Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Sáu Tuần thứ 15 Thường Niên

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Sáu Tuần thứ 15 Thường Niên

Lòng nhân ái thực sự tôn trọng công lý, và giúp ngăn cản chúng ta rơi vào tình trạng tùy tiện hoặc làm theo ý thích, trong khi giữ chúng ta không rơi vào trong sự khắc nghiệt là giết chết tinh thần thực sự Luật pháp của Thiên Chúa;  Vì lòng bác ái, nhân từ chính là tình yêu cho phép chúng tai trao chính mình cho những người khác. Chúa Giêsu đã nói rằng “Ta muốn lòng thương xót và nhân ái chứ đâu cần lễ tế..”
Chúa Giêsu, là Chúa của ngày Sa-bát và luật pháp được ban ra không phải vì Chúa, nhưng là vì lợi ích của con người. Chúng ta hãy mạnh mẽ lặp đi, lập lại những lời của Chúa Giêsu nhiều lần trong tâm hồn để ghi khắc chúng vào lòng chúng ta: “Thiên Chúa là Đấng giàu lòng thương xót, Ngài cũng luôn mong muốn chúng ta cũng biết thương xót người khác giống như Người.. “Thiên Chúa gần gũi những người, Đấng đã xưng nhận lòng thương xót của Ngài như thế nào đối với Ngài! Thiên Chúa không xa với những ai có tâm hồn biết ăn năn thống hối. ” Chúng ta sẽ xa cách Chúa như thế nào khi chúng ta để tâm hồn của mình biến thành những cục đá cứng.   Chúa Giêsu đã quở mắng và cáo buộc những người Pharisêu vì họ thích lên án người vô tội.  Đó là một lời buộc tội nghiêm trọng.
Nhờ ân sủng của Thiên Chúa mà chúng ta có thể quan tâm nghiêm túc đến các vấn đề của người khác, kiểm tra chúng bằng tình yêu thương và sự thông cảm, mà không bao giờ đưa ra phán xét.
Lạy Mẹ Mary, Mẹ của Thiên Chúa, xin cầu bầu cho chúng con để chúng con có thể có được ân sủng của sự tha thứ và lòng thương xót để chúng ta trở nên nhân từ và biết bác ái với những người khác.
Reflection Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2023
True charity respects the demands for justice, by preventing us from falling into arbitrariness or whim, while keeping us from that harshness which kills the true spirit of God’s Law; for charity is the love which enables us to give ourselves to others. Jesus proclaims that it is mercy not sacrifice that God demands from us.
            The Son of Man, Jesus, is the Lord of the Sabbath and the law is given not for the sake of God, but for the sake of human beings. Let us repeat Jesus’ powerful words many times in order to engrave them on our hearts: God, who is rich in mercy, wants us to be merciful.  “How close God is to him who confesses his mercy! God is not far from those who are contrite of heart.” How far away from God are we when we let our hearts turn into hard stone! Jesus accused the Pharisees of condemning the innocent. That is a serious accusation. By God’s grace, we can be seriously interested in other people’s problems considering them with affection and sympathy, without giving into judgement. Mary, Mother of God, obtain for us the grace of forgiveness and mercy so that we become benevolent and kind towards others.
 
Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2023
Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.” Matthew 12:1–2
When Moses gave the Ten Commandments to the people, there was a prohibition against working on the Sabbath. The Third Commandment said, in part, that “you shall not do any work” on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10). By the time of Jesus, the Pharisees had added much commentary to this law and expanded it to include as many as 39 different forms of work that they believed was forbidden. Included in their list were the practices of harvesting and milling of grain. For that reason, when the Pharisees saw that the disciples were picking heads of grain and rubbing the grain off the husks so that they could eat it, the Pharisees condemned them for violating what they interpreted to be an offense against the Third Commandment.
The first thing we can note from this passage is that the disciples were hungry. They were exceptionally devoted to Jesus and had been traveling with Him from town to town so that He could preach the Gospel. They had given up occupation, home, family and income so as to be singly devoted to Jesus and His mission. And as a result of this, they were living in poverty and relying upon the generosity of others. It is in this context that they chose to eat the most humble of foods: grain that they picked as they walked. They didn’t complain that there wasn’t a hot meal waiting for them at their destination. They were accepting of the many long journeys by foot that they made. They were okay with the fact that they did not get to sleep in their own bed every night. But they did have the basic human need for food, so they picked this grain as they walked to fulfill this basic need of hunger.
