Tuesday

18th Week of Ordinary Time

(I) 1st Reading: Numbers 12:1-13

The Complaint of Miriam and Aaron Against Moses
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[1] Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman
whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman; [2] and they said,
"Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through
us also?" And the LORD heard it. [3] Now the man Moses was very meek, more
than all men that were on the face of the earth. [4] And suddenly the LORD said
to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting."
And the three of them came out. [5] And the LORD came down in a pillar of
cloud, and stood at the door of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they
both came forward. [6] And he said, "Hear my words: If there is a prophet among
you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a
dream. [7] Not so with my servant Moses; he is entrusted with all my house.
[8] With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in dark speech; and he
beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against
my servant Moses?"

[9] And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed; [10]
and when the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as
white as snow. And Aaron turned towards Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.
[11] And Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have
done foolishly and have sinned. [12] Let her not be as one dead, of whom the
flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb."

Moses Intercedes
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[13] And Moses cried to the LORD, "Heal her, 0 God, I beseech thee." [14] But
the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be
shamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp seven days, and after
that she may be brought in again." [15] So Miriam was shut up outside the camp
seven days; and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought
in again. [16] After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and encamped in the
wilderness of Paran.

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Commentary:

12.1-16. Aaron and Miriam's complaints about Moses begin with the subject of
his marriage to a foreigner. (The Hebrew text says "Cushite", which means "from
Ethiopia", but if we look at Habakkuk 3:7, which links Cushan to the Midianites,
perhaps we can read this passage as referring to Zipporoah: cf. Ex 2:16-21.) But
their complaints are really aimed at something much deeper--Moses' unique au-
thority as intermediary between God and his people. He is not the only prophet,
they say; however, unlike Moses, they have not the humility to see that prophecy
is a charism, a gift to be exercised on behalf of the people; rather, they see it as
a privilege from which they can gain advantage. This negative feature of Aaron,
along with what Exodus 32 has to tell about him, seems to suggest that his
place in folk memory is less positive than might appear at first sight.

The passage really shows what a unique personality Moses was in history of Is-
rael. He was the one who most put his trust in the Lord (perhaps that is the mea-
ning of the Hebrew "anaw", here translated as "meek": v.3). Such was his trust
that he became the most long-suffering of men; and brought God to his defense.
The severity of Miriam's punishment and swiftness of her cure at Moses' interces-
sion, serve to show how great Moses is. What really makes him great is the fact
that God speaks directly to him and not through visions or dreams as in the case
of the prophets. So, Moses is greater than the prophets. According to the Hebrew
text, Moses saw the "form" of the Lord (v. 8); the Greek translation (presumably
because of the spiritual nature of God and his transcendence) says that Moses
saw "the glory of the Lord". Similarly St John will say that no one has ever seen
God" (Jn 1:18), in order then to go on and stress that only Jesus Christ, the Son
of God and himself true God, could reveal to us all the truth about God.

However; God's spirituality and transcendence does not mean we cannot enter
into direct conversation with him through prayer. "Moses' prayer is characteristic
of contemplative prayer by which God's servant remains faithful to his mission.
Moses converses with God often and at length, climbing the mountain to hear
and entreat him and coming down to the people to repeat the words of his God
for their guidance. Moses 'is entrusted with all my house. With him I speak face
to face, clearly, not in riddles' for 'Moses was very humble, more so than every-
one else on the face of the earth' (Num 12:3, 7-8)' " ("Catechism of Catholic
Church", 2576).


(II) 1st Reading: Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22

Distress and hope
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[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: [2] "Thus says the Lord,
the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 

[12]"For thus says the Lord:
Your hurt is incurable,
and your wound is grievous.
[13]There is none to uphold your cause,
no medicine for your wound,
no healing for you.
[14]All your lovers have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you;
for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy,
the punishment of a merciless foe,
because your guilt is great,
because your sins are flagrant.
[15]Why do you cry out over your hurt?
Your pain is incurable.
Because your guilt is great,
because your sins are flagrant,
I have done these things to you.

[18]"Thus says the Lord:
Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob,
and have compassion on his dwellings:
the city shall be rebuilt upon its mound,
and the palace shall stand where it used to be.
[19]Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving,
and the voices of those who make merry.
I will multiply them, and they shall not be few;
I will make them honoured, and they shall not be small.
[20]Their children shall he as they were of old.
and their congregation shall be established before me;
and I will punish all who oppress them.
[21]Their prince shall be one of themselves,
their ruler shall come forth from their midst;
I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me,
for who would dare of himself to approach me? says the Lord.
[22] And you shall be my people,
and I will be your God."

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Commentary:

30:1-33:26. The second section of the second part of the hook is traditionally
called the "Book of Consolation" because both the oracles in verse and the
prose passages interspersed among them carried a message of consolation for
the people during their years in exile.

