Suy Niệm Bài đọc thứ Ba tuần thứ 10 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Bài đọc thứ Ba tuần thứ 10 Thường Niên
"Tất cả những điều gì Thiên Chúa đã hứa với dân Israel Ngài đã thực hiện  hoàn thành ." Do đó, Thánh Phaolô đã nói lên mối quan hệ giữa Cựu Ước và Tân Ước. Ông Môisen Nghe lời mệnh lệnh của Thiên Chúa và dẫn đưa dân Israel ra khỏi Ai Cập. Ông đã đem đám dân nô lệ này ra khỏi ai cập và Thiên Chúa  đã biến họ thành một quốc gia hùng mạnh  trong thời vua David. Trong mọi thời gian, Thiên Chúa đã chọn những người này làm dân của riêng Ngài và Ngài là Thiên Chúa của họ, như Ngài đã hứa với dân Israel trong sách Xuất Hành 6: 7; (cf. Lêvi  26:12) và Và sau đó Ngài đã lặp đi lặp lại nhiều lần qua các tiên tri như tiên tri  Giêrêmi 30:22;  Êzêkiel 11:20: "Các ngươi sẽ là dân của Ta, và Ta, Ta sẽ là Thiên Chúa của các ngươi.” (Giêmi 30:22).
Bốn đặc điểm tuyệt vời này đánh dấu mối quan hệ của Thiên Chúa với dân Israel: Sự lựa chọn của Thiên Chúa,  Giao ước mà Ngài đã lập với họ, Ban cho họ 10 Điều răn (Luật) để hướng dẫn họ sống vui vẻ (Thánh Vịnh 119) theo những lời Giao ước đó,  Và những lời hứa mà Ngài đã thực hiện, đặc biệt là lời hứa ban cho họ một Đấng Thiên Sai.
Bốn yếu tố này,  Sự lựa chọn, Giao Ước, Luật, và Lời hứa ban cho đấng cứu thế, là cách để cho dân Israel trở thành những người có niềm hy vọng lớn lao của Thiên Chúa, vì vậy cả bốn đều là những biểu hiện khác nhau của tình yêu tuyệt vời của Thiên Chúa trong Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho nhân loại. Trong bối cảnh này, chúng ta đạt được một sự hiểu biết sâu sắc hơn về lời khẳng định của Thánh Phaolô.
Lạy Cha trên Trời, xin  làm cho chúng con được trở nên một dân tộc với niềm hy vọng vĩ đại trong Chúa Kitô; xin làm cho chúng con trở thành những ánh sang thật sự sáng của thế gian, và muối mặn của thé giới này.
 
Reflection SG
“Whatever promises God has made have been fulfilled in him.” Paul thus sums up the relation between the Old and New Testaments.  Moses obeyed God’s command and led the Israelites out of Egypt. He made this crowd of runaway slaves into a people. Later David made this people into a nation. All the time, God was making this people into his own and giving himself to them as their God, as he promised in Exodus 6:7; (cf. Leviticus 26:12) and later repeated several times through the prophets Jer 30:22; Ezek 11:20: “You shall be my people and I will be your God.”
            Four great characteristics marked God’s relation with Israel: God’s choice, the Covenant he made with them, the Law to guide them in living joyfully (Psalm 119) according to that Covenant, and the promises he made, especially the promise of a Messiah. Promise is part of the vocabulary of hope. These four elements, Choice, Covenant, Law, Messianic promise, were God’s way of making the Israelites into a people of great hope, so the four are all different expressions of God’s great love in Jesus for humanity. Against this background we attain a deeper understanding of Paul’s affirmation.
