Suy Niệm Bài đọc thứ Ba tuần thứ 10 Thường Niên
"Tất cả những điều gì Thiên Chúa đã hứa với dân Israel Ngài đã thực hiện hoàn thành ." Do đó, Thánh Phaolô đã nói lên mối quan hệ giữa Cựu Ước và Tân Ước. Ông
Môisen Nghe lời mệnh lệnh của Thiên Chúa và dẫn đưa dân Israel ra khỏi Ai Cập. Ông đã đem đám dân nô
lệ này ra khỏi ai cập và Thiên Chúa đã biến họ thành một quốc gia hùng mạnh trong thời vua David. Trong mọi thời gian, Thiên Chúa đã chọn những người này làm dân của riêng Ngài và Ngài là Thiên Chúa của họ, như Ngài đã hứa với dân
Israel trong sách Xuất Hành 6: 7; (cf. Lêvi
26:12) và Và sau đó Ngài
đã lặp đi lặp lại nhiều lần qua các tiên tri như tiên tri Giêrêmi 30:22;
Êzêkiel 11:20: "Các ngươi sẽ là dân của
Ta, và Ta, Ta sẽ là Thiên Chúa của các ngươi.” (Giêmi 30:22).
Bốn đặc điểm tuyệt vời này đánh dấu mối quan hệ của Thiên Chúa với dân Israel:
1-
Sự lựa chọn của Thiên Chúa,
2-
Giao ước mà Ngài đã lập với họ,
3-
Ban cho họ 10 Điều răn (Luật) để hướng dẫn họ sống vui
vẻ (Thánh Vịnh 119) theo những lời Giao ước đó,
4-
Và những lời hứa mà Ngài đã thực hiện, đặc biệt là lời hứa ban cho họ một Đấng Thiên Sai.
Bốn yếu tố
này, Sự lựa chọn, Giao Ước, Luật, và Lời hứa ban cho đấng cứu thế, là cách
để cho dân Israel trở thành những người có niềm hy vọng lớn lao của Thiên Chúa, vì vậy cả bốn đều là những
biểu hiện khác nhau của tình yêu tuyệt vời của Thiên Chúa trong Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho nhân loại. Trong bối cảnh này, chúng ta đạt được một
sự hiểu biết sâu sắc hơn về lời
khẳng định của Thánh Phaolô.
Lạy
Cha trên Trời, xin làm cho chúng con
được trở nên một dân
tộc với niềm hy vọng vĩ đại trong Chúa Kitô; xin làm cho chúng con
trở thành những ánh sang thật sự sáng của thế gian, và muối mặn của thé giới này.
“Whatever promises God has made have
been fulfilled in him.” Paul thus sums up the relation between the Old and New
Testaments. Moses obeyed God’s command
and led the Israelites out of Egypt. He made this crowd of runaway slaves into
a people. Later David made this people into a nation. All the time, God was
making this people into his own and giving himself to them as their God, as he
promised in Exodus 6:7; (cf. Leviticus 26:12) and later repeated several times
through the prophets Jer 30:22; Ezek 11:20: “You shall be my people and I will be your God.”
Four
great characteristics marked God’s relation with Israel: God’s choice, the
Covenant he made with them, the Law to guide them in living joyfully (Psalm
119) according to that Covenant, and the promises he made, especially the
promise of a Messiah. Promise is part of the vocabulary of hope. These four
elements, Choice, Covenant, Law, Messianic promise, were God’s way of making
the Israelites into a people of great hope, so the four are all different expressions
of God’s great love in Jesus for humanity. Against this background we attain a
deeper understanding of Paul’s affirmation.
Heavenly Father, make us a people
of great hope in Christ; make us truly light of the world, salt of the earth
Opening Prayer: Jesus,
thank you for your holy words that guide us in our journey as Christian
disciples. Help me to bring your goodness to the world around me and glorify
you in all my thoughts, words, and actions.
Encountering Christ:
1.
Salt for Taste: As Christian disciples, part of our role is to make the
world better for everyone. We bring good cheer, virtue, and works of mercy with
us into the places where we live and work. Salt is a seasoning that brings out
the flavors of different foods. It allows us to taste more of the food’s
natural flavors. It makes the good food taste even better. By adding our “salt”
to our interactions with others, we can help them become the “best versions of
themselves,” as Catholic author Matthew Kelly would put it. We should strive to
live a life of virtue and gently encourage others to do likewise. Being
cheerful, trustworthy, helpful, and kind are ways we can bring “salt” to the
world around us. Even in the way we speak to one another, we can be salt of the
earth: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you
know how you should respond to each one” (Colossians 4:6). Salt was often used
in the ancient world to draw out impurities and keep meats from decaying. When
our speech is “seasoned with salt,” it means that it is pure and life-giving,
having no impure overtones or gossip that tears people down.
2.
