Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba tuần 33 TN.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba tuần 33 TN.

Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta hãy tự hỏi? Chúng ta sẽ phản ứng ra sao hay là sẽ phải làm những gì nếu Chúa Giêsu gõ cửa nhà của chúng và nói, "Ta phải lưu lại nhà ngươi hôm nay!" Chúng ta có thể vui mừng hay xấu hổ? Chúa Giêsu thường đến thăm chúng trong những lúc thật bất ngờ " những lúc không mời mà đến" người nghèo, người què, thậm chí tội lỗi công khai như Gia kêu là người thu thuế! (Người Thu thuế lúc bấy giờ thường được xem như hạng người phản bội, gian giảo nên bị đối xử như người ngoại bang không có thành thật vì họ làm giàu trên xương máu của người khác).

Ông Gia kêu là một người thu thuế trưởng và bị rất nhiều người thù ghét.   Ông cần tình yêu thương xót của Thiên Chúa và trong cuộc gặp gỡ với Chúa Giêsu, ông ta đã tìm thấy lòng hương xót và tình yêu nơi Chúa Giêsu nhiều hơn những gì ông có thể tưởng tượng. Ông đã cho thấy sự ăn năn thống hối thật tình của mình bằng cách quyết định dâng cúng một nửa số gia tài của mình cho người nghèo và sử dụng một nửa khác đền bù thiệt hại cho những ai mà ông ta có sự gian lận. Những việc ông ta đã làm đẵ làm chứng còn nhiều hơn là những lời ông ta nói. Sự thay đổi tâm hồn của ông ta dẫn đến một sự thay đổi của cuộc sống, một sự thay đổi mà cả cộng đoàn có thể trải nghiệm chân thật.

Chúa luôn luôn sẵn sàng đến để làm niơi trú ngụ của Ngài trong chúng ta, măc dù chúng ta có tội lỗi nhiều đi đến đau năm, nếu chúng ta có lòng quyết tâm hối cải và biến đổi như Gia kêu, thì chúng ta phải dành chỗ cho Ngài trong tâm hồn, trong trái tim và trong gia đình của chúng ta, Và nhờ đó mà Ngài sẽ sống với và trong chúng ta mãi mãi.

Lạy Chúa, xin Chúa đến và ở lại với chúng con, xin Chúa khỏa lấp nhà chúng con với sự hiện diện của Chúa và lấp đầy tâm của chúng con với lời khen ngợi Chúa. Xin Chúa giúp chúng con biết thể hiện lòng tốt và lòng thương xót đến với mọi người, ngay cả những người chúng con không ưa thích và cà những người đã gây ra thiệt hại cho chúng con.

           

Reflection (SG)

What would you do if Jesus knocked on your door and said, “I must stay at your house today?”  Would you be excited or embarrassed? Jesus often “dropped-in” at unexpected times and he often visited the “uninvited” — the poor, the lame, even public sinners like Zacchaeus, the tax collector! Tax collectors were despised and treated as outcasts, no doubt because they accumulated great wealth at the expense of others. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was much hated by all the people. 

Zacchaeus needed God’s merciful love and in his encounter with Jesus he found more than he imagined possible. He shows the depth of his repentance by deciding to give half of his goods to the poor and to use the other half for making restitution for fraud. Zacchaeus’ testimony included more than words. His change of heart resulted in a change of life, a change that the whole community could experience as genuine. The Lord is always ready to make his home with us. We have to make room for him in our hearts and in our home, so that he lives with us forever.

Lord, come and stay with me. Fill my home with your presence and fill my heart with your praise. Help me to show kindness and mercy to all, even those who cause me harm.

 

Tuesday 33^rd Ordinary Time 2023

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. Luke 19:1–3

Once again, our Lord reaches out to someone who comes to Him in humility and need. Zaccheaus was a wealthy man, materially speaking. But interiorly he was poor and in need. And it was this spiritual poverty he was experiencing that led him to seek out Jesus with much determination.

Zacchaeus probably never imagined that day that Jesus would offer to come to his home. Clearly, he climbed the tree to get a glimpse of Jesus because he felt a strong desire to know our Lord. Since he was physically wealthy, it seems clear that he no longer was satisfied in life simply because of a comfortable lifestyle. Something was missing, and he couldn’t help but know that Jesus held the answer. So Zacchaeus did what some may have thought unusual. He climbed a tree to be able to see Jesus.

Why did Jesus stop, look up at Zacchaeus, and call him down, stating that He was going to stay at Zacchaeus’ home? It’s because Jesus was able to sense the need within the heart of Zacchaeus. Hearts that are poor, in need, and open are very attractive to Jesus. He never misses the opportunity to come to humble souls like this. Zacchaeus responds to our Lord immediately by promising to right the wrongs he has done in the past. He promises to give away half of his possessions and to repay anyone he has extorted fourfold. This reveals the authenticity of Zacchaeus’ heart. 

As Jesus passes by you, what does He sense? Is He drawn to your heart? Is He drawn to you because of your interior disposition of humility and need? It is easy for us to go through life acting as if we have it all together. We can put on a facade that portrays an attitude of strength and success. But Jesus rarely comes to the soul who expresses little need. If we want to draw Jesus to ourselves, then we must acknowledge the poverty within ourselves, even if we are materially wealthy and successful in a worldly way. Every one of us must humble ourselves like Zacchaeus by knowing that Jesus is the only answer in life.

Reflect, today, upon the fact that you and you alone have the ability to draw Jesus to yourself. You can do this by looking at your need for Him. Do not hide it. Climb the figurative tree by which you will be able to look for Jesus and, more importantly, by which Jesus can see your manifest desire for Him. As you express your need for Him, know that He will be compelled, by His unshakable love and mercy, to come to you and to stay with you in the house of your soul. And when He does, be ready and willing to abandon all that has been a hindrance to your meeting with Christ in the past.

My attentive Lord, You are always aware of every heart that longs for You. You never ignore those who desire You in their life. Please help me to see my own interior needs and struggles and to see You as the only source of fulfillment in life. I commit myself to seeking You out, dear Lord. And as You come to me, I commit to abandon all that has kept me from You in the past. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Tuesday 33^rd Ordinary Time 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you sent your Son to seek me out and save me. I was lost but have been found! Help me to be detached from the things of this passing world and store up true treasure with you in heaven.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Conversion of Zacchaeus: Luke records two events in Jericho before Jesus’ final ascent to Jerusalem. Yesterday, we read the story of Jesus curing the poor blind man. Today, we hear about the conversion of a rich man named Zacchaeus. Both the poor man and the rich man had to overcome obstacles to get to Jesus. The crowd and even Jesus’ disciples kept the poor man from Jesus, while Zacchaeus was hindered by his short stature. The poor man overcame the crowds by calling out to Jesus even louder. Zacchaeus overcame his obstacle by climbing a Sycamore tree. What both stories teach us is how much God can do with the little we are capable of and can offer. How can I call out to Jesus in prayer so that he hears me? How can I climb the sycamore tree so that I see Jesus and Jesus sees me?

