찌 의롭다 하겠는가?
3 하느님과 소송을 벌인다 한들 천에 하나라도 그분께 답변하지 못할 것이네.
4 지혜가 충만하시고 능력이 넘치시는 분, 누가 그분과 겨루어서 무사하리오?
5 아무도 모르는 사이에 산들을 옮기시고
분노하시어 그것들을 뒤엎으시는 분.
6 땅을 바닥째 뒤흔드시어 그 기둥들을 요동치게 하시는 분.
7 해에게 솟지 말라 명령하시고 별들을 봉해 버리시는 분.
8 당신 혼자 하늘을 펼치시고 바다의 등을 밟으시는 분.
9 큰곰자리와 오리온자리, 묘성과 남녘의 별자리들을 만드신 분.
10 측량할 수 없는 위업들과 헤아릴 수 없는 기적들을 이루시는 분.
11 그분께서 내 앞을 지나가셔도 나는 보지 못하고
지나치셔도 나는 그분을 알아채지 못하네.
12 그분께서 잡아채시면 누가 막을 수 있으며
누가 그분께 ‘왜 그러십니까?’ 할 수 있겠나?
14 그런데 내가 어찌 그분께 답변할 수 있으며 그분께 대꾸할 말을 고를 수 있겠나?
15 내가 의롭다 하여도 답변할 말이 없어 내 고소인에게 자비를 구해야 할 것이네.
16 내가 불러 그분께서 대답하신다 해도
내 소리에 귀를 기울이시리라고는 믿지 않네.”
복음
루카 9,57-62
그때에 예수님과 제자들이 57 길을 가는데 어떤 사람이 예수님께,
“어디로 가시든지 저는 스승님을 따르겠습니다.” 하고 말하였다.
58 그러자 예수님께서 그에게 말씀하셨다.
“여우들도 굴이 있고 하늘의 새들도 보금자리가 있지만,
사람의 아들은 머리를 기댈 곳조차 없다.”
59 예수님께서는 다른 사람에게 “나를 따라라.” 하고 이르셨다.
그러나 그는 “주님, 먼저 집에 가서
아버지의 장사를 지내게 허락해 주십시오.” 하고 말하였다.
60 예수님께서는 그에게, “죽은 이들의 장사는 죽은 이들이 지내도록 내버려 두고,
너는 가서 하느님의 나라를 알려라.” 하고 말씀하셨다.
61 또 다른 사람이 “주님, 저는 주님을 따르겠습니다.
그러나 먼저 가족들에게 작별 인사를 하게 허락해 주십시오.” 하고 말하였다.
62 예수님께서 그에게 이르셨다.
“쟁기에 손을 대고 뒤를 돌아보는 자는 하느님 나라에 합당하지 않다.”
September 28, 2022
Wednesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
Jb 9:1-12, 14-16
Job answered his friends and said:
I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?
He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.
He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.
Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 88:10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15
R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Gospel
Lk 9:57-62
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
A God Who Listens
Job isn’t such an easy book. It’s long, it’s heavy, and to be honest, sometimes Job’s expression of undeserved and inexplicable suffering hits a little close to home!
What fascinates me about the book of Job, however, is the difference between Job’s “friends” and God in their unique responses to Job’s long plaints. For about 30 chapters, Job speaks out and his friends quickly reply, often telling him how to think, how he’s wrong, or what he should do instead.
But God, God waits. God listens. God lets Job talk, talk it all out. Then, at the end of the book, having given Job his space, he speaks. God knows Job needs to talk it out, like David in the psalms. Sometimes we want answers, but sometimes we just want someone to listen. Let’s not forget this when we pray – try unpacking tough stuff with God who listens.
—Fr. Garrett Gundlach, SJ, is a Jesuit priest of the Midwest Province studying Arabic and interfaith dialogue at the University of Saint Joseph in Beirut, Lebanon.
