Thursday

9th Week of Ordinary Time

(I) 1st Reading: 
Tobit 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a (New American Bible)
Tobit 6:9-10; 7:1bcde, 8bcde-18; 8:4-9a (Revised Standard Version)

Arrival in Media
----------------------
[9] When they (the angel Raphael and Tobias) approached Ecbatana, [10] the
angel said to the young man, "Brother, today we shall stay with Raguel. He is
your relative, and he has an only daughter named Sarah."

Sarah's Hand is Sought in Marriage (Continuation)
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[1bcde] (When they) arrived at the house of Raguel, Sarah met them and greeted
them. They returned her greeting, and she brought them into the house. [8bcde]
They received them very warmly; and they killed a ram from the flock and set
large servings of food before them.

Then Tobias said to Raphael, "Brother Azarias, speak of those things which you
talked about on the journey, and let the matter be settled." [9] So he communi-
cated the proposal to Raguel. And Raguel said to Tobias. "Eat, drink, and be
merry; [10] for it is your right to take my child But let me explain the true situa-
tion to you.

[11] I have given my daughter to seven husbands, and when each came to her
he died in the night. But for the present be merry." And Tobias said, "I will eat
nothing here until you make a binding agreement with me." [12] So Raguel said,
"Take her right now, in accordance with the law. You are her relative, and she
is yours. The merciful God will guide you both for the best." [13] Then he called
his daughter Sarah, and taking her by the hand he gave her to Tobias to be his
wife, saying, "Here she is; take her according to the law of Moses, and take her
with you to your father." And he blessed them. [14] Next he called his wife Edna,
and took a scroll and wrote out the contract; and they set their seals to it. [15]
Then they began to eat.

[16] And Raguel called his wife Edna and said to her, "Sister, make up the other
room, and take her into it." [17] So she did as he said, and took her there; and
the girl began to weep. But the mother comforted her daughter in her tears, and
said to her, [18] "Be brave, my child; the Lord of heaven and earth grant you joy
in place of this sorrow of yours. Be brave, my daughter."

Tobias' and Sarah's Wedding Night (Continuation)
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[4] When the door was shut and the two were alone, Tobias got up from the bed
and said, "Sister, get up, and let us pray that the Lord may have mercy upon us."
[5] And Tobias began to pray, "Blessed art thou, 0 God of our fathers, and bles-
sed be thy holy and glorious name for ever. Let the heavens and all thy creatures
bless thee. [6] Thou madest Adam and gayest him Eve his wife as a helper and
support. From them the race of mankind has sprung. Thou didst say, 'It is not
good that the man should be alone; let us make a helper for him like himself.'
[7] And now, 0 Lord, I am not taking this sister of mine because of lust, but with
sincerity. Grant that I may find mercy and may grow old together with her." [8]
And she said with him, "Amen." [9]Then they both went to sleep for the night.

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Commentary:

6:9-17. According to the Law (cf. Num 36:1-13), when a daughter inherits from
her father (cf. Num 27:1-11) she should marry a man of her own tribe, in order
to ensure that her inheritance does not (as a dowry) become the property of
another tribe. It is up to Tobias to marry Sarah because he is the closest rela-
tive (the text does not say whether the earlier husbands were relatives). The
angel points out the advantages of complying with that law: Tobias will get Sa-
rah's inheritance, but he will also get a beautiful and sensible wife; he encou-
rages him not to delay (v. 12).

Tobias raises weighty objections, not just because he is afraid he will suffer the
fate of the other husbands but because he feels a duty to his elderly parents (vv.
14-15)--as indeed the Law lays down. The angel tells him how these difficulties
can be dealt with: he reminds Tobias of his father's instruction (v. 15; 4:12) and
tells him how to deal with the demon (vv. 16-17), not only by using parts of the
fish but also by having recourse to prayer (v. 17). The words "she was destined
for you from all eternity"(v. 17) show that the love between the two young people
which leads them to marriage is being guided by divine providence and is part
of a mysterious plan of God's, an eternal plan. This is borne out by the fact that
Tobias falls in love with the girl even before meeting her (v. 18). St. J. Escrivá
advises young people to put themselves under the protection of the archangel
Raphael: "How frankly you laughed when I advised you to put the years of your
youth under the protection of Saint Raphael: so that he'll lead you, like young
Tobias, to a holy marriage, with a girl who is good and pretty and rich', I told you,
jokingly. And then how thoughtful you became! ...when I went on to advise you
to put yourself also under the patronage of that young apostle John; in case
God were to ask more of you" ("The Way", 360).