2. Second Maccabees: Yesterday, we read from First Maccabees and learned about the campaign of King Antiochus IV against the Jewish religion in the second century B.C.. While some Jewish people gave in to the king’s commands and forsook the Law and the covenant, First Maccabees records the violent revolt of the Hasmoneans against the Seleucids and how they took back the Temple and rededicated it to God’s service. Second Maccabees offers a different perspective and a third response. While some followed the Hasmoneans and took up arms, others laid down their lives in martyrdom. The latter gave witness to their fidelity and their trust in God, offering themselves as a sacrifice that cried out to heaven for God’s mercy (see Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 232). Second Maccabees can be seen as a subtle critique of the violent approach of the Hasmoneans, which ended in irony. In the beginning, the Hasmoneans were zealous for the Torah and resisted pagan Greek culture, yet in the end, they became very much like the people they fought. Was there an alternative to violent resistance? Second Maccabees, in a very subtle way, responds “yes,” and proposes the path of suffering and martyrdom.

3. The Martyrdom of Eleazar: Second Maccabees records two vivid accounts of martyrdom. Today we read the first and tomorrow we will read the second. “The first account is about an elderly man, Eleazar, who was killed because he refused to eat pork and thereby violate the Torah. Although encouraged to perform the ritual, substituting clean meat in place of the unlawful pork and thus making a pretense of performing the pagan rite, Eleazar instead chose a clear and faithful response” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 242). The First Reading concludes with this assessment of Eleazar: “This is how he died, leaving in his death a model of courage and an unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation” (2 Maccabees 6:31).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me. Find me among the crowd and invite yourself into my home. Teach me about the strengths and weaknesses, the opportunities and threats in my world. Allow me to see things as you see them and not as the world does.

 

Tuesday 33^rd Ordinary Time 2024

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you sent your Son to seek me out and save me. I was lost but have been found! Help me to be detached from the things of this passing world and store up true treasure with you in heaven.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Conversion of Zacchaeus: Luke records two events in Jericho before Jesus’ final ascent to Jerusalem. Yesterday, we read the story of Jesus curing the poor blind man. Today, we hear about the conversion of a rich man named Zacchaeus. Both the poor man and the rich man had to overcome obstacles. The crowd and even Jesus’ disciples kept the poor man from Jesus. Zacchaeus was hindered by his short stature. The poor man overcame the crowds by calling out to Jesus even louder. Zacchaeus overcame his obstacle by climbing a Sycamore tree. What both stories teach us is how much God can do with the little we are capable of and can offer. How can I call out to Jesus in prayer so that he hears me? How can I climb the sycamore tree so that I see Jesus and Jesus sees me?

2. The Letter to the Church in Sardis: Yesterday, we read the first of seven letters sent to the churches of Asia Minor. Today, we read the fifth letter written to Sardis and the seventh letter written to Laodicea. Each of the seven letters is a powerful exhortation to faith and a call to repent from evil and corruption. On the one hand, the Letter to Sardis praises the few who continue to walk with the Lord, who are dressed in white, and who are deemed worthy. We will learn later on that the garments of the saints are white because they have been washed in and purified by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. On the other hand, the Church in Sardis is asked to repent from incomplete and dead works. Jesus exhorts them to be watchful, to remember what they have received, and to finish their good works. To those who heed this and who are faithful, Jesus will clothe them in white garments, their names will never be blotted from the Book of Life, and Jesus will present them to God the Father.

3. The Letter to the Church in Laodicea: The seventh letter, written to the Church in Laodicea, does not contain any words of praise. The city of Laodicea was located between Colossae, which had cold water from the mountains, and Hierapolis, which had hot mineral springs. Therefore, the water in Laodicea was neither cold nor hot but lukewarm. God points out that the Church in Laodicea was poor, naked, and blind. Jesus offers purified gold to alleviate their spiritual poverty, white garments to cover the nakedness of their idolatry, and ointment to cure their spiritual blindness. Symbolically, the letter written to Laodicea represents the age of the Pharisees. They thought they were rich, but they were poor. They thought they were robed in righteousness, but they were naked. They thought they saw clearly, but they were spiritually blind. Will they accept what Jesus offers?

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, show me where I have been victorious and where I have fallen. Move me to gratitude for my victories and to contrition for my sins. Fill me with divine hope in your promises and in your grace to help me attain what you have promised.

Suy Niệm thứ Hai Tuần 33 thường Niên

Suy Niệm thứ Hai Tuần 33 thường Niên

Trong cuôc sống con người của chúng ta, đôi khi chúng ta cảm thấy là rất khó để trung thành với con đường của Thiên Chúa hướng cho chúng ta đặc biệt là khi chúng ta đang phải đối diện với nhiều thử thách và cám dỗ trong một xã hội với nền văn hóa chủ chủ trương cá nhân, sống buông thả, ích kỷ. Con người chúng ta có vẻ thú vị, và luôn luôn có sự thôi thúc mãnh liệt để làm sao có thể được giống như mọi người khác.

Như dân Israel đã phải đối mặt với những thách thức này qua sự đô hô và ảnh hưởng nền văn hoá của người Hy Lạp, và nhiều người đã xuôi tay. Đế vương Antioches Epiphanes đã làm hết sức mình để tiêu diệt đạo Do Thái và văn hóa của người Do thái, nhưng hầu hết dân Do thái vẫn luôn biết cương quyết và trung thành với Thiên Chúa của họ. Cuối cùng họ đã thắng.

Qua bài Tin Mừng chúng ta đã chứng kiến cảnh một người mù và tàn tật thường xuyên bị xã hội kinh bỉ. Nhưng anh đã có cái nhận thức và nhìn sâu sắc vào Chúa Giêsu. anh chào đón Chúa bằng một danh hiệu là Đấng Kitô, Chúa cứu thế, con vua David - và viớ long tin anh ta đã xin Chúa cứu chữa cho anh ta, Anh ta đã kiên trì và đầy đức tin, vì vậy Chúa Giêsu chữa cho anh ta được sáng mắt., không phải chỉ sáng mắt nhìn được cảnh vật bên ngoài, mà anh còn sáng cả đôi mắt tâm hồn nữa.

 Chúng ta không thể cho phép người khác hoặc xã hội của chúng ta bịt miệng, ngăn cản và dập tắt ngọn lửa đức tin của chúng ta để đến với Chúa như anh mù. Sự trung tín, và kiên trì là đức tính mà chúng ta cần phải có trong cuộc sống đạo của chúng ta, chúng ta sẽ không bao giờ hối tiếc vì nhờ các đức tính đó mà chúng ta sẽ được ân sủng và cái nhìn sâu sắc trong đức tin hơn.

Lạy Chúa, giúp chúng con biết kiên trì và trung thành với con đường của Chúa.

