Saturday
21st Week of Ordinary Time
(I) 1st Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11
Charity and Good Use of Time
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[9] But concerning love of the brethren you have no need to have any one write to
you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; [10] and in-
deed you do love all the brethren throughout Macedonia. But we exhort you, breth-
ren, to do so more and more, [11] to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your hands, as we charged you; [12] so that you may command
the respect of outsiders, and be dependent on nobody.
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Commentary:
9-10. "The greatest commandment of the law is to love God with one's whole heart
and one's neighbor as oneself (cf. Mt 22:37-40). Christ has made this love of neigh-
bor his personal commandment and has enriched it with a new meaning when he
willed himself, along with his brothers, to be the object of this charity, saying,
'When you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me' (Mt. 25:
40). In assuming human nature he has united to himself all mankind in a superna-
tural solidarity which makes of it one single family. He has made charity the distin-
guishing mark of his disciples, in the words: 'By this all men will know that you are
my disciples, if you have love for one another' (Jn 13:35). In the early days the
Church linked the 'agape' to the eucharistic supper, and by so doing showed itself
as one body around Christ united by the bond of charity. So too, in all ages, love
is its characteristic mark" (Vatican II, "Apostolicam Actuositatem", 8). Love for the
other members of the Church is fraternal love, a love which brothers and sisters
should have for one another, for the Church is one large family. The Thessalonians
practised this love not only among themselves but also with the other believers
living in Macedonia; fraternal charity is absolutely necessary for the unity of Chris-
tians.
"No tongue can tell the heights to which love uplifts us", St Clement of Rome tea-
ches. "Love unites us to God; love casts a veil over innumerable sins; there are no
limits to love's endurance, no end to its patience. There is nothing base, nothing
proud, about love [...] It was in love that all God's chosen ones were made perfect.
Without love nothing is pleasing to God" ("Letter to the Corinthians", 1, 49).
11-12. Everyone has certain obligations connected with his position in life which
he should conscientiously fulfill. They include, particularly, duties to do with work
and family, and they provide us with an opportunity for conversation with God. St
John Chrysostom teaches, for example: "A woman working in the kitchen or doing
some sewing can always raise her thoughts to heaven and fervently invoke the Lord.
If someone is on the way to market or is traveling alone, he can easily pray attenti-
vely. Someone else who is in his wine-cellar, engaged in stitching wine skins, is
free enough to raise his heart to the Master" ("Fifth Homily on Anna", 4, 6).
Work is something of immense human and supernatural value, for it is a means
readily at hand for personal sanctification and cooperation with others. It would be
unworthy of a Christian to live an idle life and expect to be supported by the chari-
ty of others. St Paul counsels everyone who can to look after his family and "be
dependent on nobody". And so we find the following in one of the very earliest
Christian documents: "If someone wants to settle down among you, and is a
skilled worker, let him find employment and earn his bread. If he knows no trade,
use your discretion to make sure that he does not live in idleness on the strength
of being a Christian. If he does not want to work, he is only trying to exploit Christ.
Be on your guard against people of that sort" ("Didache", 12). So, a person can-
not be regarded as a good Christian if he does not try to work well, for "our profes-
sional vocation is an essential and inseparable part of our condition as Christians.
Our Lord wants you to be holy in the place where you are, in the job you have cho-
sen" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 60).
In addition to promoting personal sanctification and cooperation with others, work
gives the Christian a share in Christ's work of Redemption. "Sweat and toil, which
work necessarily involves in the present condition of the human race, present the
Christian and everyone who is called to follow Christ with the possibility of sharing
lovingly in the work that Christ came to do (cf. Jn 17:4). This work of salvation came
about through suffering and death on a Cross. By enduring the toil of work in union
with Christ crucified for us, man in a way collaborates with the Son of God for the
redemption of humanity. He shows himself a true disciple of Christ by carrying the
cross in his turn every day (cf. Lk 9:23) in the activity that he is called upon to perf-
orm" (John Paul II, "Laborem Exercens", 27).
(II) 1st Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
The Wisdom of the Cross (Continuation)
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[26] For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to
worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; [27]
but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what
is weak in the world to shame the strong. [28] God chose what is low and des-
pised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
[29] so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. [30] He is the
source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteous-
ness and sanctification and redemption; [31] therefore, as it is written, "Let him
who boasts, boast of the Lord."
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Commentary:
26-29. As in the case of the Apostles--"You did not choose me, but I chose you'.
(Jn 15:16)--it is the Lord who chooses, who gives each Christian his vocation. St
Paul emphasizes that the initiative lies with God by saying three times that it
was God who chose those Corinthians to be Christians, and he did not base his
choice on human criteria. Human wisdom, power, nobility, these were not what
brought them to the faith--nor the inspirations which God later gives. "God is no
respecter of persons (cf. 2 Chron 19:7; Rom 2:1; Eph 6:9; CoI 3:25; etc.)", St. J.
Escriva reminds us. "When he invites a soul to live a life fully in accordance with
the faith, he does not set store by merits of fortune, nobility, blood or learning.
God's call precedes all merits [...]. Vocation comes first. God loves us before we
even know how to go toward him, and he places in us the love with which we can
respond to his call" ("Christ Is Passing By", 33).
Thus, God chooses whomever he wants to, and these first Christians--uneduca-
ted, unimportant, even despised people, in the world's eyes--will be what he uses
to spread his Church and convert the wise, the strong and the "important": this
disproportion between resources and results will make it quite clear that God is
responsible for the increase.
