Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy tuần 22 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy tuần 22 Thường Niên
Con người chúng ta thường như có vẻ thù nghịch với Thiên Chúa và với nhau; thật sự con người hay xa lạ với nhau, như thư thánh gởi cho giáo đoàn Côlôxê đã mô tả. Sự thù địch và ghẻ lạnh đã tạo ra thế giới chúng ta đang sống những sự lộn xộn, tàn bạo và đáng sợ. Sự sợ hãi, bạo lực, hận thù được phát triển mạnh mẽ hơn mỗi ngày như chúng ta đã thấy qua báo chí, internet, bao nhiêu cuộc tàn sát dã man trong những tháng vừa qua. Nhưng mục đích cuộc sống của chúng ta không phải là như thế. Chúa Giêsu xuống thế để hòa giải con người tội lỗi chúng ta với Thiên Chúa và con người với nhau qua cái chết của Ngài trên thập tự giá. Việc mà chúng ta chỉ cần phải làm là mở rộng tấm lòng của chúng ta với cuộc sống mới mà Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho chúng ta. Đó là vấn đề trong xã hội ngày nay, nhiều người, ngay cả những người đạo đức là không muốn thay đổi. Chúng ta có thể hạnh phúc và bình an như chúng ta mong muốn, sự lựa chọn luôn luôn là ở nơi chúng ta vì Thiên Chúa cho chúng ta tự do, Ngài không ép buộc chúng ta.
            Qua bài Tin Mừng, Chúa Giêsu đã cho chúng ta thấy rằng, luật Sabbath (kiêng việc ngày Chúa Nhật) đã được ban ra là để giúp đỡ con người, Chử không phải là được ban ra để là chướng ngại vật cản trở cuộc sống con người chúng ta. Với Thiên Chúa thì con người và niềm hạnh phúc của con người mới chính là điều ưu tiên trước hết. Đây là điều chúng ta cần phải luôn nhớ. Chúa Giêsu là Chúa của ngày Sa-bát; Chính Ngài đã trở thành quy luật của chúng ta, và Ngài đã cai trị chúng ta với tình yêu thương và lòng thương xót. Chúng ta hãy nhận và coi đó là luật và là nguyên tắc của chúng ta nữa!
 Lạy Chúa, xin biến đổi lòng trí và trái tim của chúng con.
 
Reflection SG
Human beings often seem so hostile to God and one another; truly estranged, as the author of Colossians describes it. This hostility and estrangement has created the messy and frightening world we live in. The fear, violence, and hatred seem to grow stronger daily. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Jesus reconciled humanity to God and one another through his death on the cross. All we have to do is open ourselves to this new life that Jesus offers us. That is the problem — many people, even religious people, simply do not want to change. We can be as happy and at peace as we want to be — the choice is always ours. God does not force us.
Some who were sticklers for the rules were angry that the disciples of Jesus had eaten some grain in the fields on the Sabbath. This was forbidden. But Jesus pointed out a time when David and his men were hungry and in great need. They entered the temple and ate the bread of the Presence, which was forbidden to all but the priests. His point was that Sabbath rules were made to help people, not set up obstacles to hinder their journey. People and their well-being count first. This is something we need to remember continually. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath — he himself has become our rule, and his rule is love and mercy. Let that be our rule too!
 
Saturday 22nd Ordinary Time 2023
This short yet powerful statement by Jesus was spoken in response to the Pharisees who questioned Jesus as to why His disciples were apparently doing what was unlawful on the sabbath. They were walking through a field of grain, picking grain as they walked, and eating it for nourishment on their journey from one town to another.
This challenge from the Pharisees highlights their scrupulous approach to the moral law. Recall the Third Commandment given through Moses: “Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God. You shall not do any work…” (Exodus 20:8–10). From this Commandment, the Pharisees had developed a complex commentary which went into great detail about what kind of work was forbidden on the Sabbath in their view. One such regulation was to pick and mill grain. Thus, they judged that this was what the disciples were doing and were, therefore, violating the Third Commandment.
