Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bảy Tuần 26 TN

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bảy Tuần 26 TN Luke 10:17-24
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy là Chúa Giêsu đã quan phòng và ban cho các môn đệ của Ngài sức mạnh Thánh Linh để họ đã có thể chu toàn nhiệm vụ của họ một cách thành công. Thật vậy, ngay cả Sa-tan cũng bị ném ngã trước sức mạnh của thiên Chúa qua các việc của họ. Và đây cũng là một phần quan trọng cho việc bắt đầu sứ mệnh của Chúa Giêsu. Các môn đệ đã quá vui mừng vì những việc họ đã làm, nhưng Chúa Giêsu đã cảnh cáo họ rằng những quyền hạn và sức mạnh mà Chúa trao cho họ không quan trọng cho bằng là việc tên của họ đã được ghi trên Nước trời.
      Sức mạnh và những điều đã được tiết lộ mà Chúa ban cho họ không phải là phần thưởng cho sự thông minh của họ, hay thành tích là việc của họ. Nhưng họ đã được Chúa ban cho là vì sự cởi mở tâm hồn, lòng trí của họ và lòng ước muốn của họ để làm theo ý của Thiên Chúa.
      Có bao giờ chúng ta dừng lại ít phút mỗi ngày để suy ngẩm và cảm ơn Chúa vì tất cả những gì mà Ngài đã ban cho chúng ta, Ngài đã mời gọi chúng ta và giúp chúng ta được trở nên một phần trong Nước Trời của Ngài.  Chúng ta có thể nhìn thấy một vinh dự tuyệt vời đó là việc có thể nhận ra được sự mặc khải của Chúa Thánh Thần để giúp chúng ta biết được cảm ứng của Thiên Chúa trong tâm hồn chúng ta.
            Xin Thiên Chúa ban muôn vàn Ân sũng và Hồng ân của Ngài xuống nơi Chúng con, để chúng con được mạnh dạn trong sự thương yêu và phục vụ Chúa mà không có tính toán, so đo. Chúng con cảm ta  Chúa là Cha của chúng con đã viết tên của chúng con hôm nay trong cuốn sách hàng sống ờ trên Trời.
 
Sat 26th Week Ordinary Time
            Jesus gave the seventy-two a lot of spiritual power for their mission. Indeed, even Satan was thrown down, for the critical part of Jesus' mission had arrived. Some of them were overly impressed with themselves so Jesus warned them that these powers were nothing far more important was the fact that their names were written in heaven.  The power that they were given and the things that were revealed to them were not rewards for cleverness, education, or achievement. They were given because of the openness of their hearts and minds and their desire to do the will of God. Jesus is our teacher and revealer and it is to him we turn for enlightenment and the gift of the spirit.         We are too received the Baptism from Jesus, We are all capable of doing great things in the Lord.
            Do we ever stop to reflect and thank God for having invited us to be part of his kingdom? Can we see what a wonderful privilege is available to us, to receive the Spirit's revelation and to know God's touch on our hearts?  We are not invited just to be a servant of God, wielding His power for the sake of His kingdom. God wants to make us his children. He wants to shower us with His affection as any father would care for his children.
            Having a personal relationship with God, and the promise of being with Him forever, this is our heritage as disciples of Jesus.  May the realization of God's gifts make us bold in loving and serving Him without counting the cost. Let us thank our Father today for writing our name in the book of life.
 
Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.” Luke 14:8–9
Jesus told this parable during a dinner at the home of a leading Pharisee. We are told that “the people there were observing him carefully.” On one hand, such attentiveness might seem commendable. We could imagine ourselves listening to His every word, captivated by divine teaching. That kind of attentiveness would certainly qualify as “observing Him carefully.”
However, the Greek verb used here conveys a tone of suspicion, even hostile scrutiny. Jesus, fully aware of their hidden judgments, responds not with defensiveness but with deliberate action. In the passage preceding today’s Gospel, He heals a man with dropsy—an abnormal swelling caused by fluid retention—at the very start of the meal and on the Sabbath. Though clearly an act of compassion, this healing was also a provocation, meant in part to elicit a response from those who believed such a deed violated the Sabbath law of rest.
Jesus then observes how the guests scramble for the places of honor at the table. Seizing the moment, He offers the parable found in today’s Gospel. Once again, he intentionally provokes his listeners. These guests, associated with a prominent Pharisee, were likely among the social and religious elite. By defying their expectations and social customs, Jesus challenges them with what might rightly be called a holy provocation.
Ordinarily, to provoke others would be uncharitable. As Christians, we are called to kindness, patience, and unity. But in His divine wisdom, Jesus saw a higher good: their conversion. He provoked not to shame but to bring hidden sins to light. Once those sins are acknowledged and repented of, healing can begin.
The sin He targets is prideful desire for status, recognition, and honor. Watching the guests seek places of prominence, Jesus sees the deeper ailment: spiritual swelling. Their condition was more serious than the physical condition of dropsy; they were inflated with self-importance. Just as the man’s body retained fluid, their souls were bloated with ego and the need for esteem. Their self-promotion masked insecurity, a disordered self-understanding, and a failure to grasp their true worth in God’s eyes.
Jesus confronts this not with condemnation, but with divine wisdom. He doesn’t denounce honor itself; rather, He teaches that true honor is a gift, never something to be seized. In the parable, the humble guest takes the lowest place and is later exalted by the host. There is little doubt that those at table could picture the embarrassment of being asked to step down or the delight of being invited to move up. He used their worldly desire to teach a spiritual lesson.
It is striking that Jesus transforms their pride into a moment of revelation and an invitation to grace. In the spiritual life, we must descend in humility so that God may lift us up. He desires to clothe us in glory and to let others rejoice in that honor, but only He can bestow it. When we exalt ourselves, the honor we gain is hollow, and we will eventually be humbled. Only the glory granted by God is real.
Reflect today on the humility Christ invites you to embrace. Are there areas of your life in which you seek recognition or esteem? Ask for the grace to take the lowest place, trusting that your true dignity will come not from the world or your self-elevation, but from the One who sees the heart and lifts the lowly on high.
Most humble Lord, You descended into poverty and obscurity, and submitted to the cruel fate of death on a cross. Your humility led the Father to exalt You above every name, raising You above the choirs of angels and the saints, and bestowing eternal glory on You, as You glorify the Father. Draw me into Your sacred humility. Strip me of every desire for worldly honor or praise of my own making. May I seek only the glory that You bestow upon those who are faithful to Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You
 
