나바르 매일미사 독서/묵상

Saturday

6th Week of Ordinary Time

(I) 1st Reading: Hebrews 11:1-7

The good example of the Patriarchs
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[1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not
seen. [2] For by it the men of old received divine approval. [3] By faith we under-
stand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was
made out of things which do not appear.

[4] By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through
which he received approval as righteousness, God bearing witness by accepting
his gifts; he died, but through his faith he is still speaking. [5] By faith Enoch was
taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God
had taken him. Now before he was taken he was attested as having pleased
God. [6] And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw
near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
[7] By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, took
heed and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; by this he condem-
ned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.

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Commentary:

[번역자 주: 다해 연중 제19주일의 제2독서는 Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19이다].

1. Although the text does not aim to provide a precise definition of faith, it does in
fact very clearly describe the essence of that virtue, linking it to hope in future
things and to certainty concerning supernatural truths. By means of faith, the be-
liever acquires certainty concerning God's promises to man, and a firm conviction
that he will obtain access to heaven. The Latin translates as "substantia” the word
the RSV translates as "assurance”; substantia, which literally means "that which
underlies”, here refers to the solid basis provided by hope.

1. 비록 이 본문이 믿음(faith, 신앙, 신덕)에 대한 정확한 정의(definition)를 제공하고자
하는 것은 아니나,(*) 이 본문은 사실은 바로 이 덕의 핵심을, 미래의 것들에 대한
희망으로 그리고 초자연적 진리(supernatural truths)들에 관한 확실성(certainty)으로
연결시킴으로써, 매우 분명하게 설명하고 있습니다. 신앙(faith, 신덕)에 의하여,
믿는 이(the believer)는 사람을 향한 하느님의 약속들에 관한 확실성을 습득
(acquires)하며, 그리고 그가 하늘(heaven, 천당)(**)로의 접근을 획득할 것이라는
강한 확실성을 습득합니다. 라틴어 불가타 성경은 RSV 성경이 "assurance(보증)"으로
번역한 단어를 "substantia"로 번역하고 있는데, 글자 그대로 "that which underlies
(기초가 되는 것)"을 의미하는, "substantia"는, 여기서 희망(hope, 망덕)에 의하여
제공되는 견고한 기초를 말합니다.

[내용 추가 일자: 2014년 7월 11일]
-----
(*) 번역자 주: 그리스도교 "신앙(faith, 신덕)"의 정의(definition)가 또한
주어져 있는 "믿음(faith)" 과 "신앙(faith, 신덕)", 즉, "믿다(believe)" 와 "쪽으로 믿다
(believe in)"의 차이점에 대한 성 아우구스티노(St. Augustine, 354-430년)의
가르침과 성 토마스 아퀴나스(St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274년)의 저술인
신학 대전(Summa Theologica)에서의 가르침은 다음에 있으니 필독하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1548.htm <----- 필독 권고
-----
[이상, 2014년 7월 11일자 내용 추가 끝]

[내용 추가 일자: 2016년 5월 15일]
(**) 번역자 주: "천국(하늘나라)"이 영어로 "kingdom of heaven(하늘 나라)"으로
번역되는 용어의 차용 한자 번역 용어임에 대한 중대한 지적의 글은 다음에 있으니
꼭 읽도록 하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/1661.htm <----- 필독 권고
-----
[이상, 내용 추가 끝]

This verse indicates that faith, which is a type of knowledge, is different from other
types of human knowledge. Thus, man can know things by direct evidence, by
reasoned proof or by someone else's testimony. As regards knowledge based on
information provided by someone else, that is, knowledge based on faith, we can
distinguish two types---human faith, when it is another human being whose word
one relies on (as in the case of pupil/teacher, child/parent), and supernatural faith
(when the testimony comes from God himself, who is Supreme Truth). In this lat-
ter case the knowledge provided is most certain.

이 절은, 지식(knowledge)의 한 종류인 신앙(faith, 신덕)이 인간의 지식의 다른
종류들과 다름을 나타내고 있습니다. 따라서, 사람은 직접적인 증거들에 의하여,
추론된 증명(reasoned proof)에 의하여 혹은 다른 어떤 이의 증언에 의하여, 사물
(things)들을 알 수 있습니다. 다른 어떤 이에 의하여 제공된 정보에 기초를 둔 지식,
즉 믿음(faith)에 기초를 둔 지식에 관하여 말하면, 우리는 다음의 두 종류를 구분할
수 있습니다 -- (학생/선생, 아이/부모의 경우에 있어서 처럼) 그것이, 그의 말에
우리가 의지하는, 다른 인간일 때인, 인간적 믿음(human faith), 그리고
(증언이, 최상의 진리이신, 하느님 당신 자신으로부터 올 때인) 초자연적
믿음[supernatural faith, 즉, 신성적 믿음(divine faith)]. 바로 이 후자의
경우에 제공되는 지식이 가장 확실합니다.

However, the object of supernatural faith, that is, what one believes in (God and
the unchanging decrees of his will), is not something that is self-evident to man,
nor is it something that can be attained by the use of unaided reason. That is why
it is necessary for God himself to bear witness to what he reveals. Faith, then, is
certain knowledge, but it is knowledge of things which are not self-evident, things
which one does not see but which one can hope for.

