Trong Tin Mừng
hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu thực hiện quyền lực của mình trên tất cả mọi
thứ. Ngài
bất chấp tất cả những bệnh tật, và đem các thứ bệnh hoạn
đó ra khỏi cơ thể của người bại liệt, Ngài cho chúng ta thấy rằng Ngài có quyền
thế trên tất cả mọi thứ. Chúng ta không thể có
lòng yêu thương chân tình sâu sắc như Chúa Giêsu đãyêu thương con người chúng ta; một trong những cách mà chúng ta có thể hy vọng để thể hiện tình yêu và sự
tận tâm của chúng ta là bằng cách đặt niềm tin của chúng ta một cách trọn vẹn và hoàn toàn trong Chúa Giêsu và Chúa Cha.
Xin Chúa giúp chúng ta có thể luôn luôn biết
cầu nguyện để được Chúa Thánh thần hướng dẫn trong nhưng
việc làm đúng; và nếu chúng ta có cơ hội để giúp đỡ
bất cứ ai, xin
cho chúng ta có can đam, nhẫn nại và quảng đại để có thể bất chấp những chỉ trích mà chúng ta có thể nhận được, để chúang ta có thể có khiêm
tốn để tiếp tục công việc làm sáng danh Chúa (không phải
là để làm sang danh chúng ta).
REFLECTION
Very often in life, we are asked to
make a choice between doing what is right and doing what is acceptable. Doing
the right thing is harder than it seems to be; it is a conscious action that
takes courage, fortitude, and strength of character that comes with maturity.
We are constantly reminded that God always did what was right, and that we
ought to emulate Him in everything we do. While this is a noble pursuit, it is
a very difficult one. We were made in His image and likeness, but that does not
mean that we possess His wisdom, power, or strength. We must remember that God
will always be there; whether we welcome Him or not — to guide, to assist, and
to love us.
In
the Gospel, Jesus is exercising his authority over everything. By disregarding
the sickness, and driving it out from the paralytic's body, he is showing us
that he has the final say in everything. We cannot love as deeply as Jesus
loved; one of the few ways that we can hope to express our love and devotion is
by placing our trust fully and wholly in Jesus and the Father.
May we always pray for guidance in
doing the right thing; and if we have the opportunity to help, in spite of the
criticisms we may receive, may we have the courage to continue.
Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his
own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your
sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:1–2
Just prior to this passage, Jesus cast out demons from two men
from the town of the Gadarenes. Afterwards, the townspeople told Him to leave
their town, so Jesus departed by boat and arrived in Capernaum, which was where
He had been living after leaving Nazareth. This encounter with a paralytic on a
stretcher is what awaited Him when He disembarked from the boat.
Recall that when Jesus had returned to Nazareth, where He grew up,
He was not able to perform any miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Their familiarity with Him tempted them to disbelieve that He was someone
special. But now, in His new town where He had recently moved to, Jesus was
able to perform mighty miracles because the people had manifest faith.
In the passage above, try to enter the scene. Jesus was just
rejected by the Gadarenes, He came by boat to Capernaum, He disembarked and was
immediately met with a group of people who had clearly been waiting for Him.
Try to imagine their conversations while Jesus was away at the other side of
the lake. They knew He would return to His new home, they prepared a stretcher
for the paralytic, and then they waited, hoped and prayed that Jesus would come
and heal the man. It is also clear that Jesus could immediately sense their
faith and was deeply touched by it. One of the most important parts of this
passage is that Jesus did not simply say “Yes” to the physical healing and
leave it at that. Instead, His response to the paralytic was
to first forgive his sins. There is an important lesson for us to
learn from this which will help us know how best to pray.
