Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy Tuần thứ 18 Thường Niên

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy Tuần thứ 18 Thường Niên

Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta hãy tự hỏi: Chúa đã mong đợi loại đức tin nào ở nơi mỗi người chúng ta, đặc biệt là khi chúng ta gặp phải những khó khăn và thử thách? Có những lúc chúng ta đã không thể tránh khỏi những thất vọng, hay khi chúng ta chịu một số thiết hại hay khủng hoảng tài chánh hay bị thất bại trong một việc gì quan trọng.

Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, cho chúng ta thấy là các môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu đã không thể chữa lành cho một cậu bé bị động kinh. Phản ứng của Chúa Giêsu lúc này có vẻ như nghiêm khắc; nhưng thực sự là Chúa đã nóng lòng, muốn cứu cậu bé vì lòng từ bi của ngài. Chúng ta có thể nhận ra rõ ràng là Chúa Giêsu đã thất vọng với các môn đệ của Ngài vì họ thiếu niềm tin.

Chúa Giêsu nói với các môn đệ rằng họ có thể "dời được ngọn núi" nếu họ có niềm tin vào Thiên Chúa. Cái biểu hiện để "dời ngọn núi đi nơi khác" là một cụm từ phổ biến của người Do Thái thường dùng để ám chỉ cho những việc làm quá khó khăn, ngoài trí tưởng tưởng của con người. Một người thầy khôn ngoan, là người có thể giải quyết những vấn đề khó khăn đã được gọi là một người "dời núi". Nếu chúng ta cầu nguyện với niềm tin trông cậy vào Thiên Chúa, thì Ngài cũng sẽ ban cho chúng ta phương tiện và chỉ cách cho chúng ta để vượt qua những khó khăn và những trở ngại. Với đức tin và sự tin tưởng phó thác vào Thiên Chúa, chúng ta sẽ không còn phải sợ sệt và lo ngại khi chúng ta gặp phải những thử thách, khó khăn và thất vọng.

"Lạy Chúa Giêsu, xin Chúa củng cố đức tin của chúng con để chúng con biết đặt niềm tin vào quyền năng cứu độ của Chúa. Xin hãy cho chúng con biết tự tin và có sự kiên trì, đặc biệt là trong những lời cầu nguyện. Và giúp chúng con biết mang lại tình yêu và chân lý cứu độ của Chúa đến với những người mà chúng con sẽ gặp hôm nay và ngày mai.".

Meditation: "Nothing will be impossible to you"

What kind of faith does the Lord expect of us, especially when we meet set-backs and trials? Inevitably there are times when each of us disappoint others or disappoint ourselves when we suffer some kind of set-back or failure. In this Gospel incident the disciples of Jesus fail to heal an epileptic boy. Jesus' response seems stern; but it is really tempered with love and compassion. We see at once Jesus' dismay with the disciples' lack of faith and his concern to meet the need of this troubled boy and his father. With one word of command Jesus rebukes the evil spirit that has caused this boy's affliction and tells the spirit to "never enter him again".

Pray with expectant faith

Jesus tells his disciples that they can "remove mountains" if they have faith in God. The expression to "remove mountains" was a common Jewish phrase for removing difficulties. A wise teacher who could solve difficulties was called a "mountain remover". If we pray with expectant faith God will give us the means to overcome difficulties and obstacles. When you meet trials and disappointments how do you respond? With faith and trust in Jesus?

"Lord Jesus, help my unbelief! Increase my faith and trust in your saving power. Give me confidence and perseverance, especially in prayer. And help me to bring your healing love and truth to those I meet".

Reflection

Today, once more, Jesus teaches us that miracles are measured by the measure of our faith: «I say to you: if only you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could tell that mountain to move from here to there, and the mountain would obey» (Mt 17:20). In fact, as St. Jerome and St. Augustine point out, in working out our saintliness (something clearly exceeding our own forces) we are actually in the process of “moving mountains”. Miracles do exist, and if we do not see more of them is just because with our little faith we do not let him make them.