Heavenly Father, make us a people of great hope in Christ; make us truly light of the world, salt of the earth
 
Tuesday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world…” Matthew 5:13–14
Every Christian has two primary duties in life. First, we must strive for personal holiness. And second, we must work to help others achieve this same degree of holiness. This is what it means to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”
Consider salt. Salt is a preservative, and it also adds flavor to food. It does so by entering the food and, in a sense, disappearing. So it must be with us. First, our Lord must enter our lives and preserve us from the corruption of sin. But as He does so, He will also bring out our goodness in a way that the “flavor” of holiness is evident to others. In this way, we will be used as salt for others. This is especially done by our works of charity.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux said in her autobiography, “I see now that true charity consists in bearing with the faults of those about us, never being surprised at their weaknesses, but edified at the least sign of their virtue.” She believed that this was especially the way we act as salt and light to others. We help to preserve others from sin by being merciful to them when they are weak. We enrich their lives by seeing their goodness and rejoicing in it. And we do so in a hidden way. By our gentleness and compassion, our kindness and mercy, we preserve others and help them to grow in God’s abundant grace. And we do so, many times, without them even realizing how God used us.
Consider, also, light. The world in which we live is oftentimes quite dark and despairing. There is corruption all around us and temptations abound. Thus, the light of Christ must be made manifest far and wide. Those all around us need to see clearly the path to holiness and happiness. Again, this is possible if we first work to become light itself. Christ, the true Light of the World, must so permeate our lives that we find it almost automatic to shine brightly in a fallen world. When Christ is alive in us, we will radiate joy and peace, calm and conviction, moral goodness and determination. And when we live this way, we will not have to “impose” the Gospel on others; rather, God’s light will simply shine and be a beacon of hope to those who come into our presence.
Reflect, today, upon these two missions in life. First, ponder your call to holiness. How does God want to bring light into your own life, preserve you from all sin and add spiritual flavor for holy living? Second, who does God want you to love with His love? Who needs hope and joy, mercy and kindness, words of wisdom and encouragement? Be holy and then allow that holiness to shine forth to others and you will indeed be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
My Jesus, the true Light of the World, please shine brightly in my life so that I will see clearly and will be preserved from the darkness of sin. As You fill me with Your light, please use me as an instrument of Your love and mercy to a world filled with chaos and confusion. Dispel the darkness, dear Lord, and use me as Your instrument as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Tuesday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, as I listen to your Son’s Sermon on the Mount, I pray that the seed of his Word may find good soil to grow and flourish. Help me welcome your Word, die to myself, and bear fruit for your Kingdom.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Jesus Raises Up the Humble of Heart: In the Beatitudes, Jesus proclaims that those who follow him and enter the Kingdom of Heaven are blessed, yet they are the humble, the meek, the pure of heart, and the persecuted. “Now he teaches his hearers that in spite of their marginal social situation, they actually hold a lofty position, that God works through them, in their lowly status, to redeem the world. They are the world’s salvation, even though the world regards them as cursed, as enemies” (Huizenga, Behold the Christ, 146). Just as salt transforms food and light transforms a room, Jesus’ disciples need to transform the world around them with the grace and light of Jesus. 
2. Salt of the Earth: In ancient times, salt was used to preserve meat and food and keep it from spoiling. Beef or pork, for example, was salted for long journeys at sea. Salt was a valuable commodity and even acted as a currency for Roman legionaries. They were sometimes paid in salt, and this is where we get the word “salary” from. Lastly, salt accompanied many of the sacrifices offered in the Temple in Jerusalem. By calling his followers the “salt of the earth,” he is suggesting that their existence and their discipleship sustain the world. They are valuable, pearls of great price, in the world. Their work is a pleasing sacrifice to God. In the same breath, Jesus gives his disciples a warning: They can fail and fall away, and, if this happens, they will meet a bad end (see Huizenga, Behold the Christ, 146).
3. Light of the World: By calling his disciples, the “light of the world,” Jesus refers back to the original vocation of Israel to be a “light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6). Israel struggled to be faithful to their calling and often became like the pagan nations instead of a light to them. Jesus warns his disciples not to hide their light from the world. They need to give the light they have received from God through Jesus and in the Spirit to the entire household. The city set upon a mountain is the Church, “established by God’s building hands in the midst of the world and yet also above it. The Christian cannot help it if God has placed and established him in the midst of the world, to watch over the world, to be watched by the world. … Christians are not their own architects and masters. The city is the dwelling of the saints, the City of God, and this polis [city] gathers up the surrounding world around itself and acts as its center and source of meaning. To it all the nations stream for strength, instruction, and protection” (Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy, Heart of the World: Vol I, 207).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I pray that I may be salt and light. Help me to give flavor to my preaching of your Gospel and enlighten the minds of those around me with your light. May I never lose my saltiness or extinguish the flame of your love.
