April 28, 2021 Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
2021년 4월 28일 부활 제4주간 수요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
<나를 위하여 바르나바와 사울을 따로 세워라.>
사도행전. 12,24ㅡ13,5ㄱ
그 무렵 24 하느님의 말씀은 더욱 자라면서 널리 퍼져 나갔다.
25 바르나바와 사울은 예루살렘에서 사명을 수행한 다음,
마르코라고 하는 요한을 데리고 돌아갔다.
13,1 안티오키아 교회에는 예언자들과 교사들이 있었는데,
그들은 바르나바, 니게르라고 하는 시메온, 키레네 사람 루키오스,
헤로데 영주의 어린 시절 친구 마나엔, 그리고 사울이었다.
2 그들이 주님께 예배를 드리며 단식하고 있을 때에 성령께서 이르셨다.
“내가 일을 맡기려고 바르나바와 사울을 불렀으니,
나를 위하여 그 일을 하게 그 사람들을 따로 세워라.”
3 그래서 그들은 단식하며 기도한 뒤 그 두 사람에게 안수하고 나서 떠나보냈다.
4 성령께서 파견하신 바르나바와 사울은 셀레우키아로 내려간 다음,
거기에서 배를 타고 키프로스로 건너갔다.
5 그리고 살라미스에 이르러
유다인들의 여러 회당에서 하느님의 말씀을 선포하였다.
복음
<나는 빛으로서 이 세상에 왔다.>
요한. 12,44-50
그때에 44 예수님께서 큰 소리로 말씀하셨다.
“나를 믿는 사람은 나를 믿는 것이 아니라 나를 보내신 분을 믿는 것이다.
45 그리고 나를 보는 사람은 나를 보내신 분을 보는 것이다.
46 나는 빛으로서 이 세상에 왔다.
나를 믿는 사람은 누구나 어둠 속에 머무르지 않게 하려는 것이다.
47 누가 내 말을 듣고 그것을 지키지 않는다 하여도, 나는 그를 심판하지 않는다.
나는 세상을 심판하러 온 것이 아니라 세상을 구원하러 왔기 때문이다.
48 나를 물리치고 내 말을 받아들이지 않는 자를 심판하는 것이 따로 있다.
내가 한 바로 그 말이 마지막 날에 그를 심판할 것이다.
49 내가 스스로 말하지 않고, 나를 보내신 아버지께서
무엇을 말하고 무엇을 이야기할 것인지 친히 나에게 명령하셨기 때문이다.
50 나는 그분의 명령이 영원한 생명임을 안다.
그래서 내가 하는 말은 아버지께서 나에게 말씀하신 그대로 하는 말이다.”
April 28, 2021
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
The word of God continued to spread and grow.
After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission,
they returned to Jerusalem
taking with them John, who is called Mark.
Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.
So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit,
went down to Seleucia
and from there sailed to Cyprus.
When they arrived in Salamis,
they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues
Responsorial Psalm
R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
And I know that his commandment is eternal life.
So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
From the very prolog of John’s gospel Jesus is presented as light and this is also the case in today’s gospel reading: I have come to the world as light. Not that today’s world is totally and irreparably in darkness. There is light in this world and our presence at the Eucharist tells us that there is light in this world. But our world is looking at light through cataracts and it keeps saying, as the Pharisees said to Jesus: We are not blind, are we? [Jn. 9: 40].
Our society is not aware of its blurred vision, because it is the only vision many people have come to know and they have grown up used to that blurred vision: “that is how vision is.” It is not unlike the situation of the so-called “cocaine babies”: it is not their fault that they are addicted and not aware of it, for to them “that is how life is.” It is not their fault that they are addicted, not a matter of bad will, but they are addicted nonetheless, just as we are addicted to, and comfortable with, our darkness.
From the cross Jesus said: “they do not know what they are doing” [Lk. 23: 34] and that is the situation with many people today. Our world is not whistling in the dark, because it does not even recognize its darkness. In this darkened world, through baptism we all share in the Lord’s mission to be light, precisely by the way we live. We need to pray for light: for ourselves and for others, for our society, for the world, for all those living in unrecognized darkness.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
AN OPEN-BOOK TEST
“If anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects Me and does not accept My words already has his judge, namely the word I have spoken — it is that which will condemn him on the last day.” —John 12:47-48
Jesus clearly reveals that the Word of God will be the standard by which we are judged “on the last day” (Jn 12:48). It’s like those times in school when the teacher gave us an open-book test. The answers were all there in the book. An open-book test should be the easiest type of test — if we had taken the time to learn the material revealed in the textbook. Jesus, the “Teacher” (Mt 19:16), has blessed us by revealing to us in advance the answers for the test on the last day. It’s all in the Good Book.