Prayer
God,
Sometimes I get upset when I pray to you because I don’t get a response
Sometimes I get upset when I pray to you because I do get a response,
But it’s not the one I want,
But most of the time I don’t pray to you because I’m upset
About something else
And I don’t know how or where to start.
Just open my mouth, O Lord,
And let me speak - show me it’s okay to just let it flow,
To pour it all out like Job, like David,
Like me when I talk to my therapist-
let me feel your gentle, listening presence,
the subtle warmth of someone sitting close
the slight cues of nods and mmhmm’s
the patience and acceptance of someone who listens
Without butting in to fix, to correct, or to solve.
Help me to speak with you clearly and openly,
Even and especially when I’m angry, broken or frustrated-
Thank you, Lord, for your listening-
Help me to speak. Amen.
—Fr. Garrett Gundlach, SJ
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Today’s gospel reminds us of the cost involved in following Jesus. We learn that somebody said to Jesus “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus gives an interesting response: "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." Think about this. Jesus shares with an eager fellow that his path is not an easy one. You see, he is doing without a basic human need — no guarantee for shelter each night. Jesus was traveling about teaching, and some might describe him as experiencing homelessness. He was entirely dependent on the goodwill of others who may be willing to provide a meal and a place to rest. Nothing was guaranteed.
Jesus extends an invitation to “Follow me.” The disciple candidates have some things to do first. Some urgent things. Recall in the Jewish tradition, prompt burial and funeral ceremony was a serious matter. The importance of family was paramount.
Jesus’ task at hand is even more urgent, consuming and can be difficult. He sternly reminds the candidates of this.
For today, consider times that Jesus is asking something that seems to be too demanding, or stressful. What does one do when faced with this type of situation?
Recently, I faced this situation and it drove me to my knees. I found myself praying for guidance nearly continually — especially through sleepless nights. I wasn’t getting the answer that I wanted. God was continually dropping signs that he wasn’t quite finished with me — I literally heard a voice telling me "I know this is so hard for you, but I’m not finished with you. My people need you!" I cannot express the challenges that came with my assignment. Looking back, I reflect on many lessons learned during this difficult time. Mostly, I’m grateful for the people Jesus planted around me to love and support me during some very dark days. People who I previously took for granted. There were days where my faith was shaken terribly. Ultimately this experience strengthened me and provided me additional tools to use as I serve an often-forgotten group of God’s people. I’m not quite to the point where I can say I’m grateful for a very tough experience — I may get there.
For now, I find comfort in knowing that things weren’t easy for Jesus either. I can say that God is good and watches over us — even when it may not feel like it. For this I am grateful today.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
HIS “ALL” CALL
“Come away and proclaim the kingdom of God.” —Luke 9:60
Job says of God that we could not respond to His majesty even once in a thousand encounters (Jb 9:3, 15). God is so mighty that we would be amazed that He would even listen to our prayer (Jb 9:16). If the omnipotent Creator of the Universe would even ask one thing of us, we should jump for joy to do whatever He asked.
In today’s Gospel, two people responded to the call of Jesus by saying “Maybe, but not now” (see Lk 9:59, 61). The two potential disciples had good excuses. However, the first disciples Jesus called answered Him by immediately dropping everything to follow Him (see Mk 1:17-20; Mt 1:18-24; 9:9; Lk 5:10-11, 27-28; Jn 1:35ff). The first disciples were just as busy as the people who gave excuses in today’s Gospel passage. Yet they put their hands to the plow and did not look back to their former life (Lk 9:62).
Jesus demands all our attention, all our life in response to His call. This seems excessive, but consider the calling from God’s viewpoint. God gave us everything when He gave us His Son, Jesus. God’s calling is urgent and His timing is always best. We always are busy with urgent tasks that compete for our attention (see Mt 22:5; Lk 14:18-20). We also have an enemy constantly distracting us from God’s priorities. To say “Yes” to God, there is always something else to which we must say “No.”
