나바르 매일미사 독서/묵상

Monday

15th Week of Ordinary Time

(I) 1st Reading: Exodus 1:8-14, 22

The Sons of Israel are Oppressed
--------------------------------
[8] Now there arose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph. [9] And
he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too
mighty for us. [10] Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they
multiply, and, if war befall us, they join our enemies and fight against us
and escape from the land." [11] Therefore they set taskmasters over them to
afflict them with heavy burdens; and they built for Pharaoh store-cities,
Pithom and Ra-amses. [12] But the more they were oppressed, the more they
multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread
of the people of Israel. [13] So they made the people of Israel serve with
rigor, [14] and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and
brick, and in all kinds of work in the field; in all their work they made
them serve with rigor.

[22] Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the
Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter
live."

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

1:8-14 The situation of the children of Israel is dramatically portrayed:
the more they are oppressed, the stronger they become (v. 12). The frequent
contrasts In the account and the fact that no names are supplied give the
impression that God himself (even though he is yet not named) is on the
Israelites' side and is against the pharaoh and his people. From the very
beginning, over and above the comings and goings of men, God is at work; a
religious event is taking shape.

For the first time the Bible here speaks of the "people [of the Sons] of
Israel" (v. 9). The sacred book counter-poses two peoples--the people of the
pharaoh, cruel and oppressive, and the people of Israel, the victims of
oppression. Over the course of their struggle to leave Egypt, the children
of Israel will gradually become conscious of this--that they form a people
chosen by God and released from bondage in order to fulfill an important
historical mission. They are not a motley collection of tribes or families,
but a people. "God, with loving concern contemplating, and making
preparation for, the salvation of the whole human race, in a singular
undertaking chose for himself a people to whom he would entrust his
promises" (Vatican II, "Del Verbum", 14). At the same time the religious
framework of this inspired book is established: on one side stand the
enemies of God, on the other the people of the children of the Covenant (cf.
Acts 3:25; "Catechism of the Catholic Church", 527).

1:8. We do not know who exactly this new king" was. He was probably
Rameses II (early 13th century BC), who belonged to the nineteenth dynasty.
This pharaoh sought to restore imperial control over foreigners and invaders.
The phrase "did not know Joseph" indicates how helpless and alone the
"sons of Israel" were. The people of Israel never did count for very much
politically, and yet God wills them to have an essential place in his plans.

Many Fathers of the Church saw in this pharaoh a personification of those
who are opposed to the establishment of the Kingdom of Christ. St Bede, for
example, reminds the Christian that if, having been baptized and having
listened to the teachings of the faith, he goes back to living in a worldly
way, "another king who knows not Joseph" will come to birth in him, that is,
the selfishness which opposes the plans of God (cf. "Commentaria In
Pentateuchum", 2,1).

1:11. Pithom and Ra-amses are called "store-cities" because provisions for
the frontier garrisons were stored in the silos of their temples. Reliable
archeological studies identify Pithom (which in Egyptian means "dwelling of
Athon") with some ruins a few kilometers from present-day Ishmailia, not far
from the Suez canal. A temple of Athon has been discovered there, and huge
stores of bricks. It is more difficult to say where Ra-amses was. The
balance of probability is that it was the earlier city of Avaris, a capital
during the dynasties of invader pharaohs. It would later be called Tanis,
and nowadays it is just a series of big ruins near a fishing village, San
el-Hagar, near Port Said, on the eastern part of the Nile delta.
Archeologists have discovered there the remains of an elaborate temple built
by Rameses II (1279-1212 BC), probably the pharaoh mentioned here.

1:14. In ancient Egypt it was normal for people, particularly foreigners, to
work for the pharaoh. This was not regarded as a form of slavery or
"oppression"; we know, for example, there were towns or entire cities which
accommodated the workers engaged in building the tombs or temples of the
pharaohs. The oppression the sacred writer refers to lay in the fact that
the Egyptians imposed particularly hard tasks on the Israelites--such as
brick-making, building and agricultural labor--and treated them cruelly.

St lsidore of Seville, commenting on this passage, compares it with the
situation of mankind which, after original sin, is subject to the tyranny of
the devil, who often manages to turn work into slavery.

