Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy tuần 31 Thường Niên
Ca dao Việtnam chúng ta có câu :"Có tiền mua tiên cũng được... " Điều này là hoàn toàn
đúng, nếu xét rằng hầu hết mọi người chúng ta cố gắng để tích lũy tiền
bạc và sự giàu có trong cuộc đời của chúng ta, và nghĩ rằng của cải này sẽ giúp chúng ta an tâm hơn cho cuộc sống tương
lai của con cháu... Tiền của thật sự nó không phải là sự ác. Khi tiền của được sử
dụng đúng cách, đúng mục đích thì nó có thể làm được nhiều điều tốt
đẹp. Cách mà chúng ta cư xử và sử dụng số tiền đó sẽ xác
định được việc chúng ta đang kiểm soát sự giàu có của chúng ta hay là
việc chúng ta đang bị sự giàu có, tiền của này đang kiểm soát chúng ta.
Chúa Giêsu không lên án
việc chúng ta sử dụng tiền của. Nhưng trong thực
tế, Ngài vẫn luôn khuyến khích việc sử dụng tiền bạc miễn
là nó được dungmột cách khôn ngoan và thực hiện cho những
việc tốt lành. "Khi chút ít mà trung tín, thì nhiều cũng
mới trung tín; khi chút ít mà đã bất lương, thì nhiều, cũng bất
lương. Vậy nếu nơi tiền của bất lương, các ngươi không trung tín,
thì của chân thật ai nào sẽ ký thác cho các ngươi? (Lc 16: 10-11). Rõ
ràng, Chúa Giêsu coi tiền như là một phương tiện hơn là sự kết
thúc. Chúng ta đều là những người quản lý của những ân
sủng và sự giàu có mà Thiên Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta.Chúng ta
phải biết sử dụng những món quà này để giúp chính mình và những người
khác có thể có được những thứ "của cải chính
đáng" mà Thiên Chúa đã chuẩn bị cho chúng ta ở trên thiên đường.
Kho báu của chúng ta và
quyền thừa kế là phải là sự hiệp nhất trong Đấng Tạo Hóa của chúng ta. Tâm hồn của chúng
ta phải luôn luôn được đặt vàosự hiệp nhất với Thiên Chúa mà
không phải đạt trên những thứ của cài vật chất của thế giới
này, Có gì thường được xem là quan trọng trong thế giới này không phải là
những thứ mà Thiên Chúa muốn. "chúng ta không
thể vừa phục vụ choThiên Chúa, vừa làm nô lệ cho tiền bạc"
(Lc 16: 13). Chúng ta nên chọn những gì?
REFLECTION Saturday
31st Ordinary
We're all familiar with the saying,
"Money makes the world go `round." This is quite true, considering
that most people try to accumulate money and riches in their lifetime, thinking
that these will give them security and peace of mind. Money by itself is not
evil. When used properly, it can do a lot of good. It is how we treat and use
money that determines whether we control our wealth or we allow it to control
us.
Jesus himself doesn't condemn the use of
money. In fact, he encourages its use as long as it is wisely done and for the
good. "The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in
great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in
great" (Lk 16 : 10). Obviously, Jesus considers money ("little
[basic] things") more as a means than as the end. We are all stewards of
the gifts and riches that God has given us. We have to use these gifts to help
ourselves and others to obtain the "genuine riches" that God has
prepared for us in Heaven.
Our true treasure and birthright is to be
united with our Creator. Our hear t should always be set on being united with
God and not on the material things of this world. What's usually considered
important in this world is not what God wants. "You cannot be the slave
both of God and of money" (Lk 16 : 13). What do we choose?
Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary
Time
“The person who is trustworthy in very small
matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in
very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” Luke 16:10
What are the “small matters” in life? Most
likely, if you asked many different people from all walks of life this
question, then you would receive many different answers. But if we consider the
context of this statement of Jesus, then it is clear that one of the primary
small matters of which He speaks is our use of money.