 

Reflection (SG)

Sometimes it is difficult to remain faithful to the path of the Lord when we are faced with the many temptations present in our culture. They seem exciting, and there is always the strong urge to be just like everyone else. The people of Israel faced this challenge from their Greek rulers, and many gave in. Antioches Epiphanes did his best to wipe out Jewish religion and culture, but most of the people remained firm and faithful. In the end they were victorious. Today it is so important not to be seduced by the many possibilities that are offered to us, nor to be bullied by those who would force us to abandon our spiritual path. We will never lose by being faithful to God. Today it is so important not to be seduced by the many possibilities that are offered to us, nor to be bullied by those who would force us to abandon our spiritual path. We will never lose by being faithful to God.

The blind and disabled were often looked down upon in ancient society. The blind beggar by the side of the road had no status or honour. His requests to see Jesus were met with stern rebukes and orders to keep quiet. But despite being blind, he had insight into the identity of Jesus.  He greeted him with a Messianic title — son of David — and asked for help. He was persistent and faith-filled, so Jesus restored his sight. We cannot allow other people or our society to silence us and snuff out the flame of faith. Fidelity and persistence are virtues that we will never regret. We will be given grace and insight.

Lord, help me to be faithful to Your path.

 

Monday 33^rd Ordinary Time 2

As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!” Luke 18:35–39

This beautiful story of the healing of this blind man, named Bartimaeus in the Gospel of Luke, sets for us a model of how we must come to Jesus in prayer. Bartimaeus and his encounter with Christ is an icon upon which we must meditate so as to imitate him in his weakness, openness, confidence and perseverance.

To begin, this “blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.” We must see this as an ideal image of how to begin our prayer. When we start to pray, we must see our littleness, weakness and extreme poverty in our spiritual life. We come to God with nothing. Unable to see. A beggar. And one who is incapable of meeting our own spiritual needs. This is Bartimaeus, and this must be the way we come to our Lord in prayer. Sometimes we can fall into the illusion that our prayers are so elevated and pious that God must be very impressed. If that’s your struggle, then you are more like the Pharisees. This blind man, however, is the ideal to aim for. So when you begin your prayer, come to our Lord as a spiritually poor and needy beggar.

In this state of humility, just as it happened in this Gospel story, you can be certain that “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” So as you sit in your humble and needy state, wait and be attentive to Jesus passing by. Wait upon His gentle voice, His quiet inspiration, His calming and unmistakable presence. 

If you can humble yourself this way and then sense our Lord’s divine presence touching you in some way, then further imitate Bartimaeus by calling out interiorly, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” The cry from the depths of your heart in prayer must come as a result of Jesus “passing by.” It must be a response to Him coming to you on His own. As Jesus passes by, spiritually speaking, He waits for you to call to Him. He desires that you call to Him. And He desires that you do it with firm confidence and perseverance.

Notice that as this blind beggar cried out, there were obstacles put in his way. The people “rebuked him, telling him to be silent.” But even this was a gift, because it enabled Bartimaeus to cry out all the more. So also with us, when obstacles arise in our prayer, such as distractions, temptations, a lack of consolation, or any other challenge to our prayer, we must see these obstacles as hurdles that must be overcome. Doing so will deepen our union with Jesus, turning that apparent obstacle into a source of blessing.

Reflect, today, upon these four aspects of a deep prayer life that are presented to us through the witness of this blind beggar. First, ponder your weakness and poverty as you turn to God in prayer. Second, be attentive to the presence of God as He passes by, waiting for you to call to Him. Third, cry out to Him and beg Him to come closer. And fourth, work to overcome every obstacle to prayer and see those obstacles as opportunities to call out to God all the more.

My compassionate Lord, I come to You in my weakness and poverty, I come in need of Your divine touch and healing. As You do pass by, I acknowledge Your presence and call to You. Jesus, please do come to me, have pity on me. Help me to overcome every obstacle to Your love and to trust in You always, never wavering from my commitment to You. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Monday 33^rd Ordinary Time 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, as you pass by before me, take pity on me. Let me see with the spiritual eyes of faith. Cure the blindness caused by sin. Fill me with your Spirit so that I may praise you, thank you, and give you glory.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Your Faith has Saved You: The Gospel of Luke records two stories in Jericho, one involving a poor man (Luke 18:35-43) and another involving a rich man (Luke 19:1-10). There are many parallels between the two stories, and they mutually illuminate each other. In both stories, Jesus, like the Lord God in the Old Testament, is said to be “passing by.” The poor man was blind and was begging for alms “as Jesus was passing by.” The rich man was a chief tax collector and climbed a sycamore tree “as Jesus was passing by.” Both stories are about salvation. Both stories show that Jesus seeks out what was lost. In the first story, faith saves the poor man. He begs the Son of David for mercy, and he receives not only physical sight but also the spiritual vision of faith. Once he was cured, he followed Jesus on the way to Jerusalem. In the second story, which we will hear tomorrow, repentance, faith, and works of charity lead the rich man to salvation. In both stories, we see the beginnings and seeds of salvation. The poor man, having made an act of faith in Jesus, needs to follow Jesus on the way to Jerusalem; the rich man, having welcomed Jesus into his home, needs to be reconciled with those he has possibly extorted unjustly.

2. First and Second Maccabees: The first readings during weekday mass will be taken this week from First and Second Maccabees and next week from the Book of Daniel. First and Second Maccabees record the history of the Jewish people during the second century B.C. The Book of Daniel has prophecies about the unfolding of history from the time of the Babylonian Exile to the coming of the Son of Man and Messiah, who will establish the Kingdom of God. First Maccabees was written between 104 and 63 B.C. and emphasizes how God chose the Hasmonean family to save Israel. It records the revolt led by Mattathias against Antiochus (1:1-2:70) and then the successive campaigns and leadership of Judas “the Hammer” (3:1-9:22), Jonathan (9:23-12), and Simon (13:1-16:24). It also records the succession of Simon’s son, John Hyrcanus. “Beginning with John, the Hasmonean dynasty acquired the features of a Hellenistic regime. This could already be seen in John’s taking of a Greek regnal name, Hyrcanus (Hykanos). With the gradual Hellenization under John and his successors, Jews who were zealous for Torah observance fell out of favor with the Hasmonean priest-kings. Tensions began to mount between the Pharisaic movement, made up of precisely this kind of Jewish believer, and the Hasmonean rulers, who favored a movement of Hellenizing Jews known as the Sadducees” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 241). By reading First and Second Maccabees at the end of the liturgical year, we are preparing ourselves for Advent and Christmas, in which we remember the first coming of the Messiah at the fullness of time in humility and look forward to his second coming at the end of time in glory. 