The laws of God, as they are given by God, must be followed perfectly. His divine Law refreshes us, enlivens us and enables us to live in union with Him. The Pharisees, however, deeply struggled with a need to control the lives of the people through their human interpretation of the divine Law. By saying that “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath,” Jesus made it clear that this scrupulous interpretation of the Third Commandment taught by the Pharisees did not align with the truths of that divine Law.
One lesson to learn from this encounter is that each one of us can easily fall into a similar trap. It’s easy to replace God’s true Law with our perception of faith and morality. We are weak human beings, and there are many things that affect our thinking and our convictions in life. Emotions, habits, family relationships, friendships, media and so many other things affect us in powerful ways. Sometimes for good and sometimes for ill. We can easily arrive at certain judgments of faith and morality that are slightly erroneous, being based on subtle errors. As a result, we can easily begin to get off track in our thinking and convictions and, over time, can find that we have deviated far from the truths of God. When this happens, it can be difficult to humbly admit it and change our convictions.
Reflect, today, upon the humble truth that Jesus and Jesus alone is Lord of the divine Law. This means that we must perpetually remain open to changing our opinions when we hear our Lord speak to us. Ponder any way in which you have become overly attached to your own opinions. If they bring forth peace, joy, charity and the like, then they are most likely in union with God. If they are burdensome, a cause of confusion, contention or frustration, then you may need to step back and humbly reexamine the convictions you hold, so that He Who is Lord of all will be able to speak His divine Law to you more clearly.
Lord of all Truth, You and You alone are the guide of my life. You and You alone are the Truth. Help me to be humble, dear Lord, so that I can recognize any error in my convictions and turn to You and Your divine Law as the one and only guide for my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 22nd Ordinary Time 2023
Opening Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the honor of praying before you. I need you in my life. You are my foundation, my strength, and my joy. Please increase my faith, hope, and love so that I may cling ever more to you in all that I do. 
Encountering Christ:
Simplicity of Heart: There is a strong contrast between the Pharisees' hypocrisy and the apostles' simplicity. The problem was not the Pharisees’ zeal for the law. In another passage, Jesus defended their authority to teach: “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you” (Matthew 23:2-3a). The problem was their disposition. Our Lord continued, “but do not follow their example. For they preach but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens… and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:3b-4). The Pharisees seemed to exercise their authority in a controlling and oppressive manner towards others while allowing themselves much leeway (Matthew 15:3-6). Again, this passage shows their heavy-handed criticism of the apostles. For their part, the hungry apostles simply reached for some food. While the apostles struggled with ambition and vanity (Mark 9:34), there remained in them a childlike simplicity born from sincerity (John 1:47).
Defending His Own: The Pharisees and scribes frequently attacked Jesus, accusing him of being possessed or mad, setting verbal traps for him, and the like (Matthew 12:24; Mark 12:14). In such instances, he bore it with great patience, although he would correct their errors and call out their hypocrisy. However, when the Pharisees attacked his apostles, Jesus never failed to come quickly and firmly to their rescue. Here, he defended their simply satiating their hunger. In another passage, Jesus quickly clarified Peter’s confusion about Jesus’s payment of the temple tax by working a miracle (Matthew 17:24-26). When Judas brought the temple guard to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Our Lord said that he was the one for whom they came so that they should let the apostles go (John 18:8). Jesus will allow us to suffer in following him, but he will also protect and strengthen us on our journey. Our Lord looks after his own.
Lord of the Sabbath: “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” Throughout his public life, Jesus frequently affirmed his authority. More than once, Jesus said or implied this: “Moses said… but I say to you” (Matthew 5:21-22; Matthew 5:27-28; Matthew 19:7-9). He unambiguously declared that he is a      greater authority than Moses. So, too, in this passage, Jesus’s ultimate argument in defense of his apostles was his own authority. The same relationship holds between Jesus and his Church. The Church has authority and power from its union with the Lord, and Jesus promised to uphold that union until the end of time (Matthew 28:20). Our confidence in the Church is rooted in our confidence in Jesus and in his promises.
Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for your protective and provident love. You never allow me to be tempted beyond my ability to resist. You have frequently come to my aid. Please help me to grow in simplicity of heart so that I may avoid the pitfalls of hypocrisy and insincerity. I realize that I need purification and will entrust myself to your loving hands.
Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will try to grow in simplicity by learning to laugh at myself and not take myself too seriously when the occasion arises.
 
Reflection
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I worship you because I came from you. I long for you because you made me for yourself. I praise you as my ever-present helper. I call on you as my powerful protector. (Universal Prayer of Pope Clement XI)
Petition: Lord, purify my heart.
1. The Pharisees’ Heart: Sometimes a short phrase reveals so much about what is happening inside a person’s mind and heart. One can get a glimpse into Hitler’s corrupt heart with his famous phrase: “I do not see why man should not be just as cruel as nature.” His actions were of the cruelest. Thirty years ago, when Saint John Paul II was elected pope, the simple phrase, “Be not afraid,” indicated the attitude he would have for the following 26 fearless years of his papacy. In this passage, the Pharisees say so much about the state of their own hearts by saying so little: “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” The Pharisees are all caught up in the externals of the law and miss the big picture that Christ came to bring: complete love for God and heroic love of neighbor. As Christians, we are not called to have a heart that calculates the cost, but rather one filled with unconditional love.
2. A King’s Heart: Another character in this passage is King David, whom Christ hails for having chosen to feed his starving army over scrupulously following some norms of the law regarding eating. From the story of David and Goliath, we learn that David had a brave heart from his youth and that he trusted in God over his limitations. Young David’s heart was honest and humble: King Saul was trying to kill him, yet when David had the chance to kill Saul in a cave, he relented and later made amends with Saul. David’s heart was weak when he fell in love with Uriah’s wife and then had Uriah killed. Nevertheless, David’s heart did not grow cold from this sin; instead, he repented sincerely: “Have mercy on me, God in your goodness blot out my offenses, wash away all my guilt, from my sin cleanse me” (Psalm 51). With time and patience, David formed a remarkable heart that loved God and neighbor.
3. The Sacred Heart: What love the Heart of Christ shows his apostles in this passage. Imagine the scene: Christ walking through a ripe field of grain with his closest friends, laughing, joking, talking about the town they just visited, speaking of their dreams, and also snacking on the ripe harvest. Christ’s heart was so immersed with love for these men who would be the pillars of the Church and who would bring his message to the whole world. How far his thoughts were from the littleness and pettiness of the empty details of the worn out laws! His law is the new law of love: “Behold the heart that has so loved men.” Christ looks at us the same way he looked at his apostles in the field – as friends who are called to be the pillars of the new evangelization, as apostles who are to bring his words to the end of the earth. He needs us to say “yes” to this call!
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for the unconditional love of your heart. I want to repay your love for me by loving you back with the same intensity. I know I always fall short of this, but you know my heart, and you know I want to be close to you until the day I meet you face-to-face in eternity.
Resolution: With a repentant heart, I will go to confession today.
