Suy Niêm Chúa nhật 29 Thường Niên Năm A

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A
Suy Niêm Chúa nhật 29 Thường Niên Năm A.  Khánh nhật Truyền giáo
Hôm nay là Chủ nhật Khánh nhật Truyền giáo, là ngày dành riêng cho những người Công giáo trên toàn thế giới cảm nhận về hoạt động truyền giáo của Giáo hội qua lời cầu nguyện và hy sinh.
Lễ Khánh nhật Truyền giáo cử hành vào Chúa nhật trước Chủa nhật cuối cùng của tháng 10, đó là thời điểm mà Giáo hội không những chỉ cầu nguyện mà còn hỗ trợ những người truyền giáo trên toàn cầu. Trong bài tông huấn Redemptories Missio Thánh Giáo hoàng Gioan Phaolô II đã viết: (RM 81). Ngày Khánh nhật Truyền Giáo là “một ngày quan trọng đời sống của Giáo Hội vì nó dạy chúng ta cách dâng hiến: như của lễ dâng lên Thiên Chúa, trong việc cử hành Thánh Thể và cho tất cả các sứ mạng trên thế giới”.
Vào dịp Lễ Chúa Thánh hiện xuống, Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô đã công bố thông điệp hàng năm của ngài cho Chủ nhật Truyền giáo Thế giới năm 2020. Chủ đề được lấy từ sách Ê-sai: “Này tôi đây, xin người sai tôi” (6: 8), trong đó ngài nói về “lời mời của Thiên Chúa mời gọi chúng ta hãy bước ra khỏi chính mình vì tình yêu thương đối với Thiên Chúa và người xung quanh qua việc phục vụ và cầu nguyện cho nhau ”.
Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô giải thích rằng chính Giáo hội “tiếp tục sứ mệnh của Chúa Giêsu cách đặc biệt trong lịch sử”. Do đó, tất cả những người đã được rửa tội đều được sai đi nhân danh Giáo hội và qua chứng tá Tin Mừng của chúng ta, Thiên Chúa tiếp tục “bày tỏ tình yêu của Ngài”.
    Sứ mệnh và quyền năng biến đổi của Tin Mừng Chúa Kitô là Đường, Sự thật và Sự sống. Chúa Giêsu Kitô là Đường. Ngài mời gọi chúng ta theo ngài với sự tự tin và can đảm. Khi bước theo Chúa Giêsu là Con đường của mình, chúng ta cảm nghiệm được Sự thật và đón nhận Sự sống của Ngài, ví đó là sự hiệp thông viên mãn với Thiên Chúa Cha trong quyền năng của Chúa Thánh Thần.
   Qua sứ mạng của Giáo hội, chính Chúa Giêsu Kitô tiếp tục truyền giáo và hành động; do đó sứ mệnh của Giáo hội là làm cho lịch sử Thế giới trở thành thời gian thuận lợi cho sự cứu rỗi. Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô nói rõ rằng cho chúng ta biết là Tiền quyên góp được trong ngày Chúa Nhật này sẽ dùng cho việc hỗ trợ “các công việc truyền giáo đang được thực hiện nhân danh ngài qua các Hiệp hội Truyền giáo của Giáo hoàng, nhằm đáp ứng nhu cầu vật chất và tinh thần của các dân tộc và Giáo hội trên toàn thế giới, vì sự cứu rỗi của tất cả mọi người ”.
Nhà truyền giáo vĩ đại nhất mọi thời đại là thánh Phao-lô, người đã phải chịu nhiều khó khăn trong hành trình truyền giáo. Trong lá thư gửi cho dân thành Têsalônica, thánh Phaolô viết “Vì Tin Mừng của chúng tôi không đến với anh em trong lời nói đơn lẻ, nhưng bằng quyền năng và trong Chúa Thánh Thần và với nhiều niềm tin.”. Sẽ không có ai tin vào Phúc âm nếu các nhà truyền giáo không phải bị đau khổ vì Lời họ rao giảng, và mỗi chúng ta là một nhà truyền giáo.
Hôm nay, Chúa Jêsus phán: Hãy trả cho Thiên Chúa những gì thuộc về Thiên Chúa, điều này có nghĩa là tất cả. Hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nhắc nhở chúng ta, chúng ta thuộc về Chúa.
Chính Người đã tạo ra chúng ta và ban cho chúng ta tất cả những gì chúng ta có. Và do đó, chúng ta phải sống cuộc sống của mình để luôn biết tỏ cho người khác biết về điền cơ bản này và phải biết ơn với Thiên Chúa Cha của chúng ta, Đấng tạo đã dựng chúng ta theo hình ảnh của Con yêu dấu của Ngài là Chúa Giêsu. Đó là một bí ẩn kỳ diệu.
Xin Đức Maria mẹ Đồng Trinh giúp chúng ta biết nói tiếng “xin vâng” chính mình, ý thức được nhu cầu cấp bách cho việc đêm Tin Mừng của Chúa Giêsu đến khắp nớ và làm vang dội trong thời đại chúng ta. Xin Mẹ ban cho chúng ta có lòng nhiệt thành trong việc mang Tin Mừng của Chúa đến cho mọi người qua cuộc sốnh của chúng ta. Xin Mẹ cầu bầu cho chúng ta để chúng ta có được sự can đảm thánh thiện cần thiết để khám phá ra những cách thức mới để mang lại ân cứu độ cho mọi người trên thế giới.
Xin cho nhân loại thấy được giá trị đích thực của tất cả những gì Thiên Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta và không làm ô uế công trình tạo dựng của Thiên Chúa bằng cách treo lên đó với một cái giá.
 