Many people live as though the attainment of
wealth were of the highest importance. There are many who dream of becoming
rich. Some regularly play the lottery in the very unlikely hope that they will
hit it big. Others dedicate themselves to much hard work in their careers so
that they can advance, make more money and, so they believe, become happier as
they become wealthier. And others regularly daydream about what they would do
if they were rich. But from the perspective of God, material wealth is a very small
and unimportant matter. Money is useful insofar as it is one of the ordinary
means by which we go about providing for ourselves and our families. But it
truly is small in importance when it comes to the divine perspective.
With that said, one way to be entrusted by
Jesus with “great” matters is to use your money appropriately. We become
“trustworthy” in this small matter of money when we only give it the value that
it has. In other words, we must see money only as one means to the end of
fulfilling God’s perfect will. When we work to rid ourselves of excessive
desires and dreams of riches, and when we use what we have in accord with God’s
will, then this act on our part will open the door to our Lord to entrust us
with much more. What is that “much more?” It’s the spiritual matters that
pertain to our eternal salvation and the salvation of others. God wants to
entrust to you the great responsibility of building His Kingdom on earth. He
wants to use you to share His saving message with others. But He will first
wait until you show yourself trustworthy in small matters, such as using your
money well. And then, as you fulfill His will in these less important ways, you
will begin to see Him call you to greater works.
Reflect, today, upon the fact that God wants
great things from you. The goal of all of our lives is to be used by God in
incredible ways. If this is something you desire, then do every small act in
your life with great care. Show many small acts of kindness. Try to be
thoughtful of others. Put others’ needs before your own. And commit yourself to
using the money you have for God’s glory and in accord with His will. As you do
these small things, you will begin to be amazed at how God is able to begin entrusting
you with more, and, through you, great things will happen that have eternal
effects in your life and in the lives of others.
My trustworthy Lord, You were entrusted with
the greatest good ever known. Your Father in Heaven entrusted to You the
salvation of the world. Please help me to share in this task by being faithful
to Your holy will in every small way. As I seek to serve You in the small
matters of life, I pray that I will be able to be used for even greater ones.
My life is Yours, dear Lord. Use me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday
31st Ordinary time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I love you above all things. A day
in your heavenly court is better and worth more than all the kingdoms of this
world. I choose to serve you today and help my brothers and sisters in need.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Make Friends with Dishonest Wealth: The purpose of the Parable of the Dishonest
Steward is not to invite us to practice dishonesty, act fraudulently, or “cook
the books,” to help ourselves. When Jesus reveals the meaning of the parable
(Luke 16:9-15), he refers to how the steward was prudent to use “dishonest
wealth” to be welcomed into earthly dwellings. Likewise, we are to use our
earthly wealth to be welcomed into eternal dwellings. If the dishonest steward
was prudent enough to plan his earthly future to receive a welcome into people’s
homes, how much more ought the faithful and prudent steward of the Lord
prudently plan a heavenly future to be welcomed into the Lord’s eternal
dwelling (see Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 282). Drawing out the
lesson, Jesus teaches that we cannot serve two masters: “Those who trust in
wealth are in effect serving mammon as if it were a god. Faithful disciples
will instead serve as good stewards of all that God has entrusted to them, generously
sharing what they have with others” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke,
283).
2. We are Known by God: When we read passages like Romans 16:3-27, it
raises the question of why so many passages in the Bible are lists of names.
For example, the early chapters of Genesis are full of genealogies. The Book of
Numbers includes the results of two censuses of the people of Israel. The first
9 chapters of 1 Chronicles are a list of names. Isn’t there a better use for
entire chapters of God’s revealed Word? What is God telling us in these
chapters that we are tempted to skip over? One important truth is that we are
known and loved individually by God. The Bible doesn’t just record the stories
of great rulers but includes the names of humble family members. Name after
name after name… And while we know almost nothing about them, they are fully
known by God. Another truth that comes out in Paul’s conclusion to the Letter
to the Romans is that we form one family in Christ. He is eager to greet all of
his brothers and sisters when he finally gets to Rome.