3. The Abomination of Antiochus IV: The First Reading, from First Maccabees, opens with a reference to Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.). Alexander defeated Darius III, the King of Persia, in 331 B.C., and this brought Palestine under Greek rule. When Alexander died, his empire was divided among his four generals. The region of Judea became an area of conflict between the rulers of the Euphrates (Seleucid dynasty) and the rulers of the Nile valley (Ptolemaic empire). Eventually, in 198 B.C., the Seleucids gained control of Judea. Under the rule of the Ptolemaic empire, the Jews in Palestine were free to continue their religious practices. But under the Seleucids, things changed: “The Seleucid king [Antiochus IV] desecrated the Temple and demanded that the Jews forsake their belief in the one true God, worship pagan gods, and eat foods forbidden by the Torah” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 232). When Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the Temple, he plundered its silver and gold and erected an altar to the god Zeus in its precincts. This was the “horrible abomination” mentioned in the First Reading. Antiochus also destroyed any copies of the Torah and put to death anyone who had a copy of the Torah. Anyone who observed the Sabbath rest was put to death (2 Maccabees 6:11). Antiochus also tore down the walls of Jerusalem. “In doing these things the Seleucid king attacked the three central symbols of Judah’s return to the land: the Temple that had been rebuilt under Zerubbabel, the Torah that had been the focus of Ezra’s ministry, and the walls that had been reconstructed under Nehemiah. All this was part of the king’s program to obliterate Jewish distinctiveness and assimilate the people of Judah into the unified dynasty for which Antiochus Epiphanes longed. Thus, the considerable religious freedom the Jews found under the Ptolemies disappeared under the Seleucid’s aggressive promotion of Hellenistic culture as a means of unifying their diverse subjects. The resulting clash with the traditional symbols of Jewish identity created a volatile atmosphere ripe for revolt” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 235-236).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, by the gift of your grace, I am a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not let me profane this temple through sin. You have given me the New Torah of Charity. Empower me with your Spirit to fulfill this new law. May I be an evangelizer of my culture!

Suy Niệm Tin mừng Chúa Nhật 33 Thường Niên C

Suy Niệm Tin mừng Chúa Nhật 33 Thường Niên C- (Luke 21:5-19)

Danh là giáo dân sống trong Giáo xứ nọ hằng chục năm, nhưng lâu nay anh ta không đi nhà thờ dự lễ nữa. Anh ta còn đi tới hàng xóm nói với bạn bè rằng Thiên Chúa ở trong tâm hồn mỗi người, Vì thế chúng ta không cần phải  đi nhà thờ để tìm Thiên Chúa nữa. Linh mục chính xứ nghe được nhiều người báo cáo lại cho ngài như thế,  và ngài quyết định tới thăm Danh một lần cho biết. Vị linh mục xuất hiện trưóc cửa nhà Danh vào một buổi tối mùa đông lạnh và thấy Danh một mình bên lò sưởi. Danh mời vị linh mục vào nhà và ngồi bên lò sưởi với mình. Vị Linh mục không hề nói gì về việc đi lễ nhà thờ, đi lễ của anh ta, mặc dù Danh nghi ngờ đó là lý do mà vị linh mục tới thăm anh. Vị Linh mục chỉ nói chuyện tán ngẫu ngoài lề, như hỏi thăm gia đình, thời tiết . Trong khi đó, vị linh mục dùng kìm kẹp lửa để lấy những thanh củi đang cháy trong lò sưởi ra và đặt từng thanh củi cách xa nhau bên cạch lò  sưởi. Cả hai người xem những ngọn lửa nhấp nháy và rồi từ từ thắt ngủm trong một thời gian ngắn chỉ còn tro trắng bao quanh mảnh trên đầu cây củi  gỗ. Danh như đã nhận ra được cái ý nghĩa việc làm của vị Linh Mục. Anh quay lại vị linh mục và nói: "Thưa Cha, con sẽ đi nhà thờ vào chủ nhật tới này."

            Cũng giống như những thanh củi, chúng ta cần có sự hiệp thông với anh chị em của chúng ta trong đức tin để duy trì ngọn lửa đức tin của chúng ta. Chúng ta cần tới nhà thờ, tới với Chúa. Danh là một ví dụ về những người đã sống một cuộc sống cực đoan. Cũng có những người có những thái độ cực đoan khác, những người chỉ thấy sự hiện diện của Thiên Chúa trong nhà thờ hay Thánh lễ mà thôi. Chúa Giêsu đã cho chúng ta thấy được có những người trong chúng ta như thế trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay. Qua bài Tin Mừng chúng ta thấy những người theo Chúa  trong đó có môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu đã cuốn hút bởi sự ngu nga và huy hoàng của Đền thờ Jerusalem. Đền thờ được xây hơn 46 năm mới hoàn thành và rất tốn phí vì được trang trí bằng vàng,  bạc của dân chúng dâng cúng và đóng góp. Đối với Dân Do Thái đền thờ là nơi Thiên Chúa ngự trên trái đất và những đồ trang điểm của ngôi đền này đã đem lại ý nghĩa niềm tin của họ vào Thiên Chúa rất mạnh mẽ. Chúng ta có thể hình dung những cú sốc trên khuôn mặt của họ khi Chúa Giêsu nói với họ rằng đền thờ này sẽ bị phá hủy hoàn toàn và không một hòn đá chồng trên hòn đá nào! Như một lời tiên tri, quân đội La Mã dưới sự chỉ huy của Titus đã phá huỷ đền thờ này vào năm 70.

            Chúa Giêsu nói về đền thờ rất có ý nghĩa và quan trọng không những chỉ cho dân Do Thái thời gian của Chúa Giêsu, nhưng còn quan trọng cho các Kitô hữu của mọi thời đại. Chúng ta phải nhớ rằng người dân Jerusalem là những người đã xây dựng và trang trí đềnThiên Chúa, những cũng là những người đồng thời có kế hoạch để hạm hại và giết con của Thiên Chúa. Nếu họ nhìn thấy Thiên Chúa trong các trang sức bằng đá và vàng, tại sao không có thể họ nhận ra Ngài bằng xương bằng thịt? Khi một ngôi đền trở nên thật hoành tráng, hùng vĩ mà mọi người không có thể nhìn thấy được Thiên Chúa, ngoại trừ trong đó, thời gian bị phá hủy  nó đã đến.' Làm thế nào để giải thích một thực tế là sự phát triển Kitô giáo trong thời Trung Cổ được kết hợp với một nền văn hóa mà trong đó cuộc sống con người và quyền con người bị coi là quá rẻ? Hãy suy nghĩ về các cuộc chiến tranh tôn giáo, tra tấn và giết hại tự do tư tưởng, việc đốt những người bị tình nghi là phù thủy và Buôn bán người nô lệ một cách vô nhân đạo . Có Phải chăng càng nhiều người tôn vinh đền thờ là nhà của Thiên Chúa, thì họ càng ít ngưỡng mộ con người nhân bản nên theo hình ảnh của Thiên Chúa?   Tuy nhiên, đó không phải phải là trường hợp. Đức tin của chúng ta đòi hỏi chúng ta phải nhận ra sự hiện diện của Thiên Chúa trong  nhân bản con người cũng như trong đền thờ. Thánh Phaolô nhắc nhở các tín hữu Côrintô rằng họ cũng thiêng liêng như đền thờ, mà các cơ quan của họ là đền thờ của Chúa Thánh Thần. "Anh em không biết sao: anh em là Ðền thờ của Thiên Chúa, và Thần khí Thiên Chúa ngự trong anh em? (1Cor 3:16).

