Qua bài Tin Mừng, Người Pharisêu và những người Do thái đã chất vấn Chúa Giêsu rất nhiều điều, nhưng với ý tưởng xấu xa của họ, Họ không phải hỏi Chúa Giêsu để tìm hiều hay học hỏi thêm về Chân Lý và sự thật, nhưng mục đích của họ muốn nêu lên những câu hỏi là muốn gài bẫy Chúa Giêsu và để họ có dịp triệt hạ Ngài.. Những người Do thái bình thường thì họ đánh giá cao sự khôn ngoan và sự tốt lành của Chúa Giêsu, trong khi đó, các nhà lãnh đạo tôn giào của họ đã khóa kín cửa lòng của họ, để đánh mất cái khôn ngoan mà không biết sự khiêm tốn và nhân nhượng vì thế họ không thể nhận ra rằng Chúa Giêsu, người đứng trước mặt họ là người có sự khôn ngoan còn to lớn hơn của vua Solomon.
Các môn đệ của Giêsu thông thường cũng không thể hiểu được những lời Giáo Huấn của Chúa, nhưng ít ra họ đã có cố gắng tìm tòi và học hỏi them ở nơi Chúa Giêsu. Quan trọng hơn, là họ còn nhớ được những giáo huấn mà Chúa đã truyền dạy cho họ, vì họ hiểu được rằng, sau khi Chúa Giêsu sống lại và lên trời, họ phải có khả năng nhớ lại những điểm quan trọng nhất của giáo lý của Ngài.
Wednesday 5th Week in Ordinary Time
The Pharisees and others questioned Jesus but, with a few exceptions, their intention was not to seek the truth but only to trap him. Ordinary people often appreciated the wisdom and the goodness of Jesus while their leaders were locked in their intransigence and could not realize that Jesus stood before them with wisdom greater than that of Solomon.
Jesus’ own disciples were frequently unable to understand him, but at least they sought further clarification. More importantly, they remembered better than they understood so that, after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, they were able to recall the most significant points of his teaching.
As the Church spread all over the earth, She was able, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to rely on that teaching to deal with the many questions which arose throughout the ages to challenge our faith and our way of living. Blessed are we indeed, who enjoy the gift of faith, the truth given to us by Jesus which sets us free. Lord Jesus we thank You for the gift of our faith and ask that we may always be attentive to the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, who guides us to remember Your teaching with understanding.
Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” Mark 7:14–15
What is within you? What is in your heart? Today’s Gospel concludes with a list of vices that sadly come from within: “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.” Of course, none of these vices are desirable when looked at objectively. They are all quite repulsive. And yet too often they are sins that people deal with on a regular basis to one extent or another.
Take greed, for example. When understood clearly, no one wants to be known as one who is greedy. It’s a shameful attribute to have. But when greed is not looked at as greed, it’s easy to fall into the trap of living it. One who is greedy desires an excessive amount of this or that. More money, a better house, a nicer car, more luxurious vacations, etc. Thus, when a person is acting in a greedy way, greed does not seem undesirable. It’s only when greed is looked at in an objective way that it is understood for what it is.
In this Gospel, by naming this long list of vices, Jesus does us an incredible act of mercy. He rattles us and calls us to step back and look at sin for what it is. Jesus also makes it clear that when you live one or more of these vices, you become defiled. You become greedy, a liar, cruel, a gossip, hateful, arrogant, etc. Objectively speaking, no one wants this.
What is it in that list of vices that you struggle with the most? What do you see within your own heart? Be honest with yourself before God. Jesus desires that your heart be pure and holy, freed from these and every filth. But unless you are able to look at your own heart with honesty, it will be difficult to reject the sin with which you struggle.
Reflect, today, upon this list of sins identified by our Lord. Consider each one and allow yourself to see each sin for what it truly is. Allow yourself to despise these sins with a holy wrath and then turn your eyes to that sin with which you struggle the most. Know that as you consciously see that sin and reject it, our Lord will begin to strengthen you and purify your heart so that you become freed from that defilement and become, instead, the beautiful child of God you were made to be.
My merciful Lord, help me to see sin for what it is. Help me, especially, to see my own sin—that sin within my own heart that defiles me as Your dear child. As I see my sin, give me the grace I need to reject it and to turn to You with all my heart so that I can become a new creation in Your grace and mercy. Jesus, I trust in You!
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are my Creator and Redeemer and that you know all things. Though none of my sins are hidden from you, I know that you still love me unconditionally and are waiting for me to repent and turn to you so that you can forgive me and wash me clean once more. Thank you for loving me infinitely. I offer you my weak love in return.
3. “If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.” “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” This is a familiar theme in the Liturgy due to the fact that throughout the centuries, people have often closed their hearts to the message of the Gospel and to their own greatest good. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man petitions Abraham to send Lazarus from the dead so that he can warn his brothers about the fate that awaits them due to their materialistic, self-centered way of life. The rich man is told that they have the Law and the Prophets, to which he replies that if only someone would return from the dead, the brothers would believe. He is told that even then people would not believe. I cannot permit my heart to be hardened against God’s saving Word! But to remain open, my heart needs to be detached from the pleasures and easy way of living that make me deaf to Christ’s gentle instructions.
When God breathed into us, He showed us how to take care of His creations, including ourselves. He has given us our family, friends, and community. He has already offered everything to us. This being the case, at times we still look for more: more knowledge, more material possessions, more than what we were given.
The tree mentioned in the reading can be likened to the many doors presented to us. There are many chances and opportunities to be taken, and yet God only asks for one thing from us: He asks us one thing out of the myriad of offers, to shun evil. This one little thing is hard to do, we have to admit, but His unconditional love for us is even more astounding. He loves us even if we turn away from Him. His arms are always ever open to take us back into His heart. The question is, "Are we ready to return to Him?"
To refrain from eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil is to show how much we appreciate the care that God entrusts to us. It is never too late to ask forgiveness for our sins and start anew through a new beginning with a profound seedling called goodness growing in us. God doesn't need to give us reasons for His commands because they are all for our good. Once we learn how to trust without a question and follow in His footsteps, this would be the only time when we can truly be happy.
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" So goes that famous line from the comic book character The Shadow and how apt a summary for today's Gospel passage. The Pharisees emphasized much on rituals and rules more than they taught principle and meaning of what those rituals and rules meant. They and the people they preached to were so caught up with these rituals and rules that they neglected the spiritual sustenance of
their own souls.
We can go to Mass and pray the same prayers everyday but Jesus reminds us that we should not depend on the Mass and the prayers we recite to cure us from sin or should we recite them to make us become holier, righteous people. The real us depends on what we think and what we really value. It is from our hearts that we achieve who we really are and how we influence those around us. In the first reading we read how the Queen of Sheba was so impressed by Solomon's wisdom that she praised him and gave him expensive presents. However the story ends with the queen returning to her own country without really saying how she applied what she has
learned. Let us ask ourselves today, how do we apply to action what we hear from the mass and from the prayers we recite? Do we reflect and seek the message and true meaning of Jesus' words? Do we pray to our Blessed Mother not because it is our habit to pray the Rosary or because we ask for her intercession but because we want to feel her presence and the love of her Son within us?
Finally, let us be reminded not to allow evil to lurk in our hearts but rather to allow the goodness and purity of God's love to grow within us.
No comments:
Post a Comment