Light for Truth: Jesus
also calls us to be “the light of the world.” Light shines in the darkness,
illuminating the truth. Jesus is the primary “light of the world” (John 8:12);
our lights are lit from his. As Christian disciples, we have the honor of being
the bearers of Christ’s light of truth and honesty in even the darkest
situations. Our light is placed on a lampstand so that we are not light for
ourselves but for the world. Our light brings Christ’s saving message to all
people: “I have set you to be a light for the world, that you may bring
salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47). We can live as light-bearers
through striving to bring the light of Christ to each person we meet by being
examples of honesty, goodness, and kindness. More importantly, we share
Christ’s light by proclaiming the saving message of the Gospel.
3.
All for God’s Glory: Being salt for taste and light for truth is part of our
mission as Christians disciples. We do not do this for our own glory, just so
that we can be seen by others as good people. The Christian life is not a
self-improvement program (although we do grow in holiness as a result). The
goal is to give glory to God. We want people to see us living our faith in word
and speech as well as in deed and truth (cf. 1 John 3:18) in order that they
may recognize Christ in us. We do not have to rely on ourselves for our salt
and light, because Jesus is our source for these. By the grace of the
sacraments and our encounters with him, Jesus Christ dwells in us. It is his
grace and light, not our own, that radiates to others (cf. Galatians 2:20). The
sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit make it possible to be salt and light in the
world: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, fear of the Lord,
and piety. These all work together to help us bring Christ’s salt and light
into our homes, churches, workplaces, and societies. The world is a better
place to live because of Christians who live out this call to glorify God in
all that they do.
Conversing with
Christ: Jesus, help me to be
your salt and light in the world. Please send your Holy Spirit to guide me in
all my thoughts, words, and deeds so that I reflect your love, goodness, and
truth in all that I say and do. Help me to recognize any bad habits I may have
that may cause my salt to “lose its flavor,” such as gossiping or using impure
speech. Give me the courage to be your light in this world and not hide its
brilliance. Help me see the beauty that your light shining through me brings to
others. May all that I do be for your greater glory.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will prayerfully consider if
I have any bad habits that are causing my salt to lose its flavor or my light
to shine less brightly.
Comment:
Fr. Francesc PERARNAU i Cañellas (Girona, Spain)
You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world
Today,
St. Mathew reminds us of those words Jesus said regarding our mission as
Christians: to be the salt and the light of the world. On the one hand, the
salt is a necessary seasoning to make foods taste good: without salt, most
dishes are almost worthless! Throughout centuries, on the other hand, salt has
been a fundamental element to keep victuals from corruption. Jesus tells us:
—You must be the salt of your world, and like the salt, you are to be tasty and
avoid corruption. In our time, many have
lost the sense of life and claim it is not worth their while; that life is full
of disappointments, difficulties and suffering; that it goes by very fast and
that it has death, as a final perspective, and a sad one too.
«You are the salt of the earth!» (Mt
5,13). It is up to Christians to give flavor to life: by showing the joyful and
serene optimism of he who recognizes himself as the son of God, for everything
in our lives can be a path to sanctity; by making difficulties, suffering and
pain help us to purify ourselves; and by realizing that, at the end of our
lives, life in Glory —the eternal happiness— is waiting for us.
And, also as the salt does, Christ's
disciples, must preserve from corruption: where there are Christians with
living faith, there cannot be injustice, violence, ill-treatment of the weak
ones... Rather on the contrary, the virtue of Charity must shine in full force:
worrying for others, solidarity, generosity... And, thus, Christians are the
light of the world (cf. Mt 5:14). A Christian is the torch that, with the
example of his life, shows the path to Salvation, by bringing the light of
truth everywhere in the world... Where, before, there was only darkness,
uncertainty and doubts, now, there is light, certainty and self-confidence.
Jesus
used ordinary images, such as salt and light, to convey extraordinary truths
that transform our minds, hearts, and lives. What does salt and light have to
teach us about God and the transforming power of his kingdom? Salt was a
valuable commodity in the ancient world. People traded with it, like we trade
with valuable goods, such as gold and stock. Salt also served a very useful
purpose, especially in warmer climates before the invention of electricity and
refrigeration. Salt not only gave rich flavor to food, it also preserved food
from going bad and being spoiled.
Jesus
used the image of salt to describe the transforming effect of God's work in our
lives - and how the Holy Spirit wants to work through us to bring the power and
blessing of God's kingdom to others. As salt purifies, preserves, and produces
rich flavor for our daily food, we, too, as disciples of Jesus, are
"salt" for the world of human society. The Lord wants to work in and
through us to purify, preserve, and spread the rich flavor of God's kingdom
everywhere - his "kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy
Spirit" (Romans 14:17).
Don't
lose your saltiness
What
did Jesus mean by the expression "if salt has lost its taste... it is no
longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot"
(Matthew 5:13)? Salt in the ancient world was often put into ovens to intensify
the heat. When the salt was burned off and no longer useful it was thrown out
on the ground where it would easily get stepped on and swept away (Matthew
5:13). How can we lose our "saltiness"? When we allow the world, sin,
and Satan to corrupt us. The Lord wants us to preserve our
"saltiness" - through virtuous living and rejection of sin - not only
for our own sake but also for the sake of others. Paul the Apostle reminds us
that we are called to be "the aroma of Christ to God among those who are
being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to
death, to the other a fragrance from life to life" (2 Corinthians 2:15-16
). Do you allow the fragrance of Christ's love, truth, and holiness to permeate
every area of your life, your thoughts, words, actions, and relationships?
