December 14, 2019 Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
2019년 12월 14일 대림 제2주간 토요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
집회서. 48,1-4.9-11
그 무렵 1 엘리야 예언자가 불처럼 일어섰는데 그의 말은 횃불처럼 타올랐다.
2 엘리야는 그들에게 굶주림을 불러들였고
자신의 열정으로 그들의 수를 감소시켰다.
3 주님의 말씀에 따라 그는 하늘을 닫아 버리고
세 번씩이나 불을 내려보냈다.
4 엘리야여, 당신은 놀라운 일들로 얼마나 큰 영광을 받았습니까?
누가 당신처럼 자랑스러울 수 있겠습니까?
9 당신은 불 소용돌이 속에서 불 마차에 태워 들어 올려졌습니다.
10 당신은 정해진 때를 대비하여
주님의 분노가 터지기 전에 그것을 진정시키고
아버지의 마음을 자식에게 되돌리며
야곱의 지파들을 재건하리라고 기록되어 있습니다.
11 당신을 본 사람들과 사랑 안에서 잠든 사람들은 행복합니다.
우리도 반드시 살아날 것입니다.
복음
마태오. 17,10-13
산에서 내려올 때에 10 제자들이 예수님께,
“율법 학자들은 어찌하여 엘리야가 먼저 와야 한다고 말합니까?” 하고 물었다.
11 그러자 예수님께서 대답하셨다.
“과연 엘리야가 와서 모든 것을 바로잡을 것이다.
12 내가 너희에게 말한다.
엘리야는 이미 왔지만, 사람들은 그를 알아보지 못하고 제멋대로 다루었다.
그처럼 사람의 아들도 그들에게 고난을 받을 것이다.”
13 그제야 제자들은 그것이 세례자 요한을 두고 하신 말씀인 줄을 깨달았다.
주님의 말씀입니다.
December 14, 2019
Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Sir 48:1-4, 9-11
In those days,
like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace.
Their staff of bread he shattered,
in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours?
You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses.
You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you
and who falls asleep in your friendship.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 80:2ac and 3b, 15-16, 18-19
R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
Take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Gospel
Mt 17:9a, 10-13
As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
“Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow
«Elijah has already come and they did not recognize him, but treated him as they pleased»
Fr. Xavier SOBREVÍA i Vidal
(Castelldefels, Spain)
Today, we see Jesus talking with his disciples as they are coming down from the mountain, where they have just lived the Transfiguration. Our Lord hasn't taken up Peter's suggestion that they stay, and is answering the questions of the disciples as they descend. Those, who have just partaken momentarily in the glory of God, are surprised and don't understand how the Messiah could have come without the prophet Elijah coming first to prepare everything.
It turns out that the preparation has already been done. «But I tell you, Elijah has already come» (Mt 17:12). John the Baptist has prepared the way. But the men of the world don't recognize the men of God, nor do the prophets of the world recognize the prophets of God, nor do the arrogant of the world recognize the divinity of Jesus Christ.
A new way of looking and new heart are necessary if the ways of God are to be recognized, and if we are to respond with cheerfulness and generosity to the demanding calls of those He has sent. Not everybody is willing to understand it, let alone live it. What's more the way we live our lives and our plans might be in opposition to God's will. An opposition that could turn into a struggle against, and a rejection of, Our Father in Heaven.
We need to discover the intense love that informs God's plans for us and, if we are to be consistent with the faith and morality that Jesus reveals to us, we can't be surprised by the bad treatment, the slander and the persecutions. Being on the right track doesn't stop there being difficulties in life and He, despite the suffering, teaches us to keep on going.
We ask the Mother of Jesus, Queen of the Apostles, to intercede so that no one will be lacking a friend who, like the prophets, will bring them the Good News of salvation that is brought to us through the birth of Jesus Christ. We have the mission, you and me, to make sure that this Christmas be experienced in a more Christian way by those people who cross their path with ours.
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
I don’t know about you, but I am not great at waking up in the morning. I’m even worse at it in this time of the year, when the morning is still dark and it’s significantly colder on the other side of the blankets. I try to encourage myself by putting my alarm clock (read: phone) across the room. Its soft but insistent tone does indeed awaken me, but I am adept at hitting the snooze button, taking the few steps back across the room, and rolling back under the covers.
John the Baptist played the role of alarm clock in salvation history. His was not a soft, insistent tone like mine, but a startling, uncontrollable ringing like those old metal clocks with the bells and hammer on top, the kind that might cause a minor heart attack first thing in the morning. “WAKE UP! Get moving! There’s no snooze button – it’s time to get to work!” Perhaps, with John the Baptist as Elijah, the first reading today would end, “Blessed is he who shall have seen you and stayed awake.”