My Homily for World Mission Sunday 29th Ordinary Time A.
     After the Philippines, Vietnam has the second largest Catholic population in Southeast Asia, thanks to the dedication of missionary priests and clergymen from the Franciscan, Dominican, Jesuit orders and the Foreign Missionary Association in Paris.   The seeds of the Gospel were silently sowed, grown and brought to fruition in Vietnam.  However, a storm of hatred and fear surrounded the church. As a result, several harassing arrests, oppression, and detainments had been conducted on the Vietnamese faithful.
Hundred thousands of Vietnamese Catholics were beheaded, crushed to death by elephants, or quartered by horses or burnt alive under the Kings throughout the 16th to 19th centuries, and under the communist regime during 1954-1980 many priests and lay men were sent to prisons and died in the concentration camps. Yet, the Gospel was continuously spread today throughout Vietnam and its neighboring countries. Thanks to the missionaries and all who support the mission.
Today, the whole church celebrates World Mission Sunday. Since its announcement as a papal collection, all parishes worldwide have offered Mass collections from the day to aid the work of missionaries overseas.  Many are surprised to know that World Mission Sunday collections take place in every single parish where the Church is present. This includes not only the USA, but also in poorer parishes in the developing world.
World Mission Sunday is a moment of universal solidarity, when each member of the Church family, regardless of location or background, can play their part in supporting each other. This is why it is such a special and vital celebration.nIn Redemptories Missio saint John Paul II wrote: World Mission Sunday is “an important day in the life of the Church because it teaches how to give: as an offering made to God, in the Eucharistic celebration and for all the missions of the world” ( RM 81). The Pope also said: “The offerings that will be collected on World Mission Sunday are destined for a common fund of solidarity distributed, in the Pope’s name, by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith among the missions and missionaries of all the world.” 
Early this year on Pentecost Sunday, Pope Francis released his annual message for World Mission Sunday 2020. The theme is taken from the book of Isaiah: “Here am I, send me” (6:8), in which he discusses God’s “invitation to step out of ourselves for love of God and neighbor through service and intercessory prayer”. Pope Francis explains that it is specifically the Church that “continues the mission of Jesus in history”. Thus, all the baptized are sent forth in her name and through our witness of the Gospel, God continues “to manifest His love”.
            Mission and the transformative power of the Gospel of Christ are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is the Way who invites us to follow him with confidence and courage.
In following Jesus as our Way, we experience Truth and receive his Life, which is fullness of communion with God the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Through the mission of the Church, Jesus Christ himself continues to evangelize and act; her mission thus makes present in history the World the favorable time of salvation. Pope Francis specifies that the collection taken up on this Sunday will support “the missionary work carried out in my name by the Pontifical Mission Societies, in order to meet the spiritual and material needs of peoples and Churches throughout the world, for the salvation of all.” 
The greatest missionary of all time was St. Paul, who suffered many difficulties in his missionary journeys. In the letter to the Thessalonians saint Paul wrote “For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.”.  No one will believe the Gospel if Christian missionaries do not suffer for the Word they preach, and each of us is a missionary.  Give to God what belongs to God, Jesus says, which means everything. Today, Jesus reminds us, we belong to God.
It is He who has created us and given us all that we have. And therefore, we must live our life in recognition of this fundamental belonging and in gratitude toward God our Father, who creates us in the image of his beloved Son, Jesus. It is a wondrous mystery. 
            May the Virgin Mother help us to say our own “yes”, conscious of the urgent need to make the Good News of Jesus resound in our time.   May she obtain for us renewed zeal in bringing to everyone the Good News of the life. May the Virgin Mother intercede for us so that we can acquire the holy audacity needed to discover new ways to bring the gift of salvation to every human in the world.
May humanity see the true worth of all that God has provided for us and not defile God’s creation by hanging a price tag on it.
 
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech.  They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status.  Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Matthew 22:15-17
It has been said that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” In other words, two people who are enemies with each other will often join together if they see an opportunity to jointly attack an even greater enemy. This is what was happening in today’s Gospel. Jesus was considered the greatest enemy of the Pharisees and the Herodians, and both of these groups joined together in a plot to trap Jesus even though they greatly disliked each other.
The Pharisees were very nationalistic and were strict observers of the Law of Moses. It was their view that the people should not have to pay taxes to the Romans, and many of the people agreed. The Herodians supported the Romans and, therefore, were supporters of Herod, the Jewish ruler appointed by the Roman Emperor. One of Herod’s responsibilities was to obtain taxes from the Jews for use by the Roman government. Those who opposed the paying of taxes to the Romans could even be put to death.
This joint questioning of Jesus had one goal: to get Him in trouble. If Jesus said it was unlawful to pay taxes to Caesar, Herod’s soldiers could arrest Him. If Jesus said that the people should pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees could turn the people against Him. It appeared to be a lose-lose question posed to Jesus. Of course, Jesus’ answer was perfect. Without violating the Law of God, He also refrained from violating the civil law. Upon hearing His answer, all who heard Him “were amazed, and leaving him they went away.”
The lesson learned from this passage is an especially important lesson to apply to family life. It is very common for conflicts to arise from time to time among those who are close to each other. When that happens, we can often take the approach of trying to trap the other person and trip them up with our deceptive reasoning. When this happens between two people, the conversation often turns into a shouting match with each party seeking only to find fault with the other. The solution to such situations is simple. Every conflict must be resolved by the truth. Jesus did this perfectly. He did not attack when He was attacked. He did not defend Himself irrationally. He did not shy away from the confrontation. He did not manipulate the truth to His own advantage. Instead, He spoke openly and honestly the full truth and refused to engage his opponents in their trickery.