3. God knows your Hearts: Not only does God know each one of us by name,
but God, as Jesus teaches in the Gospel, knows our hearts. Jesus calls out the
Pharisees because they presented themselves as holy on the outside, but inside
were full of corruption. Human beings can see the outside of a person and their
exterior works. But God can see the heart and judge it. It has been said that
we barely know our own hearts. It is difficult to know why we choose to do what
we do or to say what we say. And yet, all of this is known to God. He can see
our hearts when they are prideful and when they are humble, when they are full
of sorrow and when they are full of joy, and when they act with purity of
intention and when they are selfish. As the Letter to the Hebrews teaches:
“Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged
sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to
discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from
him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must
render an account” (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, teach me to judge the things of
this world aright. Grant me a share in your wisdom. Purify my heart
with your grace and banish from it any evil desires or thoughts.
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thừ Sáu Tuần 31 Thường
Niên. Luke 16:1-8.
Có một câu chuyện kể rằng, Ở làng nghèo xứ đó, có hai mẹ con sống với nhau trong cảnh nghẻo túng, Khi người con trai lớn lên, anh đã yêu một
người phụ nữ, nhưng người phụ nữ
này không tha thiết với anh ta lắm. Vì thế có một lúc anh ta
đã nói với cô ta rằng: anh sẽ làm bất cứ điều gì cô ấy muốn nếu cô ấy đồng ý kết hôn với anh ta. Cô ta nghe thế mới nói
đùa với anh ta la:
"Tôi sẽ chỉ đồng ý kết hôn với anh nếu anh móc trái tim của mẹ anh ra và mang đến
cho tôi. Chỉ bằng cách này, anh
mới
có thể chứng minh được tình yêu của anh " Thế rồi tối hôm ấy, trong bóng tối của màn đêm anh chàng trai này đã vào phòng của mẹ anh, lấy dao nhọn và đâm
vào long ngực mẹ mình, anh ta cắt trái tim của mẹ mình, cầm trái tim rên tay với bàn tay vấy máu và chạy tới nhà của người phụ nữ anh yêu. Nhưng trong khi chạy với trái tim của
mẹ anh trong tay, anh vấp ngã. Trái tim của mẹ anh đã nói với anh: "Hãy cẩn thận, con trai của mẹ."
Người con trai
si tình đã nghĩ sai khi tin rằng nếu anh ta có thể có được trái tim của mẹ mình, anh ta sẽ giành được chiến thắng và chiếm được trái tim của người phụ nữ anh yêu.
"Hãy cẩn thận con trai của
mẹ..."
mẹ của anh dường như đã nhẹ nhàng
nhắc nhở anh: rằng " Hãy cẩn thận con ơi, Tìm cho đúng nơi để đặt trái tim của con, con trai của mẹ. "
Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, ông chủ ca ngợi người quản lý không phải vì sự bất trung,
xảo quyệt
của người đầy tớ, nhưng vì sự thận trọng, biết tính toán tương lai của anh ta. Qua 2 câu chuyện, Chúa Giêsu đã dạy chúng ta ngày hôm nay là nếu chúng ta muốn trở nên con cái thực sự và đáng yêu của sự sáng, chúng ta cần phải đoán quyết, biết sáng tạo và khôn ngoan trong việc xử dụng thời gian và nỗ lực của
chúng ta trong việc theo chân Chúa khi chúng ta thực hiện các hoạt động và sinh hoạt trần thế của chúng ta.
Friday
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Rom.
15:14-21; Lk. 16:1-8
Once
there lived a poor mother and her son. When he grew up, he fell in love with a
woman who was not serious about him. He told her he would do anything she ask
if only she would marry him. Half in jest, she told him: “I will only marry you
if you cut out your mother’s heart and bring it to me. Only in this way can you
prove your love.” In the darkness of the night he went into his mother’s room,
took from his belt a knife and plunged it into her breast. He cut her heart and
run with bloodstained hands towards the home of his loved one. As he ran with the heart of his mother in his
hands, he stumbled and fell. His mother’s heart said to him: “Be careful, my
son.” The son wrongly believed that if
only he could get the heart of his mother he would win the heart of the woman
he loved. Be careful my son…” It was as
though his mother was gently reminding him: “”be careful where you put your
heart, my son.”