John pointed to Jesus the way Elijah pointed to God – with a fiery call to repentance. Still, the first reading prophesies Elijah to “bring an end to wrath before the day of the LORD” and “turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons.” He calls for peace and reconciliation. I find it interesting that the parents’ hearts turn back; in scripture, isn’t it usually the younger generation that is called to remember their ancestors and the works God has done in the past? Elijah calls parents to turn their faces towards their children. In the psalm, we as God’s children respond, “Make us turn to you; show us your face, and we shall be saved.”
Advent is a season when we remember the demands of our past (salvation history) and future (fulfillment of the Kingdom) on the present, calling us to action. This is a season to remember that we are on earth for a particular purpose. We may have fallen asleep to our vocations as baptized members of the Body of Christ – but we need to wake up!
“A Voice Cries Out” (Joncas)
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
PREPARING TO PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS | ||
| "Elijah has already come, but they did not recognize him." �Matthew 17:12 | ||
The prophetic ministry of Elijah prepared the way for the prophetic ministry of St. John the Baptizer. John prophesied "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Lk 1:17). Jesus even stated that John "is Elijah" (Mt 11:14). Elijah prepared the way for John, who came to "prepare the way of the Lord" (Mt 3:3). God prepared the way for His Son's coming for centuries. He sent prophet after prophet. He gave visions, warnings, and encouragements. In fact, the entire Old Testament points to the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. If God, Who is all-knowing and always ready, spent centuries preparing for Christmas, then we, who know so little and are often unprepared for the future, surely need at least four weeks of Advent to prepare for Christ's Christmas coming. We need Elijah's ministry of fire (Sir 48:1, 3) to burn away the "holiday" distractions and fill us with the fire of the Holy Spirit. We need to be immersed in John's "baptism of repentance" this Advent (Mk 1:4). Our sincere Advent Confession removes "speed bumps" of sin (see Lk 3:5), which prevent us from being quick to welcome Jesus. Instead of preparing for the "holidays" by attending Christmas parties, we need to prepare for "Christ-Mass" by attending Christmas banquets, that is, Masses, which are Eucharistic banquets of the Lamb. "Prepare the way of the Lord" this Advent, and have the Christmas of a lifetime. | ||
| Prayer: Father, this Advent, may I "learn to value the things that really matter" in life (Phil 1:10). I devote my life to seeking Jesus. | ||
| Promise: "Give us new life, and we will call upon Your name." —Ps 80:19 | ||
| Praise: "He who will not take up his cross and come after me is not worthy of me" (Mt 10:38). St. John of the Cross, who spent time imprisoned for his reform efforts, understood the cost of discipleship. |
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
"Elijah must first come"
God gives signs to show what he is about to do. John the Baptist is one such sign who pointed to Jesus and prepared the way for his coming. John fulfilled the essential task of all the prophets: to be fingers pointing to Jesus Christ. John is the last and greatest prophet of the old kingdom, the old covenant. The Jews expected that when the Messiah would come, Elijah would appear to announce his presence. John fills the role of Elijah and prepares the way for the coming of Jesus Christ by preaching a baptism of repentance and renewal.
As watchful servants, we, too must prepare for the Lord's coming again by turning away from sin and from everything that would keep us from pursuing his will. Are you eager to do God's will and are you prepared to meet the Lord Jesus when he returns in glory?
"Lord Jesus, stir my zeal for your righteousness and for your kingdom. Free me from complacency and from compromising with the ways of sin and worldliness that I may be wholeheartedly devoted to you and to your kingdom."
Psalm 80:2-3, 15-19
2 Stir up your might, and come to save us!
3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
15 the stock which your right hand planted.
16 They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance!
17 But let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name!
19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: John fulfills Elijah's prophetic ministry, by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.
"They did not know this from the Scriptures, but the scribes used to tell them, and this saying was reported among the ignorant crowd, as also about Christ. Therefore the Samaritan woman also said, 'The Messiah is coming; when he comes, he will show us all things' (John 4:25). And they themselves asked John, 'Are you Elijah or the prophet?' (John 1:21). For this opinion was strong, as I said, both the one about Christ and the one about Elijah, but they did not interpret it as it should have been. For the Scriptures speak of two comings of Christ, both this one that has taken place and the future one. Paul spoke of these when he said, 'For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright and godly lives in this world' (Titus 2:11-12).
"Behold the first advent, and listen to how he declares the coming advent: 'Awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ' (Titus 2:13). The prophets also mention both advents; of the one that is second they say that Elijah will be the forerunner; John was forerunner of the first, John whom Christ also called by the name Elijah, not because he was Elijah but because he was fulfilling Elijah's ministry. For just as Elijah will be the forerunner of the second advent, so John was of the first. But the scribes, confusing these things and perverting the people, mentioned that coming alone, the second one, to the people, and said, 'If this is the Christ, Elijah ought to have come first.' That is why the disciples also say, 'Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?'" (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 57.1)
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