19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (다해 연중 제19주일)


1st Reading: Wisdom 18:6-9
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[6] That night was made known beforehand to our fathers, so that they might re-
joice in sure knowledge of the oaths in which they trusted.
[7] The deliverance of the righteous and the destruction of their enemies were
expected by thy people.
[8] For by the same means by which thou didst punish our enemies thou didst
call us to thyself and glorify us. 
[9] For in secret the holy children of good men offered sacrifices, and with one
accord agreed to the divine law, that the saints would share alike the same
things, both blessings and dangers; and already they were singing the praises
of the fathers.

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Commentary: 

18:5-19:21. The book of Wisdom closes with a section devoted to the night of the
Passover, the culminating moment of God's actions in the salvation history of his
people. In the light of that situation the sacred writer reviews the wondrous events
that took place during the Exodus.

19:5-9. Once again a contrast is drawn between the severe way God dealt with
the Egyptians and his kindness towards the Israelites; there now takes place an
exceptionally important event – the Passover. The Egyptians had decreed that
all the first-born Hebrew males should be put to death (cf. Ex 1:15-22). To es-
cape this fate, Moses, a newborn child, is left out (v. 5) on the waters of the Nile
in a basket and rescued by the pharaoh's daughter (Ex 2:1-10). With the law of
retaliation as a background, the crime committed by the Egyptians must be pun-
ished by the death of their own first-born, "at midnight" (Ex 2:29) and by the later
destruction in the Red Sea of those sent to pursue the Israelites (Ex 14:26-29).

On the Passover night, two contrasting things happen: the first-born of the Egyp-
tians are smitten, which forces the pharaoh to let the Hebrews leave forthwith,
thereby obtaining the deliverance promised to their forebears (cf. Gen 15:13-14)
and to Moses (Ex 11:4-7). But on the very same night, the Hebrews, "the holy
children of good men" (v. 9) celebrate the Passover meal in their houses, as a
festive sacrifice, all of them committing themselves to share both "blessings
and dangers"; in this way they act as a people consecrated to the Lord and
sing "the praises of the fathers" (v. 9). In due course, these original hymns came
to form the Hallel, a group of psalms that were recited on Passover night and on
the great feast-days (cf. Ps 113-118) – hymns that Jesus will recite with his di-
sciples at the Last Supper (cf. Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26).


2nd Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19

The Good Example of the Patriarchs
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[1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not
seen. [2] For by it the men of old received divine approval.

[8] By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he
was to receive as an inheritance and he went out, not knowing where he was to
go. [9] By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living
in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. [10] For he
looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is
God. [11] By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was
past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. [12] There-
fore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many
as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

[13] These all died in faith, not having received what was promised, but having
seen it and greeted it from afar, and having acknowledged that they were stran-
gers and exiles on the earth. [14] For people who speak thus make it clear that
they are seeking a homeland. [15] If they had been thinking of that land from
which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] But
as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is
not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

[17] By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had
received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, [18] of whom it was
said, "Through Isaac shall your descendants be named." [19] He considered
that God was able to raise men even from the dead; hence he did receive him
back, and this was a symbol.

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Commentary:

1. Although the text does not aim to provide a precise definition of faith, it does
in fact very clearly describe the essence of that virtue, linking it to hope in future
things and to certainty concerning supernatural truths. By means of faith, the
believer acquires certainty concerning God's promises to man, and a firm convic-
tion that he will obtain access to heaven. The Latin translates as "substantia"
the word the RSV translates as "assurance"; "substantia", which literally means
"that which underlies", here refers to the solid basis provided by hope.

1. 비록 이 본문이 신앙(faith, 신덕)에 대한 정확한 정의(definition)를 제공하고자 하는 
것은 아니나,(*) 이 본문은 사실은 바로 이 덕의 핵심을, 미래의 것들에 대한 희망
(hope)으로 그리하여 초자연적 진리(supernatural truths)들에 관한 확실성
(certainty)으로 연결시킴으로써, 매우 분명하게 설명하고 있습니다. 신앙(faith, 
신덕)에 의하여, 믿는 이(the believer)는 사람을 향한 하느님의 약속들에 관한 확실성을 
습득(acquires)하며, 그리고 그가 하늘(heaven, 천당)(**)로의 접근을 획득할 것이라는 강한 
확실성을 습득합니다. 라틴어 불가타 성경은 RSV 성경이 "assurance(보증)"으로 
번역한 단어를 "substantia"로 번역하고 있는데, 글자 그대로 "that which underlies
(기초가 되는 것)"을 의미하는, "substantia"는, 여기서 희망에 의하여 제공되는 
견고한 기초를 말합니다.

