Tuesday

24th Week of Ordinary Time

(I) 1st Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Qualifications for Bishops
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[1] The saying is sure: If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a
noble task. [2] Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,
temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, [3] no drunkard, not
violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. [4] He must manage
his own household well, keeping children submissive and respectful in every way;
[5] for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he
care for God's church? [6] He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed
up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil; [7] moreover he must
be well thought of by outsiders, or he may fall into reproach and the snare of the
devil.

Qualifications for Deacons
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[8] Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to much
wine, not greedy for gain; [9] they must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear
conscience. [10] And let them also be tested first; then if they prove blameless
let them serve as deacons. [11] The women likewise must be serious, no slande-
rers, but temperate, faithful in all things. [12] Let deacons be the husband of one
wife, and let them manage their children and their households well; [13] for those
who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great
confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

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Commentary:

1. "The office of bishop": as explained in the "Introduction to the Pastoral Epis-
tles", above, when these epistles were written the titles and responsibilities of
the various church offices had not yet become fixed. The "bishop" (in Greek "epis-
copos" (overseer) was a priest who was in charge of some particular community.
As a minister of the Church, his role was one of teaching (cf. v. 2) and governance
(cf. v.5); his task was a demanding one and called for self-sacrifice, because any
office in a Christian community is essentially a form of service: "The holders of of-
fice, who are invested with a sacred power, are, in fact, dedicated to promoting
the interests of their brethren, so that all who belong to the people of God, and
are consequently endowed with true Christian dignity, may, through their free
and well-ordered efforts towards a common goal, attain to salvation" (Vatican II,
"Lumen Gentium", 18).

In spite of the regard in which those "bishops" were held by the faithful, there
seems to have been a shortage of candidates for the office. Hence St Paul's
stressing that it is a "noble task"--to encourage a generous response by those
who feel the Lord's call. From the very beginning, both pastors of the Church and
many other members of the faithful have striven to nurture the germs of vocation
which God places in people's souls. "Beyond question, the society founded by
Christ will never lack priests. But we must all be vigilant and do our part, remem-
bering the word: 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few' (Lk 10:2). We
must do all that we can to secure as many holy ministers of God as possible"
(Pius XII, "Menti Nostrae", 36).

2-7. The quality and virtues required for a "bishop" are similar to those for "elders"
given in Titus 1:5-9. In the Pastoral Epistles "bishop" and "elder" (or priest) mean
almost the same thing. In listing qualifications St Paul is not giving a complete list;
he is simply saying that candidates for Church office should have qualities which
make them suited to the work and should be morally irreproachable.

The Church, in its legislation, has always tried to see that suitable people are cho-
sen as ministers. The Second Vatican Council lays it down that before the priest-
hood is conferred on anyone careful inquiry should be made "concerning his right
intention and freedom of choice, his spiritual, moral and intellectual fitness etc."
("Optatam Totius", 6). In other words, a person needs qualifications in the form of
human qualities and ability if he is to live up to the demands of Church office.

"This need for the secular priest to develop human virtues stems from the nature
of his apostolic ministry which must be carried out in the everyday world and in
direct contact with people who tend to be stern judges of a priest and who watch
particularly his behavior as a man. There is nothing new about all this--but it does
seem useful now to emphasize it again. From St Paul to the most recent doctors
of the Church (take the teaching of St Francis de Sales, for example) one finds
this question dealt with. It is none other than that of the contact between nature
and supernature to achieve both the death of that man which must die under the
sign of the Cross, and the perfect development of all the nobility and virtue which
exists in man, and its direction towards the service of God" (A. del Portillo, "On
Priesthood", p. 12).

2. "The husband of one wife": this is also a requirement of "elders" (cf. Tit 1:6)
and "deacons" (1 Tim 3:12); it does not mean that the person is under an obliga-
tion to marry, but he must not have married more than once. From the context it
clearly does not mean that candidates are forbidden to be polygamous (polygamy
is forbidden to everyone); the condition that one be married only once ensures
that candidates will be very respectable, exemplary people; in the culture of the
time second marriages, except in special circumstances, were looked at askance,
among Gentiles as well as Jews.

