Trong mùa Chay này, chúng ta được nhắc nhở về trách nhiệm Kitô giáo của chúng ta. Chúng ta phải
nhận thức được
mối liên hệ và
giao ước giữa
Thiên Chúa và chúng ta.
Bài đọc thứ nhất trong sách Đệ Nhị Luật nêu rõ những
lời hứa của Thiên Chúa với con người trong bản một giao ước ngắn gọn,
nhưng với niềm hy vọng là chúng ta sống theo mệnh
lệnh của Thiên
Chúa. Những yếu tố liên tục gắn kết chúng ta với
Thiên Chúa là nhận thức qua kinh nghiệm những
sự tốt lành của
Thiên Chúa cũng như tình yêu vô điều kiện mà Ngài dành cho chúng ta một
cách cụ thể (TV 118), Đây là một
trong những ơn gọi của mỗi người Kitô hữu. Nếu chúng ta sống với khía cạnh này, chúng ta sẽ tìm thấy những sự ngạc nhiên của những
biến đổi đã
diễn ra trong cuộc sống của chúng ta
và qua những sự ngạc nhiên trong cuộc sống đó, chúng ta sẽ thấy mình trở nên giống Chúa Kitô hơn
trong những suy nghĩ và trong những hành động của chúng ta.
Do đó mầu nhiệm Nhập Thể chắc chắn
phải có nghĩa gì trong cuộc sống
của chúng ta. Đấy là những gì mà Thiên Chúa đã mời gọi và
đòi hỏi nơi chúng ta "anh em hãy nên hoàn thiện, như Cha anh
em trên trời là Ðấng hoàn thiện." .
Lạy Chúa, xin
ban cho chúng con
có những ân sũng của Chúa Thánh Thần trong Mùa Chay thánh này để chúng con được
trở nên giống như Chúa Kitô trong những suy nghĩ và hành động của chúng con, nhờ đó chúng
con sẽ mạnh dạn làm chứng cho
tình yêu vô biên, vô điều kiện của Chúa đã ban cho chúng con,
là những người thật là tội lỗi.
Saturday on first week of Lent
During the season of
Lent, we are reminded of our Christian responsibility. Firstly, in our
relationship with God. Are we aware of the covenantal relationship between God
and us? The first reading in Deuteronomy states clearly the declaration of this
covenant; a compact treaty that expects us to follow God’s commands. The constant factor that binds us with God in
this covenantal relationship is the awareness and concrete experience of God’s
goodness and unconditional love for us. (Ps. 118). This moves us to witness to
this love by our love for others. This is the other dimension of our Christian
vocation. If we live these two dimensions, we will gradually find, to our
amazement that transformation takes place in our lives. Then to our surprise,
we begin to see ourselves becoming more Christ-like in our thoughts and
actions.
Thus making sure what Incarnation means in our lives.
This is what the call ‘to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect’
entails. “Lord, grant us the Lenten
grace to be more like You in our thoughts and action, thus witnessing to your
unconditional love for us, sinners.”
Saturday of the First
Week of Lent
“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute
you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun
rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the
unjust.” Matthew
5:44–45
Today’s Gospel ends with Jesus saying,
“So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This is a high
calling! And it is clear that part of the perfection to which you are called
requires a generous and total love even for those you may consider your
“enemies” and those who “persecute” you.
When faced with this high calling, one
immediate reaction could be that of discouragement. When faced with such a
challenging command, it is understandable that you may feel incapable of such a
love, especially when the hurt caused by another is ongoing. But there is
another reaction that is entirely possible and one for which we should aim. And
that reaction is deep gratitude.
The gratitude we should allow ourselves
to experience is on account of the fact that our Lord wants us to share in His
life of perfection. And the fact that He commands us to live this life also
tells us that it is entirely possible. What a gift! What an honor it is to be
invited by our Lord to love with His very heart and to love to the extent that
He loves all people. The fact that we are all called to this level of love
should result in our hearts giving deep thanks to our Lord.
If discouragement, however, is your
immediate reaction to this calling from Jesus, try to look at others from a new
perspective. Try to suspend judgment toward them, especially against those who
have and continue to hurt you the most. It’s not your place to judge; it’s your
place only to love and to see others as the children of God who they are. If
you dwell upon another’s hurtful actions, angry feelings will inevitably arise.
But if you strive only to see them as children of God whom you are called to
love without reserve, then even feelings of love will more easily arise within
you, helping you to fulfill this glorious command.
Reflect, today, upon this high calling
of love and work to foster gratitude within your heart. The Lord wants to give
you an incredible gift by loving all people with His heart, including those who
tempt you to anger. Love them, see them as God’s children and allow God to draw
you into the heights of perfection to which you are called.
My most perfect Lord, I thank You for
loving me despite my many sins. I thank You for also calling me to share in the
depths of Your love for others. Give me the eyes to see all people as You see
them and to love them as You love them. I do love You, Lord. Help me to love
You and others more. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday on first week of Lent 2025
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you offer
your covenant to humanity so that we can share in your divine life. You are
truly blessed and offer me a share in this beatitude. I thank you for this
offer and will do my best to remain in your love as I journey toward you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Perfection of Not Lacking
Anything: According
to Thomas Aquinas, there are three ways that something is said to be perfect.
