Suy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

 Suy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

Ngày nay, chúng ta không thể nói với người làm phải vâng tuân theo chủ nhân của họ. Chúng ta thấy chế độ nô lệ dưới mọi hình thức như là một tội ác và không thể chấp nhận được và chúng ta phải tìm mọi cách và tất cả mọi thứ trong khả năng của mình để bãi bỏ nó. Nhưng những người Ephêsô vẫn còn quan trọng hoá và cố vượt thời gian để thực hiện.

Bất kể mọi tình huống chúng ta có thể tự thấy chính mình đang làm chứng cho ​​Chúa Giêsu trong cách sống của chúng ta. Việc chúng ta sống trong một môi trường ngột ngạt hay có một ông chủ bất công không quan trọng, chúng ta phải luôn biết hy vọng và là ngọn hải đăng chiếu ánh sáng. Bằng cách biểu lộ cách sông của Chúa Giêsu trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của chúng ta, chúng ta có thể gây ảnh hưởng sâu đậm đến những người khác. Và chưa chừng biết đâu, chúng ta thậm chí có thể làm cho những người áp bức chúng ta phải biến đổi! Đức tin không thể được coi như là sự đương nhiên. Thánh Luca nói với chúng ta rằng việc thường xuyên đến với Chúa Giêsu hoặc cứ đến nhà thờ chưa chắc đã bảo đảm được quyền làm con trong mắt Chúa.

Có nhiều người trong chúng ta đã tự mãn và chắc chắn rằng họ đã làm trọn bổn phận tinh thần, những những người ấy sẽ tự thấy mình ở dưới đáy cùng. Cũng có những người gặp phải những khó khăn và thất bại nhưng biết đứng lên tiếp tục cuộc hành trình trong đức tin; họ sẽ được nâng lên. Cho dù cửa nước Trời của Thiên Chúa thực sự là hẹp nhỏ, nhưng với tình yêu thương, lòng khiêm tốn, và sự phục vụ có thể giúp chúng ta vượt qua.

Nếu như tôn giáo mà chỉ nói mà không có hành động hay việc làm và nếu chúng ta thiếu yếu tố quan trọng đó thì việc nghe lời Thiên Chúa có nghĩa là làm theo lời của Chúa; Hai điều này không thể tách rời nhau được. Cách thức để sống theo Chúa mỗi ngày của chúng ta là chúng ta phải biết kiểm tra cách sống của chúng ta là hãy xem chúng ta đã có lắng nghe lời Chúa qua Phúc Âm như thế nào

Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con biết dùng cuộc sống của chúng con để phản ánh lời của Ngài.

Reflection Wednesday Week in Ordinary Time 

Today, we would not tell slaves to obey their masters. We see slavery in any form as an intolerable evil and we would do everything in our power to abolish it. But Ephesians still has an important and timeless point to make. Regardless of the situation we find ourselves in we can witness to Jesus by our way of life. It doesn’t matter if we live in an oppressive environment or have an unjust boss we should always be a beacon of light and hope. By demonstrating the way of Jesus in our everyday life we can have a profound effect on others. Who knows, we might even convert our oppressors! 

Faith cannot be taken for granted. Luke tells us that familiarity with Jesus or going to church in themselves are no guarantee of being right in the eyes of the Lord. There are many who are self-satisfied and sure that they have it made spiritually who will find themselves at the bottom. There are also those who struggle and fall but continue to walk in faith — they will be lifted up. The door of the kingdom of God is narrow indeed — only love, humility, and service can fit through. 

All of the religious talk and activity in the world is of little use if we are lacking that important element. Hearing the word of God means doing the word of God; the two cannot be separated. The manner of our everyday life is the test of how well we have listened.
QLord, may my life reflect Your word.

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have called me to collaborate with you in spreading your kingdom of love. Strengthen my faith, hope, and love so as to respond generously to your call. Lord, I humbly ask the grace to listen to your voice.

Encountering Christ:

1. Jesus Spent the Night in Prayer: Jesus’s profound union with the Father is exemplary. We are called to imitate his desire for union with the Father as did all of the great saints. “Love to pray. Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of himself,” says St. Teresa of Calcutta. When we pray, we turn to the Father, like Jesus did to better know the Father’s will. We ask to grow in the desire to act according to his will. We look to Jesus who shows us how important it is to pray, especially when we have important decisions to make.

2. Jesus Called Disciples: Jesus knew that his choice of Apostles would affect everything about the new church. He prayed about who to invite and, when he extended the invitation, he hoped they would follow. Jesus knew that each one was created for a mission and would find fulfillment in carrying out his missioSuy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

Ngày nay, chúng ta không thể nói với người làm phải vâng tuân theo chủ nhân của họ. Chúng ta thấy chế độ nô lệ dưới mọi hình thức như là một tội ác và không thể chấp nhận được và chúng ta phải tìm mọi cách và tất cả mọi thứ trong khả năng của mình để bãi bỏ nó. Nhưng những người Ephêsô vẫn còn quan trọng hoá và cố vượt thời gian để thực hiện.