그러나 초자연적 믿음(즉, 신앙)의 대상은, 즉 (하느님과 자신의 의지의 변하지 않는
정도들에 대하여) 우리가 믿는 바는, 사람에게 자명한(self-evident) 어떤 것이 아니며,
그리고 도움을 받지 않은 이성(reason)의 사용에 의하여 얻을 수 있는 어떤 것이
아닙니다. 이것이 하느님 당신 자신께서 당신께서 드러내시는 바에 대하여 증거하실
필요가 있는 바로 그 이유입니다. 따라서(then), 신앙(faith, 신덕)은 어떤 지식
(knowledge)이나, 그러나 이것은 자명하지 아니한 것들에 대한, 우리가 보지
못하는 그러나 우리가 희망할(hope) 수 있는 것들에 대한, 지식을 말합니다.

The verse also says that faith is "conviction” concerning things not seen. It is
therefore different from opinion, suspicion or doubt (none of which implies certain-
ty). By saying that it has to do with things unseen, it is distinguishing faith from
knowledge and intuitive cognition (cf. "Summa theologiae", II-Il, q. 4, a. 1).

이 절은 또한 신앙(faith, 신덕)이 보이지 않는 것들에 관한 "확증(conviction, 확실한
증거)"이라고 말합니다. 따라서 이것은 견해(opinion) 혹은 의심(doubt)과는 다릅니다
[이들 중의 어떤 것도 확실성(certainty)을 의미하지 않습니다]. 이것이 보이지 않는
것들과 관련이 되어있음을 말함으로써, 이 절은 지식(knowledge)과 직관적인
인식(intuitive cognition)으로부터 신앙(faith, 신덕)을 구분하고 있습니다. [성 토마스
아퀴나스(St. Thomas Aquinas), "신학 대전(Summa Theologiae)", II-II, q.4,
a.1 을 참조하라].

Summing up, we can say that "when God makes a revelation, we are obliged to
render by faith a full submission of intellect and will. The faith, however which is
the beginning of human salvation, the Catholic Church asserts to be a supernatu-
ral virtue whereby, with the inspiration and help of God's grace, we believe that
what he has revealed is true--not because its intrinsic truth is seen by the natural
light of reason, but because of the authority of God who reveals it, of God who can
neither deceive nor be deceived” (Vatican I, "Dei Filius", chap. 3).

요약하면, 우리는 다음과 같이 말할 수 있습니다: "하느님께서 드러내실 때에, 우리는
신앙(faith, 신덕)에 충만한 복종을 다할
의무가 있습니다. 그러나, 인류 구원의 시작인, 가톨릭 virtue) 이라고 단언하는 그리하여, 하느님의 은총에 의한 이성(reason)
이라는 자연의 빛에 의하여 그 본질적인 진리가 이해되기 때문이 아니라, 그것을
드러내시는 하느님의 권위(authority) 때문에, 그리고
속임을 당하실 리도 없으실 하느님의 권위 때문에, 당신께서 진리임을
믿는, 신앙(faith, 신덕). It is, therefore, a feature of faith that it makes us certain about things which are not
self-evident. That is why in order to believe one must want to believe, why the act
of believing is always free and meritorious. However, faith can, with God's help,
reach a certainty greater than any proof can provide. "This faith”, St John of Avila
comments, "is not based on reasons [. . .]; for when a person believes on the basis
of reasons, he is not believing in such a way that he is totally convinced, without
any doubt or scruple whatever. But the faith which God infuses is grounded on
divine Truth, and it causes one to believe more firmly than if one saw it with one's
own eyes, and touched it with one's hands--and to believe more certainly than he
who believes that four is greater than three, the sort of thing that is so obvious that
the mind never hesitates a moment, nor can it even if it wants to” ("Audi, Filia",
chap. 43). 의하여(by faith) 지성(intellect)과 의지(will)의 교회가 초자연적 덕(supernatural
영감과 도움으로, 우리를 속이실 리도 없으시며 드러내신 바가 color="#000000">" [제1차 바티칸 공의회 (Vatican I), "Dei Filius", chap. 3].

그러므로 자명하지 아니한 것들에 관하여 확실하게 만드는 것이 바로 신앙(faith, 신덕)의
특징입니다. 이것이 믿기(believe) 위하여 우리는 믿는(believe) 것을 원하여야 하는
바로 그 이유이며, 믿는 행위(believing)가 항상 자유로우며 그리고 칭찬할 만한 일인
바로 그 이유입니다. 그러나 신앙(faith, 신덕)은, 하느님의 도우심과 함께, 어떠한 증명이
제공할 수 있는 것 보다 더 커다란 어떤 확실성(a certainty)에 도달할 수 있습니다.
아빌라의 성 요한(St. John of Avila)은 다음과 같이 주석하였습니다: "이 믿음(faith,
신덕)은 추론(reasons)들에 근거한 것이 아닌데 [...]; 이는 어떤 자가 추론들에 근거하여
믿을(believe) 때에, 그는 자신이, 아무런 의심 혹은 조금의 주저함 없이, 전적으로 확신하게
되는 그러한 방식으로 믿고 있는(is believing) 것이 아니기 때문입니다. 그러나 하느님께서
주입하시는(infuses) 믿음(faith)(즉, 신앙, 신덕)은 하느님의 거룩한 진리에 기반을
두고 있으며, 그리고 이것은 우리로 하여금 우리가 우리 고유의 눈들로 보았을 때보다,
그리고 자신의 손들로 만졌을 때보다 더 확고하게 믿게(believe) 하며 -- 그리고, 너무도
명백하여 한 순간도 마음이 전혀 머뭇거리지도 않으며, 그리고 심지어 마음이 원하더라도
전혀 그럴 수 없는 그러한 종류의 것인, 숫자 4는 숫자 3보다 더 큼을 믿는(believes) 자보다
더 확실하게 믿게 (believe) 합니다." ["Audi, Filia", chap. 43].