            Tin Mừng hôm nay, do đó, thách thức chúng ta phải có nỗ lực để xem xét và phục vụ Thiên Chúa ngay cả trong đền thờ khi chúng ta có mặt để thờ phượng và trong một số khác sau khi thờ phượng. Hãy nhớ rằng, chúng ta cần phải đối xử và tôn trọng nhân phẩm những người khác không phải vì họ xứng đáng bởi hành vi hay lối cư xử của họ,  nhưng bởi vì Thiên Chúa ở trong họ. Thực thi cách này trong cuộc sống của chúng ta trong nhà thờ hay ở ngoài xã hội,  những hành động liên tục của chúng ta sẽ trở thành một việc làm cho cùng một Thiên Chúa, Đấng luôn ở trong tâm hồn con người chúng ta và cũng như trong đền thờ nữa.

 

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Where Does God Live?

Josh is the resident humanist in the neighborhood. He does not go to church anymore. He goes about telling his friends that since God lives in everyone’s soul, it is not necessary for anyone to go to church to find God. His parish priest learns of this and decides to pay Josh a visit. The priest shows up in Josh’s house one cold winter evening and finds Josh warning himself by the fireside. Josh invites the priest to join him at the fireside, which he does. The priest does not talk about church attendance, although Josh suspects that is why he came. They talk about the weather. Meanwhile, the priest uses the fire-tongs to remove a burning piece of wood from the fire and places it all by itself beside the fireplace. Both men watch as the flames flicker and go out and in a short time white ash covers the once blazing piece of wood. Josh gets the message. He turns to the priest and says, “Father, I will be in church next Sunday.”

            Like that piece of wood we need fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the faith in order to maintain the fire of our own faith. We need the church.  Josh is an example of people who go to one extreme. There are people also who go the other extreme, people who see the presence of God only in churches and church services. We read about people like that in today’s gospel.     

            We are not told exactly who they but some of them were probably disciples of Jesus. They were fascinated with the splendour of the Jerusalem Temple built by Herod the Great in over 46 years and lavishly adorned with gold and silver offerings of the people. For these people the Temple is God’s dwelling place on earth and the adornment of the Temple means that the people’s faith in God is strong. Can you imagine the shock on their faces when Jesus tells them that this Temple standing in all its glory and majesty is destined to be utterly destroyed leaving not one stone upon another? As a prophetic statement the destruction of the Temple was accomplished in AD 70 by the Roman army under the command of Titus.

            Jesus’ saying on the Temple is significant not only for the people of his time but for Christians of all times. We must remember that the people of Jerusalem who were building up and decorating the House of God were the same people who were at the same time planning to destroy the son of God. If they saw God in the adornments of stone and gold, why couldn’t they recognize Him in flesh and blood? When a temple becomes so superimposing that people are no longer able to see God except in it, the time for its destruction has come. How does one explain the fact that the flourishing of Christendom in the Middle Ages was associating with a culture in which human life and human rights were cheap? Think of the religious wars, the torturing and killing of freethinkers, the burning of suspected witches and the inhuman traffic in slaves. Could it be that the more people exalted the temple as the house of God the less they esteemed the human person made in the image of God?

            And yet, that should not be the case. Our faith demands that we recognise the presence of God in the human person as well as in the temple. St Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are as sacred as the temple; that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” (1Cor 3:16). “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?” 1Cor 6:19). The Christian who, like the disciples in today’s gospel, sees God in the grandeur of the temple but not in other people is only telling half of the story. The Christian who, like Josh in our story, sees God in the human person but not in the temple also tells only half of the story. Today’s gospel, therefore, challenges us to endeavour to see and serve God both in the temple when we gather for worship and in one another after the worship. Remember, we treat the other person with respect and dignity not because they deserve it by their own conduct but because God in them deserves it. This way, our lives both in church and out of church, become one continuous act of service to the same God who dwells in the human soul as well as in the temple.

 

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

“Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” Luke 21:12–15

It could be said that these are among the least consoling words that Jesus ever spoke. Imagine what His disciples would have thought upon hearing this. Some of them might have changed their minds about following Jesus and walked away. Why would anyone want to be seized and persecuted, or thrown into prison? Jesus even went on to say that “they will put some of you to death.”

Though these words might not, at first, seem all that consoling, they were inspired words and, therefore, must be inspiring. By analogy, imagine an army general in charge of troops defending their families and homeland from hostile invaders. If that general were to say similar words to the troops, acknowledging that some of them would be captured and even killed, it would be a reality check for sure. But it would also inspire a certain courage and drive. In that moment, the soldiers would need courage to face the challenge that awaited them. Therefore, by being honest with them, the general would stir up their courage and strengthen their resolve to enter the battle.

We must hear Jesus’ words today as His battle cry, spoken to encourage us. He is warning us that the secular and unchristian world will be hostile. The leader of the kingdom of darkness, the devil, is very active and, with his legion of demons and followers, is seeking to destroy us. For our part, we must decide whether we will retreat and hide, or enter the battle for the salvation of souls.

Though most of us will not endure physical martyrdom for our faith, it will happen to some. But for most of us, the persecution we will endure will be on a different level. We may be mocked or even hated for our refusal to accept immorality within the culture. We may be called hateful when we stand up for the dignity of the unborn child in danger of abortion. We may be deemed superstitious or old fashioned by remaining faithful to Sunday worship and daily prayer. And we may be thought of as out-of-touch or behind the times for refusing to embrace the latest popular fads and secular values. Sometimes this happens even within the family.

Instead of shying away from the various forms of persecution we may experience, we need to allow our Lord to stir up a courage within us that is fueled by love. We must deeply desire the salvation of every soul and remain certain that the only way to salvation is through fidelity to Christ.

When you are challenged by others or by the world, you must trust in Jesus’ words. “I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” When we resist and refute the errors of our age, some people will become hostile. But if we remain faithful to our Lord and speak by His inspiration, then those who are hostile will be affected for the good. Because Jesus said that people will not be able to “resist or refute” the words He inspires us to say, we must know that our words can make a difference in the battle for souls. We must engage the battle with courage and love and rely upon our Lord to lead.

Reflect, today, upon the fact that we are all in a battle for the salvation of souls, beginning with our own. We cannot be passive bystanders. We must move forward with much courage and strength. We must trust in the guidance given to us by our Lord. We must be open to the words He will inspire us to speak when needed. Resolve to follow our Lord into this holy battle, and He will equip you with all you need to be victorious.

