나바르 매일미사 독서/묵상

Thursday

18th Week of Ordinary Time

(I) 1st Reading: Numbers 20:1-13

Moses Brings Water from the Rock
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[1] And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness
of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died
there, and was buried there.

[2] Now there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled
themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. [3] And the people
contended with Moses, and said, "Would that we had died when our brethren
died before the LORD! [4] Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD
into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? [5] And
why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place?
It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; and there is
no water to drink." [6] Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the
assembly to the door of the tent of meeting, and fell on their faces. And
the glory of the LORD appeared to them, [7] and the LORD said to Moses,
'"Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother,
and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water; so you shall bring
water out of the rock for them; so you shall give drink to the congregation
and their cattle." [9] And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he
commanded him.

[10] And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock,
and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you
out of this rock?" [11] And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with
his rod twice; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank,
and their cattle. [12] And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because
you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the people of
Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I
have given them." [13] These are the waters of Meribah,' where the people of
Israel contended with the LORD, and he showed himself holy among them.

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Commentary:

20:1-19. When the spies sent to explore the land of Canaan returned to base,
people of Israel were in the desert of Paran, in Kadesh (13:26). The desert
of Zin, which is referred to here, and which is different from that of a
very similar name (Sin) mentioned in Exodus 16:1 and 17:1, was the
north-west part of the wilderness of Paran, to which the cloud had led the
Israelites from Sinai (cf. 10:12). Kadesh was not really a town but an area
containing leafy oases. It was a key point of reference for the people of
Israel's route towards Canaan. From Kadesh they will leave for the plains of
Moab (cf. 22:1). Kadesh marks the end of the desert trek (cf. chaps. 33-38);
from now on the land is inhabited and the Israelites will have contact with
those who live there.

As they make their way, the people encounter both external and internal
difficulties, but that does not stop their advance to the promised Land,
because God is their guide and he is helping them. In this sense the people
of Israel prefigures the Church, for "as Israel according to the flesh which
wandered in the desert was already called the Church of God (cf. Num 20:4;
etc.), so too, the new Israel which advances in this present era in search
of a future and permanent city (cf. Heb 13:14), is called also the Church of
Christ (cf. Mt 16:18). It is Christ indeed who had purchased it with his own
blood (cf. Acts 20:28); he has filled it with his Spirit; he has provided
means adapted to its visible and social union" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium",
9).

20:2-13. Unlike Exodus 17:1-17, here it is Aaron who accompanies Moses,
so that both of them share in the sin of mistrusting God (cf. v. 12). The text
does not say what their sin was exactly: presumably it was because they
struck the rock twice due to lack of faith, instead of once (cf. vv. 11-12)
or in the fact that they struck the rock whereas God had told them to speak
to the rock (cf. v. 8)--although in Exodus 17:6 Moses was in fact told to
hit it. In v. 24 we are told it was a sin of rebellion, and in Psalm 106:32-33
it says that Moses "spoke words that were rash". In Deuteronomy 1:37 and
elsewhere, the punishment inflicted on Moses is, however, attributed to the
people's disobedience. At any event, the event is recounted here, just before
the narrating of the death of Aaron (as it will also be mentioned in Deuteronomy
32:51 before the account of Moses' death). Here the episode is connected with
two place-names--Kadesh, which means in fact "holiness" and which would
remind people of the holiness of God (cf. v. 13), and Meribah, which means
"rebellion" and would evoke Moses' sin. The two names appear linked
(Meri-bath-kadesh) in Deuteronomy 32:51 and Ezekiel 47:19.

