February 17, 2020 Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
2020년 2월 17일 연중 제6주간 월요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
야고보서. 1,1-11
1 하느님과 주 예수 그리스도의 종 야고보가
세상에 흩어져 사는 열두 지파에게 인사합니다.
2 나의 형제 여러분,
갖가지 시련에 빠지게 되면 그것을 다시없는 기쁨으로 여기십시오.
3 여러분도 알고 있듯이, 여러분의 믿음이 시험을 받으면 인내가 생겨납니다.
4 그 인내가 완전한 효력을 내도록 하십시오.
그리하면 모든 면에서 모자람 없이 완전하고 온전한 사람이 될 것입니다.
5 여러분 가운데에 누구든지 지혜가 모자라면 하느님께 청하십시오.
하느님은 모든 사람에게 너그럽게 베푸시고
나무라지 않으시는 분이십니다.
그러면 받을 것입니다.
6 그러나 결코 의심하는 일 없이 믿음을 가지고 청해야 합니다.
의심하는 사람은 바람에 밀려 출렁이는 바다 물결과 같습니다.
7 그러한 사람은 주님에게서 아무것도 받을 생각을 말아야 합니다.
8 그는 두 마음을 품은 사람으로
어떠한 길을 걷든 안정을 찾지 못합니다.
9 비천한 형제는 자기가 고귀해졌음을 자랑하고,
10 부자는 자기가 비천해졌음을 자랑하십시오.
부자는 풀꽃처럼 스러질 것이기 때문입니다.
11 해가 떠서 뜨겁게 내리쬐면,
풀은 마르고 꽃은 져서 그 아름다운 모습이 없어져 버립니다.
이와 같이 부자도 자기 일에만 골몰하다가 시들어 버릴 것입니다.
복음
마르코. 8,11-13
그때에 11 바리사이들이 와서 예수님과 논쟁하기 시작하였다.
그분을 시험하려고 하늘에서 오는 표징을 요구하였던 것이다.
12 예수님께서는 마음속으로 깊이 탄식하며 말씀하셨다.
“어찌하여 이 세대가 표징을 요구하는가?
내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다.
이 세대는 어떠한 표징도 받지 못할 것이다.”
13 그러고 나서 그들을 버려두신 채 다시 배를 타고 건너편으로 가셨다.
February 17, 2020
Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Jas 1:1-11
to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.
Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
The brother in lowly circumstances
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,
for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I hold to your promise.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Gospel
Mk 8:11-13
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
"Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore
http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow
«Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given»
Fr. Jordi POU i Sabater
(Sant Jordi Desvalls, Girona, Spain)
Today, it looks like the Gospel does not say too much about Jesus or about us. «Why do the people of this present time ask for a sign?» (Mk 8:12). Commenting on this episode of Jesus' life, Pope John Paul II says: «Jesus invites us to discern between the words and the deeds testimony of (or a “sign of”) the arrival of God's Kingdom». It seems the Pharisees questioning Jesus are lacking the capacity or the will to discern that sign which —in fact— is the entire manifestation, deeds and words, of the Lord.
Nowadays, Jesus is also asked for some heavenly signs: that He let us see his presence in our world or that He tells us in a clear cut manner how we are to behave. The Roman Pontiff makes us see that Jesus' negative to give a sign to the Jews —and, consequently, to us, too— is due to the fact He wants to change the «world logics, oriented to look for signs confirming man's desire of assertiveness and power». The Pharisees did not want just any sign, but one showing Jesus as the Messiah they wanted. They were not waiting for the Messiah coming to save them, but for the Messiah who was to give them the certainty they were doing things the right way.
In short, when the Jews in Jesus' time, or to-day's Christians, ask —one way or another— for a sign, what we are actually asking for, is for God to act according to our own way, that which we think is better and which also stands by our way of thinking. But God, who is omniscient and omnipotent (this is why in The Lord's Prayer we say “your will be done”), has His own ways which, more often than not, we find it difficult to understand. But He, who allows us to find him when we are truly looking for him, if we beg him to enlighten us, He will give us to understand which are his ways and how we can, today, distinguish his signs.
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (James 1:2).
Being a teacher by training, and a scholar by profession, the idea of testing knowledge comes natural to me. In the classroom, excellent teachers continually assess students to determine if lesson outcomes have been met. And in the research setting, any scholarly assertions that we make must be backed up by evidence. The word evidence here is key; it is derived from the Latin word evidentia – referring to that which is evident and obvious. Any time that we make a claim about what is known, evidence makes the support for that claim plain. Perhaps you will find this to be true in your line of work, or maybe even in your relationships with others.
But, as much as we might value evidence in defense of knowledge, we rarely examine the inspiration that drives our desire for that evidence. So often, our search for truth devolves into trick questions and argumentative traps that are driven primarily by an emotional desire to win an argument. This perversion is all too common in a 24-hour news cycle that is constantly saturated with the poisoned political discourse that is so prevalent in contemporary society. We might even see it in our own relationships and in our interactions with others, in person or on social media, when we are more interested in proving someone wrong than we are in discovering truth together. This kind of argumentative distortion rarely results in any strengthening of relationships. And as it is in our own encounters with others, so too is it with our faith.
In today’s gospel, we hear the story of the Pharisees who pester Jesus with demands for some spectacular display of his power and might. “Give us a sign”, they say! When I read this passage, I ask myself, what was the motivation behind the Pharisees’ requests? Was it for a genuine search for truth, or rather, was it warped by a hidden desire to embarrass and trap? And, most important, who am I among the Pharisees? What are my motivations?