Consider this question. What if you were in Jesus’ position and the Pharisees came to you, asking you this question? What would you be tempted to answer? Most likely, you would try to answer them in such a way that appeased them. You might whisper, “We shouldn’t pay the taxes but don’t tell that to the Herodians.” And if the Herodians were to ask you that question, you might be tempted to give a different answer that appeased them.
Oftentimes, when we feel as though another person is trying to trap us, condemn us, or challenge us, we become more concerned about our defense than with the honest truth. We can become afraid to say anything that will give them reason to attack us. We will be tempted to twist our answers rather than speak forthrightly with sincerity and honesty. This will never resolve a conflict. The only way to resolve anything is with the truth.
Reflect, today, upon how you work to resolve conflict when it arises. Are you more like the Pharisees and Herodians whose only goal was to trick, trap and win? Do you see the other as an enemy in those moments? Or do you strive to be like Jesus who didn’t shy away from the conversation, answering honestly and directly? Of course, the truth was easy for Jesus since He was without any fault. In our lives, the truth may require that we admit our sin and apologize when confronted. However, if the truth, the full truth and nothing but the truth is our goal, then our conversations will imitate Jesus and, most often, a peaceful resolution will ensue.
My truthful Lord, Your wisdom is perfect and Your words are truth. Please give me the gifts of wisdom and all truth, especially when conflicts arise. In those moments, please keep me from reacting in an angry and defensive way so that I can always be an instrument of the unity You desire. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Opening Prayer: Holy Spirit, visit my soul in this moment of prayer. Widen my heart and sharpen my mind so that I can find what you have prepared for me. 
Encountering Christ:
1. What “Belongs to God?”: The Pharisees, we’re told, were trying to trap Jesus with this question about paying taxes. In general, their opposition to Our Lord was mounting. Jesus did not humiliate them with his answer. He simply invited them to give to God what belongs to God. The last line of this anecdote, which was not included in today’s reading, tells us, “When they heard this they were amazed, and leaving him they went away” (Matthew 22:22). Were they amazed because they wondered what belongs to God? We can ask the same question today, “What belongs to God?” Specific things belong to God for what they are: Sundays, for example; or an object consecrated for sacred use only; or things that are owed to God by pure justice, like gratitude, praise, obedience, etc. There are also things that belong to God because we freely choose to give them to him, like our time, our energies, and our sacrifices. 
2. Things I Want to Give to God: Let’s stop here for a moment, and consider and specify what kinds of things we have chosen to give to God. To make a free gift not rooted in justice or duty is an act of generosity and love. If you have given some of your belongings to God, call them to mind now. Talk to Jesus about it. Maybe you have given your talent to Jesus. Once more, reaffirm that gift. Or have you contributed your time? Conversely, are there things you have given over to God that you keep retracting? Look at these also, ponder them, and talk to Jesus about it. Ask for the grace to once again place them in Jesus’s loving, open hands.
3. More Than Generosity: Loving God by giving to him our thoughts, words, actions, time, talents, and sufferings is an act more beautiful than we realize. It might feel like mere renunciation. But when we bring those treasures into the light of God, he lets them shine and sparkle. Handing them to God makes them even more precious. Hence, giving God what belongs to him warrants a celebration, because we don't lose out; rather, we receive it back in greater splendor, even one-hundred fold. As Jesus told St. Catherine of Siena,“...here they receive the fire of divine charity figured by the number of a hundred... And because they have received this hundredfold from Me, they possess a wonderful and hearty joy, for there is no sadness in charity, but the joy of it makes the heart large and generous, not narrow or double” (Dialogue of St. Catherine).
Conversing with Christ: Lord, I recognize that everything I have you have given me. Giving over what belongs to you means that you ask me to deeply acknowledge this fact. When I’m tempted to covet something–anything–remind me, Lord, of this truth. “My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you. My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you. My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you” (St. Nicholas of Flüe).
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will consciously give of my time, talent, or treasure in a particular moment or situation.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy tuần 28 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy tuần 28 Thường Niên
Bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta có cảm giác lạ và khác thường khi chúng ta nghe Chúa Giêsu nói về một thứ tội mà không thể tha thứ được.  Qua bức hoạ của Thánh Luca về Chúa Giêsu thì Chúa là một người luôn có bàn tay mở rộng và luôn tha thứ cho những người tội lỗi, Chúa là người mà dường như không thể có khả năng từ chối sự tha thứ cho những ai có tội. Tuy nhiên, hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nói về một thứ tội lỗi mà không thể nào có thể tha thứ được.
Khi những người Pharisi đã thấy Chúa Giêsu làm phép lạ và trừ quỷ ra khỏi người bị quỷ ám. thế nhưng họ cho rằng Chúa Giêsu bị ám bởi quỷ Beelzebul, và khi Ngài trừ quỷ ra khỏi người bị quỷ ám này ngài đã  nhờ chính sức mạnh của các hoàng tử quỷ. Họ nhìn Chúa Giêsu mà coi như Ngài như là chúa quỷ Sa-tan; họ nghĩ là họ đang chứng kiến rõ ràng ​là Thiên Chúa không còn chấp nhận  việc làm tốt của Chúa Giêsu đã làm mà họ chỉ thấy việc làm hiện tại của Sa-tan. Họ đã mù quáng và không còn thấy được lòng thương xót đầy nhân hậu và sự thật nơi Chúa Giêsu. Họ không còn có thể phân biệt giữa cái ác và tội lỗi khi họ  phải đối mặt với chúng. Kể từ khi họ không còn có thể nhìn thấy tội lỗi là tội lỗi, họ không còn thấy sự cần thiết cho sự ăn năn. Họ bị sa lầy vĩnh viễn trong tội lỗi của họ. Họ đã khổng thể thấm nhuần được những ân sủng của Chúa Thánh Thần.
      Trong cuộc sống hiện tại Chúng ta cũng có lúc phải đối mặt với mối nguy hiểm này. Tội lỗi phải được công nhận là tội lỗi, tội ác xấu xa là tội ác, sự thật và sự thiện hảo phải là sự thật và  thiện hảo. Nếu chúng ta có thói quen không nhìn thấy tội lỗi ở những nơi tội lỗi, thì chúng ta có thể đã đánh mất đi cái khả năng của chúng ta để phân biệt giữa thiện và ác. Mặc dù có tội, chúng ta sẽ không còn có khả năng ăn năn. Chúng ta đã bị mù trong chính tâm hồn của chúng ta.
 
