July 13, 2012 Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

[이안드레아]

2012년 7월 13일 연중 제14주간 금요일

제1독서

호세아 예언서 14,2-10
주님께서 이렇게 말씀하신다.
2 “이스라엘아, 주 너희 하느님께 돌아와라. 너희는 죄악으로 비틀거리고 있다. 3 너희는 말씀을 받아들이고, 주님께 돌아와 아뢰어라.
‘죄악은 모두 없애 주시고, 좋은 것은 받아 주십시오. 이제 저희는 황소가 아니라 저희 입술을 바치렵니다. 4 아시리아는 저희를 구원하지 못합니다. 저희가 다시는 군마를 타지 않으렵니다. 저희 손으로 만든 것을 보고 다시는 `′우리 하느님!′이라 말하지 않으렵니다. 고아를 가엾이 여기시는 분은 당신뿐이십니다.’
5 그들에게 품었던 나의 분노가 풀렸으니, 이제 내가 반역만 꾀하는 그들의 마음을 고쳐 주고, 기꺼이 그들을 사랑해 주리라. 6 내가 이스라엘에게 이슬이 되어 주리니, 이스라엘은 나리꽃처럼 피어나고, 레바논처럼 뿌리를 뻗으리라. 7 이스라엘의 싹들이 돋아나, 그 아름다움은 올리브 나무 같고, 그 향기는 레바논의 향기 같으리라.
8 그들은 다시 내 그늘에서 살고, 다시 곡식 농사를 지으리라. 그들은 포도나무처럼 무성하고, 레바논의 포도주처럼 명성을 떨치리라. 9 내가 응답해 주고 돌보아 주는데, 에프라임이 우상들과 무슨 상관이 있느냐? 나는 싱싱한 방백나무 같으니, 너희는 나에게서 열매를 얻으리라.
10 지혜로운 사람은 이를 깨닫고, 분별 있는 사람은 이를 알아라. 주님의 길은 올곧아서, 의인들은 그 길을 따라 걸어가고, 죄인들은 그 길에서 비틀거리리라.”

복음

마태오 10,16-23
그때에 예수님께서 사도들에게 말씀하셨다.
16 “나는 이제 양들을 이리 떼 가운데로 보내는 것처럼 너희를 보낸다. 그러므로 뱀처럼 슬기롭고, 비둘기처럼 순박하게 되어라.
17 사람들을 조심하여라. 그들이 너희를 의회에 넘기고 회당에서 채찍질할 것이다. 18 또 너희는 나 때문에 총독들과 임금들 앞에 끌려가, 그들과 다른 민족들에게 증언할 것이다.
19 사람들이 너희를 넘길 때, 어떻게 말할까, 무엇을 말할까 걱정하지 마라. 너희가 무엇을 말해야 할지, 그때에 너희에게 일러 주실 것이다. 20 사실 말하는 이는 너희가 아니라, 너희 안에서 말씀하시는 아버지의 영이시다.
21 형제가 형제를 넘겨 죽게 하고, 아버지가 자식을 그렇게 하며, 자식들도 부모를 거슬러 일어나 죽게 할 것이다. 22 그리고 너희는 내 이름 때문에 모든 사람에게 미움을 받을 것이다. 그러나 끝까지 견디는 이는 구원을 받을 것이다.
23 어떤 고을에서 너희를 박해하거든 다른 고을로 피하여라. 내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 너희가 이스라엘의 고을들을 다 돌기 전에 사람의 아들이 올 것이다.”

http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm

July 13, 2012

Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

Hos 14:2-10

Thus says the LORD:
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, "Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, 'Our god,'
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion."
I will heal their defection, says the LORD,
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
"I am like a verdant cypress tree"—
because of me you bear fruit!

Let him who is wise understand these things;
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (17b)

My mouth will declare your praise.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Behold, you are pleased with sincerity of heart,
and in my inmost being you teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.

Gospel

Mt 10:16-23

Jesus said to his Apostles:

"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves;
so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.
But beware of men,
for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.
Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes."

http://www.staygreat.com/

he kept his cool

Jesus told his Apostles, "I am
sending you out like sheep to a
pack of wolves. Matthew 10:16, 22

French philosopher Voltaire was
often in trouble with French
authorities. Eventually, he wen to
far and was exiled to England in
the early 1700s. At that time anti-
French feelings ran high in
England One day Voltaire found
himself surrounded by a hostile
mob. He ask for a chance to ex-
plain his situation. "Why do you
wish to punish me for my nation-
ity. Hasn't the good God
punished enough by making me
French? The mob bought his
sense of humor, cheered, and
escorted Voltaire safely back to
his dwelling.

How well do I keep my cool
when I find myself in a touch-
and-go situation? Do I get angry,
or do I keep my cool?