Oftentimes when we pray, we pray for this or that favor from our
Lord. We pray for what we want Jesus to grant us. But this story shows us that
what Jesus wants for us is different. First, He wants to grant us forgiveness
for our sins. This is His priority, and it should also be ours. Once the
forgiveness of sins takes place with this paralytic, Jesus also heals, as proof
of His power to forgive sins. This story should help us to order our priorities
in prayer according to Jesus’ priorities. If we make sorrow for sin our first
priority, we can be certain that Jesus will answer us. From there, Jesus knows
all of our needs. We can present them to Him but only when we are reconciled
within our own heart with Him.
Reflect, today, upon the way you pray each day. Try to understand
the importance of making a daily examination of your sins. This must become the
first and most important part of your daily prayer. Though many people do not
like to look at sin, it is much easier to do when the focus is not so much the
sin as it is a focus upon the mercy of forgiveness and spiritual healing you
need. The more aware you become of your daily sin, the more mercy you will
receive. And the more mercy for the forgiveness of your sins you receive, the
more our Lord will be able to bless you abundantly in other ways. Always start
with the mercy of our Lord and your own need for that mercy every day, and all
else will be taken care of by our Lord.
My merciful Lord, You desire reconciliation with me, in the
innermost depths of my heart, to be my daily priority in prayer. You desire to
forgive and to heal me so that I will grow closer to You. Please do forgive me
for my sins, dear Lord, and help me to become more attentive to the ways that I
sin against You and others every day. Thank You in advance for this saving
grace and mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.
Thursday
13th Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for the gift of
your forgiveness. You know my weakness and what can paralyze me spiritually.
Heal me today, make me strong in your Spirit so that I can hallow your name,
extend your kingdom, and do your will.
Encountering the Word
of God
1. The Ten Mighty
Deeds of the New Moses: In
the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is often and in different ways presented as the
New Moses. Just as Moses did 10 mighty deeds in Egypt before Pharaoh – the 10
plagues – so Jesus, the New Moses, did 10 mighty deeds in Galilee (Matthew
8:1-9:38). Today’s mighty deed – the healing of the paralytic – is the sixth of
the ten mighty deeds. The number 10, in Hebrew, symbolizes authority. By
working ten mighty deeds, Jesus is demonstrating his power and authority. When
he later commissions and sends out his Apostles, he sends them out with a share
in his authority (Matthew 10:1). Our Gospel passage opens with Jesus returning
to his own town of Capernaum. He is moved by the faith of the people who
brought him the paralytic. Instead of first healing the man’s physical
paralysis and then forgiving his sins, Jesus first declares that the man’s sins
are forgiven. On hearing Jesus forgive the paralytic’s sins, the scribes think
in their hearts that Jesus is committing the sin of blasphemy. For them, Jesus
is appropriating something to himself that belongs solely to God – the power to
forgive sins. Just as Moses told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, ‘By this you
shall know that I am the Lord’” (Exodus 7:17), Jesus uses a similar expression
for the scribes. When faced with the 10 mighty deeds of Jesus, the scribes
harden their hearts and act like new pharaohs. What do I most need
Jesus to heal in my life?
2. Making the
Invisible Visible: When Moses
worked 10 wonders in Egypt, this led to the Exodus and the covenant at Mt.
Sinai. When Jesus works 10 wonders in Galilee (Northern Israel), this leads to
the New Exodus and the New Covenant. Jesus’ mighty deeds make visible what is
invisible. The physical healing – the curing of the man’s physical paralysis –
makes visible the invisible spiritual healing – the forgiveness of the man’s
spiritual paralysis. The physical and spiritual healings look forward to the
sacraments, which are visible and effective signs of God’s invisible grace.
“The passage surprisingly ends with the crowds glorifying God for granting
authority to forgive sins not just to Jesus, but to human beings. Why the
plural? Readers of Matthew’s Gospel might see this as pointing to the
forgiveness Jesus continues to offer through his disciples, whom he commissions
to forgive sins (16:19; 18:18; see John 20:23)” (Mitch and Sri, The
Gospel of Matthew, 134). When was the last time I received the
Sacrament of Reconciliation?
