Wednesday
10th Week of Ordinary Time
(I) 1st Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:4-11
Christian Ministry is Superior to that of the Old Covenant
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[4] Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. [5] Not that
we are sufficient of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us;our sufficiency
is from God, [6] who has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a
written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life.
[7] Now if the dispensation of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such
splendor that the Israelites could not look at Moses' face because of its bright-
ness, fading as this was, [8] will not the dispensation of the Spirit be attended
with greater splendor? [9] For if there was splendor in the dispensation of con-
demnation, the dispensation of righteousness must far exceed it in splendor.
[10] Indeed, in this case, what once had splendor has come to have no splen-
dor at all, because of the splendor that surpasses it. [11] For if what faded
away came with splendor, what is permanent must have much more splendor.
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Commentary:
4-11. In these verses St Paul deals with a subject which he discusses more ful-
ly in his epistles to the Romans and the Galatians--the superiority of the New
Covenant, through which Christ reconciles men to God their Father, over the Old
Covenant which God made with Moses. Here he just outlines the superiority of
the Apostles' ministry over that of Moses. The latter was a dispensation of death
and condemnation (vv. 6,7,9) and it was temporary (vv. 7, 11); that of the Apos-
tles, on the other hand, is a dispensation of life and salvation (vv. 6-9) and it is
permanent (v. 11). So, if the ministry of Moses was splendid, that of the Apos-
tles will be all the more splendid.
When St Paul speaks of a ministry of "death" and "condemnation" (vv. 7, 9), this
does not mean that the Old Covenant was not something in itself holy and just,
but that the Law of Moses--part of that Covenant--although it pointed the way to
righteousness, was inadequate because it did not give people the resources to
conquer sin. It is in this sense that the Old Law can be said to have involved
death and condemnation: for it made the sinner more conscious of the gravity of
his sin, thereby increasing his guilt (cf. Romans, chapter 7-8 and corresponding
notes): "For," St Thomas Aquinas explains, "it is more serious to sin against the
natural law when that law is written down, than against the natural law on its own"
("Commentary on 2 Cor, ad loc.").
5. The Magisterium of the Church quotes these words when teaching the need
for the Holy Spirit to enlighten and inspire man to enable him to accept the truths
of faith or choose some good connected with eternal salvation (cf. Second Coun-
cil of Orange, can. 7). Therefore, anyone is foolish who thinks he can claim as
his own the good deeds he does or the apostolic results he obtains: they are in
fact a gift from God. As St Alphonsus says, "the spiritual man dominated by
pride is the worst kind of a thief because he is stealing not earthly things but the
glory that belongs to God [...] For, as the Apostle tells us, we, on our own, can-
not do anything good or even have a good thought (cf. 2 Cor 3:5) [...]. Therefore,
whenever we do something good, let us say to the Lord, 'We return to thee, 0
Lord, what we have received from thee' (cf. 1 Chron 29:14)" ("Treasury of Prea-
ching Material", II, 6).
6. Taking up again the simile he has used in v. 3, St Paul speaks about the "let-
ter" and the "Spirit" (cf. Rom 2:29; 7:6) to show the difference between the Law
of the Old Testament and that of the New. The Law of Moses is the "letter"
insofar as it simply publishes the precepts which man must keep, without pro-
viding the grace necessary for keeping them. The New Law, on the other hand,
is the "Spirit", because it is the Holy Spirit himself who, through grace, spreads
charity in the hearts of the faithful (cf. Rom 5:5), and charity is the fullness of the
Law (cf. Rom 13:10). "What is predominant in the law of the New Testament," St
Thomas Aquinas explains, "and whereon all its efficacy is based, is the grace of
the Holy Spirit, which is given through faith in Christ. Consequently the New Law
is chiefly the grace itself of the Holy Spirit, which is given to those who believe in
Christ" ("Summa Theologiae", I-Il, q. 106, a. 1). Hence the law of the Gospel can
also be called the law of the Spirit (cf. Rom 8:2), the law of grace or the law of
charity.
After pointing out how the Law of Moses laid down the death penalty for certain
sins, St John Chrysostom comments: "The Law, if it lays hold of a murderer,
puts him to death; the Gospel, if it lays hold of a murderer, enlightens him and
gives him life [...]. How lofty is the dignity of the Spirit, seeing that his tables are
better than those former ones [the "tables" of the Law], for they do even greater
things than raising a dead man to life! For the death from which grace delivers us
is much more lamentable than physical death' ("Hom, on 2 Cor. 6").
7-10. In the Book of Exodus (34:29-35), we are told that the face of Moses, when
he came down from Mount Sinai, where he had been speaking to God, was ra-
diant with light. So bright was it--for it reflected the splendor of God -- that the Is-
raelites were afraid to go near him.
St Paul here refers to that event to show the superiority of the New Covenant.
(II) 1st Reading: 1 Kings 18:20-39
The sacrifice on Mount Carmel
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[20] So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel, and gathered the prophets together
at Mount Carmel. [21] And Elijah came near to all the people, and said, "How
long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow
him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.