REFLECTION
It's very strange to hear Jesus speak about an unforgivable sin. The portrait Luke paints of Jesus is of a man whose arms are constantly open to sinners, who seemingly is incapable of refusing forgiveness to sinners. Yet today, Jesus speaks of the unforgivable sin,
The Pharisees had looked at Jesus working miracles and driving demons out of people possessed. What they saw was Jesus possessed by Beelzebul, driving demons out of people possessed by the power of the prince of demons. They looked at Jesus and saw Satan; they witnessed the obviously God-sanctioned works of Jesus and saw Satan at work. They blinded themselves to the goodness and truth in Jesus. They could no longer discern between evil and sin when confronted by them. Since they could no longer see sin as sin, they no longer saw the need for repentance. They were mired permanently in their sin. They had made themselves impermeable by the grace of the Spirit.
We also face this danger. Sin must be recognized as sin, evil as evil, truth and goodness as truth and goodness. If we get in the habit of not seeing sin where there is sin, we will lose our ability to discern good and evil. Though culpable, we will be incapable of repentance. We will have blinded ourselves.
 
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” Luke 12:11–12
Jesus lived this Gospel passage in His own life to perfection. He was arrested, interrogated, falsely condemned and questioned by the Chief Priest, Herod and Pontius Pilate. During His interrogations, sometimes He spoke and at other times He remained silent. In preparation for these interrogations, Jesus did not study each ruler ahead of time, trying to figure out what He should say and not say. He did not prepare a defense but relied upon His perfect union with the Holy Spirit and with the Father to be led at every moment in His human nature.
Though it may be unlikely that you will be arrested for your faith and put on trial for being Christian by the civil authorities, it is possible that you will experience various other forms of interrogation and condemnation at times during which you are challenged to respond. And more likely, if you are judged by another, you may be tempted to defend yourself in anger, attacking back.
This Gospel passage, when clearly understood and lived, should have the effect of calming you and reassuring you during any and every experience of judgment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way” (# 2478). And though you must always strive to do this yourself, there will most likely be times when others do not act in this careful and truthful way toward you. Thus, if you are judged by another, even if what they say has truth to it, it is important that you not react with defensiveness and anger, unless the Holy Spirit has unmistakably led you to do so. The key message Jesus gives is that you must trust that the Holy Spirit will always lead you as you humbly and continually seek to follow His every prompting. This is only possible if you have built a firm habit of attentiveness to the Voice of God within your conscience.
Because the experience of rash judgment, detraction, calumny and the like are painful to encounter, you must prepare your defense ahead of time by learning to only rely upon the Holy Spirit in all things. Jesus exhorts us to do so! Therefore, if you daily and humbly seek to fulfill God’s will, hear His voice, and respond with generosity, then you can be certain that when the time comes and you experience these forms of judgment, you will be ready. The Holy Spirit will speak to you, inspire you, console you and give you every grace you need to respond in accord with God’s will. Do not doubt this. Have faith and confidence in these words and this promise of our Lord.
Reflect, today, upon the ways that you have responded in the past to the judgment of another. Try to call to mind specific moments when this has happened. Did you respond with similar judgments? Were you filled with anger? Did you brood over injury? Did you lose your peace of heart? If you have fallen into these temptations, then commit yourself in faith to believe what Jesus says today. Trust Him. Trust that He will be with you in those difficult moments in the future and pray that you will be graced to respond only as the Holy Spirit directs you.
My innocent Lord, You were put on trial, judged and falsely condemned. Yet in all of that, You were the Innocent Lamb Who always loved and spoke truth with perfection. When I experience judgment in my life, please fill me with peace of heart and trust in Your promise that the Holy Spirit will be with me, inspiring me and leading me in accord with Your perfect will. Holy Spirit, I abandon myself to You now and always. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 28^th in Ordinary Time 2023
Opening Prayer: I come before you, Lord, to praise and bless you. You have filled the earth with your glory, with signs of your goodness, your power, your wisdom. I want to live with an awareness of that, of your presence and your love reaching out to me at all times. In this time of prayer, please grant me the grace I need to grow in the faith that will open my eyes to your glory. 
Encountering Christ:
1.     Acknowledging Christ: Jesus encourages us to acknowledge him before others. He promises that if we deny our allegiance to Christ, we will break our connection with him—he will not acknowledge us to the angels in heaven. What does it mean to “acknowledge Christ before others”? It means so many things! Everything we do that indicates to others our faith in Christ is a way of giving witness to Christ. Pausing to pray and make the sign of the cross before a meal at a restaurant or in the cafeteria is a way of acknowledging Jesus. Arriving late to a social engagement because we attend Mass on Sunday is a way of acknowledging Jesus. Speaking calmly but clearly about the Church’s teaching on moral and social issues, even defending those teachings when they are attacked, that too is acknowledging Jesus. Having religious images in our houses is a way to acknowledge Jesus to those who come and visit us. If in our own minds and hearts the core of our identity is that we are disciples and messengers of Jesus Christ, almost everything we do will in some way announce to those around us that he is real, that he is the Lord, and that we belong to him. And the more we do that, the deeper our bond with him becomes, and the greater our joy will be, now and forever.
2.     Resisting God’s Grace: God’s mercy is infinite; we can never sin so badly that he cannot forgive us. And yet, Jesus says in today’s Gospel passage that those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. How to explain this apparent contradiction? The one thing that impedes God’s mercy is our persistent refusal to accept God’s mercy. The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, is active in the world communicating God’s love and grace to human hearts. To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is to refuse, over and over again, the love and grace he offers. To die in that state of refusal is to die outside of friendship with God. We all need God’s mercy and grace—the “gift” of “righteousness,” as St. Paul puts it in today’s second reading. Refusing to receive what we need for salvation means we won’t experience salvation. This is a sobering thought. Somehow, although we can’t save ourselves without God’s grace, God still respects our freedom so deeply that he won’t force us to live in that grace. Here is how the Catechism (1864) puts it: “There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.”
3.     Preparing for Persecution: Jesus makes it clear that if we are faithful to his friendship, we will at times find ourselves in situations where it will be difficult, costly, to acknowledge our faith in him. Many of his first disciples, including the Apostles, were taken “before synagogues, before rulers and authorities,” because of their Christian faith. This fallen world and the diabolical powers at work within it are not fond of the truth of Christ and the demands it makes on us. And so those who proclaim and bear witness to that truth will run into opposition and be called to give an account of their counter-cultural beliefs, standards, and actions. We are not to be afraid of that. We are to trust that God will actually use that opposition and persecution to further this Kingdom. The Holy Spirit will guide us in those times of crisis and suffering and will work through us to allow the Gospel to penetrate hearts that otherwise might not be reached. This wasn’t just the case for the early Christians. This isn’t just the case for Christians who live under violently anti-Christian political regimes. This is the case for all Christians who stay true to their friendship with Christ. Sooner or later we will face a choice to acknowledge or deny our Lord in a stressful situation. Jesus doesn’t want us to worry about that: …do not worry about how or what your defense will be… (Luke 12:11). But neither does he want us to be blindsided. He wants us to be ready, to be unsurprised, and to trust that the Lord will be with us making all things work together for good for those who love him (Romans 8:28).
Conversing with Christ: I am sorry, my Lord, for the times when I have hidden my Christian identity. You know how weak I am, how vain I am, how anxiously I want to be accepted and welcomed. And sometimes I fear that acknowledging you as my Lord will lead only to ridicule, or even to rejection. I know that you can handle those situations, that you will never abandon me, even if others do, even if they persecute me. Holy Spirit, make me strong in my faith, joyful in my trust, and courageous in my love for Jesus Christ and his everlasting Kingdom.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will look for an opportunity to acknowledge Christ to others that I normally might not take advantage of, and I will take advantage of it.
 
Saturday 28^th in Ordinary Time 2021
Opening Prayer: 
Holy Spirit, you are my light and guide. Please bless me during this time of prayer by opening my ears to hear the message you have for me today.
Encountering Christ:
1. Angels as Our Witnesses: Christians by definition acknowledge that they live for Christ. We do our best to know, love, and serve the Lord and we begin each day by reflecting on his holy word so as to grow more “Christian.” Today, we learn that Jesus may someday “introduce” us to the angels—perhaps by name. What delight! It’s good to reflect from time to time on heaven and imagine what it might be like. These thoughts can help to enliven our faith and motivate us to do just a little bit better today than we did yesterday, all for God’s glory.
2. Blaspheming the Spirit: Can’t Jesus forgive anything we do? Yet, he tells us in this Scripture that we will not be forgiven if we blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. Saint John Paul II explains: “‘Blasphemy’ does not properly consist in offending against the Holy Spirit in words; it consists rather in the refusal to accept the salvation which God offers to man through the Holy Spirit, working through the power of the cross” (Dominum et Vivificantem, #46). If we are so hard of heart as to reject the mercy God offers through the Holy Spirit, “it may lead to final impenitence and eternal loss,” according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1864. May our pride never be so great as to assume we can’t be forgiven for something we’ve done!
3. No Words: How many times have we found ourselves at a loss for words? Or speaking the wrong words? Jesus reassures us in this Gospel passage that when we call on the Holy Spirit in those moments of grief, fear, or suffering, we will find the words we need to communicate God’s love to another. What a consolation it is to know that the Holy Spirit stands by to put his words on our hearts, so that we may speak God’s healing into this needy world. May we often whisper a prayer to the Holy Spirit before we speak! “Set a guard, Lord, before my mouth, keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalms 141:3).
Conversing with Christ: Lord, as someone who often speaks before I think, I find the promise you make to send the Holy Spirit to inspire my words very comforting. Thank you for sharing your awesome power and might, your light and love with me. May I always bring glory to you in speech and actions.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will whisper “Come Holy Spirit” before I speak to my friends at work about anything substantive.
 
Meditation:
 What is the unforgivable sin which Jesus warns us to avoid?
Jesus knows that his disciples will be tested and he assures them that the Holy Spirit will give them what they need in their time of adversity.
He warns them, however, that it's possible to reject the grace of God and giving up the faith out of cowardice or disbelief.
The scriptural expression to deny someone means to disown them. Jesus also speaks against blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
What is blasphemy and why is it reprehensible? Blasphemy consists in uttering against God, inwardly or outwardly, words of hatred, reproach, or defiance. It's contrary to the respect due God and his holy name. Jesus speaks of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin. Jesus spoke about this sin immediately after the scribes and Pharisees had attributed his miracles to the work of the devil instead of to God. \
A sin can only be unforgivable if repentance is impossible. If someone repeatedly closes his heart to God and shuts his ears to his voice, he comes to a point where he can no longer recognize God even when God makes himself known. Such a person ends up perceiving evil as good and good as evil (Isaiah 5:20).
There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who refuses to accept God's mercy by repenting of wrongdoing, rejects the forgiveness of their sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit.
God gives grace and help to all who humbly call upon him. Giving up on God and refusing to turn away from sin and disbelief results from pride and the loss of hope in God.
Saint John tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Jesus' death on the cross won for us our salvation and adoption as the children of God.
 The love and mercy of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit are freely given to those who acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Is your hope securely placed in Christ and his victory on the cross?
"Lord Jesus, you are my hope and salvation. May I trust you at all times and rely on your grace in times of testing and temptation? Let the fire of your Holy Spirit burn in my heart and fill me with a consuming love for you."

