"Nếu ai nói:'Tôi yêu mến Thiên
Chúa", nhưng lại ghét anh em mình, thì người ấy là kẻ nói dối." Thánh
Gioan lập lại giáo huấn của
Chúa Giêsu dựa vào Cựu Ước, vì Thiên
Chúa có nói rõ: "Ngươi không được trả thù, không được oán hận những người
thuộc về dân ngươi. Ngươi phải yêu đồng loại như chính mình. Ta là Ðức
Chúa."(Leviticus 19:18). Nhưng Chúa
Giêsu đã đưa cái điều luật này lên cao và quan trọng hơn hết: "Anh em phải
yêu thương nhau như Thầy đã yêu thương anh em". (Ga 13,34)
Như vậy, tất cả các mối quan hệ giữa con người và những quan hệ trong xã hội
đươc đặt dưới sự bảo vệ và hướng dẫn bởi Luật của Thiên Chúa. Tình yêu, tất
nhiên, được thúc đẩy và hướng dẫn bởi sự tự do mà là một phần nội tại của sự
tồn tại của con người.
Trong
bài đọc thứ nhất, thánh Gioan sử dụng chữ "người anh em" mà Cựu Ước
thì sử dụng "hàng xóm, láng giềng".
Một cái nhìn kỹ càng, cặn kẽ cho
thấy "người hàng xóm, láng giềng" chỉ đơn thuần là bất cứ ai là người
nào “đáng yêu” và cũng đúng và đồng nghĩa với chữ "người anh em" hay
"chị em" trong ý nghĩa Kitô giáo.
Tội
lỗi nằm trong sự phân đôi, là ranh giới giữa tình yêu của Thiên Chúa và sự
tuyên xưng tình yêu cho Thiên Chúa và cũng là hành vi thường ngày của con người
chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy cầu xin với Thiên Chúa, ban cho chúng ta có đươc ơn yêu
mến Chúa bằng với tất cả trái tim và lòng trí của chúng ta để chúng ta biết yêu
thương anh chị em chúng ta như Chúa Giêsu yêu thương chúng ta.
Reflection:
(SG)
“If anyone says he loves God but hates
his brother, he is a liar.” John’s
doctrine is founded in the teaching of Jesus, which is founded on the Old
Testament, since God says clearly: “You must love your neighbour as
yourself. I am Yahweh” (Leviticus 19:18). Jesus raises this to a higher level: “You
must love each other as I have loved you”. Thus, all human relationships and
social intercourse is under the protection and guidance of God’s Law. Love, of
course, is motivated and guided by that freedom which is an intrinsic part of
human existence. Nevertheless, though it seems a paradox, love can be
commanded. Still, even when commanded, love is not merely a matter of obeying a
law or a commandment but is ultimately a disposition of life. Love ultimately demands
a moral direction of life which transcends the directions which the law gives.
John
uses “brother” where the Old Testament uses “neighbor”. A close examination
shows that “neighbor” is simply anyone who deserves love and the same is true
of “brother” or “sister” in the Christian sense. Sin lies in the dichotomy of
one’s professed love for God and one's daily human behaviour.
Grant us, Lord, the grace to love
You with all our heart and to love our brothers and sisters as Jesus loved us.
Fourth Christmas Weekday after
Epiphany
Thursday after Epiphany or January
10
Jesus returned to Galilee in the
power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He
taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. Luke 4:14–15
This passage from
Luke’s Gospel takes place immediately after Jesus was baptized by John and
spent forty days in the desert, enduring and overcoming the temptations of the
evil one. He returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit.” Although Luke
had not yet recorded any of Jesus’ miracles, it becomes clear later in the
chapter that Jesus had already performed some in Capernaum, and “news of him
spread throughout the whole region.”
What was it that
caught the attention of so many people? In addition to the word spreading about
His miracles, it’s likely that the aura of sanctity He had begun to manifest
also drew people in. Until that time, Jesus had lived a hidden life. Though He
was perfect in every way, His divinity remained concealed within His humanity
until the appointed time for His manifestation. Now that the time had come, the
veil began to lift, and people started to take notice.
Similarly, in our
lives, there are times when God calls us to keep our faith concealed within the
depths of our souls, to deepen our personal conversion. Then there are times
when God lifts the veil and manifests His grace and mercy through us to others.
