Friday

16th Week of Ordinary Time

(I) 1st Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

The Ten Commandments
-------------------------------------
[1] And God spoke all these words, saying, [2] "I am the LORD your God, who
brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

[3] "You shall have no other gods before me.

[4] "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything
that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water un-
der the earth; [5] you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD
your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children
to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, [6] but showing
steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

[7] "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the LORD will
not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

[8] "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9] Six days you shall labor, and
do all your work; [10] but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in
it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant,
or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; [11]
for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and
hallowed it.

[12] "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in
the land which the LORD your God gives you.

[13] "You shall not kill.

[14] "You shall not commit adultery.

[15] "You shall not steal.

[16] "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

[17] "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neigh-
bor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or any-
thing that is your neighbor's."

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Commentary:

[오늘의 제1독서는, 가톨릭 교회의 전례력에 있어, 나해 사순 제3주일 제1독서와 
동일하며, 여기를 클릭하면, 오늘의 제1독에 대한 해설의 우리말 번역문들을 읽을 
수 있다].

20:1-21. "Decalogue" comes from the Greek, meaning "ten words" (cf. the literal
sense of Deut 4:13). It consists of the Ten Commandments or moral code, recor-
ded here and in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. The Decalogue is dealt with in a very spe-
cial way here: for one thing, it is embedded in the account of the theophany,
slotted in between 19:19 and 20:18; for another, attached to the concise com-
mandments (identical in Exodus and Deuteronomy) are other more elaborate
commandments (giving reasons and explanations) which differ as between the
two versions. The fact that the Decalogue (and not any other legal code of the
Pentateuch) is repeated practically verbatim in Exodus and Deuteronomy and
has from ancient times been reproduced separately, as the Nash papyrus (2nd
century BC) shows, indicates the importance the Decalogue always had among
the people of Israel as a moral code.

On the supposition that the versions in Exodus and Deuteronomy can be reduced
to a single original text, the variations between them can be explained in terms of
the applications of the commandments to the circumstances of the period when
each version was made; the final redaction, which we have here, is the one held
to be inspired. The apodictic form (future imperative, second person: "You shall
not kill") is that proper to biblical commandments and it differs from the casuisti-
cal type of wording that Israel shares with other Semitic people, as can be seen
from the Code of the Covenant (chaps 21-23).

The ten commandments are the core of Old Testament ethics and they retain
their value in the New Testament. Jesus often reminds people about them (cf. Lk
18:20) and he fills them out (cf. Mt 5:17ff). The Fathers and Doctors of the Church
have commented on them at length because, as St Thomas points out, all the
precepts of the natural law are contained in the Decalogue: the universal precepts,
such as "Do good and avoid evil", "which are primary and general, are contained
theirin as principles in their proximate conclusions, while conversely, those which
are mediated by the wise are contained in them as conclusions in their principles"
("Summa Theologiae", 1-2, 100, 3).

The commandments tend to be divided up in two different ways: thus, Jews and
many Christian confessions divide the first commandment into two--the precept
to adore only one God (vv. 2-3) and that of not making images (vv. 3-6); whereas
Catholics and Lutherans (following St Augustine) make these commandments
one and divide into two the last commandments (not to covet one's neighbor's
wife: the ninth; and not to covet his goods: the tenth).

There is nothing sacrosanct about these divisions (their purpose is pedagogical);
whichever way the commandments are divided, the Decalogue stands. In our
commentary we follow St Augustine's division and make reference to the tea-
ching of the Church, because the Ten Commandments contain the core of Chris-
tian morality (cf. the notes on Deut 5:1-22).

20:2. Hittite peoples (some of whose political and social documents have survived)
used to begin peace treaties with an historical introduction, that is, by recounting
the victory of a king over a vassal on whom specific obligations were being im-
posed. In a similar sort of way, the Decalogue begins by recalling the Exodus.
However, what we have here is something radically different from a Hittite pact,
because the obligation that the commandments imply is not based on a defeat
but on a deliverance. God is offering the commandments to the people whom he
has delivered from bondage, whereas human princes imposed their codes on peo-
ples whom they had reduced to vassalage. The commandments are therefore an
expression of the Covenant. Acceptance of them is a sign that man has attained
maturity in his freedom. "Man becomes free when he enters into the Covenant of
God? (Aphraates, "Demonstrationes", 12). Jesus stressed the same idea: "My
yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Mt 11:30).

