Wednesday

30th Week of Ordinary Time
　

(I) 1st Reading: Romans 8:26-30

Christians are Children of God (Continuation)
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[26] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray 
as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.
[27] And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, 
because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 
[28] We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him,
who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he
also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might
be the first-born among many brethren. [30] And those whom he predestined he
also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he
justified he also glorified.

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Commentary:

"The action of the Holy Spirit may pass unnoticed because God does not reveal
to us his plans, and because man's sin obscures the divine gifts. But faith tells
us that God is always acting. He has created us and maintains us in existence,
and he is leading all creation by his grace towards the glorious freedom of the
children of God" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 130).

28. Awareness of God as Father helps us see all the events of our life as
orchestrated by the lovable Will of God. Our Father gives us what is best for us
and expects us to discover his paternal love in adverse as well as in favorable
events. "Notice", St Bernard points out, "that he does not say that things suit
our whims but that they work for our good. They serve not caprice but usefulness;
not pleasure but salvation; not what we desire but what is good for us. In that
sense everything works for our good, even death itself, even sin [...]. Is it not the
case that sins do good to him who on their account becomes more humble,
more fervent, more solicitous, more on guard, more prudent?" ("De Fallacia Et
Brevitate Vitae", 6). If we have this optimistic, hopeful attitude, we will overcome
every difficulty we meet: "The whole world seems to be coming down on top of
you. Whichever way you turn you find no way out. This time, it is impossible to
overcome the difficulties.

"But, have you again forgotten that God is your Father?--all-powerful, infinitely
wise, full of mercy. He would never send you anything evil. That thing that is
worrying you is good for you, even though those earthbound eyes of yours may
not be able to see it now.

"'Omnia in bonum!' Lord, once again and always, may your most wise Will be
done!" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way of the Cross", IX, 4).

29. Christ is called the "first-born" for many reasons. He is "the first-born of all
creation" (Col 1:15) because he is eternally begotten and because "all things
were made through him" (Jn 1:3). He is also the new Adam and therefore the
head of the human race in the work of redemption (cf. 1 Cor 15:22, 45). He is
"the first-born from the dead" (cf. Col 1:18; Rev 1:5) and therefore is the head
of all those who have reached heaven and all who are awaiting their future
resurrection (1 Cor 15:20, 23). Finally, he is the "first-born among many brethren"
because, in the order of grace, he gives us a share in his divine sonship: by
means of habitual grace--"sanctifying" grace--we become children of God and
brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. "For, just as God chose to communicate
to others his natural goodness, giving them a share in that goodness, so that
he might be not only good but also the author of good things; so the Son of
God chose to communicate to others a sonship like his own, so that he might
be not only a son, but the first-born of many sons" (St Thomas Aquinas,
"Commentary on Rom, ad loc.").

This remarkable fact is what leads the Christian to imitate Christ: our divine
sonship moves us to reflect the words and gestures of his Only-begotten Son.

"Lord, help me decide to tear off, through penance, this pitiful mask I have
fashioned with my wretched doings.... Then, and only then, by following the
path of contemplation and atonement, will my life begin to copy faithfully the
features of your life. We will find ourselves becoming more and more like you.

"We will be other Christs, Christ himself, 'ipse Christus'" ([St] J. Escriva, "The
Way of the Cross", VI).


(II) 1st Reading: Ephesians 6:1-9

Advice to Children and Parent
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[1] Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. [2] "Honor your father
and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), [3] "that it may be
well with you and that you may live long on the earth." [4] Fathers, do not pro-
voke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of
the Lord.

Advice to Servants and Masters
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[5] Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with fear and trem-
bling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ; [6] not in the way of eye-service, as
men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, [7]
rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to men, [8] knowing that
whatever good any one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whe-
ther he is a slave or free. [9] Masters, do the same to them, and forbear threate-
ning, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that
there is no partiality with him.

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Commentary:

1-4. St Paul now goes on to deal with parent-children relationships. He recalls
the fourth commandment (the first of the commandments to do with our neigh-
bor) to which a promise of blessing is attached for those who keep it (cf. Ex 20:
12; Deut 5:16). Honoring one's parents means loving and obeying them, as is
right, and caring for them spiritually and materially when their age or circumstan-
ces so require. To those who keep this commandment, the Lord promises hap-
piness and a long life on earth.