3. Amos and Amaziah: The First Reading records Amos’
confrontation with the priest Amaziah in Bethel. The sanctuary at Bethel housed
one of the idolatrous golden calves that Jeroboam I set up for Israel to
worship (1 Kings 12:28-29; Hosea 10:5). We can see a parallel with the today’s
Gospel: just as the scribes are opposing the works of Jesus, Amaziah opposes
the prophetic work of Amos. “Amaziah falsely accuses Amos of treachery against
northern Israel’s king [Jeroboam II, who reigned from 793 to 753 B.C.] and
demands that he return to his native Judah in the South (7:10-13). Amos insists
that he is not a prophet by trade, but one uniquely called by God with a
message for northern Israel (7:14-17)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Minor
Prophets, 69). Amos denies that he became a prophet for financial gain. He
had earned his living as a shepherd in the highlands of Judah during part of
the year and as a sycamore dresser in the lowlands of Judah. Amos pronounces a
judgment upon Amaziah, telling him that his family will suffer due to his
opposition to God’s word and messenger. This will come about when the Assyrians
conquer Israel and send the Israelites into exile in 722 B.C. How do I
treat the messengers of God’s Word?
Conversing with
Christ: Lord Jesus, I do
not want to be like the scribes in today’s Gospel and oppose your work. Dwell
in my heart and reign there. Help me to be docile to the inspirations of your
Holy Spirit.
Living the Word of
God: Am I in need of
the Sacrament of Reconciliation? What are the sins that keep me in a state of
spiritual paralysis? Ask Jesus for healing.
Thursday
13th Ordinary Time:
Opening
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I believe in you. I come before you to
receive your healing and listen for your commands. I trust that you desire all
things for my salvation.
Encountering Christ:
Courage, Child: July’s
liturgical readings are filled with stories from Jesus’s Galilean ministry. To
steep ourselves in the liturgy this month requires courage, for if we truly
open ourselves to Jesus’s healing power, we submit ourselves also to follow his
commands. But fear not. Hear Jesus’s words, “Courage, child, your sins are
forgiven.” Jesus’s touch, command, and desire are for our deepest healing—the
salvation of our souls. How can we bring ourselves before the Lord this month?
And how can we be intercessors for others? Who can we bring to the Lord this
month for Jesus’s healing?
Jesus Knew What They Were Thinking: Nothing is hidden from the Lord’s eye. He sees the
depths of the heart. He sees judgment, doubt, fear, and desire. In prayer, we
are invited to present ourselves before the Lord as we are and let him speak
“into” our present struggles. If we identify more with the judgmental and
narrow-minded scribes at times, we can note that Jesus does not condemn them
but questions them, inciting an examination of conscience with the hope that
they will take on a new vision. If we identify with the paralytic who hears his
command, “Rise and walk,” let us not hesitate to respond, for great is the
reward. The fruit of responding to God’s command is that we become channels for
God’s grace.
Awe: “Rise
and walk,” Jesus said to the paralytic. Easier said than done, considering that
he was a paralytic. And yet, in faith, he obeyed. The simplest human action
done in obedience becomes a means for others to praise and glorify God. Never
underestimate the testimony of a heart that seeks to obey the Lord.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, grant me the courage to approach you
with sincerity, for you already know my heart. Give me strength to obey your
commands, however I discover them today, be it in my daily duty or through
your revelation in Scripture and in the Church’s teachings.
Resolution: Lord,
today by your grace I will recognize my interior motives, trust in your desire
for my salvation, and seek to live my daily duty in obedience to your holy
will.
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm tuần 13
TN. Mathêu 9:1-8,
Qua
Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã tuyên bố cho nhóm người Do
Thái biết rằng chỉ có Chúa mới là đấng có
thẩm quyền tha tội và Chúa Giêsu không những đã
chứng minh bằng quyền lực của Ngài đến
từ Thiên Chúa, mà Ngài đã còn cho
họ thấy sức mạnh tuyệt vời của tình yêu cứu chuộc và
lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa qua việc chữa lành cho người
thanh niện đang bị bệnh bại
liệt kia. Người thanh niên
này đã bị bại liệt không phải chỉ
về bại liệt về thể chất mà thôi,
nhưng còn bại liệt cả phần tinh thần nữa.
