Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần 19 Thường Niên

Wednesday (August 12): Scripture: Matthew 18:15-20

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần 19 Thường Niên

Sự trung tín của Thiên Chúa đã được thể hiện trong bài đọc Tin Mừng hôm nay: "Vì ở đâu có hai ba người tụ họp nhân danh ta, thì ta ở đó giữa họ." (Mt 18:20) Thiên Chúa cho chúng ta thấy sự hiện diện của Ngài nơi chúng ta, những người biết hoà giải, hiệp nhất với nhau trong tình yêu thương, đoàn kết, trong sự cầu nguyện và trong hành động. Chúa Kitô hứa hẹn sự hiện diện của Ngài trong Giáo Hội khi mọi người Kitô hữu chúng ta đoàn kết, tụ tập với nhau và cùng nhau cầu nguyện.

Là thành viên của Giáo Hội Chúa Kitô, mỗi một người trong chúng ta đều có trách nhiệm là phải “chăn dắt) giúp đỡ và hướng dẫn lẫn nhau, mỗi người chúng ta có trách nhiệm với nhau, "Nếu anh em ngươi trót phạm tội, thì hãy đi sửa lỗi nó, riêng ngươi và nó thôi. Nếu nó nghe ngươi, ngươi đã lợi được anh em ngươi." (Mt 18:15) Đó sẽ là tốt nếu chúng ta có thể hòa giải với nhau trong tình anh em; chỉ khi nào chúng ta không thể hoà giải với nhau vì những khác biệt, thì chúng ta cần phải nhờ đến những người khác trong cộng đồng Giáo Hội lớn hơn.

Chúng ta đang sống trong một thế giới không hoàn hảo; chúng ta là không thể nào hoàn hảo mọi thứ được. Đôi lúc chúng ta cũng sẽ có những xung đột giữa chúng ta. Bằng cách nào đó những mâu thuẫn giữ chúng ta cần phải được giải quyết. Chúa Giêsu giúp ban cho chúng ta những cách hướng dẫn rất đơn sơ nhưng rất thiết thực để giải quyết những xung đột. Và quan trọng hơn, Chúa Giêsu bảo đảm với chúng ta về sự hiện diện của Ngài giữa chúng ta và sẵn sàng giúp đỡ chúng ta mỗi khi cần đén Ngài.

Vì thế, chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện xin Chúa giúp chúng ta luôn luôn có thể để đối thoại với nhau và biết tôn trọng lẫn nhau, và khi có sự xung đột, Xin Chúa giúp chúng ta có can đảm và sự kiên trì để giải quyết những sự khác biết trong tình yêu thương vì chúng ta biết rằng Chính Thiên Chúa đang ở giữa chúng ta.

Reflection:

The fidelity of God is shown in the Gospel reading: "For where two or three are gathered in my Name, I am there among them." God shows his presence where fellows reconcile with each other, Where fellows unite in prayer and in action. Christ promises his presence in the Church when members gather and pray together.

As members of Christ's Church each one of us has the responsibility to be a shepherd to one another; each of us is accountable to one another, "If your brother or sister has sinned against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are in private, and if he listens to you, you have won your brother." It would be good if we can reconcile by ourselves; only if we cannot, do we involve others and the greater Church community.

We live in an imperfect world; we ourselves are imperfect. There will be conflicts among us. Somehow these conflicts should be resolved. Jesus offers us simple practical guides on how to resolve conflicts. And, more important, Jesus assures us of his abiding presence and help.

Let us therefore pray to be able to talk to and respect one another and, when there are conflicts, to have the courage and perseverance to resolve them, knowing God is with us.

Opening Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, you reveal to me through the redemption won for me by your Son the power of forgiveness and prayer. Help me to enter into this moment of prayer with you and hear what you wish to tell me today, so that your forgiveness and mercy may take root in my own heart.

Encountering Christ:

· Called to Purity of Intention: All that Christ does and asks us to do, in imitation of him, is to give life: “I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). He knows that our journey on this side of eternity will be imperfect, both because of the sufferings and sins we cause, and what others do to us. No suffering or hurt is hidden from him. Still, it is life, not death, that he desires. So he invites us to take on his gaze and heart: Only then can we go to our brother who has hurt us, and with forgiveness, love, patience, and prudence seek to bring him back to the light. Doing so always brings us back to the heart of Christ and of his Church since he is the Light: He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).