20:3-6 "You shall love God above all things" is the wording of the first command-
ment given in most catechisms (cf. "Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2083)
summarizing the teaching of Jesus (cf. Mk 12:28-31, which quotes the text of
Deuteronomy 6:4-5. In the ten commandments this precept covers two aspects
-- monotheism (v. 3) and the obligation not to adore idols or images of the Lord (vv.
4-6). Belief in the existence of only one God is the backbone of the entire Bible
message. The prophets will openly teach monotheism, holding that God is the
sovereign Lord of the universe and of time; but this ban on other gods itself im-
plies the sure conviction that there is only one true God. "You shall have no other
gods before [or, besides] me", implies a belief in one God, that is monotheism.

The ban on images was something that marked Israel as different from other peo-
ples. The ban not only covered idols or images of other gods, but also represen-
tations of the Lord.

The one true God is spiritual and transcendent: he cannot be controlled or mani-
pulated (unlike the gods of Israel's neighbors). On the basis of the mystery of the
incarnate Word Christians began to depict scenes from the Gospel and in so doing
they knew that this was not at odds with God's freedom nor did it make for idolatry.
The Church venerates images because they are representations either of Jesus
who, being truly man had a body, or of saints, who as human beings were por-
trayable and worthy of veneration. The Second Vatican Council recommended the
veneration of sacred images, while calling for sobriety and beauty: "The practice
of placing sacred images in churches so that they be venerated by the faithful is
to be maintained. Nevertheless their number should be moderate and their relative
positions should reflect right order. For otherwise the Christian people may find
them incongruous and they may foster devotion of doubtful orthodoxy" ("Sacro-
sancturn Concilium", 125).

20:5-6. "A jealous God": an anthropomorphism emphasizing the uniqueness of
God. Since he is the only true God, he cannot abide either the worship of other
gods (cf. 34:14) or worship of idols. Idolatry is the gravest and most condemned
sin in the Bible (cf. "Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2113). Those in charge
of worship in the temple are described as being "jealous" for the Lord (cf. Num
25:13; 1 Kings 19:10, 14), because they have to watch to ensure that no devia-
tions occur. When expelling the money-changers from the temple (Jn 2:17),
Jesus refers to this aspect of priests' responsibility; "Zeal for thy house has
consumed me" (Ps 69:9).

On the Lord's merciful retribution, cf. the note on Ex 34:6-7.

20:7. Respect for God's name is respect for God himself. Hence this prohibition
on invoking the name of the Lord to gain credence for evil, be it at a trial (by com-
mitting perjury), or by swearing to do something evil, or by blasphemy (cf. Sir 23:
7-12). In ancient times, Israel's neighbors used the names of their gods in magi-
cal conjuration; in such a situation the invoking of the Lord's name is idolatrous.
In general, this commandment forbids any abuse, any disrespect, any irreverent
use of the name of God. And, to put it positively, "The second commandment
'prescribes respect for the Lord's name'. Like the first commandment, it belongs
to the virtue of religion and more particularly it governs our use of speech in sa-
cred matters" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2142).

20:8-11 Israel's history evidently influenced the formulation of the sabbath precept,
given that the usual apodictic mode is not used and that the prescriptions concer-
ning this day are very well developed.

The commandment includes three ideas: the sabbath is a holy day, dedicated to
the Lord; work is forbidden on it; one reason for it is to imitate God, who rested
from creation on the seventh day.

The sabbath is a holy day, that is, different from ordinary days (cf. Lev 23:3) be-
cause it is dedicated to God. No special rites are prescribed but the word "rem-
ember" (different from "observe" in Deuteronomy 5:10) is a word with cultic asso-
ciations. Whatever the etymology or social origin of the sabbath was, in the Bible
it is always something holy (cf. 16:22-30).

Sabbath rest implies that there is an obligation to work on the previous six days
(v. 9). Work is the only justification for rest. The Hebrew word "sabat" actually
means "sabbath" and "rest". But on this day rest acquires a cultic value, for no
special sacrifices or rites are prescribed for the sabbath: the whole community,
and even animals, render homage to God by ceasing from their labors.

20:12 The fourth is the first commandment to do with interpersonal relationships
(the subject of the second "table" as ancient Christian writers used to term these
commandments: cf. "Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2197). Like the sabbath
precept, it is couched in a positive way, its direct reference is to family members.
The fact that it comes immediately after the precepts that refer to God shows its
importance. Parents, in effect, represent God within the family circle.

The commandment has to do not only with young children (cf. Prov 19:26; 20:20;
23:22;; 30:17), who have a duty to remain subject to their parents (Deut 21:18-21),
but to all children whatever their age, because it is offenses committed by older
children that incur a curse (cf. Deut 17:16).

The promise of a long life to those who keep this commandment shows how im-
portant it is for the individual, and also the importance the family has for society.
The Second Vatican Council summed up the value of the family by calling it the
"domestic church" ("Lumen Gentium", 11; cf. John Paul II, "Familiaris Consortio",
21).