The Vulgate, after v. 16, adds the following: "For they who in such manner re-
ceive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves, and from their mind, and
to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule, which have not under-
standing: over them the devil hath power. But thou, when thou shalt take her, go
into the chamber: and for three days keep thyself continent from her, and give
thyself to nothing else but to prayers with her. And on that night lay the liver of
the fish on the fire: and the devil shall be driven away. But the second night, thou
shalt be admitted into the society of the holy Patriarchs. And the third night, thou
shalt obtain a blessing that sound children may be born of you. And when the
third night is past, thou shalt take the virgin with the fear of the Lord, moved ra-
ther for love of children than for lust: that in the seed of Abraham thou mayst
obtain a blessing in children."

7:1-12. At this point Tobias takes the initiative and asks the angel to speak on
his behalf (v. 8). Raguel is clearly an upright man; he does not hide the situation
from Tobias; he does not want the young man to die, so he tries to delay doing
what the Law lays down (v. 10). Eventually he consents to the marriage: he will
obey the law of Moses (v. 13), despite the possible consequences.

In the Vulgate, Raguel's decision is influenced by something the angel says to
him: "Be not afraid to give her to this man, for to him who feareth God is thy
daughter due to be his wife. Therefore another could not have her. Then Raguel
said: I doubt not but God hath regarded my prayers and tears in his sight. And I
believe he hath therefore made you come to me, that this maid might be married
to one of her own kindred, according to the law of Moses: and now doubt not but
I will give her to thee."

7:14-18. This is the first time we find in the Bible a formal marriage contract invol-
ving a written document. In time, this document will be called by Jews the "Ketu-
bah". For Sarah's parents the wedding is almost a mournful affair, but they still
hope that things will work out well because they have done everything according
to the Law of the Lord, whom they invoke.

8:1-12. Three things happen in parallel here: the demon flees, chased off by a
puff of smoke (which shows how weak he is when man lets himself be guided
by the word of God), and the angel binds him; Sarah's father digs a grave for
Tobias (this symbolizes those who are guided by human prudence, not trusting
in divine providence; they are proved wrong); and Tobias and Sarah spend the
night in prayer and win the Lord's blessing: their prayer praises God, recalling
the creation of man and woman (cf. Gen 2:18) and implores his blessing.

The Church offers this passage (vv. 5-7) as a reading for the rite of marriage, be-
cause it touches on the divine and human aspects of married love. The Second
Vatican Council says that "married love is eminently human love because it is
an affection between two rooted in the will and it embraces the good of the whole
person; it can enrich the sentiments of the spirit and their physical expression
with a unique dignity and ennoble them as the special elements and signs of the
friendship proper to marriage. The Lord, wishing to bestow special gifts of grace
and divine love on it, has restored, perfected, and elevated it. A love like that,
bringing together the human and the divine, leads the partners to a free and mu-
tual giving of self, experienced in tenderness and action, and permeates their
whole lives; besides, this love is actually developed and increased by the exer-
cise of it. This is a far cry from mere erotic attraction, which is pursued in sel-
fishness and soon fades away in wretchedness.

"Married love is uniquely expressed and perfected by the exercise of the acts
proper to marriage. Hence the acts in marriage by which the intimate and chaste
union of the spouses take place are noble and honorable; the truly human perfor-
mance of these acts fosters the self-giving they signify and enriches the spouses
in joy and gratitude'." ("Gaudium Et Spes", 49).
　

(II) 1st Reading: 2 Timothy 2:8-15

Jesus, the Apostle's Model
---------------------------------------
[8] Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, as
preached in my gospel, [9] the gospel for which I am suffering and wearing fet-
ters like a criminal. But the word of God is not fettered. [10] Therefore I endure
everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which
in Christ Jesus goes with eternal glory. [11]The saying is sure: If we have died
with him, we shall also live with him; [12] if we endure, we shall also reign with
him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; [13] if we are faithless, he remains
faithful -- for he cannot deny himself.

Avoiding Useless Argument
-------------------------
[14] Remind them of this, and charge them before the Lord to avoid disputing
about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. [15] Do your best
to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be
ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

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Commentary:

8. "Jesus Christ, risen from the dead": the Resurrection is the climax of our faith
(cf. 1 Cor 15) and the fixed reference point for Christian living, for we know that
"Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has do-
minion over him" (Rom 6:9). Therefore, Christ lives on in a glorified condition:
"Christ is alive. He is not someone who has gone, someone who existed for a
time and then passed on, leaving us a wonderful example and a great memory.
No, Christ is alive. Jesus is Emmanuel: God with us. His resurrection shows us
that God does not abandon his own" (J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 102).