In the apostolic age celibacy was not a requirement for those who presided over
the early Christian communities. However, it very soon became customary to re-
quire celibacy. "In Christian antiquity the Fathers and ecclesiastical writers testify
to the spread through the East and the West of the voluntary practice of celibacy
by sacred ministers because of its profound suitability for their total dedication to
the service of Christ and his Church. The Church of the West, from the beginning
of the fourth century, strengthened, spread, and approved this practice by means
of various provincial councils and through the Supreme Pontiffs" (Paul VI, "Sacer-
dotalis Caelibatus", 35-36).

From then on all priests of the Latin rite were required to be celibate. Celibacy is
appropriate to the priesthood for many reasons: "By preserving virginity or celiba-
cy for the sake of the kingdom of heaven priests are consecrated in a new and
excellent way to Christ. They more readily cling to him with undivided heart and
dedicate themselves more freely in him and through him to the service of God
and of men. They are less encumbered in their service of his kingdom and of the
task of heavenly regeneration. In this way they become better fitted for a broader
acceptance of fatherhood in Christ" (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 16).

6. "He must not be a recent convert": one of the functions of the "bishop" was to
preside over the community; therefore, it would be imprudent to expose the office-
holder to the danger of vanity and pride. As St Thomas says in his commentary,
it is not wise to appoint young people and recent converts to positions of honor
and responsibility, because they can easily begin to think that they are better
than the others and cannot be done without (cf. "Commentary on l Tim, ad loc.").

"Fall into the condemnation of the devil" or "fall into the same condemnation as
the devil": the original text is not very clear. It may mean that it is the devil who is
doing the condemning, in which case it would be the same as saying "fall into the
power of the devil" or "fall into enslavement by the devil". At any rate it is fairly
clear that St Paul wants to warn about the danger of committing the same sin as
the fallen angel, that is, becoming proud and thereby earning damnation.

7. Another function of the "bishop" was to represent the Church to "outsiders",
that is, non-Christians. All believers should give good example (cf. Mt 5:16; Col
4:5; 1 Pet 2:13; 3:1), but those who hold Church office have a special duty to
avoid giving scandal or providing grounds for gossip.

8-13. Deacons were ministers under bishops and priests. "The origin of the diaco-
nate probably goes back to the "seven men of good repute" who were elected to
help the Apostles (cf. Acts 6:1-6 and note); we do know that those men had an
administrative role in aiding the poor and the sick (Acts 6:1); they also preached
(Acts 6:8-14; 8:6) and administered Baptism (Acts 8:26-40). Later on mention is
made of deacons alongside "bishops" in certain important communities (cf. Phil
1:1), which suggests that they were part of the Church hierarchy.

This letter shows them to be ministers subordinate to the "bishop"; in these
verses, which some commentators call "the deacons' statute", their specific fun-
ctions are not stated (they probably performed a wide range of tasks); however,
it does appear that, unlike the bishop, they did not represent the Church to out-
siders and they could be drawn from among recent converts

The requirements given here are very like those for the "bishop": as ministers of
the Church they would naturally be required to live exemplary lives. The Second
Vatican Council is in line with this text when it says that deacons, "waiting upon
the mysteries of Christ and of the Church, should keep themselves free from
every vice, should please God and give a good example to all in everything" ("Lu-
men Gentium", 41).

10. "Let them also be tested first": it is up to bishops (then and now) to ensure
that holy orders are conferred on suitable candidates; probably even in St Paul's
time candidates had to undergo a period of training, in the course of which their
suitability could be checked.

The Church always tries to see that only people who are really suitable are given
Church office, even if that means fewer people are ordained, for "God never so
abandons his Church that suitable ministers are not to be found sufficient for the
needs of the people; provided the worthy are promoted and the unworthy are set
aside" ("Summa Theologiae", Supplement, q. 36, a. 4 ad 1).

