2022년 10월 1일 연중 제26주간 토요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
욥기 . 42,1-3.5-6.12-17
1 욥이 주님께 대답하였다.
2 “저는 알았습니다.
당신께서는 모든 것을 하실 수 있음을,
당신께는 어떠한 계획도 불가능하지 않음을!
3 당신께서는 ‘지각없이 내 뜻을 가리는 이자는 누구냐?’ 하셨습니다.
그렇습니다, 저에게는 너무나 신비로워 알지 못하는 일들을
저는 이해하지도 못한 채 지껄였습니다.
5 당신에 대하여 귀로만 들어 왔던 이 몸,
이제는 제 눈이 당신을 뵈었습니다.
6 그래서 저 자신을 부끄럽게 여기며 먼지와 잿더미에 앉아 참회합니다.”
12 주님께서는 욥의 여생에 지난날보다 더 큰 복을 내리시어,
그는 양 만사천 마리와 낙타 육천 마리,
겨릿소 천 쌍과 암나귀 천 마리를 소유하게 되었다.
13 또한 그는 아들 일곱과 딸 셋을 얻었다.
14 그는 첫째 딸을 여미마, 둘째 딸을 크치아,
셋째 딸을 케렌 하푹이라 불렀다.
15 세상 어디에서도 욥의 딸들만큼 아리따운 여자는 찾아볼 수 없었다.
그들의 아버지는 그들에게도 남자 형제들과 같이 유산을 물려주었다.
16 그 뒤 욥은 백사십 년을 살면서,
사 대에 걸쳐 자식과 손자들을 보았다.
17 이렇게 욥은 늘그막까지 수를 다하고 죽었다.
복음
루카 10,17-24
그때에 17 일흔두 제자가 기뻐하며 돌아와 말하였다.
“주님, 주님의 이름 때문에 마귀들까지 저희에게 복종합니다.”
18 그러자 예수님께서 그들에게 이르셨다.
“나는 사탄이 번개처럼 하늘에서 떨어지는 것을 보았다.
19 보라, 내가 너희에게 뱀과 전갈을 밟고
원수의 모든 힘을 억누르는 권한을 주었다.
이제 아무것도 너희를 해치지 못할 것이다.
20 그러나 영들이 너희에게 복종하는 것을 기뻐하지 말고,
너희 이름이 하늘에 기록된 것을 기뻐하여라.”
21 그때에 예수님께서 성령 안에서 즐거워하며 말씀하셨다.
“아버지, 하늘과 땅의 주님,
지혜롭다는 자들과 슬기롭다는 자들에게는 이것을 감추시고
철부지들에게는 드러내 보이시니, 아버지께 감사를 드립니다.
그렇습니다, 아버지! 아버지의 선하신 뜻이 이렇게 이루어졌습니다.”
22 “나의 아버지께서는 모든 것을 나에게 넘겨주셨다.
그래서 아버지 외에는 아들이 누구인지 아무도 알지 못한다.
또 아들 외에는, 그리고 그가 아버지를 드러내 보여 주려는 사람 외에는
아버지께서 누구이신지 아무도 알지 못한다.”
23 그리고 예수님께서는 돌아서서 제자들에게 따로 이르셨다.
“너희가 보는 것을 보는 눈은 행복하다. 24 내가 너희에게 말한다.
많은 예언자와 임금이 너희가 보는 것을 보려고 하였지만 보지 못하였고,
너희가 듣는 것을 들으려고 하였지만 듣지 못하였다.”
October 1, 2022
Memorial of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Reading 1
Jb 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Job answered the LORD and said:
I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.
I have dealt with great things that I do not understand;
things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
I had heard of you by word of mouth,
but now my eye has seen you.
Therefore I disown what I have said,
and repent in dust and ashes.
Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job
more than his earlier ones.
For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels,
a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.
And he had seven sons and three daughters,
of whom he called the first Jemimah,
the second Keziah, and the third Kerenhappuch.
In all the land no other women were as beautiful
as the daughters of Job;
and their father gave them an inheritance
along with their brothers.
After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years;
and he saw his children, his grandchildren,
and even his great-grandchildren.
