Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ 17 Thường Niên
Hôm nay, bài Tin Mừng cho chúng
ta thấy Chúa Giêsu dậy cho các môn đệ. Như thói quen, Ngài dạy các ông trong
hình thức các dụ ngôn, Ngài dùng hình ảnh đơn giản hàng ngày để giải thích
những mầu nhiệm và bí ẩn to lớn của Nước Trời. Bằng cách này mà tất cả mọi
người từ những người thông minh nhất đến những người đơn sơ thấp kém nhất cũng
có thể hiểu được ý nghĩa Lời của Chúa.
"Nước Trời giống như hạt
cải" (Mt 13:31) hạt cải là những hạt hết sức là nhỏ bé nó to gần như là
hạt cát mịn, nhưng nếu chúng ta trồng nó xuống đất, bun xới, chăm sóc tốt mỗi
ngày ... kết quả, nó sẽ trở thành một cây lớn lớn. “Nước thiên đàng giống như
men mà một người phụ nữ trộn lẫn với ba đấu bột (...)” (Mt 13:33). Nấm men thì
vô hình, nhưng nếu nó không được trộn và ủ trong bột làm bánh mì thì bột không
nổi và bánh mì sẽ cứng khô. Đó là những cách cần thiết cho cuộc sống Kitô hữu
của chúng ta. Một cuộc sống trong ân sủng: cho dù không thấy được sự bộc lộ ở
bên ngoài; cũng không có một âm thanh làm vang dội cho người khác nghe, nhưng
... nếu chúng ta cho phép những ân sủng của Chúa đến và ở trong trái tim của
chúng ta, thì ân sủng của Thiên Chúa sẽ là phân bón nuôi dưỡng hạt giống và biến
đổi con người tội lỗi như chúng ta trở thành như các thánh của Chúa.
Chúng ta nhận được ân sủng của Thiên Chúa qua đức tin,
qua lời cầu nguyện, qua các bí tích, qua tình yêu của Thiên Chúa. Nhưng ân sủng
cho cuộc sống này phải là trên tất cả những ân sủng mà chúng ta đã hy vọng và phải
chờ mong, nhưng chúng ta phải mong muốn trong sự khiêm tốn. Những hồng ân của
Thiên Chúa mà những người khôn ngoan trên thế giới này không biết đánh giá cao,
không biết kính trọng nhưng mà Chúa là Thiên Chúa của chúng ta muốn truyền ban cho
những ai biết khiêm tốn, hèn hạ và biết chấp nhận thánh ý Chúa.
Đấy là một
điều thật tuyệt vời nếu khi Ngài đi tìm kiếm chúng ta, những người biết tự nhận
ra chính bản thân mình là những người tội lỗi yếu đuối, nhưng biết tin tưởng
vào sự tốt lành của Thiên Chúa. Bằng cách này, hạt cải nơi chúng ta sẽ phát
triển thành cây lớn, các men của Lời Chúa sẽ đem lại cho chúng ta những hoa trái
của sự sống đời đời bởi vì như thánh Augustinô có nói: “Trái tim càng biết
khiêm tốn trong sự thấp hèn, thì nó sẽ càng được nâng lên để được hoàn thiện”
(Saint Augustine).
Reflection:
Today, the Gospel shows us Jesus preaching to his
disciples. He does so, as is His custom, in the form of parables, using simple
everyday images to explain the great hidden mysteries of His Kingdom. In this
way he could be understood by everyone from the most highly educated to the
simplest of individuals.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a
mustard seed” (Mt 13:31) The mustard seed is so tiny it is almost invisible,
but if we take good care of it and water it properly... it ends up becoming a
large tree. «The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast that a woman took and
buried in three measures of flour (...)» (Mt 13:33). The yeast is invisible,
but if it weren't present the dough would not rise. Such is the way for life
lived as a Christian, the life of grace: you don't see it externally; it
doesn't make a sound, but… if one lets it introduce itself in one's heart,
divine grace nourishes the seed and converts people from sinners to saints.
We get this divine grace through
faith, through prayer, through the sacraments, through love. But this life of
grace is, above all, a gift that we must wait and hope for, that we must desire
with humility. A gift which the wise and learned of this world do not know how
to appreciate, but that Our Lord God wants to transmit to the humble and
uncomplicated. It would be great if, when He looks for us, he finds us, not in
the group of the proud, but amongst the humble, the ones who recognize
themselves as weak sinners, but very grateful for, and trusting in, the
goodness of the Lord. This way the mustard seed will grow into the large tree,
the yeast of the Word of God will bring about for us the fruit of eternal life
because «the more the heart is lowered in humility, the higher it is raised to
perfection» (Saint Augustine).
