Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Sáu Tuần 10 Thường Niên
Là con người, chúng ta thường hay thích chú trọng và thích nhìn vào cái vẻ bề ngoài. Hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nhắc nhở chúng ta là không nên chờ cho cây xấu trưởng thành rồi mới nhận ra các quả xấu trên cây ấy... Chúng ta phải nên ngăn chặn không để những hạt giống xấu, gian ác gieo vào trong lòng chúng ta. Chúng ta không nên ngồi đợi để cho tội lỗi tiềm ẩn trong chúng ta lộ diện rồi mới thức tỉnh! Chúng ta phải biết loại bỏ tội lỗi ngay từ gốc rễ của chúng. Đây không phải chỉ là những hành động mà chúng ta phải làm bên ngoài, nhưng còn phải làm ngay cả trong ý chí của chúng ta nữa. Đây không phải là những vấn đề mà chúng ta phải làm, nhưng là vấn đề mà chúng ta phải làm như thế nào!. Nếu chúng ta làm được một việc gì vì tình yêu đối với Thiên Chúa và con người, thì điều đó luôn luôn sẽ là một công trạng trước mặt Chúa.
Trong bài tin mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu có vẻ phóng đại sự hy sinh một phần thân thể để cho chúng ta thấy rõ được cái quan điểm của Ngài muốn dạy chúng ta. Cũng giống như việc phẫu thuật cắt bỏ đi một phần thân thể là một biện pháp quyết liệt để ngăn chặn sự lây lan của bệnh tật có thể huy hoại toàn bộ cơ thể, phẫu thuật tâm linh có thể cũng cần thiết để ngăn chặn sự tàn phá toàn diện linh hồn của con người trước ngày Chúa phán xét. Phẫu thuật có thể làm cho chúng ta phải chịu đau đớn, nhưng nhờ đó qua quá trình chữa trị, chúng ta có thể có được một cuộc sống mới tốt lành hơn. Điều này có thể là một cơ hội để giúp cho chúng ta biết chọn lựa và đặt ưu tiên cho cuộc sống vĩnh cửu của chúng ta. Một sự thay đổi nhỏ nơi chúng ta cũng có thể đó là tất cả những gì cần thiết để tạo ra một sự khác biệt to lớn.
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta nhận thấy rằng Chúa Giêsu đã không cần phải đạt ra thêm một điều luật mới, hay một quy tắc mới để làm cho cuộc sống của con người phải gánh thêm một gánh nặng, nhưng, thay vào đó, Ngài đã giải thích cho họ biết được cái ý nghĩa cần thiết của Lề Luật.
Chúa Giêsu đã đề xuất cho chúng ta một lý tưởng đạo đức rất cao siêu đối với chúng ta, nhưng không phải là một một điều mà chúng ta không thể thực hiên được. Chúng ta hãy cầu xin Chúa Giêsu trong ngày hôm nay là: Mặc dầu trong tất cả những yếu đuối của con người chúng ta, chúng ta vẫn không có thể làm mất đi niềm hy vọng nơi chúng ta, nhưng dựa vào Chúa Thánh Thần của Thiên Chúa thể hiện quyền lực của Ngài trong sự yếu đuối của chúng ta.
REFLECTION
People often look only at outward appearances. We should not wait for the evil tree to bear evil fruits. We should prevent the sowing of evil seed. We should not wait until our hidden sins manifest themselves. We must get rid of them at their very roots. It is not the outward action that counts, but the will. It is not what we do that matters, but how we do it. If we do a thing out of love for God and people, it is always meritorious. Jesus uses exaggeration to make his point. Just as physical amputation is a drastic measure to prevent the spread of disease to the entire body, spiritual surgery may be necessary to prevent the destruction of the whole person in the final judgment.
We might consider what needs to be cut out of our own life so that we can live more faithfully as good Catholics. Surgery can be painful, but the healing process can lead to new life. This may be an opportunity for us to set priorities with a purity of intent that can be life-giving for us. Small changes may be all that are needed to make a big difference. Hearing today's Gospel reading, we realize that Jesus was not setting up new rules to make people's lives even more burdensome, but, rather, he was explaining the essential meaning of the Law.
Jesus is proposing a very high moral ideal for us, but not an impossible one. Let us ask Jesus today that in all our human frailties we may not lose hope but rely on his Spirit to show his power in our weakness.
Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
2023
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. John 19:33–34
John’s Gospel is filled with deep spiritual imagery and symbolism. It is clear that this imagery and symbolism was divinely inspired so as to give us spiritual food for reflection and meditation. One such image is given to us today as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
As Jesus and the two criminals on either side of Him hung upon their crosses, the soldiers came to hasten their deaths by breaking their legs to cause them to more quickly suffocate. But when they came to Jesus, He had already died. So one of the soldiers, traditionally known as Longinus, thrust his spear into Jesus’ side, and blood and water flowed forth. Some traditions identify Longinus with the centurion who cried out after Jesus’ death, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (See Matthew 27:54.) Other traditions state that he converted at that moment, making him the first convert to Christianity. And still other traditions state that Longinus could not see well, and the blood and water from Jesus’ side poured upon his eyes, healing him. Regardless of whether these traditions are true, we know that Jesus’ side was pierced and blood and water flowed forth.
The symbolism of this act was more than a mere human symbol. It was an instrument of the profound spiritual reality that was taking place at that moment. As Jesus’ Sacred Heart was pierced, the blood and water that poured forth was the new sacramental life of the Church. The Blood was the Most Holy Eucharist and the Water was the gift of Baptism. And when Jesus had previously “breathed His last” and “handed over His Spirit,” the Sacrament of Confirmation was bestowed.
When we celebrate those Sacraments today, it is easy to see them as mere symbols of what we partake in. But in our Christian Tradition, the Sacraments are so much more. The symbol is also the reality. It is the instrument of what it symbolizes. Therefore, every time we witness a Baptism or partake in the Holy Eucharist, we are mystically present with Longinus, receiving the grace and mercy of our redemption, pouring forth from Jesus’ wounded side, so as to heal us and make us whole.
The human heart is, physically speaking, a bodily organ responsible for pumping blood throughout. But from a spiritual perspective, given that we are both body and soul, the human heart is also the source of our life. Without it, we physically and spiritually die. So it is with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was not only a physical heart that was physically pierced by the lance long ago. It is now also the source of our ongoing spiritual life, and, without Jesus’ Sacred Heart of Mercy, we will die in our sins.
Reflect, today, upon the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. See His Heart as the ongoing source of your new life in grace. Understand that His Heart is more than a symbol of His grace and mercy, it is the spiritual source and the font of that mercy. Prayerfully place yourself before His Cross, this day, and allow the blood and water, flowing from His wounded side, to cover you so that you, too, may believe.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, You poured out upon the world the love and mercy of Your transforming grace through the instrument of the blood and water pouring forth from Your wounded side. Help me to gaze upon this font of mercy and to be covered with it through the gift of the Sacraments. May I always be open to all that You wish to bestow upon me by these precious and transforming instruments of Your love. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Jesus, I trust in You.
Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
2023
Opening Prayer: On this day when you remind us of the love in your Sacred Heart, O Lord, I come before you eager to be reminded. I believe in your infinite goodness and in your deep, personal interest in my life. I want to come to you more fully today, to find rest for my soul in a deeper experience of your grace. Open my mind to receive the grace you have in store for me today, Lord, and receive the offering of my life for your glory and for the advance of your everlasting Kingdom.
1. Jesus Rejoices: Jesus rejoices at the beginning of today’s Gospel passage because at least some of his followers have trusted him enough to accept his teaching and his grace. Many refused—especially the well-educated and the powerful. But many of those who were humble, maybe not so well instructed, maybe not so popular and influential—many of “the little ones” accepted the gift of friendship with God that Jesus came to the world to offer all of us. And nothing fills Jesus with more joy than when we accept his gift of friendship by trustfully believing in what he taught and following where he leads. It’s interesting to think about that: Jesus, the Word of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, experiences joy or sadness in our response to his invitations. This is perhaps the most striking thing about the revelations of the Sacred Heart. When Jesus revealed his heart to St. Margaret Mary in the seventeenth century, thorns encircled it. Whenever someone says no to Jesus, whenever someone refuses to accept his gifts, whenever someone damages themselves and others by choosing to sin, it hurts Jesus. He truly cares. He cares more deeply than we can imagine. How firmly do I believe that? How real is that for me?
REFLECTION 2017
In the Gospel reading Jesus clarifies that adultery is committed not only in deed but also in thought and in the heart: "Do not commit adultery. But I tell you this: anyone who looks at a woman to satisfy his lust has in fact already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Jesus also declares the indissolubility of Christian marriage. In the parallel passage in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus refers to the Old Testament, "Man has to leave father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body. So they are no longer two but one body. Therefore let no one separate what God has joined." (Mk 10: 7- 9)
In the Gospel reading Jesus says that we should prefer to lose our eye or whatever part of the body responsible for the sin, rather than risk damnation because of sin. If something or some place might cause us to sin, avoid it. If a show brings lustful thoughts and acts, avoid it. Do we have any real choice?
The following of Christ is not easy: Jesus speaks of the narrow path. Jesus says that his disciples, following a crucified Lord, should also be ready to carry their own crosses.
