Suy NiệmTin Mừng Thứ Hai, tuần 27 Thường Niên.

Monday 27^th Ordinary. Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Bài Tin Mừng hôm nay nhắc nhở chúng ta về ba vấn đề: lề luật, tình yêu và cuộc sống vĩnh cửu. Vấn đề chính yếu nhất đó là tình yêu. Tình yêu có thể đưa con người đạt tới hạnh phúc vĩnh cửu, và tình yêu sẽ giúp con người chu toàn mọi lề luật. Không có tình yêu con người không thể tìm thấy sự sống đời đời. Không có tình yêu thì mọi luật lệ chỉ là một cái ách đè nặng con người.
Nếu Thiên Chúa là tất cả tình yêu thương và từ bi, vậy thì tại sao con người chúng ta còn quá nhiều đau khổ và nhiều việc xấu xa vẫn còn xảy ra trên thế giới này?         
Những người vô đạo từ chối và không tin vào Chúa vì vấn đề này dường như không thể giải quyết được  Nếu Thiên Chúa là tình yêu thì sự dữ và đau khổ phải bị loại bỏ ra khỏi thế giới của chúng ta dưới mọi hình thức.
Bằng nhiều cách khác nhau, Chúa Giêsu dạy chúng ta về cách sống siêu nhiên đầy thú vị, và Ngài còn cho chúng ta những suy tư để giúp chúng ta hiểu rõ hơn về việc Thiên Chúa đã đối xử với con người chúng ta trong những tình huống khác nhau, và cho phép chúng ta phát triển thêm trong việc nhận thức về sự hiện diện của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, và như vậy Ngài mở lòng chúng ta giúp chúng ta đón nhận chân lý và tình yêu sáng tạo của Thiên Chúa.
Như trong đoạn Tin Mừng hôm nay, Người Thông luật Do thái trong câu chuyện thật sự đã làm chúng ta ngạc nhiên về câu hỏi của Chúa Giêsu, nhưng sau khi khen ngợi ý tưởng Chúa, và rồi sau đó anh ta đã hơi bất ngờ với lời tóm tắt của Chúa Giêsu là "Anh trả lời đúng lắm. và cứ làm như vậy thì anh sẽ được sống".(Lk 10:28).             Vì vậy, anh ta muốn chứng tỏ bản thân đạo đức và sự hiểu biết của mình và nên anh ta đã cố gắng để tiếp tục thảo luận. Nhưng tại thời điểm này, Chúa Giêsu đã dạy cho anh ta và tất cả chúng ta ai là láng giếng của chúng ta?  Qua câu chuyện ngụ ngôn của Chúa Giêsu đã kể hôm nay, cho thấy tình yêu thương và lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa rộng lớn như thế nào đối với mọi người, không phân biệt màu da, tôn giáo...Chúa Giê-su cho chúng ta biết gì về tình yêu thương thật sự đối với người lân cận? Trước tiên, chúng ta phải sẵn sàng giúp đỡ ngay cả khi người khác tự mang rắc rối cho mình do lỗi hoặc sơ suất của họ.
       Thứ hai, tình yêu thương và sự quan tâm và việc giúp đỡ những người đang gặp khó khăn của chúng ta phải thiết thực. Có ý định tốt và thể hiện sự thương xót, cảm thông với người khác, là chưa đủ. Và cuối cùng, tình yêu của chúng ta dành cho người khác cũng phải rộng rãi và bao trùm như tình yêu của Thiên Chúa.