[내용 추가 일자: 2014년 7월 11일]
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(*) 번역자 주: 그리스도교 "신앙(faith, 신덕)"의 정의(definition)가 또한 주어져 
있는 "믿음(faith)" 과 "신앙(faith, 신덕)",  즉, "믿다(believe)" 와 "쪽으로 믿다(believe in)"의 
차이점에 대한 성 아우구스티노(St. Augustine, 354-430년)의 가르침과 성 토마스 
아퀴나스(St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274년)의 저술인 신학 대전(Summa 
Theologica)에서의 가르침은 다음에 있으니 필독하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1548.htm <----- 필독 권고

[이상, 내용 추가 끝]

[내용 추가 일자: 2016년 5월 15일]
(**) 번역자 주: "천국(하늘나라)"이 영어로 "kingdom of heaven(하늘 나라)"으로 
번역되는 용어의 차용 한자 번역 용어임에 대한 중대한 지적의 글은 다음에 있으니 
꼭 읽도록 하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1661.htm <----- 필독 권고
-----
[이상, 내용 추가 끝]

This verse indicates that faith, which is a type of knowledge, is different from
other types of human knowledge. Thus, man can know things by direct evidence,
by reasoned proof or by someone else's testimony. As regards knowledge based
on information provided by someone else, that is, knowledge based on faith, we
can distinguish two types--human faith, when it is another human being whose
word one relies on (as in the case of pupil/teacher, child/parent), and supernatu-
ral faith (when the testimony comes from God himself, who is Supreme Truth).
In this latter case the knowledge provided is most certain.

이 절은, 지식(knowledge)의 한 종류인 신앙(faith, 신덕)이 인간의 지식의 다른 
종류들과 다름을 나타내고 있습니다. 따라서, 사람은 직접적인 증거들에 의하여, 
추론된 증명(reasoned proof)에 의하여 혹은 다른 어떤 이의 증언에 의하여, 사물
(things)들을 알 수 있습니다. 다른 어떤 이에 의하여 제공된 정보에 기초를 둔 지식, 
즉, 믿음(faith, 신뢰)에 기초를 둔 지식에 관하여 말하면, 우리는 다음의 두 종류를 
구분할 수 있습니다 -- (학생/선생, 아이/부모의 경우에 있어서 처럼) 그것이, 그의 
말에 우리가 의지하는, 다른 사람일 때인, 인간적 믿음(human faith), 그리고 
(증언이, 최상의 진리이신, 하느님 당신 자신으로부터 올 때인) 초자연적 믿음
(supernatural faith). 후자의 경우에 있어 제공되는 알게 됨은 가장 확실합니다.

However, the object of supernatural faith, that is, what one believes in (God and
the unchanging decrees of his will), is not something that is self-evident to man,
nor is it something that can be attained by the use of unaided reason. That is why
it is necessary for God himself to bear witness to what he reveals. Faith, then, is
certain knowledge, but it is knowledge of things which are not self-evident, things
which one does not see but which one can hope for.

그러나 초자연적 믿음의 대상은, 즉 (하느님과 자신의 의지의 변하지 않는 정도들에 
대하여) 우리가 믿는 바는, 사람에게 자명한(self-evident) 어떤 것이 아니며, 그리고 
도움을 받지 않는 이성(reason)의 사용에 의하여 얻을 수 있는 어떤 것이 아닙니다. 
이것이 하느님 당신 자신께서 당신께서 드러내시는 바에 대하여 증거하실 필요가 있는 
바로 그 이유입니다. 이러한 방식으로(then), 신앙(faith, 신덕)은 지식(knowledge)이나, 
그러나 이것은 자명하지 아니한 것들에 대한, 우리가 보지 못하는 그러나 우리가 
희망할 수 있는 것들에 대한, 지식을 말합니다.

The verse also says that faith is "conviction" concerning things not seen. It is
therefore different from opinion, suspicion or doubt (none of which implies cer-
tainty). By saying that it has to do with things unseen, it is distinguishing faith
from knowledge and intuitive cognition (cf. "Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. 4,a. 1).

이 절은 또한 신앙(faith, 신덕)이 보이지 않는 것들에 관한 "확증(conviction, 확실한 
증거)"이라고 말합니다. 따라서 이것은 견해(opinion) 혹은 의심(doubt)과는 다릅니다 
[이들 중의 어떤 것도 확실성(certainty)을 의미하지 않습니다]. 이것이 보이지 않는 
것들과 관련이 되어있음을 말함으로써, 이 절은 지식(knowledge)과 직관적인 인식
(intuitive cognition)으로부터 믿음(faith)을 구분하고  있습니다. [(성 토마스 아퀴나스의) 
"신학 대전(Summa Theologiae)", II-II, q. 4,a. 1을 참조하라].

Summing up, we can say that "when God makes a revelation, we are obliged to
render by faith a full submission of intellect and will. The faith, however, which is
the beginning of human salvation, the Catholic Church asserts to be a superna-
tural virtue whereby, with the inspiration and help of God's grace, we believe that
what he has revealed is true--not because its intrinsic truth is seen by the natural
light of reason, but because of the authority of God who reveals it, of God who
can neither deceive nor be deceived" (Vatican I, "Dei Filius", chap. 3).

