Monday

2nd Week of Ordinary Time

(I) 1st Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10

Christ Has Been Made High Priest by God the Father
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[1] For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of
men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. [2] He can deal gently
with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. [3] Be-
cause of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of
the people. [4] And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by
God, just as Aaron was.

[5] So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appoin-
ted by him who said to him, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"; [6]
as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Mel-
chizedek."

[7] In the days of the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplica-
tions, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and
he was heard for his godly fear. [8] Although he was a Son, he learned obedience
through what he suffered; [9] and being made perfect he became the source of
eternal salvation to all who obey him, [10] being designated by God a high priest
after the order of Melchizedek.

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Commentary:

1-10. The central theme of the epistle, broached in 2:17 and taken up again in 4:
14-15, is discussed from here up to the start of chapter 10 -- the theme of Christ
as high priest, the high priest who really can free us from all sin. In fact, Christ
is the only perfect Priest: other priests--in both natural religions and the Jewish
religion--are only prefigurements of Christ. The first thing to be emphasized, be-
cause the writer is addressing people of Jewish background, is that Christ's
priesthood is on a higher plane than that of the priests of the Old Law. However,
the argument applies not only to the priesthood of Aaron, to whose family all
Israelite priests belonged, but also, indirectly, to all forms of priesthood before
Christ. But there is a basic difference, in that whereas other priests were chosen
by men, Aaron was chosen by God. Sacred Scripture introduces him as Moses'
brother (cf. Ex 6:20), acting as his interpreter to Pharaoh (because Moses was
"slow of speech": Ex 4: 10; cf. 7:1-2) and joining him to lead the people out of
Egypt (cf. Ex 4:27-30). After the Israelites left Egypt, God himself instituted the
priesthood of Aaron to minister and carry out divine worship at the tabernacle
and later at the temple in Jerusalem (cf. Ex 28:1-5).

Divine intervention, therefore, brought to a close the period when sacrifice was of-
fered by the head of the family or the chief of the tribe and when no specific cal-
ling or external ordination rite was connected with priesthood. Thus, for example,
in the Book of Genesis we read that Cain, and Abel, themselves offered sacrifices
(cf. Gen 4:35), as did Noah after coming safely through the flood (cf. Gen 8:20);
and the patriarchs often offered sacrifices to God in adoration or thanksgiving or
to renew their Covenant--for example, Abraham (cf. Gen 12:8; 15:8-17; 22:1-13)
and Jacob (cf. Gen 26:25; 33:20), etc.

Although for a considerable time after the institution of the Aaron priesthood,
sacrifices continued to be offered also by private individuals - for example, in
the period of the Judges, the sacrifice of Gideon (Judg 6:18,25-26) or that of
Samson's parents (Judg 13:15-20)-- gradually the convictions grew that to be a 
priest a person had to have a specific vocation, one which was not given to any-
one outside males of the line of Aaron (cf. Judg 17:7-13), whom God had chosen
from outof all the people of Israel, identifying him by the sign of his rod sprouting
buds (Num 17:16-24). God himself meted out severe punishment to Korah and
his sons when they tried to set themselves up as rivals of Aaron: they were de-
voured by fire from heaven (cf. Num 16); and it was specified in Mosaic legisla-
tion time and time again that only the sons of Aaron could act as priests (cf.
Num 3:10; 17:5; 18:7). This priesthood offered the sacrifices of Mosaic worship--
the burnt offerings, cereal offerings, sin offerings and peace offerings (cf. Lev 6).
To the descendants of Aaron, assisted by the Levites, was entrusted also the
care of the tabernacle and the protection of the ark of the Cove- nant. They re-
ceived their ministry and had it confirmed by the offering of sacrifice and by
anointing of the man's head and hands with oil (Ex 29; Lev 8-9; Num 3:3). For
all these reasons Hebrew priests were honored and revered by the people and
regarded (not without reason, because God had ordained them) as on a much
higher plane than other priests particularly those of the peoples of Canaan, the
priests of Baal, for example. In Christ's time the high priest was the highest re-
ligious authority in Israel; his words were regarded as oracular statements, and
his decisions could have important political repercussions.

