Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu tuần 27 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu tuần 27 Thường Niên

úa Giêsu nói với chúng ta trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, "Ai không đi với tôi thì là kẻ ấy là người chống lại tôi, và ai không cùng tôi thu góp là phân tán." Chúa Giêsu có thể đã bổ sung vào lời giải thích: "Kẻ nào không giúp ta vác thập giá, thì kẻ ấy đã thực sự làm cho thập giá đó nặng nề hơn; còn kẻ nào không đi với ta, nói chuyện với ta, làm việc với ta, và sống với ta, thì kẻ ấy chắc chắn đang theo một ai đó khác không phải là ta. "

Có phải chúng ta đang theo Chúa Kitô hay chúng ta đang chống lại Chúa Kitô? Có lẽ chúng ta đã tìm ra một câu trả lời rất đơn giản, dễ dàng bằng cách chúng ta hãy hỏi chính bản thân: "Tôi có giúp phụ vác thánh giá với Chúa Kitô?" Tôi có dám từ bỏ chính bản thân mình để giúp đỡ người khác khi họ đang có nhu cầu, đang cần sự giúp đỡ? Hãy nhớ là Chúa Kitô đã hiến mạng sống Ngài cho tất cả chúng ta. Chúng ta có dám sẵn sàng vác thập giá vì tình yêu thương Chúa Kitô cho người nghèo khổ, đói khát, không nhà và cô đơn? Chúng ta có dám hy sinh một chút thời giờ quý hoá, năng lực và tiền bạc của chúng ta để giúp những người khác có thể sống một cách xứng đáng hơn, trọn vẹn hơn và được hạnh phúc hơn?

Có bao giờ chúng ta có cùng một ý nghĩ với Chúa Kitô trong tư tưởng, trong lời nói và hành động của chúng ta? Đời sống cầu nguyện của chúng ta có được Chúa Kitô thường xuyên hiện diện với chúng ta và chúng ta có thật sự đối diện trực tiếp với Ngài? Chúa Giêsu là đường, là cách duy nhất để giúp đem chúng ta đến với hạnh phúc vĩnh cửu. Những chỉ khi nào chúng ta sống với Ngài và chết với Ngài, thì chúng ta mới có thể được ở bên Ngài trong Nước Chúa ở trên trời.

REFLECTION

Jesus tells us in today's Gospel, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." Jesus might have added in explanation: "He who does not help me carry the cross, actually makes it heavier; he who does not walk with me and talk with me and work with me and live with me, he surely is following someone else not me."

Are we for Christ or against Christ? Perhaps we can easily find out by asking ourselves: "Am I helping Christ to carry his cross?" Am I denying myself to be of help to others when they are in need? Remember Christ gave his life for all of us. Are we willing to carry the cross out of love for the poor, the needy, the lonely? Can we sacrifice a little of our precious time, energy or money so that others may live more decently and more happily? Are we with Christ in our thoughts, words and actions? Is our prayer life such that Christ is often with us and we with him?" Jesus is the way, the only way to eternal happiness. Only if we live with him and die with him, can we be with him in his heavenly kingdom.

Friday 27th Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: I come to you today, Lord, to bless you for your infinite kindness. I thank you for your generous and constant outpouring of grace. I want to know you better and to know myself better because of this time of prayer. Teach me, Lord, to hear your voice, to heed your voice, and to echo your voice in all my thoughts, words, and actions throughout the day.

Encountering Christ:

Demons Are Real: In modern times, many so-called biblical scholars have often tried to reinterpret Gospel passages like the one the Church offers us today. It is so obvious from these passages that the devil and demons, the fallen angels who rebelled against God, are real and active in this world. And yet, that simple fact seems to make some modern and postmodern thinkers very uncomfortable. Therefore, they say that in ancient times people were just ignorant, so they superstitiously attributed merely psychological and physical ailments to demonic intervention. Of course, this line of reasoning wildly distorts the actual Gospel texts, which clearly distinguish between illness and demonic possession. Jesus is clear: Demons exist, and they are actively working against the truth, goodness, and beauty through which God draws us into intimate communion with himself. As the Catechism (414) puts it: “Satan or the devil and the other demons are fallen angels who have freely refused to serve God and his plan. Their choice against God is definitive. They try to associate man in their revolt against God.” As inconvenient or uncomfortable as this revealed doctrine may be, it is true nonetheless. And if we forget it, ignore it, or deny it, we will only increase the confusion and frustration that naturally accompany our journey through this fallen world.