Though there are many lessons we can learn from this passage, one clear lesson is that of the temptation to judge and condemn others. When we fall into the trap of judging others, there are a few things that are common. First, judging and condemning often is based on perceived wrongs that are inflated and exaggerated. The Pharisees clearly inflated and exaggerated this “sin” of the disciples. In our lives, judgmentalness almost always makes the perceived sin of another far more serious than it is, if it is sin at all.
Another common temptation that flows from a judgmental and condemning heart is the failure to even understand the condemned party. In this case above, the Pharisees did not even inquire into the reason the disciples were picking and eating grain. They didn’t ask if they had been without food for some time or how long they had been traveling. It didn’t matter to them that they were hungry, and most likely, very hungry. So also with us, it is common that when we judge and condemn another, we arrive at our verdict without even seeking to understand the situation.
Lastly, it needs to be said that judging others is not our right. Doing so is usually reckless and caused by our own self-centeredness. God did not give the Pharisees the authority to expand the Third Commandment into 39 forbidden practices, nor did He give them the authority to apply those interpretations to the perceived actions of the disciples. And God does not give us the authority to judge others either. If another is clearly caught in a cycle of objectively grave sin, we must do all we can to help draw them out of that sin. But even in that case, we have no right to judge or condemn.
Reflect, today, upon any tendency you have toward being judgmental and condemning of others. If you see this tendency within yourself, spend time thinking about the Pharisees. Their self-righteousness was ugly and damaging. The negative example they set should inspire us to turn away from such acts of condemnation and to reject those temptations the moment they come.
My divine Judge of All, You and You alone know the heart, and You and You alone are capable of acting as Judge. Please exercise Your authority in my life so that I can perceive my own sin. As You do, please also free me from the tendency to judge and condemn. Fill me, instead, with a heart full of mercy and truth toward all. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I will imitate your merciful love and offer you the pleasing sacrifice of a life lived in communion with your Son. Accept my offering today, purify it with your Spirit, and unite it to the sacrifice of your Son. 
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Prophet Isaiah and King Hezekiah: When Isaiah counseled Ahaz, a wicked king of Judah, not to form an alliance with Assyria and become Assyria’s vassal, Ahaz did not listen. A similar situation occurred thirty years later with King Hezekiah, one of the two good kings of Judah. In 703 B.C., Isaiah counseled Hezekiah to not enter into an alliance with Tyre, Philistia, and Egypt against the Assyrians. The prophet thought that this action was comparable to renouncing faith in the Lord. “Isaiah was proposing a strategy of faith such as he might have learned from the witness of Moses commanding the Israelites of the Exodus to remain calm and steadfast as they stood on the shore of the Sea while their enemies descended on them (see Ex 14:14). The prophet insisted that faith, not force, would lead to freedom from Assyrian oppression: ‘Your salvation lay in conversion and tranquility, your strength in serenity and trust’ (Is 30:15)” (Duggan, The Consuming Fire, 268). As the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, marched toward Judah in 701 B.C., Hezekiah began to fortify the city of Jerusalem and protect the water supply. “Although Isaiah had protested Hezekiah’s folly in drawing the Assyrian wrath upon Jerusalem, he supported the king and encouraged the people when the enemy surrounded the city. The prophet declared that [the Lord] would still preserve his city by terrifying the Assyrians with the authority of his presence (30:27-33)” (Duggan, The Consuming Fire, 268). Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled: the angel of the Lord slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp and Sennacherib retreated back to Nineveh (2 Kings 19:35-37). 
2. Hezekiah Continued to Learn to Trust in the Lord: The Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from Sennacherib and gave them rest on every side (2 Chronicles 32:20-23). Hezekiah, though, became very sick and was at the point of death. His heart was proud and he still had to learn how to experience personal healing through prayer and repentance. God saw Hezekiah’s repentance and heard his prayer and added fifteen years to his life. The Lord gives him a sign: the sundial moved back ten steps. Today’s Psalm is Hezekiah’s prayer of petition and trust in the Lord. He asks the Lord to restore his health so that he may live. Despite his faults, Hezekiah was a good king. In fact, the Book of Chronicles presents Hezekiah as a new Solomon. He restored the worship of the temple, rebuilt the sanctuary, and reestablished it as the spiritual center of the kingdom. Hezekiah’s father, King Ahaz, had closed the Temple and extinguished its lamps. Hezekiah sought to reunite the kingdom through liturgical renewals centered on the Passover. Hezekiah made atonement for all Israel and renewed the covenant. “For the Chronicler, the root sin of the people is their failure to set their hearts to seek God, and that sin is expressed in both idolatry and their failure to worship him in the place he has established for his name to dwell. Thus the king urges the people to come back to the ‘sanctuary, which he has sanctified for ever, and serve the Lord your God’ (2 Chr. 30:8). [...]. For the Chronicler, the temple is the source from which the living waters of God's blessings and mercy flow. The temple is the hope of all Israel. In his temple, Solomon had promised, God will hear the prayers of his people and forgive their sins, ‘for there is no man who does not sin’ (2 Chr. 6:36)” (Hahn, The Kingdom of God as Liturgical Empire, 180).