However, Christ came with the very purpose of taking this ancient institution and
transforming it into a new, eternal priesthood. Every Christian priest is, as it were,
Christ's instrument or an extension of his sacred humanity. Christian priests do
not act in their own name, nor are they mere representatives of the people: they
act in the name of God. "Here we have the priest's identity: he is direct and dai-
ly instrument of the saving grace which Christ has won for us" (St. J. Escriva,
"In Love with the Church", 39). It is really Christ who is acting through them by
means of their words, gestures etc. All of this means that Christian priesthood
cannot be separated from the eternal priesthood of Christ. This extension of
God's providence (in the form of the Old Testament priesthood and the priest-
hood instituted by Christ in the New Testament and the mission entrusted to
New Testament priests) should lead us to love and honor the priesthood irres-
pective of the human defects and shortcomings of these ministers of God: "To
love God and not venerate his Priests...is not possible" (St. J. Escriva, "The
Way", 74).

1a. These words provide a very good short definition of what every priest is.

"The office proper to a priest", St Thomas Aquinas points out, "is to be a media-
tor between God and the people, inasmuch as he bestows divine things on the
people (he is called "sacerdos" (priest), which means 'a giver of sacred things',
"sacra dans" [...]), and again inasmuch as he offers the people's prayer to God
and in some way makes satisfaction to God for their sins" ("Summa Theologiae",
III, q.22, a.1).

In this passage of the letter we can detect an echo of the description of Aaron in
the Book of Sirach: "He chose him out of all the living to offer sacrifice to the Lord,
incense and a pleasing odor as a memorial portion, to make atonement for the
people" (Sir 45:16). Four elements characterize the office of the high priest (the
text speaks of the "high" priest in the strict sense, but it is applicable to all
priests -- 1) his special dignity, because although he is a man he has been spe-
cially chosen by God; 2) the purpose of his mission, which is the good of man-
kind ("to act on behalf of men"); 3) the "material" side of his office, that is, public
divine worship; 4) the specific acts he must perform, the offering of sacrifice at
appropriate times.

In the specific case of priesthood instituted by God--such as that of Aaron or the
new priesthood instituted by Christ--the calling ("taken" or "chosen" from among
men) is not simply an influence the person feels interiorly, or a desire to be a
priest: its divine origin is confirmed by nomination by the proper authority, and by
official consecration.

1b. A priest is "chosen from among men", that is, he should possess a human
nature. This is a further sign of God's mercy: to bring about our salvation he uses
someone accessible to us, one who shares our human condition, "so that man
might have someone like himself to have recourse to" (St Thomas, "Commentary
on Heb, ad loc."). These words also indicate the extent of God's kindness be-
cause they remind us that the divine Redeemer not only offered himself and
made satisfaction for the sins of all, but desired that "the priestly life which the
divine Redeemer had begun in his mortal body by his prayers and sacrifice
(should not cease). He willed it to continue unceasingly through the ages in his
mystical body, which is the Church; and therefore he instituted a visible priest-
hood to offer everywhere a clean oblation (Mal 1:11), so that all men all over the
world, being diverted from sin, might serve God conscientiously, and of their own
free will" (Pius XII, "Mediator Dei", 1).

He is "chosen from among men" also in the sense that he is given special con-
secration which is some way marks him off from the rest of the people of God.
St John Chrysostom comments, recalling Jesus triple question to Peter after the
Resurrection (cf. Jn 21:15-17): "When he asked Peter if he loved him, he did not
do so because he needed to know whether his disciple loved him, but because
he wanted to show how great his own love was; thus, when he says, 'Who then
is the faithful and prudent servant', he does not say this because he does not
know the answer, but in order to show us how unique and wonderful an honor it
is, as can be deduced from the rewards: 'he will place him over all his goods.'
And he concludes that the priest ought to be outstanding in holiness ("De Sa-
cerdotio", II, 1-2).

