Wednesday
1st Week of Ordinary Time
(I) 1st Reading: Hebrews 2:14-18
Jesus, Man's Brother, was Crowned with Glory and Honor Above the Angels
(Continuation)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[14] Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise
partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has
the power of death, that is, the devil, [15] and deliver all those who through fear
of death were subject to lifelong bondage. [16] For surely it is not with angels
that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. [17] Therefore he
had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a
merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the
sins of the people. [18] For because he himself has suffered and been tempted,
he is able to help those who are tempted.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
14. As in the prologue of St John's Gospel (In 1:12-13), "flesh" and "blood" apply
to human nature in its weakened condition. Jesus has assumed man's nature:
"He has taken it on without sin but with all its capacity to suffer pain, given that
he took a flesh similar to sinful flesh; he 'shared therefore in flesh and blood', that
is, he took on a nature in which he could suffer and die--which could not occur in
a divine nature" (St Thomas, "Commentary on Heb.", 2, 4).
Christ chose to submit to death, which is a consequence of sin, in order to des-
troy death and the power of the devil. The Council of Trent teaches that, as a
result of original sin, man "incurred the wrath and indignation of God, and conse-
quently incurred death [...] and, together with death, bondage in the power of him
who from that time had the empire of death" ("De Peccato Originali", Can. 3; cf.
Rom 5:12; 6:12-14; 7:5; etc.). To explain this power of the devil, St Thomas com-
ments: "A judge has one kind of power of death: he can punish people with death;
a criminal has a different kind of power of death--a power he usurps by killing
another [...]. God has the first kind of dominion over death; the devil has the
second kind, for he seduces man to sin and leads him to death" ("Commentary
on Heb.", 2, 4).
Addressing Christ and his cross, the Church sings, "O altar of our victim raised,
/ 0 glorious passion ever praised, / by which our Life to death was rendered,
/ that death to life might thence be mended" (Hymn "Vexilla Regis"). The death
of Christ, the only one who could atone for man's sin, wipes out sin and makes
death a way to God. "Jesus destroyed the demon", St Alphonsus writes; "that
is, he destroyed his power, for the demon had been lord of death on account of
sin, that is, he had power to cause temporal and eternal death to all the children
of Adam infected by sin. And this was the victory of the Cross that Jesus, the
author of life, by dying obtained Life for us through that death" ("Reflections on
the Passion", Chap. 5, 1).
15. Christ has freed men not from physical but from spiritual death and therefore
from fear of death, because he has given us certainty of future resurrection. Man's
natural fear of death is easily explained by his fear of the unknown and his instinc-
tive aversion to what death involves; but it can also be a sign of excessive attach-
ment to this life. "Because it does not want to renounce its desires, the soul fears
death, it fears being separated from the body" (St Athanasius, "Oratio Contra
Gentes", 3).
The fear of death which some people in the Old Testament had can be explained
by their not knowing what fate awaited them, and by the possibility of being com-
pletely cut off from God. But physical death is not something to be feared by
those who sincerely seek God: "To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain," St
Paul explains (Phil 1:21). "Don't be afraid of death. Accept it from now on, gene-
rously...when God wills it, where God wills it, as God wills it. Don't doubt what
I say: it will come in the moment, in the place and in the way that are best sent
by your Father-God. Welcome be our sister death!" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way",
739).
16. "It is not with angels that he is concerned": the original text says literally
"he did not take angels with his hand", " did not catch hold of", "did not take [the
nature of angels]"; meaning that Christ took to himself a human nature, not an
angelic nature. St John Chrysostom explains the text in this way: "What does he
mean by 'take with his hand'; why does he not say 'took on/assumed' but instead
uses the expression 'took with his hand'? The reason is this: this verb has to do
with those who are in pursuit of their enemies and are doing all they can to catch
those who are in flight from them and to seize those who resist. In other words,
humankind had fled from him and fled very far, for it says 'we were very far from
God and were almost without God in the world' (Eph 2:12). That is why he came
in pursuit of us and 'seized us for himself'. The Apostle makes it clear that he
did all this entirely out of love for men, in his charity and solicitude for us" ("Hom.
on Heb.", 2).
