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2011년 6월 28일 화요일 성 이레네오 주교 순교자 기념일
제1독서
창세기. 19,15-29
그 무렵 15 천사들이 롯을 재촉하며 말하였다. “자, 이 성읍에 벌이 내릴 때 함께 휩쓸리지 않으려거든, 그대의 아내와 여기에 있는 두 딸을 데리고 어서 가시오.” 16 그런데도 롯이 망설이자 그 사람들은 롯과 그의 아내와 두 딸의 손을 잡고 성읍 밖으로 데리고 나갔다. 주님께서 롯에게 자비를 베푸셨기 때문이다.
17 그들은 롯의 가족을 밖으로 데리고 나와 말하였다. “달아나 목숨을 구하시오. 뒤를 돌아다보아서는 안 되오. 이 들판 어디에서도 멈추어 서지 마시오. 휩쓸려 가지 않으려거든 산으로 달아나시오.”
18 그러나 롯은 그들에게 말하였다. “나리, 제발 그러지 마십시오. 19 이 종이 나리 눈에 들어, 나리께서는 이제껏 저에게 하신 것처럼 큰 은혜를 베푸시어 저의 목숨을 살려 주셨습니다. 그렇지만 재앙에 휩싸여 죽을까 두려워, 저 산으로는 달아날 수가 없습니다.
20 보십시오, 저 성읍은 가까워 달아날 만하고 자그마한 곳입니다. 제발 그리로 달아나게 해 주십시오. 자그마하지 않습니까? 그러면 제 목숨을 살릴 수 있겠습니다.”
21 그러자 그가 롯에게 말하였다. “좋소. 내가 이번에도 그대의 얼굴을 보아 그대가 말하는 저 성읍을 멸망시키지 않겠소. 22 서둘러 그곳으로 달아나시오. 그대가 그곳에 다다르기 전까지는 내가 일을 하지 못하기 때문이오.” 그리하여 그 성읍을 초아르라 하였다. 23 롯이 초아르에 다다르자 해가 땅 위로 솟아올랐다.
24 그때 주님께서 당신이 계신 곳 하늘에서 소돔과 고모라에 유황과 불을 퍼부으셨다.
25 그리하여 그 성읍들과 온 들판과 그 성읍의 모든 주민, 그리고 땅 위에 자란 것들을 모두 멸망시키셨다. 26 그런데 롯의 아내는 뒤를 돌아다보다 소금 기둥이 되어 버렸다.
27 아브라함이 아침 일찍 일어나, 자기가 주님 앞에 서 있던 곳으로 가서 28 소돔과 고모라와 그 들판의 온 땅을 내려다보니, 마치 가마에서 나는 연기처럼 그 땅에서 연기가 솟아오르고 있었다.
29 하느님께서 그 들판의 성읍들을 멸망시키실 때, 아브라함을 기억하셨다. 그래서 롯이 살고 있던 성읍들을 멸망시키실 때, 롯을 그 멸망의 한가운데에서 내보내 주셨다.
복음
마태오. 8,23-27
그 무렵 23 예수님께서 배에 오르시자 제자들도 그분을 따랐다.
24 그때 호수에 큰 풍랑이 일어 배가 파도에 뒤덮이게 되었다. 그런데도 예수님께서는 주무시고 계셨다. 25 제자들이 다가가 예수님을 깨우며, “주님, 구해 주십시오. 저희가 죽게 되었습니다.” 하였다.
26 그러자 그분은 “왜 겁을 내느냐? 이 믿음이 약한 자들아!” 하고 말씀하셨다. 그런 다음 일어나셔서 바람과 호수를 꾸짖으셨다. 그러자 아주 고요해졌다.
27 그 사람들은 놀라워하며 말하였다. “이분이 어떤 분이시기에 바람과 호수까지 복종하는가?”
June 28, 2011
Memorial of Saint Irenaeus,
bishop and martyr
Reading 1
Gn 19:15-29
As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, “On your way!
Take with you your wife and your two daughters who are here,
or you will be swept away in the punishment of Sodom.”
When he hesitated, the men, by the LORD’s mercy,
seized his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters
and led them to safety outside the city.
As soon as they had been brought outside, he was told:
“Flee for your life!
Don’t look back or stop anywhere on the Plain.
Get off to the hills at once, or you will be swept away.”
“Oh, no, my lord!” Lot replied,
“You have already thought enough of your servant
to do me the great kindness of intervening to save my life.
But I cannot flee to the hills to keep the disaster from overtaking me,
and so I shall die.
Look, this town ahead is near enough to escape to.
It’s only a small place.
Let me flee there–it’s a small place, is it not?–
that my life may be saved.”
“Well, then,” he replied,
“I will also grant you the favor you now ask.
I will not overthrow the town you speak of.
Hurry, escape there!
I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”
That is why the town is called Zoar.
The sun was just rising over the earth as Lot arrived in Zoar;
at the same time the LORD rained down sulphurous fire
upon Sodom and Gomorrah
from the LORD out of heaven.
