Suy Niệm Thứ Bảy Tuần thứ Nhất Mùa Chay

 Suy Niệm Thứ Bảy Tuần thứ Nhất Mùa Chay (Mat 5:43-48) 

Trong mùa Chay này, chúng ta được nhắc nhở về trách nhiệm Kitô giáo của chúng ta. 

- Thứ nhất, trong mối liên hệ của chúng ta với Thiên Chúa. Chúng ta phải  nhận thức được mối liên hệ và giao ước giữa Thiên Chúa và chúng ta. 

Bài đọc thứ nhất trong sách Đệ Nhị Luật nêu rõ những lời hứa của Thiên Chúa với con người trong bản giao ước này,đó một giao ước ngắn gọn, nhưng với niềm hy vọng là chúng ta sống theo mệnh lệnh của Thiên Chúa. Những yếu tố liên tục gắn kết chúng ta với Thiên Chúa là nhận thức qua kinh nghiệm những sự tốt lành của Thiên Chúa cũng như tình yêu vô điều kiện mà Ngài dành cho chúng ta một cách cụ thể (TV 118), Đây là một trong những ơn gọi  của mỗi người Kitô hữu. Nếu chúng ta sống với khía cạnh này, chúng ta sẽ tìm thấy những sự ngạc nhiên của những biến đổi đã diễn ra trong cuộc sống của chúng tavà Qua những sự ngạc nhiên trong cuộc sống, chúng ta sẽ thấy mình trở nên giống Chúa Kitô hơn trong những suy nghĩ và trong những hành động của chúng ta.

           Do đó mầu nhiệm Nhập Thể chắc chắn phải có nghĩa gì trong cuộc sống của chúng ta. Đấy là những gì mà Thiên Chúa đã mời gọi và đòi hỏi nơi chúng ta "anh em hãy nên hoàn thiện, như Cha anh em trên trời là Ðấng hoàn thiện." . 

            Lạy Chúa, xin ban cho chúng con có những ân sũng của Chúa Thánh Thần trong Mùa Chay thánh này để chúng con được trở nên giống như Chúa Kitô trong những suy nghĩ và hành động của chúng con, nhờ đó chúng con sẽ mạnh dạn làm chứng cho tình yêu vô biên, vô điều kiện của Chúa đã ban cho chúng con, là những người thật là tội lỗi.

Saturday (February 15):  

During the season of Lent, we are reminded of our Christian responsibility. Firstly, in our relationship with God. Are we aware of the covenantal relationship between God and us? The first reading in Deuteronomy states clearly the declaration of this covenant — a compact treaty — that expects us to follow God’s commands.  The constant factor that binds us with God in this covenantal relationship is the awareness and concrete experience of God’s goodness and unconditional love for us. (Ps. 118). This moves us to witness to this love by our love for others. This is the other dimension of our Christian vocation. If we live these two dimensions, we will gradually find, to our amazement that transformation takes place in our lives. Then to our surprise, we begin to see ourselves becoming more Christ-like in our thoughts and actions.
Thus making sure what Incarnation means in our lives. This is what the call ‘to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect’ entails.“Lord, grant us the Lenten grace to be more like You in our thoughts and action, thus witnessing to your unconditional love for us, sinners.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, I have strong feelings in my heart against those who have hurt me. Teach me your ways. Heal me of my anger and show me the path to lasting peace in you. 

Encountering Christ:

Love Your Enemies: Jesus challenged his disciples (as he challenges many of us) to love our enemies. In some areas around the globe, the traditional understanding of “enemy” is a real threat to life—the Taliban, for example. For many of us, though, our enemy is not as clear. Given our Lord’s command, it is helpful to take a prayerful inventory of our enemies. Where is there discord? In our family? With a coworker? Are our strong feelings real or imagined? Jesus did not make a distinction. If there is anyone in our life with whom we are unreconciled, we are called as Christians to love them and pray for them. Simple but not at all easy. How do we do it? 

Radical Discipleship: “For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?” Jesus already knows whether we love our enemies or not, yet he asks us. With each question, he is in essence asking, “Are you willing to be my disciple?” To be a Christian means to be radically loving in a world where people hate whom they choose to hate and love whom they choose to love. Is there an upside to trying to love this way? According to Thomas á Kempis in The Imitation of Christ, “The patient man goes through a great and salutary purgatory when he grieves more over the malice of one who harms him than for his own injury; when he prays readily for his enemies and forgives offenses from his heart; when he does not hesitate to ask pardon of others; when he is more easily moved to pity than to anger; when he does frequent violence to himself and tries to bring the body into complete subjection to the spirit” (emphasis added).

Seeking Perfection: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2013) defines perfection and holiness as synonymous: “All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity. All are called to holiness: ‘Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.’” It was the Jewish understanding that neighbors included only one’s fellow countrymen. Jesus was telling them that every person, enemy or not, is our neighbor. How can we love those who hurt us and wish us harm? We cannot on our own strength. But, as the Catechism states, perfection/holiness is possible if we “use the strength dealt out to [us] by Christ’s gift.” What is Christ’s gift? It is Christ himself. He is the gift given through his Passion, death and Resurrection. We can love those whom we consider enemies by loving in, with, and through Jesus. This is done by participating often in the sacraments (Mass and Reconciliation), spending time in prayer and in Scripture, and adoring Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord, these words are so difficult to embrace. Everything human in me wants to push back. Yet if I do, I push you away. You tell me the way to your peace is through loving and praying for my enemies. I need you. I cannot do this on my own. Strengthen me to love radically, as you do, Jesus.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will resolve during Lent to spend at least one hour a week in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, asking Jesus to heal my heart of hurt so I can love my enemies. 

REFLECTION

     It is so easy for us to love those who are lovable and who love us in return.

 In the Gospel reading Jesus extends the commandment "to love your neighbor" to "your enemies" and to "those who persecute you." Speaking with the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, he recalls to them the rule to "love your neighbor and not do good to your enemy." He clearly states this is not enough: for even tax-collectors and pagans do the same.

       Jesus teaches us to love all, even the unlovable, even those who have betrayed us, those who have hurt us and taken advantage of us. Love of neighbor is much related to forgiveness of those who have offended us, those who have transgressed against us. This comes from our Lord who at the cross prayed, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do." (Lk 23: 34)

        We can ask who our friends are: no problem about loving them and being friendly and good to them. How about those we do not particularly like? How can we show them love and friendship? How about those who have wronged us? Can we forgive them and show them love and friendship? Hopefully we can do much better than the tax collectors and pagans mentioned by our Lord!

        And let us heed the Lord's words, "As for you, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."