Saturday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, Father of heaven and earth, reveal yourself to me through your Son. Give me a childlike heart that receives your truth with humility and trusts in your grace. Teach me to seek my deepest joy not in my accomplishments, but in knowing, loving, and serving you, until I share fully in your divine life.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Jesus, the New Moses: The seventy-two disciples return from their mission rejoicing: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Their success reveals the authority of Jesus and the arrival of God’s Kingdom. Jesus has sent them to prepare the towns and villages for his coming, and now they have witnessed the power of his name. The number of disciples is significant. Just as the Twelve recall the twelve tribes of Israel, the seventy or seventy-two recall the seventy elders whom Moses appointed to assist him in leading Israel through the wilderness (Numbers 11:16-25). Jesus is the New Moses who is leading God's people on a new Exodus. The mission of the seventy-two therefore points beyond itself. Jesus is gathering and forming a renewed people of God and preparing them to enter the Kingdom. The comparison with Moses also highlights the difficulty of leading God’s people. Israel repeatedly grumbled against Moses and resisted the path God had given them. In the Gospel, we have already seen opposition to Jesus increase as he turns toward Jerusalem. Yet Jesus continues his journey and continues to send his disciples ahead of him. The disciples’ mission, therefore, is not primarily about their own accomplishments. They are sent in Jesus’ name. Whatever good they accomplish comes from the authority and grace they have received from him. This is important for every Christian vocation. God gives each of us responsibilities, gifts, and opportunities to serve. We should use them generously, but we should never confuse God’s work with our own accomplishments. We are servants of a mission that belongs to Christ.
2. Rejoice that Your Names Are Written in Heaven: The disciples return exhilarated by what they have witnessed. Even the demons have been subject to them. Jesus does not deny the significance of their experience. He tells them that he has given them authority over the power of the enemy. But then he redirects their joy: “Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Jesus is teaching them where their deepest identity lies. Their greatest reason for rejoicing is not what they have accomplished for God but what God has accomplished for them. This is an important spiritual lesson. We can easily measure our lives by accomplishments, recognition, influence, possessions, or success. Even our service to God can become a source of pride. We can begin to rejoice more in what we have done for Christ than in the grace by which Christ has saved us. Jesus calls his disciples to a deeper joy. Their names are written in heaven. They belong to God. Their ultimate destiny is eternal communion with him. The Christian therefore does not need to base his or her identity upon worldly success. Our accomplishments will eventually pass away. Positions change, reputations fade, possessions disappear, and even our earthly achievements will one day be forgotten. But the grace of divine sonship and the promise of eternal life endure forever. This does not make our earthly responsibilities unimportant. Rather, it puts them in their proper order. We should work diligently, serve generously, and use our gifts well – but we should do so as children of the Father whose true home is heaven.
3. The Joy of Knowing the Father: At this point the Gospel gives us a remarkable glimpse into the interior life of Jesus: “At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.’” Jesus’ joy flows into thanksgiving to the Father. The Son knows the Father, and the Father knows the Son. Jesus then tells his disciples that he has come to reveal the Father to them. Here we are brought into the very heart of the mystery of the Trinity. The Father eternally knows and generates the Son; the Son eternally knows the Father; and the Holy Spirit is the eternal spiration of their divine love. Through Christ, we are invited to share in this divine life of mutual knowledge and love. The purpose of our existence is ultimately not merely to receive God’s gifts but to know and love God himself. This is why Jesus praises the Father for revealing these things “to the childlike.” The childlike are not intellectually immature. They are humble enough to receive what God gives. They recognize that the most important truths cannot be possessed through human achievement alone. They must be received as gifts. This theme connects beautifully with Saint Thérèse, whose “little way” we reflected upon two days ago (October 1). Thérèse understood that spiritual childhood means confident dependence upon God. We do not enter into divine life because of our accomplishments or intellectual achievements. We enter because the Father freely adopts us in Christ and gives us his Holy Spirit. The disciples were blessed because they saw and heard what generations of prophets and kings had longed to see and hear. We share in that blessing. Through Scripture, the Sacraments, and the faith of the Church, we encounter Christ and receive his revelation of the Father. The proper response is therefore the response of Jesus himself: gratitude. We rejoice not simply because God gives us good things, or because he allows us to accomplish good things, but because he gives us himself. The deepest treasure of the Christian life is not power, success, or recognition. It is communion with the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus tells his disciples – and us – where our greatest joy should be found: “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
 
Saturday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” Luke 10:23–24
Imagine seeing Jesus in person. What would that have been like? What would it have been like to see Him, listen to Him preach, witness His miracles and spend time sitting with Him quietly? The experience of being with Him as He walked the earth would have been determined by the depth of interior sight you had. There were many who saw Jesus but rejected Him, and even killed Him. Clearly, they did not have the interior eyes of faith to see Him for Who He was. Others left everything behind to follow Him. Clearly, they perceived Who He was in His divine soul through the gift of faith.
As Jesus states above, the disciples were blessed to see Him. Many prophets and kings of old desired to see the Messiah. Century after century, the prophecies about the coming of the Messiah would have left many with much anticipation and hope that they would be among those blessed to see Him. Recall, for example, Simeon the prophet who waited his whole life to see the Christ Child. Then, when Mary and Joseph brought the Child Jesus into the Temple to present Him to the Lord, Simeon took the Child into his hands and proclaimed, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” (Luke 2:29–32). Indeed, Simeon, the disciples, and all who encountered Jesus as He walked the earth were truly blessed. They were blessed to see the Son of God with their own eyes.
Jesus proclaimed the eyes of the disciples to be blessed for seeing Him. However, if He were to speak to us today, He would proclaim us doubly blessed. We do not see Him in physical form, walking the earth. But we are able to perceive Him in a way that even Simeon did not experience in His life. Simeon saw the Savior of the World with his eyes, present in human form. But today, we are able to see Him in an even more profound way. By the gift of grace and the indwelling of God, we are able to look within our own souls and discover the true presence of God living within us.
One might argue that seeing Jesus with your eyes is preferable to seeing His divine presence within your soul. But is it? Certainly not. Again, recall that there were many who saw Jesus with their eyes but did not recognize Him as God. Today, we are privileged to perceive the presence of Christ in our world in the deepest way possible. He came to live within us. He came to possess us. He came to unite Himself with us in a union so deep that it transforms us completely, making us into His very body.
If it took faith to see the divinity of Jesus when He walked the earth, it will also take faith to see His true presence within us. Our sins cloud His presence. Our lack of faith makes it hard to see Him there. But God is alive within every soul that is in a state of grace, and it must be our ongoing duty to discover His indwelling presence and to be with Him within. In her spiritual masterpiece, “Interior Castles,” Saint Teresa of Ávila explains that the infinite God does dwell within us. It is our duty to enter into the most secret core of our being, the most interior castle, navigating through our many sins, so that we will enter the deepest center where the fullness of the great King dwells.
Reflect, today, upon Jesus’ words spoken to the disciples: “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” Know that this statement applies even more to you. Seek to have the eyes of faith so that you can perceive the true presence of the Savior of the World living within your own soul. Seek Him out, gaze at Him with love, bask in His divine presence and allow that presence to overshadow you, transforming you into the person God wants you to be.
My indwelling Lord, I am blessed beyond belief by Your divine presence dwelling within me. Please open my eyes to see You and my ears to hear You so that I will be able to dwell with You Who have come to dwell in me. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Saturday 26^th Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, direct your Son to reveal you to me. I want to be introduced more fully into the depths of your life. I want to think as you do and love as you do. Grant me the wisdom to judge all things properly and to order my life rightly.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Jesus, the New Moses: In Luke 8, Jesus sent out the 12 apostles to heal and teach. Here, in Luke 10, Jesus sends out 70 or 72 disciples to herald his coming to Jerusalem. Both numbers have a symbolic meaning. The 12 apostles symbolically represent the restoration of the 12 tribes of Israel. The 70 or 72 disciples symbolically represent the 70 or 72 elders appointed by Moses to help govern the tribes of Israel. “In the book of Numbers, Moses appointed seventy elders to help lead and adjudicate while the people of Israel were in the wilderness. In the same way that these seventy elders were to guide the flock of Israel in Moses’ place, the seventy disciples are sent out in pairs to guide the neighboring towns to the kingdom. Part of the reason that Moses needed to appoint seventy elders in the first place was the obstinance and grumbling of a people who did not want to be led. We have seen similar responses from those who reject Jesus; the closer he gets to Jerusalem and his new exodus, the more intense this opposition will become” (Powell, Walking with Christ, 63).
2. Peace and Faith: The message of the seventy disciples to the towns and villages was one of peace. “We know that many of Israel’s leaders did not desire such peace. They longed for the destruction of Rome; they wanted war. This desire to conquer evil with evil, violence with violence, was similar to Israel in the time of the Exodus when they wanted to return to Egypt. They wanted to go in the wrong direction” (Powell, Walking with Christ, 64). When the seventy saw that even demons were subject to them, Jesus exhorts them not to be amazed at the mighty deeds and miracles. Jesus knows that the days of such outward signs will come to an end, and only those with faith, with “eyes to see,” will be able to recognize Jesus as the King, even when he hangs on the cross.
3. Baruch’s Prophetic Exhortation: The First Reading is taken from the third part of the Book of Baruch. Baruch was the personal secretary of the prophet Jeremiah. This part of his book takes the form of a prophetic exhortation. “It explains the exile as God’s discipline of his sinful people (4:5-20), announces that he will deliver them from captivity (4:21-29), and encourages Jerusalem with the news that its children are about to return home (4:30-5:9)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1364). Baruch offers a word of hope and encouragement for God’s children. “If the people are truly repentant, they can be confident of restoration in the future. The exiles are to ‘take courage’ (4:5, 21, 27) in the knowledge that God is coming to ‘deliver’ them (4:18, 21) from their captivity and to become their everlasting Savior’ (4:22). Indeed, their enemies, the Babylonians, are about to see ‘destruction’ (4:25; cf. 4:31-35), and the mother city of Jerusalem is told to ‘take courage’ (4:30) because her sons and daughters, which were carried away from her, will soon come streaming home (4:36-37; 5:5)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1364).
 