He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain,
together with the inhabitants of the cities
and the produce of the soil.
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.
Early the next morning Abraham went to the place
where he had stood in the LORD’s presence.
As he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah
and the whole region of the Plain,
he saw dense smoke over the land rising like fumes from a furnace.
Thus it came to pass: when God destroyed the Cities of the Plain,
he was mindful of Abraham by sending Lot away from the upheaval
by which God overthrew the cities where Lot had been living.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (3a) O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
Search me, O LORD, and try me;
test my soul and my heart.
For your mercy is before my eyes,
and I walk in your truth.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
Gather not my soul with those of sinners,
nor with men of blood my life.
On their hands are crimes,
and their right hands are full of bribes.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
But I walk in integrity;
redeem me, and have mercy on me.
My foot stands on level ground;
in the assemblies I will bless the LORD.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
Gospel
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
http://www.franciscanretreats.net/
Our Gospel chosen to be read today tells the story of the disciples following Jesus aboard a boat to cross to the other side of the lake. While on the way a violent storm came up that threatened to swamp their boat. Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat, oblivious of the storm. The disciples woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” Criticizing them for their lack of faith, Jesus calmed the storm.
The violent storm of this Gospel story is understood by the commentaries I have read to have been a great earthquake. This storm idea points ahead to the great difficulties the disciples would have later on at the passion and death of Jesus. And in the Gospel we see the initial enthusiasm of the disciples to follow Jesus dissolve at the thought and fear of losing their own lives. Sometimes in our own lives we are besieged by the “storms and earthquakes” of our times that threaten to dim our initial enthusiasm at following Jesus. The glitter of worldly wealth and practices can threaten our spiritual lives. When this happens, let us cry out to Jesus with the disciples, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” This beautiful prayer of faith in Jesus will bring instant good results, as it did for the Disciples.
http://www.evangeli.net/gospel/gospel.html
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Today’s scripture readings speak of the power of God and how we can tap into that power via bold faith. In Genesis we hear the age old story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot flees, his wife becomes a pillar of salt and the towns are destroyed. The psalmist proclaims, “Your mercy is before my eyes.” At first I thought this was kind of strange. A wrathful God (the stereotypical image that turns so many off), followed by the psalmist talking about God’s mercy. And in Matthew, we hear the story of Jesus and the disciples in a boat facing a storm. The disciples panic and Jesus calms the wind and the sea. The disciples are amazed.
I love these two stories. And I love the contrast between Lot and the disciples. A violent storm comes up and the disciples run to Jesus pleading, “Lord save us!” Jesus calms the storm and saves the disciples. They are amazed. By their reaction, I would guess they really didn’t expect Jesus to save them. They were desperate and God was their last resort. The Hail Mary pass if you will. They really didn’t think God would come through. They don’t even thank Jesus. They simply mumble amongst themselves in amazement that God actually came through.
And then there is Lot. Talk about bold faith. It isn’t that Lot doubts God’s power. Lot knows God will destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet when the Lord tells Lot to head for the hills, Lot asks God to allow him to escape to Zoar. Please Lord, it’s just a teeny, tiny town. Please, just let me go there. I imagine God saying, Really? C’mon, Lot, really? Zoar? Sparing your life is not enough? Can I get you a new pair of sandals for the walk? Maybe you’d like some Twinkies for the road? And yet, God grants Lot’s request. And the town of Zoar is spared. The power of the faith of one man. One wonders what the disciples could have accomplished if they simply had more faith in their relationship with Christ.
I read a great story recently that showed the power of one. In 2004 the Ukraine held presidential elections. The candidate who was the challenger to the powers that be was actually poisoned. Yet he remained in the race and hoped that Election Day would bring victory. The outgoing president’s hand-picked man proclaimed that he had beaten the challenger. There was evidence that the vote had been rigged. The state run television station began broadcasting the election results. A woman, whose parents were deaf, had the job of translating the news broadcast into sign language for a deaf audience. Instead of the party line, she signed that the Electoral Commission was lying and the challenger had won. One woman. Did she really think she could change the outcome of a presidential election? Did she believe she could beat the powers of this world? As you may already have guessed, deaf people texted their friends, sparking what was called the Orange Revolution. New elections were held and the challenger was declared president.
As much as I would like to be like Lot and the Ukrainian woman, I know that I’m more like the disciples. I know God is all powerful. I’d love to change the world. But I’m only one man. When I pray I want to expect something glorious, a miracle. And yet I often feel timid or even cynical and that I’m just going through the motions of another unanswered prayer. How do I get to the point where my faith feels strong and authentic? I want God’s spark to ignite the fire in me that will provide light to a needy world. How do I get there? Prayer and scripture reading are two parts of the answer to that question.