20,2-13. 탈출기 17,1-17과는 달리, 여기서 모세와 동행한 자는 아론(Aaron)이며,
그리하여 그 결과 그들 둘 다는 하느님을 불신하는 죄에 함께 합니다 (제12절을
참조하라). 이 본문은 그들의 죄가 정확하게 무엇인지를 말하지 않습니다: 아마도
(presumably) 그것은 그들이 믿음의 결여 때문에, 한 번 대신에, 두 번씩이나 바위를
쳤기 때문(제11-12절을 참조하라) 혹은, 비록 탈출기 17,6에서 모세는 그것을 치라고
(hit) 말해졌음에도 불구하고, 하느님께서 그들에게 바위에게 말하라고(speak)
말씀하셨던 (제8절을 참조하라) 반면에 그들이 바위를 쳤다는 사실 때문이었을
것입니다. 제24절에서 우리는 그것이 도전의 죄(a sin of rebellion)였다고 말해지고
있으며, 그리고 시편 106,32-33에서 모세가 "경솔한 말들을 하였다"고 말하고
있습니다. 신명기 1,37 및 다른 곳에서, 모세에게 가해졌던 벌은, 그러나, 이 백성의
불순종에 돌려지고 있습니다. 아무튼, 이 사건은 여기서, (모세의 죽음에 대한 이야기
이전에 신명기 32,51에서 또한 언급될 것이듯이) 아론의 죽음에 대하여 이야기하기
바로 직전에 자세하게 이야기되고 있습니다. 여기서 이 에피소드는 다음과 같은
두 장소의 이름들과 관련이 되어집니다: 사실은 "거룩함(holiness)"을 뜻하는 그리하여
사람들에게 하느님의 거룩함에 대하여 상기시키는(제13절을 참조하라) 카데스
(Kadesh), 그리고, "도전(rebellion)"을 뜻하는 그리하여 모세의 죄를 불러낼(would evoke) ,
므리바(Meribah). 이 두 개의 이름들은 민수기 27,14; 신명기 32,51; 에제키엘서 47,19;
48,28 등에서 [므리밧 카데스(Meri-bath-kadesh)라고] 결합된(linked) 것 같습니다.

This rock prefigured Christ, according to 1 Corinthians 10:4-5. The Fathers
gave an allegorical interpretation: the rock is Jesus, and the water the grace
which flows from the open side of our Lord; the double strike stands for the
two beams of the cross. Moses stands for the Jews, because just as Moses
doubted and struck the rock, the Jewish people crucified Christ, not believing
that he was the Son of God (cf. St Augustine, "Contra Faustum", 16, 15;
"Questiones In Heptateuchurn", 35).

1코린토 10,4-5에 따르면, 바로 이 바위는 그리스도를 예표하였습니다. 교부들은
다음과 같은 우의적/풍유적(allegorical) 해석을 제시하였습니다: "이 바위는
예수님이며, 그리고 이 물은 우리의 주님의 열려진 측면으로부터 흘어나오는
은총이고. 그리고 두 번의 타격(the double strike)은 십자가의 두 개의 목재들을
나타낸다. 모세는 유다인들을 나타내는데, 이는 모세가 의심을 하여 바위를 두 번
쳤던 것과 꼭 마찬가지로, 유다 사람들은, 그분이 하느님의 아드님(the Son of God)
이셨음을 믿지 못하여, 그리스도를 십자가 형에 처하였기 때문이다."
[성 아우구스티노(St Augustine), "Contra Faustum", 16, 15; "Questiones In
Heptateuchurn", 35을 참조하라].

(II) 1st Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34

The New Covenant
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[31] "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new cove-
nant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which
I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the
land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says
the Lord. [33] But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it
upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [34] And
no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know
the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says
the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

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Commentary:

31:31-37. The words of this oracle are central to Jeremiah's message, and they
constitute the passage in the book that has had most impact on the New Testa-
ment and on Christian teaching. Most ancient and modern commentators consi-
der these words to be original words of Jeremiah, and they generally attribute
them to the early stages of his ministry, because they express support for King
Josiah's religious reform.

The oracle is made up of two contrasting parts: the first (vv. 31-32) describes the
Old Covenant, broken by the people's sins; the second (vv. 33-35) speaks very
forcefully of the New Covenant which will endure forever.

The old Covenant is described in terms of three characteristic features: it carried
the force of tradition because it was a pact made "with the fathers"; it was a sign
of divine election, as can be seen from a phrase exclusive to Jeremiah: "when "I
took them by the hand" to bring them out of the land of Egypt"; and it showed the
Lord's authority over his people.