Saturday 26^th Ordinary Time
Our study and scholarship will accomplish very little without the gift of the Spirit who enlightens us about the truths of God. God the Father actually hides the truth from the proud scholar, while he chooses to reveal mystical secrets of heaven to the humble. And this is the difference: knowledge inflates, love builds. Because of this humble and childlike faith the disciples did great things in Jesus' name. They exclaim: "Master, even the demons are subject to us in your name."
He told them to cure the sick and to preach and they took him at his word. Jesus said it, they believed it. Because of this simple acceptance of Jesus' words, great miracles were worked through simple men of humble upbringing. But Jesus warns them not to rejoice that they worked miracles, but to rejoice because their names were written in heaven. It is not enough to work miracles in Jesus' name. We must know him so well that we develop a personal relationship with him. Do we really know Jesus? Is our knowledge of Jesus from various religious information, or is it personal and loving, bringing rest and respite to the dark corners of our lives? If we want to work for Jesus, we must first know Jesus. If we want to do miracles in his name, we must first  receive him with the simplicity of a child. 

Friday 27th Week in Ordinary Time Lễ các Thiên Thần Bản Mệnh, ngày 2 tháng 10

Lễ nhớ các Thiên Thần Bản Mệnh, ngày 2 tháng 10
“Các con hãy coi chừng, đừng khinh rẻ một ai trong những kẻ bé mọn này, vì Thầy bảo các con, thiên thần của chúng trên trời hằng chiêm ngưỡng thánh nhan Cha Thầy, Ðấng ngự trên trời". (Mt 18:10)
Lạy Cha trên trời, chúng con cảm tạ Cha đã ban cho chúng con thiên thần hộ mệnh. Chúng con mong một ngày nào đó được gặp các ngài trên thiên đàng. Các ngài bảo vệ chúng con và đem lại những cảm hứng tốt đẹp cho chúng con. Xin cho chúng con luôn lắng nghe và ngoan ngoãn nghe theo tiếng gọi của các ngài.
Thưa quý ông bà anh chị em, Khi chúng ta chiêm ngắm vẻ đẹp công trình sáng tạo của Thiên Chúa và vị trí của chúng ta trong đó, chúng ta không nên quên vẻ đẹp và vai trò của các thiên thần. Hôm nay, chúng ta mừng lễ tưởng niệm các Thiên Thần Bản Mệnh. Chúng ta ngợi khen Thiên Chúa và tạ ơn Người đã ban cho mỗi người chúng ta một thiên thần. Sách Giáo lý Công giáo dạy rằng: “Từ khởi đầu cho đến khi chết, cuộc sống con người được bao bọc bởi sự chăm sóc và chuyển cầu của các thiên thần. Bên cạnh mỗi tín hữu, có một thiên thần bảo vệ và mục tử dẫn dắt họ đến sự sống” (GLHTCG, 336).
Thiên Thần Bản Mệnh của chúng ta đã được ban cho thẩm quyền và quyền năng. Đồng thời, không một thiên thần nào, dù tốt hay xấu, có thể ép buộc chúng ta làm điều gì trái với ý muốn của mình. Thiên thần tốt trình bày những điều tốt lành cho tâm trí chúng ta; thiên thần xấu xa trình bày điều xấu đội lốt điều tốt.
Thánh vịnh hôm nay nhắc lại rằng Thiên Chúa đã ban cho mỗi thiên thần tốt sự hiểu biết về chúng ta. Với sự hiểu biết này, các ngài có thể bảo vệ chúng ta trên mọi nẻo đường. Các ngài có thể hướng dẫn chúng ta vào con đường cứu độ và bình an.
Nhưng cuối cùng, chính chúng ta là người lựa chọn điều tốt hay điều xấu; Chúng ta là những người lựa chọn hành động như những người con tự do của Chúa hoặc lạm dụng sự tự do của mình bằng cách chọn điều ác.
 Khi lắng nghe thiên thần hộ mệnh, chúng ta được đảm bảo về sự bảo vệ của Chúa khỏi kẻ thù và kẻ thù của chúng ta.
Kiến thức của chúng ta về các thiên thần rất chưa hoàn thiện. Ở trần gian, chúng ta chỉ có thể phân biệt họ một cách tổng quát. Trên thiên đàng, chúng ta sẽ biết họ một cách rõ ràng. Chúng ta sẽ thấy mối quan hệ của họ với Chúa và cách họ hành động để thực hiện kế hoạch yêu thương của Chúa.
Dựa trên Kinh thánh, Thánh truyền và Thần học, chín dàn hợp xướng thiên thần được phân biệt. Chín dàn hợp xướng này, được tổ chức thành ba nhóm, mỗi nhóm ba người, là sự phản ánh của Chúa Ba Ngôi: ba dàn hợp xướng đầu tiên gần gũi nhất với Chúa và chiêm ngưỡng Ngài cùng mục đích sáng tạo của Ngài; ba dàn hợp xướng tiếp theo suy ngẫm về những gì cần làm để đạt được mục tiêu này; ba dàn hợp xướng cuối cùng áp dụng kiến ​​thức này vào các tác động của Chúa.
Trong số những thiên thần thực sự áp dụng kiến ​​thức này, các Lãnh thần được cho là nắm giữ vị trí cao nhất. Vai trò của họ được so sánh với vai trò của các tướng lĩnh và sĩ quan trong quân đội. Tuy nhiên, các thiên thần hộ mệnh của chúng ta thuộc về dàn hợp xướng thấp nhất, bởi vì họ là những người thực hiện những gì cần phải làm. Việc chúng ta tôn kính các Thiên Thần Hộ Mệnh hôm nay để tỏ lòng biết ơn, vì chúng ta có một Đấng bảo vệ trên trời, Đấng soi sáng, bảo vệ, dẫn dắt và cầu bầu cho chúng ta.
Việc chiêm ngưỡng công trình sáng tạo của Thiên Chúa, cả hữu hình lẫn vô hình, khiến chúng ta tràn ngập sự kinh ngạc và kính sợ. bởi vì có những điều chúng ta sẽ thấy trên thiên đàng vượt quá trí tưởng tượng của chúng ta và đẹp hơn bất cứ điều gì trên trái đất này.
Cuối cùng, chúng ta tràn đầy hy vọng, vì chúng ta biết rằng lịch sử thế giới nằm trong tay Thiên Chúa và các đạo binh trên trời đang làm việc không mệt mỏi để hoàn thành kế hoạch nhân từ và yêu thương của Ngài.
Trong Phúc Âm, Chúa Giêsu đã dạy. Ngài dạy các môn đệ rằng sự vĩ đại trong Nước Trời không giống như sự vĩ đại trong vương quốc trần gian. Nếu nhìn sự vật theo quan điểm thế gian, chúng ta thường đo lường sự vĩ đại bằng sức mạnh, sự giàu có, vẻ đẹp hình thể và thành tựu. Tuy nhiên, Chúa Giê-su không chỉ vào Caesar hay một người giàu có quyền lực để chứng minh ai là vĩ đại.
Thay vào đó, Ngài chỉ vào một đứa trẻ để chỉ ra sự vĩ đại tâm linh đích thực.  Vậy làm thế nào chúng ta có thể trở nên giống như trẻ nhỏ? Khi nhìn thấy một đứa trẻ, chúng ta thấy chúng phụ thuộc rất nhiều vào cha mẹ và người giám hộ. Chúng thường là những đứa trẻ ngây thơ, đơn sơ, khiêm ntoosn, tràn đầy niềm vui và tiếng cười. Liệu chúng ta có phụ thuộc vào Cha của chúng ta trên trời như một đứa trẻ không?
Lạy Chúa Giê-su, Chúa hiền lành và khiêm nhường trong lòng. Xin giúp chúng con biết học cách khiêm nhường và đơn sơ như một đứa trẻ ngây thơ. Ma quỷ thích làm mọi thứ phức tạp để lừa dối chúngcon. Xin Chúa giúp chúng con cắt đứt sự lừa dối và yêu Chúa bằng một tấm lòng trọn vẹn. Amen
 