"In the Lord": although these words are missing from some early codices, there
is no doubt about their authenticity. They locate parent-children relationships on
a supernatural plane. In the last analysis, obedience of children to parents is a
divine commandment, which justice demands be kept. Parents, for their part,
are called to be understanding with their children, and to educate them in a truly
Christian way: discipline and instruction should always be motivated by a desire
for their good.

"As it is the parents who have given life to their children, on them lies the gravest
obligation of educating their family. They must therefore be recognized as being
primarily and principally responsible for their education. The role of parents in
education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an ade-
quate substitute. It is therefore the duty of parents to create a family atmosphere
inspired by love and devotion to God and their fellow-men which will promote an
integrated, personal and social education of their children [...] which are neces-
sary to every society. It is therefore above all in the Christian family, enriched
by the grace and the responsibility of the sacrament of matrimony, that children
should be taught to know and worship God and to love their neighbor, in accor-
dance with the faith which they have received in earliest infancy in the sacrament
of Baptism [...]. Finally it is through the family that they are gradually initiated in-
to association with their fellow-men in civil life and as members of the people of
God" (Vatican II, "Gravissimum Educationis", 3).

"Therefore the responsibility and consequently also the right of educating children
comes to the family direct from the Creator. It is a right which cannot be surren-
dered, because it is combined with a very serious responsibility; it is therefore
prior to any right of the civil society or the State and for that reason may not be
infringed by any power on earth.

"The sacred character of this right is thus shown by St Thomas Aquinas: 'The
son is by nature something of the father ...: and so the law of nature requires
that until it reaches the use of reason the child shall be under the father's care.
It would therefore be against natural justice if before reaching the use of reason
the child were removed from the parents' charge or if any disposition were made
concerning it against the parents' will' ("Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. 10, a. 12).
And since the parents' obligation to exercise this care persists until the offspring
is capable of looking after itself, it is evident that their inviolable right to educate
their offspring continues until that time. 'For nature', says St Thomas, 'intends
not only the generation of offspring but also its development and progress to the
state of man as man, that is, to the state of virtue' ("ibid.", "Supplement", q. 41,
a. 1)" (Pius XI, "Divini Illius Magistri").

Parents must not abuse their authority nor should their children obey them if
asked to do anything that is against the moral law. Therefore, parents may not
make unreasonable demands. The Apostle warns about this when he says, "do
not provoke your children to anger" (v. 4). Christian education, therefore, must be
based on charity, on affection and on parents' sensitive respect of their children's
freedom. 'The parents are the main persons responsible for the education of their
children, in human as well as in spiritual matters. They should be conscious of
the extent of their responsibility. To fulfill it, they need prudence, understanding,
a capacity for teaching and loving and a concern for giving good example. Impo-
sing things by force, in an authoritarian manner, is not the right way to teach.
The ideal attitude of parents lies more in becoming their children's friends --
friends who will be willing to share their anxieties, who will listen to their prob-
lems, who will help them in an effective and agreeable way" (St. J. Escriva,
"Christ Is Passing By", 27). See the note on Col 3:20-21.

5-9. In St Paul's time labor relations were largely based on slavery. He does not
directly denounce slavery, but he uses this letter to establish the correct basis
for the master-servant relationship. By emphasizing the dignity of the human per-
son, the Apostle is clearly teaching that human relationships are to be raised to
a supernatural level, that is, made to involve Christ. Hence masters must be just
towards servants, not coercing them by threats, for all -- masters as well as ser-
vants -- have one and the same Lord on high, "with whom there is no partiality"
(v. 9). On the other hand, slaves should work not merely because they expect a
human reward or, as it were, are resigned to their fate: they should render "ser-
vice with a good will as to the Lord and not to men" (v. 7). This teaching estab-
lished conditions which, centuries later, would lead to the abolition of slavery
when the spirit of Christianity imbued the whole gamut of human relationships,
including those to do with work.

