Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nhắc nhở mọi người chúng ta rằng khi chúng ta xây nhà trên cát, nó cũng giống như việc xây dựng niềm tin của chúng ta vào sự lãnh đạo sai lầm và những lời tuyên bố giả dối. Đây là loại đức tin sẽ không kéo dài. Thay vào đó, để xây một ngôi nhà được vững chắc, bền lâu, chúng ta phải xây trên một nền tảng bằng đá chắc, có nghĩa là "nên xây dựng cuộc sống của mình vào Thiên Chúa," vì Thiên Chúa ví chính Mình như là "Đá Tảng". Ở đây, Chúa Giêsu nhắc lại những mối quan hệ trong giao ước giữa Thiên Chúa với dân Israel tại Sinai. Bất chấp tất cả những gì đã xảy ra trong lịch sử của Israel. Thiên Chúa vẫn luôn luôn trung thành với giao ước.
Chúng ta nên tránh xa những nhà lãnh đạo sai quấy, những người tìm cách dẫn đưa chúng ta đến gần với họ hơn là đến gần với Thiên Chúa. Ơn gọi của chúng ta cũng như các môn đệ, là sống để làm theo ý muốn của Thiên Chúa và không ngừng xây dựng mối liên hệ giữa chúng ta và Thiên Chúa theo tinh thần của giao ước mới giữa Thiên Chúa và chúng ta. Đó là một cuộc sống biết dựa vào sự quan hệ với Thiên Chúa bằng niềm tin không thể sụp đổ, Với niềm tin vững mạnh vào Thiên Chúa chúng ta sẽ chẳng còn sợ gì, cho dù là sức mạnh của bảo tố cỡ nào đi nữa, thì nó cũng không thể lay chuyển được chúng ta.
Reflection Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time –
In his sermon, Jesus tells the people that when we build our house on sand, it is like building our faith on false leadership and false claims. This type of faith will not last. Instead, to build our house on a rock, means to “to build one’s life on God,” since God is Himself is “the Rock”. Here, Jesus recalls the covenant relationship established by God with the people of Israel at Sinai. Regardless of all that had happened in the history of Israel, God has always remained faithful to the covenant.
We should avoid false leadership or claims that seek to lead us closer, not to God, but to the leader himself or herself. Our call as disciples is to do God’s will and to constantly build on the covenant relationship between God and us. A life build on this covenant relationship with God cannot fall, no matter how strong the forces against it. Lord, help me build my trust in You alone.
Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’” Matthew 7:21–23
Jesus’ words are shocking because they challenge the assumption that prophesying, casting out demons, and performing mighty works in His name guarantee entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. However, mighty works without obedience and love are insufficient. The passage warns against a distorted discipleship that promotes our own will rather than relying on the interior conversion required to do the will of the Father.
Saint Paul echoes this truth: “And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). Even the most extraordinary spiritual gifts—prophecy, knowledge, and faith to move mountains—are worthless unless they are animated by the infused virtue of charity, the love that comes from God and enables us to act according to His will.
Jesus’ warning is particularly relevant to those who bear responsibility for preaching, teaching, or guiding others in the faith. Those who work in God’s name can sometimes act according to their own will rather than His. At times, even devout Christians fail to be authentic instruments of God’s pure and perfect will, mistaking their own judgments or desires for His divine guidance.
It is essential that everyone who claims to follow Christ regularly reflect on Jesus’ words. He did not teach this lesson as a mere theoretical warning but because He knew that many of His followers would need it. This passage is not meant to encourage us to judge others within the Church, presuming to identify those who fit His description. Rather, it is a personal exhortation meant for each of us. Jesus preaches these words so that we might examine our own hearts, asking whether we truly seek to do the Father’s will or merely profess faith in name alone.
As a source of self-reflection, consider the words “Lord, Lord.” If you use those words—if you pray and call on God as the Lord of your life—that is a good start; but it is only a start. Many people struggle even to reach that personal level of prayer and attentiveness to God.