This intentional manifestation of God’s grace and glory must happen according
to the power and timing of the Holy Spirit. It’s not for us to decide how God
wants to shine through us—it’s up to Him.
When you examine your
life, what do you see as God’s will for you right now? Perhaps your conversion
is recent, and much is taking place interiorly. Maybe you are facing
temptations and need to rest with our Lord in the desert, confronting and
overcoming the evil one. Or perhaps this is a time when God wants to begin
manifesting His holiness through you more clearly to others.
Today’s Gospel ends
on a high note: “all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words
that came from his mouth.” That quickly changed, however, when our Lord
chastised the people of Nazareth for being more interested in seeing a miracle
than in embracing Him as the Anointed One of God, spoken of in the passage He
had just read from Isaiah. Jesus’ mission was to convert hearts and reveal His
true identity as the Messiah. Because the people in His hometown were more
interested in seeing a miracle, as if it were a magic trick, they missed the
true purpose of His mission and blamed their hardness of heart on Jesus.
Likewise, in our
lives, when God chooses to manifest His divine grace through us, we should not
expect everyone to be receptive. When we are changed by grace, that change will
challenge others. Just as the people in Jesus’ hometown were not ready to accept
Who He was and is, we should anticipate that some might not accept that God is
manifesting His grace and truth through us and reject us as those in Nazareth
rejected our Lord.
Reflect today on the
beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. As you do, consider whether God might be
calling you to begin a “public ministry” of your own, in the way He wills. Be
at peace with whatever reaction you receive. While some will rejoice with you,
others might not. Have courage, listen to the Holy Spirit, and allow God’s
anointing to manifest Himself through you in any way He chooses.
My divine Lord, in
accord with Your Father’s will, You concealed Your divinity during the first
thirty years of Your earthly life. When the time was right, You began to lift
the veil and reveal Your holiness and power. Please help me discern when to
embrace a hidden life of prayer and conversion and when You wish to manifest
Your holiness through me. Give me the courage to act always in accord with Your
perfect will and perfect timing. Jesus, I trust in You.
Thursday after Epiphany
2026
Opening Prayer: Lord
God, you have prepared your people to experience your merciful love. Your Son,
the Messiah, inaugurated the perpetual Jubilee of mercy and grace. I love you
and thank you for all that you have done to bring me into your family and save
me from the slavery of sin and curse of eternal death.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Inauguration of the Great Jubilee by the
Messiah: When Jesus read from Isaiah 61 in
the synagogue at Nazareth, he proclaimed that he was the Messiah and was
inaugurating the Jubilee Year of favor. He likened himself to the prophets
Elijah and Elisha. After his preaching, Jesus does things that evidence he is
the long-awaited Messiah and priestly king like Melchizedek. Not only does
Jesus proclaim liberty and announce the year of the Lord’s favor, but he also
releases people from their debt of sin, delivers them from the power of the
devil, and atones for sin through his sacrificial death on the cross (see
Bergsma, Jesus and the Jubilee, 75-76). We experience the perpetual
jubilee inaugurated by Jesus every single day in the Sacraments of the Church.
“All the goals of the jubilee are fulfilled by the gift of the Spirit. The
Spirit forgives our sins, grants us freedom from the tyranny of Satan,
institutes us as children of God and members of his family, and initiates us
into the fullness of God so that we become ‘partakers of the divine nature’ (2
Peter 1:4)” (Bergsma, Jesus and the Jubilee, 111).
2. The Royal and Prophetic Messiah: The prophets of Israel realized that the Jubilee
year would truly be observed only when the Messiah or “anointed one” came
(Bergsma, Jesus and the Jubilee, 55). Isaiah 61, which Jesus read
in today’s Gospel, looked forward to the day when God’s anointed servant would
proclaim liberty to the captives and a great Jubilee year of God’s favor. The
other prophets, like Daniel and Ezekiel, both looked forward to the great
Jubilee that the Messiah would inaugurate. But what kind of Messiah were the
people of Judah waiting for? In Jesus’ day, the long-awaited Messiah was
understood to be both a royal descendant of David and a prophet anointed by the
Spirit of God. As the king, the Messiah would restore David’s kingdom and
gather the twelve tribes. As the prophet, the Messiah would bring the “Good
News” to the poor and communicate God’s Word to his people.
