오늘의 복음

February 3, 2023 Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Margaret K 2023. 2. 3. 06:12

2023년 2월 3일 연중 제 4주 금요일

오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp 

제1독서

히브리서. 13,1-8

형제 여러분, 1 형제애를 계속 실천하십시오.

2 손님 접대를 소홀히 하지 마십시오.

손님 접대를 하다가 어떤 이들은 모르는 사이에 천사들을 접대하기도 하였습니다.

3 감옥에 갇힌 이들을 여러분도 함께 갇힌 것처럼 기억해 주고,

학대받는 이들을 여러분 자신이 몸으로 겪는 것처럼 기억해 주십시오.

4 혼인은 모든 사람에게서 존중되어야 하고,

부부의 잠자리는 더럽혀지지 말아야 합니다.

불륜을 저지르는 자와 간음하는 자를 하느님께서는 심판하실 것입니다.

5 돈 욕심에 얽매여 살지 말고 지금 가진 것으로 만족하십시오.

그분께서 “나는 결코 너를 떠나지도 않고 버리지도 않겠다.” 하고

말씀하셨기 때문입니다.

6 그러므로 우리는 확신을 가지고 이렇게 말할 수 있습니다.

“주님께서 나를 도와주는 분이시니 나는 두려워하지 않으리라.

사람이 나에게 무엇을 할 수 있으랴?”

7 하느님의 말씀을 일러 준 여러분의 지도자들을 기억하십시오.

그들이 어떻게 살다가 죽었는지 살펴보고 그들의 믿음을 본받으십시오.

8 예수 그리스도는 어제도 오늘도 또 영원히 같은 분이십니다.

 

복음

마르코. 6,14-29

그때에 14 예수님의 이름이 널리 알려져

마침내 헤로데 임금도 소문을 듣게 되었다.

사람들은 “세례자 요한이 죽은 이들 가운데에서 되살아난 것이다.

그러니 그에게서 그런 기적의 힘이 일어나지.” 하고 말하였다.

15 그러나 어떤 이들은 “그는 엘리야다.” 하는가 하면,

또 어떤 이들은 “옛 예언자들과 같은 예언자다.” 하였다.

16 헤로데는 이러한 소문을 듣고,

“내가 목을 벤 그 요한이 되살아났구나.” 하고 말하였다.

17 이 헤로데는 사람을 보내어 요한을 붙잡아 감옥에 묶어 둔 일이 있었다.

그의 동생 필리포스의 아내 헤로디아 때문이었는데,

헤로데가 이 여자와 혼인하였던 것이다.

18 그래서 요한은 헤로데에게,

“동생의 아내를 차지하는 것은 옳지 않습니다.” 하고 여러 차례 말하였다.

19 헤로디아는 요한에게 앙심을 품고 그를 죽이려고 하였으나

뜻을 이루지 못하였다.

20 헤로데가 요한을 의롭고 거룩한 사람으로 알고

그를 두려워하며 보호해 주었을 뿐만 아니라,

그의 말을 들을 때에 몹시 당황해하면서도 기꺼이 듣곤 하였기 때문이다.

21 그런데 좋은 기회가 왔다.

헤로데가 자기 생일에

고관들과 무관들과 갈릴래아의 유지들을 청하여 잔치를 베풀었다.

22 그 자리에 헤로디아의 딸이 들어가 춤을 추어,

헤로데와 그의 손님들을 즐겁게 하였다.

그래서 임금은 그 소녀에게,

“무엇이든 원하는 것을 나에게 청하여라. 너에게 주겠다.”

하고 말할 뿐만 아니라,

23 “네가 청하는 것은 무엇이든,

내 왕국의 절반이라도 너에게 주겠다.” 하고 굳게 맹세까지 하였다.

24 소녀가 나가서 자기 어머니에게 “무엇을 청할까요?” 하자,

그 여자는 “세례자 요한의 머리를 요구하여라.” 하고 일렀다.

25 소녀는 곧 서둘러 임금에게 가서,

“당장 세례자 요한의 머리를 쟁반에 담아

저에게 주시기를 바랍니다.” 하고 청하였다.

26 임금은 몹시 괴로웠지만, 맹세까지 하였고 또 손님들 앞이라

그의 청을 물리치고 싶지 않았다.

27 그래서 임금은 곧 경비병을 보내며,

요한의 머리를 가져오라고 명령하였다.

경비병이 물러가 감옥에서 요한의 목을 베어,

28 머리를 쟁반에 담아다가 소녀에게 주자,

소녀는 그것을 자기 어머니에게 주었다.