Although the section may seem to break the thread of the narrative, it does not
really do so. Having dealt with the difficulties met by Jeremiah in his attempts
to dispel false hopes in an early return from exile, the book now records oracles
about a future return to Judah. The central theme is hope in the restoration of
Israel and Judah based on a "new covenant". This section could date from the
end of Zedekiah's reign (587 BC) or a little later.

The oldest part of the section consists in verse oracles. In these we find recur-
ring references to impending judgment and punishment (30:5-7, 12-15, 23-24),
calls to hope (30:10-11, 16-17, 18-21; 31:2-14), laments (31:15, 18-19), and pro-
mises of better times to come (31:16-17; 31:20-22). The general tone is rather
sombre. However, in the final form of the book these oracles are linked by prose
passages beginning with the words "days are coming" (30:3; 31:27, 31, 38) and
which have the effect of giving these chapters a hopeful tone.

The most important passage announces the "new covenant' that will replace the
one broken by the people's repeated transgressions down the years (cf. 31:31-
37). From very early on, Christian writers have drawn attention to this passage:
"God announces that a new covenant shall be made, and it will he a light to all
the nations. We believe in his proclamation: our conviction derives from the po-
wer of the name of Jesus Christ who was crucified. All the people will forsake
idolatry and sin in order to draw closer to God; they will suffer death to pledge
their belief in him and to fulfil the creed of their religion. It is clear from the his-
tory of events and the power that lies behind them that God's proclamation is
fulfilled in the New Law and the New Covenant, in which all righteous men from
all nations who desire God's goodness place their hope. We, who were led to
God by Christ crucified, are the people of Israel in spirit and in truth, the people
of Judah and Jacob and Isaac, and of Abraham, the one to whom God bore wit-
ness before the time of circumcision, who was blessed and called the father of
many nations" (St Justin, Dialogus cum Trvphone, 11, 4-5).

30:1-24. The oracles that start of the "Book of Consolation" include some in
verse, which are designed mainly to nourish the hope of Israel, that is, the Nor-
thern kingdom. To these, others are added (they are usually in prose) which ap-
ply those promises of restoration to Judah. The former were probably composed
by Jeremiah early in his ministry, in the reign of Josiah, when Assyrian power
was on the wane and when religious reform in the Southern kingdom gave
ground for hope that the lsraelites, who had borne the brunt of Assyrian aggres-
sion, would come back into the fold. The later oracles were composed after Ju-
dah had suffered deportations. God is not forgetful of his followers, be they from
North or South, and he promises to re-establish his people in their land.

In the first oracles a sharp contrast is drawn between the suffering and anguish
that prevails in Israel (seemingly an insoluble situation: vv. 5-7, 12-15), and the
Lord's promise that he will not abandon his people or allow them to he destroyed
even though they are experiencing the punishment that their sins deserve (vv.
10-11, 16-24). Similarly, Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and after a period of religious
and moral reform, it will flourish again (vv. 18-21). Just as the Lord will deliver
Israel, so he will come to Judah's rescue in due course. He will lift the yoke that
Babylon has placed on the Jews (cf. 27:1-22) and they will be able to serve God
once more, under the rule of a descendant of David (vv. 8-9; cf. 23:5; Ezek 34:23;
37:24). The Septuagint version omits verse 22, which occurs again in 31:33. It is
a wording of the Covenant valid for all times and situations (cf. 7:23; 11:4; 24:7;
32:38).

The grounds for hope are the same as appear right through the book: "I am with
you" (v. 11; cf. 1:8; 1:19; 15:20; 30:11; 46:28). Despite the sins of men God is
merciful: his love endures: "sin too constitutes man's misery. The people of the
Old Covenant experienced this misery from the time of the Exodus, when they
set up the golden calf. The Lord himself triumphed over this act of breaking the
covenant when he solemnly declared to Moses that he was a 'God merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness' (Ex 
34:6). It is in this central revelation that a people, and each of its members, will
find, every time that they have sinned, the strength and the motive for turning to
the Lord to remind him of what he had exactly revealed about himself and to be-
seech his forgiveness" (John Paul II, Dives' in misericordia, 4).

Gospel Reading: Matthew 14:22-36

Jesus Walks on the Water
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[22] Then He (Jesus) made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to
the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. [23] And after He had dismissed
the crowds He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. When evening came, He
was there alone, [24] but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from
the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. [25] And in the
fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. [26] But when
the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a
ghost!" And they cried out for fear. [27] But immediately He spoke to them, sa-
ying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."

[28] And Peter answered Him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to You on the wa-
ter." [29] He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water
and came to Jesus; [30] but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning
to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." [31] Jesus immediately reached out his
hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?"
[32] And when they got into boat, the wind ceased. [33] And those in the boat
worshipped Him, saying, "Truly You are the son of God."

[34] And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. [35] And
when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent round to all the region and
brought to Him all that were sick, [36] and besought Him that they might only
touch the fringe of His garment; and as many as touched it were made well.