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Sáu Tuần 28 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Sáu Tuần 28 Thường Niên
Qua bài Tin Mừng, Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta biết là cuộc sống chúng ta đang sống hôm nay thật sự chỉ là cuộc sống tạm thời. Chúng ta không nên sợ cái chết ở trần thế, mà nên sợ cái chết đời đời. Đó là lý do tại sao chúng ta không nên chỉ chú ý đến cuộc sống trần gian, nhưng chúng ta phải chú ý đến sự sống vĩnh cửu đời đời ngày sau. Vĩnh cửu, đời đời là những chữ mà chúng ta thấy khó để liên kết với con người bởi vì tất cả mọi thứ ở đây không thể kéo dài mãi được. Tất cả mọi sự ỡ đời này đều có sự giới hạn. Vì tất cả mọi thứ, dù có bao bền lâu bao nhiêu, rồi cũng sẽ bị huỷ diệt. Ngay cả thế giới này cũng thế, rồi thì cũng qua đi. Và bất cứ điều gì chúng ta làm, đặc biệt là những điểu ẩn kín vẫn được Thiên Chúa nhìn thấy rất tỏ tường. Tất cả những hành động của chúng ta sẽ được phát hiện khi chúng trình diện mặt Chúa trong ngày sau hết của cuộc đời.
Chúng ta hãy bắt đầu ngay bây giờ, hãy bắt đầu làm việc cho những thứ cần thiết cho thiên đường, chứ không phải là chỉ để mắt của chúng ta hướng về những mối quan tâm trần thế, hữu hình. Hãy nhớ, Thiên Đàng thì tồn tại mãi mãi và có thật!
 
Reflection:
     It is clear that the life we live today is temporary. We are not to fear the earthly death, but rather the eternal death. That is why we should not just pay attention to the earthly life, but rather also to the eternal life. Because eternal life lasts forever. Forever is a word we find hard to relate with because all things here do not last. Warranties are limited and guarantees have a lifespan of its own, no matter the assurances we get, All things, no matter how durable get broken. Even this world is passing away slowly. And whatever we do, especially those hidden, are seen by God. All our actions will be uncovered and exposed at the end of time. Nothing will escape God's sight. Let us then start working then for the things of Heaven, rather than just fix our eyes always and only on tangible earthly concerns. Heaven exists. Forever is real!
 
Friday 28^th In Ordinary Time 2023
“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops.” Luke 12:2–3
Immediately prior to this passage quoted above, Jesus told His disciples: “Beware of the leaven—that is, the hypocrisy—of the Pharisees.” This comes after Jesus gives a long and very direct series of condemnations of these leaders in the previous chapter. Jesus is quite serious about their destructive actions. So, after directly confronting them, He then turns to His disciples to warn them of the consequences of these hypocritical leaders.
A hypocrite is one who pretends to have some moral virtues but, in truth, is only deceiving himself and attempting to deceive others. For that reason, Jesus assists His disciples by sharing with them the fact that all truth will eventually come to light. Thus, every good deed will eventually be seen by all for its goodness, and every evil intent, no matter how hidden, will eventually come to light. 
Though the immediate temptation for many in hearing this passage will be to think about others who they think fall into the sin of hypocrisy, it may be far more useful to ponder these truths for oneself. The simple message that Jesus preaches is that we must be people who are truthful in every way. We must be honest with ourselves and make sure that we are fully aware of our inner life, seeing ourselves only in the way that God sees us. This act of honesty and integrity is one of the best ways by which we prepare ourselves for eternal life. How sad it would be if we went through life pretending, on the surface, to be something we were not, only to have the full truth divulged at our final judgment when it is too late to change.
Being honest with ourselves can be difficult. It’s normal for us to want to be good, to want to be holy, and to want others to think this way about us. For that reason, it is very common for us to put forth only the best image of ourselves, hiding many other things that may embarrass us and even humiliate us. And though we do not have any moral obligation to tell everyone about every sin we struggle with interiorly, it is morally essential that we face it ourselves and do so with the grace of God.
One practical way to do this is to ponder the above Scripture passage. Jesus makes it clear that at some time, in some way, everything within us in our hearts and minds will come to light. For some this will happen, by God’s grace, during this life as a way for them to change. For others, these secrets will only come to light at their final judgment. The truth, however, is that all that we are, all that we think, and all that we do in a hidden way will come to light. And if that frightens you in some way, that is good. Sometimes we need a holy fear to encourage us to look inward and to deal with all that we keep hidden from others.
Reflect, today, upon the importance of striving for a life of true transparency and integrity. The best way to do this is to live every day as if everything within your heart were visible for all to see. If that means you need to change in some way so as to be at peace with what will eventually come to light, then work diligently on making that change here and now. The opposite of hypocrisy, for which the Pharisees were firmly condemned, is honesty and sincerity. Spend time reflecting upon these beautiful virtues and pray that the Lord will gift you with them so that you can live a life of true integrity here and now in preparation for that glorious day of judgment, when all will be “known” and “proclaimed on the housetops.”
My revealing Lord, You see all things. You know my heart in every way. Please grace me with the ability to see myself as You see me and to know my inner heart as You know me. As the deepest truths of who I am come to light for me to see, I pray that I will also have the grace to sincerely change so that I may truly glorify You with my actions and become a source of authentic inspiration to all. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday 28^th In Ordinary Time 2023
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are present here as I turn to you in prayer. I trust and have confidence in your desire to give me every grace I need to receive today. Thank you for your love, thank you for your immense generosity toward me. I give you my life and my love in return.
Petition: Lord, give me courage to keepnot to shy away from following you even in the face ofwhen I am faced with anytemptation.
11. Lion Food: St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, was arrested and then transported to Rome, where death by lions awaited him. During the journey he wrote letters to some of the Christian communities he passed through, most notably the Christian community in Rome. In thea letter, he urges the Romansthem to do him no “untimely charity” of interceding with the emperor to spare him from execution. He writes to them, “I beseech of you not to show an unseasonable goodwill towards me. Suffer me to become food for the wild beasts, through whose instrumentality it will be granted me to attain to God” (Letter to the Romans). When Christ speaks of having no fear of those who kill the body but after that can do no more, he means it quite literally. If we encounter a situation in which we must either be faithful to Christ or cave in to pressure and abandon the path of the Lord, we should never hesitate. Follow Christ. Do not fear those who might “kill” by their criticism or disapproval of our rectitude of conscience. Do not be afraid.
2. Becoming Eucharist: St. Ignatius continues, “I am the wheat of God, and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God” (Letter to the Romans). He is drawing a connection between his own coming martyrdom—wheat ground by the teeth of wild beasts—and the Eucharist—the pure bread of God. These words are not just grisly yet pious analogy; rather, they touch on the most profound meaning of the mystery of the Eucharist and our participation in it. The Eucharist is the most complete worship given to God the Father: It is the Incarnation of God among us, it is Christ’s sacrifice of his body on the Cross, and it is his Resurrection from death to eternal life. Through the EucharistChrist’s incarnation, sacrificial death, and resurrection are not merely examples we are called to imitate in the way an amateur athlete might imitate a professional. The Eucharist is much more profound than that. In receiving the Eucharist, we are united to Christ’s humanity (the Incarnation), his suffering to fulfill the Father’s loving will, his death to sin and his resurrection (our life in grace here and eternal life in the next). In this union we become the “pure bread of God”, as St. Ignatius writes. We become an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. We need to offer the struggles and challenges of each day in order to remain united with Christ in the Eucharist.
3. More than Birds: In our daily life we take many small things for granted because they seem to have little import in the grand scheme of things. “What were the high and low temperatures a year ago today?” “What does it matter now?” we might as well respond. “Where will the four sparrows I saw in the park two weeks ago get food to eat?” It’s not even a question that occurs to us. We have many other things of immediate importance that require our attention and action. Yet such a question is important enough to occur to God. Christ tells us in Luke 12:24, “They do not sow or reap; they have no storehouses and no barns; yet God feeds them.” He continues, “And how much more are you worth than the birds!” If God would make time to think about something so insignificant among all the goings-on in the world, how much more will he be taking care of our needs!
Conversation with Christ: Lord, when I look at the difficulties and rough spots I know I will be facing today, I worry about the sacrifices I’ll have to make. Maybe I won’t be as patient or generous as I ought. Maybe events won’t turn out as I hope. Help me to have confidence and trust in you like St. Ignatius. Help me realize that you have taken care of every minute detail of all that will occur today.
Resolution: When faced with any worry today I will pray, “Jesus, I trust in you.”
 