However, this does not mean that none of the first Christians was educated or
influential, humanly speaking. The Acts of the Apostles, for example, tell us
about early converts who were out of the ordinary--a minister of the court of the
Kandake of Ethiopia; a centurion, Cornelius; Apollos; Dionysius the Areopagite;
etc. "It would appear that worldly excellence is not godly unless God uses it for
his honor. And therefore, although at the beginning they were indeed few, later
God chose many humanly outstanding people for the ministry of preaching.
Hence the gloss which says, 'If the fisherman had not faithfully led the way, the
orator would not have humbly followed'" (St Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on
1 Cor, ad loc.").
27. St Paul's words remind us that supernatural resources are the thing an apos-
tle must rely on. It is true that human resources are necessary, and God counts
on them (cf. 1 Cor 3:5-10); but the task God has commended to Christians ex-
ceeds their abilities and can be carried out only with his help. The Second Vati-
can Council reminded priests of this verse when stressing the need for humility;
and what it says can be useful to all Christians: "The divine task for the fulfillment
of which they have been set apart by the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 13:2) transcends all
human strength and human wisdom; for 'God chose what is weak in the world to
shame the strong' (1 Cor 1:27). Therefore the true minister of Christ is conscious
of his own weakness and labors in humility. He tries to discover what is well-
pleasing to God (cf. Eph 5:10) and, bound as it were in the Spirit (cf. Acts 20:22),
he is guided in all things by the will of him who wishes all men to be saved. He is
able to discover and carry out that will in the course of his daily routine by humbly
placing himself at the service of all those who are entrusted to his care by God in
the office that has been committed to him and the variety of events that make up
his life" ("Presbyterorum Ordinis", 15).
30-31. God's call makes a person a member of Christ Jesus, through Baptism;
and if a Christian is docile to grace he or she will gradually become so like Christ
as to be able to say with St Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives
in me" (Gal 2:20). This "being in Christ Jesus" enables a person to share in the
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption which Jesus is for the
Christian.
Jesus Christ indeed is the "wisdom" of God (cf. Col 1:15f; Heb 1:2f), and knowing
him is true wisdom, the highest form of wisdom. He is for us our "righteousness",
because through the merits obtained by his incarnation, death and resurrection
he has made us truly righteous (= just, holy) in God's sight He is also the source
of all holiness, which consists in fact in identification with Christ. Through him,
who has become "redemption" for us, we have been redeemed from the slavery of
sin. "How well the Apostle orders his ideas: Good has made us wise by rescuing
us from error; and then he has made us just and holy by giving us his spirit"
(Chrysostom, "Hom. on 1 Cor, 5, ad loc.").
In view of the complete gratuitousness of God's choice (vv. 25-28) and the im-
mense benefits it brings with it, the conclusion is obvious: "'Deo omni, gloria. All
glory to God.' It is an emphatic conclusion of our nothingness. He Jesus, is every-
thing. We, without him, are worth nothing: nothing. Our vainglory would be just
that: vain glory; it would be sacrilegious robbery. There should be no room for
that 'I' anywhere" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 780).
Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:14-30
The Parable of the Talents
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(Jesus said to His disciples,) [14] "For it will be as when a man going on a
journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; [15] to one he
gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.
Then he went away. [16] He who had received the five talents went at once and
traded with them; and he made five talents more. [17] So also, he who had the
two talents made two talents more. [18] But he who had received the one talent
went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
[19] Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled ac-
counts with them. [20] And he who received the five talents came forward, brin-
ging five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I
have made five talents more.' [21] His master said to him, `Well done, good and
faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter
into the joy of your master.' [22] And he also who had the two talents came for-
ward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two
talents more.' [23] His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant;
you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of
your master.' [24] He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying,
`Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and ga-
thering where you did not winnow; [25] so I was afraid, and I went and hid your
talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' [26] But his master ans-
wered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have
not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? [27] Then you ought to have
invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received
what was my own with interest. [28] So take the talent from him, and give it to
him who has the ten talents. [29] For to every one who has will more be given,
and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be
taken away. [30] And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there
men will weep and gnash their teeth.'"
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Commentary:
14-30. A talent was not any kind of coin but a measure of value worth about fifty
kilos (one hundred pounds) of silver.
In this parable the main message is the need to respond to grace by making a
genuine effort right through one's life. All the gifts of nature and grace which God
has given us should yield a profit. It does not matter how many gifts we have re-
ceived; what matters is our generosity in putting them to good use.
A person's Christian calling should not lie hidden and barren: it should be out-
going, apostolic and self-sacrificial. "Don't lose your effectiveness; instead,
trample on your selfishness. You think your life is for yourself? Your life is for
God, for the good of all men, though your love for our Lord. Your buried talent,
dig it up again! Make it yield" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 47).
An ordinary Christian cannot fail to notice that Jesus chose to outline his tea-
ching on response to grace by using the simile of men at work. Here we have a
reminder that the Christian normally lives out his vocation in the context of ordi-
nary, everyday affairs. "There is just one life, made of flesh and spirit. And it is
this life which has to become, in both soul and body, holy and filled with God.
We discover the invisible God in the most visible and material things. There is
no other way. Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else
we shall never find Him" (St. J. Escriva, "Conversations", 114).
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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].