· Seeing as He Sees: This passage is a classic reference for fraternal correction: the Christian practice of helping another to live the truth in love and bring to his or her attention a real fault that may be causing harm to that person or to others. It’s rooted in the outward gaze of Christ himself toward his children: a gaze with no selfishness, no egotism, but one of pure love that begins in the truth and desires the good of others. It’s a practice that must constantly bring us back to our knees and to living in sincerity before God since only his light can truly illuminate our hearts and purify our intentions for the good of others.

· The Power of Communion: There seems to be a special grace hidden in communion—in working together for the good of others and in praying together. Jesus highlighted both of these aspects in his words to his apostles. Let Jesus’s affirmation strengthen our faith in the power of intercessory prayer and the great gift he has given us in the Church and our own communities and families. He wishes to make himself present in the world through us in our communities. As he said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to see others, the world around me, and my own self with your eyes. Draw me close to you since you are the light who reveals the truth of all things. May I live and walk today in the light of your truth and love.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a concrete step to try to see someone who has hurt me with your loving eyes.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021 - Praying Together with the Son

“Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19–20

This is a bold and awe-inspiring promise from our Lord. This passage reveals Jesus’ desire that we pray with others, uniting our prayer as one and offering it to the Father. Jesus says that when we do this in union with His prayer, our prayer will be answered.

The first thing to note is that this passage could easily be misunderstood. For example, is Jesus telling us that if two or more people get together and pray that it rains, then it will happen? Certainly not. The key to understanding this passage is found in the last line: “…there am I in the midst of them.” This means that the goal of gathering together with two or more people in prayer is to unite our unified prayer to the prayer of Jesus. The Father always hears and answers the prayer of the Son. No matter what the Son asks the Father, it is granted. Thus, this passage tells us that the goal of gathering together in prayer with others, that is, with the Church, is to unite ourselves with the one and eternal prayer of God the Son. This is first and foremost fulfilled within the Sacred Liturgy.

When we come together in the Liturgy, our prayer is always heard. Why? Because the Liturgy is first an action of God the Son in which He invites us, the Church, to share. And the prayer that is offered is the one and eternal prayer by which God the Son asks the Father to bring salvation to all those who accept the saving action of His sacrifice on the Cross. When we join in this prayer, it is granted.

What type of prayer is not answered? First, God does not grant that which fails to serve His mission. Second, if we pray for God’s will but fail to do our part, then our prayer cannot be answered. For example, if you pray that you overcome a particular sin but then fail to respond to the grace God gives, then this is not the fault of God. Third, praying for vengeance on those who have hurt us is ineffective. And fourth, praying for the conversion of one who refuses to repent will also be unable to be fulfilled, unless they ultimately repent. These are but a few examples.

What type of prayer is effective? As already mentioned, the prayer of the Liturgy as the one Sacrifice of Christ is always heard when we participate in it. But there are other ways that our united prayer will be fulfilled with certainty. For example, if you gather with others and together pray for the grace of deeper conversion, you can be certain that the grace will be offered. It is then up to you to open your heart to that grace so that it is effective. Or if you pray that God offer His mercy to someone caught in sin, you can be certain that that grace will be offered, even if the person refuses to accept it. And the list could go on. Simply put, if we gather with others and seek to unite our prayer to the one and perfect prayer of God the Son as it is offered to the Father in Heaven, then that prayer of the Son in which we share will be answered. Perhaps the best way to pray together in this way is to pray the “Our Father” prayer with another. This prayer is always heard and answered by the Father, since it is the prayer given to us by the Son.

Reflect, today, upon God the Son praying to the Father. What is His perfect prayer? What does He ask the Father? Look for ways in which you can join with others to unite your own prayer to this prayer of the Son of God. Do this first and foremost in the Sacred Liturgy, but look for other ways in which you can practice this form of prayer. Praying together with others in union with the one prayer of Jesus will always be answered by the Father in Heaven.