 
Tuesday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, as I listen to your Son’s Sermon on the Mount, I pray that the seed of his Word may find good soil to grow and flourish. Help me welcome your Word, die to myself, and bear fruit for your Kingdom.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Salt of the Earth: After announcing to his disciples the paths that lead to happiness and blessing in the New Covenant, Jesus speaks about his disciples’ calling and mission. If the disciples live the beatitudes, they will be the salt of the earth. What does this mean? In the ancient world, salt was used not only to season but also to preserve food. The fish from the Sea of Galilee, for example, were dried and salted in Magdala and could be transported to faraway places like Rome without spoiling. By calling his disciples the “salt of the earth,” Jesus indicates that his disciples are to season and add flavor to the world and preserve the peace of the New Covenant on the earth. One day, like the salted fish from Magdala, Jesus’ disciples will be sent from Jerusalem and Galilee to the ends of the earth with the Gospel of Salvation. If they lose their saltiness, however, they will be worthless and unable to extend the Gospel throughout the world. There is also a deeper meaning concerning salt. Salt was also used to season the grain or bread offerings in the Temple (Leviticus 2:13). The salt, added to the offering, signified the covenant meal between God and the offeror. As the salt of the earth, Jesus’ disciples are to be the salt that seasons the world so that the world can be offered to God as a pleasing sacrifice. If, however, they break the covenant and lose their saltiness, then Jesus’ disciples will be unable to sanctify the world and bring it to God as an offering in the New Covenant (see Pitre, Reflections on the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A).
2. Light of the Word: If Jesus’ disciples live the beatitudes, then they will not only be the salt of the earth, but will also be the light of the world. This echoes the original vocation of Israel to be a light to the Gentile nations (Isaiah 42 and 49). The images of salt, light, and the city set on the mountain all refer to the Temple in Jerusalem. Salt seasoned the sacrifices in the Temple, the seven lamps of the menorah lit the sanctuary, and Jerusalem is the city set on Mt. Zion. Like the salt sent out into the world from Galilee, olive oil, used in lamps, was also sent out into the world from Galilee. Jesus’ disciples will season the world and transform it into a pleasing sacrifice. They will bring the light of the Gospel to the ends of the earth and overcome the darkness and ignorance caused by sin.
3. The Son of Consolation: The First Reading was chosen for the Memorial of Saint Barnabas. His real name was Joseph and “Barnabas” was his nickname (Acts 4:36). He was from the tribe of Levi and was a native of Cyprus. His nickname, given to him by the Apostles, means “son of encouragement (or consolation or comfort).” The Greek word used to translate the Aramaic is “paraklesis,” which is related to “paraclete.” This latter is a title for the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26) and means advocate, consoler, intercessor, and counselor. Barnabas “will live up to the meaning of his name when he encourages the Jerusalem Christians to welcome their former persecutor, Paul (Acts 9:26-27), and later, when he enlists Paul to help him nurture the first community comprised of both Jews and Gentiles, in Antioch (11:22-26)” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, 92). Barnabas and Paul brought a famine relief collection from Antioch to the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:30). They were also commissioned by the Church in Antioch to go on their first missionary journey throughout southern Asia Minor. They worked together up to the Council in Jerusalem in A.D. 49. After the council, they went on separate missionary journeys due to a disagreement about taking John Mark with them. Paul took Silas on his second missionary journey and Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus. Little is known about Barnabas after this, but tradition holds that he was martyred in Salamis in Cyprus.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I pray that I may be salt and light. Help me to give flavor to my preaching of your Gospel and enlighten the minds of those around me with your light. May I never lose my saltiness or extinguish the flame of your love.