Just as the pharaoh imposed the hard labor of mortar and brick, so too the
devil forces sinful man to engage in "earthly, dusty tasks which are
moreover mixed with straw, that is to say, with frivolous and irrational
acts" (cf. "Quaestiones In Exodum", 3).

1:22. The original text always refers to "the River" because the entire life of
ancient Egypt depended on it. Obviously it is referring to the Nile.
****************

(II) 1st Reading: Isaiah 1:10-17

Religion without soul
------------------------------
[10] Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
[11] “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of he-goats.

[12] “When you come to appear before me,
who requires of you
this trampling of my courts?
[13] Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and sabbath and the calling of assemblies –
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
[14] Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me,
I am weary of bearing them.
[15] When you spread forth your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.

Call to conversion
--------------------------
[16] Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your doings
from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
[17] learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
defend the fatherless,
plead for the widow.

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

1:2-39:8. The first part of the book of Isaiah is usually described as “First Isaiah”.
It includes prophetic passages that have as their background the threat posed by
the Assyrians to Judah and Jerusalem during the second half of the eighth century
BC. At the start and conclusion of this part, Jerusalem is referred to as a “be-
sieged city” and as “overthrown by aliens” (l:7-8; 36:1ff).

The sacred text links the people of Judah’s distress and uneasiness with the fact
that they have distanced themselves from God; they live without reference to him,
forgetful of all he has done for them. The future looks bleak, for there is no sign of
their heeding the prophet’s call to conversion. However, there is still some cause
for hope, for a remnant of Israel has kept faith with God, and from it a new, re-
formed people will emerge. In various ways a contrast is drawn between those
(like King Ahaz: cf. 7:1-17) who clearly do not put their trust in God, relying only
on human prudence to deal with the situation, and others (like King Hezekiah:
36:1-38:22) who have recourse to the Lord and make every effort to remedy
things; they are confident that God will come to their aid and deliver them from
danger.

The first part of the book contains prophetic passages that differ in style and ori-
gin. The oldest of them reflect the fear caused by the sheer might of Assyria,
which is depicted as a rod or staff wielded by the Lord in his anger (cf. 10:5). All
nations in the region felt threatened by Assyria, whose armies reached the very
gates of Jerusalem when Sennacherib besieged the city. (That siege marks the
end of this part of the book.)

These words of prophecy fall into six sections. The first deals with the threat
hanging over Israel and Judah (1:2-12:6); and the second contains oracles to do
with foreign nations (13:1-23:18). The third, which in away contains the theolo-
gical basis of all the teaching found in First Isaiah, and which is known as the
“Apocalypse of Isaiah”, deals with the sentence passed on the nations by the
Lord (he is supreme, and nothing escapes his justice); still, the light of salvation
is always on the horizon (24:1-27:13). Then we hear more about the misfortunes
that threaten Jerusalem on account of its sins -- and further reason to hope that
all is not lost (28:1-33:24). After returning to the theme of divine judgment and
rallying the people to hope in salvation, in a section known as the “little Apo-
calypse” (34:1-35:10), First Isaiah ends with a narrative section dealing with the
havoc caused in Judah by Sennacherib’s forces, although, for a while at least,
a small remnant is spared -- those who take refuge in Jerusalem alongside
Hezekiah the king (36:1-39:8).

1:2-12:6. Isaiah’s ministry as a prophet must have begun in the years prior to
the war, when the kingdoms of Syria and Ephraim (Israel), with Egypt’s encou-
ragement, joined forces and took to the field in campaigns aimed at stemming
the advance of the Assyrians. The kings of Syria and Israel tried to persuade
Ahaz of Judah to join their alliance. Ahaz refused to get involved and, instead,
sought to ingratiate himself with Assyria in order to save his country. In 734 BC
Assyria overran Syria, most of Israel and the Lebanon, the Philistine coast and
the Transjordan, and in the years that followed it consolidated its grip on the
region. After the fall of Samaria (722 BC), much of the population of Israel was
deported and replaced by foreigners.