Light
that shines for all to see
Jesus
used the image of light and a lamp to further his illustration of God's
transforming work in and through us. Lamps in the ancient world served a vital
function, much like they do today. They enable people to see and work in the
dark and to avoid stumbling. The Jews also understood "light" as
symbol or expression of the inner beauty, truth, and goodness of God. In his
light we see light ( Psalm 36:9). His word is a lamp that guides our
steps (Psalm 119:105). God's grace not only illumines the darkness in our
lives, but it also fills us with spiritual light, joy, and peace.
Jesus
used the image of a lamp to describe how his disciples are to live in the light
of his truth and love. Just as natural light illumines the darkness and enables
one to see visually, so the light of Christ shines in the hearts of believers
and enables us to see the heavenly reality of God's kingdom. Our mission is to
be light-bearers of Jesus Christ so that others may see the truth of the
gospel and be freed from the blindness of sin and deception.
There
is great freedom and joy for those who live in the light of God's truth and
goodness. Do you know the joy and freedom of living in God's light?
"Lord
Jesus, you guide me by the light of your saving truth. Fill my heart and mind
with your light and truth and free me from the blindness of sin and deception
that I may see your ways clearly and understand your will for my life. May I
radiate your light and truth to others in word and deed".
Reflection:
"You are the salt of
the earth" Recently one of the shows of the History channel showed how a
common product such as salt is used for a lot of things. Salt enhances the
flavor in our dishes to give us that desired taste. At the time when
refrigeration was not yet a common thing, salt was used to transport ice from
the northern continents to higher temperature countries so that they can enjoy
their drinks. Salt was also used to preserve produce such as meat and fish.
Such a simple product and yet so many important and wonderful uses.
Oftentimes we question our
individual roles in the world. Some know immediately what roles they are
destined to play. Others, however, seem to be still searching for meaning in
their lives, day in and day out. No matter how simple our lifestyle may be,
each and everyone of us has a role to play. We do not have to be CEOs or occupy
high level positions in government to contribute. Being a father or a mother, a
traffic aide, a teacher, or whatever we may be, each one of us has a
significant role to play.
Salt is made up of tiny
crystals. Each piece adds that flavor. If each particle fails to be salty, then
the taste of the dish would fall flat. Jesus addresses this message - about
being salty - to all of us. No one should feel that he is not worthy to be part
of God's kingdom.
This was what St. José de
Anchieta (1534 – 1597) did for Brazil. Born in the Canary Islands, this Spanish
Jesuit missionary became the father of Brazilian literature. He was
instrumental in introducing the Catholic faith to the local Indians. He has
been recognized as one of the founders of Sao Paulo in 1554 and Rio de Janeiro
in 1565. He lived as "salt" for the Gospel message to the people of
Brazil. He was declared a saint by Pope Francis on 03 April 2014.
Through the intercession of
St. Jose de Anchieta, may we make our contribution to the betterment of
society today.
Lord, give us the grace to
truly understand the beatitudes, and to live them fully.
Meditation: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 Saint
Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church
However
many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Just
how many are the “many” promises of God? Some diligent readers have counted
thousands of promises found in the Scriptures.
Today’s
first reading hints at one promise of God that speaks to us with an
unmistakable tenor of joy. Paul even takes it up later in this same letter.
Intrigued? It’s his promise that one day, the Church will be ushered into the
greatest wedding celebration of all time—as the bride of Christ.
Paul
wrote of us, the Church, as being betrothed to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2).
When Jesus ascended, he poured his Spirit into our hearts as a first
installment of this immense blessing. The Bridegroom may tarry briefly, but one
day he will return, and the Father will present us to him, as all of heaven
joins in our wedding feast!
Will
the Lord find a beautiful bride when he returns? Reflecting on the plight of
our seven billion “neighbors,” many of whom haven’t yet found their place in
the Church, it’s clear that there’s a lot of work to do. This is certainly a
busy “engagement” season! And so many have joyfully responded by offering their
lives to work alongside the Lord in this challenging yet beautiful endeavor.
You,
too, have a personal stake in this promise of marriage. When the Holy Spirit
first came to dwell in you, it was as if you received your engagement ring.
Now, as you look forward to that glorious day of celebration, you can also look
outward and consider how you can help other people join you as part of that
beautiful bride. We all belong to each other, and we all belong to Christ. He
wants all of us to be with him forever, and he is asking you to prepare for
that day by bringing more people to him.
Does
a bride consider her wedding preparations a drudgery? Of course not, and
neither should you. As you serve God and share his good news, don’t forget to
rejoice. Remember that Jesus is faithful to his promises, especially his
wedding promises. The best is yet to come! Heaven lies ahead. As beautiful as
this life is, this is only the foretaste of great things to come.
“Jesus,
give me the grace to build your Church.”
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