3. Greater than the Temple and Lord of the Sabbath: In today’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims that he is greater than the temple (Matthew 12:6). The tension between Jesus and the Pharisees reaches a new level: “The Pharisees accuse Jesus of working with Satan and begin plotting his death (12:14). As Jesus defends himself, he reveals more of his true identity: he is greater than the prophet Jonah (12:41), King Solomon (12:42), and even the temple (12:6). At the same time, Jesus reveals the true nature of his adversaries: they are collaborators with Satan, since they oppose Israel’s Messiah (12:33-37)” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 162). When the Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples of violating the Sabbath rest, Jesus reminds them of the story of David and his men, who entered the temple and ate the Bread of the Presence, the twelve loaves prepared every Sabbath on a table in the temple sanctuary. Jesus, then, is comparing himself to David and his disciples to the priests of the temple, who do many things on the Sabbath. Jesus uses the criticism of his disciples’ Sabbath observance to reveal his true identity. “For Jesus to speak of himself as being greater than the temple was to imply that he himself is the new focal point for Israel’s worship - and that his disciples are ministers serving in this new temple” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 164). Jesus also proclaims that he is Lord of the Sabbath. In doing so he reveals that, as God’s only-begotten Son, he is equal to God the Father and has authority over the observance of the Sabbath.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are my true King. I am your loyal subject. I know that you defend me and protect me from evil. I have no reason to fear with you at my side.
Living the Word of God: How do I live my Sundays? How are they special? Are they a time of prayer, worship, family, and joyful rest? What can I do better?
Thứ Sáu 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Tinh cách giữ đạo cổ hữu của những người Biệt Phái và Do Thái là sự đối nghịch hoàn toàn tinh thần Luật của Thiên Chúa được Chúa Giêsu giảng dạy. Chúa Giêsu chắc chắn rằng không có pháp luật nào chống lại những nhu cầu tối thiểu của con người. Chúa đã mạnh dạn khẳng định một lần nữa tính ưu việt của lòng thương xót và tình yêu thì cao trọng hơn cả sự hy sinh. Như Chúa Giêsu đã còn cao trọng hơn cả ngày Sa-bát, và đền thờ.  VÀ Chúa Kitô có quyền diễn giải về Luật Môisen, và những luật lệ  của ngưới Do Thái. Hôm nay Chúa Giêsu đã cho các môn đệ câu trả lời để họ sẵn sàng trả lời cho những người đã cáo buộc họ là họ đã không giữ luật ngày Sa-bát.
            Ngày nay, chúng ta không còn tưởng niệm và giữ luật ngày Sa-bát. Ngày Thứ bảy chỉ là một ngày như những ngày khác trong tuần, và chủ nhật là ngày của chúng ta nghỉ ngơi, trong khi không có ai được nghỉ ngơi. Việc tốt nhất cho chúng ta là ở trong sự nghỉ ngơi vào ngày chủ nhật. Thực sự chủ nhật không phải là một ngày tuyệt vời để chúng ta đi ngắm cảnh, dạo phố hay coi một trận đá bóng, nếu đó là chỉ vì lợi ích của những người phải làm việc ở công viên, sở thú hay sân vận động. Trong một nền văn hóa Kitô giáo, các cửa hàng sẽ đóng cửa vào ngày chủ nhật. Nhưng những gì chúng ta không làm vào ngày Chúa nhật không phải là việc quan trọng đối với đời sống Kitô hữu như những việc chúng ta làm:  tham dự thánh lễ, Cầu Nguyện, dành nhiều thời gian với Chúa Giêsu. Vì Ngài chính là ngày Sa-bát của chúng ta, và Ngài là sự nghĩ ngơi của chúng ta.
            Trong khi nghi lễ hiến tế quan trọng đối với Thiên Chúa, nhưng Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta biết là: lòng nhân hậu và tính hay thương xót để đáp lại những  nhu cầu của con người mới là quan trọng hơn.
            Chúng ta có tôn vinh Chúa trong cách đối xử với người chung quanh của chúng ta đặc biệt trong ngày của Chúa?
Friday 15^th Ordinary Time 2023
Introductory Prayer: Almighty and ever-living God, I seek new strength from the courage of Christ, our shepherd. I believe in you, I hope in you, and I seek to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I want to be led one day to join the saints in heaven, where your Son Jesus Christ lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.