11. The text says so little that it is difficult to work out who these women were.
Many authors, St Thomas among them, think that they were deacons' wives be-
cause the reference to them interrupts the list of qualifications for deacons. Many
other commentators think that they were women who performed some function
or ministry in the early Church; this would explain why nothing is said about the
wife of the bishop (when the qualifications for bishops are given at the start of this
chapter) and it would also explain why the comportment of the deacons and of
these women is referred to using the same adverb--"likewise", similarly--in v. 8
and v. 11. We do know (from a fourth-century document, "Apostolic Constitu-
tions", 2, 26; 3, 15) that some women did help in the instruction of catechumens,
in their Baptism, in care of the sick, etc. In the Letter to the Romans, Phoebe is
described as a "deaconess" (cf. Rom 16:1) though she was not a sacred minis-
ter in the strict sense.

13. "Gain a good standing for themselves": this may mean that being a deacon
could be a step towards the higher office of "bishop"; or it could mean that the
diaconate itself is a noble position, just as the office of "bishop" is "a noble task"
(v. 1). Perhaps St Paul uses this vague expression because it covers both these
things: it is an honorable ministry and also it can be a step to a higher position
in the service of the community.

"Great confidence": the original text uses a word which, in classical Greek refers
to the right of free citizens to speak at public assemblies -- with full freedom, con-
fident, afraid of no one, with self-assurance, etc. A good deacon should expound
the doctrine of the faith in the same kind of way: he should be well versed in it, he
should stress those aspects which are most apposite at the time, and he should
not be affected by what others may think of him.


(II) 1st Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31a

Unity and Variety in the Mystical Body of Christ
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[12] For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members
of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For by one
Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all
were made to drink of one Spirit.

[14] For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

[27] Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. [28] And God
has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then
workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various
kinds of tongues. [29] Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do
all work miracles? [30] Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? 
Do all interpret? [31] But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a
still more excellent way.

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Commentary:

12-13. In Greek and Latin literature, society is often compared to a body: even
today we talk of "corporations", a term which conveys the idea that all the citi-
zens of a particular city are responsible for the common good. St Paul, starting
with this metaphor, adds two important features: 1) he identifies the Church with
Christ: "so it is with Christ" (v. 12); and 2) he says that the Holy Spirit is its life-
principle: "by one Spirit we were all baptized . . ., and all made to drink of the
Spirit" (v. 13). The Magisterium summarizes this teaching by defining the Church
as the "mystical body of Christ", an expression which "is derived from and is, as
it were, the fair flower of the repeated teaching of Sacred Scripture and the holy
Fathers" (Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis").

"So it is with Christ": "One would have expected him to say, so it is with the
Church, but he does not say that [. . .]. For, just as the body and the head are
one man, so too Christ and the Church are one, and therefore instead of 'the
Church' he says 'Christ"' (Chrysostom, "Hom. on 1 Cor", 30, "ad loc."). This
identification of the Church with Christ is much more then a mere metaphor; it
makes the Church a society which is radically different from any other society:
"The complete Christ is made up of the head and the body, as I am sure you
know well. The head is our Savior himself, who suffered under Pontius Pilate
and now, after rising from the dead, is seated at the right hand of the Father.
And his body is the Church. Not this or that church, but the Church which is to
be found all over the world. Nor is it only that which exists among us today, for
also belonging to it are those who lived before us and those who will live in the
future, right up to the end of the world. All this Church, made up of the assembly
of the faithful--for all the faithful are members of Christ--has Christ as its head,
governing his body from heaven. And although this head is located out of sight
of the body, he is, however, joined to it by love" (St Augustine, "Enarrationes In
Psalmos", 56, 1).

The Church's remarkable unity derives from the Holy Spirit who not only assem-
bles the faithful into a society but also imbues and vivifies its members, exerci-
sing the same function as the soul does in a physical body: "In order that we
might be unceasingly renewed in him (cf. Eph 4:23), he has shared with us his
Spirit who, being one and the same in head and members, gives life to, unifies
and moves the whole body. Consequently, his work could be compared by the
Fathers to the function that the principle of life, the soul, fulfills in the human
body" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 7).