My perfect Lord, all that You ask of the Father is granted to You. Please draw me and all the members of Your Church into Your perfect prayer to the Father. May we participate in this prayer especially through the Sacred Liturgy, and also as we gather as two or more. May we pray only with You and in accord with Your perfect will. Jesus, I trust in You.

Reflection:

God takes Moses to the mountain top and lays before him the land which he will give to the people whom Moses had led out of slavery. But Moses himself will stop short at the threshold of the Promised Land. God now teaches him to journey inward. With eyes and heart that have been inflamed by God all his life, Moses comes to terms with journeying quietly and alone, back to God, who has known him face to face.

God in Christ reconciles the world to himself, and Jesus entrusts to us the good news that we are reconciled. Jesus teaches us to reconcile with one another, because reconciliation cannot be achieved by human effort alone. Jesus teaches us to reconcile in openness, sincerity and confidence. If after much goodwill and transparency anyone still chooses to alienate himself from the community, then the burden is not on the community.

Reconciliation therefore is not an alternative; it is not even our choice. It is our experience with God in the existential reality of freedom. In reconciling with one another and with the world, we experience God, who gives freedom and salvation. This God is the God of Moses, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the Sacrament of Reconciliation between God and all Creation.

May God be blessed, forever and ever.’’

Meditation:

Friends, the Gospel for today addresses an issue of tremendous practical importance, namely, how we ought to engage in fraternal correction. Jesus says, with utter directness and simplicity, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”

t a world of significance in that little recommendation! It holds off the sinful tendency of running to everyone but the person in question and complaining about him behind his back. This strategy is utterly unproductive and spiritually harmful, for it does nothing to help the person you are criticizing, and it puffs up your already inflated ego.

I know it is exceptionally difficult, but going to the person directly is both productive and spiritually uplifting. It has at least a fighting chance of accomplishing something, and it confirms you in love. But the right thing is, as usual, the hard thing. Notice please that the accuser is encouraged to tell the person in question alone—and no one else. Venting and gossiping are not helpful.

Meditation: Deuteronomy 34:1-12- The Lord showed him all the land. (Deuteronomy 34:1)

For forty years, Moses had been bogged down in the nitty-gritty of leading God’s people. Every day he had to decide whether to stay put or pick up stakes and move on. When they entered new territory, he had to find out whether its inhabitants were friendly or hostile and take appropriate action. He had to punish wrongdoers and settle disputes. By the end of his life, Moses was understandably weary.

God knew that a long struggle lay ahead before his people would be able to take full possession of the Promised Land. So, he chose Moses’ faithful lieutenant, Joshua, to be their leader in that struggle. He also decreed that Moses would not be permitted to enter that land. It’s not clear from Scripture whether this was a punishment or an act of mercy. Most commentators see it as a punishment for Moses’ one act of disobedience at Kadesh (Numbers 20:6-12). But perhaps it was an act of mercy: Moses had seen enough battles and struggles, and now it was time for him to rest and receive his reward.

Whatever the case, out of love for the friend he knew “face to face,” God gave Moses a wonderful gift (Exodus 33:11). From the top of Mount Nebo, he showed Moses the whole spread of the land that his chosen people would eventually inhabit. Moses delighted in its mountains and valleys, rivers and deserts, lush vegetation and wilderness. Then, like Simeon in the New Testament, he died in peace (Luke 2:25-32).

We can easily get bogged down in the details of daily living. Today’s tasks, relationships, and challenges can weary us. That’s why it’s a good idea to ask God to help us see the big picture every now and then. From the very beginning, he has been at work in the world, caring for his people, offering us salvation, and building a Church that reflects his kingdom. With such a big picture, how can we help but marvel at what the future holds? God will be with us always; he is determined to bring us all into his promised land!

“Father, thank you for the glimpses you give me into your grand plan for the world. I trust that you have a perfect plan for me as well!”

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 19 Thường Niên

Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay Chúa Giêsu đã dạy cho chúng ta về việc cần thiết cho việc tha thứ cho nhau, "không phải là bảy lần mà thôi, nhưng phải bảy mươi lần bảy”. Bởi vì chúng ta cần nên phải có lòng thương xót và đại lượng với lòng từ bi như Chúa Cha của chúng ta trên trời.