The kingdom of Judah was not invaded, but it was forced to pay heavy tribute
and became a state dependent on Assyria. At the cost of many concessions,
an uneasy peace prevailed. Religious life and the rule of law deteriorated. This
was the background to the earliest of the oracles contained in these twelve
chapters. The section begins with a general denunciation of the forsaking of the
Lord; no specific events are mentioned. It is a time of crisis, with Judah laid
waste and Jerusalem under siege (1:2-20); clearly there is need for a call to
conversion, to atone for sins and infidelities (1:21-31). After a few verses that
strike a note of hope (in time, Jerusalem will be raised on high), there follow
oracles that describe how the people have been laid low on account of their pride
(2:6-22). However, amid all the uncleanness, a seed of beauty remains, offering
hopes of rebirth (3:1-4:6). One could say that the core of the whole section is
the “Song of the vineyard” (5:1-7), a lovely allegory about the care that the Lord
lavishes on his people, and about their failure to appreciate it.

After this we begin to find references to specific times in what is called the “Book
of lmmanuel” (7:1-12:6), which begins with an account of the calling of Isaiah,
whom the Lord has commissioned to explain the meaning of what is happening
and to show that there are grounds for hope (6:1-13). In line with this, the prophet
approaches Ahaz to encourage him to trust in the Lord (7:1-17) in the face of
threatened invasion (7:18-25). Assyria is about to close in on Israel and Judah
(8:1-22), but there is still hope of deliverance (8:23-9:6). Punishment does await
Israel and Judah (9:7-10:4), but Assyria will not escape it either (10:5-19). Mean-
while, the “remnant” of Israel will grow in its appreciation of the Lord and will find
peace (10:20-11:9). The section ends with a song of joy and praise to the Lord
for saving and renewing his people (11:10-12:6).

1:2-31. The first oracles are couched in the language of a lawsuit (rib). This is a
style of writing often found in the prophetical literature of Israel. which shares
similar modes of expression with other writings of the ancient Middle East (see
the note on Is 1:10-20). However, other people resort to that legal style when
they seek to justify the punishment inflicted on a vassal by an aggrieved overlord,
whereas when prophetical texts denounce a fault it is in order to evince an imme-
diate change of heart. The Lord takes no pleasure in punishing people; he very
much wants to forgive transgressors and reestablish friendship with them.

The passage begins by calling on heaven and earth to see how wickedly the
people have acted, and by accusing them of forsaking the Lord (vv. 2-3). It then
inveighs against those who have turned away from the Lord and show no incli-
nation to react, even though misfortune has overtaken them (vv. 4-9), and it de-
nounces the hypocrisy of a people that goes through the motions of religious
worship without having the right dispositions (vv. 10-15). A call to conversion
follows (vv. 16-17). The Lord is ready to argue his point against his people, to
reward them if they mend their ways or punish them if they persist in their sins
(vv. 18-20). They are in a bad way, such is their sinfulness (vv. 21-23). Their
punishment will be very harsh; so they should respond now and be faithful, as
they were in earlier times (vv. 24-31).

This oracle brings in all the main theological themes found in the history of
the chosen people of the Old Testament -- their divine election; God’s offer of
a Covenant; the people’s transgression of the Covenant; God’s punishment for
their infidelity. Even so, it shows that theirs is a merciful God, ever ready to
forgive offences; he never turns his back on those whom he has loved.

1:10-20. These verses, too, in some ways form a literary unit in line with the
“lawsuit” (rib) style often found in prophetical literature: the charge-sheet (vv.
10-15) is set against a list of good works, given here in the form of an exhor-
tation (vv.16-17), and then comes to the sentence at the end, seen here in
the attitude of the judge, who is God (vv. 18-20). Harsh words (v. 10) are used:
the people of Judah are identified with those of Sodom and Gomorrah, the epi-
tome of sin and rejection of God. The transgresssions of which they are
accused are against acts of worship (vv. 11-15), listed one after the other—
sacrifices, incense offerings, festivals, entreaties. The accusation is not against
acts of worship in themselves, for these are laid down in the book of Leviticus
and therefore are right and proper. What the prophet is inveighing against is
religious formalism and the dichotomy between performance and intention, as
can be seen from the verses that follow. What God desires is sincerity of heart,
virtue, protection for the weak -- in other words, proper treatment of others. In
laying down the law here, the Lord shows his readiness to forgive, while still
holding out the threat of punishment (vv. 18-20).