But if we love the Lord, nothing is difficult to give; with God's grace, nothing is impossible.
Là con người, chúng ta thường hay thích chú trọng và thích nhìn vào cái vẻ bề ngoài. Hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nhắc nhở chúng ta là không nên chờ cho cây xấu trưởng thành rồi mới nhận ra các quả xấu trên cây ấy... Chúng ta phải nên ngăn chặn không để những hạt giống xấu, gian ác gieo vào trong lòng chúng ta. Chúng ta không nên ngồi đợi để cho tội lỗi tiềm ẩn trong chúng ta lộ diện rồi mới thức tỉnh! Chúng ta phải biết loại bỏ tội lỗi ngay từ gốc rễ của chúng. Đây không phải chỉ là những hành động mà chúng ta phải làm bên ngoài, nhưng còn phải làm ngay cả trong ý chí của chúng ta nữa. Đây không phải là những vấn đề mà chúng ta phải làm, nhưng là vấn đề mà chúng ta phải làm như thế nào!. Nếu chúng ta làm được một việc gì vì tình yêu đối với Thiên Chúa và con người, thì điều đó luôn luôn sẽ là một công trạng trước mặt Chúa.
Trong bài tin mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu có vẻ phóng đại sự hy sinh một phần thân thể để cho chúng ta thấy rõ được cái quan điểm của Ngài muốn dạy chúng ta. Cũng giống như việc phẫu thuật cắt bỏ đi một phần thân thể là một biện pháp quyết liệt để ngăn chặn sự lây lan của bệnh tật có thể huy hoại toàn bộ cơ thể, phẫu thuật tâm linh có thể cũng cần thiết để ngăn chặn sự tàn phá toàn diện linh hồn của con người trước ngày Chúa phán xét. Phẫu thuật có thể làm cho chúng ta phải chịu đau đớn, nhưng nhờ đó qua quá trình chữa trị, chúng ta có thể có được một cuộc sống mới tốt lành hơn. Điều này có thể là một cơ hội để giúp cho chúng ta biết chọn lựa và đặt ưu tiên cho cuộc sống vĩnh cửu của chúng ta. Một sự thay đổi nhỏ nơi chúng ta cũng có thể đó là tất cả những gì cần thiết để tạo ra một sự khác biệt to lớn.
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta nhận thấy rằng Chúa Giêsu đã không cần phải đạt ra thêm một điều luật mới, hay một quy tắc mới để làm cho cuộc sống của con người phải gánh thêm một gánh nặng, nhưng, thay vào đó, Ngài đã giải thích cho họ biết được cái ý nghĩa cần thiết của Lề Luật.
Chúa Giêsu đã đề xuất cho chúng ta một lý tưởng đạo đức rất cao siêu đối với chúng ta, nhưng không phải là một một điều mà chúng ta không thể thực hiên được. Chúng ta hãy cầu xin Chúa Giêsu trong ngày hôm nay là: Mặc dầu trong tất cả những yếu đuối của con người chúng ta, chúng ta vẫn không có thể làm mất đi niềm hy vọng nơi chúng ta, nhưng dựa vào Chúa Thánh Thần của Thiên Chúa thể hiện quyền lực của Ngài trong sự yếu đuối của chúng ta.
People often look only at outward appearances. We should not wait for the evil tree to bear evil fruits. We should prevent the sowing of evil seed. We should not wait until our hidden sins manifest themselves. We must get rid of them at their very roots. It is not the outward action that counts, but the will. It is not what we do that matters, but how we do it. If we do a thing out of love for God and people, it is always meritorious. Jesus uses exaggeration to make his point. Just as physical amputation is a drastic measure to prevent the spread of disease to the entire body, spiritual surgery may be necessary to prevent the destruction of the whole person in the final judgment.
We might consider what needs to be cut out of our own life so that we can live more faithfully as good Catholics. Surgery can be painful, but the healing process can lead to new life. This may be an opportunity for us to set priorities with a purity of intent that can be life-giving for us. Small changes may be all that are needed to make a big difference. Hearing today's Gospel reading, we realize that Jesus was not setting up new rules to make people's lives even more burdensome, but, rather, he was explaining the essential meaning of the Law.