Presuming you do pray, how do you pray? Do you list for God the many things you do for Him, expecting Him to be impressed? Do you prophesy in God’s name, meaning you speak about Him to others? Do you cast out demons in God’s name, meaning you combat satan and all evil? Do you do mighty deeds in God’s name, meaning you engage in works that reflect Christian discipleship?
If so, that is good—but based on today’s Gospel, it is not enough. According to our Lord, some who answer “Yes” to those questions will hear at the time of their judgment: “I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.”
Reflect today on Jesus’ challenging call to listen clearly to His voice alone and then act in accord with His will. Doing so requires us to set aside our own agenda and preconceived notions of what God wants. Serving Christ is not a matter of doing Him favors for which He will be grateful. It’s a matter of unwavering obedience by which we do God’s will alone—nothing less, nothing more, and nothing other. Heed Jesus’ challenge and reexamine how you serve Him. Listen first, then act on what you hear. Doing so will guarantee that your life is built on a solid rock foundation of the faith that leads to the divine gift of charity.
My demanding and just Lord, flood my mind with Your Word, that I may know Your ways. As I listen to Your voice, grant me the courage to act on all You say, never seeking my own will but Yours alone. Use me as You will for Your glory and make me obedient to Your Word, that my life may be built upon the solid foundation of faith and love. Jesus, I trust in You.
Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want my house and my life to be built wisely on solid rock and not foolishly on shifting sand. I promise to listen to the life-giving words of your Son and act on them. May I accomplish your heavenly will in all that I do.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Two Kinds of Paths: The Sermon on the Mount began with the promise of nine blessings upon those who practice humility, justice, and peace. The Sermon ends with three warnings. We read the first warning on Tuesday (Matthew 7:12-14): Woe to those who walk along the easy path that leads to the wide gate. It is a path and gate that leads to destruction and eternal death. The narrow and difficult path and gate lead to eternal life. Which path are we following right now? Which path will we follow in the days ahead?
2. Two Kinds of Prophets: Yesterday, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist, so we didn’t hear the first part of the second warning from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:15-20). After contrasting two paths, Jesus highlights the difference between listening to false prophets and true prophets. False prophets are wolves in sheep’s clothing. The fruit they produce may look good at first, but ultimately it is rotten. Rotten trees produce rotten fruit; good trees produce good fruit. Lambs and sheep who follow the Good Shepherd produce good fruit, often through the dedication and sacrifice of their lives. Wolves can put on a good show, but eventually are caught and unmasked. The false prophet – the wolf in sheep’s clothing – cries out, “Lord, Lord,” but this is just empty lip-service and is only for show. It is not true faith working through charity. Instead of helping others to grow in knowledge of the good shepherd and develop a relationship with the shepherd, they merely go through the motions. They want to take advantage of others and care very little, in the end, if others are brought to Christ. Which false prophets have I followed?
3. Two Kinds of Builders: The third warning brings out the need to do the will of the Father in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We need to listen to Jesus’ words and act on them. If we do this, our lives will be built on solid rock and not sand. Jesus is the one who reveals to us the will of the Father. Every time we read the Gospel in prayer, we are listening to Jesus’ words. By keeping his commands, we remain in his love (John 15:10). God’s word enables us to find the path that leads to harmony with God’s loving will. In Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict taught that we can discern God’s will and recognize it in our conscience, but that we also need Jesus to draw us up to himself and into himself, so that in communion with him we can learn God’s will (see Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Vol. 1, 148-150). What kind of foundation have I built my life on?
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 12 Thường Niên
Trong thời đại của sự hài lòng tức thời và sự tiến bộ của kỹ thuật và công nghệ, chúng ta rất dễ bị nản lòng khi mọi thứ không theo ý muốn của chúng ta. Thánh giáo hoàng John Paul II gọi đó là " quán cà phê Công giáo ", nơi mà chúng ta chỉ chọn các nguyên tắc và giá trị thuận tiện cho chúng ta và chúng ta sẵn sàng bỏ qua các vấn đề khác. Có bao nhiêu người trong chúng ta hôm nay bị chế giễu tại chỗ làm việc vì chúng ta chịu đựng quá nhiều nỗi khó khăn và bị chê là chúng ta không thực tế? Hay chúng ta tự diễn giải về những lời giáo huấn của Giáo hội theo sở thích của chúng ta và hợp lý hóa cho những gì chúng ta thực sự biết là sai nhưng cố biện minh để làm cho nó có vẻ đúng?