요약하면, 우리는 다음과 같이 말할 수 있습니다: "하느님께서 드러내실 때에, 우리는 
신앙(신덕)에 의하여(by faith) 지성(intellect)과 의지(will)의 충만한 복종을 다할 의무가 
있습니다 [가톨릭 교회 교리서 143항; 특히 가톨릭 교회 교리서 제142항의 마지막 
문장에 주어진 신앙(faith, 신덕)의 정의(definition)를 필히 참조하라]. 그러나, 
인류 구원의 시작인 이 신앙을, 가톨릭 교회는 초자연적 덕(supernatural virtue) 이라고 
단언하며 바로 이것에 의하여(whereby), 하느님의 은총에 의한 영감과 도움으로, 
이성(reason) 이라는 자연의 빛에 의하여 그 본질적인 진리가 이해되기 때문이 아니라, 
그것을  드러내시는 하느님의 권위(authority) 때문에, 우리를 속이실 리도 없으시며 
그리고  속임을 당하실 리도 없으신 하느님의 권위 때문에, 당신께서 드러내신 바가 
진리임을 우리는 믿습니다(believe)." [제1차 바티칸 공의회 (Vatican I), "Dei Filius", 
chap. 3].

It is, therefore, a feature of faith that it makes as certain about things which are
not self-evident. That is why in order to believe one must want to believe, why the
act of believing is always free and meritorious. However, faith can, with God's help,
reach a certainty greater than any proof can provide. 'This faith", St John of Avila
comments, "is not based on reasons [...]; for when a person believes on the ba-
sis of reasons, he is not believing in such a way that he is totally convinced, with-
out any doubt or scruple whatever. But the faith which God infuses is grounded
on divine Truth, and it causes one to believe more firmly than if one saw it with
one's own eyes, and touched it with one's hands--and to believe more certainly
than he who believes that four is greater than three, the sort of thing that is so ob-
vious that the mind never hesitates a moment, nor can it even if it wants to" ("Au-
di, Filia", chap. 43).

그러므로 자명하지 아니한 것들에 관하여 확실하게 만드는 것이 바로 신앙(faith, 신덕)의 
특징입니다. 이것이  믿기(believe) 위하여 우리는 믿는(believe) 것을 원하여야 하는 
바로 그 이유이며, 믿는다(believing)는 행위가 항상 자유로우며 그리고 칭찬할 만한 
일인 바로 그 이유입니다. 그러나 신앙(faith, 신덕)은, 하느님의 도우심과 함께, 어떠한 
증명이 제공할 수 있는 것 보다 더 커다란 어떤 확실성(a certainty)에 도달할 수 있습니다. 
아빌라의 성 요한(St. John of Avila)은 다음과 같이 주석하였습니다: " 바로 이 신앙(신덕)
(this faith)은 추론(reasons)들에 근거한 것이 아닌데 [...]; 이는 어떤 자가 추론들에 
근거하여 믿을(believe) 때에, 그는 자신이, 아무런 의심 혹은 조금의 주저함 없이, 
전적으로 확신하게 되는 그러한 방식으로 믿고 있는(is believing) 것이 아니기 때문입니다. 
그러나 하느님께서 주입하시는(infuses) 이 신앙(the faith, 신덕)은 하느님의 거룩한 
진리에 기반을 두고 있으며, 그리고 이것은 우리로 하여금 우리가 우리 고유의 눈들로 
보았을 때보다, 그리고 자신의 손들로 만졌을 때보다 더 확고하게 믿게(believe) 하며 -- 
그리고, 너무도 명백하여 한 순간도 마음이 전혀 머뭇거리지도 않으며, 그리고 심지어 
마음이 원하더라도 전혀 그럴 수 없는 그러한 종류의 것인, 숫자 4는 숫자 3보다 더 큼을 
믿는(believes) 자보다 더 확실하게 믿게(believe) 합니다." ["Audi, Filia", chap. 43].

The faith which God gives a person--supernatural faith--is necessarily the point
of departure for hope and charity: it is what is usually called "living faith".

하느님께서 한 인격체(a person)에게 주시는 이 신앙(the faith, 신덕), 즉, 초자연적 
믿음 (supernatural faith) 은 필연적으로 희망(hope, 망덕)과 사랑(charity, 애덕)을 
향한 출발점이며, 그리고 이것이 보통 "살아있는 믿음(living faith)"으로 불리는 
바 바로 그것입니다.

When one lives with this kind of faith it is easy to see that the three "theological"
virtues (faith, hope and charity) are bound up with one another. Faith and hope
lead a person to unite himself to God as the source from which all good things
flow; charity unites us to God directly, by loving affection, because God is the
supreme Good. Faith is as it were the first step: it means accepting what God
says as true.

