2022년 9월 29일 성 미카엘, 성 가브리엘, 성 라파엘 대천사 축일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
다니엘 예언서. 7,9-10.13-14<또는 묵시 12,7-12ㄱ>
마침내 옥좌들이 놓이고 연로하신 분께서 자리에 앉으셨다.
그분의 옷은 눈처럼 희고 머리카락은 깨끗한 양털 같았다.
그분의 옥좌는 불꽃 같고 옥좌의 바퀴들은 타오르는 불 같았다.
10 불길이 강물처럼 뿜어 나왔다. 그분 앞에서 터져 나왔다.
그분을 시중드는 이가 백만이요 그분을 모시고 선 이가 억만이었다.
법정이 열리고 책들이 펴졌다.
13 내가 이렇게 밤의 환시 속에서 앞을 보고 있는데
사람의 아들 같은 이가 하늘의 구름을 타고 나타나
연로하신 분께 가자 그분 앞으로 인도되었다.
14 그에게 통치권과 영광과 나라가 주어져
모든 민족들과 나라들, 언어가 다른 모든 사람들이 그를 섬기게 되었다.
그의 통치는 영원한 통치로서 사라지지 않고 그의 나라는 멸망하지 않는다.
복음
요한. 1,47-51
그때에 47 예수님께서는 나타나엘이 당신 쪽으로 오는 것을 보시고
그에 대하여 말씀하셨다.
“보라, 저 사람이야말로 참으로 이스라엘 사람이다.
저 사람은 거짓이 없다.”
48 나타나엘이 예수님께 “저를 어떻게 아십니까?” 하고 물으니,
예수님께서 그에게 “필립보가 너를 부르기 전에,
네가 무화과나무 아래에 있는 것을 내가 보았다.” 하고 대답하셨다.
49 그러자 나타나엘이 예수님께 말하였다.
“스승님, 스승님은 하느님의 아드님이십니다.
이스라엘의 임금님이십니다.”
50 예수님께서 나타나엘에게 이르셨다.
“네가 무화과나무 아래에 있는 것을 보았다고 해서 나를 믿느냐?
앞으로 그보다 더 큰 일을 보게 될 것이다.”
51 이어서 그에게 또 말씀하셨다.
“내가 진실로 진실로 너희에게 말한다.
너희는 하늘이 열리고
하느님의 천사들이 사람의 아들 위에서 오르내리는 것을 보게 될 것이다.”
September 29, 2022
Feast of Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael, archangels
Reading 1
Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
or
Rv 12:7-12ab
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them."
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD
"Great is the glory of the LORD
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Gospel
Jn 1:47-51
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
[This reflection first appeared in Creighton Daily Reflections on Sept. 29, 2021]
I don’t have a very clear grasp of angelology. I think about how the pop culture I have consumed portrays angels. Sometimes they are like superpowered aliens, whether benevolent, power-hungry, or naïve. Sometimes they portray reflections of humanity. Then I think about angels in church culture and scripture, including in today’s readings. Angels are non-corporeal spiritual beings according to the catechism (#328), unlike us humans who are corporeal spiritual beings. Sometimes they are protectors, like the statues on churches and Guardian Angels. Sometimes they are joyful, gentle, and comforting, like in the funeral prayers when they greet and lead souls into paradise. Often they are cosmically powerful, like Michael and the hosts (armies) of heaven fighting against Satan in an option for today’s first reading. When they show up, the first thing they often say is “be not afraid,” which implies that the natural first reaction to seeing them is fear. (C. S. Lewis proposed in his Cosmic Trilogy that angels, as cosmically powerful spiritual beings, have trouble appearing in forms that aren’t terrifyingly beyond human experience on earth.) At the Nativity the angels point the shepherds to Christ and sing the first carol, “Glory to God in the highest!” which, along with their song “Holy, holy, holy” in Revelation, we are invited to join them in singing at every Sunday Mass and feast day. Nearly always, they are worshipping and praising God and Christ, like in the readings from Revelation, Psalm 138, and the Gospel of John today.
I may not have a lot of angelology, but I love etymology, especially etymology of names. The word “angel” comes from the Hebrew word “messenger.” The angels in scripture are messengers for God, or their appearance points people to God and Christ. The ones who are named, like the archangels of today’s feast, communicate something about God in their names. Michael is the protector of Israel in Daniel and the leader of heaven’s armies in today’s reading from Revelation. And yet, for such a powerful being, Michael does not claim power. His name points beyond himself to God in a rhetorical question: “Who is like God?” Raphael appears as Tobiah’s traveling companion in the book of Tobit. Raphael – “God heals” – leads Tobiah not just to cure his father Tobit’s optical blindness, but to healing relationships through his journey. Finally, Gabriel most clearly acts as a messenger, interpreting prophecies of Daniel and announcing the births of both John the Baptist and Jesus. In Islamic tradition, Gabriel also dictated the Qur’an to Muhammad. But Gabriel’s name means “God is my strong one” or “God is my hero,” pointing to dependence on God. I find it especially beautiful that “God is my strong one” receives Mary’s “yes” to complete dependence on God, and that he announces God’s arrival as an infant, utterly dependent on human parents, not strong at all. It lays the foundation for Paul’s line: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
We join the choirs of angels and the communion of saints in praising God every time we participate in the Eucharistic liturgy. “In the sight of the angels [we] will sing your praises, Lord!” (Psalm 138:1) Today, I invite you to consider how you might follow in the archangels’ paths of praise. How might you point beyond yourself, giving God the glory even for the things you do? How might you offer or ask for God’s healing – for your own wounds, for our Church, for the world? How might you practice dependence on God, letting God be your strong one?
