나바르 매일미사 독서/묵상

Saturday

22nd Week of Ordinary Time
　

(I) 1st Reading: Colossians 1:21-23

Christ's Saving Action on the Faithful
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[21] And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
[22] he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present
you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him, [23] provided that you
continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gos-
pel which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven,
and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

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

21. "Hostile in mind": literally, "enemies in mind and thought"; for, even if they
did not formally declare themselves to be enemies of God, they were enemies
in fact due to the way they acted.

22. "In his body of flesh": the physical body of Christ, through which he offered
himself to the Father on the cross and brought about the reconciliation of men
with God and with each other. Christ's sacred humanity is, therefore, an instru-
ment of salvation: through his passion and death our Lord conquered sin and
obtained the graces we need to be cleansed of our faults and to be presented
"holy and blameless and irreproachable before him."

The sacred text shows that the Incarnation of the Word is something diametri-
cally opposed to a disembodied spiritualism, which is quite foreign to the spirit
of the Gospel. In a homily given in a Mass on the campus of Navarre University
in 1967, St. Escriva explained that "authentic Christianity, which professes the
resurrection of all flesh, has always quite logically opposed 'dis-incarnation',
without fear of being judged materialistic. We can, therefore, rightfully speak of
a 'Christian materialism', which is boldly opposed to those materialisms which
are blind to the spirit" ("Conversations", 115).
***********

(II) 1st Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:6b-15

Servants of Christ (Continuation)
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[6] I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brethren, that
you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be
puffed up in favor of one against another. [7] For who sees anything different in
you? What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do
you boast as if it were not a gift?

Trials of Apostles
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[8] Already you are filled! Already you have become rich! Without us you
have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the
rule with you! [9] For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all,
like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world,
to angels and to men. [10] We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in
Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disre-
pute. [11] To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted
and homeless, [12] and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled,
we bless; when persecuted, we endure; [13] when slandered, we try to conciliate;
we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all
things.

Admonishment
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[14] I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my be-
loved children. [15] For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not
have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

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Commentary:

6. "Not to go beyond what is written": this is open to various interpretations. It
may be a proverb with which the Corinthians were familiar, meaning that one
should stay on safe ground (in this cases Paul's guidelines for the infant Church
at Corinth). "What is written" could also refer to all scripture or just to the quota-
tions which Paul has used (cf. 1:19, 31; 3:19). In any event he makes it clear to
the Corinthians that it is they themselves who, due to their immaturity and pride,
have caused the dissensions in their community through exalting one preacher
at the expense of others. Paul and Apollos have behaved quite properly and
therefore cannot be held responsible for these divisions.

7. The Apostle comes back again to insist on what he said earlier (cf. 1:26-31):
they have no cause to boast about the calling they have received. God called
them without any merit on their part. "To be humble is to walk in the truth, for it
is absolutely true to say that we have no good thing in ourselves, but only misery
and nothingness; and anyone who fails to understand this is walking in falsehood"
(St Teresa of Avila, "Interior Castle", VI, chap. 10). Therefore, the attitude of a
humble soul, reflecting on the graces he or she has received, should be one of
gratitude to God, the giver. Here is what St John of Avila has to say about this
verse: "If you have the grace of God and want to please him and do excellent
things, do not glory in yourself, but rather in him who made it possible-God. And
if you boast of having used your free will well, or freely consented to God's inspi-
rations, do not boast even on that account; boast rather of God who made you
consent, inspiring you and gently influencing you-and who in fact gave you that
free will whereby you were able to give your free consent. And if you are inclined
to boast about the fact that you could have resisted God's inspiration and good
influence and yet did not resist it, you should not boast about that either, for that
is a matter not of doing something but of not doing something; and even that you
owe to God, because he who helped you to consent in doing good also helped
you not to reject that help. Any good use you make of your free will, in things
to do with your salvation, is a gift from God [...]. So, always boast only in God,
from whom all the good you have comes; and remember that without him the
only harvest you reap is nothing, and vanity and evil" ("Audi, Filia", chap. 66).

8. Verse 8 sums up a series of ironic remarks about the conceitedness of these
Corinthians whom St Paul is taking to task. St Thomas Aquinas comments on
this passage as follows: "The Apostle here considers four types of pride: the first,
when one thinks that what one has does not come from God [...]; the second,
which is similar, when one thinks that one has done everything on one's own
merit; the third, when one boasts of having something which one does not in fact
have [...]; the fourth, when one despises others and is concerned only about one-
self" ("Commentary on 1 Cor, ad loc.").

The Apostle dramatically describes the disabilities which followers of Christ are
happy to bear, like people sentenced to death in the arena they are a spectacle
for everyone to watch. In other letters he again tells of the suffering an apostle
must expect (cf. 2 Cor 6:3-10; 11:23-33; 2 Tim 3:11).

The last words in the passage -- "the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all
things" -- may refer to a barbaric custom that obtained in some Greek cities: in
the face of some public calamity, a citizen, in exchange for being treated royal
for a period, agreed to be sacrificed to the gods; on the day of his sacrifice the
people had the right to heap every kind of insult and filth upon him; he was "the
offscouring of everyone". This sacrifice was offered to free the city of evil spells.
Even if they do refer to this custom, these words have also a much deeper mea-
ning: Christ by dying on the cross has redeemed the world; the apostle must
follow in the footsteps of his Master, knowing that suffering completes "what is
lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church" (Col
1:24).