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, October 2.2026
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” Matthew 18:10
Angels fascinate both young and old. Countless books and stories have been written and shared about encounters with these heavenly beings. If you were to behold one of God’s angels, you would undoubtedly be filled with awe, marveling at the angel’s beauty, splendor, and power.
Today, the Church honors those members of the Celestial Hierarchy who are most intimately involved in our daily lives: our Guardian Angels. The Gospel for this Memorial offers us insight into both their nature and their greatness.
The passage begins with a worldly question posed by Jesus’ disciples: “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Their question reveals a lingering attachment to status and honor, reflective of human preoccupations both then and now. In response, Jesus performs a surprising gesture—He places a child in their midst.
In the first-century Jewish context, children held little societal importance. They had no legal authority, no public voice, and no influence. Therefore, Jesus’ action is radical. By presenting a child as the model of greatness, He overturns conventional standards and introduces new criteria: humility, simplicity, dependence, weakness, and childlike trust in God.
Jesus then offers a deeper reason why a child is truly great: “Their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” These angels are the Guardian Angels. If each child is assigned such a noble guardian who stands perpetually in the presence of God, then the child, too, shares in that dignity. In fact, so does every person, for God gifts each one of us with a Guardian Angel.
From this perspective, human greatness is not determined by accomplishments or public acclaim but by the love and care God lavishes upon each soul. The very fact that God entrusts every person with an angel reveals each one’s intrinsic worth and sacred dignity. The gift of a Guardian Angel means that each one of us—whether a powerful ruler or a hidden soul in humble circumstances—has value in God’s eyes.
This first form of greatness arises from our very nature—who we are in God’s sight. Such recognition should be enough for us to honor one another and treat every person with reverence. If the angels of Heaven love and serve those around us—our families, neighbors, even strangers—then we, too, must strive to love and serve them with the same devotion and love.
There is also a second form of greatness worth reflecting on: the greatness that comes from freely cooperating with the will of God. When we submit ourselves to His providence and actively embrace the mission our Guardian Angels are tasked with—to guide, protect, and lead us to holiness—God’s grace abounds in our lives. This does not make us intrinsically “greater” than others, but it allows the greatness of God to shine more brightly through us. In this way, His glory is magnified in and through our cooperation with His will.
Reflect today on the quiet presence of your Guardian Angel. Consider the immense dignity you possess in God’s eyes, a dignity confirmed by the fact that an angel has been appointed to walk with you through life. Then reflect also on the dignity of every person you encounter each day. Even those who sin and stray from God’s will have been entrusted to an angel’s care. We must strive to love and serve them as their angels do. As you ponder this awe-inspiring gift, allow this truth to fill you with peace, humility, and a renewed resolve to follow God’s will and to help others do the same, so that His greatness may radiate through your life.
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. Guardian angel, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”  Matthew 18:10
 
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, October 2 2026
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the loving care you give me through my guardian angel. Help me to listen attentively to your voice, to recognize the promptings that lead me toward what is good, and to reject whatever draws me away from you. May your holy angel protect and guide me along the path to eternal life.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Our Guardian Angels: When we contemplate the beauty of God’s creation and our place within it, we should not forget the beauty of God’s invisible creation. Today we celebrate the Holy Guardian Angels and give thanks for the loving care God provides through them. The Catechism teaches: “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life” (CCC, 336). God’s providence extends even to the smallest details of our lives. Our guardian angel watches over us, intercedes for us, and assists us on our journey toward God. The angel does not replace our freedom, however. God created us as rational creatures capable of knowing and choosing the good. The angel may enlighten our minds and encourage us toward what is good, but we must freely cooperate with grace. This is why we should cultivate a disposition of attentiveness. God can guide us through Sacred Scripture, the teaching of the Church, prayer, the good counsel of others, and the circumstances of our lives. He also gives us the assistance of the holy angels. Our guardian angel constantly seeks to direct us toward God, but we must choose whether to listen. The psalm for today’s liturgy reminds us of this loving protection: “For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11). We should therefore entrust ourselves confidently to God's providence while taking responsibility for the choices we make. The protection of our guardian angel is not a reason for carelessness; it is an invitation to walk faithfully with God.
2. The Invisible World of the Angels: Our knowledge of the angels remains limited. Scripture reveals their existence and their role in God’s plan, while Sacred Tradition and theology have reflected more deeply upon the nature and hierarchy of the angelic world. The traditional teaching speaks of nine choirs of angels, arranged in three groups of three. Although the precise activities attributed to the various choirs belong to theological tradition rather than defined doctrine, this tradition reminds us that creation is far richer than what our senses perceive. The angels are pure spiritual creatures who glorify God and serve his purposes. Scripture repeatedly portrays them as God’s messengers and ministers. They praise him, carry out his commands, assist his people, and participate in his plan of salvation. Their existence reminds us that the visible world is not the whole of reality. The guardian angel assigned to each of us is a personal sign of this providential care. We are never abandoned to face the spiritual battle alone. God gives us the assistance of his angels, but he also calls us to cooperate freely with his grace. This should fill us with both wonder and hope. There are realities of God’s creation that we cannot yet see, and there are dimensions of his providence that we cannot fully comprehend. One day, in the presence of God, we will see more clearly the beauty and wisdom of his creation and how his angels have served his loving plan. For now, we respond with gratitude. We can ask our guardian angel to protect us, guide us, and help us remain faithful to God. And we can remember that the angel's protection always directs us beyond the angel itself toward the One whom the angels adore and serve.
3. The Danger of Rejecting God’s Grace: Jesus’ words to Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are among the most solemn passages in the Gospel. These towns had witnessed many of his mighty works, yet they failed to respond with repentance and faith. Their problem was not a lack of evidence. They had received extraordinary opportunities to encounter the Lord, but they did not allow those encounters to change their lives. Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities that had often been condemned by the prophets. Yet Jesus declares that if they had witnessed the same mighty works, they would have repented. His words reveal a serious spiritual principle: the greater the grace we receive, the greater our responsibility to respond to it. The warning is therefore not simply about unbelievers. It should lead each of us to examine our own response to grace. We have received the Gospel, the Sacraments, the Church’s teaching, the witness of the saints, and countless opportunities to encounter Christ. The question is not merely whether we have heard the Word of God but whether we have allowed it to transform us. This gives particular meaning to Jesus’ final words: “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me.” Christ continues to speak through those whom he sends. The disciples speak in his name because he has entrusted them with his mission. To listen to Christ therefore requires a humble heart willing to receive the truth he communicates through his Church. Today’s memorial gives us another reason to cultivate this spirit of listening. Our guardian angel constantly directs us toward God, but we remain free to accept or reject that guidance. The tragedy Jesus identifies in today’s Gospel is not that God fails to speak. It is that human beings can hear the Word and still refuse to respond. The proper response is therefore humility, gratitude, and conversion. We should ask God for the grace to recognize his voice and the courage to follow it. Our guardian angel accompanies us along that path, continually directing us toward the One who is the source and goal of our salvation.
 
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, October 2
When we contemplate the beauty of God's creation and our place in it, we should not forget the beauty and role of the angels. Today, we celebrate the memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels. We praise God and thank him for assigning an angel to each one of us. In the Catechism, we read: “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by the watchful care and intercession of the angels. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life” (CCC, 336). Our Guardian Angel has been granted authority and power. At the same time, no angel, good or evil, can force us to do something against our will. Good angels present good things to our minds; evil angels present evil disguised as good. Today’s psalm recalls that God has given knowledge to each good angel about us. With this knowledge, they can guard us in all of our ways. They can direct us into the way of salvation and peace. But in the end, we are the ones who choose good or evil; we are the ones who choose either to act as free children of God or to abuse our freedom by choosing evil. When we listen to our guardian angel, we are assured of God's protection from our enemies and foes.
2. The Choirs of Angels: Our knowledge of the angels is very imperfect. Here on earth, we can only distinguish them in a general way. In heaven, we will know them distinctly. We will see their relation to God and how they have acted to bring about God's loving plan. Based on Scripture, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Theology distinguish nine choirs of angels. These nine choirs, organized in three sets of three, are a reflection of the Trinity: the first three choirs are closest to God and contemplate him and the goal of his creation; the next three choirs consider what is to be done to reach this goal; the last three choirs apply this knowledge to God’s effects. Of those angels who practically apply this knowledge, the Principalities are said to hold the highest place. Their role is compared to that of generals and officers in battle. Our guardian angels, however, belong to the lowest choir, because they are the ones who carry out what is to be done. Our veneration of the Holy Guardian Angels today fills us with gratitude, for we have a heavenly protector who enlightens us, defends us, guides us, and intercedes for us. The contemplation of God’s creation, both visible and invisible, fills us with wonder and awe – for there are things we will see in heaven which surpass our imagination and are more beautiful than anything here on earth. Lastly, we are filled with hope, for we know that the history of the world is in God’s hands and that the heavenly hosts work tirelessly to accomplish God’s merciful and loving plan.
3. Teaching the People: In the First Reading, we hear of Ezra and Nehemiah, along with the Levites, teaching and explaining the Law of Moses to the people of Judah. In the Gospel, Jesus also teaches. He teaches his disciples that greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven is not like greatness in an earthly kingdom. If we view things from a worldly perspective, we tend to measure greatness in terms of strength, wealth, physical beauty, and achievement. Jesus, however, does not point to Caesar or to a wealthy person of power to show who is great. Rather, he points to a child to indicate true spiritual greatness. How, then, do we turn and become like children? When we see a child, we see how they depend so much on their parents and guardians. They are often innocent, simple, humble, and full of joy and laughter. Am I dependent, like a child, upon my Heavenly Father?
 
