Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Ba Tuần thứ 17 Thường Niên

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Ba Tuần thứ 17 Thường Niên

Trong thế giới của chúng ta, có những người tốt và xấu, tất cả khác nhau, nhưng cùng sống với nhau. Qua những lời của Thánh YNhã thành Loyola viết trong những bài tập Linh Thao của ông, "những người sống trên mặt đất, với sự đa dạng tuyệt vời trong những trang phục và theo cách diễn xuất. Một số trắng, một số đen, một số được an lạc và một số sống trong chiến tranh. Một số thì đau khổ, khóc lóc, một số vui cười, hạnh phúc. Một số thì khoẻ mạnh, một số thì bệnh tật; một số được sinh ra với thế giới và một số phải chết, v. v. ". Và Thiên Chúa Ba Ngôi nhìn thấy thế giới này, "Ngài nhìn xuống toàn bộ bề mặt của trái đất, và nầy, tất cả các quốc gia đang sống trong sự mù lòa, tội lỗi, đang đi xuống và đang hướng tới hoả địa ngục."

Và Thánh Ynhã đã viết: “Bởi vì sự đa dạng của thế giới đang đi vào sự bối rối này mà Thiên Chúa Ba Ngôi trong cõi đời đời đã quyết định sai Con một của Ngài là Ngôi Hai xuống trần gian để làm người như chúng ta và để cứu rỗi con người chúng ta. Vì vậy, khi thời gian viên mãn đã đến, Thiên Chúa đã sai sứ thần Gabriel đến Đức Maria của chúng ta. "

Ngôi Hai nhập thể của Thiên Chúa Ba Ngôi đến và đem Tin Mừng về Nước Thiên Chúa, Ngài tuyển lựa và mời gọi những người theo Chúa, Ngài đã hiến dâng sự sống của mình trên thập tự giá và Ngài sống lại từ cõi chết, Ngài đã để lại Giáo Hội của Ngài để tiếp tục công trình cứu độ của Ngài, "Hãy đi khắp cả thiên hạ rao giảng tin mừng cho mọi loài thụ tạo. Ai tin cùng chịu thanh tẩy thì sẽ được cứu, còn ai không tin thì sẽ bị luận tội "(Mc 16: 15- 16)

Reflection:

Jesus speaks of the ungraspable Kingdom of God in parables. In the context of his audience, the parable of the weeds is readily understandable. In the fields where good seed is sown, weeds from whatever source grow with the plants from the good seed. Before the harvest or at the harvest, the bad weeds are separated and eventually disposed of or burned; the fruit of the good seed is harvested.

In our world, good and bad people, all different, live together. In the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises, "those on the face of the earth, in such great diversity in dress and manner of acting. Some are white, some black' some at peace and some at war; some weeping, some laughing; some well, some sick; some coming into the world and some dying, etc." And the Holy Trinity sees this world, "They look down upon the whole surface of the earth, and behold all nations in great blindness, going 

And St. Ignatius writes that it is into this varied and confused world that the Trinity decrees to send the Second Person to save it: "They decree in Their eternity that the Second Person should become man to save the human race. So when the fullness of time had come, They send the Angel Gabriel to our Lady."

The incarnate Second Person of the Blessed Trinity comes to bring the Good News about the Kingdom of God, chooses and invites followers, gives his life on the cross and rises from the dead, leaving his Church to continue his saving work, "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one ho refuses to believe will be condemned." (Mk 16: 16)

Tuesday 17th Ordinary

Opening Prayer: Lord, bless me in these moments as I draw near to you. Give me the courage to deeply ponder the eternal realities you present in these lines of Scripture.

Encountering Christ:

1. Privileged Access: Several times in Scripture, the disciples approached Jesus privately for explanations of his teaching. Here, they asked him to explain the meaning of the parable of wheat and weeds, which Jesus graciously did. How blessed they were to have Jesus all to themselves at times, to ask him lots of questions, to eat with him, to laugh with him, and sometimes cry with him. We, too, have privileged access to the Lord, especially in the Eucharist, when we worship Him in the Blessed Sacrament and when we frequent the sacrament of Reconciliation. Every time we lift our hearts in prayer, Jesus is present, whether we sense it or not. “He has bestowed on you, amid your troubles, to take solace in him as often as you can. Lift your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to him. One need not cry out very loudly; he is nearer to us than we think” (Brother Lawrence).

2. Weeds versus Wheat: We need not look too far to spot the weeds in our culture. They manifest themselves in atrocities like abortion, relativistic philosophies, distortions regarding human sexuality, and various media platforms that spew divisiveness and untruth. When we align ourselves with weeds, we become weeds ourselves. And Jesus tells us that weeds will one day be burned in a fiery furnace. However, because every soul is precious to the Lord, and he would have died for just one of us, weeds can become wheat in this time of mercy. Jesus promised Sister Faustina, “All grace flows from mercy, and the last hour abounds with mercy for us. Let no one doubt the goodness of God; even if a person’s sins were as dark as night, God’s mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary; that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God’s merciful grace, and then God will do the rest” (no. 1507).

3. Shining like the Sun: Much has been written about the communion of saints, and on this feast day of Jesus’ grandparents–Anne and Joachim–we turn our thoughts to those who have gone before us: the saints (known and unknown) and souls in Purgatory. The saints, we can be sure, constantly intercede for us before the Lord. “...we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always [attentive] to our prayers” (CCC 962). The souls in Purgatory need our prayers, sacrifices, and almsgiving to speed them on their way to Heaven. According to St. Alphonsus de Ligouri, “The practice of recommending to God the souls in Purgatory, that he may mitigate the great pains which they suffer, and that he may soon bring them to his glory, is most pleasing to the Lord and most profitable to us. For these blessed souls are his eternal spouses, and most grateful are they to those who obtain their deliverance from prison, or even a mitigation of their torments. When, therefore, they arrive in Heaven, they will be sure to remember all who have prayed for them.”

Conversation with Christ: Lord, by these verses, you turn my thoughts away from the distractions of this world and toward my hope of spending eternity with you. Often, when I pray before you in the Blessed Sacrament, the veil that separates earth from Heaven seems very thin. Thank you for the gift of so many heavenly friends, the saints, who have enriched the Church by their witness and writings, and have helped to deepen my relationship with you. And, Lord, bless the souls in Purgatory, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will make a special sacrifice for the souls in Purgatory, especially the deceased members of my family.

Reflection:

Today, through the parable of the weeds and the wheat, the Church urges us to ponder over the coexistence of good and evil. Good and evil within our heart; good and evil we may spot on others, good and evil we can see in the world, all around us. “Explain to us the parable” (Mt 13:36), his disciples ask Jesus. And, today, we can mean to be more careful with our personal prayer, our everyday dealings with God. —Lord, we can ask him, explain to me why I do not progress enough in my interior life. Explain to me how can I be more faithful to you, how can I look for you in my work, or through these circumstances I do not understand or I do not want. How can I be a qualified apostle? A prayer is just this, to ask God for “explanations”. How is my prayer? Is it sincere?, is it constant?, is it trusting?

Jesus Christ invites us to keep our eyes fixed on Heaven, our eternal home. Quite often, haste can drive us crazy, but we seldom stop to think that there will come a day —, «the man who strives to live must die; whereas the man who does not strive to avoid sin has to live eternally» (St. Julian of Toledo).

We shall reap what we have sown. We have to fight to give today the 100%. So when we are called into God's presence we might be able to go with our hands full: of acts of faith, hope and love. Which result in minor things and events that, when lived on an everyday basis, make us better Christians, saints and human.