My courageous Lord, You endured much suffering in life and embraced it with pure love. Please give me the grace I need to follow You wherever You lead and to be an instrument of Your voice to a world in need. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have come to rule the earth with justice. I sing your praises joyfully. I hear all creation proclaim your glory. The sea, the world, the rivers, the mountains all give witness to your reign. You truly rule the world with justice and all peoples with equity.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Great Tribulation: We are nearing the end of our semi-sequential reading of the Gospel of Luke on Sundays. Like the gospels of Mark and Matthew, Luke includes the teachings of Jesus about the end of Jerusalem and how this prefigures the end of the world. After a long journey (Luke 9:1-19:27), Jesus has finally made it to Jerusalem for the Passover. He has cleansed the Temple and taught in it (Luke 19:28-20:47). When the people began to wax eloquently about the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus prophesied that the day would come when not one stone from the Temple would be left upon another stone. This came to pass in A.D. 70 when the Romans, led by Titus, laid siege to Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. There were earthquakes, famines, plagues, and wars that all preceded this event. Jesus urges his followers not to be deceived by those who claim to be Jesus or by those who claim that “the time has come.” Rather, Jesus’ disciples are to be attentive to the signs of the times and, based on this discernment, know that the end is near. In fact, the Christians heeded Jesus’ words and fled the city of Jerusalem to Pella before the Roman legions arrived and were saved from the great tribulation and the destruction of Jerusalem.

2. The Sun of Righteousness: The First Reading, from the prophet Malachi, announces the coming Day of the Lord. It will be a day of judgment, a day when the wicked are destroyed, but also a day of consolation, a day when those who fear God’s name will be saved. Malachi proclaims that for the latter group, the faithful remnant, “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.” The winged sun was a symbol of life in the ancient Near East, and Jesus brings this symbol to fulfillment: “Jesus Christ, in stretching out his hands on the holy tree, unfolded two wings, the right and the left, and called all who believed in him to come to him” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1633). “Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness who will rise with healing in his wings, and he longs to gather Jerusalem under those wings of healing. However, Jerusalem will refuse, and that is the point of our Gospel Reading …, which concerns the judgment that will fall on unrepentant Jerusalem in AD 70. However, since Jerusalem is the center of the earth, the destruction of that city portends the destruction of the world” (Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Year C, 489).

3. Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians: One of the main topics in Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians is the Parousia (coming or advent) of Jesus Christ. Paul had to correct their misunderstanding of his First Letter, as well as a forged letter in Paul’s name (2 Thessalonians 2:2). The Thessalonians thought that the Second Coming of Jesus was near, and some in the Christian community stopped working. They reasoned that if Jesus was coming soon, then it was useless to toil away at work. In his Second Letter, Paul teaches that a whole series of events needs to take place before Jesus returns in glory. Only after a period of tribulation will Christ come again as the divine Warrior to slay the “man of lawlessness,” an agent of Satan who would be allowed to spread confusion throughout the world and impress the wicked with signs and wonders of his power (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 9-10). The freeloaders who have stopped working need to get back to work, earn their living, and mind their own business (2 Thessalonians 3:12). The best way to prepare oneself for Christ’s glorious return is by working and not sitting around waiting (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 2119).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Sun of Righteousness, come to my aid today. Do not let me succumb to temptation. Be my strength and my shield. Defend me in battle and heal me with your wings.

 

Judgment Day Is Coming

Every Sunday when we pray the Creed, right after the homily, we solemnly profess our belief that Jesus "will come again to judge the living and the dead." The Church has never claimed to know when Judgment Day will come.

It could be today, it could be 1000 years from now. Jesus himself told us that we can know "neither the day nor the hour."

So if anyone ever comes knocking on your door to tell you the exact date, you can be sure that they are off track. But the fact remains, Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead.

That's when the battle between good and evil will come to an end.

On that day, as the First Reading tells us, "the proud and the evil doers" will have "neither root nor branch."  Evil will finally be made powerless. But those who have spent their lives battling against sin and injustice, living in friendship with Christ, will be completely freed from their last vestige of selfishness. They will finally experience the fullness of life that they always hoped for but could only experience in part while the battle still raged.  "...For you who fear my name," the First Reading continues, "there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays."

Judgment Day is coming. Jesus is coming again. There will be an end to the battle between good and evil, and good will win. We know this. God has revealed it. The vast majority of humankind, throughout history and even today, do not know this. For those who do not know or believe in Christ, the future is a dark and threatening mystery. But for us, it is a coming victory.

Charles V was one of the last truly great European Emperors. In the 1500s, he protected Europe from the vicious and tireless attacks of the Turkish Muslim Empire. And at the same time he brought together the leaders of Europe to reestablish political and religious unity moong Christians after the revolt of Martin Luther. He almost succeeded, until his most powerful ally betrayed him.

In the prime of his life, one of his closest and most well-loved advisers, who had served the emperor since his youth, fell ill. Charles was at his bedside as the man was dying. The Emperor was deeply moved at the man's suffering, and wanted to comfort him.  He said, "My friend, you have been a faithful servant all these years. Please, let me now do something for you. Ask anything of me, and I will do it." The dying man turned his weak eyes to his King, and whispered, "Sire, there is one great favor I desire." The Emperor was glad at this, and leaned forward, "Tell me," he said, "What is it?" "Give me one more day of life - just one day more!" Charles' face fell. He answered simply, "You know that I have not the power." The man smiled weakly, and said: "Yes, I know. Even the greatest earthly king cannot give life. And now you see how foolish I have been. I served you well all these years, but I gave no thought to my Heavenly King, and now I must go to him with empty hands. Pray for me."

Those were his last words.

Knowing that Christ's Kingdom will be victorious and last forever has a very practical consequence: it enables us to be more energetic and confident in building up that Kingdom. Jesus tells his Apostles that they will be persecuted, but they are not to worry, since "it will lead to your giving testimony." This is what we are called to do - to tell others about Christ, to bring them into the Church, so that they too can reestablish an intimate friendship with God and set out on the path to eternal life. So that they can have the same peace of mind that we have from knowing what the future holds. Jesus tells his Apostles that they will even be betrayed by family members, but it doesn't matter, because he will still be protecting them: "not a hair on your head will be destroyed."  And so, he goes on to tell them, they should never give up in their efforts to follow Christ and help others follow him: "By your perseverance you will secure your lives." As Christians, we are soldiers of Christ.  We have been given a share in his mission. People around us are starving to know the future, the real truth about the future. That's why they are buying books about tea leaves and Tarot Cards and celestial prophecies, about witchcraft and magic and neo-paganism. Jesus wants to save them from their anxiety and from the dangers of looking for answers in the wrong places. He wants to tell them the real truth about death, judgment, and forgiveness. And he has invited us to be his messengers.  We all know someone who needs to hear this message.  This week, let's tell them.