 
‘Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Luke 6:1-5 - Thứ Bẩy Tuần 22 Thường Niên
Luật pháp được ban hành bởi vì chúng ta cần có kỷ luật và trật tự chung. Luật pháp cũng được ban hành để hướng dẫn cho nhân dân biết những gì nên và không nên làm. Đó là những nguyên nhân căn bản và lý do tại sao pháp luật đã được viết ra. Khi người Do Thái rời khỏi đất Ai Cập về miền đất hứa, họ đã luôn phàn nàn về cuộc sống rất khó khăn trên đường về đất Hứa,  Vì họ đã sống cuộc đời nô lệ đã quen nên họ gặp những khó khăn, rồi bướng bỉnh khi được sống  một cuộc sống tự do. Do đó, Thiên Chúa đã cho Môisen viết ra mười điều răn để dậy dỗ và làm cho cuộc sống của họ được trật tự hơn. Nhưng sau này các kinh sư, luật sĩ và ngưới Biệt Phái đã vẽ thêm nhiều luật lệ rừng vô lỳ khác để cai trị và bốc lột dân Do Thái trong những thời điểm này chẳng khác gì như đảng đảng Cộng Sản VN hiện tại. Cũng như CSVN, Người Biệt Phái và các kinh sư, luật sĩ thực hành nghiêm túc các luật này để thể hiện sự thống trị, hà hiếp và tạo ưu thế riêng cho họ. Nhưng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã nhìn thấy tất cả những mưu đồ xấu của những người Biệt Phái. "giúp người ngày Sa-bát là bất hợp pháp là có tội?"  Trong tình hình hiện nay của chúng ta, có phải chúng ta sẽ lãnh đạm với những gì đang xảy ra xung quanh chúng ta, vì pháp luật không cho phép chúng ta phải làm gì?. Đó là tự do???
            Nền tảng cho tất cả mọi thứ trong cuộc sống của chúng ta phải là tình yêu của Thiên Chúa. Công lý và lòng nhân từ phải được rộng ban cho tất cả mọi người. Tất cả các luật lệ, hay pháp lệnh phải theo các điều căn bản, không nên nhỏ mọn, không được qua khắt khe, luật lệ cũng không phải là để thống trị. Các nhà lãnh đạo, bất cứ ở trong một chế độ chính trị nào, cần phải cân nhắc và phát thảo một luật pháp đựa trên căn bản bằng tình yêu Thiên Chúa. luật pháp không nên quá mang nặng tính pháp lý, nên đơn giản. Chúa Giêsu đã đưa bàn tay của Ngài để chữa trị các bệnh nhân trong ngày Sa-bát. David đã vào nhà Chúa đưa bàn tay lấy bánh ăn. Điều quan trọng là hành động của họ đã làm tốt cho người khác. Chúa Giêsu làm cho một người bệnh được chữa lành, David đã có thể dẫn binh ra chiến trận và chiến thắng. Vì thế trong tinh thần này mà chúng ta nên áp dụng cho sống cuộc sống của chúng ta. Tuân theo luật pháp vì chúng được ban ra cho chúng ta với phúc lành của Thiên Chúa. Nhưng, chúng ta cũng nên nhìn vào những cơ bản và lý do tại sao những luật này đã được ban hành.
 
REFLECTION
Laws are enacted because we need order. They are also enacted to spell out to the people what should and shouldn't be done. There are bases and reasons why laws are written. When the Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land, they were always griping how life was so hard. Since they had lived a lifetime of bondage, they had difficulty adjusting to a life of freedom. Thus, Moses wrote down laws to make it easier for them. Later on it was these Mosaic Laws that governed the
Israelites to the point that their lives were constricted by them. The Pharisees and the Scribes strictly enforced these laws to show their dominance and superiority.  But Jesus saw through the motives of the Pharisees. "Is it unlawful to help people on the Sabbath?" In our present situation, are we going to be indifferent to what is happening around us because the law disallows us to do something?
            The basis for everything in our life should be God's love. Justice and mercy are ex tended to everyone. All laws and ordinances follow these bases, not pettiness, not superiority, nor dominance. Rulers, whatever their political systems are, should craft laws with God's love wrapped in it. They should not be too legalistic; they should be simple.  Jesus lifts his hand to cure the sick on the Sabbath. David picks up grains across a field of wheat. What matters is that their action has done good for others. Jesus makes a sick man well, David is able to lead his men to victory against a despotic ruler.
It is in this spirit that we should live our lives. Follow the laws for they were given to us with God's blessings. But, look to the bases and reasons why they were enacted.