February 22, 2021 Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle
2021년 2월 22일 성 베드로 사도좌 축일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
베드로 1서.5,1-4
사랑하는 여러분,
1 나는 여러분 가운데에 있는 원로들에게 같은 원로로서,
또 그리스도께서 겪으신 고난의 증인이며
앞으로 나타날 영광에 동참할 사람으로서 권고합니다.
2 여러분 가운데에 있는 하느님의 양 떼를 잘 치십시오.
그들을 돌보되, 억지로 하지 말고
하느님께서 원하시는 대로 자진해서 하십시오.
부정한 이익을 탐내서 하지 말고 열성으로 하십시오.
3 여러분에게 맡겨진 이들을 위에서 지배하려고 하지 말고,
양 떼의 모범이 되십시오.
4 그러면 으뜸 목자께서 나타나실 때,
여러분은 시들지 않는 영광의 화관을 받을 것입니다.
복음
마태오 16,13-19
13 예수님께서 카이사리아 필리피 지방에 다다르시자 제자들에게,
“사람의 아들을 누구라고들 하느냐?” 하고 물으셨다.
14 제자들이 대답하였다.
“세례자 요한이라고 합니다.
그러나 어떤 이들은 엘리야라 하고,
또 어떤 이들은 예레미야나 예언자 가운데 한 분이라고 합니다.”
15 예수님께서 “그러면 너희는 나를 누구라고 하느냐?” 하고 물으시자,
16 시몬 베드로가 “스승님은 살아 계신 하느님의 아드님 그리스도이십니다.”
하고 대답하였다.
17 그러자 예수님께서 그에게 이르셨다.
“시몬 바르요나야, 너는 행복하다!
살과 피가 아니라 하늘에 계신 내 아버지께서
그것을 너에게 알려 주셨기 때문이다.
18 나 또한 너에게 말한다. 너는 베드로이다.
내가 이 반석 위에 내 교회를 세울 터인즉,
저승의 세력도 그것을 이기지 못할 것이다.
19 또 나는 너에게 하늘 나라의 열쇠를 주겠다.
그러니 네가 무엇이든지 땅에서 매면 하늘에서도 매일 것이고,
네가 무엇이든지 땅에서 풀면 하늘에서도 풀릴 것이다.”
February 22, 2021
Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Beloved:
I exhort the presbyters among you,
as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ
and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
Tend the flock of God in your midst,
overseeing not by constraint but willingly,
as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
Do not lord it over those assigned to you,
but be examples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd is revealed,
you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Gospel
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Today’s readings accompany the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, which celebrates the seat of authority within the Church. Today’s gospel reflects our Lord’s initial conferral of that authority upon Peter, and history has witnessed to its apostolic transmission across the ages. The readings for today indicate that this authority is not like other worldly authority, which is often crushing and aimed at conquest. Instead, it is the authority of a shepherd.
In the first reading, Peter provides an exhortation to other leaders in the church to exercise their shepherding authority well. They were to tend their flock not as dictators and overlords, but by moving among them in such a way that the examples of their lives would be revealed. Leading by example requires engagement, no?
In those times, the concept of tending a flock was probably more familiar than today, when animal husbandry is far removed from most urban dwellers. We rarely had sheep on our farm, but we have a sizable herd of cattle, which might also provide a meaningful touch point. A couple weeks ago, I noticed our cow herd acting nervously, running back and forth in their pens. And when a hundred large bovines start running together, you can hear it!
I put on my boots and went out to investigate. I stood on a mound in their midst and called out to them, and they all came to see me. As I spoke gently to them, their fears were calmed. I was able to stroke some of them as I walked through them, but I noticed that some still cast wary eyes on the pasture nearby. Sure enough, a coyote had ventured near the lot – and he was high-tailing it back to his den somewhere in the far reaches of the farm. (It turns out that the coyote knows the shepherd, too, though not in the same trusting way.)
The herd had reacted with fear for good reason. But with a shepherd nearby, they turned their attention toward listening. (Sometimes my wife and I even sing to them. They seem to like this, although I suspect they find it more amusing than musical.) Unfortunately, the human herd is not always so attentive. While good instincts are put into cattle from birth, humans depend on learning. And let’s face it, some bad lessons are being taught in these times. And sometimes, the good lessons are just not taking. We need help from our shepherds on many fronts.
