Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai tuần 24 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai tuần 24 Thường Niên Luke 7:1-10

Khi viên đội trưởng nhờ người đến cầu xin Chúa Giêsu đến để chữa lành người đầy tớ của ông, ông nghĩ rằng ông không có hy vọng là Chúa Giêsu sẽ chú ý đến lời cầu xin của ộng ta; Ông chỉ tin rằng nếu Chúa Giêsu muốn, Ngài chỉ nói một lời thì mọi sự sẽ xảy ra. Viên đội trưởng này đã cầu xin Thiên Chúa những điều thật tuyệt vời vì những gì ông ta xin không phải xin cho ông, nhưng ông đã xin cho một người đầy tớ của ông.

Là một người ngoại giáo, viên đội trưởng có thể đã cảm nhận được rằng Chúa Giêsu, là Đấng đã khá nổi tiếng sẽ nghĩ rằng ông ta chỉ là một người ngoài cuộc; Thật vậy, tuy nhiên, khát vọng lớn lao của ông là muốn được thấy người đầy tớ của mình được ơn chữa lành như ông đã cố công cố sức với các nỗ lực để yêu cầu mọi người giúp cho ngưòi đầy tớ của ông được lành. Khi viên đội trưởng này biết rằng Chúa Giêsu là người có uy quyền và sức mạnh của Thiên Chúa, Ngài có thể làm nhiều việc kỳ diệu và ông tin rằng Chúa Giêsu không cần phải đến nhà ông, Vì nếu như Ngài muốn, Ngài chỉ cần phán lên một tiếng thì người tôi tớ của ông sẽ được chữa lành.

Lòng tin của viên đội trường trái ngược với lòng tin của Thánh Tôma, người cần thấy rõ bằng chứng hiện hình rõ ràng trước khi tin rằng Chúa Giêsu đã sống lại từ cõi chết. Giờ đây và một lần nữa, Chúa Giêsu nhắc nhở chúng ta là chúng ta cần phải tin tưởng vào những gì chúng ta không thể nhìn thấy. Bằng chứng về sự hiện hữu của Chúa Giêsu thường được tranh luận. Cũng như quan niệm riêng của chúng ta về Thiên Chúa khác với con người Thiên Chúa thực sự. Sau khi thắc mắc quá nhiều câu hỏi về Thiên Chúa, chúng ta có thể đi đến với một câu trả lời không thể tránh khỏi: Thiên Chúa là một Đấng bí ẩn. Và khi chúng ta đi đến kết luận này, điều gì sẽ đảm bảo cho chúng ta tin rằng Ngài là đấng hiện hữu mà không cần phải lên trên các báo để loan tin tức, để mọi người thấy, hay đưa hình ảnh của Ngài trên internet, quảng cáo trên truyền hình, hay đưa các chi tiết về một phép lạ nào trên video. Nhưng với kinh nghiệm đức tin riêng của chúng ta làm cho chúng ta chắc chắn biết và tin rằng Ngài chính là Thiên Chúa.

Đức tin tập trung vào Thiên Chúa là đối tượng rất hợp lý. Đức tin không đòi hỏi đối tượng phải nhìn thấy. Hầu hết tất cả niềm tin đòi hỏi một tình yêu, và lòng nhân hậu như đức tin của viên đội trưởng, là một ân phúc cho người khác. Còn chúng ta, chúng ta đã làm được gì trong đức tin của mình? Xin hãy tự trả lời.

Reflection Monday 24th in Ordinary Time

When the centurion asked Jesus through other people to heal his servant, he did not expect him to come. He simply believed that if Jesus would only will it, it would happen. He asked great things from a great God. Yet what he asked was not for himself but for someone who worked for him.

Being a Gentile, the centurion probably felt that Jesus, who was already quite famous at that time, would think of him as an outsider. It was, however, his great desire to see his servant healed that he made the effort to ask people for help. Knowing that powerful people could do many things, he believed that Jesus need not come to his house, for he only had to will it and his servant would be healed.

The believing centurion is the opposite of Thomas who needed physical proof before believing that Jesus did rise from the dead. Time and again, Jesus would remind us of our need to believe in what we could not see. Proof of esus' existence is often debated upon. Also our own notion of God is different from who God really is. After asking too many questions about God, we come up with one inevitable answer: God is a mystery. And when we come to this conclusion, what would assure us that He is there and He is in charge would not be news reports of sightings, pictures on the internet, ads on TV, detailed miracles on video but our own faith experiences which make us sure that HE IS HE.

Faith focuses on God as its proper object. It does not require visible audience. Most of all faith, like the faith of the centurion, is a blessing for others. Have we taken a leap of faith?

Monday 24th in Ordinary Time 2022

Opening Prayer: Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse, I ask for a deeper faith in the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus, I believe! Help my unbelief.