"The priests of the New Testament", Vatican II reminds us, "are, by their voca-
tion to ordination, set apart in some way in the midst of the people of God, but
this is not in order that they should be separated from that people or from anyone,
but that they should be completely consecrated to the task for which God chose
them" ("Presbyterorum Ordinis", 3). This calling, then, constitutes a distinction
but not a separation because it is indissolubly linked to a specific mission: a
priest is "chosen from among men" but for the purpose of acting "on behalf of
men in relation to God". In this delicate balance between divine call and spiritual
mission to men lies the essence of priesthood. Christians, therefore, should
never view a priest as "just another person". "They want to find in the priest the
virtues appropriate to any Christian and even any upright man--understanding,
justice, commitment to work (priestly work, in this case), charity, good manners,
social refinement. But the faithful also want to be able to recognize clearly the
priestly character: they expect the priest to pray, not to refuse to administer the
sacraments; they expect him to be open to everyone and not set himself up to
take charge of people or become an aggressive leader of human factions, of
whatever shade (cf. "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 6). They expect him to bring love
and devotion to the celebration of Mass, to sit in the confessional, to console the
sick and the troubled; to teach sound doctrine to children and adults, to preach
the Word of God and no mere human science which--no matter how well he may
know it--is not the knowledge that saves and brings eternal life; they expect him
to give counsel and be charitable to those in need" (St. J. Escriva, "In Love with
the Church", 42).

Priests "could not be the servants of Christ unless they were witnesses and
dispensers of a life other than that of this earth. On the other hand, they would be
powerless to serve men if they remained aloof from their life and circumstances"
("Presbyterorum Ordinis", 3). In this connection, Pope John Paul II has made the
following appeal: "Yes, you are chosen from among men, given to Christ by the
Father, to be in the world, "in the heart of society". You are appointed to act on
behalf of men (Heb 5:1). The priesthood is the sacrament whereby the Church
is to be seen as the society of the people of God; it is the 'social' sacrament.
Priests should 'convoke' each of the communities of the people of God, around
them but not for themselves--for Chrit.!" ("Homily at an Ordination of Priests",
15 June 1980).

The specific function of the priest has, then, been clearly identified: he is con-
cerned about his brethren but he is not here to solve temporal problems; his role
is only "in relation to God". "Christian ministerial priesthood is different from any
other priesthood in that it is not an office to which someone is appointed by
others to intercede with God on their behalf; it is a mission to which a man is
called by God (Heb 5: 1-10; 7:24; 9: 11-28) to be towards others a living sign of
the presence of Christ, the only Mediator (1 Tim 2:5), Head and Shepherd of his
people [...]. In other words, Christian priesthood is essentially (this ist he only
possible way it can be understood) an eminently sacred mission, both in its
origin (Christ) and in its content (the divine mystery) and by the very manner in
which it is conferred (a sacrament)" (A. del Portillo, "On Priesthood", pp. 59f).

2-3. From the moral qualities a priest needs, these verses single out mercy and
compassion, which lead him, on the one hand, to be gentle to sinners and, at the
same time, to desire to make personal reparation for their sins. The Latin transla-
tion of v. 2a puts the emphasis on the fact that the priest shares in suffering for
sin: he can "suffer along with" ("aeque condolere") but in just measure on see-
ing those who go astray, and, imitating Christ, he can himself perform some of
the penance those sinners should be doing. The original word translated here as
"deal gently" recalls the profound, but serene, sorrow which Abraham felt when
Sarah died (cf. Gen 23:2) and at the same time it alludes to the need for forbea-
rance, generosity and understanding: a priest must be a person who, while rejec-
ting sin, is understanding to the sinner and conscious that it may take him time
to mend his ways. He is also inclined to put the sinner's intentions in the best
light (cf. Gal 6:1): people do not always sin deliberately; they can sin out of ig-
norance (that is, not realizing the gravity of their actions) and, more often than
not, out of weakness.