"All were made to drink of one Spirit": given that the Apostle says this imme-
diately after mentioning Baptism, he seems to be referring to a further outpouring
of the Spirit, possibly in the sacrament of Confirmation. It is not uncommon for
Sacred Scripture to compare the outpouring of the Spirit to drink, indicating that
the effects of his presence are to revive the parched soul; in the Old Testament
the coming of the Holy Spirit is already compared to dew, rain etc.; and St John
repeats what our Lord said about "living water" (Jn 7:38; cf. 4:13-14).

Together with the sacraments of Christian initiation, the Eucharist plays a special
role in building up the unity of the body of Christ. "Really sharing in the body of
the Lord in the breaking of the eucharistic bread, we are taken up into communion
with him and with one another. 'Because the bread is one, we, who are many, are
one body, for we all partake of the one bread' (1 Cor 10:17). In this way all of us
are made members of his body (cf. 1 Cor 12:27), 'and individual members of one
another' (Rom 12:5)" ("Lumen Gentium", 7).

14-27. The unity of the mystical body, which derives from a single life- principle,
the Holy Spirit, and tends towards a common same goal, that is, the building up
of the Church, means that all its members, whatever their position, have the same
basic dignity and the same importance. St Paul develops this thinking by a very
effective literary device: he personifies the members of the human body and ima-
gines the nobler members looking down on the lesser ones (vv. 21-24). This serves
to reaffirm the truth of v. 25: "that the members may have the same care for one
another". The responsibility of each Christian derives from the very essence of the
vocation he or she receives at Baptism and Confirmation: "In the Church there is
a diversity of ministries," St. Escriva explains, "but there is only one aim--the
sanctification of men. And in this task all Christians participate in some way,
through the character imprinted by the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
We must all feel responsible for the mission of the Church, which is the mission
of Christ. He who does not have zeal for the salvation of souls, he who does not
strive with all his strength to make the name and the teaching of Christ known
and loved, will not understand the apostolicity of the Church.

"A passive Christian has failed to understand what Christ wants from all of us.
A Christian who 'goes his own way', unconcerned about the salvation of others,
does not love with the heart of Jesus. Apostolate is not a mission exclusive to
the hierarchy, or to priests and religious. The Lord calls all of us to be, by our ex-
ample and word, instruments of the stream of grace which springs up to eternal
life" ("In Love with the Church", 15).

28-30. St Paul concludes this description of the different parts of the body by ap-
plying it to the Church, where variety of functions does not detract from unity. It
would be a serious mistake not to recognize in the visible structure of the Church,
which is so multifaceted, the fact that the Church founded by Christ is "one", visi-
ble at the same time as it is spiritual. The Second Vatican Council puts this very
clearly: "But the society structured with hierarchical organs and the mystical body
of Christ, the visible society and the spiritual community, the earthly Church and
the Church endowed with heavenly riches, are not to be thought of as two realities.
On the contrary, they form one complex reality which comes together from a hu-
man element and a divine element. For this reason the Church is compared, not
without significance, to the mystery of the incarnate Word. As the assumed
nature, inseparably united to Him, serves the divine Word as a living organ of sal-
vation, so, in a somewhat similar way, does the social structure of the Church
serve the Spirit of Christ who vivifies it, in the building up of the body (cf. Eph
4:15)" "Lumen Gentium", 8).

The Church is this way because that is the will of its founder, Jesus Christ: "The
Church is by divine will a hierarchical institution. The Second Vatican Council
describes it as a 'society structured with hierarchical organs' ("Lumen Gentium",
8) in which 'ministers are invested with a sacred power' ("ibid., 18). The hierarchy
is not only compatible with freedom: it is at the service of the freedom of the chil-
dren of God (cf. Rom 8:21). [...] 'Hierarchy' means holy government and sacred
order. In no way does it imply a merely human arbitrary order or a subhuman
despotism. Our Lord established in the Church a hierarchical order which should
not degenerate into tyranny, because authority is as much a call to serve as is
obedience.