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Commentary:

22-23. It has been a very full day, like so many others. First, Jesus works many
cures (14:14) and then performs the remarkable miracle of the multiplication of
the loaves and the fish, a symbol of the future Eucharist. The crowd who have
been following Him were avid for food, teaching and consolation. Jesus "had
compassion on them" (14:14), curing their sick and giving them the comfort of
His teaching and the nourishment of food. He continues to do the same, down
the centuries, tending to our needs and comforting us with His word and with the
nourishment of His own body. Jesus must have been very moved, realizing the
vivifying effect the Blessed Sacrament would have on the lives of Christians--a
sacrament which is a mystery of life and faith and love. It is understandable that
He should feel the need to spend some hours in private to speak to His Father.
Jesus' private prayer, in an interlude between one demanding activity and another,
teaches us that every Christian needs to take time out for recollection, to speak
to His Father, God. On Jesus' frequent personal prayer see, for example, Mark
1:35; 6:47; Luke 5:16; 16:12. See the notes on Matthew 6:5-6 and Matthew
7:7-11.

24-33: This remarkable episode of Jesus walking on the sea must have made a
deep impression on the Apostles. It was one of their outstanding memories of the
life they shared with the Master. It is reported not only by St. Matthew, but also
by St. Mark (6:45-52), who would have heard about it from St. Peter, and by St.
John (6:14-21).

Storms are very frequent on Lake Gennesaret; they cause huge waves and are
very dangerous to fishing boats. During His prayer on the hill, Jesus is still mind-
ful of His disciples; He sees them trying to cope with the wind and the waves
and comes to their rescue once He has finished praying.

This episode has applications to Christian life. The Church, like the Apostles'
boat, also gets into difficulties, and Jesus who watches over His Church comes
to its rescue also, after allowing it to wrestle with obstacles and be strengthened
in the process. He gives us encouragement: "Take heart, it is I; have no fear"
(14:27); and we show our faith and fidelity by striving to keep an even keel, and
by calling on His aid when we feel ourselves weakening: "Lord, save me" (14:30),
words of St. Peter which every soul uses when he has recourse to Jesus, his
Savior. Then our Lord does save us, and we urgently confess our faith: "Truly
you are the Son of God" (14:33).

29-31. St. John Chrysostom ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 50) comments that in this
episode Jesus taught Peter to realize, from his own experience, that all his
strength comes from our Lord and that he could not rely on his own resources,
on his own weaknesses and wretchedness. Chrysostom goes as far as to say
that "if we fail to play our part, God ceases to help us." Hence the reproach, 'O
man of little faith" (14:31). When Peter began to be afraid and to doubt, he star-
ted to sink, until again, full of faith, he called out, "Lord, save me."

If at any time we, like Peter, should begin to weaken, we too should try to bring
our faith into play and call on Jesus to save us.

34-36. Learning from the faith of these people on the shore of Lake Gennesaret,
every Christian should approach the adorable humanity of the Savior. Christ --
God and Man -- is accessible to us in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

"When you approach the Tabernacle remember that He has been awaiting you
for twenty centuries" (St. J. Escrivá, "The Way", 537).

Or In Year A(가해), Gospel Reading: Matthew 15:1-2.10-14

True Cleanness
----------------------
[1] Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, [2]
"Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not
wash their hands when they eat."

[10] And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand:
[11] "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the
mouth, this defiles a man." [12] Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do
you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" [13]
He answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be
rooted up. [14] Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads
a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

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Commentary:

게시자 주: 다음의 주소에 접속하면, 아래에 있는, 마태오 복음서 15,10-20에 대한 
주해의 우리말 번역문을 읽을 수 있다. 특히, 이 단락이 우리말로 번역될 때에, 영어로 
"heart"로 번역되는 대단히 중요한 성경 용어가, 영어로 "mind"로 번역되는 "마음"으로 
잘못 번역된 매우 심각한 번역 오류가 발생한 부분임에 반드시 주목하라: 
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/navarre/ot_5_wed.htm <----- 필독 권고

10-20. Our Lord proclaims the true meaning of moral precepts and makes it clear
that man has to answer to God for his actions. The scribes' mistake consisted in
concentrating on externals and not giving pride of place to interior purity of heart.
For example, they saw prayer in terms of exact recital of fixed forms of words ra-
ther than as a raising of the soul to God (cf. Mt 6:5-6). The same thing happened
in the case of dietary regulations.

Jesus avails of the particular cases dealt with in this passage to teach us where
to find the true center of moral action: it lies in man's personal decision, good or
evil, a decision which is shaped in his heart and which then is expressed in the
form of action. For example, the sins which our Lord lists are sins committed in
the human heart prior to being acted out. In the Sermon on the Mount he already
said this: "Every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adul-
tery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:28).
　

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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].