The faith which God gives a person--supernatural faith--is necessarily the point
of departure for hope and charity: it is what is usually called "living faith”. When
one lives with this kind of faith it is easy to see that the three "theological” virtues
(faith, hope and charity) are bound up with one another. Faith and hope lead a
person to unite himself to God as the source from which all good things flow;
charity unites us to God directly, by loving affection, because God is the supreme
Good. Faith is as it were the first step: it means accepting what God says as true.
We then unite ourselves to him through hope, insofar as we rely on God's help to
attain beatitude. The goal of this process is charity, the fulness of which is eternal
possession of God, the Supreme Good.

하느님께서 한 인격체(a person)에게 주시는 신앙(faith, 신덕) -- 초자연적 믿음(super-
natural faith) -- 은 필연적으로 망덕(hope)과 애덕(charity)을 향한 출발점이며,
그리고 이것이 보통 "살아있는 믿음(living faith)"으로 불리는 바 바로 그것입니다. 우리가
이러한 종류의 믿음(faith)과 함께 살아갈 때에 세 개의 "신학적(theological)" 덕[향주덕들:
신덕(믿음), 망덕(희망) 그리고 애덕(사랑)]들이 서로에게 밀접하게 결속되어 있음을 쉽게
이해할 수 있습니다. 신덕(faith, 신앙)과 망덕(hope, 희망)은, 자기 자신을, 모든 좋은
것들이 흘러나오는 원천으로서의 하느님께로 결합하도록, 한 인격체를 인도하며, 그리고
애덕(charity, 사랑)은 직접적으로 우리를, 다정한 애정(loving affection)으로, 하느님께
결합시키는데, 이는 하느님께서 지고의 선(Good)이기 때문입니다. 신앙(faith, 신덕)은
여태 그러하였듯이 그 첫 단계이며, 그리고 이것은 하느님께서 우리에게 진리로서
말씀하시는 바를 받아들임을 뜻합니다. 따라서, 우리가 참행복(beatitude)을 얻고자
하느님의 도우심에 의존하는 한, 우리는 망덕(hope, 희망)을 통하여 우리 자신을 당신께
결합시키게 됩니다. 이러한 과정의 목표는, 그 충만함이 지고의 선(Supreme Good)이신
하느님을 영원히 소유함을 말하는, 애덕(charity, 사랑)에 있습니다.

"Let us grow in hope, thereby strengthening our faith which is truly ‘the assurance of
things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen' (Heb 11:1). Let us grow in this
virtue, let us beg our Lord to increase his charity in us; after all, one can only really
trust what one loves with all one's might. And it is certainly worthwhile to love our
Lord” (BI. J. Escrivá, "Friends of God", 220).

"망덕(희망) 안에서 자라도록 하여, 그렇게 함으로써 진실로 '우리가 바라는 것들의
보증이며 보이지 않는 실체들의 확증'(히브리 11,1)인 우리의 신앙(faith, 신덕)을
강화하도록 합시다. 이 덕 안에서 자라도록 하고, 우리 안에 당신의 애덕(charity,
사랑)을 증대해 주실 것을 우리의 주님께 청원하여, 결국에, 전력을 다하여 우리가
사랑하는 바를 우리가 오로지 실제로 신뢰할 수 있도록 합시다. 그리고 우리의 주님을
사랑하는 것은 확실하게 애쓸 가치가 있습니다" [St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 220].

If hope in general is the conviction of being able to obtain something worthwhile in
the future, something difficult to obtain, theological hope is the conviction of being
able, with the help of God, to attain heaven. And faith is precisely what provides
certain knowledge of those two truths--that heaven is our goal and that God
wants to help us to get there (cf. "Summa theologiae", II-II, q.17, a. 5 and 7).
Therefore, nothing should dishearten us on this road to our ultimate goal because
we put our trust in "three truths: God is all-powerful, God has a boundless love
for me, God is faithful to his promises. And it is he, the God of mercies, who en-
kindles this trust within me, so that I never feel lonely or useless or abandoned
but, rather, involved in a plan of salvation which will one day reach its goal in
Paradise” (John Paul I, "Address", 20 September 1978).

일반적으로 희망(hope)이 미래에 가치가 있는 어떤 것을, 획득하기 어려운 어떤 것을,
얻을 수 있음에 대한 확신(conviction)이라면, 신학적 희망(theological hope, 망덕)은,
하느님의 도움과 함께, 하늘(heaven, 천)을 획득할(attain) 수 있음에 대한 확신
(conviction)을 말합니다. 그리고 신앙(faith, 신덕)은, 하늘(heaven, 천당)이 우리의
목표이며 그리고 거기에 도달하도록 우리를당 도와주는 것을 하느님께서 원하신다는,
이들 두 진리들에 대한 어떤 지식(certain knowledge)을 제공하는 바 바로 그것을
말합니다. ["신학대전(Summa Theologiae)", II-II, q. l7, a 5 and 7을 참고하라].
그러므로, 우리의 궁극적인 목표를 향한 이러한 길에 있어 어떠한 것도 우리를 낙심시키지
못할 것인데 이는 우리가 다음과 같은 "세 개의 진리들"에 우리의 신뢰를 두고 있기
때문입니다: "하느님께서는 전능하시며(all-powerful), 하느님께서는 나를 위한 무한한
사랑(love)을 가지고 계시며, 하느님께서는 당신의 약속들에 충실하십니다. 그리고 나의
안쪽에 이러한 신뢰에 불을 붙이시는, 그리하여 제가 전혀 외롭다거나 혹은 소용없다거나
혹은 버려졌다고 결코 느끼는 것이 아니라, 이보다는 오히려, 언젠가는 낙원에 대한
그 목표에 도달할 구원 계획에 개입되어 있음을 느끼게 하고자 하시는 분이, 자비의
하느님이신, 바로 당신이십니다" [John Paul I, "Address", 20 September 1978].