"This single reflection, that he who is true and perfect God became man, sup-
plies sufficient proof of the exalted dignity conferred on the human race by the
divine bounty; since we may now glory that the Son of God is bone of our bone,
and flesh of our flesh, a privilege not given to angels" ("St Pius V Catechism",
I, 4, 11).
17. This is the first mention of the central theme of the epistle, the priesthood
of Christ. Because he is God and man, Jesus is the only Mediator between God
and men, who have lost God's friendship and divine life on account of sin; he exer-
cises this mediation as High Priest; his Love saves men by bridging the abyss
which separates the sinful stock of Adam from God whom it has outraged.
It first refers clearly to our Lord's human nature: he is in no way different from men
(except that he is not guilty of sin: cf. Heb 4:15). "These words mean that Christ
was reared and educated and grew up and suffered all he had to suffer and finally
died" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Heb.", 5). "He partook of the same food as we do,"
writes Theodoret of Cyrus, "and he endured work; he experienced sadness in his
soul and shed tears; he underwent death" ("Interpretatio Ep. Ad Haebr.", II).
Christ the Priest is able perfectly to understand the sinner and make satisfaction
to divine Justice. "In a judge what one most desires is mercy," St Thomas writes,
"in an advocate, reliability. The Apostle implies that both things were found in
Christ by virtue of his Passion. Mankind desires mercy of him as judge, and
reliability of him as advocate" ("Commentary on Heb.", 2, 4).
Christ's priesthood consists in making expiation by a sacrifice of atonement and
a peace-offering for the sins of men: he takes our place and atones on our behalf:
"Christ merited justification for us [...] and made satisfaction for us to God the
Father" (Council of Trent, "De Iustificatione", Chap. 7).
18. Suffering can link a person to Christ in a special and mysterious way. "The
Redeemer suffered in place of man and for man. Every man has his own share in
the Redemption. Each one is also called to share in that suffering through which
the Redemption was accomplished. He is called to share in that suffering through
which all human suffering has also been redeemed. In bringing about the Redemp-
tion through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the
Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the
redemptive suffering of Christ" (John Paul II, "Salvifici Doloris", 19).
Christ's main purpose in undergoing his passion was the Redemption of mankind,
but he also suffered in order to strengthen us and give us an example. "By taking
our weaknesses upon himself Christ has obtained for us the strength to overcome
our natural infirmity. On the night before his passion, by choosing to suffer fear,
anguish and sorrow in the garden of Gethsemane he won for us strength to resist
harassment by those who seek our downfall; he obtained for us strength to over-
come the fatigue we experience in prayer, in mortification and in other acts of
devotion, and, finally, the fortitude to bear adversity with peace and joy" (St
Alphonsus, "Reflections on the Passion", Chap. 9, 1).
A person who suffers, and even more so a person who does penance, should rea-
lize that he is understood by Christ. Christ will then console him and help him bear
affliction: "You too some day may feel the loneliness of our Lord on the Cross. If
so, seek the support of him who died and rose again. Find yourself a shelter in the
wounds in his hands, in his feet, in his side. And your willingness to start again
will revive, and you will take up your journey again with greater determination and
effectiveness" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way of the Cross", XII, 2).
(II) 1st Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20
God Calls Samuel
---------------------------
[1] Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word
of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
[2] At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not
see, was lying down in his own place; [3] the lamp of God had not yet gone out,
and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God
was. [4] Then the LORD called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” [5]
and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not
call; lie down again?’ So he went and lay down. [6] And the LORD called again,
“Samuel!” And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called
me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” [7] Now Samuel did not
yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
[8] And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to
Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD
was calling the boy. [9] Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he
calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.” So Samuel went
and lay down in his place. [10] And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as
at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said “Speak for thy servant hears."