"As preached in my gospel": literally, "according to my gospel"; Jesus' glorious
resurrection and his descent from David were key points in St Paul's preaching.

9-10. The trials which St Paul was experiencing in prison on account of his prea-
ching of the Gospel constitute an entitlement to heaven, for "martyrdom makes
the disciple like his master, who willingly accepted death for the salvation of the
world, and through it he is conformed to him by the shedding of blood" ("Lumen
Gentium", 42). This is a shining example of the Communion of Saints at work,
for, when a Christian links his suffering to Christ's passion, that suffering contri-
butes to the Redemption: "Therefore he is carrying out an irreplaceable service.
In the Body of Christ, which is ceaselessly born of the Cross of the Redeemer,
it is precisely suffering permeated by the spirit of Christ's sacrifice that is the
irreplaceable mediator and author of the good things which are indispensable
for the world's salvation. It is suffering, more than anything else, which clears
the way for the grace which transforms human souls. Suffering, more than any-
thing else, makes present in the history of humanity the powers of the Redemp-
tion"(John Paul II, "Salvifici Doloris", 27).

Throughout history many pastors of the Church have suffered persecution on
account of their fidelity to Christ. St John Chrysostom, shortly before going into
exile, expressed his feelings in this way: "For me, this world's evils are some-
thing I despise; and its good things are an object of scorn. I am not afraid of
poverty nor do I have any desire for riches; I am not afraid of death nor do I have
any desire to live unless it be to your advantage" ("Ante Exiltum Hom.", 1).

11-13. "The saying is sure": this is a technical expression used a number of
times in the Pastoral Epistles to attract attention to especially important state-
ments (cf. note on 1 Tim 1:15). Here it introduces a poetic section in the form
of a hymn of four verses, each consisting of a pair of contrasting phrases (of
the type the Semitic mind loves). It is quite possible that this hymn was used
in very early baptismal liturgy, given that it has to do with the intimate union of
the baptized person with Christ, who died and is now risen; it also encourages
Christians to stay faithful in the face of adverse circumstances even if that
means martyrdom.

Thus, the first verse deals with the beginning of Christian life. Dying to sin and
rising to the life of grace are Pauline expressions (cf. Rom 6:34) which point to
the fact that in Baptism the Christian becomes a sharer in the passion, death
and burial of the Lord, and also in the glory of his resurrection. Grace is the
supernatural life and that life will attain its full form in heaven.

The two following verses deal with the stark choice the Christian has to make in
the face of difficulties- endurance, or denial of the faith (cf. Mt 10:33; Lk 12:9);
the hymn puts special emphasis on endurance, using as it does terminology
proper to athletics (cf. Heb 12:1-3); also, the verb used in the second part of each
phrase is in the future tense, as if an unlikely possibility were being discussed:
"In the event of our denying him...". And (what is most important) the Christian's
faithfulness is orientated towards Christ: "we shall reign with him." "To persevere
is to persist in love, 'per Ipsum et cum Ipso et in Ipso...'. Indeed we can also
interpret this as: "He himself, with me, for me and in me" (J. Escriva, "Furrow",
366).

The last verse breaks the pattern because it does not counterpose attitude and
result but rather man's infidelity and Christ's fidelity: "If we are faithless, he re-
mains faithful." This paradox of our Lord's love marks the climax of the hymn,
which is a kind of poem extolling Christian endurance based on our Lord's eter-
nal faithfulness. "We Christians have the right to proclaim the royalty of Christ.
Although injustice abounds, although many do not desire the kingdom of love,
the work of salvation is taking place in the same human history as harbors evil"
(St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 186).

14-16. False teachers were in a position to do harm to the still immature Chris-
tian community of the time; apparently they were not teaching things which were
directly heretical; but they were involving the believers in controversy to such an
extent that there was a danger of turning the truth of faith into rational deductions
in a complicated philosophical system. The Apostle advises that the best way to
deal with all that dangerous wordiness is to expound revealed truth in a simple,
straightforward way.

"Rightly handling": the original means "cutting straight", the way a mason cuts a
stone or a farmer ploughs a furrow. Similarly, preaching and teaching the Gospel
should be done in direct, simple language accessible to all. The teacher should
not simply recommend views, attitudes and feelings: his function is to pass on
the certainties which "the word of truth" (that is, revealed teaching) provides.
Paul VI taught that one "sign of love will be the effort to transmit to Christians,
not doubts and uncertainties born of an erudition poorly assimilated but certain-
ties that are solid because they are anchored in the Word of God. The faithful
need these certainties for their Christian life" ("Evangelii Nuntiandi", 79).