3. The creation of the world from nothing is one of the first articles of faith. The
text is reminiscent in a way of v. 1, in that faith gives conviction about things we
cannot see; that is how we know the origin of all created things and discover God
from things we can see.

Essentially the text is emphasizing the importance of belief in God as Creator and
in Creation as coming from nothing. This is a truth found in all the creeds and it
has been often defined by the Church Magisterium (cf., for example, Lateran IV
and Vatican I). "We believe in one God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Creator of what is visible--such as this world where we live out our lives and of
the invisible--such as the pure spirits which are also called angels” (Paul VI,
"Creed of the People of God", 8).

4. The Book of Genesis (4:3-5) tells of the offerings made to Yahweh by Cain and
Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. God was pleased with Abel's offering but not
with Cain's. God said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your counten-
ance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well,
sin is couching at the door ready to waylay you” (Gen 4:6-7). Many Jewish com-
mentators saw this as meaning that Cain's sin may have been one of meanness
because he did not offer the best of his crop. Additionally there would have been
a sin of envy towards Abel (Wisdom 10:3 speaks of Cain's evil and his fratricidal
hatred). In contrast to Cain, the prototype of the envious, selfish, violent and frat-
ricidal man, Jewish literature extolled Abel as an example of generosity, upright-
ness and piety.

4. 창세기(4,3-5)는, 아담과 하와의 아들들인, 카인(Cain)과 아벨(Abel)에 의하여
하느님께 바쳐졌던 봉헌물들에 대하여 말합니다. 하느님께서는, 카인의 봉헌물이
아니라, 아벨의 봉헌물을 마음에 들어 하셨습니다. 하느님께서는 카인에게 "너는
어찌하여 화를 내고, 어찌하여 얼굴을 떨어뜨리느냐? 네가 옳게 행동하면 얼굴을
들 수 있지 않느냐? 그러나 옳게 행동하지 않으면 죄악이 문 앞에 도사리고 앉아
너를 노리게 될 터인데, 너는 그 죄악을 잘 다스려야 하지 않겠느냐?" (창세기 4,6-7)
라고 말씀하셨습니다. 많은 유다교 주석자들은 이것을 카인의 죄가, 그가 자신의
수확물 중의 가장 좋은 것을 봉헌하지 않았기에, 빈약함(meanness, 인색)의
하나에 있었을 수도 있음을 뜻하는 것으로서 보았습니다. 추가적으로 아벨을 향한
질투(envy)(*)의 죄가 있었을 것입니다(지혜서 10,3는 카인의 악과 그의 형제
살해적 증오에 대하여 말합니다). 질투하는(envious), 이기적인, 난폭한 그리고
형제를 살해하는 자의 전형(prototype)인 카인과는 대조적으로, 유다교의 문헌은
아벨을 관대함(generosity), 올바름(uprightness) 그리고 공경(piety)의 모범으로서
칭찬하였습니다.

-----
번역자 주:
(*) 여기를 클릭하면, "질투(envy)"와 "시기(jealousy)"의 차이점 및 용어 번역 오류들에
대한 지적의 글들을 읽을 수 있다.
-----

Against this background of Jewish religious thought come the words of Jesus (Mt
23:25) and St John (1 Jn 3:12) who describe Abel as "righteous”, that is holy and
devout. The Hebrews text stresses that what made Abel's offering the better one
was his faith, commitment to God and generosity. That was why God bore wit-
ness to his righteousness by accepting the victims he offered and perhaps--ac-
cording to an ancient oral Jewish tradition--sending fire down upon them to burn
them. For God "looked more to the offerer than to what he offered, because the
acceptability of an oblation is determined by the righteousness of the offerer, in
cases other than of a sacrament,” as St Thomas Aquinas says (Commentary on
Heb, ad loc.). The text says literally that "God himself bore witness to his offer-
ings”, as if to imply that he "came down” or that he "sent down fire” to consume
them (cf. the famous oblation of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:38; that of Moses and Aaron
in Leviticus 9:24; and that of Gideon in Judges 6:21).

이러한 유다인들의 종교적 사고를 배경으로 하여, 아벨을 "의로운(righteous)" 자,
즉 거룩하고 헌신적인 자로서 언급하는, 예수님(마태오 복음서 23,25) 및 성 요한
(1요한 3,12)의 말씀들이 나옵니다(come). 이 히브리서 본문은 아벨의 봉헌물이 더
나은 것으로 만들었던 바가, 바로 그의 믿음(faith), 하느님에 대한 열심(commitment)
그리고 관대함이었음을 강조합니다. 바로 이것이 하느님께서 그가 제공하였던 제물들을
받아들임으로써 그리고 아마도, 오래된 구전의 유다교 전통에 따라, 그들을 불태우기
위하여 불을 내려 보내심으로써, 그의 의로움을 입증하셨던 이유입니다. 이는
하느님께서, "성사(a sacrament)를 제외한 경우들에 있어, 어떤 봉헌물의 용인(容認)
가능성(acceptability)이 봉헌자의 의로움에 의하여 정해지기 때문에, 봉헌자가
봉헌한 것(what)보다 봉헌자를 더 바라보셨기 때문입니다" [성 토마스 아퀴나스
(St. Thomas Aquinas)의 히브리서 주석(Commentary on Hebrews), 제569항].
이 본문[즉, 창세기 4,6-7]은 글자 그대로, "마치 당신께서 그들을 소모하기 위하여
"내려오시거나" 혹은 "불을 내려보내시는" 것을 암시하듯이[1열왕기 18,38에 있는
엘리야(Elijah)의 유명한 봉헌, 레위기 9,24에 있는 모세와 아론의 유명한 봉헌, 그리고
판관기 6,21에 있는 기드온의 유명한 봉헌을 참조하라], 하느님 스스로 그의 봉헌물들을
입증하셨음을 말하고 있습니다.