Avoiding Exaggerations: Of course, it is possible to go to the other extreme as well, attributing every human foible, dysfunction, and challenge to direct demonic activity. This too is a dangerous deviation from the truth. Jesus clearly indicates in this passage that he is the Lord of life and history, and he has put limits on the devil’s attempted dominance over human affairs. To return to the Catechism (395): “The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God's reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his Kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries–of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature–to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history.” Jesus doesn’t want us to ignore demonic activity, but he doesn’t want us to be obsessed with it either. He wants us to recognize him as Lord, and courageously battle at his side for the advance of his Kingdom in our hearts and in the hearts around us. A healthy Christian is a balanced and dependable person, just like Christ himself.

Spiritual Blindness: Jesus was performing dramatic miracles and driving out demons, right before the very eyes of immense crowds, and yet so many of those eyes didn’t seem to see what was really happening. Some of the crowd accused him of being on Satan’s side, and others asked for more signs. What is it about our fallen human nature that resists the clear signs that God sends us? Why do we keep seeking more convincing indications of God’s love and presence than all the ones he continuously gives us—the marvelous beauties of nature, the amazingly coherent and complete teaching of the Church, the unbroken succession of saints and sacraments for two thousand years? This tendency to spiritual blindness never really leaves us. As Jesus points out in his parable, even when we welcome his grace into our lives, we remain vulnerable to backsliding, maybe even falling back to a worse state of ignorance and corruption than the one we started in. It is humbling to hear Jesus describe this. We can never rest on our laurels in the spiritual life. We must always continue to raise our hearts and minds to Christ and be ever watchful. One practice many spiritual masters through the centuries have recommended to help us stay on track is regular confession. Taking time every two weeks or every month to prayerfully examine the state of our soul and humbly approach the Lord for forgiveness and renewed strength is a wise discipline that can help keep our friendship with Christ fresh. May God grant us the humility to embrace it.

Conversing with Christ: I know that life on earth will always be a battle, Lord. My own fallen nature, the fallen world, the fallen angels—all these forces constantly pull me away from you. But you are stronger! You are the eternal King, my Lord, who promises to be with me until the end of time. I have nothing to fear if only I stay close to you. Thank you for coming to our rescue, for putting your omnipotence at our service, for never ceasing to send your grace among us so that we can fight faithfully and joyfully for your Kingdom as long as you ask us to.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make some kind of small physical sacrifice as an offering to God in union with Christ’s self-sacrifice on the cross, and as a reminder to myself that earth is not heaven and I will need to resist the bent inclinations of my fallen nature throughout my Christian journey.

REFLECTION 2017

In the first reading the prophet Joel tells the careless and sinful people to prepare for the coming and judgment of the Lord by prayer and fasting. Yahweh comes as a fearful and just God.

In the Gospel reading Jesus contends with the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who claim that he drives out evil spirits by the power of Beelzebub. Clearly he was not driving out evil spirits by the power of Beelzebub, the chief of the evil spirits: if so, the kingdom of Satan is divided and will fall.

And Jesus challenges his detractors: "But suppose I drive out demons by the finger of God, would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you?"

Due to their hardened hearts the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law have refused to see him as coming from God, despite his teaching and his wonderful works.

We pray that our faith in Christ may be confirmed. We pray that we may see God and his grace in his many good works and in the wonderful world he has given to us. We pray that we may see God in all things.

Friday 27th Ordinary

In the Gospel reading Jesus contends with the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who claim that he drives out evil spirits by the power of Beelzebub. Clearly he was not driving out evil spirits by the power of Beelzebub, the chief of the evil spirits: if so, the kingdom of Satan is divided and will fall. And Jesus challenges his detractors: "But suppose I drive out demons by the finger of God, would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you?" Due to their hardened hearts the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law have refused to see him as coming from God, despite his teaching and his wonderful works.

Today Jesus tells us that "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." Jesus might have added in explanation: "He who does not help me carry the cross, actually makes it heavier; he who does not walk with me and talk with me and work with me and live with me, he surely is following someone else not me." Are we for Christ or against Him? Perhaps we can easily find out by asking ourselves: "Am I helping Christ to carry his cross?" Am I denying myself to be of help to others when they are in need?

Remember Christ gave his life for all of us. Are we willing to carry the cross out of love for the poor, the needy, and the lonely? Can we sacrifice a little of our precious time, energy or money so that others may live more decently and more happily? Are we with Christ in our thoughts, words and actions? Jesus is the way, the only way to eternal happiness. Only if we live with him and die with him, then we can be with him in his heavenly kingdom. We pray that our faith in Christ may be confirmed. We pray that we may see God and his grace in his many good works and in the wonderful world he has given to us. We pray that we may see God in all things.