3. The Priestly and Divine Messiah: There were two other dimensions of the Messiah.
Several people expected the Messiah to be a priest. Since the Messiah had to
come from the line of David and, therefore, the tribe of Judah, the Messiah was
associated not with the priesthood of the tribe of Levi, but with the
priesthood of the ancient king of Salem, Melchisedek. Psalm 110, for example,
declares that David’s royal sons share in the ancient priesthood of
Melchisedek: “You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchisedek.” Jesus is
not just a royal Messiah, a prophetic Messiah, and a priestly Messiah; he is
also the Divine Messiah. Through his epiphany miracles, riddles, and scriptural
claims (like Psalm 110), he presented himself and revealed himself as more than
human. He is true God and true man, and comes to save us!
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I have heard your preaching in Nazareth
and fully welcome the Jubilee you have inaugurated. Help me, during this year
of Jubilee, to be freed from the slavery of sin and enter into my heavenly
home.
Thursday after Epiphany
Opening Prayer: Lord
Jesus, you know me even better than I know myself. You know my past, my
present, my future. In my Baptism, I was anointed and incorporated into your
body. Lord, in this moment of prayer I ask you to increase my faith, hope, and
love, that I may hear your voice more clearly and know how better to live my
life in and for you.
Encountering Christ:
He Taught and Was Praised by All: As Jesus taught, he was praised by all, and after he read
the scroll, the people spoke highly of him. They were amazed at his “gracious
words.” This was a fleeting moment in Jesus’ life. Almost immediately following
it, people began to question, asking, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” In the
Gospel of Mark, this doubt was made even more explicit: “‘Is he not the
carpenter, the son of Mary…’ And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them,
‘A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own
kin and in his own house’” (Mark 6:3-4). As his public ministry progressed, his
life was filled with questioning and opposition. Despite these obstacles to his
mission, Jesus persevered in that for which he had come. He could recall his
Baptism when the Holy Spirit descended upon him, and his Father’s voice came
from Heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).
We can look at our lives in the light of Christ and ask ourselves who it is we
look to for approval. It is pleasant for others to think well of us, and we can
sometimes accommodate ourselves to others’ opinions—family, friends, or
coworkers. We can compromise in our speech and action to fit in and be
accepted. Let us ask ourselves if we seek the Father’s voice of affirmation
above all other voices?
The Spirit of the Lord Is upon Me: Through our Baptism, we are called to share in the life
and mission of Christ. We are “made sharers in the priestly, prophetic, and
kingly functions of Christ” (Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the
Church, n. 31). Through our prayer and sacrifices, our witness to the Truth,
and our self-possession and servant leadership, we are called to make a
difference in our world. The Church teaches that our vocation as laypeople is
characterized by a “secular nature” in which we “seek the Kingdom of God by
engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God”
(Lumen Gentium, n. 31). When Mordecai challenged Queen Esther to step out in
faith to save her people, he said, “And who knows whether you have not come to
the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). God chose for us to be
born in this time, and he calls us to work to build His Kingdom in the world in
which we live.
Today This Scripture Passage Is Fulfilled: Our Lord was confident in his mission. With everyone’s
eyes on him, he stated boldly that this prophecy from Isaiah was fulfilled.
Such confidence grew out of his union with his Father. He knew that what he was
doing and saying was that for which he had been sent into the world by the
Father. In our own lives, we need to spend time with Our Lord to listen to what
he has to say to us so that we may grow in confidence that we are fulfilling
his will for our lives. We will grow in the trust that is required to take the
next step in his plan, to do the next thing to which we are called, even if we
can’t see the whole plan or understand how everything will work out.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, you show me such trust in your Father’s will. You
show total commitment to living out all that he asked through your words and
deeds. You never took your eyes off him and his will, no matter what challenge
you encountered. Neither were you swayed by the opinions or disapproval of
others. Lord, I want that kind of conviction and courage. I want that kind of
love. Lord, open my eyes to see anything in my life that is a barrier to living
my faith authentically and fully and give me the courage to put it aside. Lord,
let me love you more and more each day.
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