28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A (가해 연중 제28주일)
1st Reading: Isaiah 25:6-10a
The Lord’s banquet
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[6] On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of fat
things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees
well refined. [7] And he will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast
over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. [8] He will swallow up
death for ever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the
reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has
spoken.
Songs of salvation
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[9] It will be said on that day, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him that
he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and
rejoice in his salvation.”
[10] For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.
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Commentary:
25:6-8. The Lord has prepared a special feast for all the nations on Mount Zion.
There he will provide succulent food and fine wine – a symbolic reference to the
divine fare that God will provide and which surpasses anything that man could
imagine.
These words prefigure the Eucharistic banquet, instituted by Jesus in Jerusa-
lem, in which he provides divine nourishment, his own Body and Blood, which
strengthens the soul and is a pledge of future glory: “To share in ‘the Lord’s
Supper’ is to anticipate the eschatological feast of the ‘marriage of the Lamb’
(Rev 19:9). Celebrating this memorial of Christ, risen and ascended into hea-
ven, the Christian community waits ‘in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour,
Jesus Christ’” (John Paul II, Dies Domini, 38). The saints often encourage us
to bear this in mind when we receive the Eucharist: “It is an eternal pledge to
us; it assures us of a place in heaven; it is a guarantee that one day heaven will
be our home. Moreover, Jesus Christ will raise up our bodies in glory, in accor-
dance with how often and with what dignity we have received his Body in Holy
Communion” (St John Baptist Mary Vianney, Sermon on Holy Communion).
“Death” (v. 8) is a metaphor for the definitive destruction of Israel: God gives an
assurance that it will never happen. Also, St Paul quotes this verse when he re-
joices that the resurrection of Christ marks the definitive victory over death (1 Cor
15:54-55), and it appears also in the book of Revelation, when it proclaims the
salvation that has been wrought by the Lamb who has died and risen again: “he
will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither
shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have
passed away” (Rev 21:4; cf. also Rev 7:17). The Church, too, speaks in similar
vein in its prayer for the dead, beseeching God to receive them into his Kingdom
“There we hope to share in your glory when every tear will be wiped away. On
that day we shall see you, our God, as you are. We shall become like you and
praise you forever through Christ our Lord, from home all good things come”
(Roman Missal, Eucharistic Prayer III).
25:9-26:6. After the celebration of the banquet prepared by God, two hymns are
intoned that will be sung “on that day”. The first praises the Lord: he is faithful;
those who put their hope of salvation in him will never be disappointed, whereas
Moab will be laid low on account of its pride (25:9-12). The second hymn returns
(cf. 25:1-5) to the theme of praise of the Lord for giving refuge to the poor and
needy (26:1-6).
2nd Reading: Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Thanks for Help Received (Continuation)
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[12] I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circum-
stances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and
want. [13] I can do all things in him who strengthens me. [14] Yet it was kind
of you to share my trouble.
[19] And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory
in Christ Jesus. [20] To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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Commentary:
10-20. Gratitude is a very characteristic feature of Christian life; in this passage
we can see the noble soul of St Paul, ever appreciative of any sign of affection
and thoughtfulness.
It also shows what great confidence St Paul had in the Philippians; from them
alone did he accept help, for his general policy was not to accept material aid so
as to leave no one in any doubt about the purity of his intentions in preaching the
Gospel (cf. 1 Cor 9:18; 2 Cor 12:14-18). This meant that he was also practicing
the virtue of poverty, being content with what he had.
Financial resources do make a person's life easier and by helping us meet our
material needs they allow us to cultivate friendship with God and go to the help
of others, but these resources are not an end in themselves; they are only a
means. Therefore there is nothing essentially bad about not having money or
property: one can get to heaven without them. However, if a person is well-to-do
and is attached to his wealth, that is bad. That is what St Paul is saying. "If you
want to be your own masters at all times, I advise you to make a very real effort
to be detached from everything, and to do so without fear or hesitation. Then,
when you go about your various duties, whether personal, family or otherwise,
make honest use of legitimate human resources with a view to serving God, his
Church, your family, your profession, your country, and the whole of mankind.