Then Job died, old and full of years.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130
R. (135) Lord, let your face shine on me.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may know your decrees.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Gospel
Lk 10:17-24
The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power
‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy
and nothing will harm you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
As I took time to reflect on today’s Gospel message, my thoughts drifted to an earlier time, when a younger version of me, just graduating college, sought those things in life that were to bring me happiness. A good job, a nice car, a house - these were all things to attain to bring me joy. And as I began to acquire these things, I recall desiring that next thing that would make me happy. My life was a constant chase. In that chase, I don’t know that any of those things every resulted in any kind of meaningful, lasting joy.
Jesus’s lesson today turns typical notions of joy on their head. In the readings, we hear Luke recount the time that seventy-two disciples gathered around Jesus, basking in the joy of their newfound powers that gave them dominion over serpents and scorpions. Jesus stated “do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” The way that Jesus frames how we rejoice reminds us that there is a greater reward, and that we need to keep that in perspective, even as we do good works in His name.
These days, in a materialistic world where the cultural norm is to reject the eternal reward that Jesus mentions, it is all too easy to embrace a disordered view of what brings joy. As it was for that younger version of me, so too is it for many. What complicates things is that even good deeds can bring about a disordered perspective of joy if the focus is not in the right place.
So, as we turn our attention to those things that make us happy, let us take time to reflect on the greater reward - that like the seventy-two disciples in today’s reading, our eyes too are blessed to see that our names are written in heaven.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
STRIPPED AWAY
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” —Psalm 119:71
The devil brought terrible misfortunes and afflictions upon Job, though he was a just and holy man (Jb 1:22; 2:10). Despite all Job’s sufferings, he continued to praise God, saying: “Blessed be the name of the Lord!” (Jb 1:21) Job struggled with the problem of why God allowed bad things to happen to an innocent person, and questioned God as to why this should be (Jb 31:4-6, 37). Although God didn’t answer the question to Job’s satisfaction, the Lord did show Himself to Job (Jb 38:1—41:26). Job wanted an answer from God, and he didn’t get the answer he wanted. Instead, Job met the God Who knew all the answers, and that was more than enough for Job (Jb 42:2). This encounter with God completely changed Job’s heart and his fortunes.
Once we personally encounter the God of the Law, then too do we find the laws of God are no longer burdensome; instead, we are swept up in His love (1 Jn 5:2-3). Jesus came to destroy the devil’s works and reveal the Father to us (1 Jn 3:8; Lk 10:17, 22). Jesus bore our afflictions (Mt 8:17; Is 53:3-6) and has delivered us from the devil’s oppression (Col 1:13).
If being afflicted leads to encountering the presence of the Lord, then, as the psalmist says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes,” Your ways, and hear Your voice (see Ps 119:71). God approves the afflicted person who trembles at His Word (Is 66:2). Are you suffering and afflicted? That’s the perfect time to seek the Lord.
Prayer: “O Lord of hosts, restore us; if Your face shine upon us, then we shall be safe” (Ps 80:4).
Promise: “Blest are the eyes that see what you see.” —Lk 10:23
Praise: During a pilgrimage to Rome, St. Thérèse asked Pope Leo XIII for permission to enter the Carmelite Monastery in her native France. He consented. She was 15 years old!
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Do you know and experience in your personal life the joy of the Lord? The Scriptures tell us that "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). Why does Jesus tell his disciples to not take joy in their own successes, even spiritual ones? Jesus makes clear that the true source of our joy is God himself, and God alone. Regardless of the circumstances, in good times and bad times, in success or loss, God always assures us of victory in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus assures his disciples that he has all power over all evil, including the power of Satan and the evil spirits (demons) - the fallen angels who rebelled against God and who hate men and women who have been created in God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:29). Jesus told his disciples that he came into the world to overthrow the evil one (John 12:31). That is why Jesus gave his disciples power over Satan and his legion of demons (rebellious angels). We, too, as disciples of Jesus have been given spiritual authority and power for overcoming the works of darkness and evil (1 John 2:13-14).
Self-centered pride closes the mind to God's revelation and wisdom
Jesus thanks the Father in heaven for revealing to his disciples the wisdom and knowledge of God. What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father and Lord of earth as well as heaven. He is both Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and at the same time, goodness and loving care for all his children. All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15).
