Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Năm Tuần 28th Thường Niên

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Năm Tuần 28th Thường Niên

Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã quở máng những người Pharisêu và các thầy thông giáo vì những luật lệ họ đã áp đặt trên dâan chúng và những hành động đạo đức giả của họ. Trong khi họ khoe khoang và rao giảng sự công bình và công lý, nhưng chính họ lại thiếu đức bác ái và còn hành động ngược lại với những gì họ rao giảng. Họ xây dựng đài tưởng niệm cho các tiên tri, những người mà tổ tiên của họ đã giết. Họ đã không sống cuộc sống tốt lành: "Khốn cho các người, hỡi những nhà thông luật! Các người đã cất giấu chìa khoá của sự hiểu biết, các người đã không vào, mà những kẻ muốn vào, các người lại ngăn cản.".." (Lc 11: 52)

Ngược lại trong bài đọc thứ nhất trong thư gửi cho các Kitô hữu ở Êphêsô, Thánh Phaolô đã chúc lành ông mang tình yêu, lòng nhân ái với ân sủng của Thiên Chúa đến với "các vị thánh ở Ephêsô," "Trong Đức Ki-tô, Bởi chưng Người đã chọn ta trong Ngài, từ trước tạo thiên lập địa, để ta được nên thánh và vô tì tích trước mặt Người.."(Eph 1: 4) Chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện để cho chúng ta không giống như những người Pharisêu đạo đức giả và các thầy thông luật mà Chúa Giêsu đã nguyền rủa trong bài tin mừng hôm nay, chúng ta hãy xin Chúa cho chúng ta được trở nên một trong những" vị thánh " ở thành Êphêsô mà Thánh Phaolô đã yêu mến, nuôi dưỡng và dậy dỗ.

Reflection

In the Gospel reading Jesus strongly admonishes and even puts curses on the Pharisees and the Jewish teachers of the Law for their hypocrisy. While preaching righteousness and justice, they themselves were lacking in action and even did the opposite of what they preached. They built memorials for the very same prophets whom their ancestors had rejected and even killed. They had not lived good lives and had not taught people well; thus their people had not led good lives because they knew no better: "for you have taken the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have prevented others from entering." (Lk 11: 53)

In contrast in the first reading from his letter to his beloved Christians in Ephesus, Paul blesses God for his loving-kindness and grace to the "saints in Ephesus," to those "God chose in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and without sin in his presence" (Eph 1: 4) We pray that we be not counted with the hypocritical Pharisees and teachers of the Law whom Jesus cursed but be among the "saints" whom Paul loved, taught and nourished.

Thursday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: I join my voice to the words of today’s psalm: Lord, let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication. I come into your presence knowing that you are interested in my life, that you care, that you want me to grow in holiness and bear everlasting fruit for your Kingdom. I open my heart to receive whatever word, whatever grace you want to give me. Hallowed be Thy Name, O Lord, in me and through me…

Encountering Christ:

· A Love-Hate Relationship: The history of God’s chosen people, the Jews, and indeed, the history of the entire human family, is marked by the beneficiaries of God’s generosity repeatedly rebelling against God. Jesus invoked this history when he pointed out the violence committed against Abel and Zechariah, two bookends of the Old Testament. He showed that the generation of religious leaders who were rejecting him, and who would crucify him, were linking themselves to all the past rebellions against God, bringing them to a climax, in fact. In short, Jesus called out their sin. He hoped that in so doing, he would stimulate them to reflection and repentance. This rebellious spirit is within each one of us. As children of Adam and Eve, the initiators of mankind’s rebellion against God, we have a strong tendency to want to dictate how things should be in our lives and in the world, regardless of God’s providence or sovereignty. Where do I see this rebellious spirit in my life? Where do I join the crowd who opposes God’s will and God’s plan?