Thiên Chúa không loại trừ ai ra khỏi sự chăm sóc và quan tâm của Ngài. Tình yêu của Thiên Chúa là thật sự vô điều kiện. Vì vậy, chúng ta phải sẵn sàng làm điều tốt cho người khác vì lợi ích của họ, cũng như Thiên Chúa đã đối xử tốt với chúng ta. Chúa Giê-su không những chỉ dạy chúng ta cách yêu thương của Thiên Chúa, Ngài còn cho chúng ta thấy Thiên Chúa luôn sẵn sàng chia sẻ nỗi đau khổ của chúng ta và khôi phục cho chúng ta trở lại trong sự sống hạnh phúc trọn vẹn với Ngài.  Chúa Giê-su đã chiến thắng tội lỗi, đau khổ và sự chết nhờ chiến thắng trên thập tự giá. Cái chết của Ngài đã mang lại cho chúng ta sự tự do không còn nô lệ cho tội lỗi và đem chúng ta đến với lời hứa ban sự sống đời đời với Thiên Chúa. Chúa Giêsu sẵn lòng chia sẻ nỗi đau khổ của chúng ta để đưa chúng ta đến nguồn ơn chữa lành đích thực và sự tự do và thoát khỏi tội lỗi và sự áp bức của ma quỷ.
Lòng trắc ẩn chân chính không chỉ xác định và cảm thông với người đang đau khổ, mà còn gánh lấy nỗi đau khổ đó cho chính mình để mang lại sư tự do và phục hồi cho người khác..
Lạy Chúa, Chúng con cần đôi mắt với lòng từ bi của Chúa hôm nay, Xin giúp chúng con biết nhìn xa hơn sự thiển cận riêng của mình. Xin Chúa đưa chúng con ra khỏi cái cái rốn vũ trũ của chính bản thân của chúng con. Và giúp chúng con nhìn thấy nhu cầu cần thiết của những người chung quanh. Xin Chúa thay đổi trái tim của chúng con, được giống như trái tim của Chúa để chúng con được thấy như Chúa đã thấy, và biết xúc động như trái tim của Chúa, để mọi hành động của chúng con được giống như Chúa. Chúng con chỉ mong có thể được như thế thôi, Lạy Chúa.
 
Reflection
The many different ways in which Jesus responds to people make a very interesting study and spiritually repays much reflection as it helps us to understand better how God deals with us in different situations and enables us to grow in awareness of God’s presence in our lives and so open our hearts to God's liberating truth and creative love. As in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus not infrequently answers a question by asking another question. This is not any kind of condescending pettiness but a rather effective pedagogical method: rather than receive a ready-made answer from a master, it is more profitable in general that we be formed to reflect on our own experience. The man in today’s story was obviously taken aback at Jesus’ question followed by praise and finally his somewhat abrupt summing up “Do this and you shall live”. So he wished to justify himself and tried to continue the discussion. At this point, Jesus assumed his role as a teacher and answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
The phrase “Good Samaritan” has entered into all our language and societies in some way — an indication that Jesus spoke deeply to human experience.
Lord, grant us the grace to reflect on Your words and our life experiences and so learn how to inherit everlasting life.
 
Monday 27th Ordinary Time 2024
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 10:25
The question is very good. We should all seek to understand, with all our hearts, what we must do to inherit eternal life. Of course the problem is that this scholar of the law did not ask this question with sincerity and openness. Rather, he asked Jesus this question to test our Lord. This scholar, as well as other scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and elders, was envious of Jesus and sought to find fault with Him. This scholar appeared to be concerned that Jesus was teaching contrary to the Law of Moses. But what does our Lord do? He says nothing more than to put the question back to the scholar, asking him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” The scholar answers correctly, according to the Law of Moses, and Jesus responds to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” Thus, the test was passed.
What’s interesting and helpful to ponder in this exchange is the way Jesus responds to this scholar. Because Jesus knew the scholar’s heart, and because He knew that this scholar was not asking with humility and openness, Jesus responded with great prudence, inviting the scholar of the law himself to answer his own question. Though we are not able to read another’s heart in the way our Lord did, we should learn a lesson from Him on how to respond to others who have as their goal to trick, trap, test, and twist our words if they disagree with us. This is especially important in matters of faith and morality. If you are striving to live the Gospel with all your heart and you encounter the “testing” of others as a result of the holy life you are striving for, ponder Jesus’ actions here. Too often, when another challenges us or tests us, we become defensive and even offended. As a result, we can enter into arguments back and forth that bear little or no fruit. Jesus did not argue. He did not allow this test to trip Him up. Rather, He only offered responses that could not be doubted. Jesus knew that this scholar was not interested in the deepest spiritual truths. He was only interested in finding fault. Therefore, the deeper and fuller Gospel message could not be offered.
