나바르 매일미사 독서/묵상

Tuesday

25th Week of Ordinary Time

(I) 1st Reading: Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20

Completion of the building work
---------------------------------------------
(Darius the King speaking) [7] "Let the work on this house of God alone; let the
governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its
site. [8] Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders
of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God; the cost is to be paid to these
men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province
from Beyond the River. [12b] I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all dili-
gence." [14] And the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophe-
sying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their
building by command of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius
and Ar-ta-xerxes king of Persia; [15] and this house was finished on the third
day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

Dedication of the temple
-----------------------------------
[16] And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the re-
turned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. [17] They
offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred
rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve he-goats, ac-
cording to the number of the tribes of Israel. [18] And they set the priests in their
divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as
it is written in the book of Moses.

Celebration of the Passover
---------------------------------------
[19] On the fourteenth day of the first month the returned exiles kept the pass-
over. [20] For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of
them were clean. So they killed the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for
their fellow priests, and for themselves;

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

6:1-12. Eventually, God in his providence sorted the situation out and it became
quite clear that the building work of Jerusalem had been legally authorized; so
Darius gave his permission and every encouragement to push the project forward.
The repatriates benefit from a special royal decree which reads as if the king not
only recognized the Jews' rights in the matter but also acknowledged the God
whom they meant to worship in that temple. Darius invokes this God against any-
one who might dare frustrate his wishes (v. 12). It is a kind of sign that the work
the Jews are engaged in is desired by God, even though he makes his mind
known through a foreign king. The same happened with Cyrus.

6:13-15. It is interesting that this last stage of building the temple is attributed to
"the elders of the Jews". Maybe Jeshua and Zerubbabel are no longer around. It
is also clear to see that the divine commandment is put into effect through de-
crees issued by Persian kings, who are now named in regnal order. Given the
importance of the event, the exact date is naturally given – 3 March 515 BC.

The New Testament says that the Church is "God's building" (1 Cor 3:9). "The
Lord compared himself to the stone which the builders rejected but which was
made into the cornerstone (Mt 21:42; cf. Acts 4:11; Pet 2:7; Ps 117:22). On
this foundation the Church is built by the apostles (cf. 1 Cor 3:11)" (Vatican II,
Lumen gentium, 6). Christians are like living stones being used in the construc-
tion of the Church in this life (cf. 1 Pet 2:5). This building of God's rests on a
sound foundation but it is something ongoing; there is always building to be
done; It encounters external obstacles, and the builders themselves can grow
tired; although the Lord allowed difficulties to arise with the building of the tem-
ple, it would in due course be completed; so too the Church will manage to
make its way, thanks to the effort each Christian makes in his or her own place
in the world.

6:16-18. Even though it is the climax in the whole story-line of the book, the de-
dication of the temple is described succinctly, especially when compared to the
account of the dedication of Solomon's temple according to 2 Chronicles 5:1-7:
22. It is probably done this way to show that this is not a new temple, but the
continuation of the one that was there before. On the other hand, to legitimize
the fact that there is a new altar and even a new temple, 2 Maccabees 1:18-36,
which attributes the building to Nehemiah, records a different tradition about the
dedication.

The Ezra text delights in noting the generous offerings made by the Israelites. In
the Christian tradition, the ceremony of dedication survives in the dedication of
churches, and pastors do not fail to encourage the faithful to make appropriate
spiritual offerings: "Therefore, my beloved friends, if we wish to celebrate with
joy the dedication of the temple, we must not destroy the living temple of God
within us by evildoing. I will say it in a way that everybody can understand: we
must prepare our souls in the same way as we would like the church to be pre-
pared when we enter it. Do you want to visit a clean basilica? Then do not dirty
your soul with sin. Just as you would like the basilica to be well-lit, God does
not wish your soul to be in darkness, but rather he desires that the Lord's sa-
ying would prove true: that the light of good works may be shining within you
so that he who lives in the heavens may be glorified (St Caesarius of Arles, Ser-
mons, 229, 3).

6:19-22. The account of the repatriates' return to Israel is reminiscent at times
of events relating to the Exodus. One of these is the celebration of Passover.
However, the context and the meaning of this celebration have nuances proper
to each situation.

In the Exodus, Passover was celebrated prior to setting out on the journey, as
a preparation for that great salvific intervention by God on behalf of his people.
Here the Passover comes at the end, to show appreciation to God, who has al-
lowed them to return from Babylon, rebuild the temple and begin to live normal
lives again in the land he promised them. It is noteworthy that, alongside the
repatriates, some "people of the land" (v. 21) also share in the Passover meal.