In today’s gospel, the master
praises the steward not for his dishonesty but for his prudence.
Jesus
is teaching us today that if we are to be real and effective children of light
we need to be decisive, creative and wise in spending our time and effort in
following God’s as we carry out our worldly activities.
Friday
of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus
said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for
squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about
you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be
my steward.’” Luke 16:1–2
There is much to ponder in this parable and many lessons
from which we can learn. To begin, the rich man should be understood as God and
you as the steward. This is an important first lesson to learn because it
reveals to us that, when it comes to material things in this world, God is the
true owner of all—we are only stewards. Think about that carefully. When it
comes to all that you own, all your money and possessions, do you hold on to it
as if you were the complete master of these material items? Clearly most people
do think this way. They may work hard to earn a living, save and buy this and
that, build up their bank accounts, and then remain very attached to these
material things, seeing them as “mine” rather than as God’s. So the first very
challenging lesson we should look at is that all we “own” is actually the
possession of God. He only permits us to be stewards of the things of this
world. Do you believe that?
As stewards, we must be committed to use the riches within
our stewardship only in the way that God wants it used. In this parable, the
steward was reported to the rich man for “squandering his property.” We also
are guilty of squandering the possessions of God when we use money in accord
with our own will and desires rather than those of God’s. This is an
exceptionally common tendency, especially for those who have become the
stewards of much money. Therefore, the more money that one has stewardship over,
the more they will be tempted to squander it, meaning, use it for selfish
purposes rather than for the glory of God in accord with His will. This is a
hard teaching to accept and live. But these truths are indeed revealed to us by
this parable, so it is essential that we listen.
The words spoken by the rich man, “Prepare a full account of
your stewardship,” are words that we must all anticipate hearing one day. If
that day were today, what would that “full account of your stewardship” look
like? Have you worked hard for selfish gain? Or have you worked hard to act
with great responsibility over the things God has entrusted to your care?
As the parable continues, we read that the steward acted
“prudently” in that he devised a plan to make sure his material needs were met
once he lost his position as steward. The “prudence,” however, that is spoken
of here is a reference to the worldly, and therefore, evil ingenuity,
cleverness, hard work and commitment many people have regarding the material
wealth they seek to obtain in this world. Though it is good to be diligent and
hardworking in life, too often this is done for the purpose of selfish gain.
Just imagine if everyone who worked so hard at getting rich put even more
effort into building up the Kingdom of God on earth! How different this world
would be if we had so many hard workers for God’s mission.
Reflect, today, upon the simple truth that when it comes to
the riches of this world, you are only the steward of what you possess, not its
master. God wants you free from the attachment to material wealth so that you
will be free to use all that you have for His glory and in accord with His
purpose. That does not mean that you must donate all you have to charities.
Instead, it means that you continually offer all that you have to God and seek
to use it in accord with His will and His will alone. If that means you discern
that God wants you to buy something new, then buy something new. If that means
giving more away, then give more away. If that means living more simply as a
holy sacrifice, then do just that. Money cannot buy happiness. Only embracing
God’s will to the fullest will result in the happiness and fulfillment you
deeply desire.
My Lord of all riches, You and You alone are the Master of
all things created. All that I have and possess are Yours, dear Lord. Help me
to believe this and to live my life purely as a steward of the possessions I
have. Free me from squandering that which You have entrusted to my care. May I
use all for Your glory and only in accord with Your holy will. Jesus, I trust
in You.
Friday 31st Ordinary Time
2025
Opening
Prayer: Lord God,
I am a child of the light, of your divine light. Guide me to be prudent in how
I administer the good things I have received and earned. Inspire me to be
honest and just in all my endeavors.
Encountering
the Word of God
1.