We should also learn from this passage the importance of coming to Jesus with an open heart, sincerely seeking the deepest spiritual answers to life. We ought never test Jesus. Instead, in humility, we must believe that He is the source of all truth and that He has every answer in life that we seek.
Reflect, today, upon two things. First, reflect upon how completely open you are to all that Jesus has to say. If you were to ask our Lord this question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?,” what would Jesus say to you? Would He only be able to offer you general answers in the form of questions? Or would Jesus see the open and sincere nature of your heart and be able to speak in great depth and detail to you? Second, reflect upon anyone with whom you constantly have to defend yourself for the practice of your faith. If this is your experience, perhaps reexamine your approach, realizing that the deepest pearls of your faith should only be shared with those who are sincerely open and are seeking to embrace them with all their heart.
My deep and wise Lord, You and You alone have every answer to life. You and You alone can reveal to me all that I need to know in life so as to achieve holiness and fulfillment. Please open my heart so that I can come to You with humility and sincerity, open to all that You wish to reveal to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the perfection of mercy, and I need to imitate your merciful love. Help me to see the needs of my brothers and sisters and to be generous with my time, talent, and treasure.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Who is My Neighbor? The Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that love of neighbor must accompany our love for God. The Parable also reveals that the holiness of the Old Covenant needed to be brought to fulfillment and surpassed in the holiness of the New Covenant by Jesus Christ. The priest and the Levite exemplify the holiness of the Old Covenant and the Law of Moses. This law forbade them from coming into contact with a corpse. If they did, they would be prevented from offering sacrifice or ministering in the Temple for at least a week. In the New Covenant, it is made clear that mercy is more important than external ritual purity. The Old Testament prohibition is seen in the New Covenant as a symbol of avoiding contact with what is deadly. It is a symbol of the need to avoid sin and impurity that leads to death. The Old Covenant symbol is brought to fulfillment in the New Covenant. Empowered by God’s grace, we can avoid sinful acts and perform merciful and meritorious works of charity.
2. Almsgiving and Mercy: Giving alms and works of mercy are a key part of how we love our neighbors in need. In the ancient Jewish world, when someone gave a gift or alms, it was expected that the one who received the gift would reciprocate it in some way. Some have argued that ancient Judaism understood the gift of divine grace through a system of reciprocity, where God’s initial unmerited favor placed the recipient under an obligation to respond with loyalty and obedience. A gift would often cement an existing relationship and was given in expectation of some kind of return. This notion of reciprocity is at work in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. On the one hand, the Samaritan becomes a “neighbor” by acting mercifully toward the injured man. In our case, Jesus acts as the Good Samaritan by caring for us, the injured man, and entrusting us to the inn of the Church. We are obligated to reciprocate the gift we have received from Jesus. On the other hand, the innkeeper is invited to treat the Samaritan as a neighbor and not as a foreigner. This means that the Church should welcome people of all nations and care for them until Jesus’ glorious return. We are called to reciprocate the gift we have received from God, and a key way we do this is by loving our neighbor through almsgiving and corporal works of mercy.