Thiên Chúa là tấm gương của chúng ta về sự trung tín. Ngài rất yêu chúng ta không phải "vì... " mà là "bất chấp". Như chúng ta được thấy hình ảnh trong các dụ ngôn về đứa con hoang đàng (Lc 15: 11-32) và những người làm công trong vườn nho (Mt 20: 1-16), tình yêu thương và sự độ lượng, nhân từ của Ngài dành cho mỗi người chúng ta đều như nhau. Ngài không dành sự thiên vị nhiều hơn cho những người "ngoan ngoãn hơn", "trung thành hơn" hay "chăm chỉ hơn", Niềm tin và tình yêu của Ngài dành cho mỗi người chúng ta không đổi, không ai hơn không ai kém hơn.
Đức tin không phải là kết quả của những lời cầu xin hoàn toàn hay thành khẩn, không bị ảnh hưởng bởi những hoàn cảnh riêng biệt. Nhưng đức tin phải được tại nên như bất kỳ một mối quan hệ nào bằng với thời gian và nỗ lực. Cầu nguyện liên tục, thường xuyên lãnh nhận các bí tích và tìm cách nghe Lời Chúa thường xuyên hơn; những điều này sẽ giúp chúng ta giữ được đức tin của chúng ta mạnh mẽ, để khi chúng ta gặp phải khó khăn, chúng ta không nhanh chóng phàn nàn hay chạy trốn mà chúng ta phải hiên ngang đối mặt với những rắc rối, khó khăn của chúng ta và như thế, chúng ta sẽ nhìn thấy được có bàn tay của Chúa đang giúp và nâng đỡ chúng ta thoát khỏi những sự khốn khó và đem chúng đến với sự hoàn hảo. Khi chúng ta nhìn thế giới bằng đức tin, chúng ta không chỉ đơn giản nhìn thấy những cái tốt và xấu; thay vào đó, chúng ta thấy Thiên Chúa tiết lộ chính Ngài cho chúng ta.
REFLECTION
In this era of instant gratification and technological advancement, it is very easy to get discouraged when things do not go our way. Pope John Paul II called it "cafeteria Catholicism," where we choose only the principles and values that are convenient to us and ignore other issues. How many of us today would scoff at Job for enduring so much hardship and say he's not being practical? Or interpret the Church's teachings according to our preferences and rationalize or justify what we intrinsically know as wrong in order to make it seem right? God is our example of faithfulness. He loves us not "because of" but "in spite of." As illustrated in the parables of the prodigal son (Lk 15:11-32) and the workers in the vineyard (Mt 20:1-16), his love and generosity extend equally to all. He does not favor those who are "more obedient," "more loyal," or "more hardworking." His faith and love are constant.
Faith is not the result of fulfilled petitions. It is not affected by circumstances. It is established like any relationship with time and effort. Constant communication (prayer), receiving sacraments, seeking to hear the Word of God – these helps keep our faith strong, so that when difficulties arise, we are not quick to complain and run away but rather face our troubles and see God's hand molding us into perfection. When we view the world with faith, we do not simply see good and bad; instead, we see God revealing Himself to us.
Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. Matthew 7:28–29
These lines conclude the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew’s Gospel chapters 5–7. In that lengthy sermon, Jesus touches on many topics and presents us with a summary of all we need to know in our lives of faith. In these concluding lines of His sermon, the words “astonished” and “authority” should stand out. Why were the crowds astonished at Jesus’ teaching? Because His teaching was new and relied upon a new authority that the people hadn’t experienced before.
The authority with which the scribes taught was based upon their knowledge of the traditions handed down to them from earlier teachers. The scribes studied long and hard and then presented what they had learned. This was the form of religious teaching that the people were used to receiving.
Jesus, however, arrived on the scene and astonished the crowds, because He spoke with a new authority that they had not seen before. Jesus’ authority came forth from His very Person. It was not based upon what He had studied and learned from those who preceded Him. Instead, when He spoke, it was He Himself Who was not only the mouthpiece of the New Law of grace, He was also the Author of the Law and its source.