Chúa Giêsu muốn giải cứu
anh ta khỏi gánh nặng và gông cùm tội
lỗi nơi tâm hồn của anh mà còn phục
hồi cơ thể cho anh ta nữa.
Với lòng từ bi cũng như bất chấp
sự thù nghịch và sự chống đối của những người luật sĩ, người biêt phái và những
người đứng đầu các hội trường, Chúa đã làm một phép lạ là chữa lành người bại
liệt. Người bại liệt được chữa lành không chỉ vì anh ta tin vào Chúa Giêsu mà
còn vì những người đã khiêng anh ta có đức tin tuyệt vời. Chúa
Giêsu luôn sẵn sàng để đến với
chúng ta để chữa những căn bệnh đang làm bại liệt tâm
trí, cơ thể và tâm hồn của chúng ta. . Ân sủng của Ngài sẽ giúp đưa
chúng ta thoát khỏi quyền lực của tội lỗi và khỏi sự trói buộc của ma quỷ luôn
đang rình rập sự yếu đuối của chúng ta.
Reflection
2016
The healing power of Jesus made people bring the paralytic
to Jesus, and it his compassion for the sick and his admiration of the faith of
the paralytic's friends which prompted Jesus to restore the paralytic to
health.
However, before Jesus healed the paralytic, he forgave his
sins: "Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven." Teachers of
the Law in the crowd were enraged about Jesus forgiving the sins of the
paralytic, "This man insults God."
"Jesus was aware of what they were thinking. And said,
'Why have you such evil thoughts? Which is easier to say: 'Your sins are
forgiven' or 'Stand up and walk'? You must know that the Son of Man has
authority on earth to forgive sins.' He then said to the paralyzed man, 'Stand
up! Take up your stretcher and go home.' The man got up and went home."
The crowd was awed at the healing of the paralytic.
The Gospel did not make any mention of the crowd's reaction to Jesus forgiving
the sins of the paralytic, except that the teachers of the Law reacted that
Jesus was committing blasphemy: only God can forgive sins.
Every time we participate at Mass our faith tells us we are
participating in a miracle, in ordinary bread and wine being transformed into
the body and blood of Christ. Do we really believe in this? Do we
feel the awesomeness of this gift of the generous God to us? And do we then
truly praise and thank God every time we participate in the Eucharist?
Or are we so used to the Mass and we take it for
granted? Let us ask God to deepen our faith.
REFLECTION 2018
In ttie first reading Amos prophesies in the name of Yahweh
because Yahweh chose him to prophesy. True prophets speak what God tells them
to say:
In the Gospel reading, when the teachers of the Law
questioned how Jesus could forgive sins, he asked them, "Why do you have
such evil thoughts? Which is easier to say: 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Stand
up and walk'?"
Before they could answer, to prove himself Jesus cured the
paralyzed man, "Stand up! Take up your stretcher and go home." If we
had been with Jesus then, we might have reacted as the teachers of the Law did:
How could a man like Jesus forgive sins? Would we have believed in Jesus after
he cured the paralyzed man? The reading says that the crowd was "filled
with awe and praised God for giving such power to human beings." The
reading did not say whether the cure convinced the teachers of the Law of the
legitimacy of Jesus' message. Though we have not seen such miracles, do we
believe in Jesus as our God and Savior? Are we like the Apostle Thomas who
would not believe until he himself saw the risen Christ and his wounds?
There were two miracles in today's Gospel reading: the cure
of the paralytic and the forgiveness of his sins. Both healings are miracles of
God's loving mercy: may we value the healing of the spirit more
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