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, October 2
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”  Matthew 18:10
The reality of angels is fascinating to most people, especially to children. The Guardian Angels, in particular, are often pictured in sacred art as walking hand-in-hand with children. And though this is true, they also walk hand-in-hand with each one of us throughout our lives. This is their sacred duty given to them by God. In quoting Saint Basil, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the existence of Guardian Angels by saying: “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. ‘Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life’” (#336).
Imagine, in an earthly sense, that you had a personal bodyguard to look after you day and night throughout your life. Perhaps this evokes two different sentiments. First, it would most certainly comfort you when there is imminent danger around. You would know you are not alone and that you would be kept safe from physical harm. Another sentiment it may invoke is that of a loss of personal privacy. If someone were watching over you, day and night, you would always be aware of their watchful eye. Everything you said and did would be noticed. For some, this may not always be welcome. Why? Because this means they see all you do, including your sin. Fear of judgment, the loss of personal privacy and the like may be difficult to accept.
But now imagine that this “bodyguard” is one who offers no judgment, acts with perfect love for you, keeps confidentiality with perfection and cares only for your well-being. Though it may be hard to imagine that such a person could exist, that person does exist in the person of your guardian angel.
Your guardian angel is real, has a keen and powerful intellect, has a will perfectly united with the will of God, and was created for the single purpose of protecting you and leading you into the fulfillment of God’s will. When you sin and stray, your guardian angel’s only concern is to guide you back to God. When you are fearful or in trouble, your guardian angel’s only care is to protect you and fill you with God’s peace and courage. And though God could have provided you with all of these graces directly, without the mediation of an angel, He chose to do so through the mediation of your personal guardian angel. Only in Heaven will we fully understand the profound depth of love, protection, and care given to us by these angelic beings.
Reflect, today, upon the intimate knowledge that your guardian angel has of you. As you ponder this reality, rejoice that someone knows you so well and loves you with a perfect love. This angel of yours not only loves you perfectly but also has been entrusted with great power from God to protect you and shepherd you to the fulfillment of your life mission. Prayerfully acknowledge the great gift that your guardian angel is to you and entrust yourself more fully to this angelic mediation.
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. Guardian angel, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 

Suy Niệm bài Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần 26TN

Suy Niệm bài Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần 26TN – (Luke 10:1-12)
Chúa Giêsu đã sai 70 môn đệ của Ngài từng cặp, hai người một ra đi khắp xóm làng để rao giảng về Nước của Thiên Chúa. Họ được Chúa ban cho quyền chữa lành và an ủi, nhưng không được mang theo bất cứ thứ gì, họ, không được chọn lựa thức ăn hoặc chỗ ở của họ. Đó là một kinh nghiệm về sự tin cậy vào Thiên Chúa một cách tuyệt đối, vì họ không được phép mang theo tiền bạc hoặc đem theo quần áo. Tất cả sẽ được Thiên Chúa chu cấp và lo liệu. Như Thánh Phanxicô chúng ta mừng kính hôm nay. Từng là một người con trong gia đình quý phái giàu có, ngài đã nghe theo tiếng gọi của Chúa và từ bỏ tất cả mặc dù có sự ngăn cản của bố mẹ, ngài đã trả lại tất cả ngay cả bộ quần áo ngài mặc trên người để theo Chúa sống trong sự khó nghèo cho đến hôm nay. Chúng ta đã chng kiến bao nhiêu là người đã theo ngài và sống trong nhà các dòng Phanxicô .
Chúng ta đã chuẩn bị và bắt đầu cho cuộc hành trình của chúng ta chưa? Chúng ta học được cách đặt niềm tin tưởng của chúng ta vào Thiên Chúa. Sự tin tưởng đó không phải là tiền bạc, những mối liên hệ, hay quyền lực mà chúng ta sẽ thấy trong cuộc sống, nhưng đó là sự chăm sóc, ân cần chu đáo của Thiên Chúa. Thánh Phanxicô Assisi biết rõ điều này, các tu sĩ dòng Phanxicô từng sống rất đơn sơ, khó nghèo, và họ được Thiên Chúa chúc phúc trong sự thành công. Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô kêu gọi chúng ta nên học lại bài học này trong sự hợp nhất trong Giáo Hội; tin tưởng nhiều hơn vào Thiên Chúa và đừng quá để tâm đến sự giàu có và quyền lực.
Lạy Chúa, xin giúp con biết sống trọn vẹn trong tình yêu mến Chúa.
 
Reflection:
Jesus sent out 70 followers, two by two, to travel through the land proclaiming the kingdom of God. They were to heal and comfort, but not linger or be choosy about their food or accommodations. It was an experience of absolute trust in God, for they were not allowed to take money or spare clothing. All would be provided. Would we embark on a journey so unprepared? We could learn to be far more trusting than we are. It is not money, connections, or power that will see us through life, but the care and providence of God. St. Francis of Assisi knew this well — his friars travelled and lived very lightly, and they were blessed with success. Pope Francis urges us to relearn this lesson as a Church — trust more in God and less in wealth and power.
  Like the disciples of Jesus, we are missioned to go and spread the Good News to those who do not know God, even to those we do not know. We are told that "Evangelization happens when the word of Jesus speaks to people's hearts and minds. This means that we must let our faith shine on the world around us, radiating the love of Jesus by the everyday way we speak, think and act." (US Conference of Bishops)
 May we, in our own little ways, become bearers of the Good News to others? Lord, help me to live in complete trust.
 