The Parable of the Dishonest Steward: The Gospel of Luke often praises the blessings
of poverty and warns us about the dangers of wealth. Today’s Gospel parable is
about using and administering our earthly wealth wisely so as to be welcomed
into heavenly glory. While the steward in the parable is dishonest
(untrustworthy) but prudent (streetwise), Jesus’ disciples are to be both
trustworthy and prudent. The steward manifests a whole slew of vices. He
squandered and mismanaged his master’s property. He was too lazy for manual
labor. He was too vain to beg for money. He even engaged in fraud when he
falsified the accounts and reduced what his master’s debtors owed. One debtor
owed a thousand gallons (one hundred measures) of olive oil. This debt was cut
in half. Another owed a thousand bushels of wheat (one hundred kors), and his
debt was reduced to 800. The parable implies he did the same with many other
debtors. Jesus’ parables often employ an unexpected twist. The twist in this
parable is that instead of the master flying into a rage because of the
steward’s actions, the master commends the untrustworthy steward for his
prudence. What is it that Jesus wants his disciples to learn from the parable?
That the children of this world – exemplified by the dishonest steward – are
often more prudent than the children of light, i.e., his disciples. If the
dishonest steward prudently ensured that he would be welcomed in earthly
(temporal) dwellings, then how should Jesus’ disciples use their earthly wealth
to ensure that they will be welcomed in heavenly (eternal) dwellings?
2.
Priestly Service: In
the First Reading, Romans 15:14 brings us to the formal conclusion of Paul’s
letter. Paul recognizes how Roman Christian believers have progressed in their
faith: “you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and
able to admonish one another” (Romans 15:14). Despite this, they still have
room to grow, and this is why Paul wrote to them. Paul has been given the grace
of apostleship by God and is a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. Paul
characterizes his apostolic ministry and evangelization as priestly service. He
envisions himself spiritually offering to God the Gentile converts. This
sacrifice is made acceptable through the action of the Holy Spirit, “who
sanctifies even heathen nonbelievers who come to faith in Jesus by transferring
them to the realm of divine holiness” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans,
268). Paul sees this as a fulfillment of Isaiah 66:18-20, which announces a
future time of blessing upon both Israel and the Gentiles. God has sent out a
faithful remnant as heralds among the nations. “In this way the scattered
children of Israel will be reunited and Gentiles will be gathered in. This
grand event is likened to a ‘grain offering’ presented to the Lord in the
Jerusalem temple” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 268).
3.
God’s Instrument: Paul does not take credit for his success among the Gentiles in spreading
the Gospel. “Christ is the one who makes his labor bear fruit. … He is merely
an instrument in the hand of God” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 268).
Powerful signs accompanied Paul’s preaching, and these helped nonbelievers come
to faith. Paul wants to continue spreading the Gospel in places where Christ
was still unknown.
Conversing
with Christ: Lord
Jesus, help me to grow in faithfulness and be a trustworthy steward of the
mysteries of the Kingdom. Help me to grow in prudence as I seek to extend this
Kingdom in the world around me.
Friday 31st Ordinary Time
2024
Opening
Prayer: Lord God, you are my Lord. I
serve no other god. There is nothing more valuable than eternal life with you.
Your Kingdom is the hidden treasure I seek, the fine pearl I will purchase with
all I have and am.
Encountering
the Word of God
1.
The Parable of the Dishonest Steward: The
Gospel of Luke often praises the blessings of poverty and warns us about the
dangers of wealth. Today’s parable is about using and administering our earthly
wealth wisely. While the steward in the parable is dishonest (untrustworthy)
but prudent (streetwise), Jesus’ disciples are to be both trustworthy and
prudent. The steward manifests a whole slew of vices. He squandered
(mismanaged) his master’s property, was too lazy for manual labor, was too vain
to beg for money, and even engaged in fraud when he falsified the accounts and
reduced what his master’s debtors owed. One debtor owed a thousand gallons (one
hundred measures) of olive oil. This debt was cut in half. Another owed a
thousand bushels of wheat (one hundred kors), and his debt was reduced to 800.
