2022년 11월 17일 연중 제33주간 목요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
요한 묵시록. 5,1-10
나 요한은 1 어좌에 앉아 계신 분의 오른손에,
안팎으로 글이 적힌 두루마리 하나가 들려 있는 것을 보았습니다.
그 두루마리는 일곱 번 봉인된 것이었습니다.
2 나는 또 큰 능력을 지닌 천사 하나가 큰 소리로,
“이 봉인을 뜯고 두루마리를 펴기에 합당한 자 누구인가?” 하고
외치는 것을 보았습니다.
3 그러나 하늘에도 땅 위에도 땅 아래에도
두루마리를 펴거나 그것을 들여다볼 수 있는 이가 하나도 없었습니다.
4 두루마리를 펴거나 그것을 들여다보기에 합당하다고 인정된 이가
아무도 없었기 때문에, 나는 슬피 울었습니다.
5 그런데 원로 가운데 하나가 나에게 말하였습니다.
“울지 마라. 보라, 유다 지파에서 난 사자, 곧 다윗의 뿌리가 승리하여
일곱 봉인을 뜯고 두루마리를 펼 수 있게 되었다.”
6 나는 또 어좌와 네 생물과 원로들 사이에,
살해된 것처럼 보이는 어린양이 서 계신 것을 보았습니다.
그 어린양은 뿔이 일곱이고 눈이 일곱이셨습니다.
그 일곱 눈은 온 땅에 파견된 하느님의 일곱 영이십니다.
7 그 어린양이 나오시어,
어좌에 앉아 계신 분의 오른손에서 두루마리를 받으셨습니다.
8 어린양이 두루마리를 받으시자,
네 생물과 스물네 원로가 그 앞에 엎드렸습니다.
그들은 저마다 수금과, 또 향이 가득 담긴 금 대접을 가지고 있었습니다.
향이 가득 담긴 금 대접들은 성도들의 기도입니다.
9 그들이 새 노래를 불렀습니다.
“주님께서는 두루마리를 받아 봉인을 뜯기에 합당하십니다.
주님께서 살해되시고
또 주님의 피로 모든 종족과 언어와 백성과 민족 가운데에서
사람들을 속량하시어 하느님께 바치셨기 때문입니다.
10 주님께서는 그들이 우리 하느님을 위하여
한 나라를 이루고 사제들이 되게 하셨으니
그들이 땅을 다스릴 것입니다.”
복음
루카. 19,41-44
그때에 41 예수님께서 예루살렘에 가까이 이르시어
그 도성을 보고 우시며 42 말씀하셨다.
“오늘 너도 평화를 가져다주는 것이 무엇인지 알았더라면 …… !
그러나 지금 네 눈에는 그것이 감추어져 있다.
43 그때가 너에게 닥쳐올 것이다.
그러면 너의 원수들이 네 둘레에 공격 축대를 쌓은 다음,
너를 에워싸고 사방에서 조여들 것이다.
44 그리하여 너와 네 안에 있는 자녀들을 땅바닥에 내동댕이치고,
네 안에 돌 하나도 다른 돌 위에 남아 있지 않게 만들어 버릴 것이다.
하느님께서 너를 찾아오신 때를 네가 알지 못하였기 때문이다.”
November 17, 2022
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
Daily Mass : https://www.youtube.com/c/EWTNcatholictv : https://www.youtube.com/c/DailyTVMass
Reading 1
I, John, saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sat on the throne.
It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.
Then I saw a mighty angel who proclaimed in a loud voice,
“Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth
was able to open the scroll or to examine it.
I shed many tears because no one was found worthy
to open the scroll or to examine it.
One of the elders said to me, “Do not weep.
The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed,
enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.”
Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne
and the four living creatures and the elders
a Lamb that seemed to have been slain.
He had seven horns and seven eyes;
these are the seven spirits of God sent out into the whole world.
He came and received the scroll from the right hand
of the one who sat on the throne.
When he took it,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb.
Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,
which are the prayers of the holy ones.
They sang a new hymn:
“Worthy are you to receive the scroll
and break open its seals,
for you were slain and with your Blood you purchased for God
those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation.
You made them a kingdom and priests for our God,
and they will reign on earth.”
Responsorial Psalm
R. (Rev. 5:10) The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace?
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Jesus Weeps With Compassion
Jesus weeps with compassion even for those who do not seem to warrant compassion in the sight of man. Jesus feels compassion for all of creation, not just believers. He is an example to us of how we are to treat one another in love. Even to those with whom we disagree, or those who have fundamentally different worldviews, we are to act in love and compassion. Think of someone who really grinds your gears, someone who, when given the choice, you avoid. Can you expand your circle of compassion, normally reserved for those you love, to include them? That is what Jesus is asking us to do and by the power of his Holy Spirit it can be done.