Before a disconcerting and incomprehensible situation human beings react in many different ways. Epilepsy was considered an incurable illness, which was suffered by those possessed with evil spirits. The father of that creature expressed his love for his son by begging Jesus for his total healing. His behaviour is shown as a true act of faith. He kneels down before Jesus and begs him directly intimately convinced that his request will be favourably attended to. How he expresses his request shows at the same time the full acceptance of his personal condition and the recognition of the mercifulness of He that may feel sorry for others.

That father mentions the apostles have not been able to get rid of that devil. This element introduces Jesus' instruction while pointing out the little faith of his disciples. To follow him, to become his disciple, to collaborate in his mission demands a profound and well based faith, capable of supporting adversities, setbacks, difficulties and incomprehension. Faith is effective only when it is strongly rooted. In other evangelic fragments the same Jesus refers to the lack of faith of his followers. The expression «nothing would be impossible to you» (Mt 17:20) points out with all its strength to the importance of our faith to follow the Master.

God's Word places before us the thought about the quality of our faith and the way how we get deeper into it while reminding us that father's attitude by approaching Jesus and pleading with all the strength of his loving heart.

Meditation: Deuteronomy 6:4-13 Saint Dominic, Priest (Memorial)

The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! (Deuteronomy 6:4)

In the ancient world, dealing with the divine was a bit like going to a government office building. If you didn’t get in the right line, you risked wasting hours and hours of your day trying to get your petition answered. If you had a problem with the weather, you needed to make sure you visited the shrine of the god Hadad. But if you wanted to conceive a baby, you’d have to go to Ishtar’s altar. Not to mention, the enmities and squabbling between the gods were as complicated as any interoffice turf war!

Against this bewildering landscape of deities, the Jews stood out in sharp relief. They worshipped only one God. What’s more, he was the only God, the One behind all the forces of nature. There were no other gods jostling for power or telling him what he could and could not do.

Today’s reading is a declaration known to the Jews as the Shema Yisrael (Hear, O Israel). It captures the essence of their faith in an omnipotent, omniscient, singular God. And it’s an understanding that is just as important to our own faith. We, too, believe in one God who comes to us as a Trinity of divine Persons.

We believe in a God who is above all else, a God who is not subject to some other more powerful force and not involved in petty squabbles with his fellow “gods.” And yet, where the ancient Canaanites had their pantheon of bickering gods and goddesses, we sometimes have to deal with forces that we might believe God isn’t quite equal to.

Is there something you think God can’t help you with? Money? Family troubles? Your own shortcomings or lack of faith? Whatever it is, remember that the God we believe in has the ultimate power. Nothing is outside his domain. He holds all things together!

So the next time you find yourself waylaid by cares, frightened or frustrated or angry, take heart! Whatever is troubling you, God is infinitely capable of dealing with it. Not only that, but he is eager to help you. Trust in him because “the Lord is our God, the Lord alone!” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

“Jesus, I praise you for your immense power and majesty. Thank you for your love and your dominion over every area of my life.”

Reflection:

The first reading from the book of Deuteronomy (Dt 6: 4 – 13) reminds Israel of their covenant to love and serve God "with all [their] heart, with all [their] soul and with all [their] strength."

We cannot be Christians only on Sundays, only while we are in church, only when we are in prayer meetings, only when we are around people we like or only when it is convenient for us. We are to be Christians in every thought, word, and deed and in every situation we face each day of our lives.

We aim to reach heaven and see God face to face, but not for ourselves alone. Our role as parents and as Christians is to teach our children about God, how to develop a personal relationship with him, and to love him with their whole being. We need to imprint in their minds and hearts that everything comes from God, their talents, their intelligence, everything that they own. Their current position in life is not out of their own doing but because God gave them the capacity and the tools to succeed. Therefore, we owe it to God to serve him and offer our entire lives for his greater glory by serving others. This is our mission, that others may hear the Good News, experience it in their lives and see God face to face at the end of time.

How can we be reminded of God's faithfulness and love for each of us, to help develop a personal relationship with him? Prayers during the day when the Spirit leads, reading of Scriptures which remind us how God protected and healed his people, partaking of the Eucharist during mass, and the unconditional love of family and friends all point to our one God, one Father who loved us first.