[19] And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall
to the ground. [20] And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was
established as a prophet of the LORD.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3:1-21. The account of Samuel’s vocation is a good example of a divine calling
to perform a special mission: it shows both the attitudes that the person called
should have and the demands that the divine call implies. Firstly (vv. 1-3), we are
introduced to the protagonists (the Lord, Eli, Samuel) and the circumstances in
which the action occurs--night-time when everyone is asleep, the temple, the ark,
and the lamp of God still burning; all this shows that something exceptional is
going on and God is behind it.
The second scene (vv. 4-8) is a charming dialogue between the Lord and Samuel,
and between Samuel and Eli, at the end of which comes an unforgettable
assertion of readiness on Samuel’s part, “Here I am, for you have called me” (v.
8). “This young boy gives us an example of the highest form of obedience. True
obedience does not question the meaning of what is commanded, nor does it
judge, since he who decides to practise perfect obedience renounces his own
judgment” (St Gregory the Great, "In Primum Regum", 2, 4, 10-11).
In the third scene (vv. 9-14) we can see the dual role of every prophet from Samuel
onwards--listening carefully to God (vv. 9-10) and faithfully passing on the message
received, even if his listeners find it harsh (vv. 11-14; cf. v. 18). “Greatly blessed is
he who hears the [voice of the] divine whispering in the silence and who often
repeats that phrase of Samuel’s: ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening'" (St
Bernard, "Sermones De Diversis", 23, 7).
The last scene (3:19-4:1) is a summary of what will be Samuel’s future work as
a prophet. A new stage is beginning in the life of the people of God; now God will
make his will known through prophets who speak on God’s behalf to the people,
the priests and even the king himself.
3:9-10. “Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears.” This prayer marked the start of
Samuel’s life as a prophet called by God, and it epitomizes the way he acted: he
cultivated his relationship with God assiduously and pleaded with him on behalf
of the people. As the "Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2578, suggests, he
learned all this from his mother from infancy onwards: “The prayer of the People
of God flourishes in the shadow of God’s dwelling place, first the ark of the
covenant and later the Temple. At first the leaders of the people--the shepherds
and the prophets--teach them to pray. The infant Samuel must have learned from
his mother Hannah how ‘to stand before the Lord’ (cf. 1 Sam 1:9-18) and from the
priest Eli how to listen to his word: ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening’
(1 Sam 3:9-10). Later, he will also know the cost and consequence of intercession:
‘Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing
to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way’ (1 Sam 12:23)."
Gospel Reading: Mark 1:29-39
The Curing of Peter's Mother-In-Law
----------------------------------------------------
[29] And immediately He (Jesus) left the synagogue, and entered the house of
Simon and Andrew, with James and John. [30] Now Simon's mother-in-law lay
sick with a fever, and immediately they told Him of her. [31] And He came and
took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them.
Jesus Cures Many Sick People
----------------------------------------------
[32] That evening, at sundown, they brought to Him all who were sick or pos-
sessed with demons. [33] And the whole city was gathered together about the
door. [34] And He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast
out many demons; and He would not permit the demons to speak, because
they knew Him.
Jesus Goes To a Lonely Place To Pray
---------------------------------------------------------
[35] And in the morning, a great while before day, He rose and went out to a
lonely place, and there He prayed. [36] And Simon and those who were with
Him followed Him, [37] and they found Him and said to Him, "Everyone is
searching for you." [38] And He said to them, "Let us go on to the next
towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why Icame out." [39] And He
went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out
demons.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
34. Demons possess a supernatural type of knowledge and therefore they
recognize Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 1:24). Through the people they possess
they are able to publish this fact. But Our Lord, using His divine powers, orders
them to be silent. On other occasions He also silences His disciples (Mark 8:30;
9:9), and He instructs people whom He has cured not to talk about their cure (Mark
1:4; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26). He may have acted in this way to educate the people away
from a too human and political idea of the Messiah (Matthew 9:30). Therefore, He
first awakens their interest by performing miracles and gradually, through His
preaching, gives them a clearer understanding of the kind of Messiah He is.