The first way something is perfect is that it doesn’t lack something it should
have, meaning that it is not missing any of its parts. Imagine a car that is
missing a tire or a brake pad. Without these, the car is not perfect. Likewise,
if a football team lacks a quarterback, it is not perfect. And so, when Jesus
invites us to be perfect just as our heavenly Father is perfect, we need to
imitate our Father, who doesn’t lack anything he should have as God the Father.
We, then, should not lack anything we should have as human beings and adopted
children of God. We need and are perfected by the gift of grace and the infused
virtues of faith, hope, charity, justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude.
2. The Perfection of Attaining Our
Ultimate End: The
second way we say something is perfect is when it has accomplished its goal or
attained its ultimate end. For example, when a car works well and fulfills its
purpose as a means of transportation, it is said to be perfect. When a team
wins the championship game, they have attained their goal and can be said to be
perfect. God is perfect in this second way because he is the ultimate end of
all things. The exhortation to be perfect as God is perfect invites us to
consider the ultimate goal and purpose of a human being. God made us to know
and love him and share in his divine life. We are perfect, then, when we attain
the glory of heaven.
3. Degrees of Perfection: The third way something is
perfect is where it falls on the scale of perfection. God is the most perfect,
and all creatures fall short of that perfection. We are familiar with things
like a “perfect game” in baseball when a pitcher doesn’t allow any hits or
walks through nine innings, or qualifying a party or an event as “perfect.” We
are saying that “it couldn’t be better.” A perfect season in football is when a
team doesn’t lose a single game. When Jesus invites us to be perfect as his
heavenly Father is perfect, he is inviting us to strive for the highest degree
of perfection. In heaven, some will see God more perfectly than others.
Everyone in heaven will be happy and blessed and see God, but those who loved
more deeply will see God more perfectly. As St. Theresa said, in heaven,
everyone’s glass will be full, but some will have a bigger glass. The
invitation to imitate the Father’s perfection is, then, an invitation to love
and collaborate with God’s grace and charity more fully in this life so as to
enjoy heavenly perfection in the next.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, your New Law is one of
charity and grace. You empower us with your Holy Spirit to love as children of
your Father. Because of this, the yoke you place on my shoulder is easy, and
the burden you ask me to carry is light.
Saturday on first week of Lent
Opening Prayer: Lord, thank you for this moment I have to reflect on your
written word. I am grateful for this “time out” from my busy day. Please help
me to absorb the lessons you have for me and act accordingly.
Encountering Christ:
The Challenge: Few passages of Scripture are as unpalatable as today’s
Gospel. Over two thousand years after our Lord spoke these words, they can be
just as hard to hear. Generally, we don’t want to love people who do not love
us nor do not want to pray for them. We prefer to greet and spend time with
those whose company we enjoy. And as for people who persecute us, isn’t it
enough to try to stay out of their way? Jesus was speaking to a people who knew
all too well what it was to have enemies. The Jews of his time lived under
military occupation. Furthermore, Jesus certainly knew of the persecution that
was to come against the early Christians. Still, he insisted that his followers
set aside hatred and radiate his love to all, even their bitter enemies. What a
challenge!
Perfect Abundance: Jesus wants to set us free from evil, hatred, and jealousy. He
knows that when we fume and stew over injustices, real or perceived, we are
turning away from the abundant life he offers us. He wants to give us the joy
and freedom that comes from forgiving others. He promises deep peace when we
pray for a person who has wronged us. Jesus asks of us something that is
possible only with his grace. Perhaps today the closest we can get to perfect
is to ask Jesus to give us the will to forgive, or the words to pray for
someone who has wronged us. In Jeremiah 29:11, we are promised, “I know the
plans I have for you...plans to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.” When Jesus breaks the bonds of hatred, revenge, and bitterness
in our hearts, we are truly set free to live as children of God.
It’s A Battle: The world tells us to stand up for our needs and seek out
what gives us pleasure. The Word tells us to “seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all else will be given to you” (Matthew 6:33). As a soldier
remains constantly alert and on guard, we must be vigilant and constantly beg
the Holy Spirit for the grace to love our enemies, to pray for those who do us
wrong. Our Father, in his wisdom, knows that this is our only path to
peace.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, fill my heart with trust in your promises. When the enemy
of my soul whispers and I feel hatred towards others, grant me the grace to
turn to you for strength. Teach me to see others through your eyes and fill my
heart with your love. Thank you for enlightening me and guiding me to seek out
the abundant life you promise.
REFLECTION
It
is so easy for us to love those who are lovable and who love us in return.
In the Gospel
reading Jesus extends the commandment "to love your neighbor" to
"your enemies" and to "those who persecute you." Speaking
with the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, he recalls to them the rule to "love
your neighbor and not do good to your enemy." He clearly states this is
not enough: for even tax-collectors and pagans do the same.
Jesus teaches us to love all, even the unlovable, even those who have
betrayed us, those who have hurt us and taken advantage of us. Love of neighbor
is much related to forgiveness of those who have offended us, those who have transgressed
against us. This comes from our Lord who at the cross prayed, "Father,
forgive them for they do not know what they do." (Lk 23: 34)
We can ask who our friends are: no problem about loving them and
being friendly and good to them. How about those we do not particularly like?
How can we show them love and friendship? How about those who have wronged us?
Can we forgive them and show them love and friendship? Hopefully we can do much
better than the tax collectors and pagans mentioned by our Lord!
And let us heed the
Lord's words, "As for you, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Amen."
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