우리가 바로 이러한 종류의 믿음(faith)과 함께 살아갈 때에 세 개의 "신학적(theological) 
덕[믿음(신덕, 신앙), 희망(망덕) 그리고 사랑(애덕)]들이 서로에게 밀접하게 결속되어 
있음을 쉽게 이해할 수 있습니다. 신앙(faith, 신덕)과 희망(hope, 망덕)은, 자기 자신을, 
모든 좋은 것들이 흘러나오는 원천으로서의 하느님께로 결합하도록, 한 인격을 인도하며, 
그리고 사랑(charity, 애덕)은 직접적으로 우리를, 다정한 애정(loving affection)으로, 
하느님께 결합시키는데, 이는 하느님께서는 지고의 선(Good)이기 때문입니다. 신앙
(faith, 신덕)은, 말하자면, 그 첫 단계이며, 그리고 이것은 하느님께서 우리에게 
진리로서 말씀하시는 바를 받아들임을 의미합니다.

We then unite ourselves to him through hope, insofar as we rely on God's help
to attain beatitude. The goal of this process is charity, the fullness of which is
eternal possession of God, the Supreme Good. 

따라서, 우리가 참 행복(beatitude)을 얻고자 하느님의 도우심에 의존하는 한, 
우리는 희망(hope, 망덕)을 통하여 우리 자신을 당신께 결합시킵니다. 이러한 
과정의 목표(the goal)는, 그 충만함이 지고의 선(Supreme Good)이신 하느님을 
영원히 소유함을 말하는, 사랑(charity, 애덕)에 있습니다.

"Let us grow in hope, thereby strengthening our faith which is truly 'the assurance 
of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen' (Heb 11:1).Let us grow in this 
virtue, let us beg our Lord to increase his charity in us; after all, one can only really 
trust what one loves with all one's might. And it is certainly worthwhile to love our Lord" 
(St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 220).

"희망(hope, 망덕) 안에서 자라도록 하여, 그렇게 함으로써 진실로 '우리가 바라는 
것들의 본제/실체(substantia)이며 보이지 않는 실체들의 밖으로의 표시(evidience, 증거)'(*)
(새 대중 라틴말 성경, 히브리 11,1)인 우리의 신앙(faith, 신덕)을 강화하도록 합시다. 
이 덕 안에서 자라도록 하고, 우리 안에 당신의 사랑(his charity, 애덕)을 증대해 주실 
것을 우리의 주님께 청원하여, 결국에, 전력을 다하여 우리가 사랑하는(loves) 바를 
우리가 오로지 실제로 신뢰할 수 있도록 합시다. 그리고 우리의 주님을 사랑하는
(ㅣlove) 것은 확실하게 애쓸 가치가 있습니다. [St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 220].

[내용 추가 일자: 2022년 8월 9일]
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(*) 번역자 주: (1) 우선적으로, 다음의 주소에 접속하면, RSV (Revised Standard Version), 
히브리서 11,1에 제시된 영어 번역문이 대단히 심각한 번역 오류임에 대한 지적의 글을 
학습할 수 있다. 필독을 권고드린다: 
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/definition_of_faith_in_Hebrews11_1_2610.htm 

(2) 또한 바로 위의 주소에 접속하면, 지역 언어로의 번역 과정에서 성경 용어의 자구적 의미
(literal sense)에 관한 바로 "이러한" 문제점이 있을 경우에는 "새 대중 라틴말 성경"의 해당 
본문을 따르라는 교황청 신앙경시성 문헌인 지침서를 학습할 수 있다.

(3) 다른 한편으로, 바로 여기서 말해지고 있는 한 개의 보편적이고 또한 객관적인(objective) 
'보이지 않는 실체들의 밖으로의 표시(evidience, 증거)'는, 그 다음 단계로서, 우리들 각자에게, 
절대 객관화된, 한 개의 주관적인 확신(a subjective conviction)을 가지게 함에 또한 반드시 
주목하라.
-----
[ 이상, 2022년 8월 9일자 내용 추가 끝]

If hope in general is the conviction of being able to obtain something worthwhile in
the future, something difficult to obtain, theological hope is the conviction of being
able, with the help of God, to attain heaven. And faith is precisely what provides
certain knowledge of those two truths--that heaven is our goal and that God wants
to help us to get there (cf. "Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. l7, a 5 and 7). Therefore,
nothing should dishearten us on this road to our ultimate goal because we put our
trust in "three truths: God is all-powerful, God has a boundless love for me, God is
faithful to his promises. And it is he, the God of mercies, who enkindles this trust
within me, so that I never feel lonely or useless or abandoned but, rather, involved
in a plan of salvation which will one day reach its goal in Paradise" (John Paul I,
"Address", 20 September 1978).