 Today, when we once again profess our faith in the everlasting future of his Kingdom, let's also renew our commitment to building it.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần 32 Thường Niên.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần 32 Thường Niên.
Trong bài đọc Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy cách mà người thẩm phán bất công đã bị buộc phải làm rõ công lý chỉ vì sự kiên trì và bền bỉ của một bà góa phụ, bởi vậy, không lẽ Thiên Chúa chẳng nhìn thấy được sự công lý, và lẽ phải được thực hiện giữa con cái của Ngài, những người đang khóc than đêm ngài với Ngài, ngay cả khi Ngài đã trì hoãn việc giúp họ? (Lk.18: 7) Các môn đệ và những người Do thái đương thời đã sống trong một thời gian đã muộn màng; vì vậy cuộc sống chúng ta hôm nay cũng thế.
 Chúa Giêsu đã bảo các môn đệ của Ngài là hãy duy trì niềm tin vào Thiên Chúa, Vì sự công lý và lòng trung thành của chúng ta đối với Thiên Chúa không phải là chỉ là một cú gọi điện thoại hay một lời nhắn tin qua điện thoại di động trong là đủ. Câu hỏi thực sự vế lòng trung tín của con người chúng ta hôm nay là một trong những yêu cầu của Chúa Giêsu như trong bài Tin mừng của Thánh Luca: "khi Con Người ngự đến, liệu Người còn thấy lòng tin trên mặt đất nữa chăng? " (Lk.18: 8).
Vậy trong những lúc Thiên Chúa luôn trung thành với chúng ta, chúng ta có trung thành với Thiên Chúa như Thiên Chúa đã luôn trung thành với chúng ta?  Khi Thiên Chúa muốn công lý được thực hiện,  vậy khi nào thì chúng ta mới  biết nghe và giữ lời của Chúa?.  Chúng ta có sẽ trở thành người môn đệ thật sự của Chúa Giêsu và sẵn sằng là những khí cụ của lòng từ bi và công lý của Ngài chăng?
Đó là những câu hỏi đã thách thức chúng ta để đi theo Chúa Kitô trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của chúng ta. Một cách cụ thể hơn là tinh thần hiếu khách và tình yêu thương được coi như là một biểu hiện của đức tin và tình yêu như đã được nhắc đến trong bài đọc thứ nhất hôm nay.
"Lạy Chúa, xin giúp cho chúng con biết sống một cuộc sống của Chúa Kitô trong thực tế của cuộc sống mỗi hàng ngày của chúng ta."
 
Reflection (SG)
In the Gospel reading, we see how an unjust judge can be forced to do justice by the persistence of a widow, so will not God see justice done to His children who cry to Him day and night, even when he delays to help them? (Lk.18: 7)The disciples and the community, for whom Luke was writing, were living in a time of delay; so we are too. Jesus asked His disciples to maintain their faith in God. It is not the justice and fidelity to God that we should call to question. The real question is the one asked by Jesus: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk.18:8)
While God is always faithful, will we be the same?
When God wants justice done, when will we hear God’s word and keep it?
Will we become Jesus’ disciples and be His instruments of Compassion and Justice? these questions challenge us in the following of Christ in our daily living. One specific way is the spirit of hospitality and love as an expression of faith and love as reiterated in the first reading. “Lord, help us live the life of Christ in our daily realities.”
 
Saturday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.” Luke 18:6–8
It’s interesting that Jesus uses the example of a dishonest judge to illustrate the importance of praying to God, calling out to Him day and night for justice. As the parable goes, this judge cared little about a widow in his town who continually came to him asking for a just decision. He felt as though she was continually bothering him. Because she was so persistent, the judge thought to himself, “…because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.” Jesus’ conclusion from this parable is quoted above.
The simple lesson we ought to learn from this parable is that we must be persistent in prayer. God will always answer our prayers, seeing to it that “justice is done” speedily. But many people have prayed and prayed and prayed for some situation, prayed even for justice, and it appeared that God did not answer their prayer. Thus, some may question the promise of Jesus that persistent prayer will always be answered and justice always be rendered.
If this is your experience, it is essential that you remind yourself of two things. First, Jesus’ words are true. When we persevere in prayer and trust in God, He hears us and answers. This is our Lord’s unwavering promise. But secondly, the “justice” that God delivers may often be different than the justice we expect. It may be that we want someone to pay for a wrong they did to us, but after praying fervently, our expectation is not met by our Lord. For this reason, it is essential that we know that God answers every prayer we pray, but in accord with His perfect will and wisdom. Therefore, God’s view of justice at times may be very different than ours. At times, His justice is satisfied by His invitation to us to show mercy in abundance. True mercy always satisfies justice.
Take, for example, the case of someone speaking in a rude manner to you. If you offer that situation to our Lord, He will enter in and provide His grace for you to deal with it in accord with His will. Perhaps He will soften the other person’s heart so that they apologize, or perhaps, if they don’t apologize and their heart is not softened, then God’s answer to your prayer will be to give you the grace of humility so that you can love that person despite their unrepentance. Regardless of the way our Lord intervenes, the fact remains that He will intervene and enable you to fulfill His perfect will. If, however, your prayer is that the person be held accountable and condemned, then you are trying to tell God what to do, and He will not accede to your request. All of our prayer must ultimately be for the fulfillment of God’s perfect will in accord with His wisdom.
Reflect, today, upon how completely you trust in God. Do you know, with certainty, that He will answer every prayer that you fervently pray with faith in accord with His divine will? Believing this is freeing and enables you to live more fully in union with Him. If there is some issue with which you struggle right now, even some apparent injustice, then entrust it to our Lord, day and night without ceasing, and know that His grace will guide you as He answers you in accord with His will.
My all-wise Lord, Your will is perfect in all things, and You always bestow Your grace upon me when I pray without ceasing. Please give me a trusting Heart, dear Lord, so that I will never waver in my hope that You will always answer my prayers in accord with Your will. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 32nd in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I always need to sit in the school of prayer led by your Son. When I become prideful in my prayer, humble me! When I grow weary in prayer, strengthen me! When I forget you throughout the day, bring me back to you!
Encountering the Word of God
1. Pray Always and Without Becoming Weary: During the third part of his journey to Jerusalem, Jesus teaches his disciples about their life of prayer. The first teaching is about the need to pray continually. The second teaching is to pray with humility (Luke 18:9-14). Both teachings about prayer take place in the context of Jesus’ teaching about the coming of judgment, the arrival of the Kingdom, and the advent of the Son of Man. Prayer is conversation with God (CCC, 2559). Praying continually or always means being in communion and communication with God (CCC, 2565). In the parable, Jesus teaches us to pray without becoming weary. He wants us to persevere in prayer. This tireless fervor can come only from love. We need to unite our prayer to all our works and unite our good works to prayer (CCC, 2745). The parable invites us to see that if a corrupt judge will answer the continual prayer of a widow, then how much more will our Father in heaven, who is good, merciful, and just, answer our continual prayer. Just as the widow does not grow weary in her pursuit of justice, we should not grow weary as we request good things from God. From our point of view, it can seem like God is slow to answer. But Jesus tells us that this is not the case: The Father knows exactly what we need and when we need it.
2. The First Five Exodus Antitheses: In the third part of the Book of Wisdom, the author uses a series of seven antitheses to bring out how God uses created things to both punish the wicked and bless his faithful ones. Each antithesis is drawn from the Exodus story of Israel. The first antithesis contrasts the water that the people of Israel drank from the rock in the desert with the defiled Nile River of blood that they left behind in Egypt (Wisdom 11:1-14). The second antithesis alludes to the pagan worship of animals in Egypt. The Egyptians were tormented by a multitude of animals (plagues of frogs, gnats, flies, and locusts) because they worshipped animals. By contrast, the Lord provided the Israelites in the desert with delicious quail (see Wisdom 16:1-4). The third antithesis once again invokes the animals that harmed the Egyptians during the plagues and contrasts them with the bronze serpent that was an instrument of salvation for Israel (Wisdom 16:5-14). The bronze serpent had no magical power in itself, but it was God’s Word “which heals all men” (Wisdom 16:12). The fourth antithesis contrasts two phenomena that come from the sky: “the heaven-sent storms that plagued Egypt and the heaven-sent bread that blessed Israel” (Giszczak, Wisdom of Solomon, 163). The fifth antithesis contrasts the plague of darkness with the pillar of fire that guided Israel in the desert. All of these old Exodus antitheses are brought to fulfillment in the New Exodus: We have been given the water of the Spirit, the flesh of the Son of God, the saving blood from the cross, the Bread from Heaven, and the guiding Holy Spirit of fire.
 3. Sixth and Seventh Exodus Antitheses: Today, we read the sixth and seventh Exodus Antitheses. The sixth contrasts the death of the Egyptian firstborn at the hand of the destroying angel on the first Passover with Israel’s deliverance from death through the mediation of the high priest Aaron (see Wisdom 18:5-25). The Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt (see Exodus 12:29). The author of Wisdom envisions God’s all-powerful Word leaping from heaven’s royal throne into Egypt. This divine Word wields the sharp sword of divine judgment against the Egyptians. The destroying messenger “links heaven and earth by bringing down divine wrath” (Giszczak, Wisdom of Solomon, 181). The seventh and final antithesis contrasts the watery destruction of the Egyptians with the miraculous salvation of the Israelites by means of the same Red Sea (Wisdom 19:1-9). When we contemplate the old Exodus, we need to discern how it applies to us, who are on the New Exodus with Jesus. The sixth antithesis teaches us that we are saved from death through the mediation of our eternal and merciful high priest, Jesus Christ. The seventh looks forward to the waters of the Sacrament of Baptism, which purifies us and saves us from eternal death. The waters of Baptism swallow up our sin, just like the Red Sea swallowed up Pharaoh’s army.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, teach me to pray, to enter into deep conversation with you as a friend. Open my ears to hear your voice, open my eyes to see things as you do, and open my mind to embrace your word.