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time 2026
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned. But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Luke 13:34–35
In today’s Gospel, Jesus laments Jerusalem’s tragic history of persecuting the prophets sent by God to call His people back to fidelity. The deaths of Zechariah and Isaiah stand out, but the broader implication is that Jerusalem—the city of the Temple and the seat of divine worship—had often become the very place where divine truth was violently rejected. In lamenting this, Jesus reveals His deep love for His people and foreshadows His own death at their hands, which would also take place in Jerusalem.
Of note, Jesus’ words drip with holy sorrow and compassion, but also resolute clarity. Though He offers a condemnation in the form of a prophetic warning—that the Temple would ultimately be destroyed and the city overtaken by the Romans in AD 70—His tone is one of loving lament, not vengeful retribution.
In many ways, Jesus’ lament is that of a loving father mourning a wayward son: “How many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” Understanding this compassion in His Sacred Heart is especially helpful to us as we examine our own struggles with sin. Though God is perfectly just, His judgments are issued with a broken heart, not a violent one.
When you consider your sins, examine them through this lens. See Jesus’ Sacred Heart pierced with a sword of profound sorrow. When we turn back to Him, we console Him and relieve Him of that sorrow. Though we can add nothing to God’s greatness and glory on our own, we do have the capacity to fill Him with joy when we repent and diligently strive to overcome sin in our lives.
Recognizing this spiritual reality is the highest form of the spiritual Gift of Fear of the Lord. This gift of the Holy Spirit manifests itself in two ways. First, Fear of the Lord begins with what we traditionally call servile fear—that is, fear of punishment. Consider again a son who obeys his father because he fears being punished. This is a good beginning, but it is not the ideal.
The ideal form of Fear of the Lord is filial fear—the fear of a loving son or daughter. This fear does not avoid sin for selfish reasons, such as fear of punishment. Rather, it leads us to avoid sin because we perceive the tender compassion in Jesus’ Sacred Heart and become vividly aware of the sorrow our sin inflicts upon Him. What’s more, we also see the joy we can give Him by remaining faithful to His will. Our love for Him grows so strong that we are compelled to do all we can to give Him joy. His joy becomes ours, and we “fear” doing anything that would oppose that joy.
Though the Gift of Fear of the Lord primarily inspires us to console Jesus’ Heart, it also enables us to extend His love toward others. When this gift is alive in us, we look at those around us with the same compassion and tenderness that Jesus expressed over Jerusalem. We do not take their sins personally but share in the holy sorrow of Jesus’ Heart, longing for their conversion.
Reflect today on Jesus’ Sacred Heart as He looks at you with sorrowful love. Hear Him say, “How often I have longed to gather you.” Let that invitation move you to turn away from all that saddens Him and to cling to Him with fidelity and love. As you do, look also to those in your life who struggle with sin, and allow yourself to feel the same longing that Jesus has for them. Be an instrument of His Sacred Heart toward others, and you will ultimately share in His joy.
Most compassionate Lord, You long for Your children with the tenderest love, desiring that we turn to You with all our hearts. Please fill me with the Gift of Holy Fear, so that I may readily and wholeheartedly avoid all that grieves You. Make me an instrument of Your Sacred Heart toward others, so that through me, they may come to feel and know Your loving care. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Thursday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are the Lord of the harvest. Send me into the world as your servant, carrying your peace and proclaiming your Kingdom. Teach me to trust in your providence, to depend upon your grace, and to love others with the merciful love of your Son. May my life bear abundant fruit for your Kingdom.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Sent as Lambs Among Wolves: Jesus does not intend to accomplish his mission alone. He appoints seventy-two disciples and sends them ahead of him to prepare the towns and villages for his coming. Their mission echoes the ministry of Moses, who appointed seventy elders to assist him in governing Israel. Jesus, however, sends his disciples with striking simplicity: they are to carry no money bag, sack, or extra sandals. Their poverty is meant to teach them dependence upon God. Jesus describes them as lambs among wolves. They will encounter resistance, but they are not sent to conquer through worldly power. They are sent to bring peace, heal the sick, and announce that the Kingdom of God has drawn near. The healings are visible signs of the spiritual salvation that Christ brings. The disciples prepare the way for Jesus by bringing his peace into the lives of those they encounter. Their mission also requires them to receive from others. They are to remain in the same house, eat what is offered, and accept the hospitality of those who welcome them. The Kingdom creates communion rather than separation. Jesus’ disciples are not to isolate themselves from the people they serve but to enter into their lives. This mission is not limited to the Twelve. Through Baptism, every Christian is called to participate in Christ’s mission. We may not all preach publicly or perform extraordinary works, but we can bring Christ’s peace, mercy, truth, and healing into the ordinary circumstances of our lives.
2. The Science of Divine Love: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus understood this missionary vocation in a remarkably profound way. In 1997, Pope Saint John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church. He called the heart of her teaching the “science of divine love” – a wisdom received not through academic study but through prayer, Scripture, and an intimate experience of God’s merciful love. John Paul II emphasized that Thérèse possessed a special charism of wisdom. Although she had no advanced theological education, she was taught by Christ, the “Doctor of Doctors.” Her “little way” is therefore not merely a spirituality of doing small things. It is a profound way of understanding the Christian mystery: everything comes from God, everything returns to God, and everything is received within the mystery of his merciful love. Thérèse discovered that holiness does not require extraordinary accomplishments. It requires confident abandonment to God. Like the seventy-two disciples who were sent without provisions, she learned to rely completely upon divine providence. She understood her littleness not as an obstacle to God’s work but as the very condition for receiving his grace. Her spirituality also transformed the meaning of mission. Although she lived a hidden life in the Carmel of Lisieux, she understood herself as a missionary. She prayed and offered herself for the salvation of souls. She discovered her vocation in the Church through the words of Saint Paul: “In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be Love.” For Thérèse, love was not an alternative to mission. Love was her mission.
3. God is Our Father, and We are His Children: At the heart of Thérèse's “little way” is spiritual childhood. John Paul II explains that this means recognizing ourselves as God’s adopted children in Christ and confidently entrusting ourselves to the Father’s merciful love. It is not childishness or passivity. It is the mature recognition that we cannot save ourselves and that every grace comes from God. This helps us understand today’s Gospel more deeply. Jesus sends his disciples without the resources on which they might ordinarily depend. They must learn that the power of their mission comes not from themselves but from the One who sends them. Their poverty becomes an occasion for trust. Thérèse lived this same dependence upon God. She knew that she was “little,” but she also knew that the Father’s love was greater than her weakness. She did not need to accomplish great things by her own strength. She needed to allow God to work through her. Her confidence rested not upon her own abilities but upon God’s mercy. This spiritual childhood also leads outward toward love. Because we know ourselves to be beloved children of the Father, we can recognize others as his children. The love we receive from God becomes the love we give to others. Thus contemplation and mission belong together. Thérèse's hidden life became fruitful for the whole Church because it was filled with love. Her message therefore has extraordinary universality. The “little way” can be lived by priests and religious, parents and children, the young and the elderly, those engaged in public ministry and those whose lives appear hidden and ordinary. Every Christian can trust God, accept the circumstances he permits, perform small acts of love, pray for others, and offer everything to him. The missionary disciple does not need to be powerful, impressive, or successful by worldly standards. Like the seventy-two, we are sent as lambs. Like Thérèse, we are invited to become little before God, trusting that his grace can accomplish what we cannot. The Kingdom of God is at hand wherever Christ’s love is received and shared.
 
Thursday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.”  Luke 10:1–3
Why would our Lord send His disciples out like lambs among wolves? At first, this might be concerning and cause us to wonder if our Lord were sending them into a situation in which they would encounter harm. Saint Ambrose, in commenting on this, explains that there is no reason for these disciples to fear, since Jesus is the Good Shepherd Who always protects His sheep. It’s helpful to reflect upon what sort of danger these disciples would encounter on this mission and all future missions and to contrast that danger with the only form of danger we should fear.
The “wolves” in this situation are especially some of the cruel religious and civil leaders of that time, as well as those who would reject the disciples and their teaching. When looking at the worldly danger that our Lord encountered, as well as His disciples, we see that it was a danger of persecution. But is that a “danger” that one should fear? Clearly not, since Jesus never cowered in the face of it. In the Acts of the Apostles, we see how this same fate of persecution befell Jesus’ followers. But in the divine perspective, true “danger” is only that which has the potential to do eternal damage to one’s soul: sin. 
Sin and sin alone has the potential to do true damage, not persecution or even death. So when Jesus sent His disciples out “like lambs among wolves,” He was fully aware of the persecution they would receive in this world. But He exhorted them and sent them, because He knew that even if they were to eventually suffer persecution and death, their faith and courage in the midst of it would gain them merit in eternal life and would become an instrument of grace for others in their life of faith. As was commonly said in the early Church, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” For that reason, as Jesus sent these sheep out among wolves, He also accompanied their souls as the Good Shepherd, protecting their virtue, strengthening them in their witness to the faith, and keeping them from fear and from sin. He did not want them to fear the death of their body or their worldly reputation—rather, only the death of their souls which He, as the Good Shepherd, vigorously defended.
Reflect, today, upon the glorious truth that our Lord also sends you forth to be like a lamb among wolves. The fulfillment of the will of God in your life will take fortitude and courage as you trust that our Lord will keep you free from the countless temptations of sin. As you go forth, do not be surprised if you encounter harshness from others in the world, judgment and even persecution in various forms. When you do, respond with virtue. Keep faith, hope and charity alive in your life and do not fear those who can harm you in ways that are not eternal. Instead, stay firmly grounded in your mission to love and to share the mercy and truth of God in our world, no matter the consequences. Doing so will bring with it countless interior blessings of grace and will enable God to use you as an instrument of His grace in ways beyond that which you can ever conceive.
My courageous Lord, You came face-to-face with a harshness and cruelty in this world that ultimately enabled You to give witness to Your divine love by freely laying down Your life. Please send me forth on Your mission and strengthen me with every divine virtue so that I will not fear any form of persecution but always remain steadfast in my love of You, overcoming all fear through the gift of faith. My life is Yours, dear Lord. Do with me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần 26 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần 26 Thường Niên
Trong bài đọc Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy những người muốn theo Chúa Kitô, Họ đã có được sự cảm xúc và sự thúc đẩy qua những lời giáo huấn và chính cuộc sống của Chúa Giêsu và họ đã theo Ngài và làm môn đệ của Ngài. Thật không may, trong khi họ muốn theo Chúa Kitô, những họ vẫn còn có điều kiện: "Trước hết, tôi phải chôn cha tôi"; "trước tiên, hãy để tôi nói lời vài tạm biệt chia tay với gia đình tôi." Ý chí của Họ đã bị cản trở bởi thứ vật chất, tình cảm bên ngoài đã dính liền mà không thể dứt khoát, hoặc là những nghĩa vụ mà họ nghĩ là quan trọng hơn. Chúa Kitô đã cho chúng ta thấy rằng đã thực sự theo Chúa Kitô thì không có gì quan trọng hơn nữa, và không thể để cho bất cứ một điều kiện nào được tiên quyết, "Hãy để kẻ chết chôn kẻ chết; Còn anh, anh hãy đi loan báo triều đại của (Nước) Thiên Chúa"; "Ai đã ra tay cầm cày, mà còn ngoái lại phía sau, thì không thích hợp với Nước Thiên Chúa."
            Chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện để xin Chúa Giêsu, người anh em của chúng ta, ban cho chúng ta những ân sủng này qua lòng rộng lượng chủa Chúa để chúng ta có can đảm để đáp lại ơn gọi này. Xin Chúa có thể soi sáng cho chúng ta biết ơn, trân trọng những hồng ân mà Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta và để cúng ta luôn biết tìm kiếm kho báu vĩnh viễn trong Nước Chúa.
 