The Old Testament makes a clear distinction between sin committed unwittingly
(cf. Lev 4:2-27; Num 14:24, 27-29) and sins of rebelliousness (cf. Num 15:22-31;
Deut 17:12). Further on (cf. Heb 6:4-6; 10:26-27; 12:17), the letter will again refer
to the gravity of sins committed out of malice. Here, however, it is referring to sin,
whether grave or not, committed out of weakness. "Ignorant" and "wayward" are
almost synonymous, for a person who sins out of ignorance is described in He-
brews by a word which means "he who goes astray, he who does not know the
way". The basic reason why a priest should be understanding and compassio-
nate is his awareness of his own weakness. Thus, the Church puts these words
on his lips in Eucharistic Prayer I: "'nobis quoque peccatoribus'--for ourselves,
too, sinners" (cf. Wis 9:5-6). A priest is compassionate and understanding be-
cause "he himself is beset with weakness". The word translated as "beset" con-
tains the idea of surrounded or covered by or wrapped as if in a cloak. Pope Pius
XI wrote: "When we see a man exercising this faculty (of forgiving sins), we can-
not but repeat (not out of pharisaical scandal, but with reverent amazement)
those words, 'Who is this, who even forgives sins?' (Lk 7:49). It is the Man-God,
who had and has 'authority on earth to forgive sins' (Lk 5:24), and has chosen to
communicate it to his Priests, and thereby with the generosity of divine mercy to
meet the human conscience's need of purification. Hence the great consolation
the guilty man receives who experiences remorse and contritely hears the priest
tell him in God's name, 'I absolve you from your sins.' The fact that he hears this
said by someone who himself will need to ask another priest to speak the same
words to him, does not debase God's merciful gift: it enhances it, for the hand of
God who works this wonder is seen (as operating) by means of a frail creature"
(Pius XII, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii").

3. Everyone, including the priest, is a sinner. In the Old Testament rites for the
Day of Atonement ("Yom Kippur"), the high priest, before entering the Holy of
Holies, offered a sin-offering for his own sins (cf. Lev 16:3, 6, 11; Heb 9:6-14); so
too the Priests of the New Testament have a duty to be holy, to reject sin, to
ask for forgiveness of their own sins, and to intercede for sinners.

The model the priest should always have before him is Jesus Christ, the eternal
high priest. "The main motive force actuating a priest should be the determination
to attain the closest union with the divine Redeemer [...]. He should continually
keep Christ before his eyes. Christ's commands, actions and example he should
follow most assiduously, in the conviction that it is not enough for him to submit
to the duties by which the faithful are bound, but that he must at a daily increa-
sing pace pursue the perfection of life which the high dignity of a priest de-
mands" (Pius XII, "Menti Nostrae", 7). But, one might object, Christ never had
any defect, never sinned, because his human nature was perfect and totally holy:
is he not therefore too perfect a model for men who when it comes down to it are
sinners? The answer is, No, not at all, for he himself said, "I have given you an
example, that you also should do as I have done to you" (Jn 13:15). Besides,
when the text (v. 2) refers to "weakness" this may refer to two things the weak-
ness of human nature (of man as creature), and the imperfection resulting from
his faults and his passions. The former kind of defect is one Christ shares with
us; the second is one he does not. For this very reason, in the case of the priest,
consciousness of his sins, plus his conviction that he has been called by Christ,
moves him to be very committed to his apostolic ministry of reconciliation and
penance; and in the first instance Priests perform this ministry for one another.
"Priests, who are consecrated by the anointing of the Holy Spirit and sent by
Christ, mortify the works of the flesh in themselves and dedicate themselves
completely to the service of people" (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 12).
As Pope John Paul II has stressed, "the priest's celebration of the Eucharist
and administration of the other sacraments, his pastoral zeal, his relationship
with the faithful, his communion with this brother Priests, his collaboration with
his bishop, his life of prayer--in a word, the whole of his priestly existence--suf-
fers an inexorable decline if by negligence or for some other reason he fails to
receive the sacrament of Penance at regular intervals and in a spirit of genuine
faith and devotion. If a priest were no longer to go to confession or properly con-
fess his sins, his priestly being and his priestly action would feel the effect of
this very soon, and it would also be noticed by the community of which he was
the pastor.