Anger is the wind that blows out
the lamp of the mind.
Robert Ingersoll

http://www.franciscanretreats.net/

Today’s Gospel extends yesterday’s message to focus more on the difficulties and pains of discipleship. We are aware of the dangers and hardships suffered by our missionaries and we pray for them and their work. One of the pains listed that many disciples suffer today and that is very difficult to bear is found in the Gospel for today. We read: “Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all in my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.” All too often we see the issue of religion fracture families, and our hearts go our to these people. I, for one, have no idea just how much pain this situation entails.

So, discipleship, while noble and beautiful, is not always easy and pleasant. Let’s all remember to pray today for those who pay a price to follow the Gospel and do not have as easy a time as most. They are certainly a great example for all of us.

http://www.evangeli.net/gospel/gospel.html

Everyone will hate you because of me

Today, the Gospel emphasizes the troubles and contradictions we Christians have to suffer because of Christ and his Gospel, and how we must stand firm and persevere to the end. Jesus promised us: «I am with you always, until the end of the age» (Mt 28:20); but He did not promise his disciples an easy journey; on the contrary, He told them: «Everyone will hate you because of me» (Mt 10:22).

The Church and the world are two difficult to coexist realities. Church is bound to convert the world to Jesus Christ, but our world is not a neutral reality, as if of virgin wax waiting for the mould to shape it. This is what it would have been like, had there not been a history of sin between the creation of man and his redemption. But, as an isolated from God structure, the world obeys another lord, that St. John's Gospel names as “the lord of this world”, the soul's foe, whom —when baptized— the Christian has promised to disobey to, to stand up to him, so as to only belong to Jesus Christ and to the Mother Church, which begot him in Jesus Christ.

However, though christened, we still live in this world and not somewhere else; we do not give up our earthly citizenship nor do we deny our honest contribution to sustain and improve our world; our civic duties are also Christian duties; to pay taxes is a duty of fairness for Christians. Jesus said that his followers are in the world, but do not belong to the world (cf. Jn 17:14-15). We do not unconditionally belong to the world, we only belong to Jesus Christ and to the Church, our true spiritual fatherland, that is down here in our earth and goes through space and time barriers to finally disembark us in our definite destination, Heaven.

This double citizenship necessarily stumbles upon the forces of sin and its influence that powers the worldly mechanisms. When reviewing the history of Church, Newman said that «Church's brand is persecution and, perhaps, a longer-lasting one».

http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

How can I be so stupid? I find that I say this to myself much too often. I am fortunate in having a loving and forgiving God. He does not punish us as our failures might warrant. I am well aware of my weaknesses and sins. I feel guilt for many of the things that I have done as well as many of the things that I should have done. It is clear that I could have done better. The passage from Hosea presents a model for rehabilitation of the sinner rather than punishment for failures. This is a loving God who takes us back even when we may not deserve it.

The psalm shows love and praise flowing from the Lord’s forgiveness. It is a response not only to a “cleansing” but also to the liberation brought about by the Spirit. The Gospel carries the theme of the strength of the Spirit guiding us in moments of challenge.

In my own life I have little problem in gratefully and joyously accepting God’s forgiveness. (I am a Catholic who still has a real appreciation of the sacrament of Reconciliation.) I welcome the empowerment that the Spirit provides. Still I perceive myself as weak in the trust in the Lord that all three passages seem to request. I was disturbed by this when I started this reflection. In the meantime I was granted a bit of comfort. I attended Sunday mass in a chapel dedicated to St. Peter. It was interesting to see how Peter was portrayed. On the side there was a statute in which he was holding the keys. However in the central location above the altar there was a painting that showed Christ walking on the water in a storm; it also showed Peter sinking. I was comforted in realizing that I was in good company in my weakness. The Gospel gives a charge to the apostles. I think of weaknesses for the apostles. The Gospel asks quite a bit, but it reminds me that even those of us whose faith does not let us walk on water have the support of the Spirit.

Today I pray in thanksgiving for God’s forgiveness. I pray for assistance in the challenges of this world.

Heavenly Father, You free us from the weights that we carry due to our mistaken actions (as well as the opportunities for good that we have missed). Thank you for your liberating forgiveness. You are the source of love and grace. Allow us to experience the strength and trust that the Spirit brings.

http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/
"I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves”

What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must be sheep in the midst of wolves? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25). This certainly refers to the second coming of Christ when all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put down his enemies and established the reign of God over the heavens and the earth. In the meantime, the disciples must expect opposition and persecution from those who oppose the gospel. Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him. Here Jesus says to his disciples: This is my task for you at its grimmest and worst; do you accept it? This is not the world's way of offering a job. After the defeat at Dunkirk, Churchill offered his country blood, toil, sweat, and tears. This is not the message we prefer to hear when the Lord Jesus commissions us in his service. Nonetheless, our privilege is to follow in the footsteps of the Master who laid down his life for us. Are you willing to accept hardship and suffering in following after the Lord?