"He died, but through his faith he is still speaking”: this is reminiscent of the pas-
sage in Genesis where God tells Cain that "the voice of your brother's blood is cry-
ing to me from the ground” (Gen 4:10). Abel is God's witness, his "martyr”, be-
cause he confesses God's greatness by his faith, sacrifice and generosity. "By
leading others towards virtue, Abel proves to be an eloquent speaker. Any words
must be less effective than (the example of) this martyrdom. So, just as heaven
speaks to us by simply revealing itself to us, this great saint exhorts us simply by
impinging on our memory” (Hom. on Heb, 22).

"그는 죽었지만 믿음 덕분에 여전히 말을 하고 있습니다": 이것은 하느님께서 카인에게
"네 아우의 피가 땅바닥에서 나를 울부짖고 있다" (창세기 4,10)라고 말하는 창세기에
있는 그 구절에 대한 상기입니다. 아벨은, 하느님의 증언자, 즉 당신의 "순교자(martyr)"인데,
왜냐하면 그는 자신의 믿음(faith), 희생(sacrifice) 그리고 관대함으로써 하느님의
위대하심을 고백하기 때문입니다. "다른 이들을 덕(virtue)(*)으로 인도함으로써, 아벨은
감동적인 연설가임을 증명합니다. 어떠한 말들도 이 순교(의 모범)보다 덜 효과적일
것임에 틀림없습니다. 이런 식으로, 하늘이 단순히 스스로를 우리에게 드러냄으로써
우리에게 말하는 것과 꼭 마찬가지로, 바로 이 위대한 성인은 단순히 우리의 기억에
작용함으로써 우리에게 권고합니다" [Hom. on Heb, 22].

-----
(*) 번역자 주: 가톨릭 보편 교회가 수용한 "덕(virtue)"의 정의(definition)는 다음의
글에 있다:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/970.htm
-----

It is comforting to know that the first example of faith in God was given by the son
of Adam and Eve, and that it took the form of a sacrifice. It is understandable
therefore that Fathers have, in fact, seen Abel as a figure of Christ: he was a
shepherd, he offered an oblation pleasing to God, he shed his blood, and was
therefore a "martyr for the faith”.

하느님에 대한 믿음의 첫 번째 모범(example)이 아담과 하와의 아들에 의하여
제시되었음, 그리고 그것이 한 개의 희생의 형태(form)를 취하였음을 아는 것은
위로가 됩니다. 그러므로 교부(Fathers)들이, 사실은, 아벨을 그리스도에 대한
한 개의 표상(a figure)으로서 보아 왔던 것은 이해할 수 있는데, 이는 그가
목자(shepherd)였으며, 그가 하느님을 기쁘게 하는 봉헌물을 바쳤고, 그는 자신의
피를 흘렸으며, 그리하여 그 결과 "믿음을 위한 순교자" 한 명이었기 때문입니다.

When renewing Christ's sacrifice, the Liturgy asks God to look with favour on the
offerings and accept them as once he accepted the gifts of his "servant Abel” (cf.
Roman Missal, Eucharistic Prayer I).

그리스도의 희생을 갱신할(renew) 때에, 전례(the Liturgy)는 봉헌물들을 호의적으로
보아 주시고 그리고 그들을, 이전에 당신께서 당신의 "종 아벨(servant Abel)"의
선물들을 받아 들이셨듯이, 받아 주실 것을 하느님께 청원합니다 [로마 미사 경본,
감사기도 제1양식을 참조하라].

-----
번역자 주: 위의 히브리서 11,4에 대한 해설은, 여기를 클릭하면 읽을 수 있는 글
(제목: 카인과 아벨의 제물)의 중요한 부분으로서 인용되고 있다.
-----

5. There was also quite an amount of Jewish tradition about Enoch, one of the
Patriarchs from the pre-Flood period; this stemmed from the fact that the Book of
Genesis, instead of rounding off mention of him with the usual words "and he
died” (as is the case with the other patriarchs), says that he "walked with Elohim,
and he was not, for God took him” (cf. Gen 5:21-24). This led people to think
that Enoch did not die and that therefore he was in the presence of God prepar-
ing the way for the Messiah who would set man free: that is, he must be one of
the Messiah's precursors, like Elijah, of whose death also there is no mention.
The Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) elaborates a little
on the Hebrew text of Genesis 5:23: it says, "Enoch walked with God; and he
was not, for the Lord took him”, and the RSV Genesis passage reflects this. It
might also be pointed out that the Book of Sirach mentions Enoch with great
respect, proposing him as an example to all generations; it says that "Enoch
pleased the Lord, and was taken up” (Sir 44:16), and elsewhere it adds that "no
one like Enoch has been created on earth” (Sir 49:14). In apocryphal Jewish
writing Enoch came to assume great importance: he was attributed great power
as an astrologer and described as engaging in a series of fantastic exploits to pre-
pare the way for the Messiah. It therefore became widely believed that Enoch
would return to the world prior to the coming of the Anointed.