—Terresa Ford, M.Div. is a Resident Spiritual Health Clinician (Chaplain) at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, GA and a Resident Spiritual Director in the Spiritual Direction Formation program at Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center in Sandy Springs, GA.
Prayer
Gracious and loving God, thank you for your unwavering, unconditional love and compassion. Instill us with the desire to embrace all of your people with that same love and compassion. Provide us with what we need to love you fully and love our brothers and sisters completely. We ask this in your sacred name Jesus, for the glory of the Father. Amen.
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Several years a reporter from the local newspaper interviewed me for some tips I could offer as a conflict resolution professional about how to bring out the best in family and friends during our Thanksgiving gatherings in these challenging times. With Thanksgiving a week away, that conversation comes to mind. Of course, expressing gratitude was at the top of the list. I am writing this reflection before the US midterm elections, so those the results of the elections are unknown to me yet are just one facet of the challenges we face today.
Today’s Gospel from Luke tells of the despair Jesus felt as he approached the city of Jerusalem: As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, If this day you only knew what makes for peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes. What did Jesus see as he approached Jerusalem? What might have been some of the indications that people were not focusing on what makes for peace. Were they conducting an ancient version of “doom-scrolling?” Did Jesus see people “doing their own research?” Did he hear people labeling one another and rejecting others based on the fears those labels support?
Does Jesus weep for us today because we do not know what makes for peace. The expressed anger, fear, frustration, and threats that emerge every day in our lives can feel very overwhelming. As I read today’s scripture, I can see what a distraction that negative energy can be. Hope is essential to focusing on what makes for peace.
In his recent essay Blessed Hope, America Magazine editor in chief Matt Malone, S.J. explores hope. He writes:
“Faith and politics are not merely complimentary; they are inextricably intertwined. Each needs the other to be fully what is meant to be. For the raison dêtre of all political questions is hope that the world can change; in Christian terms that it can be saved, that the world is in fact worth saving. That political hope finds its motive force in my ultimate hope, my faith in the one we call “our blessed hope,” the one who has already saved the world and thus conclusively demonstrated it is worth saving.”
It is this hope that Jesus gave us that should orient our lives to a better future, to salvation. I ask for God’s grace to remind me what makes for peace. I realize there are several ways I can focus on hope and abandon the sense of doom. Next time I reach for my phone to look at social media, I can instead call up the Examen app from Mark Thibodeaux S.J. that offers dozens of relevant and rich prompts for the Examen prayer. I can switch off the news and instead listen deeply to friends and family. When I encounter someone who holds views that are opposed to mine, I can stay curious to learn more about what experiences and values inform those views. I welcome the sense of hope as what makes peace is no longer hidden from my eyes.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
SOUNDING, SMELLING, AND FLYING PRAYERS
“Along with their harps, the elders were holding vessels of gold filled with aromatic spices, which were the prayers of God’s holy people.” —Revelation 5:8
John called the prayers of God’s people “aromatic spices,” that is, incense. Figuratively speaking, our prayers have a pleasing smell, are surrounded by others’ prayers, and rise to God. Our prayers sound, smell, and move. Moreover, our prayers are contained in “vessels of gold” (Rv 5:8). Because what a container holds is usually more valuable than the container, our prayers are said to be more valuable than golden vessels.
Our precious prayers are held by the elders, that is, the leaders of the Church, who have fallen down in adoration before Jesus, the Lamb (Rv 5:8). Our prayers are in the context of submission to the Church, which is in submission to Jesus. The elders of the Church are holding our prayers in one hand and holding harps in the other (Rv 5:8). This shows that our prayers are always in the context of the heavenly praises. We are all members of the communion of saints.
When we understand the context of prayer, when we see prayer in all its heavenly glory, we come to the conclusion that there is “the necessity of praying always and not losing heart” (Lk 18:1). Pray!
Prayer: Father, send the Holy Spirit to help me to pray in my weakness (Rm 8:26).
Promise: “Sing to the Lord a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful.” —Ps 149:1
Praise: St. Elizabeth had such great love for the poor and suffering that she is the patron saint of Catholic Charities and the Secular Franciscan Order.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
What enables us to live in peace and harmony with our families, neighbors, local communities, and the wider community of peoples and nations? The Father in heaven sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to reconcile us with God and to unite us with one another in a bond of peace and mutual love.