"Lord Jesus, help me to patiently and joyfully accept the hardships, adversities, and persecution which come my way in serving you. Strengthen my faith and give me courage that I may not shrink back from doing your will”.

Psalm 51:1-4,8-9,12-14,17

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment.
8 Fill me with joy and gladness; let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html
Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves. . . . (see Matthew 10:16)

Today's reading from Hosea again speaks of Israel's moral collapse, but his emphasis is on the recognition of their sins, idolatry and oppression of the poor, and their seeking forgiveness by submitting to a renewal leading to salvation.

The Commentary tells us that Hosea's deeply painful marriage to an adulterous woman is reflected in his writing. His wife symbolized Israel's faithlessness to God (represented as her husband) whose deep love could not forsake her. Instead he would chasten her gently as a lover who would try bringing her back by recalling the pure joy of their first love. Hosea's final chapter describes God's people returning to Him gloriously transformed in an entirely new life of beauty, goodness, fruitfulness and prosperity, reborn as His true children.

In Matthew's gospel, Christ prepares His Apostles to spread the good news of forgiveness, salvation and eternal life, by warning them of the dangers involved in their teaching God's moral truths to some who are unaware of being sinful and to others who are hostile to changing their sinful way of life.

Jesus' Apostles will be persecuted, arrested, and brought before the authorities, but He tells them to be simple as doves in their presence, for they will be enabled by the Holy Spirit to clearly speak the Father's truths. Speaking generally, Jesus also tells them that these teachings will cause animosities and rifts between family members.

Also some of the faithful will be sentenced to death, but if in spite of this they endure to the end in their beliefs, they will gain eternal life. When in a certain place or town they are persecuted and summarily dismissed, they should move to another town because Jesus reminds them that no disciple is better than His teacher and that they must remain faithful to God's Word; for those who deny Him, He will deny before His heavenly Father. God's truth is perfect and immutable.

O Father of Light and Truth,
guide us in the way of Christ by our rejecting all that is contrary to the gospel and so make us what You have called us to be. Amen.

~ Marie Bocko,

OCDS

http://www.contemplative.com/weekday_readings.htm

The fruit of my prayer is real relationship that incorporates me into the life of the Holy Trinity. The Spirit of Jesus enables me to live experientially in the Father. Prayer intensifies this living knowledge of love and relationship that only God in grace can impart. But it is in trials, in persecutions and tribulations, indeed in the face of death, that this experience of the Spirit becomes real. So Jesus says in the Gospel, that we should not be anxious what to say or do in those moments. It is the Spirit of the Father who speaks through me. It is the habit of prayer that makes me to recollect that inward presence of strength that articulates, in the midst of the problem, the logic of Christ's Kingdom. The voice of the Spirit is heard above the tumult of the many waters. Our salvation is to persevere in that Spirit that is given to us. Our salvation is to persevere in grace, even to the end of the ages, when Christ will come in glory.

http://goodnews.ie/calendar.php

There are lots of animals in this reading: sheep, wolves, snakes and doves. Where did snakes get their reputation for cleverness? In the Book of Genesis. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made” (3:1). “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate,” said Eve (3:13). Never since that time have they shown any signs of an ability to plan a strategy; they just react in the moment like every other animal. And they are all the better for it….

We associate intelligence with the ability to plan. We are impressed by planning, even when the objective is silly. Many things in life require planning, but it can become a compulsive habit. If I feel I have to plan everything, it means that I don’t trust myself to react correctly in some future situation. But what makes me think I can do it better now, before the situation has even arisen? How should I know what to say to some people when I haven't even seen them yet? Compulsive planning ensures that I will always live in the past – which is surely very ironical. Intelligence isn't old hat; it’s always new. We have to trust the intelligence that is in us; to distrust it is to undermine it.

“When the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say.” Not before. The things that are very alive – love, intelligence, faith – don’t keep till tomorrow; they are for now. You cannot prepare for the suddenness of a wolf’s attack except by being alert. That word ‘alertness’ is probably much closer to the essence of intelligence – and of faith too – than ‘planning’. Jesus kept saying, “Stay awake!”

http://www.presentationministries.com/

MANY HAPPY RETURNS!

"Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the Lord." 뾊osea 14:2-3

The Lord will never leave us, but we can sin and so choose to leave Him. If we have sinned, we must return to the Lord. We return to the Lord by saying "to Him, 'Forgive all iniquity' " (Hos 14:3) and by admitting that our human efforts will not save us (see Hos 14:4). We return by changing our hearts and going to Confession. We repent of our rebellion and humble ourselves before the Lord (see Jer 3:13, 14).