The Epistle to the Hebrews uses the Sirach texts and the Greek version of Gene-
sis as its ground for stating that Enoch "was attested as having pleased God”, and
therefore it proposes Enoch as an example of faith.

The sentence "Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death” is not just
referring to his being an upright man: it connects him with the coming of the
Messiah and with the end of the world. The text is not saying or denying that
Enoch died, but simply that he was ‘taken up”. In view of the fact that it is de-
creed that all men should die (cf. Heb 9:27), for death is a consequence of origin-
nal sin (cf. Rom 5:12), most probably the words "was taken up” should he seen
as a reference to death, and the following words, "so that he should not see
death,” should he taken either in a moral sense --that is, "not experience the
spiritual death of sin" -- or else as meaning that he arose immediately after our
Lord's death, as happened in the case of some saints (cf. Mt 27:52-53).

6. Faith is a virtue which is necessary for salvation, but faith alone is insufficient;
it must be "faith working through love” (Gal 5:6). However, faith is of decisive im-
portance because it is "the beginning of man's salvation” (St Fulgentius, "De fide
ad Petrum", 1) and because it is "the foundation and source of all justification”
(Council of Trent, "De iustificatione, chap. 8); we are referring not only to faith in
the sense of a personal act -- the act of faith -- but also to faith in the sense of a
body of truths which one holds as certain. Thus, theology says that two things
are necessary -- the faith by which one believes (the attitude of the believer) and
the truths of faith which have to he believed (articles of faith). The verse speaks
of both, but it dwells mainly on the second---the content or "object” of faith –
whereas earlier (11:1) it looked more at the importance of the act as such. No
one can please God unless he draws near him; but it is not possible to do that
without faith; therefore no one can please God unless he has faith. God himself
moves us and helps us to approach him, but man needs to respond freely to
God's action; it is by the act of faith that he does so: faith is that disposition of
soul "by which we yield our unhesitating assent to whatever the authority of our
holy Mother the Church teaches us has been revealed by God; for the faithful
cannot doubt those things of which God, who is truth itself, is the author" (St
Pius V Catechism, I, 1, 1).

That is why, among truths of faith, we distinguish those which are accessible to
human reason and those which man could never come to know on his own: the
latter are called "mysteries”. The former can be reduced to three-- the existence
of God, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of a moral order established
by God.

It is clear that if one does not believe in the existence of God and in the moral
order established by him there is no possibility of salvation. What does the pas-
sage mean when it says that "whoever would draw near to God must believe that
he exists and that he rewards those who seek him”? We might reply, with St
Thomas, that, after original sin, no one can be saved unless he have faith in the
promised mediator (Gen 3:15). For pagans, who have received no revelation, it
was and is sufficient to believe that God rewards good and punishes evil (cf. Com-
mentary on Heb, ad loc.).

The words of the sacred writer also pose another problem: how can those be
saved who do not know Christ? The first thing to bear in mind is the absolute
necessity of true and upright faith. Man has an obligation to seek truth, particu-
larly religious truth, and he must not content himself with just any religion, as if all
religions were more or less equal (cf. Pius IX, "Syllabus of Errors", 15 and 16).
That is why adult pagans who request Baptism when the are in danger of death or
in a situation of dire need must be given before Baptism a short instruction
(adapted to the situation and to their intellectual capacity) on the main mysteries
of faith--the Trinity and the Incarnation (cf. "Reply of the Holy Office", 26 January
1703).

All this, however, does not mean that people who are not Christians cannot be
saved. What it means, Vatican II teaches, is that "they could not be saved who,
knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through
Christ, would refuse either to enter it, or to remain in it” ("Lumen Gentium", 14).
"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” ("Lumen gentium", 16).

Therefore, when in its apostolic and missionary work, the catholic Church encoun-
ters other religions, it "rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions.
It has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and doctrines
which, although differing in many ways from its own teaching nevertheless often
reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men. Yet it proclaims, and is in duty
bound to proclaim without fail, Christ who is the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:
6). In him, in whom God reconciled all things to himself (cf. 2 Cor 5:18-19), men
find the fulness of their religious life” (Vatican II, "Nostra aetate", 2). In the last
analysis, "although in many ways known to himself God can lead those who,
through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel to that faith without which
it is impossible to please him (Heb 11:6), the Church, nevertheless, still has the
obligation (cf. 1 Cor 9:16) and also the sacred right to evangelize. And so, today
as always, missionary activity retains its full force and necessity” (Vatican II, "Ad
gentes", 7).

Similarly every Christian should always desire to seek God and have others seek
him also. "If there is someone who is going to reward us, let us do everything
possible not to lose the reward that is given to virtue [. . .]. But, how can one find
the Lord? Think of how gold is found--by much effort and trouble [. . .]. So, we
must seek God in the same way as we look for something we have lost. Is it not
true that we rack our brains? Don't we look everywhere? Don't we look in out of
the way places? Don't we spend money searching? If, for example, we have lost
a child, what will we not do? What regions, what seas, will we not cross? How
much more in the case of God, given that those who seek him have such need of
him!” (St John Chrysostom, Hom. on Heb, 22).

7. When Noah received God's order to build the ark (cf. Gen 6-9; Mt 24:17-39;
1 Pet 3:20; 2 Pet 2:5), there was as yet no sign of a flood: in other words, he had
to rely totally on God's word. He took heed, he acted "reveritus”, with religious
fear, that is, with a deeply religious attachment to God, an attitude which led him
to obey very exactly what God told him to do.