Friday 28^th In Oerinary Time 2021
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are present here as I turn to you in prayer. I trust and have confidence in your desire to give me every grace I need to receive today. Thank you for your love, thank you for your immense generosity toward me. I give you my life and my love in return.
Petition: Lord, give me courage to keepnot to shy away from following you even in the face ofwhen I am faced with anytemptation.
11. Lion Food: St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, was arrested and then transported to Rome, where death by lions awaited him. During the journey he wrote letters to some of the Christian communities he passed through, most notably the Christian community in Rome. In thea letter, he urges the Romansthem to do him no “untimely charity” of interceding with the emperor to spare him from execution. He writes to them, “I beseech of you not to show an unseasonable goodwill towards me. Suffer me to become food for the wild beasts, through whose instrumentality it will be granted me to attain to God” (Letter to the Romans). When Christ speaks of having no fear of those who kill the body but after that can do no more, he means it quite literally. If we encounter a situation in which we must either be faithful to Christ or cave in to pressure and abandon the path of the Lord, we should never hesitate. Follow Christ. Do not fear those who might “kill” by their criticism or disapproval of our rectitude of conscience. Do not be afraid.
2. Becoming Eucharist: St. Ignatius continues, “I am the wheat of God, and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God” (Letter to the Romans). He is drawing a connection between his own coming martyrdom—wheat ground by the teeth of wild beasts—and the Eucharist—the pure bread of God. These words are not just grisly yet pious analogy; rather, they touch on the most profound meaning of the mystery of the Eucharist and our participation in it. The Eucharist is the most complete worship given to God the Father: It is the Incarnation of God among us, it is Christ’s sacrifice of his body on the Cross, and it is his Resurrection from death to eternal life. Through the EucharistChrist’s incarnation, sacrificial death, and resurrection are not merely examples we are called to imitate in the way an amateur athlete might imitate a professional. The Eucharist is much more profound than that. In receiving the Eucharist, we are united to Christ’s humanity (the Incarnation), his suffering to fulfill the Father’s loving will, his death to sin and his resurrection (our life in grace here and eternal life in the next). In this union we become the “pure bread of God”, as St. Ignatius writes. Wwe become an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. We need to offer the struggles and challenges of each day in order to remain united with Christ in the Eucharist.
3. More than Birds: In our daily life we take many small things for granted because they seem to have little import in the grand scheme of things. “What were the high and low temperatures a year ago today?” “What does it matter now?” we might as well respond. “Where will the four sparrows I saw in the park two weeks ago get food to eat?” It’s not even a question that occurs to us. We have many other things of immediate importance that require our attention and action. Yet such a question is important enough to occur to God. Christ tells us in Luke 12:24, “They do not sow or reap; they have no storehouses and no barns; yet God feeds them.” He continues, “And how much more are you worth than the birds!” If God would make time to think about something so insignificant among all the goings-on in the world, how much more will he be taking care of our needs!
Conversation with Christ: Lord, when I look at the difficulties and rough spots I know I will be facing today, I worry about the sacrifices I’ll have to make. Maybe I won’t be as patient or generous as I ought. Maybe events won’t turn out as I hope. Help me to have confidence and trust in you like St. Ignatius. Help me realize that you have taken care of every minute detail of all that will occur today.
Resolution: When faced with any worry today I will pray, “Jesus, I trust in you.”
 
 
REFLECTION
In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to be "on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees." Jesus was referring to their hypocrisy. The Pharisees pretend to be God-fearing but all their words and actions are just for show – to make people think they are pious so they will be shown respect. But deep down, they are selfish, manipulating, pretentious, and even violent. Jesus tells his disciples not to fear them even though they could "kill the body." They cannot kill the soul or destroy the Holy Spirit that God has put in the hearts of His disciples.
In the first reading, St. Paul says that Christians are those who hope in the Lord, who wait for his glorious coming. As they have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit, they feel a freedom that others do not have: that of being sons of God, of having experienced God as a Father, which gives them great joy and peace. It also emboldens them to preach the Good News of salvation to others. We are called to experience the joy and freedom of God's children. We are also called to preach the Gospel of Jesus to all men. To preach how Jesus died for our sins and was raised by the Father for our justification is our joy and privilege.

