3rd Sunday of Advent, Cycle A


1st Reading: Isaiah 35:1-6a;10

Promise of Redemption
----------------------------------
[1] The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and
blossom; like the crocus [2] it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy
and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel
and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.

[3] Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. [4] Say to those
who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with
vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." [5] Then
the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; [6a]
then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.

[10] And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

35:1-10 The focus now changes with this hymn celebrating Zion, the holy city.
It presents a picture of the restored Jerusalem in language reminiscent of that
of chapters 11 and 12. God who manifested his presence and protection during
the exodus, when Israel came up out of Egypt, will do so again in wonderful ways
as the redeemed flock back home to Zion. He will show them the route and give
them a highway and be with them in a sort of solemn procession to where he
dwells (v. 8). Just as in Babylon there was a "Holy Way" lined with statues of
lions and dragons that led to the temple of Marduk, the redeemed will have a
truly "Holy Way" to take them to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. The joy
of the returnees is compounded by the instant cure of the blind, deaf and lame
(cf. 29:18-19), which is an anticipation of what will happen in the messianic era.

The miracles worked by Jesus demonstrate that the moment of true redemption
foreseen indistinctly by the prophets has come to pass (cf. Mt 11:2-6). St Justin,
showing the Jew Tryphon that this prophecy found fulfillment in Christ, points
out: "Christ is the stream of living water that flows from God; he sprang up in
the desert wastes of igno- rance of God; that is, in the parched earth of all the
nations. He, who was born among your people, cured those who were blind
from birth, and the deaf and the lame: by his word alone, they leapt and heard
and saw once more. He raised the dead and gave them new life, and by all his
good works prompted men to see Him for who he is. [...] He did all these things
to convince those who were to believe in him, whatever bodily defects they might
have, that if they obeyed the teachings that he gave them, he would raise them
up again at his Second Coming and make them whole and perfect and immortal
as He is" ("Dialogus Cum Tryphone", 69,6).

The Church uses this passage from Isaiah in the Advent liturgy (3rd Sunday,
Cycle A) to encourage the faithful in joyous hope that God will come and bring
salvation.


2nd Reading: James 5:7-10

A Call for Constancy
------------------------------
[7] Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the
farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it
receives the early and the late rain. [8] You also be patient. Establish your
hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. [9] Do not grumble, brethren,
against one another, that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is
standing at the doors. [10] As an example of suffering and patience, brethren,
take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

7-11. Just before he ends his letter, St James again (cf. 1:2-4, 12) exhorts his
readers to be patient, perhaps in case some are tempted to avenge themselves:
on the rich. He uses the simile of the farmer, who patiently waits for the earth;
to yield the fruits of his work: in the same kind of way the oppressed will be
rewarded for all their afflictions when the Lord comes. St James encourages
them also by reminding them of the patience and long-suffering of the prophets
and of Job.

Christian hope, and the patience it induces, enables people to put up with
injustice in this present life; but it is not an easy way out of one's responsibilities
nor an invitation to be passive. A Christian should strive to make this world a
place of justice and peace, but should realize it is a transient place, and not
make these temporal ideals an absolute goal. "God did not create us to build a
lasting I city here on earth. [...]. Nevertheless, we children of God ought not to
remain aloof from earthly endeavors, for God has placed us here to sanctify them
and , make them fruitful with our blessed faith, which alone is capable of bringing
true peace and joy to all men wherever they may be [...]. We urgently need to
christianize society. We must imbue all levels of mankind with a supernatural
outlook, and each of us must strive to raise his daily duties, his job or profession,
to the order of supernatural grace. In this way all human occupations will be lit
up by a new hope that transcends time and the inherent transience of earthly
realities" (J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 210).

7-9. St James' words show how vividly the early Christians realized that the
Christian life should be a time for watchfulness and for looking forward to the
Parousia of the Lord, when our redemption will be finally sealed (cf. Lk 21:28).
Jesus did not choose to reveal the precise moment of his coming (cf. Mt 24:36);
he stressed. rather, the need to be watchful, to make sure it found us ready (cf.
Mt 24:42, 44; 25:13). Therefore, every Christian should live in the expectation of
that event which surely will come, though he knows not when. This is also what
the Apostle means when he says "the coming of the Lord is at hand" and "the
Judge is standing at the doors", for he may come at any moment.