When I reflect on today’s gospel, I recall those difficult moments in my life when I have asked for a sign myself. After all, faith would seem to be so much easier if we just had some magnificent and dazzling display to confirm what we believe. But, that is never how it works. Our faith will not be strengthened by some spectacular confirmation of God’s presence. Rather, it is strengthened by the personal relationship that we build with Jesus through prayer, and in how we see that relationship come alive in our encounters with others. That is what Jesus wants for us. By seeking Jesus through these means, we will more closely mirror His vision for us in our earthly existence, and our faith will finally be confirmed when we meet with our eternal reward. So, let us avoid the trap of looking for some celestial proof of the presence of God so that we may get to the real work of strengthening our faith through relationships – with Christ and with others – for this is the fertile field in which our faith will grow.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
LIVING THE MIRACULOUS LIFE | ||
| "My brothers, count it pure joy when you are involved in every sort of trial." �James 1:2 | ||
For about thirty years I have taught the Lord's command to consider various trials "all joy." Today I read this in my hospital room. I haven't been allowed to eat or drink even water or ice chips for about a day. I've had an IV stuck in me for hours. And I have had four enemas. It has never been more clear to me that the command to consider trials "all joy" is truly a miracle. This command is not a burdensome challenge to our will-power but a call to rise above ourselves and live in the supernatural dimension by utterly depending on the Lord. This grace strengthens our faith, producing perseverance which can result in our becoming "fully mature and lacking in nothing" (Jas 1:4). How privileged we are to be commanded to do things that we cannot do! How blessed we are to move from grace to grace and not just from human limitation to human limitation! May we let the Lord repeatedly do the impossible in our lives. Let us rejoice in sufferings (Col 1:24; 1 Pt 4:13), love our enemies (Lk 6:27, 35), deny our very selves (Lk 9:23), and generally do things we cannot do. Live the new, abundant, eternal life in the Lord. | ||
| Prayer: Father, fill me with joy in living in You. | ||
| Promise: "If any of you is without wisdom, let him ask it from the God Who gives generously and ungrudgingly to all, and it will be given him." —Jas 1:5 | ||
| Praise: In the year 1240, seven prominent men of Florence withdrew from society for a solitary life of prayer with direct service to God. Out of this came the Order of the Servites. |
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
"No sign shall be given to this generation"
Are you good at reading signs? Signs tell us what is coming ahead. The people of Jesus' time expected that the coming of the Messiah would be accompanied by extraordinary signs and wonders. The religious leaders tested Jesus to see if he had a genuine sign from heaven to back his claim to be the Messiah. False messiahs in the past had made extraordinary claims to attract their followers, such as claiming that they could cleave the Jordan River in two or cause the walls of Jerusalem to fall.
What makes us blind-sighted to God's presence and power in our lives?
Jesus knew the hearts of those who came to test him. They were more interested in seeking signs to prove that they were right and Jesus was wrong. Jesus revealed the true intention of their heart - they came to argue with him and to test him (Mark 8:11) because they did not believe that he spoke in the name of his Father in heaven. They wanted to discredit his claim to be the true Messiah and Savior. They unfortunately were blind-sighted to the truth of Jesus' message that the Father had sent him, the only begotten Son, to set them free from sin, Satan, and death. No miracle of Jesus would convince them because their hearts were full of self-seeking pride and glory for themselves.
Simeon had prophesied at Jesus' birth that he was "destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that inner thoughts of many will be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35). Jesus gave the Pharisees no sign except himself and the ultimate proof of his divinity when he overcame death and rose victorious from the tomb on the third day.We also need no further proof than the witness of Jesus who fulfilled what Moses and the prophets had foretold would take place when the Messiah came to redeem his people.
Jesus is the only begotten Son of God who came from the Father in heaven to set us free from the power of sin, Satan, and death. His death on the cross atones for all of our sins and opens for us the floodgates of God's merciful love and healing forgiveness. He alone can set us free from guilt, condemnation, pride, and fear. He alone can give us abundant life, peace, and joy through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gives us "listening ears" and "eyes of faith" to recognize his presence in our lives
The Lord reveals himself and makes his presence known to us in many ways - in his "word" (the good news he came to give us) and in the "breaking of the bread" in the Eucharist (he is the Bread of Life), in his church - the Body of Christ, and in his creation (he is the Word who created all things). And even in the daily circumstances of our lives the Lord Jesus continues to speak to us and guide us. If we seek the Lord Jesus, we will surely find him. And we can be confident that he will give us whatever we need to carry out his will for our lives. Most of all the Lord Jesus assures us of his daily presence with us and the promise that he will never leave us. Theresa of Avila's prayer book contained a bookmark which she wrote: Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices. Is God enough for you?
"Lord Jesus, may I always recognize your saving presence in my life and never forget your promises when I encounter trials and difficulties. Give me a faith that never wavers, a hope that never fades, and a love that never grows cold."
Psalm 119:67-68, 71-72, 75-76
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I keep your word.
68 You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.
71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
75 I know, O LORD, that your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 Let your steadfast love be ready to comfort me according to your promise to your servant.
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Why does this generation seek a sign, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"But for what sign from heaven were they asking? Maybe that he should hold back the sun, or curb the moon, or bring down thunderbolts, or change the direction of the wind, or something like that?... In Pharaoh's time there was an enemy from whom deliverance was needed (Exodus 3-15). But for one who comes among friends, there should be no need of such signs." (excerpt from GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW, HOMILY 53.3)
More Homilies
February 12, 2018 Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