Opening
Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant me
the grace to recognize the kingdom present in mystery and participate in
building your kingdom here on earth.
Encountering Christ:
1.
Hidden in
Mystery from the Foundation: Jesus’s
veiled parables speak of one of the most profound mysteries of God’s plan. To
grasp it, we must consider the beginning in the book of Genesis, through the
sacrifice of the cross in the Gospels, and on to the book of Revelation. God
desired to create man in his image, to give the gift of himself in an intimate
relationship to the summit of his creation, the human person. But God’s gift of
friendship was rejected. The Lord’s sovereign reign, where all good things will
be given in and through him, was cast away. What did the Father do when human
freedom rejected his gift? The Father worked with human freedom, preparing the
way to establish his reign and invite us to enter into his presence, his
kingdom, once again. The key was his Son, Jesus Christ. We enter the kingdom
through the heart of Christ, a heart that suffered and died to expiate our sins
and enable us to enter into a relationship with God once again. The mystery of
the kingdom, present in Christ’s body as sacrament, is already present, yet is
still being fulfilled until the end times.
2.
Mustard Seed
and Yeast: Jesus utilized two
powerful images to give us a clue about the kingdom of heaven. He likened it to
a mustard seed and yeast. Mustard seeds are the tiniest of seeds, just a small
particle in one’s hand that can easily be swept away by a current of wind. But
in its humble beginnings lies great potential. A mustard seed grows into “the
largest of plants.” A little bit of yeast goes a long way in leavening bread,
allowing it to expand and provide sustenance to many. So it is with the kingdom
of heaven. In humility, Jesus brought about the greatest of acts—salvation. His
kingdom grows in unseen ways wherever his grace is present. All it takes is a
small, humble act of faith to allow God to plant and grow his kingdom within.
3.
Branches and
Leaven: As we allow ourselves
to be converted and further evangelized by the Lord, we grow in friendship with
him. His life becomes our life. He permits and makes our lives bear fruit for
his kingdom. We become the “branch” and “leaven” in the dough as we participate
in the sacramental life of Jesus Christ, present and hidden in mystery. Let’s
ask for Jesus’s life to grow in us so that we may also be his humble and worthy
disciples, bringing many people to discover the treasure of faith we have just
begun to uncover.
Conversing with
Christ: Lord Jesus, I believe
that you are present in your most holy sacraments and wherever your grace
abounds. Grant that I may seek you out, welcome you and live according to your
heart, humble and hidden, ready to sacrifice out of love for others.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will recognize that in
my littleness, the Lord can do great things if I remain united to him in prayer
and grace. I will reflect on how to protect my life of grace daily.
Reflection:
In today's Gospel reading, we see Jesus teaching his disciples again in parables. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like…" Instead of using abstract ideas in his teachings, our Lord used parables with examples that we see or experience daily. This has the advantage of timeless and universal application. Also, the parables could be more easily understood by those not highly educated or sophisticated people. What did he mean by the "kingdom of God"? We know that it is not a place. But if we translate it as the "reign of God," we can better understand and apply it across time and space. God reigns in any place or action which proclaims his values and everything He stands for. Since he is love, wherever or whenever love is present in any activity, he is also there as Lord and King. Like a little mustard seed, in any little good thing we do or witness, the kingdom of God is in our midst. Like the yeast in the dough, the Lord also reigns in the loving but unseen actions and activities of his faithful. These little acts of loving all inspired by the Spirit of Love will be the catalyst for the transformation of society and the world. That is why our Lord taught us to pray for the "coming of God's kingdom." Every time we pray the Lord's Prayer, let us reflect and ask ourselves if our actions are helping or hindering the reign of God in our lives and in the world around us. Is he the Lord of our hearts and the Lord of our lives? Since most of us repeatedly fail, we then also ask the Lord to "forgive us our trespasses. "
REFLECTION
In the first reading today, the prophet uses the image of a belt buried in water which destroys it for the people of Israel and Judah who will be destroyed because they have refused to listen to God's commandments. In the Gospel reading Jesus uses two parables to teach people about the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is like a really small mustard seed which grows into the biggest of garden plants. The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast which makes the dough rise and grow. The kingdom of heaven grows quietly but surely, like the mustard seed planted in the garden. The kingdom of heaven's growth is like that of the yeast in the dough; its effects are hidden and unseen and yet very effective. The kingdom of heaven grows quietly and surely where love abounds, in the many loving and caring deeds of so many.Are we doing our part in hastening the arrival and growth of the kingdom of heaven in our lives and in the lives of those we touch?
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