Calling All Angels (The Wailin’ Jennies)
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
I’M GLAD THEY’RE INVISIBLE
“You shall see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” —John 1:51
St. Nathanael may have been able to see angels, but the Lord doesn’t choose to give this ability to most of us. One of the great things about archangels and angels is that they are invisible. Although we can see the effects of their actions, it is usually unclear what the angels are doing. For the most part, angels are a matter of faith, not sight (2 Cor 5:7).
St. Michael has warred and continues to war against Satan and his demons (see Rv 12:7). Due to Jesus’ ultimate victory through His death and Resurrection, the war against Satan is already won. All that Michael and we have left to do is to put Jesus’ enemies beneath His feet (Heb 10:13). Nevertheless, we don’t always or easily see the victory of Jesus, nor do we see Michael mopping up after the war.
St. Gabriel revealed and reveals to us the Incarnation and its colossal consequences. In the Spirit, we can “grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love” (Eph 3:18). Yet how many of us feel we are basking in the light of divine revelation through Gabriel’s ministry?
St. Raphael is sent by the Lord to do many things, especially to heal. He particularly heals the eyes. Many of you are sick. You have asked the Lord to heal you. You may have even asked Raphael to bring healing to you. But you don’t see healing.
We must walk by faith, not by sight. God is loving us through the archangels, whether we know it or not. Believe God.
Prayer: Father, open the eyes of my heart (see Eph 1:18) to believe much more deeply in You, Your love, and Your angels.
Promise: “They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” —Rv 12:11
Praise: “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord” (Tb 12:15).
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
What kind of harvest does the Lord want us to reap today for his kingdom? When Jesus commissioned seventy of his disciples to go on mission, he gave them a vision of a vast field that is ready to be harvested for the kingdom of God. Jesus frequently used the image of a harvest to convey the coming of God's reign on earth. The harvest is the fruition of much labor and growth - beginning with the sowing of seeds, then growth to maturity, and finally the reaping of fruit for the harvest.
God's word grows like a seed within us
In like manner, the word of God is sown in the hearts of receptive men and women who hear his word, accept it with trust and obedience, and then share the abundant fruit of God's word in their life with others. The harvest Jesus had in mind was not only the gathering in of the people of Israel, but all the peoples (and nations) of the world. John the Evangelist tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Be a sower of God's word of peace and mercy
What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must be "lambs in the midst of wolves"? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25). This certainly refers to the second coming of the Lord Jesus when all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put down his enemies and established the reign of God over the heavens and the earth. In the meantime, the disciples must expect opposition and persecution from those who would oppose the Gospel. Jesus came to lay down his life for us, as our sacrificial lamb, to atone for our sins and the sins of the world. We, in turn, must be willing to offer our lives with gratitude and humble service for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are called to speak and witness in God's name
What is the significance of Jesus appointing seventy disciples to the ministry of the word? Seventy was a significant number in biblical times. Moses chose seventy elders to help him in the task of leading the people through the wilderness. The Jewish Sanhedrin, the governing council for the nation of Israel, was composed of seventy members. In Jesus' times seventy was held to be the number of nations throughout the world. Jesus commissioned the seventy to a two-fold task - to speak in his name and to act with his power.
Jesus gave his disciples instructions for how they were to carry out their ministry. They must go and serve as people without guile, full of charity (selfless giving in love) and peace, and simplicity. They must give their full attention to the proclamation of God's kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things. They must travel light - only take what was essential and leave behind whatever would distract them - in order to concentrate on the task of speaking the word of the God. They must do their work, not for what they can get out of it, but for what they can give freely to others, without expecting reward or payment. "Poverty of spirit" frees us from greed and preoccupation with possessions and makes ample room for God's provision. The Lord Jesus wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves.
God gives us his life-giving word that we may have abundant life in him. He wills to work in and through each of us for his glory. God shares his word with us and he commissions us to speak it boldly and plainly to others. Do you witness the truth and joy of the Gospel by word and example to those around you?
Lord Jesus, may the joy and truth of the Gospel transform my life that I may witness it to those around me. Grant that I may spread your truth and merciful love wherever I go.
Psalm 19:8-11
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Jesus the Good Shepherd changes wolves into sheep, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"How then does [Jesus] command the holy apostles, who are innocent men and 'sheep,' to seek the company of wolves, and go to them of their own will? Is not the danger apparent? Are they not set up as ready prey for their attacks? How can a sheep prevail over a wolf? How can one so peaceful conquer the savageness of beasts of prey? 'Yes,' he says, 'for they all have me as their Shepherd: small and great, people and princes, teachers and students. I will be with you, help you, and deliver you from all evil. I will tame the savage beasts. I will change wolves into sheep, and I will make the persecutors become the helpers of the persecuted. I will make those who wrong my ministers to be sharers in their pious designs. I make and unmake all things, and nothing can resist my will.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 61)
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