Encountering Christ:

1. Humility: This Gospel passage allows us to meditate on the virtues of this extraordinary Roman centurion. This man was a powerful military authority of the pagan Roman empire, but he humbled himself to seek out the healing presence of a Jewish rabbi he had heard about—Jesus. He felt unworthy to present himself to Jesus, so he sent Jewish elders to intercede with Jesus on his behalf. As Jesus drew near, the centurion sent friends to again proclaim his unworthiness and beg for healing from that distance. Truly the centurion embodied humility as defined by St. Thomas Aquinas: “...the virtue of humility consists in this, that one keep himself within his own limits; he does not stretch himself to what is above him, but he subjects himself to his superior.” He knew from the depths of his heart that “Man is a beggar before God” (CCC 2559).

2. Faith: This humble centurion probably had, at some point, come to faith in the one God since he was held in such high regard by Jewish elders and had built a synagogue for them—a highly unusual act for a pagan Roman soldier. By his faith, the centurion witnesses to the mystery that “Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him” (CCC 153). The centurion’s witness of faith was so profound that he amazed Jesus. The Church calls us to remember his words at every Mass when the priest proclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb,” and we respond, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” May the depths of our faith amaze Jesus as well.

3. Piety: This humble soul received the gift of faith from God and bore the spiritual fruit of piety by remaining steadfast in this faith. Piety is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and it is characterized by deep reverence and respect for God. The centurion witnessed the gift of piety by his words: “[…] I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’' and he does it.” This man’s life of virtue is given to us as a model for our own relationship with God. Are we humble? Do we exercise the gift of faith? Do we bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

Conversing with Christ: Lord, this Gospel teaches me it is not about what I do or who I am. It is about who you are and what you do. You are God, worthy of all praise. It is your prerogative to heal and to save. Mother Mary intercede for me, asking the Holy Spirit to bestow on me all the virtues and to share all his gifts. Faithful centurion, pray for me.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will ask the Holy Spirit to bestow on me his every virtue, to share every gift. At my evening examination of conscience, I will discern how I used the gifts God has given me and thank him for his generosity.

Monday 24th in Ordinary Time 2021

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, transform my heart so that I can acknowledge my unworthiness and humbly trust in your healing love and forgiveness.

Encountering Christ:

· Gracious in Victory: The Jewish elders interceded for the centurion, a leader in the military rulers of Israel. Why? Because he had shown love and compassion for the defeated people. He helped build their synagogue, allowing them dignity and peace to live out their faith while under military rule. His kindness and mercy endeared him to the Jewish elders. So often our past actions come back, either to haunt us or to help us. Deeds of kindness can lead to mercy and kindness returned to us when we need it most. Our uncharitable actions lead to the exact opposite. How do we treat those under our authority?

· Acknowledging Christ as King: The centurion’s words showed that he recognized exactly who Jesus was: the king of heaven and earth. The centurion knew he was not worthy to entertain Jesus in his home (really, who among us is worthy?). He also knew that Jesus had supreme authority and did not need to come to his house to heal the servant. He trusted that Jesus was a benign king who would heal any subjects who ask him, no matter how unworthy they might be. Do we show the same trust in Jesus?

· The Faithful’s Lack of Faith: Amazed at the humble and confident request of the centurion, Jesus remarked that he had not seen this faith in Israel—the chosen people of God! How easy it is to claim we have faith when we attend Mass and say our prayers. Yet we can tightly cling to the illusion that we are in control of our lives. How easy it can be to turn to a friend, an online advice board, or a secular book when we face troubles instead of humbly and confidently approaching the author of our entire lives, Jesus Christ, with our problems.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, you are the Lord of my life and the author of human history. Teach me to turn to you with humility and faith, trusting in your goodness and your providence. Help me to always remember that your love for me is constant despite any troubling circumstances.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I ask you, right at this moment, to guide me as I plan the remainder of my day. Throughout the day, I will turn to you for continued guidance in every matter, great or small.

Monday 24th in Ordinary Time (1 Tim. 2:1-8; Lk. 7:1-10_)

This passage from the First Letter to Timothy contains a statement that is of great importance for our understanding of what it means to say that Jesus died for the salvation of all humankind: “God our Lord… wants all men to be saved and come to know the truth.” Yet there still remains the mystery and so the challenging question: given that God’s will and desire is absolute and cannot be thwarted, how does God ensure that all human beings can come to know the truth and be saved — especially those who have no opportunity to hear the Gospel and to come to know Christ Jesus?

Theologians have tried many ways in which to speak intelligibly about this mystery of God’s universal desire of salvation for all. This work of the theologians is necessary, for theology is the search for a greater understanding of our faith. On our part, however, if we have friends who do not believe in God and eternal salvation, the best we can do is to pray for them, that their hearts may be open to God’s salvific truth and his liberating love, remembering also that our prayers must be backed up by a life that reflects the Gospel values. Lord, grant that our lives may proclaim Your Gospel of love and peace, truth and salvation