Aug 28th, 2022, Motjari Meeting, Fr. Fockler’s Lecture Note

[정하상성당]

Motjari Meeting Aug 28th, 2022 Feast day of St. Augustin

 

Reading 1

Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29

My child, conduct your affairs with humility,

 and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.

 Humble yourself the more, the greater you are,

 and you will find favor with God.

 What is too sublime for you, seek not,

 into things beyond your strength search not.

 The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs,

 and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise.

 Water quenches a flaming fire,

 and alms atone for sins.

 

Sirach is one of the wisdom book. It’s written in a form of father’s talk to his child.

Humility and almsgiving are focused here, which also are the basic teaching of Christ.

 

Reading 2

Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a (Lots of commentators believed Hebrew was written by St. Paul.)

Brothers and sisters:

You have not approached that which could be touched

and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness

and storm and a trumpet blast

and a voice speaking words such that those who heard

begged that no message be further addressed to them.

No, you have approached Mount Zion

and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,

and countless angels in festal gathering,

and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven,

and God the judge of all,

and the spirits of the just made perfect,

and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,

and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

 

This is from the near the end of the letter to the Hebrews. The description of the first 5 lines are about Israelites of the Old. Unlike the Old Testament, the people in the New Testament. The blood of Abel cried in the field to God, but the blood of Jesus is more eloquently than that of Abel’s.

The new covenant St. Paul mentions here is repeated over and over in Eucharist. 

 

Gospel

Lk 14:1, 7-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine

at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,

and the people there were observing him carefully.

 

He told a parable to those who had been invited,

noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,

do not recline at table in the place of honor.

A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,

and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,

‘Give your place to this man,’

and then you would proceed with embarrassment

to take the lowest place.

Rather, when you are invited,

go and take the lowest place

so that when the host comes to you he may say,

‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’

Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.

For every one who exalts himself will be humbled,

but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Then he said to the host who invited him,

“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,

do not invite your friends or your brothers

or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,

in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.

Rather, when you hold a banquet,

invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;

blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.

For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

 

Simple gospel, but contains one of the most important principles. Everyone who exalted will be humbled, who humbled will be exalted.

 

Today’s Alleluia:

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord,

and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Meek does not mean weak. Meek means we know where our place is. It’s not a social thing, but just mean we know that God is our creator and we can seek for help from Him. Meek is doing the right thing.

 

Humility is a kind of slippery virtue. Humility is know who we are, and know we are dependent on God. Humility if vice of pride. When we love our selves too much in a wrong way, to the point we reject other’s that’s not being humility. Humility is the virtue when we focus on others. How did Jesus practice it? He said, “I come to serve.” “I had not come to do my work, but His work.” He obeyed. Being obedient is humility. 

 

Mary said, “Behold I’m the handmaid of Lord. Let..”

 

Miracle is being facilitated by those who are obedient and humble. 

A humble person is a joyful person. 

 

To treat a depression, the therapist suggest them to make a lists of reminding themselves all the joyful things in the world. When we don’t focus on me, then we are more peaceful and grateful.

 

Shia LaBeouf became Catholic recently. He played a role for Padre Pio in a movie. For that role, he visited a Capuchin ministry and stayed there with Capuchin monks. The joy of that community  made him feel at home. The authentic joy saved his life.

 

Souls of the saints made perfect. The command of the Lord to be perfect, is not just call for us to make ourselves perfect. We cannot do it on our own. We do have to cooperate, we do have to help each other to be perfect. That’s the sense of “being made perfect.” That’s an active humility. That’s an active meekness. That’s the key to happiness and holiness. Something that keep us all going is to say yes to God. The slogan of Devil is “I will not serve.” Don’t say no but say yes.

 

If we humble ourselves, we will get exalted.

A monastery in PA, St. Vincent, is built by brick. Many different individual bricks built a whole church. 

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