3. Jonah, the Reluctant Prophet: Like the Gospel, which alludes to the separation between the Jews and Samaritans, the story of Jonah also alludes to a separation, the separation between the Israelites and the Gentiles. Jonah was an Israelite called by God to preach to the Gentile Ninevites, to those who dwelt in the capital city of Assyria, which, at the time, was Israel’s sworn enemy. The last thing that Jonah wanted to do was help his enemies repent and be spared from God’s just punishment. That is why Jonah fled to the sea, got in a boat, and set sail to Tarshish (Spain). He was trying to get as far away from Nineveh as possible. The story of Jonah shows how God is persistent in his call and how the reluctant prophet converts the Gentiles despite his efforts not to. The Gentiles in the boat call out to the Lord God of Jonah and are saved. We will see the same thing happen in Nineveh. The people will call out to the Lord God of Jonah in repentant prayer and be saved from destruction.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the Good Samaritan. You came to your own people and were rejected by them. This did not deter you. You offered your life, gave without reserve, and died on the Cross for us. Bring me to share in your passion and suffering so that I may give myself in love to those in need.
 
Monday 27th Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the perfection of mercy, and I need to imitate your merciful love. Help me to see the needs of my brothers and sisters and to be generous with my time, talent, and treasure.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Loving Our Neighbor: The Scribes and the Pharisees often sought to put Jesus to the test. They hoped that he would contradict himself or teach something against the Law. They hoped that this would prove his doctrine to be false. The lawyer in today’s passage thought that he was an expert in the law but showed that he was only a novice. He did not realize that before him stood not a mere man but the Son of God. Saint Cyril of Alexandria writes that the Christ was depicted in many ways in the Old Testament, but that this was hidden to the lawyer: “In many ways Emmanuel is depicted to you by the shadowing of Moses. You saw him there sacrificed as a lamb, yet conquering the destroyer and abolishing death by his blood. You saw him in the arrangement of the ark, in which the divine law was deposited. In his holy flesh, he was as in an ark, being the Word of the Father, the Son that was begotten of him by nature. You saw him as the mercy seat in the holy tabernacle, around which stood the seraphim. He is our mercy seat for pardon of our sins” (Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Homily 68).
2. Jesus, the Good Samaritan: Jesus responded to the lawyer’s question by reaffirming that the Torah is the way to life and eternal life. The two commandments of love for God and love for neighbor are the heart of the law. The lawyer, however, wanted to justify himself and asked about who qualifies as his neighbor. Saint Jerome comments that every human being is our neighbor and that we should not harm anyone. As well, the one who shows pity acts as a neighbor. Neither the priest nor the Levite was the man’s neighbor. If we keep the commandments, then we are prepared to help everyone in need. Most of the Fathers of the Church read the parable in the light of Christ. They see that Jesus is the Good Samaritan, that the oil and the wine are the Sacraments of the Church, and that the inn is the Church itself. God’s mercy is found in the Sacraments. As well, Saint Ambrose saw that the “next day” is the day of the Lord’s Resurrection. The two coins are the Old and the New Testaments, which contain the revelation of our eternal King, by whose wounds we are healed. Christ’s blood redeemed us so that we may avoid the sores of final death (Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke).
3. Paul Defends His Gospel in the Letter to the Galatians: Paul likely wrote the Letter to the Galatians to defend his gospel against opponents who suggested that Paul preached a false gospel and to respond to those who held circumcision and ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant as indispensable requirements for salvation. Although Paul’s opponents “professed to be Christians, they felt that Paul's gospel of ‘faith working through love’ (5:6) was incomplete without the ritual observances of the Mosaic Law. The success that these Judaizers enjoyed in Galatia forced Paul to respond with a vigorous defense of the gospel (1:11-20) and a sophisticated explanation of how the New Covenant inaugurated by Christ dispenses with the ceremonies of the Old (chaps. 3-4)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 329). In his letter, Paul was astonished at how quickly the Galatians turned from the true Gospel he preached to a false and different Gospel. Paul argued that he received the Gospel not from another man but through a revelation of Jesus Christ. His Gospel has a divine origin, and he lives to preach the Gospel and serve the Kingdom of God.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the Good Samaritan. You came to your own people and were rejected by them. This did not deter you. You offered your life, gave without reserve, and died on the Cross for us. Bring me to share in your passion and suffering so that I may give myself in love to those in need.