Qua bài Tin Mừng chúng ta được nghe đến những thành phố Chorazin và Bethsaida là những thành phố đông đúc dân chúng, nhiều người đã được nhìn thấy Chúa được nghe những lời giảng dạy và chứng kiến những điều huyền diệu, phép lạ mà Chúa Giêsu đã thực hiện ở đây; Nhưng họ vẫn không mấy ấn tượng và không chịu thay đổi cách sống của họ, Vì thế Chúa Giêsu đã phải thốt ra lời nguyền rủa là : “họ sẽ không có được một tương lai hạnh phúc”, và ngay cả vùng Capernaum cũng đã bị chỉ trích. Họ tự đánh giá cao chính bản thân của họ, nhưng họ không chịu nghe lời răn bảo của Chúa mà ăn năn hay tỏ ra được sự xám hối, Họ từ chối không chấp nhận Chúa Giê-su khi Ngài đi qua và giảng dạy trên các đường phố của họ, Họ đã chối từ Thiên Chúa.
Phần chúng ta, nếu chúng ta tự xét mình, chắc chắn cũng có lúc nào đó trong cuộc sống chúng ta cũng có những hành động như những người này, vì chúng ta đã có những động thái tốt! Nhưng điều quan trọng là chúng ta phải biết tự sửa mình là không được tự mãn hay hoài nghi, nhưng luôn luôn cởi mở và mong muốn được nghe những lời giảng dạy về Phúc âm để tự phát triển tâm linh. Để giữ được một mối quan hệ tốt với Chúa Giêsu là chúng ta phải biết thay đổi. Lạy Chúa, Xin cho Lời Chúa có thể biến đổi chúng con và cuộc sống của chúng con.
Friday 26th Ordinary Time
The towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida had seen great things done in their midst; the teaching and the miracles of Jesus. But they remain unimpressed and unwilling to change their ways. Jesus uttered a warning; they did not have a happy future. Even Capernaum was criticized; they thought highly of themselves but did not show the fruits of repentance. To reject Jesus when he walked and taught in their streets was the same as rejecting God. Not a good move! It is important not to be complacent or cynical, but always open and eager to be taught and to grow spiritually. A relationship with Jesus means change.
Lord, may Your word transform me.
Introductory Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for giving me another day to grow in love for you, another day to move ahead in my spiritual life, another day to pray for the souls closest to me. I want only to please you during this brief time of prayer.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace of childlike simplicity.
Encountering Christ:
1. Turning the Tables: The disciples are curious about the Kingdom of Heaven, and their curiosity has a tinge of self-interest. They want to know how to get ahead in the Kingdom. Their very question belies a misunderstanding of Christ. The Kingdom, among other things, is reflected in the Church on earth. And the Church, being universal, is a kind of family that takes in all mankind. If ever we ask, “Who is the greatest in our family?” we can be sure that it is the wrong kind of question. The more appropriate question is: “How can I be a better member of the family? How can I be a better husband? A better wife? A better son or daughter or brother or sister?” That is the question Christ wants us to ask ourselves.
2. Child's Play: We must not think that Christ had a naive notion of children as little angels who never do wrong. So why does Christ hold up children as models for the rest of us? In part, it is their simplicity, their tendency to trust. They might not understand why a parent tells them something, but they likely will accept it because they realize it comes from someone who loves them. The spiritual life requires that same kind of trust. We might not understand completely why God asks us to do something, but if there's a basic trust and openness to him, it is easier to follow his commands. Many people, unfortunately, squander what should be the most productive years of their lives because they doubt God and his Church. They complicate things, only to find years later the wisdom of what Our Lord was trying to tell them. By then, their faults can be forgiven, but not undone. Once a vase is broken, it can be fixed, but it will never be the same as if it had never broken. Am I saying no to God because of a lack of trust?
3. Angelic Aid: Prayers to guardian angels used to be popular with Catholics. We should pray to them because each of us has one. "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life," writes St. Basil (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 336). Our angel reflects God's loving providence for our welfare and protection. The world is a moral minefield, waiting for us to make the wrong step. Our angel helps us make it through this valley of tears. Do I ever think to pray to my angel?
Conversation with Christ: The simplicity of children can make me look foolish by comparison. I believe in you and trust you, Lord. Help me to translate that trust into serenity and simplicity. Let me accept the crosses of daily life with calmness, seeing your loving designs behind them.
Resolution: I will say “yes” to the next difficult thing someone asks of me, so long as it is something morally right.
Reflection
In today's Gospel Jesus accuses the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida for their hardness of heart, for their indifference to the Gospel. The Good News had reached them but they did not respond. Great wonders had been done among them but they were not convinced. To have the Good News presented to us is indeed a blessing from God. It is a privilege. The Good News is the word of God addressed to us. While there are millions of people who have accepted the Gospel message, there are also quite a lot of people who, like the people of Capernaum, have rejected it. Others have heard Christ's message but failed to think deeply on it; they are indifferent about it. They just don't want to think about sin and so they have no interest in thinking about redemption. As Christians, we have been blessed with the Good News. Do we really try to learn all we can about it? To have heard God's word is a great responsibility. A person will be judged according to what he has learned. When a person receives God's word of wisdom - the Good News of Salvation, it becomes for that person a gift, a great glory. But each word of God that has been received carries with it a responsibility. As Christians we need to give witness to his word.
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