"In the Church there is equality, because once baptized we are all equal, all chil-
dren of the same God, our Father. There is no difference as Christians between
the Pope and someone who has just joined the Church. But this radical equality
does not mean that we can change the constitution of the Church in those things
that were established by Christ. By expressed divine will there are different func-
tions which imply different capacities, an indelible 'character' conferred on the
sacred ministers by the sacrament of Order. At the summit of this order is Peter's
successors and with him, and under him, all the bishops with the triple mission
of sanctifying, governing and teaching" (J. Escriva, "In Love with the Church", 30).

31. "Earnestly desire the higher gifts": according to some Greek manuscripts this
can be translated "earnestly seek the greater gifts". St Paul is encouraging his
Christians to put greater value on those gifts of the Holy Spirit which contribute
most to the goal of the Church than on those which are spectacular. He probably
has in mind the teaching he will develop (chap. 14) about the superiority of graces
and charisms to do with teaching and catechesis.

"A still more excellent way": this undoubtedly refers to charity, which he goes on
to describe and praise (chap. 13). Therefore, what is called his "hymn to charity"
is not a digression, much less a later addition, but an outpouring of the Apostle's
soul, which perfectly explains why charity is the greatest of all gifts, a sure route
to holiness and salvation, and the identifying mark of the Christian: "the first and
most necessary gift is charity, by which we love God above all things and our
neighbor because of Him [...]. This is because love, as the bond of perfection
and fullness of the law (cf. Col 3:14, Rom 13:10), governs, gives meaning to,
and perfects all the means of sanctification. Hence the true disciple of Christ
is marked by love both of God and of his neighbor" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium",
42).


Gospel Reading: Luke 7:11-17

The Son of the Widow in Nain Restored to Life
---------------------------------------------
[11] Soon afterwards He (Jesus) went to a city called Nain, and His disciples
and a great crowd went with Him. [12] As He drew near to the gate of the city,
behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother,
and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. [13] And
when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not
weep." [14] And He came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still.
And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." [15] And the dead man sat up,
and began to speak. And He gave him to his mother. [16] Fear seized them
all; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and
"God has visited His people!" [17] And this report concerning Him spread
through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

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Commentary:

11-17. "Jesus crosses paths again with a crowd of people. He could have
passed by or waited until they called Him. But He didn't. He took the initiative,
because He was moved by a widow's sorrow. She had just lost all she had, her
son.

"The evangelist explains that Jesus was moved. Perhaps He even showed
signs of it, as when Lazarus died. Christ was not, and is not, insensitive to the
suffering that stems from love. He is pained at seeing children separated from
their parents. He overcomes death so as to give life, to reunite those who love
one another. But at the same time, He requires that we first admit the
pre-eminence of divine love, which alone can inspire genuine Christian living.

"Christ knows He is surrounded by a crowd which will be awed by the miracle
and will tell the story all over the countryside. But He does not act artificially,
merely to create an effect. Quite simply He is touched by that woman's
suffering and cannot but console her. So He goes up to her and says, `Do not
weep.' It is like saying, `I don't want to see you crying; I have come on earth
to bring joy and peace.' And then comes the miracle, the sign of the power of
Christ who is God. But first came His compassion, an evident sign of the
tenderness of the heart of Christ the man" ([Blessed] J. Escriva, "Christ Is
Passing By", 166).

15. This mother's joy on being given back her son reminds us of the joy of our
Mother the Church when her sinful children return to the life of grace. "The
widowed mother rejoiced at the raising of that young man," St. Augustine
comments. "Our Mother the Church rejoices every day when people are raised
again in spirit. The young man had been dead physically; the latter, dead
spiritually. The young man's death was mourned visibly; the death of the latter
was invisible and unmourned. He seeks them out Who knew them to be dead;
only He can bring them back to life" ("Sermon", 98, 2).
　

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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].