Today’s Psalm reassures us that the Lord’s shepherding ways are capable of delivering the peace we need, in part because He is powerful enough to deal with threats from our enemies. Of course, within the Church we are dealing with other members of the same flock – sheep are leading sheep. Without the Holy Spirit helping all of us, we could not share in this confidence.
Yet our Lord’s promises in today’s gospel reflects this same reality of divine shepherding: “And I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” The Lord knew full well about the fellows he was building with. Like the rest of us, they were flawed and weak, with only a spark of faith that needed tending. But he was still willing to build with them, tending that spark and keeping it burning through the ages.
Notice that Our Lord does not promise that the Church will not have to contend with evil, nor that it will be immune from human shortcomings and failures when those contests are raging. But he does promise that the Church will prevail. You can take that to the bank.
It is hard to live in these times, but I doubt that they are unique in requiring the members of the Body of Christ to bear up under challenges. Let us resemble the best of our predecessors in clinging to our Shepherd and listening to the shepherds tending our flock. Let us also support and pray for our shepherds as best we can, as we also pray for one another. After all, we also have our own little flocks to tend, and leading by example is not so easy. Thanks be to God.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
MUSICAL CHAIRS AT 12,000 FEET
“To the elders among you I, a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and sharer in the glory that is to be revealed, make this appeal.” —1 Peter 5:1
A chair is a symbol of authority. That’s why we call the head of a meeting the chairperson and why the Church has named this special day “The Chair of St. Peter.” Catholics believe Peter and his successors are called by the Spirit to chair the meeting of God’s people (Mt 16:18). We also believe that, if we do things God’s way, according to His order, we will see the glory and the power of God. If we listen to Peter’s successor, the Pope, and let him lead us, we will attack the gates of hell and the devil’s strongholds will not prevail against us (Mt 16:18).
When we are under authority through our obedience to God’s instrument, the Pope, we are in authority. Then whatever the Church shall “declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven”; whatever the Church shall “declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19).
It’s a matter of sitting in the right chair. For example, when the pilot, co-pilot, navigator, flight attendants, and passengers are sitting in the right chairs, the airplane will fly effectively and safely. However, if everyone played musical chairs, the plane would crash. Let’s keep our seat belts fastened and stay in our chairs. Let’s joyfully submit to the authority of the Pope.
Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me parents, pastors, and popes. Thank You for sending leaders into my life. May I listen to You in them.
Promise: “When the chief Shepherd appears you will win for yourselves the unfading crown of glory.” —1 Pt 5:4
Praise: St. Peter demonstrated his leadership at Pentecost (Acts 2:14ff) and the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:7ff). Today, the Pope ensures unity as he leads from the Chair of St. Peter.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Do you allow the love of God to rule in your heart? Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) said, "Essentially, there are two kinds of people, because there are two kinds of love. One is holy, the other is selfish. One is subject to God; the other endeavors to equal Him." Jesus came not only to fulfill the law of righteousness (Leviticus 19), but to transform it through his unconditional love and mercy towards us.
The Lord Jesus proved his love for us by offering up his life on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. His death brings freedom and life for us - freedom from fear, selfishness, and greed - and new abundant life in the Holy Spirit who fills our hearts with the love of God (Romans 5:5). Do you allow God's love to purify your heart and transform your mind to think, act, and love others as the Lord Jesus has taught through word and example?
The lesson of separating goats and sheep at the end of the day
Jesus' description of the "Son of Man", a Messianic title which points to the coming of God's anointed Ruler and Judge over the earth (John 5:26-29, Daniel 7:13ff), and his parable about the separation of goats and sheep must have startled his audience. What does the separation of goats and sheep have to do with the Day of God's Judgement over the earth? In arid dry lands such as Palestine, goats and sheep often grazed together during the day because green pasture was sparse. At nightfall, when the shepherd brought the sheep and goats to their place of rest, he separated them into two groups. Goats by temperament are aggressive, domineering, restless, and territorial. They butt heads with their horns whenever they think someone is intruding on their space.