Saturday 32nd in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I always need to sit in the school of prayer led by your Son. When I become prideful in my prayer, humble me! When I grow weary in prayer, strengthen me! When I forget you throughout the day, bring me back to you!
Encountering the Word of God
1. Pray Always and Without Becoming Weary: During the third part of his journey to Jerusalem, Jesus teaches his disciples about their life of prayer. The first teaching is about the need to pray continually. The second teaching is to pray with humility (Luke 18:9-14). Both teachings about prayer take place in the context of Jesus’ teaching about the coming of judgment, the arrival of the Kingdom, and the advent of the Son of Man. Prayer is conversation with God (CCC, 2559). Praying continually or always means being in communion and communication with God (CCC, 2565). In the parable, Jesus teaches us to pray without becoming weary. He wants us to persevere in prayer. This tireless fervor can come only from love. We need to unite our prayer to all our works and unite our good works to prayer (CCC, 2745). The parable invites us to see that if a corrupt judge will answer the continual prayer of a widow, then how much more will our Father in heaven, who is good, merciful, and just, answer our continual prayer. Just as the widow does not grow weary in her pursuit of justice, we should not grow weary as we request good things from God. From our point of view, it can seem like God is slow to answer. But Jesus tells us that this is not the case: The Father knows exactly what we need and when we need it.
2. The First Five Exodus Antitheses: In the third part of the Book of Wisdom, the author uses a series of seven antitheses to bring out how God uses created things to both punish the wicked and bless his faithful ones. Each antithesis is drawn from the Exodus story of Israel. The first antithesis contrasts the water that the people of Israel drank from the rock in the desert with the defiled Nile River of blood that they left behind in Egypt (Wisdom 11:1-14). The second antithesis alludes to the pagan worship of animals in Egypt. The Egyptians were tormented by a multitude of animals (plagues of frogs, gnats, flies, and locusts) because they worshipped animals. By contrast, the Lord provided the Israelites in the desert with delicious quail. The third antithesis once again invokes the animals that harmed the Egyptians during the plagues and contrasts them with the bronze serpent that was an instrument of salvation for Israel (Wisdom 16:5-14). The bronze serpent had no magical power in itself, but it was God’s Word “which heals all men” (Wisdom 16:12). The fourth antithesis contrasts two phenomena that come from the sky: “the heaven-sent storms that plagued Egypt and the heaven-sent bread that blessed Israel”. The fifth antithesis contrasts the plague of darkness with the pillar of fire that guided Israel in the desert. All of these old Exodus antitheses are brought to fulfillment in the New Exodus: We have been given the water of the Spirit, the flesh of the Son of God, the saving blood from the cross, the Bread from Heaven, and the guiding Holy Spirit of fire.
3. Sixth and Seventh Exodus Antitheses: Today, we read the sixth and seventh Exodus Antitheses. The sixth contrasts the death of the Egyptian firstborn at the hand of the destroying angel on the first Passover with Israel’s deliverance from death through the mediation of the high priest Aaron (see Wisdom 18:5-25). The Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt (see Exodus 12:29).
The author of Wisdom envisions God’s all-powerful Word leaping from heaven’s royal throne into Egypt. This divine Word wields the sharp sword of divine judgment against the Egyptians. The destroying messenger “links heaven and earth by bringing down divine wrath”.The seventh and final antithesis contrasts the watery destruction of the Egyptians with the miraculous salvation of the Israelites by means of the same Red Sea (Wisdom 19:1-9). When we contemplate the old Exodus, we need to discern how it applies to us, who are on the New Exodus with Jesus. The sixth antithesis teaches us that we are saved from death through the mediation of our eternal and merciful high priest, Jesus Christ.
The seventh looks forward to the waters of the Sacrament of Baptism, which purifies us and saves us from eternal death. The waters of Baptism swallow up our sin, just like the Red Sea swallowed up Pharaoh’s army.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, teach me to pray, to enter into deep conversation with you as a friend.
Open my ears to hear your voice, open my eyes to see things as you do, and open my mind to embrace your word.