Therefore, there is no trace of protest in what St Paul is saying here: he is poin-
ting to the value of suffering, which the cross of Christ, helps us to recognize. "I
will tell you which are man's treasures on earth," St. Escriva writes, "so that you
won't let them go to waste: hunger, thirst, heat cold, pain, dishonor, poverty,
loneliness, betrayal, slander, prison..." ("The Way", 194).

14-16. St Paul brings up the subject of the spiritual paternity of the Corinthians,
because it was he who begot them in the faith. In view of this fact, his reproaches
take on a special seriousness; his purpose is not to make them feel ashamed but
to encourage them to acquire the virtues they need and to have them build up the
Church, which has been established as "a communion of life, love and truth"
(Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 9).

"Be imitators of me": whenever the Apostle puts himself forward as a model for
the faithful (cf. 1 Cor 11:1; 2 Thess 3:7; Phil 3:17; Gal 4:12) he refers to the suf-
ferings which his apostolate has brought upon him. All Christians should act in
like manner (1 Thess 1:6-7; 2:14). If they do, they will be a support for one ano-
ther, they will come to have the same sentiments as Christ Jesus, (Phil 2:5),
and will be keeping out his commandment that each carry his own cross (Mt.
16:24).

The saints understood all this and taught others to face up to suffering, even
severe suffering. "We always find that those who walked closest to Christ our
Lord were those who had to bear the greatest trials. Consider the trials suffered
by his glorious Mother and by the glorious Apostles. How do you suppose St
Paul could endure such terrible trials? [...]. You know very well that, so far as we
can learn, he took not a day's rest, nor can he have rested by night, since it was
then that he had to earn his living" (St Teresa, "Interior Castle", VII, chap. 4,5).

Gospel Reading: Luke 6:1-5

The Law of the Sabbath
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[1] On a Sabbath, while He (Jesus) was going through the grainfields, His dis-
ciples plucked and ate some ears of grain, rubbing them in their hands. [2] But
some of the Pharisees said, "Why are You doing what is not lawful to do on the
Sabbath?" [3] And Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he
was hungry, he and those who were with him: [4] how he entered the house of
God, and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any
but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?" [5] And he said to
them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

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

1-5. Accused by the Pharisees of breaking the Sabbath, Jesus explains the
correct way of understanding the Sabbath rest, using an example from the Old
Testament. And, by stating that He is "Lord of the Sabbath" He is openly revea-
ling that He is God Himself, for it was God who gave this precept to the people
of Israel. For more on this, see the notes on Matthew 12:2 and 12:3-8.

1-5. 바리사이들에 의하여 안식일을 지키지 않는 것에 대하여 비난을 받으시자,
예수님께서는, 구약으로부터의 한 개의 예를 사용하여, 안식일 휴식을 이해함에
있어서의 올바른 방식을 설명하십니다. 그리고 당신께서 "안식일의 주인"이심을
분명하게 말씀하심으로써, 당신께서 하느님 자신이심을 공개적으로 드러내고
계시는데, 이는 이스라엘 백성에게 이러한 규범을 주셨던 분이 바로 하느님이셨기
때문입니다. 이것에 대한 더 자세한 것은 마태오 복음서 12,2 및 12,3-8에 대한
주석들을 보십시오.

[번역자 주: 다음의 주소에 접속하면, 가톨릭 교회의 전례력에 있어, 매년 연중
제15주간 금요일 복음 말씀 (마태오 복음서 12,1-8)에 대한 아래에 있는 나바르
성경 주석서의 해설들에 대한 우리말 번역문들을 읽을 수 있다:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/navarre/ot_15_fri.htm]

[The notes on Matthew 12:2 and 12:3-8 states:

[마태오 복음서 12,2 및 12,3-8에 대한 주석들은 다음과 같이 분명하게 말합니다
(states):

2. "The Sabbath": this was the day the Jews set aside for worshipping God. God
Himself, the originator of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:3), ordered the Jewish people
to avoid certain kinds of work on this day (Exodus 20:8-11; 21:13; Deuteronomy
5:14) to leave them free to give more time to God. As time went by, the rabbis
complicated this divine precept: by Jesus' time they had extended to 39 the list
of kinds of forbidden work.

The Pharisees accuse Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath. In the casuistry
of the scribes and the Pharisees, plucking ears of corn was the same as harves-
ting, and crushing them was the same as milling-types of agricultural work forbid-
den on the Sabbath.

3-8. Jesus rebuts the Pharisees' accusation by four arguments-the example of
David, that of the priests, a correct understanding of the mercy of God and Jesus'
own authority over the Sabbath.

The first example which was quite familiar to the people, who were used to lis-
tening to the Bible being read, comes from 1 Samuel 21:2-7: David, in flight from
the jealousy of King Saul, asks the priest of the shrine of Nob for food for his men;
the priest gave them the only bread he had, the holy bread of the Presence; this
was the twelve loaves which were placed each week on the golden altar of the
sanctuary as a perpetual offering from the twelve tribes of Israel (Leviticus 24:5-9).
The second example refers to the priestly ministry to perform the liturgy, priests
had to do a number of things on the Sabbath but did not thereby break the law
of Sabbath rest (cf. Numbers 28:9).]

　

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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.