10-11. The lives of the prophets are a very good model of patience and endurance
in the adversity .Some of them in particular (Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah) underwent
great suffering on account of their obedience to God. "You have seen the purpose
of the Lord ": this is the interpretation of St Bede and St Augustine, referring to
the example of patience set by Jesus in his passion and death on the cross.
Most commentators prefer the other possible translation, "You have seen the
outcome the Lord gave him", referring to Job, who bore patiently the trials God
sent to him (cf. Job 42:10ff), because, for one thing, it avoids having to give the
term "Lord", which appears twice in the same verse (v.11), two different meanings
-- Jesus Christ and God one and three.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:2-11

The Mission of John the Baptist. Jesus' Reply
------------------------------------------------------------------
[2] Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word
by his disciples [3] and said to him, " Are you he who is to come, or shall we
look for another?" [4] And Jesus answered them. "Go and tell John what you
hear and see: [5] the blind receive their sight and the lame walk. Lepers are
cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have
good news preached to them. [6] And blessed is he who takes no offense at
me."

[7] As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John:
"What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind?
[8] Why then did you go out? To see a mana clothed in soft raiment? Behold,
those who wear soft raiment are in kings' houses. [9] Why then did you go out?
To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [10] This is he of
whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall
prepare thy way before thee.'

[11] "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one
greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he."

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

2. John knew that Jesus was the Messiah (cf. Mt 3:13-17). He sent his disciples
to Jesus so that they could shed their mistaken notions about the kind of
Messiah to expect, and come to recognize Jesus.

2. [세례자] 요한은 예수님께서 메시아이심을 알았습니다(마태오 복음서 3,13-17 참조). 
그는 자신의 제자들을, 그들이 예상하고 있는 메시아의 바탕(kind)에 관한 그들의 잘못된 
인식들을 벗어 버릴 수 있도록 하기 위하여, 예수님께 보냈습니다.

3-6. Jesus replies to the Baptist's disciples by pointing to the fact that they are
witnessing the signs which the ancient prophecies said would mark the advent of
the Messiah and his Kingdom (cf. Is 35:5, 61:1; etc). He says. in effect, that he
is the prophet who "was to come".

3-6. 예수님께서는 이 세례자의 제자들에게 그들이 고대의 예언자들이 말했던 메시아와 
그의 나라의 도래(advent)를 나타내는 표지(signs)(이사야 35,5.61 등을 참조)들을 
목격하고 있다는 사실을 향하여 가리키심으로써 답변하십니다. 당신께서는, 사실상, 
당신께서 "오기로 되어 있었던" 바로 그 예언자(the prophet)이심을 말씀하십니다.

The miracles reported in the Gospel (chapters 8 and 9) and the teaching given to
the people (chapters 5-7) prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the expected Messiah.

이 복음서(8장과 9장)에 기록되어 있는 기적들과 이 백성에게 주어졌던 가르침(5-7장)은 
나자렛 사람 예수님(Jesus of Nazareth)께서 기다리고 있던 메시아이심을 입증합니다.

6. Jesus here corrects the mistaken idea which many Jews had of the Messiah,
casting him in the role of a powerful earthly ruler--a far cry from the humble
attitude of Jesus. It is not surprising that he was a stumbling block to Jews (cf.
Is 8:14-15; 1 Cor 1:23).

6. 예수님께서는 여기서 많은 유다인들이 메시아에 대하여, 예수님의 겸손한 태도로부터 
큰 차이인(a far cry from), 한 명의 힘 있는 지상의 지배자의 역할로 그를 주조함으로써
(casting), 가지고 있었던 잘못된 생각을 바로잡으십니다. 당신께서 유다인들에게 한 개의 
걸림돌(a stumbling block)(*)이었음은 놀라운 일이 아닙니다(이사야 8,14-15; 1코린토 
1,23 참조).