일반적으로 희망(hope)이 미래에 가치가 있는 어떤 것을, 획득하기 어려운 어떤 것을, 
얻을 수 있음에 대한 확신(conviction)이라면, 신학적 희망(theological hope, 망덕)은, 
하느님의 도움과 함께, 하늘(heaven, 천당)을 획득할(attain) 수 있음에 대한 [절대 객관화된] 
확신(conviction)을 말합니다. 그리고 신앙(faith, 신덕)은, 하늘(heaven, 천당)이 우리의 
목표이며 그리고 거기에 도달하도록 우리를 도와주는 것을 하느님께서 원하신다는, 
이들 두 진리들에 대한 어떤 지식(certain knowledge)을 제공하는 바 바로 그것을 
말합니다. ["신학대전(Summa Theologiae)", II-II, q. l7, a 5 and 7을 참고하라]. 그러므로, 
우리의 궁극적인 목표를 향한 이러한 길에 있어 어떠한 것도 우리를 낙심시키지 못할 
것인데 이는 우리가 다음과 같은 "세 개의 진리들"에 우리의 신뢰를 두고 있기 때문입니다: 
"하느님께서는 전능하시며(all-powerful), 하느님께서는 나를 위한 무한한 사랑(love)을 
가지고 계시며, 하느님께서는 당신의 약속들에 충실하십니다. 그리고 나의 안쪽에 
이러한 신뢰에 불을 붙이시는, 그리하여 제가 전혀 외롭다거나 혹은 소용없다거나 혹은 
버려졌다고 결코 느끼는 것이 아니라, 이보다는 오히려, 언젠가는 낙원에 대한 그 목표에 
도달할 구원 계획에 개입되어 있음을 느끼게 하고자 하시는 분이, 자비의 하느님이신, 
바로 당신이십니다. [John Paul I, "Address", 20 September 1978].

8. Abraham, "our father in faith", is the greatest example, in the Old Testament,
of faith in God (cf. Gen 12:1-4; Rom 4:1ff; Gal 3:6-9; Heb 6:13ff). It is not surpri-
sing that the author pauses to dwell on the faithful life of the father of the chosen
people. Putting all his trust in the divine word, Abraham gave up all the security
and comfort of his native land in Ur of the Chaldeans, to set out for a distant and
unknown place, the land of Canaan, which God had promised to give his descen-
dants. "Neither the love for his homeland nor the pleasure of his neighbors' com-
pany nor the comforts of his father's home were able to weaken his resolve. He
set out courageously and ardently to where God willed to lead him. What self-
abasement and abandonment! One cannot love God perfectly unless one re-
nounces all attachment to perishable things" (St Francis de Sales, "Treatise on
the Love of God", book 10). Abraham symbolizes the need for detachment if one
is to obtain redemption and to be a good servant of God and of others.

"Never forget that Christ cannot be reached without sacrifice. You have to get rid
of everything that gets in the way [...]. You have to do the same in this battle for
the glory of God, in this struggle of love and peace by which we are trying to
spread Christ's kingdom. In order to serve the Church, the Pope and all souls,
you must be ready to give up everything superfluous" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of
God", 196).

9-10. Abraham, and his son Isaac and grandson Jacob like him, far from settling
down comfortably in a permanent place, lived a nomadic existence a stranger in
a foreign land (cf. Gen 23:4). By faith the patriarch "looked forward to the city
which has foundations", the city God would build. Instead of the provisionality of
tents and the weak foundations of cities built by men, a heavenly city was being
established, eternal and permanent, built by God on solid foundations, which Ab-
raham hoped one day to possess. The promised land was a symbol of the defi-
itive fatherland to which God called the father of Israel. There was even a late
Jewish tradition which spoke of Abraham being given a vision of the heavenly Je-
rusalem after he ratified his covenant with God.

Christians live in the world by the will of God, and they love the world, but at the
same time they realize they should not settle down in it as if it were the final goal
of their lives. "They are residents at home in their own country but their behavior
is more like that of people who are passing through [...]. For them any foreign
country is a homeland, and any homeland a foreign country" ("Letter to Diogne-
tus", V, 5).

11-12. Sarah, like Abraham, was very elderly when God announced that she was
going to have a child. At first she was puzzled and even sarcastically skeptical
(cf. Gen 18:9f), but soon her attitude changed into a faith which God rewarded by
her conceiving Isaac. The faith of Sarah and her husband can be said to exceed
that of the earlier patriarchs because what God promised could come true only
by means of a miracle, since Abraham, like his wife, was old and incapable of
begetting children. That is why it says that from one man "and him as good as
dead" innumerable descendants were born. God is generous in rewarding man's
faith. "'Si habueritis fidem, sicut granum sinapis"! --If your faith were the size of
a mustard seed!...'