Gospel Reading: Mark 12:28b-34

The Greatest Commandment of All
--------------------------------------------------
[28] One of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and
seeing that He (Jesus) answered them well, asked Him, "Which commandment
is the first of all?" [29] Jesus answered, "The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord
our God, the Lord is one; [30] and you shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
[31] The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no
other commandment greater than these." [32] And the scribe said to Him, "You
are right, Teacher; You have truly said that He is one, and there is no other than
He; [33] and to love with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all
the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices." [34] And when Jesus saw that he answered wise-
ly, He said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that no
one dared to a sk Him any question.

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Commentary:

28-34. The doctor of the law who asks Jesus this question is obviously an upright
man who is sincerely seeking the truth. He was impressed by Jesus' earlier reply
(verses 18-27) and he wants to learn more from Him. His question is to the point
and Jesus devotes time to instructing him, though he will soon castigate the
scribes, of whom this man is one (cf. Mark 12:38ff).

Jesus sees in this man not just a scribe but a person who is looking for the truth.
And His teaching finds its way into the man's heart. The scribe repeats what
Jesus says, savoring it, and our Lord offers him an affectionate word which encou-
rages his definitive conversion: "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." This
encounter reminds us of His meeting with Nicodemus (cf. John 3:1ff). On the
doctrinal content of these two commandments cf. note on Matthew 22:34-40.

[Note on Matthew 22:34-40 states:

In reply to the question, our Lord points out that the whole law can be condensed
into two commandments: the first and more important consists in unconditional
love of God; the second is a consequence and result of the first, because when
man is loved, St. Thomas says, God is loved, for man is the image of God (cf.
"Commentary on St. Matthew", 22:4).

A person who genuinely loves God also loves his fellows because he realizes
that they are his brothers and sisters, children of the same Father, redeemed by
the same blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: "This commandment we have from Him,
that he who loves God should love his brother also" (1 John 4:21). However, if
we love man for man's sake without reference to God, this love will become an
obstacle in the way of keeping the first commandment, and then it is no longer
genuine love of our neighbor. But love of our neighbor for God's sake is clear
proof that we love God: "If anyone says, `I love God', and hates his brother, he
is a liar" (1 John 4:20).

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself": here our Lord establishes as the
guideline for our love of neighbor the love each of us has for himself; both love
of others and love of self are based on love of God. Hence, in some cases it can
happen that God requires us to put our neighbor's need before our own; in others,
not: it depends on what value, in light of God's love, needs to be put on the spiri-
tual and material factors involved.

Obviously spiritual goods take absolute precedence over material ones, even over
life itself. Therefore, spiritual goods, be they our own or our neighbor's, must be
the first to be safeguarded. If the spiritual good in question is the supreme one
for the salvation of the soul, no one is justified in putting his own soul into certain
danger of being condemned in order to save another, because given human free-
dom we can never be absolutely sure what personal choice another person may
make: this is the situation in the parable (cf. Matthew 25:1-13), where the wise
virgins refuse to give oil to the foolish ones; similarly St. Paul says that he would
wish himself to be rejected if that could save his brothers (cf. Romans 9:3)--an
unreal theoretical situation. However, what is quite clear is that we have to do
all we can to save our brothers, conscious that, if someone helps to bring a sin-
ner back to the way, he will save himself from eternal death and cover a multi-
tude of his own sins (James 5:20). From all this we can deduce that self-love
of the right kind, based on God's love for man, necessarily involves forgetting
oneself in order to love God and our neighbor for God.]

30. This commandment of the Old Law, ratified by Jesus, shows, above all, God's
great desire to engage in intimate conversation with man: "would it not have suf-
ficed to publish a permission giving us leave to love Him? [...]. He makes a stron-
ger declaration of His passionate love for us, and commands us to love Him with
all our power, lest the consideration of His majesty and our misery, which make
so great a distance and inequality between us, or some other pretext, divert us
from His love. In this He well shows that He did not leave in us for nothing the 
natural inclination to love Him, for to the end that it may not be idle,He urges us
by His general commandment to employ it, and that this commandment may be
effected, there is no living man He has not furnished him abundantly with all
means requisite thereto" (St. Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God",
Book 2, Chapter 8).
　

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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].