Jesus' earthly ministry centers and culminates in Jerusalem, which Scripture describes as the holy city, the throne of the Lord (Jeremiah 3:17);and the place which God chose for his name to dwell there (1 Kings 11:13; 2 Kings 21:4; 2 Kings 23:27); and the holy mountain upon which God has set his king (Psalm 2:6). Jerusalem derives its name from the word "salem" which mean "peace". The temple in Jerusalem was a constant reminder to the people of God's presence with them.
Tears of mourning and sorrow over sin and refusal to believe in God
When Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the multitude of homes surrounding the holy temple, he wept over it because it inhabitants did not "know the things that make for peace" (Luke 19:42). As he poured out his heart to the Father in heaven, Jesus shed tears of sorrow, grief, and mourning for his people.He knew that he would soon pour out his blood for the people of Jerusalem and for the whole world as well.
Why does Jesus weep and lament over the city of Jerusalem? Throughout its history, many of the rulers and inhabitants - because of their pride and unbelief - had rejected the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Now they refuse to listen to Jesus who comes as their Messiah - whom God has anointed to be their Savior and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus is our only hope - the only one who can save us and the world
Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem was a gracious visitation of God's anointed Son and King to his holy city. Jerusalem's lack of faith and rejection of the Messiah, however, leads to its eventual downfall and destruction by the Romans in 70 A.D. Jesus' lamentation and prophecy echoes the lamentation of Jeremiah who prophesied the first destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. Jeremiah's prayer of lamentation offered a prophetic word of hope, deliverance, and restoration:
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies are new every morning ...For the Lord will not cast off for ever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men" (Lamentations 3:21-22, 31-32).
Jesus is the hope of the world because he is the only one who can truly reconcile us with God and with one another. Through his death and resurrection Jesus breaks down the walls of hostility and division by reconciling us with God. He gives us his Holy Spirit both to purify us and restore us as a holy people of God. Through Jesus Christ we become living temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). God has visited his people in the past and he continues to visit us through the gift and working of his Holy Spirit. Do you recognize God's gracious visitation of healing and restoration today?
God judges, pardons, heals, and restores us to new life
When God visits his people he comes to establish peace and justice by rooting out our enemies - the world (which stands in opposition to God), the flesh (our own sinful cravings and inordinate desires), and the devil (who is Satan, the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning - John 8:44) who enslave us to fear and pride, rebellion and hatred, envy and covetousness, strife and violence, and every form of evil and wrong-doing. That is why God both judges and purifies his people - to lead us from our sinful ways to his way of justice, peace, love, and holiness. God actively works among his people to teach us his ways and to save us from the destruction of our own pride and sin and from Satan's snares and lies.
Are God's judgments unjust or unloving? Scripture tells us that "when God's judgments are revealed in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness" (Isaiah 26:9). To pronounce judgment on sin is much less harsh than what will happen if those who sin are not warned to repent. The Lord in his mercy gives us grace and time to turn away from sin, but that time is right now. If we delay, even for a moment, we may discover that grace has passed us by and our time is up. Do you accept the grace to turn away from sin and to walk in God's way of peace and holiness?
Lord Jesus, you have visited and redeemed your people. May I not miss the grace of your visitation today as you move to bring your people into greater righteousness and holiness of life. Purify my heart and mind that I may I understand your ways and conform my life more fully to your will.
Psalm 50:1-2,5-6, 23
1 The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
5 "Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge!
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High;
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Jesus fulfills the beatitude for those who weep, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"When our Lord and Savior approached Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept... By his example, Jesus confirms all the Beatitudes that he speaks in the Gospel. By his own witness, he confirms what he teaches. 'Blessed are the meek,' he says. He says something similar to this of himself: 'Learn from me, for I am meek.' 'Blessed are the peacemakers.' What other man brought as much peace as my Lord Jesus, who 'is our peace,' who 'dissolves hostility' and 'destroys it in his own flesh' (Ephesians 2:14-15). 'Blessed are those who suffer persecution because of justice.'
"No one suffered such persecution because of justice as did the Lord Jesus, who was crucified for our sins. The Lord therefore exhibited all the Beatitudes in himself. For the sake of this likeness, he wept, because of what he said, 'Blessed are those who weep,' to lay the foundations for this beatitude as well. He wept for Jerusalem and said,'If only you had known on that day what meant peace for you! But now it is hidden from your eyes,' and the rest, to the point where he says, 'Because you did not know the time of your visitation'" (excerpt from HOMILY ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 38.1-2)
https://www.youtube.com/user/AnthonyCompanions/videos
More Homilies
November 19, 2020 Thursday of the Thirty Third Week in Ordinary time