Bất kể mọi tình huống chúng ta có thể tự thấy chính mình đang làm chứng cho ​​Chúa Giêsu trong cách sống của chúng ta. Việc chúng ta sống trong một môi trường ngột ngạt hay có một ông chủ bất công không quan trọng, chúng ta phải luôn biết hy vọng và là ngọn hải đăng chiếu ánh sáng. Bằng cách biểu lộ cách sông của Chúa Giêsu trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của chúng ta, chúng ta có thể gây ảnh hưởng sâu đậm đến những người khác. Và chưa chừng biết đâu, chúng ta thậm chí có thể làm cho những người áp bức chúng ta phải biến đổi! Đức tin không thể được coi như là sự đương nhiên. Thánh Luca nói với chúng ta rằng việc thường xuyên đến với Chúa Giêsu hoặc cứ đến nhà thờ chưa chắc đã bảo đảm được quyền làm con trong mắt Chúa.

Có nhiều người trong chúng ta đã tự mãn và chắc chắn rằng họ đã làm trọn bổn phận tinh thần, những những người ấy sẽ tự thấy mình ở dưới đáy cùng. Cũng có những người gặp phải những khó khăn và thất bại nhưng biết đứng lên tiếp tục cuộc hành trình trong đức tin; họ sẽ được nâng lên. Cho dù cửa nước Trời của Thiên Chúa thực sự là hẹp nhỏ, nhưng với tình yêu thương, lòng khiêm tốn, và sự phục vụ có thể giúp chúng ta vượt qua.

Nếu như tôn giáo mà chỉ nói mà không có hành động hay việc làm và nếu chúng ta thiếu yếu tố quan trọng đó thì việc nghe lời Thiên Chúa có nghĩa là làm theo lời của Chúa; Hai điều này không thể tách rời nhau được. Cách thức để sống theo Chúa mỗi ngày của chúng ta là chúng ta phải biết kiểm tra cách sống  của chúng ta là hãy xem chúng ta đã có lắng nghe lời Chúa qua Phúc Âm như thế nào.

Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con biết dùng cuộc sống của chúng con để phản ánh lời của Ngài.

 

Reflection Wednesday  Week in Ordinary Time (B)

Today, we would not tell slaves to obey their masters. We see slavery in any form as an intolerable evil and we would do everything in our power to abolish it. But Ephesians still has an important and timeless point to make. Regardless of the situation we find ourselves in we can witness to Jesus by our way of life. It doesn’t matter if we live in an oppressive environment or have an unjust boss we should always be a beacon of light and hope. By demonstrating the way of Jesus in our everyday life we can have a profound effect on others. Who knows, we might even convert our oppressors!
Faith cannot be taken for granted. Luke tells us that familiarity with Jesus or going to church in themselves are no guarantee of being right in the eyes of the Lord. There are many who are self-satisfied and sure that they have it made spiritually who will find themselves at the bottom. There are also those who struggle and fall but continue to walk in faith — they will be lifted up. The door of the kingdom of God is narrow indeed — only love, humility, and service can fit through. 
All of the religious talk and activity in the world is of little use if we are lacking that important element. Hearing the word of God means doing the word of God; the two cannot be separated. The manner of our everyday life is the test of how well we have listened. Lord, may my life reflect Your word.

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have called me to collaborate with you in spreading your kingdom of love. Strengthen my faith, hope, and love so as to respond generously to your call. Lord, I humbly ask the grace to listen to your voice. 

Encountering Christ:

1. Jesus Spent the Night in Prayer: Jesus’s profound union with the Father is exemplary. We are called to imitate his desire for union with the Father as did all of the great saints. “Love to pray. Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of himself,” says St. Teresa of Calcutta. When we pray, we turn to the Father, like Jesus did to better know the Father’s will. We ask to grow in the desire to act according to his will. We look to Jesus who shows us how important it is to pray, especially when we have important decisions to make.

2. Jesus Called Disciples: Jesus knew that his choice of Apostles would affect everything about the new church. He prayed about who to invite and, when he extended the invitation, he hoped they would follow. Jesus knew that each one was created for a mission and would find fulfillment in carrying out his mission.Yet Jesus did not force this invitation upon them. He allowed them to respond freely. In the same way, God calls each one of us for a specific mission and gives us the freedom to choose the path of God’s will or the path of our own will. Those who fulfill their mission will find fulfillment, and win eternal life as well. 

3. Judas the Traitor: Choosing to respond positively to God’s call does not mean that once we follow Christ, salvation is assured. There are twists and bends along the journey, temptations and falls, growth and success, and the opportunity to lose everything. Judas, who stood so faithfully by Christ’s side up to the end turned away to become a traitor. We must be on guard, renewing our love for God in our hearts every day, participating regularly in the sacraments, and seeking to conform our behavior to the Gospel standard. 

Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord, you teach me important truths about my eternal destiny in these lines of Scripture. Prayer is essential to finding and living out the specific mission you have for me. Through prayer I will stay connected to you so that I may be your friend always. Sustain me in the life of grace. I ask when I pray the “Our Father,” “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.” Grant that I may be a faithful follower up until the very last moment of my life. 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a small sacrifice as a renewal of my love for you. 

 

Meditation:

What does the image of a door say to us about the kingdom of God?

Today Jesus tells us a story about the door being shut to those who come too late and suggests that they had offended their host for being late and n ot prepared, They deserved to be excluded. It was customary for teachers in Jesus' time to close the door on tardy students and not allow them back for a whole week in order to teach them a lesson in discipline and faithfulness. Jesus told this story in response to the question of who will make it to heaven. Many rabbis held that all Israel would be saved, except for a few blatant sinners who excluded themselves! After all, they were specially chosen by God when he established a covenant with them.

Jesus doesn't directly answer the question, however; but his response is nonetheless unsettling on two counts. First, Jesus surprised his listeners by saying that one's membership as a covenanted people does not automatically mean entry into the kingdom of God. Second, Jesus asserts that many from the gentile nations would enter God's kingdom. God's invitation is open to Jew and Gentile alike. But Jesus warns that we can be excluded if we do not strive to enter by the narrow door.  What did Jesus mean by this expression? The door which Jesus had in mind was himself. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved (John 10:9).  Jesus opens the way for us to enter into God's kingdom through the cross where he has laid down his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. If we want to enter and remain citizens of God's kingdom, then we must follow Jesus in the way of the cross. The word strive can also be translated agony. To enter the kingdom of God one must struggle against the forces of temptation to sin and whatever would hinder us from doing the will of God (even apathy, indifference, and compromise).

The good news is that we do not struggle alone. God is with us and his grace is sufficient! As we strive side by side  for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27) Jesus assures us of complete victory! Do you trust in God's grace and help, especially in times of testing and temptation?

"Lord Jesus, help me to always trust in your saving grace, especially when I am tempted and put to the test. Help me to be faithful to you and give me the courage and strength to resist temptation, especially the temptation to compromise or to be indifferent to your word."n.Yet Jesus did not force this invitation upon them. He allowed them to respond freely. In the same way, God calls each one of us for a specific mission and gives us the freedom to choose the path of God’s will or the path of our own will. Those who fulfill their mission will find fulfillment, and win eternal life as well.
3. Judas the Traitor: Choosing to respond positively to God’s call does not mean that once we follow Christ, salvation is assured. There are twists and bends along the journey, temptations and falls, growth and success, and the opportunity to lose everything. Judas, who stood so faithfully by Christ’s side up to the end turned away to become a traitor. We must be on guard, renewing our love for God in our hearts every day, participating regularly in the sacraments, and seeking to conform our behavior to the Gospel standard.  
Dear Lord, you teach me important truths about my eternal destiny in these lines of Scripture. Prayer is essential to finding and living out the specific mission you have for me. Through prayer I will stay connected to you so that I may be your friend always. Sustain me in the life of grace. I ask when I pray the “Our Father,” “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.” Grant that I may be a faithful follower up until the very last moment of my life.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a small sacrifice as a renewal of my love for you.

Meditation:

What does the image of a door say to us about the kingdom of God?

Today Jesus tells us a story about the door being shut to those who come too late and suggests that they had offended their host for being late and n ot prepared, They deserved to be excluded. It was customary for teachers in Jesus' time to close the door on tardy students and not allow them back for a whole week in order to teach them a lesson in discipline and faithfulness. Jesus told this story in response to the question of who will make it to heaven. Many rabbis held that all Israel would be saved, except for a few blatant sinners who excluded themselves! After all, they were specially chosen by God when he established a covenant with them.

Jesus doesn't directly answer the question, however; but his response is nonetheless unsettling on two counts. First, Jesus surprised his listeners by saying that one's membership as a covenanted people does not automatically mean entry into the kingdom of God. Second, Jesus asserts that many from the gentile nations would enter God's kingdom. God's invitation is open to Jew and Gentile alike. But Jesus warns that we can be excluded if we do not strive to enter by the narrow door. What did Jesus mean by this expression? The door which Jesus had in mind was himself. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved (John 10:9). Jesus opens the way for us to enter into God's kingdom through the cross where he has laid down his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. If we want to enter and remain citizens of God's kingdom, then we must follow Jesus in the way of the cross. The word strive can also be translated agony. To enter the kingdom of God one must struggle against the forces of temptation to sin and whatever would hinder us from doing the will of God (even apathy, indifference, and compromise).

The good news is that we do not struggle alone. God is with us and his grace is sufficient! As we strive side by side for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27) Jesus assures us of complete victory! Do you trust in God's grace and help, especially in times of testing and temptation?

"Lord Jesus, help me to always trust in your saving grace, especially when I am tempted and put to the test. Help me to be faithful to you and give me the courage and strength to resist temptation, especially the temptation to compromise or to be indifferent to your word."