Passover is the great festival that celebrates the saving action of God: that ac-
tion is not just a past event, a memory of the escape from Egypt; it happens in
various ways over the course of the life of the people down the ages. The cele-
bration of this festival is a memorial of a past event which is made present at
every Passover. All this helps us to appreciate the meaning of the paschal
(Easter, Passover) mystery of Jesus, the greatest saving intervention by God
on behalf of mankind, which brought to fullness the ancient Passover celebra-
tions. Every time that the memorial of the mystery of Jesus' passion, death
and resurrection is celebrated in the Eucharist, its salvific power takes effect.

(II) 1st Reading: Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13

The way of the wise
-----------------------------
[1] The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
[2] Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
[3] To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
[4] Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp of the wicked, are sin.
[5] The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but every one who is hasty comes only to want.
[6] The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapour and a snare of death.

[10] The soul of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbour finds no mercy in his eyes.
[11] When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;
when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
[12] The righteous observes the house of the wicked;
the wicked are cast down to ruin.
[13] He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself cry out and not be heard.

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

The Navarre has no commentary for this reading. Please reflect on God's
word and invite the Holy Spirit to enter your heart with His inspiration.

Gospel Reading: Luke 8:19-21

The True Kinsmen of Jesus
----------------------------------------
[19] Then His (Jesus') mother and His brethren came to Him, but they could not
reach Him for the crowd. [20] And He was told, "Your mother and your brethren
are standing outside, desiring to see You." [21] But He said to them, "My mother
and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it."

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

19-21. These words of our Lord show us that fulfillment of the Will of God is more
important than kinship and that, therefore, our Lady is more united to her Son by
virtue of her perfect fulfillment of what God asked of her, than by the Holy Spirit's
using her to make Christ's body (cf. notes on Matthew 12:48-50 and Mark 3:31-
35). **********
**********
**********

19-21. 우리의 주님의 이러한 말씀들은 하느님의 뜻을 구현하는 것이 혈족 관계보다
더 중요함을 우리에게 보여주시며, 그리고 그 결과, 성령께서 그리스도의 지체를
만드는 데에 그녀를 사용하신 것 보다, 하느님께서 그녀에게 요청하셨던 바에 대한
그녀의 완벽한 구현에 의하여, 우리의 성모님께서 자신의 아드님께 더 결합되고
있음을 우리에게 보여주십니다.

[Notes on Matthew 12:48-50 states:

[마태오 복음서 12,48-50에 대한 주석들은 다음을 말하고 있습니다:

48-50. Jesus obviously loved His Mother and St. Joseph. He uses this episode
to teach us that in His Kingdom human ties do not take precedence. In Luke 8:
19 the same teaching is to be found. Jesus regards the person who does the will
of His Heavenly Father as a member of His own family. Therefore, even though it
means going against natural family feelings, a person should do just that when
needs be in order to perform the mission the Father has entrusted to him (cf.
Luke 2:49).

48-50. 예수님께서는 당신의 어머니와 성 요셉을 명백하게 사랑하셨습니다.
당신께서는 당신의 나라 안에서 인간적인 연줄(ties)들은 우선하지 않음을 우리에게
가르치지 위하여 이 일화(episode)를 사용하십니다. 루카 복음서 8,19에서 꼭 같은
가르침이 발견될 것입니다. 예수님께서는 하늘에 계신 당신의 성부의 뜻을 행하는
바로 그러한 자를 당신 고유의 가족의 한 구성원으로 간주하십니다. 그러므로, 비록
이것이 자연적인 가족 감정들에 반한다고 하더라도, 누구든지 성부께서 그에게 이미
부여하신 임무를 수행하기 위하여 필요할 때에는 바로 그렇게 행하여야만 합니다
(루카 복음서 2,49를 참조하라).

We can say that Jesus loved Mary more because of the bonds between them
created by grace than because He was her son by natural generation: Mary's
divine motherhood is the source of all our Lady's other prerogatives; but this very
motherhood is, in its turn, the first and greatest of the graces with which Mary
was endowed.]

우리는, 예수님께서 자연적 출산(natural generation)에 의하여 당신께서 그녀의
아들이 되었기 때문보다 그들 사이에 은총에 의하여 만들어진 결속들 때문에
마리아를 사랑하셨다고 말 할 수 있습니다: 마리아의 거룩한 모성애(divine
motherhood)는 우리의 성모님의 모든 다른 특권들의 원천이며, 그리고(but) 바로
이 모성애는, 결국에(in its turn), 마리아에게 부여되었던 은총들 중에서 첫 번째이며
그리고 가장 커다란 은총입니다.]