How will you respond to Jesus’ call in your life?
Prayer: Father, I give You permission to re-order everything in my life so that You always take first place.
Promise: “Whoever puts his hand to the plow but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God.” —Lk 9:62
Praise: St. Wenceslaus came from a diverse family. He had both Catholic and pagan relatives. He was blessed to be raised by his pious grandmother, St. Ludmilla.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Are you ready to follow the Lord Jesus wherever he may lead you? With the call the Lord gives the grace to respond and the strength to follow all the way to the end. Why does Jesus issue a challenge with the call? Jesus was utterly honest in telling people what it would cost to follow him. When a would-be disciple approached Jesus and said he was ready to follow, Jesus told him it would require sacrifice - the sacrifice of certain creaturely comforts. Jesus appealed to this man's heart and told him to detach himself from whatever might hold him back. Spiritual detachment is a necessary step for following the Lord. It frees us to give ourselves without reserve to the Lord and his service. While many of us may not need to give up the comfort of our own home and bed to follow Jesus, we, nonetheless, must be willing to part with anything that might stand in the way of doing God's will.
Don't let anything hold you back from following the Lord Jesus
Another would-be disciple said he would follow as soon as he had buried his father. What he meant by this expression was that he felt the need to return to his home to take care of his father through old age until he died. The third had no obligation to return home, but simply wanted to go back and say good-bye. Jesus surprised these would-be disciples with the stark truth that nothing should hinder us from following the Lord. Was Jesus being harsh and rude to his would-be followers? Not really. We are free to decide whether we will take the path which Jesus offers. But if we choose to go, then the Lord wants us to count the cost and choose for it freely.
Don't miss the good path God has set for you - it will lead to joy and freedom
What does the story of a plowman have to do with the journey? A plowman who looked back while plowing his field caused the line or furrow he cut into the soil to become crooked. One crooked line easily leads to another until the whole field is a mess. The plowman had to look straight ahead in order to keep the plow from going off course. Likewise, if we look back on what we have freely left behind to follow the Lord - whether that be some distraction, attachment, or sinful habit which leads us away from doing God's will - our path will likely diverge and we'll miss what God has for us.
Will you say "yes" to the Lord's call for your life?
The Gospel does not record the response from these three would-be disciples. We are only left with the question which Jesus intends for us as well. Are you ready to take the path which the Lord Jesus offers? His grace is sufficient and his love is strong. There is nothing greater we can do with our lives than to place them at the service of the Lord and Master of the universe. We cannot outmatch God in his generosity. Jesus promises that those who are willing to part with what is most dear to them for his sake "will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life" (Matthew 19:29). The Lord Jesus offers us a kingdom of lasting peace, unending joy, surpassing love, enduring friendship, and abundant life. Is there anything holding you back from pursuing the Lord and his will for you life?
Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess you have given me. I surrender it all to you to be disposed of according to your will. Give me only your love and your grace - with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more. (Prayer of Ignatius Loyola, 1491-1556)
Psalm 88:2,9b-14
2 Let my prayer come before you, incline your ear to my cry!
9 Every day I call upon you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise you? [Selah]
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O LORD, why do you cast me off? Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Put to death what is earthly in you, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"The statement 'Let the dead bury their dead' implies spiritually: Waste no more time on dead things. You are to 'put to death therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry' (Colossians 3:5). These things therefore are dead. Cast them away from you. Cut them off as you would cut off gangrenous flesh to prevent the contamination of the whole body, so that you may not hear it said, 'Leave the dead [spiritually dead] to bury their dead' (Matthew 8:22). But to some it seems abnormal and contradictory that the Savior does not allow the disciple to bury his father. It seems inhumane. But Jesus does not in fact forbid people from burying the dead, but rather he puts before this the preaching of the kingdom of heaven, which makes people alive (Luke 9:60). As for burying the body, there were many people who could have done this." (excerpt from Fragment 161)
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