Trong cuộc sống hiện tại, chúng ta có thể không thấy quá khó để tha thứ cho những người mà chúng ta yêu thích. Nhưng chúng ta lại cảm thấy rất khó để tha thứ cho những người mà chúng ta không ưa (thích) hay là những người đã làm tổn thương cho chúng ta về thân xác lẫn tinh thần.

Chắc chắn là chúng ta cần phải có ân sủng của Thiên Chúa để đánh động và cải hoá trái tim của chúng ta, để chúng ta có thể nhìn xa hơn về những tội phản nghịch và chống lại chúng ta, và để chúng ta có thể hiểu được và thông cảm với những người đã chống lại hay phản nghịch với chúng ta. Và từ đó, chúng ta mới có thể nhận ra rằng những người phản nghịch với chúng ta có thể thật sự là không biết những gì mà họ đã làm hay các hành vi của họ thực sự không có gì là đáng kể, hay là chúng ta có thể đã phóng đại những sự thiệt hại mà họ đã gây ra cho chúng ta. Điều quan trọng hơn là ân sủng của Thiên Chúa sẽ nhắc nhở chúng ta về lòng thương xót và sự tha thứ của Thiên Chúa đối với chúng ta trong những hành vi tội lỗi của chúng ta và Thiên Chúa luôn luôn tha thứ cho chúng ta, nhưng chúng ta cũng phải biết tha thứ cho những người còn mắc nợ chúng ta.

Reflection:

The Gospel reading speaks of the necessity that we forgive one another, "not seven times, but seventy-seven times" because we should be merciful and compassionate as our heavenly Father.

We may find not so hard to forgive those we like. But it is not easy to forgive those whom we do not like or who have gravely injured us. .

It takes God's grace to soften our hearts, to look beyond the offense committed against us, and to understand the offender. Then we may realize that the offender may not really know what he/she has done or that the offense is really not that great or that we may have over-stated the harm done to us.

More important, God's grace will remind us of God's mercy and forgiveness to us for our own many offenses and that God will forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Opening Prayer: 

Lord, bless me as I ponder your words today in Scripture. Help me to conform my heart more closely to yours.

Encountering Christ:

· Brothers: In Biblical terms, the number seven reflects perfection. We may take Christ’s words, as no doubt his hearers did, not to mean the literal 539 times (though that in itself would be quite a high standard!), but as a reflection of God’s own perfect forgiveness, that is, limitless. Peter approached Jesus with this question about his brother. What squabble had he and Andrew just had, that Peter would ask this? Whatever the answer, it’s a hopeful question, because it expresses Peter’s desire to forgive, even if at the moment, he may not have felt like it. While Christ doesn't hold back in presenting the standard of his own heart regarding forgiveness, he does know our human condition and doesn’t demand that we deliver with perfection, but that we never cease trying, in love.

· The Kingdom of Heaven: It’s interesting that Jesus uses this passage to illustrate what the kingdom of heaven is like. It seems to deal with very unheavenly matters–stewards, material responsibilities, money, prisons, and debt–all less than spiritual things. But perhaps it actually enlightens essential aspects of God’s kingdom among us. God makes his kingdom present even now, in this, our world; it is not an abstract, unreal ephemeral place, nor is it utterly beyond our reach. He himself has come to bring his kingdom, to make present the mystery of his very Person within our world, sanctifying it. It’s a kingdom in which how we live, forgive, and accept mercy matters, as if these are the very passageway between the kingdom as we know it here and the fullness of that kingdom which we will one day know in heaven.

· Forgiveness as God-like Love: “Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” This last question of the king toward his steward should also give us pause. Forgiveness, compassion, mercy: whether in life’s most dire or daily moments, these can be among the most difficult virtues to live. Yet God does not ask of us anything which he himself has not first done for us. Forgiveness is perhaps the greatest act of love, for it comes from a place of hurt—is this not a small form of redemption, taking flesh in the Christian life? What more God-like love could exist than this? What is a surer route to union with his heart or making present the mystery of his kingdom in our own lives and the world than this?

Conversing with Christ: Lord, Jesus, remind me of your goodness toward me and let this be the source of forgiveness and compassion that you ask me to extend to others. As I look outward to others, let me daily experience your loving gaze toward me.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will strive to forgive from the heart the little or great wrongs that have been done to me.