Some passages of the section are read in the Liturgy during Lent (Tuesday of
the Second Week) to help people check whether they have given God the wor-
ship due to him, and as a call to a sincere change of heart. Christian writers
have used this passage from Isaiah (and other texts from the Scriptures) to
explain that true religion and compassion begin in a person’s heart and then
express themselves in actions. For example, one of the apostolic Fathers writes:
“Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God’s grace will speak of penance.
And the Lord of all things himself spoke of penance, and swore an oath: I do
not desire the death of the wicked man, but that he should change his ways;
and he adds: Cease to do evil, learn to do good; [...] though your sins are like
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they
shall become like wool. The Lord desires that all whom he loves would repent,
and he affirms it by his all-powerful will. Let us be obedient, then, to his glo-
rious plan, and, by imploring his mercy and kindness, let us return to his
goodness and be converted, leaving aside all our vain works, the disputes and
jealousies that lead to death” (St Clement of Rome, Ad Corinthios, 8, 1-9, 1).

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:34-11:1

Jesus' Instructions to the Apostles (Continuation)
--------------------------------------------------
(Jesus said to His disciples) [34] "Do not think that I have come to
bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
[35] For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter
against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
[36] and a man's foes will be those of his own household. [37] He who
loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who
loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; [38] and he
who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. [39] He
who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake
will find it.

[40] He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives
Him who sent Me. [41] He who receives a prophet because he is a
prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a
righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous
man's reward. [42] And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a
cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he
shall not lose his reward."

The Mission of John the Baptist. Jesus' Reply
----------------------------------------------
[1] And when Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He
went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

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

34-37. Our Lord has not come to bring a false and earthly peace--the
sort of tranquility the self-seeking person yearns for; He wants us to
struggle against our own passions and against sin and its effects. The
sword He equips us with for this struggle is, in the words of
Scripture, "the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God"
(Ephesians 6:17), "lively and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and
discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

34-37. 우리의 주님께서는, 이기적인 자가 열망하는 평온함인, 거짓의 그리고
세속적 평화를 가져다 주기 위하여 오셨던 것이 아니었으며, 당신께서는 우리
고유의 정(情, passions)들(*)에 반하여 그리고 죄와 그 결과들에 반하여 투쟁할
것을 우리에게 원하십니다. 바로 이 투쟁을 위하여 당신께서 우리에게 주신 칼은,
성경의 말씀에 있어, "성령의 칼은 하느님의 말씀입니다" (에페소 6,17), "하느님의
말씀은 살아 있고 힘이 있으며 어떤 쌍날칼보다도 날카롭습니다. 그래서 사람
속을 꿰찔러 혼(soul)과 영(spirit)을 가르고 관절과 골수를 갈라, 심장(heart)(**)의
생각과 속셈을 가려냅니다" (히브리 4,12) 를 말합니다.

-----
(*) 번역자 주: 성 토마스 아퀴나스(St. Thomas Aquinas)의 신학 대전(Summa
Theologica)에서 열 한 가지로 구분되는 정(情, passions)들에 대하여서는 다음의
글들을 읽도록 하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1295.htm
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1298.htm [영어 가톨릭 대사전]
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1307.htm [신학 대전]
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1585_passions.htm [성 토마스 아퀴나스 용어집]

(**) 번역자 주 : "heart"로 번역된 표현을, "심장"으로 직역 번역하는 대신에,
"마음"으로 번역한 것은 대단히 심각한 번역 오류이다. 이에 관하여서는 다음의
글들을 꼭 읽도록 하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1032.htm
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1584.htm
-----

The word of God in fact leads to these divisions mentioned here. It
can lead, even within families, to those who embrace the faith being
regarded as enemies by relatives who resist the word of truth. This is
why our Lord goes on (verse 37) to say that nothing should come between
Him and His disciple--not even father, mother, son or daughter: any and
every obstacle (cf. Matthew 5:29-30) must be avoided.

하느님의 말씀은 여기서 언급되고 있는 바로 이러한 분열(divisions)들에 사실은
이르게 합니다. 이 말씀은, 심지어 가족들 안에서도, 믿음을 받아들인 자들을
진리의 말씀에 저항하는 친척들에 의하여 원수들로서 간주되도록 이르게
할 수 있습니다. 이것이 바로 우리의 주님께서 당신과 당신의 제자들 사이에,
어떠한 것도, 심지어 아버지, 어머니, 아들 혹은 딸까지도 끼어들 수 없다
(제37절)라고 계속하여 말씀하시는 이유입니다: 어떠한 그리고 모든 장애는
(cf. 마태오 복음서 5,29-30) 회피되어야만 합니다.