"What promises are contained in this exclamation of the Master!" (St. J. Escriva,
"The Way", 585).

The conception of Isaac is also a "type" of that of Christ. "All the miraculous
conceptions which occurred in the Old Testament were prefigurements of the
greatest of all miracles, the Incarnation of the Word. It was fitting that his birth
from a Virgin should be prefigured by other births so as to prepare people's minds
for faith. But there is this difference: God miraculously enabled Sarah to conceive
by means of human seed, whereas the blessed Virgin conceived without it" (St
Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on Heb.", 11, 3).

13-16. After speaking about the faith of Abel, Noah and Abraham, the sacred
writer goes on to give a brief panoramic account of the entire history of the Pa-
triarchs and the Exodus. It does not deal with events in chronological order. By
recalling that the Patriarchs left their own country to journey abroad "seeking a
homeland", he brings in the exodus from Egypt. Between Abraham, who left Ur
to travel to the land of Canaan, and the people of Israel, who left Egypt for the
promised land, there is an obvious parallel, which is even more marked if one
bears in mind that neither Abraham nor the Israelites led by Moses were des-
tined to take possession of the land: that was reserved to their descendants.
The only thing Abraham managed to do was to purchase the cave of Machpelah,
near Hebron, and the land immediately around it, for which he had to pay a very
high price in silver. The cave became the burial ground of Sarah, Abraham him-
self, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. But Abraham publicly admitted he was
"a stranger and a sojourner" in Canaan when he bought the cave from the Hittites
(Gen 23:4). Nor did the Hebrews of Moses' generation manage to enter Canaan.
The nearest they got to it was descriptions brought by their spies; and Moses
himself was only able to view it from a distance, from Mount Nebo, just prior to
his death (cf. Deut 32:49-52; 33:1-4).

Abraham, and later Isaac and Jacob (who led a nomadic existence in Canaan),
like the Israelites in the wilderness, prefigure Christians, who are also in search
of a land of their own, a better homeland, that is, heaven (cf. Heb 13:14). It cer-
tainly is moving to recall the Patriarchs and the Exodus, and very helpful to the
faith and hope of Christians amid the difficulties they encounter in this world.
Those men of faith are said to have "seen" what was promised: this may be a
reference to some special grace God gave them, as was the case with Abra-
ham (cf. Jn 8:56), or else to the intuitive vision of supernatural things which faith
provides (cf. "Commentary on Heb, ad loc."). "They greeted it from afar," happy
to do so. "They greeted the promises and rejoiced," St John Chrysostom says,
"for they already had such faith in those promises that they could make signs
of greeting. This comparison is taken from seafaring: when from afar sailors es-
py the city they are making for, even before entering the port they cheer in gree-
ting" ("Hom. on Heb.", 23).

The Patriarchs' attitude was a true indication of their faith in a future life, for, as
St Thomas points out, by describing themselves as strangers and sojourners
(Gen 23:4; 47:9; cf. Deut 26:5) they showed they were heading towards their
homeland, the heavenly Jerusalem. They did not set their hearts on an earthly
homeland, or on their parental homestead, for if so they could in fact have cho-
sen to return to it (cf. "Commentary on Heb, ad loc."). Thus the promises made
to them found their fulfillment not in something earthly but in the eternity of hea-
ven: "Therefore God is not ashamed" to be called the God of Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob: seeing their faith and fidelity, he overlooked their sins and faults. And
he is disposed to act in the same way towards Christians.

In vv. 14 and 16, in the Greek text and the New Vulgate -- and in the RSV -- the
verbs are in the present tense, as distinct from the past (aorist) used generally
in this passage. This is because the whole paragraph is recalling the life of the
Patriarchs, but with the intention of stressing that their faith is an example to all
generations. What we have here is a mixture of history and sapiential writing,
using verbs which indicate that the action--or at least some of its effects -- is
still going on.

17-19. It is very difficult for us to imagine what Abraham thought when God asked
him to sacrifice Isaac, the son of the promise, his only son, in the mountains of
Moriah (cf. Gen 22:2). The Old Testament shows how resolute Abraham was, his
absolute docility, his serenity even in the midst of suffering his trust in God (cf.
Gen 22:1-18). This is revealed in the touching conversation between the Patriarch
and his son, when Isaac asks him where is the lamb for the offering and Abraham
replies, "God will provide himself with the lamb for a burnt offering, my son". In St
Paul's epistles generally Abraham's faith is proposed as an example (cf. Gal 3:7;
Rom 4:3, 11-12; 4:17-22); but that was in the context of his faith in God's promise
that he would have a multitude of descendants. Here, however, the Patriarch's
faith is to be seen in the way he approaches a commandment which seems to
negate that promise: how could God possibly ask him to sacrifice his only son?
The answer lies in the fact that God knew that Abraham had faith in his ability to
bring the dead back to life.