"But I also add that even in order to be a good and effective minister of Penance
the priest needs to have recourse to the source of grace and holiness present in
this sacrament. We Priests, on the basis of our personal experience, can cer-
tainly say that, the more careful we are to receive the sacrament of Penance and
to approach it frequently and with good dispositions, the better we fulfill our own
ministry as confessors and ensure that our penitents benefit from it. And on the
other hand this ministry would lose much of its effectiveness if in some way we
were to stop being good penitents. Such is the internal logic of this great sacra-
ment. It invites all of us Priests of Christ to pay renewed attention to our personal
confession" ("Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 31).

What the Pope says here ultimately stems from the fact that " as ministers of the
sacred mysteries, especially in the sacrifice of the Mass, Priests act in a special
way in the person of Christ who gave himself as a victim to sanctify men" ("Pres-
byterorum Ordinis", 13).

In this way, "Christ the shepherd is present in the priest so as continually to ac-
tualize the universal call to conversion and repentance which prepares for the
coming of the Kingdom of heaven (cf. Mt 4:17). He is present in order to make
men understand that forgiveness of sins, the reconciliation of the soul and God,
cannot be the outcome of a monologue, no matter how keen a person's capacity
for reflection and self-criticism. He reminds us that no one, alone, can calm his
own conscience; that the contrite heart must submit its sins to the Church-
institution, to the man-priest, who in the sacrament of Penance is a permanent
objective witness to the radical need which fallen humanity has of the man-God,
the only Just One, the only Justifier" (A. del Portillo, "On Priesthood", p. 62).

10. As the epistle repeatedly teaches, Christ is a high priest "after the order of
Melchizedek". Two essential characteristics come together here: he is the eter-
nal Son of God, as announced in the messianic Psalm 2:7: "You are my Son,
today I have begotten you"; and he is at the same time high priest not according
to the order which God instituted with Aaron but according to the order of Melchi-
zedek, also established by God. Further on the letter explains in what sense this
"order of Melchizedek" is superior to that of Levi and Aaron. What it stresses at
this point is the connection between Christ's priesthood and his divine sonship.
Christ, the Son of God, was sent by the Father as Redeemer and mediator, and
the mediation of Christ, who is God and true man, is exercised by way of priest-
hood. So, in the last analysis Christ is Priest both by virtue of being the Son of
God and by virtue of his Incarnation as man. "The abyss of malice which sin
opens up has been bridged by his infinite charity. God did not abandon men.
His plans foresaw that the sacrifices of the Old Law would be insufficient to re-
pair our faults and re-establish the unity which had been lost. A man who was
God would have to offer himself up. To help us grasp in some measure this un-
fathomable mystery, we might imagine the Blessed Trinity taking counsel toge-
ther in their uninterrupted intimate relationship of intimate love. As a result of
their eternal decision, the only-begotten Son of God the Father takes on our hu-
man condition and bears the burden of our wretchedness and sorrow, to end up
sewn with nails to a piece of wood" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 95).

It was appropriate that the divine person who became incarnate should be the
Son or Word, for "the Word has a kind of essential kinship not only with rational
nature but also universally with the whole of creation, since the Word contains
the essences of all things created by God, just as man the artist in the concep-
tion of his intellect comprehends the essences of all the products of art [...].
Wherefore all things are said to be made by the Word. Therefore, it was appro-
priate for Word to be joined to creature, that is, to human nature" (St. Thomas,
"Summa Contra Gentiles", IV, 42). Finally, it was fitting that Redemption from sin
should be brought about by way of a sacrifice offered by the same divine person.

So it is that Christ, the only-begotten Son, to whom God said, "You are my son,
today I have begotten you", is also the priest to whom God swears, "Thou art a
priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek".

(II) 1st Reading: 1 Samuel 15:16-23

Saul Is Again Condemned by Samuel (Continuation)
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[16] Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me
this night.” And he said to him, “Say on.”

