Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai tuần 19 TN

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai tuần 19 TN Matthew 17:22-27

Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta biết rằng đối với Chúa là Thiên Chúa thì việc đóng thuế đền thờ không cần thiết, nhưng không phải vì thế mà Ngài sẽ làm gương xấu cho người khác, nên Chúa đã bảo Phêrô đóng thuế đàng hoàng hoàng (bằng đồng tiền lấy được từ trong miệng một con cá mới được câu lên.)

Trong thực tế, chúng ta cần phải thưc hành những nhiệm vụ của chúng ta một cách chu đáo, để chúng ta có thể làm gương cho những người khác bắt chước những gì mà họ nên phải làm, Có bao giờ chúng ta đã cảm thấy khó chịu khi trốn tránh trách nhiệm hoặc nghĩa vụ của chúng ta? Trong tin Mừng hôm nay, Các môn đệ cũng đã được Chúa Giêsu cho biết rằng, "Con Người" sẽ bị phản bội, bị chối bỏ và bị Xét xử v phải chết mọt cách đau đớn và nhục nhã trên Thập Giá. Tuy nhiên, Chúa Giêsu đã sẵn sàng chấp nhận cái chết với sự phản bội của các môn đệ, cũng như, chấp nhận những vấn nạn to lớn mà họ có thể phải nhận được trong một số phận tương tự trong cuộc sống trần thế khổ đau của chúng ta, chúng ta phải luôn tìm kiếm và Xin Chúa giúp chúng ta có thêm can đảm và sức mạnh để chịu đựng những thử thách trong đời này.

Giá cứu chuộc của Chúa Giêsu đã phải trả như là của lễ chuộc tội cho tất cả những tội lỗi chúng ta và để giải thoát chúng ta, Qua cái chết và sự phục sinh của Người, Chúa Giêsu đã cho chúng ta sự tự do vô biên, để chúng ta được sống như con cái của Thiên Chúa. Để giúp chúng ta luôn luôn có thể được sống trong tự do và được hướng dẫn bằng gương sáng của tình yêu và chân lý.

 

REFLECTION

Throughout the Old Testament we see God's love for those who obey him and his punishment for those who disobey his commands. He has loved and fulfilled his promises to his chosen people, Israel, beginning with Abraham and Isaac. Led by Moses, God freed Israel from slavery in Egypt and brought them to their promised land. In the Gospel reading Jesus predicts his passion, death and resurrection. He also shows his respect for civil authorities by paying tax for himself and Peter, "The sons, then, are tax-free. But so as not to offend these people... take the coin [in the fish you catch] and let it pay for you and for me." Christians have to be law-abiding citizens of their countries: they are citizens of this world and of God's kingdom.

 

Monday 19^th in Ordinary Time A 2023

From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.” Matthew 17:25–27

Prior to this minor miracle, Jesus had just told His disciples for the second time about His coming passion. Again, this was difficult for them to hear. Recall that after the first prediction of Jesus’ coming passion and death, Jesus took Peter, James and John up the mountain and was Transfigured before them. The Transfiguration was meant, in part, to dispel the fear of the disciples and to give them hope for that which was to come. And now, after Jesus’ second prediction of His passion, another miracle was performed for Peter, personally, to help encourage him and give him hope.

Imagine if you were Peter. Imagine following through with Jesus’ instructions by going to the sea, dropping in a hook, pulling out a fish and then opening its mouth. Peter must have been filled with hope and excitement as he pulled this fish in, wondering if Jesus’ words would come true. And as soon as Peter saw the coin, just as Jesus said, he must have been in awe. Slowly, the fear and anxiety he was experiencing at this second prediction of Jesus’ passion and death would have begun to subside as Peter witnessed yet another incredible sign from his Lord.

God performs miracles in our lives every day. The problem is that we often fail to discern them. Any time His glorious power works within us to strengthen us or fills us with courage, hope, charity and every other virtue, this is a miracle of transforming grace. God always knows what we need in life. He knows our struggles and doubts. At times, He is silent so as to draw us deeper through intentional prayer and acts of faith. And at times, we suddenly find that we receive a new clarity in life that is the result of His grace at work.

Jesus knew that Peter needed this extra grace of this personal miracle so that he could move beyond his fears and struggles and place all of his trust in Jesus. Jesus was trustworthy. This is the conclusion Peter would have arrived at. He was trustworthy. Therefore, everything He said should be believed. What a wonderful conclusion for us all to arrive at.

Reflect, today, upon the ways that God has assured you of His divine presence and action in your life. Though the assuring miracles God has performed in your life may not be physical in their manifestation, God’s workings can be just as convincing if we clearly perceive them. What does God want to assure you of in your life? What struggle or doubt do you struggle with? If you struggle, turn your mind to the ways that God has been present and active in your life. Ponder His intervention and the ways He has cared for you and led you. Be grateful and allow the memory of what God has done to be your strength today and the source of hope when you need it the most.