The new pact has three key features, too: it is "new", it is something "interior",
and it is "heartfelt", written upon their hearts. It is "new", because prior to this
the pact with God was never described in that way; that is, it is new not in terms
of the previous covenant which has ceased to operate (cf. Heb 8:18-13) but in the
sense that it is definitive and will not be superseded. When, at the Last Supper,
Jesus said the words of consecration over the chalice: "This cup which is poured
out for you is the new covenant" (Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25), he brings Jeremiah's
words to fulfillment. It is "interior" because it is etched in the heart of the people
and of each individual. Its content did not change (it is the Law of God) but peo-
ple will know it in a different way: the previous covenant was written on tablets
of stone (Ex 31:38; 34:28ff), but this one will be written on the heart and soul of
man. Therefore, it is part of a person's very being; it is not just an external obli-
gation; people's well-formed consciences tell them what they ought to do; if they
fail to live up to the demands of the Covenant, they lose their identity until they
are converted and are redeemed from sin. In the Letter to the Hebrews it says,
by way of explaining this passage, that in the New Covenant Christ has obtained
forgiveness of sins for us through the cross, and therefore the old sin offerings no
longer have any effect: "Where there is forgiveness (of sins), there is no longer
any offering for sin" (Heb 10:18).

Finally, it is "heartfelt" because it is based on a loving relationship between God
and his people. The wording that Jeremiah likes so much ("I will be their God,
and they shall be my people" (Jer 31:33; cf. 7:23) implies bonds, of fidelity and
love. The nearest precedent for this is Hosea, who used the metaphor of mar-
riage as the hinge of his preaching and who defined sin as estrangement from
God, and punishment in terms of marital breakdown: "Call his name not my peo-
ple, for you are not my people and I am not your God" (Hos 1:9). Therefore, mo-
ral imperatives should not come via legal imposition from outside; they should
arise from a person's heart--the aim being not so much perfect, guiltless behavior
as living in union with God: "All who keep his commandments abide in him, and
he in them" (1 Jn 3:24).

The New Covenant has given its name to the, "New Testament", on which
the new people of God is founded, as the Second Vatican Council says: "At
all times and in every race God has given welcome to whosoever fears him and
does what is right. God, however, does not make men holy and save them mere-
ly as individuals, without bond or link between one another. Rather has it pleased
him to bring men together as one people, a people that acknowledges him in truth
and serves him in holiness. He therefore chose the race of Israel as a people unto
himself. With it he set up a covenant. Step by step he taught and prepared this
people, making known in its history both himself and the decree of his will and ma-
king it holy unto himself. All these things, however, were done by way of prepara-
tion and as a figure of that new and perfect covenant, which was to be ratified in
Christ, and of that fuller revelation which was to be given through the Word of God
Himself made flesh. 'Behold the days shall come saith the Lord, and I will make
a new covenant with the House of Israel, and with the house of Judah. [...] I will
give my law in their bowels, and I will write it in their heart, and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.[...] For all of them shall know Me, from the least of
them even to the greatest, saith the Lord' (Jer 31:31-34). Christ instituted this
new covenant, the new testament, that is to say, in his Blood, calling together a
people made up of Jew and Gentile, making them one, not according to the flesh
but in the Spirit" ("Lumen Gentium", 9).

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-23

Peter's Profession of Faith and His Primacy
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[13] Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He
asked His disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of Man is?" [14]
And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others
Jeremiah or one of the prophets." [15] He said to them, "But who do
you say that I am?" [16] Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the
Son of the living God." [17] And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you,
Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, by
My Father who is in Heaven. [18] And I tell you, you are Peter, and on
this rock, I will build My Church, and the powers of death shall not
prevail against it. [19] I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of
Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven." [20] Then He
strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Passion and Resurrection
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[21] From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go
to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests
and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. [22] And
Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid, Lord!
This shall never happen to You." [23] But He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind Me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me; for you are not on
the side of God, but of men."

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Commentary:

13-20. In this passage St. Peter is promised primacy over the whole
Church, a primacy which Jesus will confer on him after His
Resurrection, as we learn in the Gospel of St. John (cf. John
21:15-18). This supreme authority is given to Peter for the benefit of
the Church. Because the Church has to last until the end of time, this
authority will be passed on to Peter's successors down through
history. The Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is the successor of Peter.