Try to ponder the idea of authority. For example, a child knows that a parent has authority over them. They may not like it at times, but they understand that they do not set the rules of the house but must abide by the rules set by their parents. Or consider the authority of civil leaders. Law enforcement officers, for example, have an authority entrusted to them by their office. They are not only well versed in the rule of law, they can also enforce it and everyone knows it.
Similarly, Jesus did not just know about the new and glorious truths He taught. He did not simply learn them from the Father in Heaven and then pass them on verbally. Instead, when He taught, He did so as the One Who knew the New Law of grace, the One from Whom it originated, and the one and only Person sent to enact and enforce this New Law.
Reflect, today, upon the New Law of grace and mercy taught by our Lord, especially as it is contained in the lengthy Sermon on the Mount. Reading those words is much more than something we study and learn. The words themselves are alive; they are the Word of God. Reading them makes present to us the same authority that the crowds experienced in Jesus’ time. Everything Jesus taught was and is new, deep, profound, transforming and alive. And when He teaches it, He also establishes His divine authority to enforce it upon the world. This is good news, because His New Law is not an imposition; it is the one and only source of freedom and new life. Reflect upon this New Law of our Lord and pray that you will more fully come under its authority.
My glorious Lawgiver, You taught as One with authority. Today, as Your holy Word is read and proclaimed, You continue to exercise Your new and glorious authority of love and mercy. Please help me to listen to You and to always submit myself to Your authority so that I am governed by Your New Law of grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want my house and my life to be built wisely on solid rock and not foolishly on shifting sand. I promise to listen to the life-giving words of your Son and act on them. May I accomplish your heavenly will in all that I do.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Tempted by Sarai: In the First Reading, we hear of Sarai’s solution to the problem of not having any children. Just as Eve tempted her husband, Adam, and gave him the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Sarai tempted her husband, Abram, to father a child with her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar. This was not God’s plan. God was testing his servants, and they failed to be patient. Sarai and Abram wanted to hasten the fulfillment of God’s promise instead of continuing to trust in the Lord. Just as Eve listened to the serpent who falsely promised a share in God’s life through sin, so also Sarai listened to the temptation to bring about God’s promise through sin. “Just as Eve gave the forbidden fruit to Adam, so likewise Sarai gives the forbidden fruit of Hagar to Abram” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 43-44). When we sin, we lie to ourselves.
2. Abram’s Sin: Just as Adam did not object to the sinful fruit offered by Eve, Abram did not object to Sarai’s proposal. “And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai” (Genesis 16:2). “That verse has an ominous ring. Did he think to seek the voice of God in this matter? Perhaps he just mused, God helps those who help themselves. Humanly speaking, Sarai was way beyond the age of fertility. So why not try out her suggestion, Abram may have rationalized. After all, God’s promise of ‘seed’ didn’t specify a female individual by name” (Hahn, A Father who Keeps His Promises, 101). The fallout of their sin “is tension in the home (16:4), retaliation (16:6), and the birth of a wild and contentious son (16:12)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 78). God will respond to Abram’s sin by inviting him fourteen years later to “walk before me, and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). God promises that Abraham would have a son by Sarai. And as a sign of this covenant promise, God commands circumcision. And this sign has a penitential dimension, considering Abraham tried to bring about God’s plan by having sexual relations with his wife’s maidservant.
3. The Conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount: In the Gospel, Jesus, the son of David, concludes his Sermon on the Mount with two teachings: the first is the need to do the will of the Father in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven; the second is to listen to Jesus’ words and act on them. The two teachings go hand in hand: Jesus is the one who reveals to us the will of the Father. Every time we read the Gospel in prayer, we are listening to Jesus’ words. By keeping his commands, we remain in his love (John 15:10). God’s word enables us to find the path that leads to harmony with God’s loving will. In Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict taught that we can discern God’s will and recognize it in our conscience, but that we also need Jesus to draw us up to himself and into himself, so that in communion with him we can learn God’s will (see Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Vol. 1, 148-150).
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