[17] And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the
head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. [18] And
the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the
Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ [19] Why then did
you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop on the spoil, and do
what was evil in the sight of the LORD?” [20] And Saul said to Samuel, “I have
obeyed the voice of the LORD, I have gone on the mission on which the LORD
sent me, I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have utterly destroyed
the Amalekites. [21] But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best
of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”
[22] And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. [23] For rebellion is as the sin
of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have
rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king?"

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Commentary:

15:1-35. The battle against the Amalekites is the occasion for Saul to be rejected
by God forever. The episodes dealt with up to this have built up evidence of Saul’s
sins, particularly his lack of trust in God. However, here his disobedience is clear
to see.

This account contains echoes of earlier divine condenmnations. The Lord “re-
pents” (an anthropomorphic expression) having made Saul king (v. 11), as he
earlier “was sorry” for having created man (Gen 6:6); Saul’s rejection of God’s
plans (vv. 11, 23, 26) led to his rejection by God. Saul’s access to the throne is
blocked,just as the gates of Paradise were closed on Adam (Gen 3:23-24). As
in the case of Adam, God’s punishment of Saul is severe and there will be no
going back on it, for Saul’s is a very grave sin, that is, a sin of rebellion and of
rejection of God and his word (v. 26).

From this point on, even though he knows that the Lord does not acknowledge
his kingship, Saul will continue to be king in name, because the sentence given
against him was told him by Samuel in secret (vv. 30-31), just as his first anoin-
ting was done in secret (cf. 10:1-16).

15:22-23. Samuel’s oracular pronouncement, given in verse form here, is one of
the oldest of its kind in the Bible. From the literary point of view it is very beautiful;
and it also provides a clear definition of obedience, which it identifies with
acknowledgment of God: obedience is the most perfect form of divine worship--
more perfect than the offering of sacrifice; disobedience is a form of idolatry. The
sentence against Saul is harsh and unambiguous; it applies the ancient law of
vengeance (an eye for an eye...), “rejection” being referred to in the fault and in
its sentence.

This short canticle in praise of obedience finds an echo in the Northern prophets
(Amos 5:2.1 and Hos 6:6) and it will be updated by Jesus (Mt 9:13) who gives
the fullest definition of the meaning of obedience to God and those who represent
him. “Obedience, and holy obedience alone, gives us a clear view of the will of
God. Superiors may make mistakes, but we can never err in obeying” (St Maxi-
milian Kolbe, "Letters", in "The Divine Office", Office of Readings, 14 August).

Gospel Reading: Mark 2:18-22

A Discussion on Fasting
------------------------------------
[18] Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and
said to Him (Jesus): "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees
fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" [19] And Jesus said to them, "Can the wed-
ding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the
bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. [20] The days will come, when the bride-
groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. [21] No one
sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears
away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. [22] And no one
puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and
the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins."

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Commentary:

18-22. Using a particular case, Christ's reply tells about the connection between
the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament the Bridegroom has not yet
arrived; in the New Testament He is present, in the person of Christ. With Him
began the Messianic Times, a new era distinct from the previous one. The Jewish
fasts, therefore, together with their system of religious observances, must be seen
as a way of preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah. Christ shows the
difference between the spirit He has brought and that of the Judaism of His time.
This new spirit will not be something extra, added on to the old; it will bring to life
the perennial teachings contained in the older Revelation. The newness of the
Gospel--just like new wine--cannot fit within the molds of the Old Law.

But this passage says more: to receive Christ's new teaching people must inward-
ly renew themselves and throw off the straight-jacket of old routines.

19-20. Jesus describes Himself as the Bridegroom (cf. also Luke 12:35; Matthew
25:1-13; John 3:29), thereby fulfilling what the Prophets had said about the relation-
ship between God and His people (cf. Hosea 2:18-22; Isaiah 54:5ff). The Apostles
are the guests at the wedding, invited to share in the wedding feast with the Bride-
groom, in the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Matthew 22:1-14).

In verse 20 Jesus announces that the Bridegroom will be taken away from them:
this is the first reference He makes to His passion and death (cf. Mark 8:31; John
2:19; 3:14). The vision of joy and sorrow we see here epitomizes our human
condition during our sojourn on earth.
　

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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].