Noah's faith "condemned the world” because the worldly and unbelieving men of
his time jeered at him when he was making the ark. "What do these words
mean--'by this he condemned the world'? They mean that he showed up the
world as deserving of punishment, because even though they saw him building
(the ark) they did not mend their ways or repent" (Hom. on Heb, 23, 1). By acting
in line with his faith Noah condemns, in spite of himself, the incredulity of his con-
temporaries. Today also the life of a person of faith can be a reproach to those
around him, but that should not lead him to act any differently.

(II) 1st Reading: James 3:1-10

Controlling One's Tongue
----------------------------------------------------
[1] Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that
we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. [2] For we all
make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he
is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. [3] If we put
bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their
whole bodies. [4] Look at the ships also; though they are so very
great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small
rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. [5] So the tongue is a
little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set
ablaze by a small fire!

[6] And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among
our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of
nature, and set on fire by Hell. [7] For every kind of beast and bird,
of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by
humankind, [8] but no human being can tame the tongue--a restless evil,
full of deadly poison. [9] With it we bless the Lord and Father, and
with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. [10] From
the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not
to be so.

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

1-18. There is now an apparently sudden change of subject; but in fact
the themes dealt with in the letter from this point onwards are
practical applications of the principle outlined in the second section
(consistently between faith and works). Firstly, it deals with control
of the tongue, prudent speech; after warning of occupational hazards of
teachers (verses 1-2), it denounces the sins the tongue can cause
(verses 2-12), and goes on to describe the characteristics of true and
false wisdom.

1-2. St. James draws attention to the responsibility that goes with
holding a position of authority: all those who are teachers, in
addition to answering to God for their own actions, are responsible to
some degree for the actions of their disciples. That is why the Church
has always encouraged prayer for those whose job it is to guide their
brethren: "Nor should (lay people) fail to commend to God in their
prayers those who have been placed over them, who indeed keep watch as
having to render an account for our souls, that they may do this with
joy and not with grief (cf. Hebrews 13:17)") (Vatican II, "Lumen
Gentium", 37).

"We all make many mistakes": Sacred Scripture repeatedly draws
attention to the sinful condition of man and the frequency with which
he offends God (cf., e.g., Psalm 19:13; 51:3ff; Proverbs 20:9; 1 John
1:8). The Council of Trent recalls these words of St. James when it
teaches that no one can go through life without committing some venial
sin, "except by a special privilege granted by God, as the Church
teaches happened in the case of the Blessed Virgin" ("De
Iustificatione", Canon 23; Chapter 16).

The great Saints, from whom we can learn much, have attained holiness
because they recognized that they were sinners. "I shall love you,
Lord, and shall give thanks to You and confess Your name," St.
Augustine exclaims, because "You have forgiven me such great sins and
evil deeds [...]: for what might I have not done, seeing that I loved
evil solely because it was evil? I confess that You have forgiven all
alike--the sins I committed on my own motion, the sins I would have
committed but for Your grace [...]. If any man has heard Your voice
and followed it and done none of the things he finds me here recording
and confessing, still he must not scorn me: for I am healed by the same
Doctor who preserved him from falling into sickness, or at least into
such grievous sickness. But let him love You even more--seeing me
rescued out of such sickness of sin, and himself saved from falling
into such sickness of sin, by the one same Savior" ("Confessions", 2,
7).

2-12. The sacred writer focuses on sins of the tongue, possibly because
of their frequency. In the Wisdom books of the Old Testament these
sins are referred to particularly often (cf., e.g., Proverbs 10:11-21;
Sirach 5:9-15; 28:13-26).

He basically makes three points--first, a positive point, by way of
summing up what follows: "If any one makes no mistakes in what he says
he is a perfect man" (verse 2). Then with three graphic comparisons
(typical of this Letter) he shows how difficult it is to control the
tongue (verses 3-6), but controlled it must be, otherwise great harm
will be done (verses 7-12).

"A perfect man" (verse 2): this does not mean that he cannot commit
other sins; it implies that if one succeeds in restraining one's tongue
one has self-control, which means that one is putting up good
resistance to temptation.

3-6. Three simple, easy-to-understand examples (used also by other
ancient writers in Greco-Latin and Jewish literature) show how
something small--a horse's bit, a boat's rudder, a small fire--can have
very big effects; the tongue has a similar influence in social life.

The "St. Pius V Catechism", recalling this teaching, says: "From these
words we learn two truths. The fact is that sins of the tongue are
very prevalent [...]. The other truth is that the tongue is a source
of innumerable evils. Through the fault of the evil-speaker are often
lost the property, the reputation, the life, and salvation of the
injured person, or of him who inflicts the injury. The injured person,
unable to bear patiently the contumely, avenges it without restraint.
The offender, on the other hand, deterred by a perverse shame and a
false idea of what is called honor, cannot be induced to make
reparation to him whom he has offended" (III, 9, 1). It should be
remembered that if one unfairly damages another's reputation one has an
obligation to make reparation by doing what one can to restore his or
her good name.

"Do you know what damage you may cause by throwing stones with your
eyes blindfolded? Neither do you know the harm you cause--and at times
it is very great--by letting drop uncharitable remarks that to you seem
trifling, because your eyes are blinded by thoughtlessness or passion"
([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 455).

6. St. James uses this graphic language to emphasize that if one does
not control one's tongue it can cause much evil, affecting one's entire
life. In itself very useful, the tongue can wreak havoc, so it is not
surprising that the enemies of our sanctification seek to get control
of it: "though their voices sound like cracked bells, that have not
been cast from good metal and have a very different tone from the
shepherd's whistle call, they so distort speech, which is one of the
most precious talents ever bestowed on men by God, a most beautiful
gift for the _expression of deep thoughts of love and friendship towards
the Lord and His creatures, that one comes to understand why St. James
says that the tongue is `an unrighteous world' (James 3:6). So great
is the harm it can do--lies, slander, dishonor, trickery, insults,
tortuous insinuations" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 298).