20:13. The fifth commandment directly forbids vengeful killing of one's enemy,
that is, murder; so it protects the sacredness of human life. The prohibition on
murder already comes across in the account of the death of Abel (cf. Gen 4:10)
and the precepts given to Noah (cf. Gen 9:6): life is something that belongs to
God alone.

Revelation and the teaching of the Church tell us more about the scope of this
precept: it is only in very specific circumstances (such as social or personal self-
defense) that a person may be deprived of his or her life. Obviously, the killing of
weaker members of society (abortion, direct euthanasia) is a particularly grave
sin.

The encyclical "Evangelium Vitae" spells out the Church's teaching on this com-
mandment which "has absolute value when it refers to the 'innocent person'. [...]
Therefore, by the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his Succes-
sors, and in communion with the Bishops of the Catholic Church, 'I confirm that
the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always gravely im-
moral'" (John Paul II, "Evangelium Vitae", 57).

Our Lord taught that the positive meaning of this commandment was the obliga-
tion to practise charity (cf. Mt 5:21-26): "In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord
recalls the commandment, 'You shall not kill' (Mt 5:21), and adds to it the pro-
scription of anger, hatred and vengeance. Going further, Christ asks his disciples
to turn the other cheek, to love their enemies (cf. Mt 5:22-28). He did not defend
himself and told Peter to leave his sword in its sheath (cf. Mt 26:52)?" ("Cate-
chism of the Catholic Church", 2262).

20:14. The sixth commandment is orientated to safeguarding the holiness of mar-
riage. In the Old Testament there were very severe penalties for those who com-
mitted adultery (cf. Deut 22:23ff; Lev 20:10). As Revelation progresses, it will be-
come clear that not only is adultery grave, because it damages the rights of the
other spouse, but every sexual disorder degrades the dignity of the person and is
an offense against God (cf., e.g., Prov 7:8-27; 23:27-28). Jesus Christ, by his life
and teaching, showed the positive thrust of this precept (cf. Mt 5:27-32): "Jesus
came to restore creation to the purity of its origins. In the Sermon on the Mount,
he interprets God's plan strictly: 'You have heard that it was said, "You shall not
commit adultery." But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully
has already committed adultery with her in his heart' (Mt 5:27-28). What God has
joined together, let not man put asunder (cf. Mt 19:6). The tradition of the Church
has understood the sixth commandment as encompassing the whole of human
sexuality" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2336).

20:15. Because the Decalogue is regulating inter-personal relationships, this
commandment condemns firstly the abducting of persons in order to sell them
into slavery (cf. Deut 24:7) but obviously it covers unjust appropriation of another's
goods. The Church continues to remind us that every violation of the right to pro-
perty is unjust (cf. "Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2409); but this is particu-
larly true if actions of that type lead to the enslavement of human beings, or to
depriving them of their dignity, as happens in traffic in children, trade in human
embryos, the taking of hostages, arbitrary arrest or imprisonment, racial segre-
gation, concentration camps, etc. "The seventh commandment forbids acts or
enterprises that for any reason--selfish or ideological, commercial or totalitarian
-lead to the "enslavement of human beings", to their being bought, sold and ex-
changed like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity. It is a sin
against the dignity of persons and their fundamental rights to reduce them by vio-
lence to their productive value or to a source of profit. St Paul directed a Christian
master to treat his Christian slave 'no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as
a beloved brother...both in the flesh and in the Lord' (Philem 16)" ("Catechism of
the Catholic Church", 24 14).

20:16. Giving false testimony in court can cause one's neighbor irreparable da-
mage because an innocent person may be found guilty. But, given that truth and
fidelity in human relationships is the basis of social life (cf. Vatican II, "Gaudium
Et Spes", 26), this commandment prohibits lying, defamation (cf. Sir 7:12-13),
calumny and the saying of anything that might detract from a neighbor's dignity
(cf. Jas 3:1-12). "This moral prescription flows from the vocation of the holy peo-
ple to bear witness to their God who is the truth and wills the truth. Offenses
against the truth express by word or deed a refusal to commit oneself to moral
uprightness: they are fundamental infidelitiesto God and, in this sense, they
undermine the foundations of the covenant" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church",
2464).

20:17. The wording of this precept is different from that in Deuteronomy: there the
distinction is made between coveting one's neighbor's wife and coveting his goods
(cf. Deut 5:21). "St John distinguishes three kinds of covetousness or concupi-
scence: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life (cf. 1 Jn 2:16). In the
Catholic catechetical tradition, the ninth commandment forbids carnal concupi-
scence; the tenth forbids coveting another's goods" ("Catechism of the Catholic
Church", 2514).
　