The parable implies he did the same with other debtors. The twist in the
parable is that instead of the master flying into a rage because of the
steward’s actions, the master commends the untrustworthy steward for his
prudence.
2. Applying the Parable: The purpose of the
parable is not to invite us to practice dishonesty, fraud, or “cook the books”
to help ourselves. When Jesus reveals the meaning of the parable (Luke
16:9-15), he refers to how the steward was prudent to use “dishonest wealth” to
be welcomed into earthly dwellings. Likewise, we are to use our earthly wealth
to be welcomed into eternal dwellings. If the dishonest steward was prudent
enough to plan his earthly future to receive a welcome into people’s homes, how
much more ought the faithful and prudent steward of the Lord prudently plan a
heavenly future to be welcomed into the Lord’s eternal dwelling (see
Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 282). Jesus will teach that we cannot
serve two masters: “Those who trust in wealth are in effect serving mammon as
if it were a god. Faithful disciples will instead serve as good stewards of all
that God has entrusted to them, generously sharing what they have with others”
(Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 283).
3.
Our Citizenship is in Heaven: In
the First Reading, Paul invites the Philippians to imitate him. We are always
encouraged to follow the example of the saints and avoid the bad example of the
enemies of the Cross of Christ. Paul draws out a contrast between two ways of
living. For the many, attaining sensible pleasure is their main focus, their
god so to speak, and their minds are occupied exclusively with earthly things.
By contrast, we are to recognize that we are only way-farers in this passing
world and that our true citizenship is in heaven. As we live and work in this
world, we are people who await the second coming (the second advent) of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In his first advent, Jesus came in humility,
taught us the way to heaven, and ransomed us from slavery to sin and death. In
his second advent, Jesus will come in glory and glorify our lowly bodies!
Conversing
with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to grow in
faithfulness and be a trustworthy steward of the mysteries of the Kingdom. Help
me to grow in prudence as I seek to extend this Kingdom in the world around me.
Suy
Niệm Tin Mừng Thừ Năm Tuần 31 Thường Niên. Luke 15:1-10.
Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Thánh Luca mô tả Thiên Chúa không phải là người
ưa thích báo thù hay
muốn trừng phạt
con người, nhưng là một Thiên Chúa
đầu yêu thương, Ngài hằng mong tìm kiếm những con
người tội lỗi để
đem họ về trong ơn cứu rỗi. Thiên Chúa đang tìm
kiếm chúng ta, những con người tội lỗi, và yếu kém đức tin! Trong
bài dụ ngôn
hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đuợc
mô tả như
một người
mục tử nhân
từ đang tìm kiếm con chiên đi
lạc trong sa mạc. Và
khi tìm thấy
được nó, anh ta không
tức giận, la mắng hay trừng phạt nó
vì cái tội đi lang thang để
bị lạc bày, nhưng anh
ta đã đặt nó trên vai và mang
nó về nhà với niềm vui hớn hở.
Tương tự như vậy,
Thánh Luca tiếp
tục miêu tả Thiên Chúa như
người phụ nữ tìm đồng tiền bị mất của mình. Cô quét nhà, thắp
đèn cho sáng,
cô đã
bỏ ra hằng giờ và cố
công để tìm cho
ra đồng bạc
bị mất của mình.
Mặc dù đồng bạc ấy có giá trị không bằng cái công đã bỏ ra đi tìm, và có thể cô
còn tốn tiền nhiều hơn cái
giá trị của đồng
tiền trong việc
ăn mừng với bạn bè làng xóm sau khi cô đã tìm thấy được đồng bạc ấy.