Some Fathers of the Church point out that Jesus does not want to accept, in
support of the truth, the testimony of him who is the father of lies.
35. Many passages of the New Testament make reference to Jesus praying.
The evangelists point to Him praying only on specially important occasions
during His public ministry: Baptism (Luke 3:1), the choosing of the Twelve (Luke
6:12), the first multiplication of the loaves (Mark 6:46), the Transfiguration (Luke
9:29), in the garden of Gethsemane prior to His passion (Matthew 26:39) etc.
Mark for his part, refers to Jesus' prayer at three solemn moments: at the begin-
ning of His public ministry (1:35), in the middle of it (6:46), and at the end, in
Gethsemane (14:32).
Jesus' prayer is prayer of perfect praise to the Father; it is prayer of petition for
Himself and for us; and it also a model for His disciples. It is a prayer of perfect
praise and thanksgiving because He is God's beloved Son in whom the Father is
well pleased (cf. Mark 1:11). It is a prayer of petition because the first
spontaneous movement of a soul who recognizes God as Father is to ask Him
for things. Jesus' prayer, as we see in very many passages (e.g. John 17:9ff)
was a continuous petition to the Father for the work of redemption which He,
Jesus, had to achieve through prayer and sacrifice.
Our Lord wants to give us an example of the kind of attitude a Christian should
have; he should make a habit of addressing God as son to Father in the midst
of and through his everyday activities--work, family life, personal relationships,
apostolate--so as to give his life a genuinely Christian meaning, for, as Jesus
will point out later on, "apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
"You write: `To pray is to talk with God. But about what?' About what? About
Him, about yourself: joys, sorrows, successes and failures, noble ambitions,
daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and love and
reparation. In a word: to get to know Him and to get to know yourself: `to get
acquainted!'" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way").
38. Jesus tells us here that His mission is to preach, to spread the Good News.
He was sent for this purpose (Luke 4:43). The Apostles, in turn, were chosen
by Jesus to be preachers (Mark 3:14; 16:15). Preaching is the method selected
by God to effect salvation: "it pleased God through the folly of what we preach
to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21). This is why St. Paul says to
Timothy: "Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince,
rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and teaching" (2 Timothy 4:1-2).
Faith comes from hearing, we are told in Romans 10:17, where St. Paul enthu-
siastically quotes Isaiah: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good
news!" (Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7).
The Church identifies preaching the Gospel as one of the main tasks of bishops
and priests. St. Pius X went so far as saying that "for a priest there is no duty
more grave or obligation more binding (to dispel ignorance)" ("Acerbo Nimis").
In this connection Vatican II states: "The people of God is formed into one in the
first place by the Word of the living God (cf. 1 Peter 1:23; Acts 6:7; 12:24), which
is quite rightly sought from the mouths of priests (2 Corinthians 11:7).
For since nobody can be saved who has not first believed (Mark 16:16), it is the
first task of priests as co-workers of the bishops to preach the Gospel of God to
all men (2 Corinthians 11:7). In this way they carry out the Lord's command `Go
into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15) (cf.
Malachi 2:7; 1 Timothy 4:11-13; etc.) and thus set up and increase the people
of God" ("Presbyterorum Ordinis").
Jesus' preaching is not just limited to words: He backs up His teaching with His
authority and with deeds. The Church also has been sent to preach salvation and
to effect the work of salvation which it proclaims--a work done through the Sacra-
ments and especially through the renewal of the sacrifice of Calvary in the Mass
(Vatican II, "Sacrosanctum Concilium", 6).
In the Church of God all of us should listen devoutly to the preaching of the
Gospel and we all should feel a responsibility to spread the Gospel by our words
and actions. It is the responsibility of the hierarchy of the Church to teach the
Gospel authentically--on the authority of Christ.
*********************************************************************************************
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].