Remember that what really matters is not whether you have this or lack that,
but whether you are living according to the truth taught us by our Christian faith,
which tells us that created goods are only a means, nothing more. So, do not
be beguiled into imagining that they are in any way definitive" (St. J. Escriva,
"Friends of God", 118).
13. "In him who strengthens me": the proposition "in" often refers to the place
"where", in which case the text would mean that the person who lives in Christ,
who is identified with him, can do all things. However, in biblical Greek it fre-
quently has a causal meaning, in which case the Apostle would be saying that
he can do all things because God lends him his strength.
The difficulties which can arise in apostolic work or in one's search for personal
holiness are not an insuperable obstacle, for we can always count on God's sup-
port. So, we need to let ourselves be helped; we need to go to the Lord whenever
we are tempted or feel discouraged ("Thou art the God in whom I take refuge":
Ps 43:2), humbly recognizing that we need his help, for we can do nothing on our
own. St Alphonsus encourages us always to put our trust in God: "The proud per-
son relies on his strength and he falls; but the humble person, who puts all his
trust in God, holds his ground and does not succumb, no matter how severely
he is tempted" ("The Love of God Reduced to Practice", 9).
"I have asked you", St. Escriva says, "to keep on lifting your eyes up to heaven
as you go about your work, because hope encourages us to catch hold of the
strong hand which God never ceases to reach out to us, to keep us from losing
our supernatural point of view. Let us persevere even when our passions rear up
and attack us, attempting to imprison us within the narrow confines of our selfish-
ness; or when puerile vanity makes us think we are the center of the universe.
I am convinced that unless I look upward, unless I have Jesus, I shall never
accomplish anything. And I know that the strength to conquer myself and to win
comes from repeating that cry, 'I can do all things in him who strengthens me'
(Phil 4:13), words which reflect God's firm promise not to abandon his children
if they do not abandon him" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 213).
17-19. Using a metaphor taken from commercial life, the Apostle gives us an in-
sight into the value of generosity. He is not asking the Philippians for donations:
he can survive without them; he is seeking the good that will redound to them
on account of their almsgiving (cf. v. 17): and, given their own limited financial
resources, they are in fact being particularly generous (cf. 2 Cor 8:2).
Since God is the one who rewards men for their actions, then clearly a person
who gives alms ultimately benefits more than he who receives alms. As a reward
for their almsgiving the Philippians will receive nothing less than the eternal glory
won for us by Christ Jesus. And so St Leo the Great recommends that "whoever
gives alms should do so with detachment and joy, for the less he keep back for
himself, the greater will be his gain" ("Tenth Lenten Sermon").
Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:1-14
The Parable of the Marriage Feast
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[1] And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, [2] "The kingdom of hea-
ven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, [3] and
sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they
would not come. [4] Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are in-
vited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' [5] But they made light of it
and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, [6] while the rest seized
his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. [7] The king was angry,
and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. [8]
Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not
worthy. [9] Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as
many as you find.' [10] And those servants went out into the streets
and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding
hall was filled with guests.
[11] "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who
had no wedding garment; [12] and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here
without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. [13] Then the king said to
the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness;
there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' [14] For many are called, but few are
chosen."
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Commentary:
1-14. In this parable Jesus reveals how intensely God the Father desires the
salvation of all men--the banquet is the Kingdom of heaven --and the mysterious
malice that lies in willingly rejecting the invitation to attend, a malice so vicious
that it merits eternal punishment. No human arguments make any sense that go
against God's call to conversion and acceptance of faith and its consequences.
The Fathers see in the first invitees the Jewish people: in salvation history God
addresses himself first to the Israelites and then to all the Gentiles (Acts 13:46).
Indifference and hostility cause the Israelites to reject God's loving call and there-
fore to suffer condemnation. But the Gentiles also need to respond faithfully to
the call they have received; otherwise they will suffer the fate of being cast "into
outer darkness".