We return to the Lord by paying our tithes. "Yet you say, 'How must we return?' Dare a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! And you say, 'How do we rob You?' In tithes and in offerings!" (Mal 3:7-8) We return by changing our lifestyle. The Lord warns us: "Turn from your evil ways and from your wicked deeds" (Zec 1:4).

When we return to the Lord, we will find that His joy (see Ps 51:14), peace, love, freedom, power, mercy, compassion, wisdom, thanksgiving, hope, faith, and more will return to us. When we repent, we remove the wall of sin which separated us from the Lord, and the Lord's grace and love return to our lives. Many happy returns!

Prayer: Father, baptize me in repentance (Lk 3:3). May I repent to a degree seldom seen in our world.

Promise: "Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them." 뾊os 14:10

Praise: St. Augustine, one of the Chinese Martyrs, was baptized, then ordained a priest shortly thereafter. He and his companions chose to die rather than deny the Lord of Life.

http://www.judeop.org/daily_bread.htm

For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Even the most gifted speakers find themselves at a loss for words every now and then. In moments of extreme fear, profound grief or immeasurable joy we struggle to formulate ideas that relay the proper sentiment. In these moments it’s often best to be silent and allow the wisdom and eloquence of the Holy Spirit to enter us. Instead of grasping for our own words, we must trust that the Spirit will speak to us and for us. Come, Holy Spirit, we pray. PR

http://www.judeop.org/dailyreflections.htm

The Book of Hosea ends with an admonition to wisdom, thus bringing two major scriptural realities together - prophecy and wisdom. God's ways are straight but those who are unwise cannot stay on the path. Israel chose to abandon the covenant and accepted the gods and religion of surrounding cultures. This led to corruption and injustice toward the poor and vulnerable as well as a weakening of the moral resolve of the entire culture. They were an easy target for the Assyrians.

History remains a great teacher and our relatively young nation is impatient with the lessons. Religious faith was (and still can be) a major force in the success of the "American experiment." But the cultural forces of secularism, relativism, and consumerism are a constant threat to us all. These are not abstract straw enemies! Their influence is an everyday thing. The denial of life and sustenance to the poor and vulnerable is visible. The consignment of religious faith to a matter of private opinion (one is as good as another) removes all motivation for social justice. The importance of lifestyle makes appetite into a deity and buying becomes a religious act! The warnings of Hosea and the fall of Israel to the Assyrians in the 700's BC may be ancient history, but they are a present lesson to us all. AMEN

http://biblereflection.blogspot.com/

In the first reading today, Hosea shares Yahweh's hopes for the
reconciliation with Israel by inviting them to "Provide yourselves
with words." These words act as an alternative to the traditional
sacrifice which Israel offers to Yahweh. By calling on them to provide
words, Yahweh is urging them to humble themselves and ask for
forgiveness and to speak with Him directly. Thus, the power of words
to clarify what went wrong and to share what we hope for the future.

Connected to the first reading are the words of Christ in the gospel
which challenge us with the meaning of discipleship. From the humility
of the first reading we are confronted with the difficulty of
following Christ in the gospel. We are confronted with the suffering
and pain that following Christ will create for us. But we also rely on
God to provide encouragement for us in the face of those challenges.

We might think about relationships that are strained in our own lives.
Have we been silent for too long in letting someone know how we feel
about them? How they have hurt us? Today's readings provide an
opportunity for us to reflect on the people around us, the
relationships we have, to discover what we might share with them and
ask God to help us find the right words to repair those wounds and
difficulties.

http://www.judeop.org/dailyhomilette2.htm

Often the Church is criticized for distinctions she makes in moral theology. For example, many cannot eschew the difference the Church sees between taking contraceptives, which she condemns, to avoid conception when a couple cannot afford to have a child and, as she recommends, using natural family planning. A similar objection is made to the Church’s condoning the possibility of removing a cancerous uterus even when it contains a fetus to save a woman’s life and her forbidding the direct killing of the fetus for the same purpose. We, however, should understand these distinctions as the Church’s putting into practice Jesus’ admonition in the gospel today to be “shrewd as serpents and as simple as doves.”

As doves, the Church holds that her members must not directly do evil. Rather, we must endeavor to act righteously at all costs. Yet this does not mean that we cannot make shrewd determinations to navigate through an often murky moral world. Natural family planning requires sacrifice to forego sexual intercourse during the considerable time when the wife may conceive; but, more importantly morally, it does not frustrate nature by constructing barriers to conception. Similarly, removing a defective uterus to save the life of a pregnant woman may result in her baby’s death, but it does not directly destroy the nascent life as abortion ruthlessly does.