Reflection:
     In the Gospel reading we see people who wished to follow Christ. They were touched and moved by Jesus' preaching and life to follow him and be his disciples. Unfortunately, while they wished to follow Christ, they were willing to do so under certain conditions: "first, I want to bury my father"; "first, let me say goodbye to my family." They were hindered by other attachments or by what to them were more important obligations.
     Christ points out that the following of Christ was truly demanding and allowed no pre-conditions, "Let the dead bury the dead; as for you, leave them and proclaim the kingdom of God"; "Whoever puts his hand on the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God."
     The Church has declared 2014 as the "Year of the Laity." The Church reminds and encourages the laity who make up the great majority of the Church to fully live out their vocations as members of Christ's Church and followers of Christ. The Church reminds all of the primacy of our call to be "Christians" and to be "Christ-like."
     Let us pray to Jesus, our brother, for the gift of generosity and courage to answer this call. May he enlighten us to gratefully appreciate the many gifts given to us and to always seek for treasures which last forever. May we learn to use and value whatever we have always looking forward to the kingdom of heaven. May we learn to be generous in our response to Christ.
 
Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” Luke 13:22–24
Luke’s Travel Narrative begins in Luke 9:51: “When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him,” and concludes in Luke 19:27, the verse immediately before Jesus entered Jerusalem to enter His Passion. Today’s Gospel is part of the journey to Jerusalem, where He would freely accept His Cross and offer His life for the salvation of the world.
Though Jesus explained to His closest disciples that He would suffer and die at the hands of the religious leaders, they struggled to understand and often avoided the topic. Suffering and death did not fit the narrative they wanted to hear. Jesus’ journey was more than geographical. It prophetically revealed that the Christian life always culminates in the Sacrifice of the Cross. Those who walked with Him likely did not comprehend the full purpose of His journey, nor did they realize they were being invited to make the same spiritual journey of complete sacrificial love.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals that those who wish to follow Him on the path to salvation need more than a superficial association with Him. The journey demands intentional, sustained effort, marked by a struggle against personal sin, selfishness, and spiritual complacency. It concludes by entering the “narrow gate.” And what is this gate? Ultimately, it is the Cross. For us, it is an active participation in Christ’s self-giving love in Jerusalem.
The gate is narrow because the Gospel requires us to cast off every attachment that hinders our path to eternal life. Salvation is not secured by casual familiarity with Christ but by active faith, obedience, and a genuine love that, like our Lord’s, is “resolutely determined to journey toward Jerusalem,” meaning a wholehearted and deliberate offering of one’s life to God and for others.
Jesus uses vivid and sobering language to make His point. When He says that the master of the house will rise and lock the door, Jesus is referring to the particular judgment at the end of our lives. Some, He says, will be left outside of Heaven and will be surprised. They will knock and say, “Lord, open the door for us.” When Jesus replies, “I do not know where you are from,” they respond with confusion: “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.” Yet Jesus says again, “I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!”
This teaching is directed to those who are disciples in name but not in truth. Applying this to our own day, it could be said of those who identify as Christians, go to church occasionally, believe in God in a general sense, but fail to make the spiritual journey with Christ to the Cross—that is, through the narrow gate. They may resist sacrifice, remain attached to sin, neglect sincere and humble prayer, and fail to live as authentic disciples.
This passage should be taken seriously. Jesus was not exaggerating for effect; He was speaking with complete sincerity. Discipleship demands everything, not just a small effort or occasional attention. To follow Christ is to give Him our entire lives, without reserve. The good news, however, is that this demanding journey to Jerusalem, this path of sacrificial love, leads to glory. The Cross is the narrow gate, but it is also the gateway to eternal life. Those who embrace it wholeheartedly will share in the joy and triumph of Christ’s Resurrection.
Reflect today on the path you are taking. Have you truly entered the narrow gate by choosing the way of the Cross? Are you willing to follow Jesus not only in word but also in deed, offering your life to the Father each day in acts of faith, hope, and charity? Let this Gospel be a summons to examine your discipleship and renew your resolve. Like Jesus, be resolutely determined to journey to the heavenly Jerusalem where the Cross is not the end but the beginning of everlasting glory.
My resolute Lord, Your journey to Jerusalem culminated in the perfect act of selfless, sacrificial love. By mounting the Cross, You opened the narrow gate and entered through it for the salvation of the world. Grant me the grace, I pray, to be Your disciple not only in name but in truth. May I walk with You along the path of sacrifice, stripping away all that hinders love, so that I, too, may enter through the narrow gate and share in the joy of everlasting life. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Wednesday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I choose this day to follow your Son wherever he leads me. Give me the courage to leave behind whatever keeps me from him and the perseverance to remain faithful to my vocation. Through the intercession of Saint Jerome, deepen my love for your Word, that I may encounter Christ in Sacred Scripture and proclaim him by my life.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Following Jesus on the Way: In the Gospel, Jesus has begun his final journey to Jerusalem, where he will accomplish his new exodus. Along the way, he encounters three people and teaches three lessons about discipleship. “The individuals’ final responses are not given, leaving the dialogues open-ended. The effect is to invite readers – other (potential) followers – to apply the sayings to their lives” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 196). The first encounter teaches that following Jesus involves sacrifice and hardship. The second teaches that we cannot delay our response to God’s call: “Even family obligations have to be put in proper perspective and at times set aside” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 197). The third teaches that our commitment to Jesus must take precedence over every other commitment. “Those who follow him must do so unconditionally” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 198). Like the farmer who must give his full attention to plowing, the disciple must give his full attention to entering God’s reign (see Martin, Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, 282). Saint Jerome provides a remarkable example of this radical commitment. Pope Francis recalls that Jerome “placed the Bible at the center of his life” and desired to know Christ through Scripture. His vocation required sacrifice: he left his homeland, traveled widely, embraced an ascetical life, and eventually settled in Bethlehem. He was willing to leave behind many things to pursue what he regarded as the one thing necessary: Christ. Every Christian is called to this wholehearted response. We cannot follow Jesus while continually looking backward at what we have refused to surrender. Discipleship requires an ordered freedom: letting go of whatever competes with Christ so that we can give ourselves more completely to him.
2. “Ignorance of Scripture Is Ignorance of Christ”: For Saint Jerome, following Christ necessarily meant listening to his Word. Pope Francis begins his apostolic letter, Scripturae Sacrae Affectus, with Jerome’s striking statement: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” This conviction shaped Jerome’s entire life. He studied Hebrew and Greek, examined manuscripts, consulted Jewish teachers, compared textual traditions, and worked tirelessly to provide the Latin-speaking Church with an accurate translation of Scripture. His scholarship was not an end in itself. He wanted Christians to encounter Christ through God’s revealed Word. Pope Francis emphasizes that Jerome’s love for Scripture was inseparable from his love for Christ: “He loved the sacred texts because he loved Christ.” For Jerome, the Bible is not merely a collection of ancient writings. It is the Word of God that leads us into communion with the Word made flesh. The Scriptures reveal Christ, prepare us to recognize him, and teach us how to follow him. Jerome’s example challenges us to examine how we approach Scripture. We can possess Bibles without opening them, hear the Gospel without reflecting upon it, or study Scripture without allowing it to change us. We should read not simply to acquire information but to encounter a Person. We read prayerfully, asking what God is saying to us and how his Word calls us to conversion. We read the whole of Scripture as the one story of God’s saving work, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and we read within the Church, whose faith provides the context for understanding it rightly. The disciple who puts his hand to the plow must keep his eyes fixed on Christ. Sacred Scripture helps us do precisely that. It keeps Christ before our eyes and continually calls us back to him.
3. A Life Placed at the Service of the Word: Jerome’s love for Scripture became a service to the entire Church. His work was demanding and sometimes controversial, yet he persevered because he understood that the Word he had received was not his possession. It was a gift entrusted to him for the benefit of others. Pope Francis highlights this missionary dimension of Jerome’s vocation. His study, translation, commentary, and teaching were directed toward helping others encounter God’s Word. His scholarship became an act of charity. By making Scripture more accessible and intelligible, Jerome helped generations of Christians hear the Word of God and come to know Christ. This gives us an important lesson about Christian vocation. God does not give us gifts merely for our own benefit. Whatever abilities, education, experience, or opportunities we possess can become instruments for serving others. A parent can form children in the faith; a teacher can help students discover truth; a business leader can use knowledge and resources to help others flourish; a priest can proclaim God’s Word with clarity and conviction. Every Christian can become, in some way, a servant of the Word. Jerome also reminds us that fidelity requires perseverance. He continued studying, translating, writing, and correcting his work over many years. The disciple who places his hand to the plow cannot allow discouragement or criticism to make him abandon his task. Christ calls us to follow him without looking back. Jerome responded by placing his entire life at the service of Christ and his Word. His life teaches us that authentic discipleship involves both hearing the Word and allowing it to shape our lives. As Pope Francis writes, “Let us make the Bible the guiding light of our lives.” When we do so, we discover that the Word we seek in Scripture is ultimately the Word who calls us to follow him: Jesus Christ.
 