(II) 1st Reading: Jeremiah 3:14-17

Call to conversion
--------------------------
[14] Return, O faithless children, says the LORD;
for I am your master;
I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
and I will bring you to Zion.

[15] "'And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with
Knowledge and understanding. [16] And when you have multiplied and increased
in the land, in those days, says the LORD, they shall no more say, "The ark of
the covenant of the LORD." It shall not come to mind, or be remembered, or
missed; it shall not be made again. [17] At that time Jerusalem shall be called
the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the
LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. 

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Commentary:

3:14-18. The fall of the city to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar and the deporta-
tions that followed (587 BC) marked the depth of Judah's misfortune; her repea-
ted infidelity was the sole cause. Here, as in the previous oracle, the prophet
says that God is ready to receive Israel and Judah back, provided they seek his
forgiveness (3:12-13).

The oracle is full of hope; the future will never have any reason to hanker after the
past. An entirely new situation will be created. Up to this, the ark of the Covenant
was considered to be the foremost evidence of God's presence. According to the
Bible, the ark was made in the wilderness on Moses' instructions, in line with the
Lord's specifications; it was to be the centerpiece of the sanctuary (cf. Ex 25:10-
22). The ark stayed with the people all the way to the land of Canaan and, after
being kept in various places, it was solemnly placed by Solomon in the temple
of Jerusalem. It contained the Covenant that the Lord made with Israel when he
brought it out of the land of Egypt (cf. 1 Kings 8:21). With the fall of Jerusalem
to Nebuchadnezzar and the looting of the temple, there is no further mention of
the ark of the Covenant. That event marks the end of the old situation, Jeremiah's
oracle seems to say. In the future it will be the whole city of Jerusalem that evi-
dences the presence of God (vv. 16-17).

As is true of other oracles from Jeremiah, even though in the first instance they
refer to the restoration of Judah after the exile, his words have a wider applica-
tion, reaching out to the renewal that will take place when the Messiah comes.
The Covenant to which the ark bore witness has been broken by Israel (cf. 11:
6-8), and its place will be taken by a New Covenant to which the hearts of men
shall bear witness (cf. 31:31-37) and which will have a new priesthood ("shep-
herds": v. 15).


Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:18-23

Meaning of the Parable of the Sower
----------------------------------------------------
[18] "Hear then the parable of the sower. [19] When any one hears the Word of
the Kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away
what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path. [20] As for what
was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the Word and immediately re-
ceives it with joy; [21] yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and
when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the Word, immediately he
falls away. [22] As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the
Word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the Word, and
it proves unfruitful. [23] As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears
the Word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a
hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

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Commentary:

-----
게시자 주: 오늘의 복음 말씀은 가해 연중 제15주일 복음 말씀(마태오 복음서 13,1-23)에 
포함되므로, 이 비유의 내용을 제대로 이해하기 위하여 다음에 있는 가해 연중 제15 
주일의 복음 말씀과 그 해설을 학습하도록 하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/navarre/a_ot_15.htm
-----

3. Chapter 13 of St. Matthew includes as many as seven of Jesus' parables,
which is the reason why it is usually called "the parable discourse" or the "pa-
rabolic discourse". Because of their similarity of content and setting these pa-
rables are often called the "Kingdom parables", and also the "parables of the
Lake", because Jesus taught them on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus
uses these elaborate comparisons (parables) to explain certain features of the
Kingdom of God which He has come to establish (cf. Matthew 3:2)--its tiny,
humble origins; its steady growth; its worldwide scope; its salvific force. God
calls everyone to salvation but only those attain it who receive God's call with
good dispositions and who do not change their attitude; the value of the spiritual
benefits the Kingdom brings--so valuable that one should give up everything to
obtain them; the fact that good and bad are all mixed together until the harvest
time, or the time of God's judgment; the intimate connection between earthly
and heavenly as pects of the Kingdom, until it reaches its point of full develop-
ment at the end of time.

On Jesus' lips, parables are exceptionally effective. By using parables He keeps
His listeners' attention, whether they are uneducated or not, and by means of
the most ordinary things of daily life He sheds light on the deepest supernatural
mysteries. He used the parable device in a masterly way; His parables are quite
unique; they carry the seal of His personality; through them He has graphically
shown us the riches of grace, the life of the Church, the demands of the faith
and even the mystery of God's own inner life.

Jesus' teaching continues to provide every generation with light and guidance on
moral conduct. By reading and reflecting on His parables one can savor the ado-
rable humanity of the Savior, who showed such kindness to the people who crow-
ded around to hear Him--and who shows the same readiness to listen to our pra-
yers, despite our dullness, and to reply to our healthy curiosity when we try to
make out His meaning.

19. He does not understand because he does not love--not because he is not
clever enough: lack of love opens the door of the soul to the devil.
　

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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].