Jesus' prayer also contains a warning that pride can keep us from the love and knowledge of God. What makes us ignorant and blind to the things of God? Sinful pride springs from being self-centered and holding an exaggerated view of oneself. Pride closes the mind to God's truth and wisdom for our lives. Lucifer, who was once the prince of angels, fell into pride because he did not want to serve God but wanted to be equal with God. Through his arrogant pride he led a whole host of angels to rebel against God. That is why the rebellious angels (whom Scripture calls evil spirits, devils, and demons) were cast out of heaven and thrown down to the earth. They seek to lead us away from God through pride and rebellion.
How can we guard our hearts from sinful pride and rebellion? The virtue of humility teaches us to put our trust in God and not in ourselves. God gives strength and help to those who put their trust in him. Humility is the only true remedy against sinful pride. True humility, which is very different from the feelings of inferiority or low self-esteem, leads us to a true recognition of who we are in the sight of God and of our dependence on God.
Humility is the only soil where God's grace and truth can take root
Jesus contrasts intellectual pride with child-like simplicity and humility. The simple of heart are like "babes" or "little children" in the sense that they see purely without pretense or falsehood and acknowledge their dependence and trust in one who is greater, wiser, and more trustworthy. They seek one thing - the "summum bonum" or "greatest good" who is God himself. Simplicity of heart is wedded with humility, the queen of virtues, because humility inclines the heart towards grace and truth.
Just as pride is the root of every sin and evil inclination, so humility is the only soil in which the grace of God can take root. It alone takes the right attitude before God and allows him as God to do all. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6). The grace of Christ-like humility inclines us towards God and disposes us to receive God's wisdom and help. Allow the Lord Jesus to heal the wounds of pride in your heart and to fill you with the joy of the Holy Spirit who transforms us into the likeness of Christ himself - who is meek and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29).
Nothing can give us greater joy than the knowledge that we are God's beloved and that our names are written in heaven. The Lord Jesus has ransomed us from slavery to sin, Satan, and death and has adopted us as God's beloved sons and daughters. That is why we no longer belong to ourselves - but to God alone. Do you seek to be like Jesus Christ in humility and simplicity of heart?
The Lord Jesus wants us to know him personally - experientially
Jesus makes a claim which no one would have dared to make: He is the perfect revelation of God - he and the Father are perfectly united in a bond of unbreakable love and fidelity. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the knowledge of God as our Father. Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote: "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love."
Seek God with expectant faith and trust
To see Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God - a God who yearns over men and women, who cares intensely for them and who shows them unceasing kindness, mercy, and forgiveness. That is why the Father sent his only begotten Son who laid down his life for us on the cross. Jesus taught his followers to confidently pray to the Father with expectant faith, "Our Father who art in heaven ...give us this day our daily bread." Do you believe in your heavenly Father's care and love for you and do you pray with confident trust and hope that he will give you what you need to live as his son or daughter?
Most High and glorious God, enlighten the darkness of our hearts and give us a true faith, a certain hope and a perfect love. Give us a sense of the divine and knowledge of yourself, so that we may do everything in fulfillment of your holy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Prayer of Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226)
Psalm 69:32-36
32 Let the oppressed see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
33 For the LORD hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves therein.
35 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and his servants shall dwell there and possess it;
36 the children of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The power of the Kingdom of God, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"He also gave the holy apostles power and might even to raise the dead, cleanse lepers, heal the sick, and by the laying on of hands to call down from heaven the Holy Spirit on anyone they wanted. He gave them power to bind and to loose people's sins. His words are 'I say to you, whatever you will bind on earth, will be bound in heaven (Matthew 18:18). Whatever you will loose on earth, will be loosed in heaven.' These are the things we see ourselves possessing. Blessed are our eyes and the eyes of those of all who love him. We have heard his wonderful teaching. He has given us the knowledge of God the Father, and he has shown him to us in his own nature. The things that were by Moses were only types and symbols. Christ has revealed the truth to us. He has taught us that not by blood and smoke, but rather by spiritual sacrifices, we must honor him who is spiritual, immaterial and above all understanding."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 67)
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