Suy niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Tuần 32 TN

Suy niệm  Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Tuần 32 TN

Câu chuyện bà góa nghèo trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay , Chúa Giêsu đã cho chúng ta một nguyên tắc để thành hiện công lý qua việc đóng gói tự nguyện và chia sẻ. Trong khi những người đóng góp vào quỹ đền thờ bằng những đồng tiền dư thừa của họ mà thôi, còn người góa phụ, nghèo đã đóng góp phần phần của bà ta bằng "tất cả những gì bà có, tất cả những gì mà cần để sống". Do đó một số người đã nghĩ là miễn là tất cả mọi người, và mọi quốc gia , nếu chỉ có biết chia sẻ những thứ dư thưà, thặng dư của mình, Thì chúng ta sẽ không bao giờ có được những giải pháp để đối phó với sự đói nghèo thực sự trên thế giới.

Tất nhiên, sự phân biệt và thận trọng rất cần thiết trong việc tìm hiểu để hiểu biết những gì đang thực sự dư thừa và những gì là cần thiết cho cuộc sống. Trong khi sự “khó nghèo tự nguyện” là một đặc sủng trong đời sống tôn giáo, không phải tất cả mọi người cần phải có những quan sát của Chúa Giêsu, theo nghĩa đen, nếu không, chúng ta sẽ tạo ra cảnh cơ hàn và do đó tăng số lượng những người cần giúp đỡ.

Các phản ứng chính xác với thử thách của Chúa Giêsu không phải là một vấn đề tiền bạc mà là vấn đề của thái độ. Chúng ta không nên phải sợ nghèo nhưng chúng ta phải sợ giàu có không giới hạn và sự tham lam và sự lạm dụng lãng phí vô trách nhiệm.

Lạy Chúa, in giải thoát chúng con Chúa ơi, thoát được khỏi mọi cám dỗ nhạt là sự tham lam và lãng phí.

Homily for Sunday 32 Ordinary Time

Mark 12: 38–44

There is a story about a government social worker was visiting New England farms. He had the authority to give federal dollars to poor farmers. He found an elderly widow farming a few acres. Her house was clean but tiny. There did not appear to be much food in the house. The windows had no screens to keep out the summer flies. The exterior needed a paint job. He wondered how she could survive. He asked, "What would you do if the government gave you five hundred dollars?" Her answer was, "I would give it to the poor."

 This story had much in common with widows in today's readings.

In all three readings today spoke about widows.

In the First Reading, there is the widow who shared the last of her food with Elijah.          In the Gospel, there is the poor widow who gave all that she had to live on.

In the Second Reading, although the word 'widow' is not used, we perceive that the Holy Catholic Church that Jesus was instituting on earth during His ministry, it was widowed when He offered Himself as a sacrifice to remove sin from the world.

In all three cases, a great sacrifice was made. In the First Reading, the widow who fed Elijah, she sacrificed all what she had for herself and her son.  In the Second Reading, Jesus sacrificed Himself, He who was the only Begotten Son of God and in who the fullness of God was pleased to dwell bodily [Col. 1:19, 2:9]

In the Gospel Reading, the widow sacrificed her last two small copper coins.  In all three cases, they all trusted in God the Father. The widow who fed Elijah trusted in the Lord God of Israel to provide her future needs so she and her son would not die of starvation. Jesus trusted in God the Father to raise Him from the dead.  The poor widow who gave her last coins trusted in Yahweh to provide for her future needs.  And in all three cases, each and every one of them were blessed according to their sacrifice.

The widow and her son never went hungry because the jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail. Jesus was glorified by God the Father. "When He had made purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the Name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs." [Heb. 1:3b-4]  The poor widow, in the presence of God incarnated through Jesus Christ, she gave all what she had to Yahweh, her action having been recorded in the Holy Scriptures so it will be remembered during all the days of the world.

God always rewards those who persevere in their living faith. No one goes by unnoticed. If we are proud, we will be noticed. If we are humble, we will also be noticed. If we are proud like the scribes who walked around in long robes so all would greet them with respect in the market places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquet, then we too, like the scribes, will be noticed and receive greater condemnation. If we are humble like the poor widow whose name no one knows, then we will be noticed, God will raise us and reward us according to our sacrifice.

Today's Second Reading tells us that Jesus died once for all time and for all people when He made His perfect sacrifice to remove sin. His Divine Sacrifice as the Lamb of God on the Holy Cross put an end to the first age, the days of the Old Testament and the Covenant of the Law. His Divine Sacrifice as the Lamb of God opened the new and last age in which we now belong, the days of the New Testament and the New Covenant of grace.

When Jesus returns at the end of this last age, it will not be to deal with sin by sacrificing Himself again, but to judge the living and the dead. It will be to collect the saints who have persevered in their living faith and who are awaiting for the arrival of the Lord Jesus. We must never forget that God told Abraham that He is the God of the living, not of the dead. [Mt. 22:32]  The living are those who shine as lights in the world, those who shine in love towards God and their brothers and sisters.

There is no room in Heaven for those who are indifferent, for those who meet the minimum requirements of Christian life so they will be 'acceptable' to God. St. Paul says, "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what the will of God is; what is good and acceptable and perfect." [Rom. 12:1]The widow who fed Elijah, she knew the will of God. The poor widow who gave her last two coins, she knew the will of God. The Lord Jesus, when He sacrificed Himself on the Holy Cross for our sins, He knew the will of God. All three, they embraced a spiritual mind and did what was good, acceptable and perfect in the eyes of God.

This week, let us reflect upon our commitment as members of the Church. Let us assess if we are among the blessed who persevere in their living faith. If we can presently count ourselves among those who will be spit out of the mouth of the Lord because we are indifferent to our sanctification, then, let us embrace the grace of God and the purifying power of the Holy Spirit so we may become Christ like to qualify as children of God.