29 그 뒤에 요한의 제자들이 소문을 듣고 가서,

그의 주검을 거두어 무덤에 모셨다. 

February 3, 2023

Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass 

: https://www.youtube.com/c/DailyTVMass

Daily Reading : https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Bible : http://www.usccb.org/bible/

Reading 1

Heb13:1-8

Let brotherly love continue.

Do not neglect hospitality,

for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.

Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,

and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,

for you also are in the body.

Let marriage be honored among all

and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,

for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.

Let your life be free from love of money

but be content with what you have,

for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.

Thus we may say with confidence:

The Lord is my helper,

and I will not be afraid.

What can anyone do to me?

Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.

Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 27:1, 3, 5, 8b-9abc

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

whom should I fear?

The LORD is my life’s refuge;

of whom should I be afraid? 

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Though an army encamp against me,

my heart will not fear;

Though war be waged upon me,

even then will I trust.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

For he will hide me in his abode

in the day of trouble;

He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,

he will set me high upon a rock.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Your presence, O LORD, I seek.

Hide not your face from me;

do not in anger repel your servant.

You are my helper: cast me not off.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Gospel

Mk 6:14-29

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,

and people were saying,

“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;

That is why mighty powers are at work in him.”

Others were saying, “He is Elijah”;

still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”

But when Herod learned of it, he said,

“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”

Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison

on account of Herodias, 

the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.

John had said to Herod,

“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Herodias harbored a grudge against him

and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.

Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,

and kept him in custody.

When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,

yet he liked to listen to him.

Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,

gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,

and the leading men of Galilee.

His own daughter came in and performed a dance

that delighted Herod and his guests.

The king said to the girl,

“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” 

He even swore many things to her,

“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,

even to half of my kingdom.”

She went out and said to her mother,

“What shall I ask for?”

Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”

The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,

“I want you to give me at once on a platter

the head of John the Baptist.”

The king was deeply distressed,

but because of his oaths and the guests

he did not wish to break his word to her.

So he promptly dispatched an executioner

with orders to bring back his head.

He went off and beheaded him in the prison.

He brought in the head on a platter

and gave it to the girl.

The girl in turn gave it to her mother.

When his disciples heard about it,

they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

The readings for today seem to me to contrast promises made to us by the Lord with promises made from questionable human motives.

The first reading from Paul’s letter to the Hebrews spells out several admonitions designed to let us live a just life free of fear and secure in the Lord’s love. God’s promises to us : ”I will never forsake you or abandon you” allow us to respond: “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”

Even if we fail to live up to these rules for just living, we are assured of the Lord’s never failing love. We can be secure in His love, no matter what. No room for fear, no matter what.

The psalm reiterates the reassurance – “the Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear. Though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust.” The psalm goes on to spell out the various ways the Lord will protect us- hiding us, concealing us, placing us high on a rock. It would seem that the Lord will protect us from man and beast and storms and floods in this manner, and my mind goes to the current horrors of climate change and senseless wars. Yes, He will protect us even then. And yes, sudden and unexpected death will still occur, but my hope is those who suffer this fate will know the eternal protection of the Lord.

Reflecting on the gospel, I wondered if John the Baptist had that psalm on his lips as he was beheaded. Herod certainly suffered regret and conflict when he made his rash promise to his daughter to give her anything she wanted, so entranced was he by her dancing. Social pressure made him agree to give her the head of John the Baptist on a plate. A promise made in front of his delighted guests could not be refused or he would lose face. He also liked to listen to what John was saying . So when Jesus became famous for his preaching and healings, Herod wondered if he was John raised up again. I’m sure his rash promise, made and upheld for all the wrong reasons, surely tormented him.

In response to the readings, I ponder how I can live up to the admonitions Paul outlines for us –“ let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels” – are just the first of many good rules for living. In this time of pandemic it may be hard for me to entertain visitors, but I can greet all I meet with a smile and a kind word. I can ask their name and use it. Perhaps the bus driver, the fellow parishioner, the nurse in the doctor’s office, the man who hauls garbage, the night cleaning person in my office. So many unnamed people who can be warmed by a little recognition of their worth. And make my promises sincere and follow up on them!