The Church's social teaching has projected the light of faith and charity onto the
world of work, thereby fulfilling an essential role in the building of a more human
and more Christian society. Thus, for example, the Magisterium teaches that
"even though a state of things be pictured in which everyone will receive at last
all that is his due, a wide field will always remain open for charity. For justice
alone, however faithfully observed, though it can indeed remove the cause of
social strife, can never bring about a union of hearts and minds [...]. Only when
all sectors of society have the intimate conviction that they are members of one
great family, and children of the same heavenly Father [...] will it be possible to
unite all in harmonious striving for the common good [...]. Then the rich and
others in power will change their former neglect of their poorer brethren into soli-
citous and effective love, will listen readily to their just demands, and will willing-
ly forgive them the faults and mistakes they may possibly make. The workers
too will lay aside all feelings of hatred or envy which the instigators of social
strife exploit so skillfully. Not only will they cease to feel discontent at the posi-
tion assigned them by divine providence in human society; they will become
proud of it, well aware that they are working usefully and honorably for the com-
mon good, each according to his office and function and following more closely
in the footsteps of him who, being God, chose to become a tradesman among
men, and to be known as 'the son of the tradesman"' (Pius XI, "Quadragesimo
Anno", 56).

More recently, John Paul II has reminded us that "work is a key, probably "the
essential key", to the whole social question, if we try to see that question really
from the point of view of man's good" ("Laborem Exercens", 3). In this connection
he makes it clear that "work is a good thing for man -- a good thing for his huma-
nity -- because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his
own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a
sense, becomes 'more a human being'" ("ibid.", 9).

"It is time for us Christians to shout from the rooftops that work is a gift from God
and that it makes no sense to classify people differently, according to their occu-
pation, as if some jobs were nobler than others. Work, all work, bears witness to
the dignity of man, to his dominion over creation. It is an opportunity to develop
one's personality. It is a bond of solidarity with others..." (St. J. Escriva, "Christ
Is Passing By", 47).


Gospel Reading: Luke 13:22-30

The Narrow Gate
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[22] He (Jesus) went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and
journeying toward Jerusalem. [23] And some one said to him, "Lord, will
those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, [24] "Strive to enter by
the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
[25] When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will
begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us.' He
will answer you, 'I do not know where you are from.' [26] Then you will begin
to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'
[27] But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart
from me, all you workers of iniquity!" [28] There you will weep and gnash your
teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the
kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. [29] And men will come from
east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of
God. [30] And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who
will be last."

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Commentary:

23-24. Everyone is called to form part of the Kingdom of God, for he "desires
all men to be saved" (1 Tim 2:4). "Those who, through no fault of their own, do
not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God
with a sincere heart and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as
they know it through the dictates of their conscience: those too may achieve
eternal salvation. Nor shall divine providence deny the assistance necessary for
salvation to those who, without any fault of theirs, have not yet arrived at an
explicit knowledge of God, and who, not without grace, strive to lead a good life.
Whatever good or truth is found among them is considered by the Church to be
a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they
may at length have life" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 16).

Certainly, only those who make a serious effort can reach the goal of salvation
(cf. Lk 16:16; Mt 11:12). Our Lord tells us so by using the simile of the narrow
gate. "A Christian's struggle must be unceasing, for interior life consists in
beginning and beginning again. This prevents us from proudly thinking that we
are perfect already. It is inevitable that we should meet difficulties on our way. If
we did not come up against obstacles, we would not be creatures of flesh and
blood. We will always have passions that pull us downwards; we will always
have to defend ourselves against more or less self-defeating urges" ([St] J.
Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 75).

25-28. As at other times, Jesus describes eternal life by using the example of
a banquet (cf., e.g., Lk 12:35ff; 14:15). Knowing the Lord and listening to his
preaching is not enough for getting to heaven; what God judges is how we
respond to the grace he gives us: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who
is in heaven" (Mt 7:21).

29-30. Generally speaking, the Jewish people regarded themselves as the sole
beneficiaries of the messianic promises made by the prophets; but Jesus
proclaims that salvation is open to everyone. The only condition he lays down
is that men freely respond to God's merciful call. When Christ died on the cross
the veil of the temple was torn in two (Lk 23:45 and par.), a sign of the end of the
distinction between Jews and Gentiles. St Paul teaches: "For he [Christ] is our
peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall [...]
that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making
peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross,
thereby bringing the hostility to an end" (Eph 2:14-16). Therefore, "all men are
called to belong to the new people of God. This people therefore, whilst remaining
one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in
order that the design of God's will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one
in the beginning and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should
be finally gathered together as one" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 13).
　

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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].