My miraculous Lord, Your action in my life is truly glorious and amazing. You never fail to provide for me when I am in need. Help me to turn to You whenever I struggle so as to be filled with new hope in You. You are always faithful, dear Lord. I do place all my hope in You. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Monday 19th in Ordinary Time 2023

Introductory Prayer: Lord God, I believe in your presence here with me as I begin this moment of prayer. I hope in you. I know that you will always take care of me. I want this time with you to be a sign of my love for you. I seek only to please you, without desiring any spiritual consolation for myself.

Petition: Lord, help me to acknowledge your greatness with my words and actions.

1. No Tax Loopholes, Not Even for Jesus: Jesus draws from Peter the admission that collectors of the Temple Tax did not consider him the Son of God, and that they did not consider the Temple the house of his Father. They, therefore, thought he was subject to the tax. In effect, by obliging him to pay the tax, they implied that they considered him a subject or a foreigner. Joined with Jesus’ prediction of his Passion, the scene harkens back to the line from the opening of John’s Gospel, “He was in the world and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him” (John 1:10-11). How this must have broken the heart of Christ to find himself unwelcome among those he came to save. And how often we leave Christ alone in our churches and chapels, with no one to visit him or acknowledge his presence there.

2. A Place Where Christ Is Welcome: What does it mean for us to welcome Christ into our life? It must be more than a warm emotion. Instead, it must be opening ourselves to the presence of him who comes to make his home among us and share our lives. We have a God who is so close to us and wants a relationship with us. He wants our time and our attention. Welcoming Christ into our life means recognizing him not as a foreigner who comes from afar to impose himself, but as our personal Lord -- as our master and our savior. It is his will that must rule in our lives and direct our behavior. We must acknowledge that only he has the word of life, and we must turn our lives to Him in loving obedience. The fruit of this will be interior peace and profound joy.

3. A Society Without Christ Is Empty and Confused: Today we see how frequently Christ is refused entry into the world, and how often he is marginalized by so many of those who have a significant influence on society and our culture. He is deliberately excluded from the world of politics, from the world of science, the arts, of business, law, and medicine. Often he is treated in the media only when it chooses to ridicule him. As followers of Christ, we must bring him and his word of life back into every sphere of human activity, for a world without Christ is a world that knows neither its origin nor its destiny and will turn against man himself.

Conversation with Christ: Jesus, give me the courage to make your presence felt in the world around me. Let me not be afraid to show that my faith in you is the center of my life and gives meaning to all I do. Let me give witness of the joy I experience in living by your law in my life.

Resolution: I will find time to spend with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament today, or find a way to give witness to Christ amid my daily occupations, manifesting my faith publicly.

 

Monday

Petition: Lord, help me to trust in you when I am making my decisions.

1. The Divine Name: As if being battered by the wind and waves weren’t enough to instill a feeling of doom and dread, in the midst of it all, the apostles saw a shadowy figure gliding along the water. They were scared! Who wouldn’t be? Jesus speaks directly to their fear. “Take heart; it is I,” – literally in early Greek translation, “I am.” This is biblical code language that evokes powerfully the presence of God. When Moses stood before the burning bush, at a loss as to how he, the tongue-tied fugitive from Egypt, was supposed to go back to the Pharaoh and convince that hardened soul to liberate the enslaved Hebrews, he felt he just could not do it. God’s answer to Moses’ hesitation and doubt was to tell Moses his name, “I AM.” God’s very name is presence, and that presence brings reassurance. We are not alone as we face life’s challenges.

2. Walking on Water: Peter’s gut reaction is to believe in Christ. “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” As he stands up on the boat, preparing for that daring leap, the other disciples are hunkered down, still holding on for dear life. Peter’s faith inspires us: At times we face crucial decisions and feel like we are about to jump out of a boat as well. The indecision we experience can seem rational. We don’t want to drown, after all. But Peter’s leap was not simply blind or foolhardy. He knew that by himself he was better off putting on a life jacket. But Christ was commanding him, “Come.” This story is not a recipe for rashness. It is a story of faith-filled obedience. When we know in our heart of hearts that Jesus has said “Come,” the leap that we take is a good decision because it is grounded in faith and trust.

3. A Helping Hand: Peter leaps, but he brings all his flaws with him as he lands on the solid water. The wind and the waves overwhelm his awareness of the miracle, and along with the doubt, he finds himself in the water. How beautiful that Peter’s very fall awakens his faith again. He does not attempt to rely on his swimming prowess to get back into the boat. He cries out, “Lord, save me.” Christ’s heart is filled with mercy. He immediately stretches out his hand to save his water-logged vicar. He is anxious for Peter—and us—to learn the lesson. “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” In other words, “Don’t take your eyes off of me! I will keep you afloat.”

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, you called Peter to walk on water. As long as he believed in you and your power, he was fine, but his doubt got the upper hand. Strengthen my faith so that I can be obedient to you. Help me when the wind and the waves are fierce, and the inclination to doubt asserts itself. Help me to stay on top of the water! Resolution: I will pray first and then make faith-filled decisions today.