Kitô giáo của
chúng ta chú trọng về việc
Thiên Chúa tìm kiếm chúng
ta, con người tội lỗi hơn là việc chúng ta đi
tìm kiếm Thiên Chúa: việc Thiên Chúa tha thứ, đón
nhận, và mời gọi chúng ta đến
với Bí Tích Thánh Thể. Kinh
Thánh mời gọi chúng ta suy ngẫm về những gì chúng ta có thể đã vô tình đánh mất. Có lẽ chúng
ta đã đánh mất một cái gì đó đọc
đường trong cuộc sống vất vả, cam go,
hay chúng
ta bị thất lạc
những gí đó trong một cuốc sống đầy bon chen vật chất, hoặc chúng ta đã vô tình hay
cố ý bỏ lại sau
lưng những gì đó vì cuộc sống đầy vội vã, và đua chạy với đồng tiền, danh
vọng.. Chúng ta đã mất những gì? Chúng
ta cỏn thiếu những gì cho
cuộc sống của chúng ta? Thiên Chúa đang tìm
kiếm chúng ta, đang
chờ đợi chúng
ta và sẵn sàng chào đón và
đưa chúng ta về nhà
Chúa.
Hãy đến với với tâm hồn thống hối và ăn năn. Lạy
Chúa, linh hồn chúng
con đang mong
chờ và
đợi Chúa, xin
cho chúng con biết
vtin tưởng vào lời Chúa
đã hứa.
Thursday 31st Ordinary
Time Rom. 14:7-12; Lk. 15:1-10
Contrary to some fire
and brimstone preaching, our God does not delight in sending people to Hell. In
fact, God grieves when people turn away from him. Our God does not cast us out.
God leaves the door unlocked and we can freely choose to stay or go or even
come home as we please.
The gospel today
portrays God, not as vengeful and punishing, but as a God who searches for
sinners so he can save them. God is searching for us! In the first parable
Jesus describes a shepherd searching for a lost sheep in the desert. When he
finds it, he does not scold or punish it for wandering off and becoming lost,
but puts it on his shoulders and brings it home with great joy.
Likewise, Luke
portrays God as a woman searching for her lost coin. She sweeps the house,
lights a lamp. She spends more time and energy searching for her coin than it
is probably worth and probably spends more than its value in celebrating its
finding with her friends.
Christianity is
more about God seeking us than it is about us seeking God: about God forgiving,
welcoming, and inviting us to the Eucharist, sinners though we all are. The
scriptures invite us to reflect upon what we may have unknowingly lost. What is
missing? Perhaps something we dropped or have misplaced or accidentally left
behind or maybe just gradually fell away unnoticed. Perhaps something was taken
from us. What have we lost? What’s missing? God is looking for us, waiting to
welcome us home. My soul is waiting for the Lord, I count on
his word.
Thursday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time
“What man among you having a hundred
sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and
go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it
on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together
his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have
found my lost sheep.’” Luke 15:4–6
Some of the great
saints point out that the number one hundred represents perfection. One hundred
refers to the perfection of the Kingdom of God, which represents not only all
of the saints in Heaven but also the angels. The one lost sheep represents all
of humanity as we make our way through this life. Jesus, of course, is the
Shepherd Whose attention turns to fallen humanity on a diligent search for us
so as to carry us home.
First, notice that the
Shepherd does not search for the one stray sheep out of anger but out of
concern and love. Understanding this is essential if we are to have a correct
understanding of how our Lord sees us when we stray. We must see His deep
concern, His diligence in searching, and His unwavering commitment to find us
in our straying condition. This is not a God Who sits back in judgment and
anger but a God Who came to us, took on our fallen human nature, and endured
all suffering so as to find us and bring us home.
Notice also that in
this parable, the Shepherd places the lost sheep on His shoulders and carries
the sheep home. Oftentimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that we must
make our way back to God by our own effort. But the truth is that God is always
there, waiting to pick us up and carry us home. Our duty is to surrender to His
merciful hands and to stop running. This is done by turning to Him and allowing
Him to come to us and minister to us. The primary effort is on the part of our
Lord once we surrender ourselves into His gentle Hands.
Finally, notice that
the rejoicing mentioned in this parable is on the part of the Shepherd. Of
course we also will rejoice at being picked up and carried home to the
perfection of God’s Kingdom, but our rejoicing is done in response to the joy
of our Lord. It is His joy we are invited to share in. It is His heart that is
filled with gratitude as we allow Him to tenderly carry us home. “Rejoice with
me because I have found my lost sheep,” He says.