Suy Niệm Ngày lễ kính Thánh Luca, Thánh Sử 10/18/

Suy Niệm Ngày lễ kính Thánh Luca, Thánh Sử 10/18/ 
Thánh Luca là ai? Chúng ta chỉ biết qua là ông đã sinh ra ờ thành phố Antioch và làm nghề thầy thuốc. Ông đã theo Thánh Phaolô như là người môn đệ trung thành của thánh Phaolô.. Qua các bài đọc trong sách Tông đồ công vụ, chúng ta có thể đoán được là Thánh Luca là người đồng hành rất thân thiết với Thánh Phaolô trên đường rao giảng tin mừng cho dân ngoại, và đặc biệt nhất là trong những giai đoạn gần cuối cuộc đời của Thánh Phaolô. Mặc dù có nhiều người bỏ rơi Thánh Phaolô trong những năm qua tù đày ở Rome, nhưng Thánh Luca đã luôn trung thành và ở gần với Thánh Phaolô cho đến khi thánh Phaolô được tử vì đạo. 
Thánh Luca đã viết cả hai cuốn sách đó là sách Tin Mừng Thánh Luca và cuốn Tông Đồ Công Vụ. Trong số những thứ khác, tác phẩm của ông đã thể hiện tình thương yêu sâu sắc mà Chúa Giêsu đã dành cho người đau bệnh, những người nghèo khổ, những người phụ nữ bị bỏ rơi và những người sống bên lề của xã hội. Tin Mừng của Thánh Luca đã mang lại cho những người này có tiếng nói. Thánh Luca cho chúng ta thấy được sự chăm sóc dịu dàng của Chúa Giêsu đối với những người có yếu thế, nghèo hèn, đau khổ và Thánh Luca còn nhấn mạnh cái tầm quan trọng của họ trong ánh mắt của Thiên Chúa. Có những tin đồn người ta nói rằng Thánh Luca có thể là một trong bảy mươi hai người mà Chúa Giêsu đã chọn và sai đi rao giảng Lời Chúa như trong đoạn Tin Mừng hôm nay (Lc. 10). Vì lý do mà ông đã theo Chúa ngay từ lúc đầu, nên Thánh Luca đã chứng kiến được ​​tận mắt những việc mà Thiên Chúa đã chữa lành những ngưòi bệnh tật, cũng như chứng kiến được cảnh Chúa Giêsu luôn có những cử chỉ săn sóc và để ý riêng đến những người thiếu may mắn và cần có nhu cầu. Qua Tin Mừng của Thánh Luca, chúng ta đã nhìn được rõ sự thương yêu của Chúa Giêsu nơi mọi người một cách riêng biệt và sâu sắc. 
Tin Mừng của Thánh Luca được gọi là Tin Mừng của lòng nhân hậu, từ bi và Tin Mừng của niềm vui. Có bao giờ chúng ta đã cảm nhận được là Chúa Giêsu đã nhìn chúng ta bằng con mắt nhân từ với lòng từ bi, nhân hậu?? Lạy Chúa, giúp chúng con biết mang lại niềm vui Tin Mừng đến cho mọi người 
St Luke, Evangelist (2 Tim. 4:10-17; Lk. 10:1-9 ) 
Meditation: Luke 10:1-9 Saint Luke, Evangelist 
St Luke was a close companion of Paul, including near the end of Paul's life. Many people deserted Paul in these last years, but Luke chose to faithfully remain with Paul. 
‘Who is St Luke? We know that he came from the city of Antioch and worked as a physician. Eventually, he wrote both the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. Among other things, his writings express the deep compassion Jesus had for the sick, the poor, women and people living on the margins of society. The Gospel of Luke gives these people a voice. Luke reveals Jesus' tender care for people in need and emphasizes how important they are in God’s sight. 
It is said that Luke was also one of the seventy people sent out by Jesus in today’s Gospel passage (Lk. 10). Accordingly, Luke witnessed firsthand how God healed, nourished and blessed people in need. Luke saw that Jesus loved people personally and profoundly. The Gospel of Luke is known as the Gospel of compassion and the Gospel of joy. Have I ever sensed Jesus looking upon me with compassion? Lord, help me to bring the Joy of the Gospel to many people 
 
October 18-Saint Luke
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Luke 10:1–2
 Saint Luke, whom we honor today, was a true evangelist. As an evangelist, he followed the inspiration from our Lord and was used to bring God’s saving message to the ends of the earth. And there is little doubt that his ministry will continue to have a transforming effect on the lives of many until the end of the world. Tradition states that Saint Luke became a martyr, being hanged on an olive tree. He is identified in the New Testament as a physician and as a disciple of Saint Paul. Both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are attributed to him.
Saint Luke is often spoken of as an evangelist to the gentiles. His Gospel was written in such a way that it didn’t presume a full understanding of the Jewish faith and customs. Therefore, it is believed to have been primarily written for those who are not of Jewish origin. Thus, the life and mission of Saint Luke must remind us that the Gospel needs to be shared with all people, especially with those who do not have a deep and sustaining relationship with God.
In today’s Gospel from Saint Luke, we read that Jesus sent seventy-two disciples “to every town and place he intended to visit.” Only Luke mentions the larger scale sending of seventy-two disciples. The other Gospels only mention the sending of the Twelve. Though many of these seventy-two disciples would have gone to Jewish territory, some would have unquestionably gone to non-Jewish territory. The mission of these seventy-two was to prepare everyone they encountered for the preaching of Jesus and for the establishment of the Kingdom of God.
As we honor Saint Luke today and read this passage from his Gospel, we are reminded that we are all sent by our Lord. We are sent to those who share our faith, such as family, friends and fellow parishioners. We are sent to love them and do all we can to help deepen their faith and love of God. But we are also called to share the Gospel with those who do not yet know Jesus as their Savior. There are so many people we encounter every day who have never truly met our Lord. Are there people in your life that God is calling you to reach out to? Who do you know that God may be calling you to share the Gospel with?
Reflect, today, upon the fact that the Gospel is meant for everyone. Speak to our Lord and tell Him that you are ready and willing to be used by Him to bring His saving message to others. As you do so, wait on the Lord, listen to His inspiration, and respond when He calls. If someone comes to mind whom you sense God is calling you to evangelize, begin to pray for that person. Pray for them every day and be attentive to any inspiration God gives you to share His love and saving message with them. Do not be afraid to be an evangelist like Saint Luke. Doing so might make an eternal difference in someone’s life.
My saving Lord, You sent Your disciples on a mission to share Your saving message with all. Today I especially thank You for the life and ministry of Saint Luke. Please use me, dear Lord, to imitate his wonderful example and to share Your glorious life with others. Please lead me and inspire me to especially reach out to those whom You have put into my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Luke 10:1-9 Saint Luke, Evangelist
Opening Prayer: In today’s psalm you make us a promise: The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. I call upon you right now! I call upon you to be with me, to comfort me, to enlighten me, to grant me all the grace I need so that I can live this day to the full, glorifying you and moving forward on the path of holiness.
Encountering Christ:
1.     Seventy-Two: In Jewish tradition, the number seventy-two (or seventy, depending on the sources) has symbolic significance. It was considered the number of gentile nations in the world. It was the number of members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish governing body. It was the number of elders chosen to assist Moses. Scholars disagree about how to link these Old Testament realities to Christ’s choice to send out seventy-two disciples, in addition to his original Twelve Apostles. Many Catholic spiritual writers, however, see in this gesture a preview of Christ’s great commission to his Church, given after his Resurrection and right before his Ascension, to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus wants his Gospel to spread. He wants the peace that comes with his mercy and truth to spread. He wants all people in every single corner of time and history to discover that God loves them and enter into friendship with him. This is the deepest desire of his heart. And this is why Pope St. Paul VI could write: Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize (Evangelii nuntiandi, 14). Is that how I think about the Church and my role in the Church?
2.     Asking for Laborers: Jesus commands us to ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for the harvest. Traditionally, this is understood as a call to pray for vocations, to pray that God will call many men and women to dedicate themselves completely to spreading Christ’s Kingdom by word, deed, and example. Jesus tells us that the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few—there are many opportunities for spreading Christ’s Kingdom, but few people are taking advantage of those opportunities. Few people seem to have the spiritual sensitivity to hear God’s voice calling them to this work. Few people seem to have the spiritual courage to heed the call even when they hear it. Add to the innate difficulty of hearing and heeding the call today’s additional obstacles–the cacophonous, frenzied, secularized noise that surrounds and oppresses us through popular, digital culture–and we can see why Jesus asks us to pray. When we pray for these vocations, we send unseen spiritual reinforcements to help open the ears and strengthen the hearts of those whom God is calling. If this is something Jesus himself is asking of me, how could I not make it a priority?
3.     Thanking St. Luke: Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Luke, the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament. Luke was a writer, doctor, and artist who ran into St. Paul and decided to join the intrepid Apostle on his missionary journeys. In today’s first reading, we got a glimpse of St. Paul during his imprisonment and trial in Rome, when so many of his companions abandoned him. We can infer a twinge of sadness when he wrote, Luke is the only one with me. Luke didn’t meet Jesus while he was still traipsing the paths of Galilee. Instead, he gathered the material for his Gospel by interviewing those who had known Jesus, and he put together his narrative with a special emphasis on the aspects and perspective that would help non-Jewish readers understand and appreciate the good news of Christ. He added a second part (in a sense) to his Gospel, The Acts of the Apostles, which shows how the early Church embodied the Gospel and continued Christ’s Incarnation through their own witness, miracles, and sufferings. St. Luke symbolically joins the ranks of the seventy-two disciples whom Jesus sent out to spread the Gospel because through his writings he too responded to the Lord’s call to go and make disciples of all nations. Each one of us is called somehow to join those ranks. How am I responding to that call in my life?
Conversing with Christ: At times, Lord, I am puzzled by your decision to make the spreading of your precious Gospel, the building up of your eternal Kingdom, dependent upon the cooperation of normal, flawed, weak people like myself, like the seventy-two, like St. Luke. It’s a rather strange strategy, you must admit. And the news headlines are continually reminding us of the downside of the risk you took—all the scandals of Christian disciples who are unfaithful to their calling. But I cannot deny that this was indeed your decision. I want to accept the call you offer me, to bring your Gospel to those around me, as best I can, just as St. Luke did. Be my strength, Lord Jesus, and make me a harbinger of your salvation.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a special visit to a Eucharistic chapel and offer a decade of the rosary (or some other prayer) to ask the master of the harvest to send out workers to his harvest.
 