Obviously these words of Jesus do not set up any opposition between the
first and fourth commandments (love for God above all things and love
for one's parents): He is simply indicating the order of priorities.
We should love God with all our strength (cf. Matthew 22:37), and make
a serious effort to be saints; and we should also love and respect--in
theory and in practice--the parents God has given us; they have
generously cooperated with the creative power of God in bringing us
into the world and there is so much that we owe them. But love for our
parents should not come before love of God; usually there is no reason
why these two loves should clash, but if that should happen, we should
be quite clear in our mind and in heart about what Jesus says here. He
has in fact given us an example to follow on this point: "How is it
that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father's
house?" (Luke 2:49)--His reply when, as a youth, Mary and Joseph found
Him in the Temple of Jerusalem after a long search. This event in our
Lord's life is a guideline for every Christian--parent or child.
Children should learn from it that their affection for their parents
should never come before their love for God, particularly when our
Creator asks us to follow Him in a way which implies special
self-giving on our part; parents should take the lesson that their
children belong to God in the first place, and therefore He has a right
to do with them what He wishes, even if this involves sacrifice, even
heroic sacrifice. This teaching of our Lord asks us to be generous and
to let God have His way. In fact, however, God never lets Himself be
outdone in generosity. Jesus has promised a hundredfold gain, even in
this life, and later on eternal life (cf. Matthew 19:29), to those who
readily respond to His will.

명백하게 예수님의 이러한 말씀들은 (무엇보다도 하느님을 사랑하고 그리고
자신의 부모들을 사랑하라는) [십계명의] 첫 번째 및 네 번째 계명들 사이에
어떠한 대립(opposition)도 설정하지 않으며, 당신께서는 우선 사항들에 있어서의
순서(the order of priorities)를 단순히 나타내실 뿐입니다. 우리는 우리의 힘 모두와
함께 하느님을 사랑하여야 하며(cf. 마태오 복음서 22,37), 그리고 성도(saints)들이
되기 위하여 진지한 노력을 하여야만 하며, 그리고 우리는 또한, 이론과 실천에
있어, 하느님께서 우리에게 허락하신 부모들을 사랑하고 또 존경하여야 하는데,
이는 우리를 이 세상으로 데려옴에 있어 하느님의 창조하시는 힘과 관대하게 이미
협조하였으며 그리고 우리가 그들에게 빚을 진 것이 너무도 많기 때문입니다.
그러나 우리의 부모들에 대한 사랑이 하느님에 대한 사랑보다 앞서서는(come
before) 아니 되며, 그리고 통상적으로 이들 두 개의 사랑들이 심하게 부딪쳐야만
하는 이유는 있을 수 없으나, 그러나 만약에 바로 그러한 일이 발생한다면, 우리는
예수님께서 여기서 말씀하신 바에 관하여 우리의 마음(mind)으로 그리고
우리의 심장(heart)으로 상당히 분명하게 알아야만 합니다. 당신께서는 실제로
이러한 점에 뒤따르는 다음과 같은 한 개의 모범(example)을 우리에게 이미
제시하셨습니다: 마리아와 요셉이 오랜 기간에 걸친 수색 후에 예루살렘의
성전에서 당신을 찾았을 때에, 한 명의 소년으로서, 하셨던 당신의 대답인,
"왜 저를 찾으셨습니까? 저는 제 아버지의 집에 있어야 하는 줄을 모르셨습니까?"
(루카 복음서 2,49). 우리의 주님의 일생에 있어 바로 이 사건은, 부모 혹은 아이인,
모든 그리스도인을 위한 하나의 지표(a guideline)입니다. 특히 우리의 창조주께서
우리 측에 있어 특별한 자기 희생을 뜻하는 어떤 방식으로 당신을 따를 것을
우리에게 요구하실 때에, 이것으로부터 아이들은 자신들의 부모들에 대한
그들의 애정(affection)이 하느님에 대한 자신들의 사랑보다 앞서서는 결코 아니
됨을 배워야만 하며, 그리고 부모들은 자신들의 자녀들이 첫 번째로 하느님께
속한다는, 그리하여 그 결과 당신께서 그들과 함께 당신이 원하시는 바를, 설사
이것이 희생을, 심지어 영웅적 희생(heroic sacrifice)을, 수반함에도 불구하고,
행하실 권한(a right)을 가지고 계신다는 교훈(lesson)을 받아들여야 합니다.
우리의 주님에 의한 이러한 가르침은 우리에게 관대할 것과 그리고 하느님께서
당신의 방식을 가지시도록 허락할 것을 요구합니다. 그러나 사실은 하느님께서는
관대함(generosity)에 있어 당신 자신께서 남에게 지게 되는 것(be outdone)을
결코 허락하지 않으십니다. 예수님께서는, 당신의 의지에 기꺼이 응답하는
자들에게, 심지어 이 세상의 삶 안에서, 그리고 이후에 영원한 삶에 있어,
백 배의 얻음(a hundredfold gain)을 이미 약속하셨습니다 (cf. 마태오
복음서 19,29).