Reflect, today, upon
this holy image of the Good Shepherd. As you ponder this parable and imagery,
be attentive to the various thoughts, memories, emotions and fears that are
evoked within you. Each one of us is different, and our Lord deeply desires to come
to each one of us right where we are, in the midst of our sins. Pondering the
compassion of this Good Shepherd will open the door for our Lord to speak to
you and to invite you personally to come to Him, turning away from the ways
that you personally have strayed. Do not run away. Remain in confidence as He
comes to you. Listen to His voice and say “Yes” to Him as He lifts you up to
carry you home.
My gentle Jesus, You
are the Good Shepherd. You love me and search for me with diligence and
fidelity. May I trust You enough to stop running from You and hiding from Your
gentle voice. Please come to me, pick me up, place me on Your shoulders and
carry me home. Jesus, I trust in You.
Thursday 31st Ordinary
Time 2025
Opening
Prayer: Lord
God, I pray that you may find me when I am lost. For my part, I will seek you
in all good things. I am thankful for the gift of your grace that empowers me
to do good works.
Encountering
the Word of God
1.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep: In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus prepares for the
Parable of the Prodigal Son and his Older Brother (Luke 15:11-32) by telling
two parables. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7) focuses on God’s
concern for sinners who are like the younger, prodigal son. The twist in the
parable is that the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine. Any sensible shepherd
would just cut their losses. They still have 99 sheep, losing one is no big
deal. God, however, is not a sensible shepherd. He is madly in love with each
one of us. He knows each one of us by name. We are each precious to God, and he
will do whatever it takes to bring us back into the flock of his sheep.
2.
The Parable of the Lost Coin: The second parable, the Parable of the Lost Coin
(Luke 15:8- 10), applies especially to those who are like the Pharisees and
scribes. They haven’t wandered far like the lost sheep. They are in the house
of God, but they are lost too! Just as Jesus seeks out the lost sheep, he will
seek out the lost coin. We are familiar with both groups of people. We know
family members, friends, coworkers, and others who have fallen into “sins of
the flesh” and have left the Church. We also know people who remain in the Church
but are like the scribes and Pharisees. They refuse to welcome sinners, they
judge them no matter what they do, and they relate to God more like an
accountant than a Father. Instead of growing in love for God and their brothers
and sisters, they check off boxes of external pious practices and are
confidently self-righteous because of all the sins they are avoiding. They
refuse to celebrate God’s mercy. They are lost in the House of God and need to
be found. Jesus asks us to imitate the merciful father, who goes to the older
son and asks him to celebrate the return of his brother and welcome him into
the family once more. He asks us to imitate the woman who searches her house
for the lost coin and calls all her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her
when she finds it.
3.
Why Do You Judge? In the Letter to the Romans 14-15, Paul is trying to foster unity in the
Roman church without imposing uniformity in nonessential matters. He identifies
two factions in the community, and labels one “the weak and the other “the
strong.” The weak are persons who abstain from meat and wine and follow a
calendar that regards some days as more important than others. The strong, by
contrast, are persons who embrace an unrestricted diet and make no distinction
between one day and another. “Basically, the weak are committed to following a
traditional Jewish way of life, while the strong believe that Judaism’s ritual
observances are nonissues for Christians” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans,
241). Theologically, Paul teaches that the strong are right to hold that no
food is unclean in itself. By pastorally, Paul asks that the strong not
overassert their Christian freedoms to the detriment of the weak in the
community. Both the strong and the weak shouldn’t be critical of one another,
but practice respect and acceptance. This is the context for Paul asking them:
“Why then do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your
brother?” (Romans 14:10). We always need to keep in mind that we will be judged
by God.
Conversing
with Christ: Lord
Jesus, I trust in you. You offer me the wonderful gift of divine righteousness.
When I stray, you do not abandon me but seek me out as a Good Shepherd and
bring me home on your shoulders.