My prayer today is for those of us who don’t seem to be able to tap into God’s power. That we could have the faith of Lot in our relationship with God.
http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/
"The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous"
What can a story of a dragnet and a great catch of fish tell us about God's kingdom? The two most common ways of fishing in Jesus' time was with a casting-net (or hand-net) which was thrown from the shore and the drag-net or trawl which was let down or cast into the waters from a boat. As the boat moved through the waters the drag-net was drawn into the shape of a great cone which indiscriminately took in all kinds of fish and flotsam and jetsam swept in its path. It usually took several men to haul such a net to shore. What is Jesus' point here? Just as a drag-net catches every kind of fish in the sea, so the church acts as God's instrument for gathering in all who will come. Just as the drag-net does not or cannot discriminate, so the church does not discriminate between the good and the bad, the useless and the useful. God's kingdom is open to all who will accept and believe. But there will come a time of separation, at the close of the age, when the angels will send the good and the bad to their respective destinations. Our duty is to gather in all who will come. God, in the end, will give the good and the bad the reward they deserve. God offers the treasure of his kingdom to all who believe. Do you hunger for God and his kingdom?
"Lord Jesus, increase my hunger for your kingdom and fill my heart with eager longing for you that I may one day gaze upon your face in everlasting bliss."
Psalm 84:1-7,10
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! [Selah]
5 Blessed are the men whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
6 As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html
http://www.contemplative.com/weekday_readings.htm
http://goodnews.ie/calendar.php
In Mark’s account of this incident Jesus reproached the disciples after the calming of the storm for their lack of faith (4:35-41). But Matthew (whose version you read on this page) has him reproach them before the miracle. This is telling us that at least some faith must precede a miracle. It is consistent with Matthew’s general account. Take for example the scene with the blind men. “Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith let it be done to you’” (9:28-29); or the scene where the woman had touched the hem of his garment; “your faith has saved you,” he told her. Have faith and then something will happen – not the other way around.
Does it always have to be that way? Must we have faith first? Did Mark get it wrong?
Language is tidy: words and phrases line up like polite people in a queue. But in real life things are much more mixed up; things happen together, like people rushing in. Faith doesn’t simply come first; it comes along with everything else that is happening. Mark’s account is just as valid as Matthew’s.
The Gospel is telling us: When you feel your boat is about to sink don’t sit around waiting for faith. Do what needs to be done, and faith will be given to you. Douglas Hyde (not the Irish president of that name, but the author of I Believed, published in 1950) described his first fumbling steps to faith. He had observed a girl praying in church, had seen the light in her face; and he forced himself to go through the exact motions. “When I was sure no one was about I went, almost hang-dog fashion, down the aisle as she had done. Down to the front, round to the left, put some coins in the box, lit a candle, knelt on the stool – and tried to pray…. The candle spluttered and flickered, growing shorter and shorter but no words came.” Instead, gradually, faith in God dawned on him, replacing his faith in militant Communism.
http://www.presentationministries.com/
WAY OUT NOW "As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, 'On your way!' " 뾉enesis 19:15 The Lord warns us to disassociate ourselves and be independent from the Sodoms and Gomorrahs in our lives. We must flee from our wickedness and sin or be "swept away in the punishment" for the wicked (Gn 19:15). However, when the Lord warns us to hate sin while loving sinners, we hesitate (see Gn 19:16) instead of running for our lives. Like Lot, we even ask God if we can stay on the outskirts of sin's destruction rather than flee far away (Gn 19:20). We want the Lord to spare a small area of sin in our lives. We keep telling Him that it's such a small place, such a little thing (Gn 19:20) that He doesn't need to destroy it along with the grosser evils. The Lord tells us to flee sin and not look back (Gn 19:17). We should have no regrets that we have left sin behind. However, like Lot's wife, some of us longingly look back on the old life as if it were something other than dehumanizing slavery (Gn 19:26; see also Lk 9:62). When we do this, we perish. The Lord wants to crucify us to the world and the world to us (Gal 6:14). Make a clean, immediate break with sin; "avoid any semblance of evil" (1 Thes 5:22). Otherwise, we will be enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil 3:18). "Such as these will end in disaster!" (Phil 3:19) Prayer: Father, may I associate sin with Your Son's death on Calvary and thereby hate sin. May I associate sinners with Your Son's death on Calvary and thereby love them. Promise: "He stood up and took the winds and the sea to task. Complete calm ensued." 뾏t 8:26 Praise: St. Irenaeus was true to his God by his persistent quest and propagation of truth. His preaching of the truth led to his martyrdom.
http://www.judeop.org/daily_bread.htm
"Lord, save us! We are perishing!" Anxiety, panic and utter helplessness — even with Jesus in the boat with them, the disciples react in terror when the storm rages around them. Their alarm is understandable. One only needs to turn on the evening news and see the darkness, violence and destruction that plague our world to question whether the Lord is oblivious to our plight. It’s easy to be terrified and to have our faith shaken; that is, until we realize that we’re the ones who are asleep in our convictions. Jesus is in control, if we allow him to be. Saving Lord, quiet our fretful hearts, we pray. PR
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