-----
(*) 번역자 주: "나쁜 표양(악한 표양, 스캔들, scandal)"의 어원이 또한 "걸림돌(a stumbling 
block)"임에 대한 글은 다음에 있다: 
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1058.htm
-----

11. With John the Old Testament is brought to a close and we are on the
threshold of the New. The Precursor had the honor of ushering Christ in, making
him known to men. God had assigned him the exalted mission of preparing his
contemporaries to hear the Gospel. The Baptist's faithfulness is recognized and
proclaimed by Jesus. The praise he receives is a reward for his humility: John,
realizing what his role was, had said, "He must increase, but I must decrease"
(Jn 3:30).

11. 세례자 요한과 함께 옛 계약(구약, the Old Testament)은 끝나게 되며 우리는 
새 계약(신약, the New)의 문턱에 있습니다. 이 선구자는, 당신을 사람들에게 알려지게 
함으로써, 그리스도의 도래를 알리는 영예를 가졌습니다. 하느님께서는 그에게 당신의 
동시대인들로 하여금 그리스도의 복음(the Gospel)을 듣기 위하여 준비하도록 하는 
고귀한 임무를 이미 할당하셨습니다.  세례지 요한의 충실함은 예수님에 의하여 
인정되고 그리고 선포됩니다. 그가 받게 되는 칭찬은 다음과 같은 그의 겸손(humility)에 
대한 보상(a reward)입니다: 세례자 요한은, 자신의 역할이 무엇인가를 알아차리면서, 
"그분은 커지셔야 하고 나는 작아져야 한다" (요한 복음서 3,30)라고 이미 말하였습니다.

St John the Baptist was the greatest in the sense that he had received a mission
unique and incomparable in the context of the Old Testament. However, in the
Kingdom of heaven (the New Testament) inaugurated by Christ, the divine gift of
grace makes the least of those who faithfully receive it greater than the greatest
in the earlier dispensation. Once the work of our redemption is accomplished,
God's grace will also be extended to the just of the Old Alliance. Thus, the
greatness of John the Baptist, the Precursor and the last of the prophets, will be
enhanced by the dignity of being made a son of God.

세례자 성 요한은 옛 계약(구약, the Old Testament)의 문맥 안에서 유일하고 비교할 수 
없는 임무를 받았다는 의미에 있어 가장 큰 인물이었습니다. 그러나, 그리스도에 
의하여 개시된 (inaugurated by) 하늘 나라(the Kingdom of heaven)(*)[새 계약
(신약, the New Testament)] 안에서, 은총이라는 하느님의 선물(the divine gift of 
grace)은 이 나라를 충실하게 받아들이는 자들 중의 가장 작은 이를 이전의 율법의 
시대(dispensation)에 있어 가장 큰 인물보다도 더 크게 만듭니다. 일단 우리에 대한 
속량(redemption)이 성취되고 나면, 하느님의 은총은 옛 맹약(盟約)(the Old Alliance)의 
의로운 자들에게까지 또한 확장될 것입니다. 이러한 방식으로, (예수님에 대한) 선구자
(the Precursor)이며 그리고 (옛 계약의) 예언자들 중의 마지막 예언자인 세례자 요한의 
훌륭함은 한 명의 하느님의 아들(a son of God)이 됨이라는 품위(dignity)에 의하여 
강화될 것입니다.

-----
(*) 번역자 주: 예수 그리스도께서 당신의 공생활 초기에 선포하신 당신의 복음 즉, 
죽은 이들의 일부 영혼들을 위한 하늘(heaven, 즉, 천당)이 아닌, 지상에 이미 존재하고 
있기에 예수 재림의 날까지 천당(heaven, 하늘)과 결코 동일하지 않은, "하느님 나라
[Kingdom of God, 즉, 하늘 나라(Kingdom of heaven), 즉, 천국]"에 대한 졸글들은 
다음에 있으니 꼭 읽고 묵상하도록 하라:

http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/intro2KH_JohnPaul_II.htm 
-----

*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.


[참고: 이 파일은 저서명 "가톨릭 교회의 말씀 전례에 따른 성경공부 해설서"(엮은이: 소순태, 
출판사: 가톨릭출판사)의 각주의 연장으로 마련되었습니다. 그리고 본문 중의 우리말 번역문에 
대한 저작권은 엮은이에게 있으며, 본문 중의 우리말 번역문들을 복사하여 가져가는 것을
허락하지 않습니다.]