· What Knowledge Is For: Jesus rebuked the scholars of the law for having much knowledge but not living in accordance with that knowledge. Unfortunately, this too is a trap that we easily fall into. We know so much, simply by knowing our catechism and having heard so many explanations of the Gospel. We know that obeying the moral law is the path to a flourishing life; we know that we are each called to help build up Christ’s Kingdom; we know that happiness is not to be found in money, pleasure, power, or popularity. And yet, do we act according to this knowledge? Do we follow the moral law? Do we dedicate ourselves to bringing people closer to Christ and his Kingdom? Do we direct our energy towards living in communion with God, confident that whatever else we may need will be given us as well if we keep his Kingdom first? Yes and no. Like the scholars of the law, we profess faith in the truths God has revealed, and we follow them to a certain extent. But when we take an honest assessment of the authenticity of our Christian discipleship, we find an awful lot of room still to grow.

· The Pharisees Got Defensive: Jesus hoped his “woes” would startle the Pharisees into openness or repentance. Maybe in the end, after his Passion and Resurrection, these words came back to their minds and helped them accept the Gospel. But their immediate reaction was to get defensive: the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him. What do I get defensive about? In what circumstances do I get defensive? When we interact with our loved ones, when we have challenging encounters at work, we often find ourselves getting defensive. Anytime a difference of opinion seems to question our intelligence or integrity, our initial reaction is usually to assert our intelligence and integrity, even violently. If we can catch ourselves when we do that, if we can become aware of when we are acting defensively, we will capture a golden opportunity for spiritual growth. Defensiveness exposes insecurities. Insecurities expose areas in need of God’s grace and light. Jesus pointed out in his Sermon on the Mount that the meek and the poor of spirit are blessed. The peacemakers are blessed. Whenever we find ourselves reacting to something violently, it’s an opportunity to pause, ask ourselves where that reaction is coming from, and adjust the reaction to be more Christlike, more in harmony with virtues like humility and patience. The truth is that we all have weak points, blind spots, areas where we need to work hard to grow in wisdom, fortitude, faith, and temperance. When someone triggers emotional defensiveness, we can rest assured that nine times out of ten they have exposed one of those weak points, giving us a golden opportunity to exercise one of those virtues.

Conversing with Christ: I want to welcome your words, Lord. I want to truly hear what you are saying to me. But I fear that I may be more like the Pharisees than I realize. I may be closed to your grace without realizing it. I may be attached to my own opinions and expectations and ideas so furiously that there is little room left for me to learn from you. Help free me from my stubbornness, from my blindness. As painful as it may be, I want to leave my old self behind, every single day, so as to become the new creature you want me to be.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will notice quickly whenever I start feeling defensive and respond by inquiring about the reasons behind someone’s statements instead of just shutting that person down.

Reflection:

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are present here as I turn to you in prayer. I trust and have confidence in your desire to give me every grace I need to receive today. Thank you for your love, thank you for your immense generosity toward me. I give you my life and my love in return.

Petition: Lord Jesus Christ, help me to follow your example and set a good example for others. you have invited me to live in your love and bring others to do the same. I ask you for the grace to respond fully today, despite whatever obstacles may arise.

1. History Will Teach Us Something: Throughout the Old Testament, the history of the people of Israel is the drama of God, a profound gesture of his love and protection, as he reveals himself to his chosen people in ever-greater ways. Israel’s response to God’s love, as seen in the Old Testament, that love is pocked and pitted with infidelity, abuse, and ingratitude. At times the people outright reject God and whomever he sends to guide them back to his loving care. These falls from God’s grace are instructive for us today. We see the grandeur of what God did for the people of Israel and marvel at it. We should be aghast at how a people who received so much could respond so little. But more than this, we need to use this history of Israel as a mirror in which to regard our own lives: to recognize the same patterns of failure and lack of fidelity in our own lives and use this self-reflection to inspire us to return to the Lord. If we fail to admit our weaknesses and failures, however, we will be like the Pharisees to whom Christ spoke, who brought the blood of the prophets upon their own heads because of their stubbornness and hardness of heart.