Petition: Help me to make every Sunday a special day for my family and me.
1. Fasting on Sunday? It was the Sabbath, a day of rest. The disciples had a difficult and busy week and were hungry. Jesus allowed them to look for food in the fields. This could have discouraged them, not having a meal waiting for them. But they were accustomed to hardship. They were busy and had much to do. There was little free time. Christ was active on weekends; his mission didn’t stop. The disciples were united with Jesus, participating in his mission. This made all their sacrifices worthwhile and easier to cope with. When we trust in and join ourselves with Christ, we can be patient and at peace amid trials.
2. The Confrontation: The Sabbath was established for the Jewish people to remember and reflect on their special covenant relationship with God. He had delivered them from slavery and given them rest. The Pharisees, however, focused on “what you can’t do” and failed to see “what you should do.” On Sundays, we should focus more on what we should do to receive Christ worthily. Then secondary things will not distract us from what is essential. God has a special relationship with us. He has delivered us from slavery. He continues to love us and asks that we love him and others with all our heart. On Sundays, do I recall my covenant relationship with Our Lord? Am I mindful and grateful for all the good things he has done and continues to do for me? Does God take first place for me on Sundays?
3. Sunday Service: Christ instructed his disciples about his mission. They grew to understand, appreciate, and live it. He taught them to participate at the Sabbath service with fervor, but also to be open to any needs others might have, even on the Sabbath. It is lawful to do good any day of the week, especially the Lord’s Day. Christ cured the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, fed his disciples on the Sabbath, and cured another woman with a bent back on the Sabbath. Charity will inspire us to do good to others even on a Sunday. “Sunday service” and “Service-on-Sunday” go together. Do I ever dedicate my Sundays, or part of them, to bring rest to those who are most in need? What can I do to help the poor and marginalized on that day? How can I instill this spirit of service in my children?
Conversation with Christ: You long to share your Word and Body with me at Sunday Mass and at every Mass I can attend during the week. May I always hunger for this encounter with your love and friendship. May I serve others with the same charity and love as you serve me. May Sunday be the most important day of the week for my family and me.
Resolution: I will organize this Sunday for worship and rest. I will try to do good to someone this Sunday and help someone come back to Sunday Mass attendance. 
 
Friday 15^th Ordinary Time 2022
Opening Prayer: This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting. Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever” (from Psalm 118).
Encountering Christ:
The Sabbath: “Jesus was going through a field of grain on the Sabbath.” Nothing God does is by chance. Everything that happens, God either wills or allows in order that good can be done for his glory. Jesus led the disciples through the grainfield knowing his disciples were very hungry and that the Pharisees were among them. He was provoking both to act so he could reveal more fully who God is. God’s will is revealed in every circumstance if we have eyes to see. He calls on us through prayer and discernment to seek God’s will in the daily happenings of our lives. 
God Questions: Jewish rabbis typically taught by asking questions, and Jesus continued this tradition. Biblical scholars attribute more than one hundred questions in the New Testament to Jesus. This is often an effective method for teaching because questions can draw our thoughts beyond the limits of what we know into a deeper understanding of Scripture through discussion and debate. In this case, Jesus was asking the Pharisees to reconsider their understanding with regard to keeping the Sabbath. When we question a church teaching, Our Lord never minds our sincere inquiries. He welcomes our study and encourages us as we wrestle with difficult teachings. He has provided us with great resources: knowledgeable priests, spiritual directors, excellent online resources like The Bible in a Year podcast by Fr. Mike Schmitz, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Reading from the Catechism for just fifteen minutes a day will take us far in our understanding of our faith.
Something Greater: If the Pharisees accepted what Jesus said was true, it meant that they would acknowledge his divinity, for Jesus plainly called himself divine by stating, “I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice; you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” How well do we internalize that Jesus is “something greater”—that he is the Lord, our King, our Master, our Brother? That Jesus is almighty, never changing, perfect in love? Philosopher A. W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Our understanding of God informs our every thought and action. We do well to ponder daily, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). When we truly believe that Jesus is “something greater,” every aspect of our lives is changed for the better.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, you refuse to let me stay in my own understanding. You constantly call me to a deeper understanding of you. St. Bonaventure, whose feast we celebrate today, says, “No one can become blessed, unless he ascends above his very self, not by an ascent with the body, but with the heart.” Jesus, I trust in you.  
Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will open the Catechism of the Catholic Church, heeding these words of St. John Paul II: “In reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we can perceive the wonderful unity of the mystery of God.”