Wednesday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him,  “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Luke 9:57–58
At first, this appears to be an unusual response from our Lord. This person appeared to be committing himself to follow Jesus wherever Jesus led. But rather than complimenting the would-be follower, Jesus indicates that there is nowhere for this man to follow Him. Instead, he would have to follow Him into the unknown. Why would Jesus say this? Did He not want the man to follow Him?
One thing that this passage teaches us is that Jesus was able to read the souls and the intentions of those whom He encountered. Apparently, what the man said was not exactly his true intention. In commenting upon this passage, several Church Fathers point out that the man said what he said not out of a deep desire to follow Christ, but so that he would look good in the eyes of those around Jesus. Jesus knew his true intention, and therefore told the man that if he wanted to follow Him, he would have to follow Him into the unknown. Jesus then spoke to two others about following Him, and each time He challenged them to follow Him without reservation.
The call to follow our Lord is absolute. We cannot halfheartedly follow Him. We cannot follow Him for selfish reasons. The choice to follow our Lord begins with Him calling to us interiorly. We must hear His clear voice and invitation. The invitation we will receive will be one that asks everything of us. Jesus will never call us to give half of our lives to Him, or even most of our lives to Him. His call is one that demands everything. By demanding everything from us, our Lord is actually giving everything to us. We are only made whole when we give everything to Him and follow Him without reserve. This is the starting point.
The choice to follow Jesus will also be done in a certain secrecy. It’s not that we try to hide our choice to follow Him; rather, we must follow Him with the right intentions. We do not do so because we want others to praise us, admire us, or look up to us. We do not do so to boost our spiritual ego. We follow Him because we have heard Him call and have chosen to respond to that call in the way we are called. Therefore, every choice to follow Jesus must begin in the secrecy of our interior life of prayer. Once our commitment is firmly established, it will often become visible to others, but that must never be a motivating factor.
Once we are firmly committed to follow Christ, there must be no turning back. Jesus concludes today’s Gospel by saying, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” The choice to follow Christ requires a death to certain things in our lives. As our journey moves forward, there will be temptations to return to our old ways.
We will remember the delights of past sins, feel the draw to other paths, and might even experience the demand of absolute fidelity to be too much. These experiences must be continuously rejected as temptations and lies. We must never look back to what we gave up and must always look forward to that which our Lord is calling us. Second-guessing our choice to follow Jesus will be a very real temptation at times; therefore, our resolve must never waver.
Reflect, today, upon the depth of your own decision to follow Jesus. First, consider whether or not you have heard this radical and absolute call echo within the depths of your soul. Only there, in the secrecy of your interior life, will you hear God speak. Second, consider your motivations for following Jesus. Do you do so to look good in the eyes of others? Or do you do so out of love of God? Third, consider whether your commitment is total. It is not enough to give most of your life to Christ; He demands everything. Finally, ponder also the fact that there will be many temptations along the way to return to your former sinful way of life. Allow your resolve to eliminate those temptations and continuously recommit yourself to the journey to which you have been called.
My demanding Lord, You have called me to a radical commitment of my entire life to follow You. I hear Your voice and choose to say “yes” to Your invitation. Please free me from all selfish motives in life, and give me the resolve I need to follow You wherever You lead. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Wenesday 26^th week in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I choose this day to follow your Son wherever he goes. I will proclaim your Kingdom in my words and actions. I will continue to work in your vineyard without looking back and produce the good fruit of love, joy, peace, and mercy.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Following Jesus on the Way: In the Gospel, Jesus has begun his final journey to Jerusalem, where he will accomplish his new exodus. As the disciples journey with Jesus along the way, Jesus encounters three different people and teaches on discipleship three times. “The individuals’ final responses are not given, leaving the dialogues open-ended. The effect is to invite readers – other (potential) followers – to apply the sayings to their lives” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 196). The first encounter leads to the teaching that following Jesus as a disciple involves sacrifice and enduring hardships, including the renunciation of a comfortable home life. The second encounter teaches that we cannot delay our response to God’s call through Jesus. “Even family obligations have to be put in proper perspective and at times set aside” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 197). The third encounter teaches that the commitment to Jesus is greater than any other commitment. “Those who follow him must do so unconditionally” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 198). Just as the plowing of a field demands the farmer’s full attention, so also entering into God’s reign demands our full attention and absolute commitment (see Martin, Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, 282).
2. The Figure of Nehemiah: The First Reading introduces us to the figure of Nehemiah. He was the “cup-bearer,” and trusted advisor to the Persian ruler Artaxerxes. The Book of Nehemiah, chapters 1-7, describes the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Chapters 8-13recount the covenant renewal led by the priest-scribe Ezra and the cup-bearer Nehemiah. The First Reading tells us that, in 445 B.C., Nehemiah approached Artaxerxes and asked for his blessing to return to his people in Jerusalem and help restore the city. Artaxerxes readily agreed and sent official letters with him to ensure safe passage back to Judea. Artaxerxes not only sent a supply of lumber with Nehemiah but also appointed him as the governor of the Persian province of Judea (Nehemiah 5:14), a position he would hold for 12 years, from 445 to 433 B.C. The work of Nehemiah in Judea and Jerusalem began thirteen years after Ezra’s initial reform. “Nehemiah himself was a leader of the first rank. He was a strong and wise personality who knew how to mobilize those around him into swift and determined action” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 694). Nehemiah is also a man of God. His life was characterized by prayer and humility. Unlike Ezra, who was a priest, Nehemiah was a layman and civil administrator. “Still this did not prevent God from using him as an effective instrument to bring his people into closer alignment with his will. Nehemiah used his political position for the great advantage of God’s people by enculturating the Torah and applying its standards to Jewish life. It is a testimony to his religious and patriotic zeal that he achieved so much in a community that was slouching toward apathy and growing weak in its faith” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 694).
3. The Little Way of Saint Thérèse: Our saint, today, is Saint Thérèse. She is a Doctor of the Church who advocated the “little way” as a path to holiness. It means trusting in God’s love and abandoning oneself to God’s care like a small child. It emphasizes recognizing and accepting one's own weaknesses and imperfections, not as obstacles, but as ways to be open to God's grace. The Little Way involves doing ordinary, everyday tasks with great love and attention to God, serving others, and practicing virtues like humility and gratitude. The core of Thérèse’s message is the mystery of God as merciful Love. She experienced being the Father’s adoptive child in Jesus. “Through spiritual childhood, one experiences that everything comes from God, returns to him and abides in him, for the salvation of all, in a mystery of merciful love. Such is the doctrinal message taught and lived by this Saint” (Francis, Divini amoris scientia, 8). In addition to spiritual childhood, some key principles of the “Little way” are: 1) embracing your weakness, imperfection, and failings, trusting that God’s love is still present and working through these imperfections; 2) trusting that God’s merciful love will fulfill your desire for holiness and union with God; 3) understanding that true holiness depends not on your worthiness, but on God’s infinite love and desire to work through you; and 4) finding joy in the ordinary, simple, everyday actions by performing them with great care, attention, and love.