38-39. The teaching contained in the preceding verses is summed up in
these two succinct sentences. Following Christ, doing what He asks,
means risking this present life to gain eternal life.

38-39. 바로 앞의 절들에 포함된 가르침은 이들 두 개의 간결한 문장들에 요약되어
있습니다. 그리스도를 따른다는 것은, 즉 당신께서 요구하시는 바를 행하는 것은,
영원한 생명을 얻기 위하여 바로 이 현재의 생명의 위험을 무릅쓰는 것을 뜻합니다.

"People who are constantly concerned with themselves, who act above all
for their own satisfaction, endanger their eternal salvation and cannot
avoid being unhappy even in this life. Only if a person forgets
himself and gives himself to God and to others, in marriage as well as
in any other aspect of life, can he be happy on this earth, with a
happiness that is a preparation for, and a foretaste of, the joy of
Heaven" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 24). Clearly, Christian
life is based on self-denial: there is no Christianity without the Cross.

"무엇보다도 먼저 자신들 고유의 만족을 위하여 행동하는 자들인, 지속적으로
자기 자신들에 관심이 있는 자들은 자신들의 영원한 구원을 위태롭게 하며
그리고 심지어 이 세상에서의 삶에 있어서도 불행함을 피할 수 없습니다.
어떤 인격이, 혼인에서뿐만이 아니라 삶의 어떠한 다른 면에 있어, 자기 자신을
잊어버리고 그리하여 자기 자신을 하느님께 그리고 다른 이들에게 제공할 때만
(only if), 그는, 하늘의 기쁨(the joy of Heaven)을 위한 것인, 그리고 하늘의
기쁨에 대한 미리 맛보기인, 어떤 행복과 함께, 이 세상에서 행복할 수 있습니다."
[(St) J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 24]. 분명히, 그리스도인의 삶은
자기 부정 (self-denial, 극기)에 근거하고 있습니다: 십자가 없는 그리스도교
신앙(Christianity)은 결코 있지 않습니다.

40. To encourage the Apostles and to persuade others to receive them,
our Lord affirms that there is an intimate solidarity, or even a kind
of identity, between Himself and His disciples. God in Christ, Christ
in the Apostles: this is the bridge between Heaven and earth. (cf. 1
Corinthians 3:21-23).

41-42. A prophet's mission is not essentially one of announcing future
events; his main role is that of communicating the word of God (cf.
Jeremiah 11:2; Isaiah 1:2). The righteous man, the just man, is he who
obeys the Law of God and follows His paths (cf. Genesis 6:9; Isaiah
3:10). Here Jesus tells us that everyone who humbly listens to and
welcomes prophets and righteous men, recognizing God in them, will
receive the reward of a prophet and a righteous man. The very fact of
generously receiving God's friends will gain one the reward that they
obtain. Similarly, if we should see God in the least of His disciples
(verse 42), even if they do not seem very important, they are
important, because they are envoys of God and of His Son. That is why
he who gives them a glass of cold water--an alms, or any small
service--will receive a reward, for he has shown generosity to our Lord
Himself (cf. Matthew 25:40).

1. In chapters 11 and 12 the Gospel records the obduracy of the Jewish
leaders toward Jesus, despite hearing His teaching (chapter 5-7) and
seeing the miracles which bear witness to the divine nature of His
person and His doctrine (chapters 8 and 9).
　

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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.