http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp

PURE COURAGE

“John had told Herod, ‘It is not right.’ ” —Mark 6:18

St. John the Baptizer had the love and courage to tell Herod: “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife” (Mk 6:18). The writer of the book of Hebrews had the love and courage to clearly and bluntly teach: “Let marriage be honored in every way and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge fornicators and adulterers” (Heb 13:4). St. Paul spoke the truth in love (Eph 4:15) when he repeatedly, clearly, and emphatically proclaimed: “Make no mistake about this: no fornicator, no unclean or lustful person — in effect an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with worthless arguments. These are sins that bring God’s wrath down on the disobedient; therefore have nothing to do with them” (Eph 5:5-7; see also 1 Cor 6:9ff; Gal 5:21; Rm 1:18-32; 1 Thes 4:7-8). Jesus, the Truth (Jn 14:6) and Love Himself (1 Jn 4:16), taught: “What I say to you is: anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his thoughts. If your right eye is your trouble, gouge it out and throw it away!” (Mt 5:28-29)

If we are disciples of Jesus and truly love Him and His people, we will be pure and call others to purity. If we don’t tell the Herods of the world that their adulteries and sexual sins are not right, we will quietly acquiesce to the murders, brutalities, and beheadings that they commit. If we don’t stand up for purity, we won’t stand up for life.

Be pure. Lose your life, not your soul. Stand up for purity.

Prayer: Father, grace me with love, courage, and purity.

Promise: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” —Heb 13:8

Praise: Zeal to evangelize led St. Ansgar to Scandinavia to spread the gospel.

http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/

Do you ever feel haunted by a past failure or a guilty conscience? The Lord Jesus came to set us free from the oppression of sin and guilt. King Herod, the most powerful and wealthy man in Judea, had everything he wanted, except a clear conscience and peace with God. Herod had respected and feared John the Baptist as a great prophet and servant of God. John, however did not fear to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with his brother's wife, Herodias. John ended up in prison because of Herodias' hatred and jealousy. Herod, out of impulse and a desire to please his family and friends, had John beheaded. Now Herod's conscience is pricked when he hears that some think that the Baptist has risen.

Guilt and pride cripples - repentance and pardon heals

When Herod heard the fame of Jesus he supposed that John the Baptist, whom he had beheaded, had returned from the dead. Unfortunately for Herod, he could not rid himself of sin by ridding himself of the man who confronted him with his sin. Herod was a weak man. He could take a strong stand on the wrong things when he knew the right. Such a stand, however, was a sign of weakness and cowardice. The Lord gives grace to the humble, to those who acknowledge their sins and who seek God's mercy and pardon. His grace and pardon not only frees us from a guilty conscience, it enables us to pursue holiness in thought and action as well. God's grace enables us to fight fear with faith and to overcome the temptation to compromise goodness and truth with wrongdoing and falsehood.

John Chrysostom describes John's death as a crown:

In what way, then, was this just man harmed by this demise, this violent death, these chains, this imprisonment? Who are those he did not set back on their feet - provided they had a penitent disposition - because of what he spoke, because of what he suffered, because of what he still proclaims in our own day - the same message he preached while he was living. Therefore, do not say: "Why was John allowed to die?" For what occurred was not a death, but a crown, not an end, but the beginning of a greater life. Learn to think and live like a Christian. You will not only remain unharmed by these events, but will reap the greatest benefits.(ON THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD 22.10)

Do you rely on God's grace and help to choose his way of holiness and to reject whatever would compromise your faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ?


Heavenly Father, form in me the likeness of your Son that I may imitate him in word and deed. Help me to live the Gospel faithfully and give me the strength and courage I need to not shrink back in the face of adversity and temptation.


Psalm 18:30, 46, 49-50

30 This God - his way is perfect; the promise of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation

49 For this I will extol you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to your name.

50 Great triumphs he gives to his king, and shows mercy to his anointed, to David and his descendants for ever.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The Weakness of the Tyrant and the Power of the Beheaded, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)

"Note well the weakness of the tyrant compared to the power of the one in prison. Herod was not strong enough to silence his own tongue. Having opened it, he opened up countless other mouths in its place and with its help. As for John, he immediately inspired fear in Herod after his murder - for fear was disturbing Herod's conscience to such an extent that he believed John had been raised from the dead and was performing miracles (Mark 6:14-16)! In our own day and through all future time, throughout all the world, John continues to refute Herod, both through himself and through others. For each person repeatedly reading this Gospel says: 'It is not lawful for you to have the wife of Philip your brother' (Mark 6:18). And even apart from reading the Gospel, in assemblies and meetings at home or in the market, in every place... even to the very ends of the earth, you will hear this voice and see that righteous man even now still crying out, resounding loudly, reproving the evil of the tyrant. He will never be silenced nor the reproof at all weakened by the passing of time." (excerpt from ON THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD 22.8-9)