The solemn Magisterium of the Church, in the First Vatican Council,
defined the doctrine of the primacy of Peter and his successors in
these terms:

"We teach and declare, therefore, according to the testimony of the
Gospel that the primacy of jurisdiction over the whole Church was
immediately and directly promised to and conferred upon the blessed
Apostle Peter by Christ the Lord. For to Simon, Christ had said, `You
shall be called Cephas' (John 1:42). Then, after Simon had
acknowledged Christ with the confession, `You are the Christ, the Son
of the living God' (Matthew 16:16), it was to Simon alone that the
solemn words were spoken by the Lord: `Blessed are you, Simon
Bar-Jona. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My
Father who is in Heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this
rock I will build My Church, and the powers of Hell shall not prevail
against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and what you
loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven' (Matthew 16:17-19). And
after His Resurrection, Jesus conferred upon Simon Peter alone the
jurisdiction of supreme shepherd and ruler over His whole fold with the
words, `Feed My lambs....Feed My sheep' (John 21:15-17) [...].

"(Canon) Therefore, if anyone says that the blessed Apostle Peter was
not constituted by Christ the Lord as the Prince of all the Apostles
and the visible head of the whole Church militant, or that he received
immediately and directly from Jesus Christ our Lord only a primacy of
honor and not a true and proper primacy of jurisdiction: let him be
condemned.

"Now, what Christ the Lord, Supreme Shepherd and watchful guardian
of the flock, established in the person of the blessed Apostle Peter for
the perpetual safety and everlasting good of the Church must, by the
will of the same, endure without interruption in the Church which was
founded on the rock and which will remain firm until the end of the
world. Indeed, `no one doubts, in fact it is obvious to all ages, that
the holy and most blessed Peter, Prince and head of the Apostles, the
pillar of faith, and the foundation of the Catholic Church, received
the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and the
Redeemer of the human race; and even to this time and forever he
lives,' and governs, `and exercises judgment in his successors' (cf.
Council of Ephesus), the bishops of the holy Roman See, which he
established and consecrated with his blood. Therefore, whoever
succeeds Peter in this Chair holds Peter's primacy over the whole
Church according to the plan of Christ Himself [...]. For this reason,
`because of its greater sovereignty,' it was always `necessary for
every church, that is, the faithful who are everywhere, to be in
agreement' with the same Roman Church [...].

"(Canon) Therefore, if anyone says that it is not according to the
institution of Christ our Lord Himself, that is, by divine law, that
St. Peter has perpetual successors in the primacy over the whole
Church; or if anyone says that the Roman Pontiff is not the succes-
sor of St. Peter in the same primacy: let him be condemned [...].

"We think it extremely necessary to assert solemnly the prerogative
which the only-begotten Son of God deigned to join to the highest
pastoral office. And so, faithfully keeping to the tradition received
from the beginning of the Christian faith, for the glory of God our
Savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion, and for the salvation
of Christian peoples, We, with the approval of the sacred council,
teach and define that it is a divinely revealed dogma: that the Roman
Pontiff, when he speaks "ex cathedra", that is, when, acting in the
office of shepherd and teacher of all Christians, he defines, by virtue
of his supreme apostolic authority, doctrine concerning faith or morals
to be held by the universal Church, possesses through the divine
assistance promised to him in the person of St. Peter, the infallibility
with which the divine Redeemer willed His Church to be endowed in
defining doctrine concerning faith or morals; and that such definitions
of the Roman Pontiff are therefore irreformable because of their
nature, but not because of the agreement of the Church.

"(Canon) But if anyone presume to contradict this our definition (God
forbid that he do so): let him be condemned" (Vatican I, "Pastor
Aeternus", chaps. 1, 2 and 4).

23. Jesus rejects St. Peter's well-intentioned protestations, giving us to
understand the capital importance of accepting the cross if we are to
attain salvation (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:23-25). Shortly before this (Matthew
16:17) Jesus had promised Peter: "Blessed are you, Simon"; now He
reproves him: "Get behind me, Satan." In the former case Peter's words
were inspired by the Holy Spirit, whereas what he says now comes from
his own spirit which he has not yet sloughed off.
　

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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.