Trong cuộc sống con người của chúng ta, chắc chắc cũng sẽ có những điều không may hay bất hạnh xảy đến, Và mỗi khi như thế, chúng ta buồn, khồ và có thể đánh mất đi niềm hy vọng. Tuy nhiên, chắc chắn là đối với người có hy vọng, họ sẽ có được một tương lai sáng láng đang đón chờ trong tương lai. Khi niềm hy vọng đó là một niềm hy vọng của con người có nền tảng căn bản trên khả năng của chính mình để vượt qua những trở ngại. Nói chung niềm hy vọng này sẽ đòi hỏi rất nhiều nỗ lực để nhận ra. Khi niềm hy vọng của chúng ta trong cuộc sống được đặt nền tảng trong đức tin Kitô giáo, thì đó là niềm hy vọng thiêng liêng, đem lại sinh động và mang đến sự hoàn hảo trên nền tảng của lời Thiên Chúa đã hứa. Trong bài đọc thứ Nhất Hôm nay, Tiên tri Isaiah đã đưa ra cho chúng ta dưọc thấy vấn đề này rất là rõ ràng. Thiên Chúa trước tiên đã xác định các nguyên tắc quan trọng về sự mặc khải của Ngài cho chúng ta: "Ta là Chúa, Thiên Chúa của ngươi, ta sẽ dạy cho ngươi biết những gì là tốt lành và dẫn đưa ngươi đi trong con đường lẽ phải”.
Lạy Chúa, xin cho chúng con biết sinh động bởi niềm hy vọng vào những lời hứa của Chúa, để nhờ vào ơn Chúa giúp, chúng con có thể được tham dự cùng.
Chúa trong việc xây dựng một tương lai hòa bình, công lý, trong hạnh phúc và Lẽ Phải.
When things go badly wrong for us, we may lose hope and even come to feel that there is no future. Yet it is certain that for the person with hope a future lies in store. When that hope is a human hope and grounded in our own abilities to overcome obstacles, it will generally require much effort to realize it and make something worthwhile of ourselves and our future. When our hope in life is grounded in Christian faith then it is a divine hope, animated and brought to fulfillment on the basis of God's promises. The passage we read from Isaiah today puts this very clearly before us. God first of all affirms the great principle of his revelation to us: “I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good and lead you in the way you should go”.
God's words to us, even when they take the form of commandments, are never burdensome. Rather, as we stay united with God through keeping them, God’s revelation engages us in accomplishing that divine prosperity which he promises us in blessing our life on earth and making of it a threshold of heaven.
Animated by hope in Your promises, Lord, may we be engaged with You in building a future of peace and justice, joy and truth.
Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’” Matthew 11:16–17
What does Jesus mean when He says “We played the flute for you…” and “we sang a dirge…?” The Church Fathers clearly identify this “flute” and “dirge” as the word of God that has been preached by the prophets of old. So many came before Jesus to prepare the way, but so many failed to listen. John the Baptist was the final and greatest prophet, and he called people to repentance, but few listened. Thus, Jesus points out this sad truth.
In our day and age, we have so much more than the prophets of the Old Testament. We have the incredible witness of the saints, the infallible teaching of the Church, the gift of the Sacraments and the life and teaching of the Son of God Himself as recorded in the New Testament. Yet, sadly, so many refuse to listen. So many fail to “dance” and “mourn” in response to the Gospel.
We must “dance” in the sense that the gift of Christ Jesus, by His life, death and resurrection should be the cause of our wholehearted rejoicing and eternal adoration. Those who truly know and love the Son of God are filled with joy! Furthermore, we must “mourn” on account of the countless sins in our own lives and in the lives of those all around us. Sin is real and prevalent, and a holy sorrow is the only appropriate response. Salvation is real. Hell is real. And both of these truths demand a total response from us.
In your own life, how fully have you allowed the Gospel to affect you? How attentive are you to the voice of God as it has been spoken through the lives of the saints and through our Church? Are you tuned in to the voice of God as He speaks to you in the depths of your conscience in prayer? Are you listening? Responding? Following? And giving your whole life in the service of Christ and His mission?
Reflect, today, upon the clear, unmistakable, transforming and life-giving words and presence of the Savior of the world. Reflect upon how attentive you have been in life to all that He has clearly spoken and to His very presence. If you do not find yourself “dancing” for God’s glory and “mourning” over the evident sins of your life and within our world, then recommit yourself to a radical following of Christ. In the end, the Truth that God has spoken throughout the ages and His holy and divine presence are all that matter.
My glorious Lord Jesus, I acknowledge Your divine presence in my life and in the world all around me. Help me to be more attentive to the countless ways that You speak to me and come to me each and every day. As I discover You and Your holy word, fill me with joy. As I see my sin and the sins of the world, give me true sorrow so that I will work tirelessly to combat my own sin and bring Your love and mercy to those who are most in need. Jesus, I trust in You.
1. Times and Seasons: What a gift we have as Catholics in the liturgical calendar! It’s as if the Church tells us, “Now is the time to dance” or “Now is the time to mourn.” She proposes for us times and seasons in which we attune our sentiments to the sentiments of Christ: repentance and expectation during Advent, humility and joy at Christmas, penance and mercy in Lent, and a grand celebration during the Easter season. We can thus walk step in step with the Church, living the principal mysteries of our faith throughout the year in an atmosphere of communion and solidarity with our fellow Christians. Through the liturgical seasons–and our faith-filled living of them–hearts are united, the Church is built up, and charity increases. “Wisdom is vindicated by her works!”
Encountering Christ:
1. Times and Seasons: What a gift we have as Catholics in the liturgical calendar! It’s as if the Church tells us, “Now is the time to dance” or “Now is the time to mourn.” She proposes for us times and seasons in which we attune our sentiments to the sentiments of Christ: repentance and expectation during Advent, humility and joy at Christmas, penance and mercy in Lent, and a grand celebration during the Easter season. We can thus walk step in step with the Church, living the principal mysteries of our faith throughout the year in an atmosphere of communion and solidarity with our fellow Christians. Through the liturgical seasons–and our faith-filled living of them–hearts are united, the Church is built up, and charity increases. “Wisdom is vindicated by her works!”
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