Abraham's obedience to God in this episode is the most striking proof of his faith.
Here most of all the Patriarch "believed against hope [...]; he grew strong in his
faith as he gave glory to God" (Rom 4:18, 21). "The Patriarch hears words which
deny the promise; he hears the very author of the promise contradict himself, but
he is not dismayed; he is going to obey as if everything were completely consis-
tent. And in fact the two things were compatible: the two things God said were
contradictory as far as human logic was concerned; but faith brought them into
agreement [...].

"God tested Abraham's faith. Did he not know the strength and integrity of that
great man? Undoubtedly he did, very well. Why, then, did he put them to the
test? He did not do it to prove to himself the Patriarch's virtue; he did it to show
the world how excellent Abraham was. The Apostle, moreover, shows the He-
brews one of the causes of our temptations, so that anyone who is afflicted
should not think that God has abandoned him" ("Hom. on Heb.", 25). we know,
moreover, that precisely on account of Abraham's generosity and faith, God re-
newed his promise to him, now ratifying it with an oath (cf. Gen 22:16; Heb 6:
13-18).

19. "Hence he did receive him back, and this was a symbol": after offering Isaac,
Abraham was given him back, because God stepped in before Isaac was sacri-
ficed (Gen 22:11-12). And he received him as "a symbol" (literally, as "a para-
ble"). Tradition has always seen the sacrifice of Isaac, the only Son, as a sym-
bol of the redemptive sacrifice of Christ; and, particularly, it has seen God's in-
tervention on Mount Moriah as a symbol of the Resurrection. "He saw it as a
symbol," Theodoret comments, "that is, as a prefigurement of the Resurrection.
(Isaac) was brought to death by his father's will, and then brought back to life by
the voice which prevented his death. All this amounts to a prefiguring of the pas-
sion of the Savior, and that is why the Lord told the Jews, 'Your father Abraham
rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad' (Jn 8:56)" ("Interpre-
tatio Ep. ad Haebreos, ad loc.").

Origen, a writer of Christian antiquity, reflects this tradition very beautifully when
he says that the sacrifice of Isaac helps us to understand the mystery of Redemp-
tion. "Isaac carrying the wood for the burnt offering is a symbol of Christ, who car-
ried his (own) cross. But it is also the function of the priest to carry the wood for
the burnt offering [...]. Christ is the Word of God, but the Word made flesh. There-
fore, there is in Christ an element which comes from above and another which
comes from human nature, which he took on in the womb of the Virgin. This is
why Christ experiences suffering: he suffers in the flesh, and he dies, but what
suffers death is the flesh, and the ram is a figure of this, as St John said, 'Behold
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' (Jn 1:29) [...]. Christ is at
one and the same time victim and high priest. Thus, according to the spirit he of-
fers the victim to his father, according to his flesh, he himself is offered on the al-
tar of the cross" ("Homilies on Genesis", 8, 6 and 9).

For all these reasons, Eucharistic Prayer I links Christ's sacrifice with those of
Abel, Isaac and Melchizedek.
　

Gospel Reading: Luke 12:32-48

Trust in God's Fatherly Providence (Continuation)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Jesus said to His disciples,) [32] "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's
good pleasure to give you the kingdom. [33] Sell your possessions, and give
alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in
the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
[34] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The Need for Vigilance and the Parable of the Steward (Continuation)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Jesus said to His disciples,) [35] "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burn-
ing, [36] and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from
the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and
knocks. [37] Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he
comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he
will come and serve them. [39] If he comes in the second watch, or in the third,
and finds them so, blessed are those servants!" [40] You also must be ready;
for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

[41] Peter said, "Lord are you telling this parable for us or for all?" [42] And the
Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set
over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? [43]
Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. [44]
Truly I tell you, he will set him over all his possessions. [45] But if that servant
says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the men-
servants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, [46] the mas-
ter of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an
hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unfaithful. [47]
And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act ac-
cording to his will, shall receive a severe beating. [48] But he who did not know,
and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Everyone to whom
much is given, of him much will be required; and of him to whom men commit
much they will demand the more."

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

33-34. Our Lord concludes this address by insisting on those imperishable goods
to which we should aspire. In this connection the Second Vatican Council con-
cludes its teaching on the universal call to holiness saying: "Therefore all the faith-
ful are invited and obliged to holiness and perfection of their own state of life. Ac-
cordingly let all of them see that they direct their affections rightly, lest they be
hindered in their pursuit of perfect love by the use of worldly things and by an ad-
herence to riches which is contrary to the spirit of evangelical poverty, following
the Apostle's advice: Let those who use this world not fix their abode in it, for
the form of this world is passing away (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:31)" ("Lumen Gentium",
42).