Goats came to symbolize evil and the expression "scape-goat" become a common expression for someone bearing blame or guilt for others. (See Leviticus 26:20-22 for a description of the ritual expulsion of a sin-bearing goat on the Day of Atonement.) Jesus took our guilt and sins upon himself and nailed them to the cross. He payed the price to set us free from sin and death. Our choice is either to follow and obey him as our Lord and Savior or to be our own master and go our own separate way apart from God's way of truth and righteousness (moral goodness). We cannot remain neutral or indifferent to the commands of Christ. If we do not repent of our wrongdoing (our sins and offenses against God and neighbor) and obey the Gospel we cannot be disciples of the Lord Jesus nor inherit his kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. Separation of the good from the bad is inevitable because one way leads to sin, rebellion, and death and the other way leads to purification, peace, and everlasting life with God.
Love of God frees us from inordinate love of self
The parable of the goats and sheep has a similar endpoint as the parable of the rich man who refused to give any help to the poor man Lazarus who begged daily at the rich man's doorstep (Luke 16:19-31). Although Lazarus was poor and lacked what he needed, he nonetheless put his hope in God and the promise of everlasting life in God's kingdom. The rich man was a lover of wealth rather than a lover of God and neighbor. When Lazarus died he was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom to receive his reward in heaven. When the rich man died his fortunes were reversed and he was cast into the unquenchable fires of hell to receive his just desserts. The parable emphasizes the great chasm and wall of separation between the former rich man held now bound as a poor and miserable prisoner in hell and Lazarus clothed in royal garments feasting at God's banquet table in the kingdom of heaven.
The day of God's righteous judgment will disclose which kind of love we chose in this present life - a holy unselfish love directed to God and to the welfare of our neighbor or a disordered and selfish love that puts oneself above God and the good of our neighbor.
When Martin of Tours (316-397 AD), a young Roman soldier who had been reluctant to fully commit his life to Christ and be baptized as a Christian, met a poor beggar on the road who had no clothes to warm himself in the freezing cold, Martin took pity on him. He immediately got off his horse and cut his cloak in two and then gave half to the stranger. That night Martin dreamt he saw a vision of Jesus in heaven robed in a torn cloak just like the one he gave away that day to the beggar. One of the angels next to Jesus asked, "Master, why do you wear that battered cloak?" Jesus replied, "My servant Martin gave it to me." Martin's disciple and biographer Sulpicius Severus states that as a consequence of this vision "Martin flew to be baptized" to give his life fully to Christ as a member of his people - the body of Christ on earth and the communion of saints and angels in heaven.
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) wrote, "Christ is at once above and below - above in Himself, below in his people. Fear Christ above, and recognize him below. Here he is poor, with and in the poor; there he is rich, with and in God. Have Christ above bestowing his bounty; recognize him here in his need" (excerpt from Sermon 123, 44).
On the day of judgment Jesus will ask "whom did you love"?
When the Lord Jesus comes again as Judge and Ruler over all, he will call each one of us to stand before his seat of judgment to answer the question - who did you love and put first in this life? Inordinate love of self crowds out love of God and love of neighbor. Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ and follow his way of love and righteousness will not be disappointed. They will receive the just reward - life and peace with God in his everlasting kingdom.
If we entrust our lives to the Lord Jesus today, and allow his Holy Spirit to purify our hearts and minds, then he will give us the grace, strength, and freedom to walk and live each day in the power of his merciful love and goodness. Let us entrust our lives into the hands of the merciful Savior who gave his life for us. And let us ask the Lord Jesus to increase our faith, strengthen our hope, and enkindle in us the fire of his merciful love and compassion for all.
Lord Jesus, be the Master and Ruler of my life. May your love rule in my heart that I may only think, act, and speak with charity and good will for all.
Psalm 19:8-10, 14
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Gathering and Separating, by an anonymous early author from the Greek church
"And he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." So then, people on earth are intermingled, and not only intermingled in that the righteous live side by side with the wicked, but they are also indistinguishable. Between the righteous and the wicked there is no apparent difference. Even as in wintertime you cannot tell the healthy trees apart from the withered trees but in beautiful springtime you can tell the difference, so too each person according to his faith and his works will be exposed. The wicked will not have any leaves or show any fruit, but the righteous will be clothed with the leaves of eternal life and adorned with the fruit of glory. In this way they will be separated by the heavenly shepherd and Lord. The earthly shepherd separates animals by their type of body, whereas Christ separates people by their type of soul. The sheep signify righteous people by reason of their gentleness, because they harm no one, and by reason of their patience, because when they are harmed by others, they bear it without resistance. He refers to sinners as goats, however, because these vices characterize goats - capriciousness toward other animals, pride and belligerence." (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 54, the Greek fathers).
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