"The marriage", says St Gregory the Great ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 36) "is the
wedding of Christ and his Church, and the garment is the virtue of charity: a per-
son who goes into the feast without a wedding garment is someone who believes
in the Church but does not have charity."
성 그레고리오 1세 대 교황님(St. Gregory the
Great)께서는 다음과 같이 말씀하십니다:
"이 혼인은 그리스도와 당신의 교회의 혼인을 말하고,
그리고 혼인 예복은 애덕(charity)
이라는 덕(virtue)을 말하며, 그리고 혼인 예복 없이 이 잔치에
참석하는 한 인격(a person)은
교회 쪽으로 믿으나(believe in the Church) 그러나 애덕(charity)을
가지고 있지 않는
어떤 자를 말한다" [성 그레고리오 1세 대 교황님(St.
Gregory the Great), "In Evangelia
Homiliae", 36].
The wedding garment signifies the dispositions a person needs for entering the
Kingdom of heaven. Even though he belongs to the Church, if he does not have
these dispositions he will be condemned on the day when God judges all man-
kind. These dispositions essentially mean responding to grace.
혼인 예복(the wedding garment)은 한 인격(a person)이 하늘 나라(the Kingdom of
heaven)(*)에 들어가기 위하여 필요로 하는 성향(dispositions, 마음가짐)(**)들을
나타냅니다. 비록 그가 교회에 속한다고 하더라도, 만약에 그가 이러한 성향들을 가지고
있지 않다면 그는 하느님께서 모든 인류를 심판하시는 바로 그날에 유죄 판결을 받을
것입니다. 이러한 성향들은 본질적으로 은총(grace)(***)에 응답함을 뜻합니다.
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(*) 번역자 주: 하늘(heaven, 천당)과 동일하지 않은, 이 세상의 죄인들의 구원을
위하여 가톨릭 교회 안에 존재하면서 지속적으로 성장하고 있는 하늘 나라[The
Kingdom of heaven, 즉, 천국, 즉, 하느님의 나라(the Kingdom of God)]에 대한
안내 및 교황 요한 바오로 2세의 교리 교육용 일반 알현 강론 말씀들의 모음은
다음에 있으니, 별도의 시간을 내어서라도 차분히 꼭 읽도록 하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/navarre/ot_28_mon.htm
(**) 번역자 주: 이러한 성향들에는, 예를 들어, 견신성사시에 주어지는 "성령칠은"들이
포함된다. "성령칠은"에 대하여서는 다음의 글[제목: 성령의 선물들과 성령의 열매들의
차이점은 무엇일까요?]을 참고하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/969.htm
(***) 번역자
주: 하느님의 특별한 도움인 "은총(grace)"의 정의(definition)는
다음에
있으니 필독하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1555.htm
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13. The Second Vatican Council reminds us of the doctrine of the "last things",
one aspect of which is covered in this verse. Referring to the eschatological di-
mension of the Church, the Council recalls our Lord's warning about being on the
watch against the wiles of the devil, in order to resist in the evil day (cf. Eph 6:13).
"Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the
Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is
completed (cf. Heb 9:27), we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast
and be numbered among the blessed (cf. Mt 25:31-46) and not, like the wicked
and slothful servants (cf. Mt 25:26), be ordered to depart into the eternal fire (cf.
Mt 25:41), into the outer darkness where "men will weep and gnash their teeth'"
("Lumen Gentium", 48).
14. These words in no way conflict with God's will that all should be saved (cf. 1
Tim 2:4). In his love for men, Christ patiently seeks the conversion of every single
soul, going as far as to die on the cross (cf. Mt 23:37; Lk 15:4-7). St Paul teaches
this when he says that Christ loved us and "gave himself up for us, a fragrant
offering and sacrifice to God" (Eph 5:2). Each of us can assert with the Apostle
that Christ "loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20). However, God in his in-
finite wisdom respects man's freedom: man is free to reject grace (cf. Mt 7:13-14).
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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.]