Jesus is proposing a very high moral ideal for us, but not an impossible one. Let us ask Jesus today that in all our human frailties we may not lose hope but rely on his Spirit to show his power in our weakness.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. John 19:33–34
John’s Gospel is filled with deep spiritual imagery and symbolism. It is clear that this imagery and symbolism was divinely inspired so as to give us spiritual food for reflection and meditation. One such image is given to us today as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
As Jesus and the two criminals on either side of Him hung upon their crosses, the soldiers came to hasten their deaths by breaking their legs to cause them to more quickly suffocate. But when they came to Jesus, He had already died. So one of the soldiers, traditionally known as Longinus, thrust his spear into Jesus’ side, and blood and water flowed forth. Some traditions identify Longinus with the centurion who cried out after Jesus’ death, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (See Matthew 27:54.) Other traditions state that he converted at that moment, making him the first convert to Christianity. And still other traditions state that Longinus could not see well, and the blood and water from Jesus’ side poured upon his eyes, healing him. Regardless of whether these traditions are true, we know that Jesus’ side was pierced and blood and water flowed forth.
The symbolism of this act was more than a mere human symbol. It was an instrument of the profound spiritual reality that was taking place at that moment. As Jesus’ Sacred Heart was pierced, the blood and water that poured forth was the new sacramental life of the Church. The Blood was the Most Holy Eucharist and the Water was the gift of Baptism. And when Jesus had previously “breathed His last” and “handed over His Spirit,” the Sacrament of Confirmation was bestowed.
When we celebrate those Sacraments today, it is easy to see them as mere symbols of what we partake in. But in our Christian Tradition, the Sacraments are so much more. The symbol is also the reality. It is the instrument of what it symbolizes. Therefore, every time we witness a Baptism or partake in the Holy Eucharist, we are mystically present with Longinus, receiving the grace and mercy of our redemption, pouring forth from Jesus’ wounded side, so as to heal us and make us whole.
The human heart is, physically speaking, a bodily organ responsible for pumping blood throughout. But from a spiritual perspective, given that we are both body and soul, the human heart is also the source of our life. Without it, we physically and spiritually die. So it is with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was not only a physical heart that was physically pierced by the lance long ago. It is now also the source of our ongoing spiritual life, and, without Jesus’ Sacred Heart of Mercy, we will die in our sins.
Reflect, today, upon the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. See His Heart as the ongoing source of your new life in grace. Understand that His Heart is more than a symbol of His grace and mercy, it is the spiritual source and the font of that mercy. Prayerfully place yourself before His Cross, this day, and allow the blood and water, flowing from His wounded side, to cover you so that you, too, may believe.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, You poured out upon the world the love and mercy of Your transforming grace through the instrument of the blood and water pouring forth from Your wounded side. Help me to gaze upon this font of mercy and to be covered with it through the gift of the Sacraments. May I always be open to all that You wish to bestow upon me by these precious and transforming instruments of Your love. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: On this day when you remind us of the love in your Sacred Heart, O Lord, I come before you eager to be reminded. I believe in your infinite goodness and in your deep, personal interest in my life. I want to come to you more fully today, to find rest for my soul in a deeper experience of your grace. Open my mind to receive the grace you have in store for me today, Lord, and receive the offering of my life for your glory and for the advance of your everlasting Kingdom.
1. Jesus Rejoices: Jesus rejoices at the beginning of today’s Gospel passage because at least some of his followers have trusted him enough to accept his teaching and his grace. Many refused—especially the well-educated and the powerful. But many of those who were humble, maybe not so well instructed, maybe not so popular and influential—many of “the little ones” accepted the gift of friendship with God that Jesus came to the world to offer all of us. And nothing fills Jesus with more joy than when we accept his gift of friendship by trustfully believing in what he taught and following where he leads. It’s interesting to think about that: Jesus, the Word of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, experiences joy or sadness in our response to his invitations. This is perhaps the most striking thing about the revelations of the Sacred Heart. When Jesus revealed his heart to St. Margaret Mary in the seventeenth century, thorns encircled it. Whenever someone says no to Jesus, whenever someone refuses to accept his gifts, whenever someone damages themselves and others by choosing to sin, it hurts Jesus. He truly cares. He cares more deeply than we can imagine. How firmly do I believe that? How real is that for me?
In the Gospel reading Jesus clarifies that adultery is committed not only in deed but also in thought and in the heart: "Do not commit adultery. But I tell you this: anyone who looks at a woman to satisfy his lust has in fact already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Jesus also declares the indissolubility of Christian marriage. In the parallel passage in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus refers to the Old Testament, "Man has to leave father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body. So they are no longer two but one body. Therefore let no one separate what God has joined." (Mk 10: 7- 9)
In the Gospel reading Jesus says that we should prefer to lose our eye or whatever part of the body responsible for the sin, rather than risk damnation because of sin. If something or some place might cause us to sin, avoid it. If a show brings lustful thoughts and acts, avoid it. Do we have any real choice?
The following of Christ is not easy: Jesus speaks of the narrow path. Jesus says that his disciples, following a crucified Lord, should also be ready to carry their own crosses.
But if we love the Lord, nothing is difficult to give; with God's grace, nothing is impossible.
No comments:
Post a Comment