When you were in school, you also had other study guides. One of the most common guides was called the Cliffs Notes. The best study guide for the final test is the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was revealed to the Church in advance of the test by the Holy Spirit. There are many hundreds of Scripture verses quoted in the Catechism. So the question becomes: Do you know the Word of God? How well have you tried to know it? Will you be surprised by the test on the last day?
Prayer: Father, I will dedicate the rest of my life to helping as many as possible be ready to know, love, and serve You in this life and be happy with You in the next. May the Word of the Lord “spread and increase” because of my love for You (Acts 12:24).
Promise: “I have come to the world as its Light, to keep anyone who believes in Me from remaining in the dark.” —Jn 12:46
Praise: Over the past three centuries, St. Louis de Montfort has inspired faithful Catholics to trust Our Lady’s intercessory role. His book, True Devotion to Mary, remains a classic.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
What kind of darkness does Jesus warn us to avoid? It is the darkness of unbelief and rejection - not only of the Son who came into the world to save it - but rejection of the Father who offers us healing and reconciliation through his Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus' last public discourse before his death and resurrection (according to John's Gospel), Jesus speaks of himself as the light of the world. In the Scriptures light is associated with God's truth and life. Psalm 27 exclaims, The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The light of Christ removes the darkness and reveals the goodness of God to us
Just as natural light exposes the darkness and reveals what is hidden, so God's word enables those with eyes of faith to perceive the hidden truths of God's kingdom. Our universe could not exist without light - and no living thing could be sustained without it. Just as natural light produces warmth and energy - enabling seed to sprout and living things to grow - in like manner, God's light and truth enables us to grow in the abundant life which only he can offer us. Jesus' words produce life - the very life of God - within those who receive it with faith.
To see Jesus, the Word of God who became flesh for our sake (John 1), is to see God in visible form. To hear the words of Jesus is to hear the voice of God. He is the very light of God that has power to overcome the darkness of sin, ignorance, and unbelief. God's light and truth brings healing, pardon, and transformation. This light is not only for the chosen people of Israel, but for the whole world as well. Jesus warns that if we refuse to listen to his word, if we choose to ignore it or to take it very lightly, then we choose to remain in spiritual darkness.
The Word of God has power to set us free from sin, doubt, and deception
Jesus made it clear that he did not come to condemn us, but rather to bring us abundant life and freedom from the oppression of sin, Satan, and a world in opposition to God's truth and goodness. We condemn ourselves when we reject God's word of truth, life, and wisdom. It is one thing to live in ignorance due to lack of knowledge and understanding, but another thing to disdain the very source of truth who is Christ Jesus, the Word of God sent from the Father. Jesus says that his word - which comes from the Father and which produces eternal life in us - will be our judge. Do you believe that God's word has power to set you free from sin and ignorance and to transform your life in his way of holiness?
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) summed up our need for God's help in the following prayer he wrote: "God our Father, we find it difficult to come to you, because our knowledge of you is imperfect. In our ignorance we have imagined you to be our enemy; we have wrongly thought that you take pleasure in punishing our sins; and we have foolishly conceived you to be a tyrant over human life. But since Jesus came among us, he has shown that you are loving, and that our resentment against you was groundless."
The Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand the truth and wisdom of God's word
God does not wish to leave us in spiritual darkness - in our ignorance and unbelief. He is always ready to give his light, wisdom, and truth to all who seek him and who hunger for his word. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit he helps us to grow each and every day in faith, knowledge, and understanding of his life-giving word. Do you want to know more of God and grow in his transforming love? Look to Jesus, the Light of God, and in his truth you will find joy, freedom, and wholeness of body, mind, heart, and soul.
Lord Jesus, in your word I find life, truth, and freedom. May I never doubt your word nor forget your commandments. Increase my love for your truth that I may embrace it fully and live according to it.
Psalm 67:1-7
1May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us,
2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. [Selah] 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.
7 God has blessed us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father, by Cyril of Alexandria, 375-444 A.D.
"[Our Lord] gradually accustoms their minds to penetrate the depth of the mysteries concerning himself, [leading them] not to the human person but to that which was of the divine essence. He does this inasmuch as the Godhead is apprehended completely in the person of God the Father, for he has in himself the Son and the Spirit. With exceeding wisdom he carries them onward, ... for he does not exclude himself from being believed on by us because he is God by nature and has shone forth from God the Father. But skillfully (as has been said) he handles the mind of the weak to mold them to godliness in order that you might understand him to say something like this: 'When you believe on me - I who, for your sakes, am a man like yourselves, but who also am God by reason of my own nature and because of the Father from whom I exist - do not suppose that it is on a man you are setting your faith. For I am by nature God, notwithstanding that I appear like one of yourselves, and I have within myself him who begat me. Forasmuch therefore as I am consubstantial with him that has begotten me, your faith will assuredly pass on also to the Father himself.' As we said therefore, the Lord, gradually trains them to something better and profitably interweaves the human with what is God-befitting." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 8.7)
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