[22] Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD;
but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. [23] Let two bulls be given to
us; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it
on the wood, but put no fire to it; and I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the
wood, and put no fire to it. [24] And you call on the name of your god and I will
call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, he is God." And
all the people answered, "It is well spoken." [25] Then Elijah said to the prophets
of Baal, "Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many;
and call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it." [26] And they took the bull
which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from
morning until noon, saying, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no voice, and no
one answered. And they limped about the altar which they had made. [27] And at
noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is musing,
or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be
awakened." [28] And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their custom with
swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. [29] And as midday
passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was
no voice; no one answered, no one heeded.
[30] Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me"; and all the people
came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown
down; [31] Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the
sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, "Israel shall be your
name"; [32] and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. And
he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of
seed. [33] And he put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on
the wood. And he said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering,
and on the wood." [34] And he said, "Do it a second time"; and they did it a se-
cond time. And he said, "Do it a third time"; and they did it a third time. [35] And
the water ran round about the altar, and filled the trench also with water.
[36] And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near
and said, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day
that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all
these things at thy word. [37] Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people
may know that thou, O LORD, art God, and that thou hast turned their hearts
back." [38] Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and
the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the
trench. [39] And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they
said, "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God."
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Commentary:
18:20-40. "Carmel" is a chain of mountains that starts near the port of Haifa and
runs some 30 km. (18.5 miles) south-east. Its height (almost 600 m. or 1800 ft.)
and its lush vegetation made it particularly suitable as a place of religious cult (at
that time, the local people worshipped Baal). There, the one, true God will make
himself manifest in the sacrificial fire. To begin with, the people have nothing to
say when Elijah upbraids them, but at the end of the episode (v. 38) they make a
profession of faith which echoes in a way the faith of the prophet, who bears wit-
ness to the living God. The name of Elijah, "The Lord is my God', foretells the peo-
ple's cry in response to his prayer on Mount Carmel" ("Catechism of the Catholic
Church", 2582).
The fire which consumes the offering is a figure of the Holy Spirit: "While water
signifies birth and the fruitfulness of life given in the Holy Spirit, fire symbolizes
the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit's actions. The prayer of the prophet E-
lijah, who 'arose like fire' and whose 'word burned like a torch' (Sir 48:1), brought
down fire from heaven on the sacrifice on Mount Carmel (cf. 1 Kings 18:38-39).
This event was a 'figure' of the fire of the Holy Spirit, who transforms what he tou-
ches. John the Baptist, who goes 'before [the Lord] in the spirit and power of Eli-
jah' (Lk 1:17), proclaims Christ as the one who 'who will baptize you with Holy
Spirit and with fire' (Lk 3:16). Jesus will say of the Spirit: 'I came to cast fire up-
on the earth; and would that it were already kindled!' (Lk 12:49). In the form of
tongues 'as of fire', the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pen-
tecost and fills them with himself (Acts 2:3-4). The spiritual tradition has retained
this symbolism of fire as one of the most expressive images of the Holy Spirit's
actions (cf. St John of the Cross, "The Living Flame of Love"). 'Do not quench
the Spirit' (1 Thess 5:19)" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 696).
The similarity between the fire of Elijah's offering and the action of the Holy Spi-
rit in the eucharistic sacrifice was noted by the Fathers. But the typology can be
extended further: "The sacrifice on Mount Carmel is a decisive test for the faith
of the People of God. The Lord's fire consumes the holocaust, at the time of the
evening oblation. The Eastern liturgies repeat Elijah's plea in the Eucharistic epi-
clesis" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2583).
Elijah's action at the end -- killing the false prophets -- needs to be understood
in the light of his zeal for the Lord and of the mentality of the time, for the Mosaic
Law prescribed exactly such treatment for prophets of pagan divinities in order
to safeguard the religious purity of the people (cf. Deut 13:13-19).
Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus and His Teaching, the Fulfillment of the Law
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(Jesus said to His disciples,) [17] "Think not that I have come to abolish the
law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18]
For truly I say to you, till Heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot,
will pass from the law until all is accomplished. [19] Whoever then relaxes one
of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least
in the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be
called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."
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Commentary:
17-19. In this passage Jesus stresses the perennial value of the Old Testament.
It is the word of God; because it has a divine authority it deserves total respect.
The Old Law enjoined precepts of a moral, legal and liturgical type. Its moral
precepts still hold good in the New Testament because they are for the most
part specific divine-positive promulgations of the natural law. However, our Lord
gives them greater weight and meaning. But the legal and liturgical precepts of
the Old Law were laid down by God for a specific stage in salvation history, that
is, up to the coming of Christ; Christians are not obliged to observe them (cf.
"Summa Theologiae", I-II, q. 108, a. 3 ad 3).
The law promulgated through Moses and explained by the prophets was God's
gift to His people, a kind of anticipation of the definitive Law which the Christ or
Messiah would lay down. Thus, as the Council of Trent defined, Jesus not only
"was given to men as a redeemer in whom they are to trust, but also as a law-
giver whom they are to obey" ("De Iustificatione", can. 21).
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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].