"When Holy Scripture refers to the heart, it does not refer to some fleeting senti-
ment of joy or tears. By heart it means the person who directs his whole being,
soul and body, to what he considers his good, as Jesus himself indicated: 'For
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also' (Matthew 6:21)" (St. J. Es-
criva, "Christ Is Passing By", 164). Our Lord's teaching is quite clear: man's
heart yearns to possess wealth, a good social position, prestigious public or pro-
fessional appointments, which he sees as providing him with security, content-
ment and self-affirmation; however, this kind of treasure involves endless worry
and disappointment, because there is always a danger of losing it. Jesus does
not mean that man should forget about earthly things, but he does teach us that
no created thing should become our "treasure", our main in life: that should be
God, our Creator and Lord, whom we should love and serve as we go about our
ordinary affairs, putting our hopes on the eternal joy of heaven. See also the note
on Matthew 6:19-21.

[The note on Matthew 6:19-21 states:

19-21. The idea here is very clear: man's heart yearns for a treasure which will
give him security and happiness. However, every treasure in the form of earthly
goods--wealth, property--becomes a constant source of worry, because there is
always the risk we will lose it or because the effort to protect it is such a strain.

Against this, Jesus teaches us here that our true treasure lies in good works and
an upright life, which will be eternally rewarded by God in Heaven. That indeed is
a treasure which one never loses, a treasure on which Christ's disciple should put
his heart.

Jesus closes the teaching contained in the preceding verses with a kind of refrain
(verse 21). He is not saying that people should be unconcerned about earthly
things; what He does say is that no created thing can be "the treasure", the ult-
imate aim, of man. What man should do is make his way to God, sanctify him-
self and give all glory to God, by making right use of the noble things of the earth:
"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Co-
rinthians 10:31; cf. Colossians 3:17).]

35-39. In the preaching of Christ and of the Apostles we are frequently exhorted
to be watchful (cf. Matthew 24:42; 25:13; Mark 14:34) -- for one thing, because
the enemy is always on the prowl (cf. 1 Peter 5:8), and also because a person in
love is always awake (cf. Song of Songs 5:2). This watchfulness expresses itself
in a spirit of prayer (cf. Luke 21:36; 1 Peter 4:7) and fortitude in faith (cf. 1 Corin-
thians 16:13). See the note on Matthew 25:1-13.

[The note on Matthew 25:1-13 states:

1-13. The main lesson of this parable has to do with the need to be on the alert:
in practice, this means having the light of faith, which is kept alive with the oil of
charity. Jewish weddings were held in the house of the bride's father. The virgins
are young unmarried girls, bridesmaids who are in the bride's house waiting for
the bridegroom to arrive. The parable centers on the attitude one should adopt
up to the time when the bridegroom comes. In other words, it is not enough to
know that one is "inside" the Kingdom, the Church: one has to be on the watch
and be preparing for Christ's coming by doing good works.

This vigilance should be continuous and unflagging, because the devil is forever
after us, prowling around "like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Pe-
ter 5:8). "Watch with the heart, watch with faith, watch with love, watch with cha-
rity, watch with good works [...]; make ready the lamps, make sure they do not
go out [...], renew them with the inner oil of an upright conscience; then shall the
Bridegroom enfold you in the embrace of His love and bring you into His banquet
room, where your lamp can never be extinguished" (St. Augustine, "Sermon",
93).]

35. To enable them to do certain kinds of work the Jews used to hitch up the flo-
wing garments they normally wore. "Girding your loins" immediately suggests a
person getting ready for work, for effort, for a journey etc. (cf. Jeremiah 1:17;
Ephesians 6:14; 1 Peter 1:13). Similarly, "having your lamps burning" indicates
the sort of attitude a person should have who is on the watch or is waiting for
someone's arrival.

40. God has chosen to hide from us the time of our death and the time when the
world will come to an end. Immediately after death everyone undergoes the Parti-
cular Judgment: "just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes
judgment..." (Hebrews 9:27). The end of the world is when the General Judgment
will take place.

41-48. After our Lord's exhortation to vigilance, St. Peter asks a question (verse
41), the answer to which is the key to understanding this parable. On the one
hand, Jesus emphasizes that we simply do not know exactly when God is going
to ask us to render an account of our life; on the other -- answering Peter's ques-
tion -- our Lord explains that His teaching is addressed to every individual. God
will ask everyone to render an account of his doings: everyone has a mission to
fulfill in this life and he has to account for it before the judgment seat of God and
be judged on what he has produced, be it much or little.

"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. Hebrews 9:27), we may merit to enter with Him into the marriage
feast and be numbered among the blessed (cf. Matthew 25:31-46) and not, like
the wicked and slothful servants (cf. Matthew 25:26), be ordered to depart into
the eternal fire (cf. Matthew 25:41)" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 48).

*********************************************************************************************
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 우리말 번역에 대한 
저작권은 엮은이에게 있으며, 본문 중의 우리말 번역문들을 복사하여 가져가는 것을
허락하지 않습니다.]