[Notes on Mark 3:31-35 states:

[마르코 복음서 3,31-35에 대한 주석들은 다음을 말하고 있습니다:

31-35. In Aramaic, the language used by the Jews, the word "brethren" is a broad
term indicating kinship: nephews, first cousins, and relatives in general are called
'brethren' (for further explanation cf. note on Mark 6:1-3). "Jesus did not say this
to disown His mother, but to show that she is worthy of honor not only account of
having given birth to Jesus, but also because she has all the virtues" (Theoplylact,
"Enarratio In Evangelium Marci, in loc.").

31-35. 예수님께서 사용하셨던 언어인 아람어에 있어, "형제들(brethren)"이라는
단어는 다음과 같은 혈육 관계를 나타내는 광범위한 용어였습니다: 조카(hephews)들,
사촌(first cousins)들, 그리고 일반적 친척들은 '형제들'로 불린다(더 자세한 설명을
위하여 마르코 복음서 6,1-3의 주석을 참조하라). "예수님께서는 당신의 어머니와
의절하기(disown) 위하여 이러한 말씀을 하셨던 것이 아니라, 단지 예수님을
출산하셨음에 대한 이야기뿐만이 아니라 또한 그녀가 덕목들 모두를 가지고 계심
때문에 그녀를 공경할 만함을 보이기 위하여 이러한 말씀을 하셨습니다."
[Theoplylact, "Enarratio In Evangelium Marci, in loc."].

Therefore, the Church reminds us that the Blessed Virgin "in the course of her
Son's preaching received the words whereby, in extolling a kingdom beyond the
concerns and ties of flesh and blood, He declared blessed those who heard and
kept the word of God as she was faithfully doing" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium",
58).

그러므로, 교회는 복되신 동정녀께서 "그에 의하여 말씀들을 받게 되었던, 자신의
아드님의 설교의 과정에 있어, 혈육의 관심들과 연분들을 넘어서는 유일한 나라
(a kingdom)를 극찬함에 있어, 당신께서는 그녀가 충실하게 행하고 있는 바와 같이
하느님의 말씀을 듣고 그리고 지키는 바로 그러한 자들이 복받는다고 선언하셨음"을
[제2차 바티칸 공의회 문헌(Vatican II), "인류의 빛(Lumen Gentium)", 58] 우리에게
상기시킵니다.

Our Lord, then, is also telling us that if we follow Him we will share His life more
intimately than if were a member of His family. St. Thomas explains this by sa-
ying that Christ "had an eternal generation and a generation in time, and gave
preference to the former. Those who do the will of the Father reach Him by hea-
venly generation [...]. Everyone who does the will of the Father, that is to say,
who obeys Him, is a brother or sister of Christ, because he is like Him who ful-
filled the will of His Father. But he who not only obeys but converts others, be-
gets Christ in them, and thus becomes like the Mother of Christ" ("Commentary
on St. Matthew", 12, 49-50.)]

그러고 나서, 우리의 주님께서는 우리가 당신을 따른다면, 당신 가족의 한 구성원
이었더라면 하는 것보다 더 밀접하게, 우리가 당신의 삶에 참여할 것임을 또한
우리에게 가르치고 계십니다. 성 토마스 아퀴나스(St. Thomas)는 이것을 다음과
같이 말함으로써 설명합니다: 그리스도께서는 "영원한 나심(an eternal generation)과
일시적 나심(a generation in time)을 가지셨으며, 그리고 전자를 우선시 하셨습니다.
성부의 뜻을 행하는 자들은 천상에의 출생(heavenly generation)에 의하여 당신께
다가갑니다 [ ... ]. 성부의 뜻을 행하는 자, 달리 말하여, 당신께 순종하는 자, 모두는
그리스도의 형제 혹은 자매인데, 이는 그가 당신의 성부의 뜻을 구현하셨던 분이신
당신처럼 되기 때문입니다. 그러나 단지 순종할 뿐만이 아니라 또한 다른 이들을
회심케 하는(converts) 자는, 그들 안에 예수님을 낳아(begets), 그리하여 그 결과
그리스도의 어머니처럼 됩니다." [St. Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on St.
Matthew", 12, 49-50.]
　

*********************************************************************************************
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
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