9-12. The sacred writer uses further examples, equally simple and
familiar to his readers, to stress the need for control of the tongue.
Experience shows that it is as easy to put it to a good purpose as to
an evil one. Besides, misuse of the tongue is a sign that one's heart
is not in the right place: as our Lord already warned us, "out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).

Gospel Reading: Mark 9:2-13

The Transfiguration
----------------------------
[2] And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led
them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before
them, [3] and His garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on
earth bleach them. [4] And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they
were talking to Jesus. [5] And Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are
here; let us make three booths, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah."
[6] For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid. [7] And a
cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved
Son; listen to Him." [8] And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one
with them but Jesus only.

[9] And as they were coming down the mountain, He charged them to tell no one
what they had seen, until the Son of Man should have risen from the dead. [10]
So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead
meant. [11] And they asked Him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must
come?" [12] And He said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things;
and how is it written of the Son of Man, that He should suffer many things and be
treated with contempt? [13] But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to
him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him."

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Commentary:

2-10. We contemplate in awe this manifestation of the glory of the Son of God
to three of His disciples. Ever since the Incarnation, the divinity of our Lord has
usually been hidden behind His humanity. But Christ wishes to show, to these
favorite disciples, who will later be pillars of the Church, the splendor of His divine
glory, in order to encourage them to follow the difficult way that lies ahead, fixing
their gaze on the happy goal which is awaiting them at the end. This is why, as
St. Thomas comments (cf. "Summa Theologia", III, q. 45, a. 1), it was appropriate
for Him to give them an insight into His glory. The fact that the Transfiguration
comes immediately after the first announcement of His passion, and His prophetic
words about how His followers would also have to carry His cross, shows us that
"through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

What happened at the Transfiguration? To understand this miraculous event in
Christ's life, we must remember that in order to redeem us by His passion and
death our Lord freely renounced divine glory and became man, assuming flesh
which was capable of suffering and which was not glorious, becoming like us in
every way except sin (cf. Hebrew 4:15). In the Transfiguration, Jesus Christ
willed that the glory which was His as God and which His soul had from the
moment of the Incarnation, should miraculously become present in His body.
"We should learn from Jesus' attitude in these trials. During His life on earth
He did not even want the glory that belong to Him. Though He had the right to
be treated as God, He took the form of a servant, a slave (cf. Philippians 2:6)"
(St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 62). Bearing in mind WHO became
man (the divinity of the person and the glory of His soul), it was appropriate for
His body to be glorious; given the PURPOSE of His Incarnation, it was not ap-
propriate, usually, for His glory to be evident. Christ shows His glory in the
Transfiguration in order to move us to desire the divine glory which will be given
us so that, having this hope, we too can understand "that the sufferings of this
present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to
us" (Romans 8:18).

2. According to Deuteronomy (19:15), to bear witness to anything the evidence
of two or three much concur. Perhaps this is why Jesus wanted three Apostles
to be present. It should be pointed out that these three Apostles were specially
loved by Him; they were with Him also at the raising of the daughter of Jairus
(Mark 5:37) and will also be closest to Him during His agony at Gethsemane
(Mark 14:33). Cf. note on Matthew 17:1-13.

7. This is how St. Thomas Aquinas explains the meaning of the Transfiguration:
"Just as in Baptism, where the mystery of the first regeneration was proclaimed,
the operation of the whole Trinity was made manifest, because the Son Incarnate
was there, the Holy Spirit appeared under the form of a dove, and the Father
made Himself known in the voice; so also in the Transfiguration, which is the sign
of the second regeneration [the Resurrection], the whole Trinity appears--the
Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Holy Spirit in the bright cloud; for just
as in Baptism He confers innocence, as signified by the simplicity of the dove, so
in the Resurrection will He give His elect the clarity of glory and the refreshment
from every form of evil, as signified by the bright cloud" ("Summa Theologiae", III,
q. 45, 1.4 ad 2). For, really, the Transfiguration was in some way an anticipation
not only of Christ's glorification but also of ours. As St. Paul says, "it is the same
Spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if
children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer
with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him" (Romans 8:16-17).

10. That the dead would rise was already revealed in the Old Testament (cf.
Daniel 12:2-3; 2 Maccabees 7:9; 12:43) and was believed by pious Jews (cf.
John 11:23-25). However, they were unable to understand the profound truth of
the death and Resurrection of the Lord: they expected a glorious and triumphant
Messiah, despite the prophecy that He would suffer and die (cf. Isaiah 53).
Hence the Apostles' oblique approach; they too do not dare to directly question
our Lord about His Resurrection.

11-13. The scribes and Pharisees interpret the messianic prophecy in Malachi
(3:1-2) as meaning that Elijah will appear in person, dramatically, to be followed
by the all-triumphant Messiah, with no shadow of pain or humiliation. Jesus tells
them that Elijah has indeed come, in the person of John the Baptist (Matthew
17:13) and has prepared the way of the Messiah, a way of pain and suffering.

Verse 12 is a question which Jesus puts to His disciples, but they should really
have asked it themselves, had they realized that Christ's Resurrection presup-
posed the Messiah's suffering and death. Since they fail to ask it, Jesus does,
to teach them that He like Elijah (that is, John the Baptist) must experience
suffering before entering His glory.

　

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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.