Meditation: Luke 10:1-9 Saint Luke, Evangelist
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” (Luke 10:2)
            A few decades ago, a team of sales­people would have mapped out their territory and assigned a particular town to each salesperson. The sales­people would go to every home in that town, and if the door opened, they would try to sell their prod­uct, whether it was vacuum cleaners, encyclopedias, suits, or anything else.
            Now, in the age of huge depart­ment stores and Internet shopping, that personal approach isn’t practi­cal anymore. Some might even call it old-fashioned and inefficient.
            But that’s not the way Jesus looks at things. In fact, he used an “old-fashioned” approach when he sent out the seventy-two disciples. He could have just beamed his mes­sage of salvation into people’s brains and avoided all the messiness using ordinary human beings. Instead, he chose rough-hewn tradesmen and their wives to go out and deliver it personally. He sent them to demon­strate his message in action and then tell people that the kingdom of God was at hand.
            We may wonder why Jesus would use such low tech means to announce the good news. He certainly isn’t against technology. He might indeed have used the tools of our media-drenched age if they had existed at the time. But then again, he might not. Think about the num­ber of messages that are thrown at you every day. Would you pay atten­tion to one more text message, one more tweet, or one more sound bite? Wouldn’t you be more likely to pay attention to a living, breathing per­son whose life has been changed by Christ? That’s why the disciples were so effective.
That’s also why Jesus has appointed you to be his witness. You have some very good news to deliver. Evangelization is not about delivering the exactly right facts. It’s about tell­ing your own story of God’s mercy and presence—a story that only you can tell. So don’t worry about doing it perfectly. If God wanted perfection, he wouldn’t have chosen us humans to do the work. Just make your­self available, and let the Spirit work through you. If the seventy-two could do it, so can you!
“Lord, help me to see my corner of the world as your mission field. Give me a compassionate heart so that I can witness to your love and grace
 
 
Reflection:
Let’s think about Luke, whose feast is today.  He was in the first wave of foreign converts to the Faith, and his Gospel could be said to be for foreigners: for people who were not familiar with Jewish Law and custom.  It is distinctive in many ways. 
1. It was not written for Jews but for Gentiles, in other words, for the likes of you and me.  For example, he seldom quotes the Old Testament, and never refers to Jesus as Rabbi (a Hebrew title), but as Master (a Greek title).  He traces the genealogy of Jesus not from Abraham (the founder of the Jewish race) but from Adam (the ‘founder’ of the human race).  He alone tells the parable of the Good Samaritan (a non-Jew).  He has a habit of giving people and places the Greek equivalent of their Hebrew names: Go  
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” (Luke 10:2) 
A few decades ago, a team of sales­people would have mapped out their territory and assigned a particular town to each salesperson. The sales­people would go to every home in that town, and if the door opened, they would try to sell their prod­uct, whether it was vacuum cleaners, encyclopedias, suits, or anything else. Now, in the age of huge depart­ment stores and Internet shopping, that personal approach isn’t practi­cal anymore. Some might even call it old-fashioned and inefficient.  It was not written for Jews but for Gentiles, in other words, for the likes of you and me. For example, he seldom quotes the Old Testament, and never refers to Jesus as Rabbi (a Hebrew title), but as Master (a Greek title). He traces the genealogy of Jesus not from Abraham (the founder of the Jewish race) but from Adam (the ‘founder’ of the human race). He alone tells the parable of the Good Samaritan (a non-Jew). He has a habit of giving people and places the Greek equivalent of their Hebrew names: Golgotha becomes Kranion, the Place of the Skull. 
 Women feature very distinctively. For example, the nativity story is told from Mary's point of view. Other women are: Elizabeth, Anna, the widow of Naim, and the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. 
It is especially a Gospel of prayer and praise. He shows Jesus praying at all key moments of his life. Luke alone has the parable of the Friend at Midnight. The phrase “praising God” occurs more often in Luke than in all the others together: see especially the three great canticles, the Magnificat, the Benedictus and the Nunc Dimittis. 
What we would lack if we didn’t have Luke’s gospel: a) the infancy stories, b) seventeen parables, c) the three canticles mentioned above….lgotha becomes Kranion, the Place of the Skull. 
2. Women feature very distinctively.  For example, the nativity story is told from Mary's point of view.  Other women are: Elizabeth, Anna, the widow of Naim, and the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. 
3. It is especially a Gospel of prayer and praise.  He shows Jesus praying at all key moments of his life.  Luke alone has the parable of the Friend at Midnight.  The phrase “praising God” occurs more often in Luke than in all the others together: see especially the three great canticles, the Magnificat, the Benedictus and the Nunc Dimittis.  . What we would lack if we didn’t have Luke’s gospel: a) the infancy stories, b) seventeen parables, c) the three canticles mentioned above….