2. History Repeats Itself: In the parable of the vineyard owner who leased out his vineyard (cf. Luke 20:9-16), Christ explains that the owner sent servant after servant to collect from the tenants what was his due, but each was mistreated, beaten or even killed. The situation comes to a head when the owner sends his own son, who is killed.

On one another occasion Christ warns the disciples that if this is the way he is treated, they should expect no less themselves (cf. John 15:20). Do we honestly expect not to have to face some difficulty as disciples of the Lord? Of course not. But what if that difficulty comes from within? This is from where the most serious menaces to our discipleship come. Our pride, our vanity, our love of comfort: these are the battlegrounds and the martyrs’ fields where first and foremost we need to suffer for being a disciple of the Lord. The prophets and martyrs who suffered for their zeal for the Lord did so even up to the cost of their lives. He might not need us to lay our lives on the line in quite the same way, but an interior sacrifice is what Christ does ask of everyone whom he calls.

3. Stoppage Time: One of the key moments in Edith Stein’s conversion happened when from Judaism to Catholicism occurred on a mid-week afternoon. Sshe went into a Catholic Church to see what it was like, and as she sat there in silence, an older woman came in to spend a few moments with Christ in the Eucharist. She had groceries in her hand and was obviously on her way home to prepare dinner. For young Edith, still struggling with belief in God, it was an example of just how grounded in day-to-day reality the Catholic faith is. The woman’s example helped to open Edith’s heart and mind to receive the gift of faith. There is little chance that woman ever knew the importance her example played in helping form this future saint and patronness of Europe, but the woman’s authentic faith was just what Edith needed to see. Our living witness is critical for those around us, whether or not we ever see or hear of the consequence. We can serve as an occasion of grace, or we can be a stumbling block on the path that delays someone from arriving at the place God wants to lead them.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I know that I am an integral part in your plan to save souls. You have the confidence to use me as a channel of your grace for those around me, particularly those closest to me. I offer you my life today. Use me as a channel of grace and a testimony to your love.

Resolution: I will offer to God today the sacrifice necessary to change something in my behavior that might be an obstacle for someone else coming to know Christ better.

Reflection:

In the Gospel, Jesus challenges the motives of the Pharisees and the scribes on showing off their good deeds. This kind of hypocrisy is still very much alive in our generation. We are driven to show off what we have or do because of our need to be appreciated and recognized. Showing off our material wealth and success is often a cover up of our iniquities and incapacity to love. That is why in the first reading, God is encouraging us not to be scandalized of our sins because the sacrifice of Jesus to die on the cross was an act of love that has the power to redeem us, and his resurrection can free us from our sins.

This life transformation took flesh in St. Teresa. She had a lot of sufferings and pains early in her life struggles which ordinary people like us experience. But through prayer and faith in the love of God, she overcame all her "dark nights" and saw the light of Christ. She said, "Prayer is an act of love, and words are not needed. Even if sickness distracts us from thoughts, all that is needed is the will to love." She also said that "it is of great importance, when we begin to practice prayer, not to let ourselves be frightened by our thoughts." If we embrace this kind of attitude in our prayer life, we can remain happy and be at peace in the midst of our daily life struggles. May these words of St. Teresa comfort us, "Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing make you afraid. All things are passing. God alone never changes. Patience gains all things. If you have God, you will want for nothing. God alone suffices."

REFLECTION

In the first reading St. Paul reminds us that we are all sinners, but, because of God's love and mercy and through the redeeming suffering and death of his Son Jesus Christ, God has forgiven us and made us righteous. Every time we approach God for forgiveness through the ministry of the Church in the sacrament of reconciliation, we cannot but be overwhelmed by his forgiving love and mercy which forgive us our offenses and make us righteous before him and the Church.

If God is so forgiving to me, can I do less to those who have wronged me? Pope Francis has said, "If I cannot forgive, I cannot ask for forgiveness. Jesus teaches us to pray like this to the Father: 'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."'

In the Gospel reading we hear very strong condemnation of our Lord for the religious leaders of the Jews for their hypocrisy and lack of care and concern for those committed to their care and leadership