Suy Niệm Thứ Hai Tuần 32 Thường Niên
Chúng ta hãy thử tưởng tượng nếu chúng ta là người đã phạm những lỗi lầm với một người nào đó trong gia đình hay với Giáo Hội bảy lần một ngày. Chúng ta có lời xin lỗi mỗi khi chúng ta nhận ra rằng chúng ta đã làm sai. Mỗi khi chúng ta xin lỗi, chúng ta lại được sự tha thứ một cách vô điều kiện. Chúng ta sẽ có cảm giác như thế nào? khi chúng ta là người đã nhiều lần phạm lỗi và xúc phạm đến anh chị em của chúng ta. Chúng ta đã liên tục được sự tha thứ của Thiên Chúa. Bây giờ Thiên Chúa, qua Chúa Giêsu, đã mời gọi chúng ta hãy rộng lượng để tha thứ cho những người khác, như Ngài đã tha thứ cho chúng ta. Để tha thứ là để thiết lập một gương sáng về tình yêu thương trong cộng đồng. Một gương sáng tốt dễ ảnh hưởng đến người khác một cách tích cực và gắn bó cộng đồng, cũng giống như những gương mù gương xấu ảnh hưởng đến những người khác một cách tiêu cực và phân chia cộng đồng. Chúa Giêsu thú nhận rằng điều đó chắc chắn sẽ gây ra tội lỗi. Tội lỗi ảnh hưởng đến người khác cũng như chính mình. Không những chúng ta phải biết chăm lo chính chúng ta đẻ đừnf phạm tội, nhưng điều quan trọng hơn, là chúng ta đừng bao giờ làm gương mù gương xấu đễ đưa anh chị em của chúng ta bắt chước và lâm vào con đường tội lỗi. Hơn nữa, Chúa Giêsu dạy chúng ta phải chủ động và phải biết nêu gương tốt về tình yêu thương, và sự tha thư. Chúng ta có dám tỏ vẻ như một “kẻ Ngốc” mỗi khi chúng ta tha thứ cho những người phạm lỗi hay xúc phạm đến chúng ta rất nhiều lần và chúng ta cứ tiếp tha thứ cho họ mãi mãi? Tuyệt đối là không! Nhưng đây là cách của loài người chúng ta. Lạy Chúa, xin cho chúng con biết rộng lượng và sẵn sàng tha thứ. Xin giúp chúng con Chúa ơi, để chúng con biết tha thứ theo như cách của Chúa, và xin Chúa hãy gia tăng tình yêu thương trong chúng con..
Reflection
(SG)
Imagine you are that brother or sister who has sinned against someone in the family or the Church seven times a day. You apologies every time that you realize that you have been wrong. Every time you apologies, unconditional pardon is given you. How do you feel? We are that person who has repeatedly sinned against our brothers and sisters. We are repeatedly pardoned by God. Now God, through Jesus, is asking us to forgive others, as He has forgiven us.
To forgive is to set an example of love in the community. Good examples affect others positively and bond the community, just as bad examples affect others negatively and divide the community. Jesus admits that things which cause sin will inevitably occur. Sin affects others as well as oneself. Not only should we take care not to sin, but more importantly, we should never lead our brothers and sisters into sinning. Furthermore, Jesus teaches us to be pro-active and set examples of love, by forgiving. Would I appear to be a fool in forgiving serial sinners? Absolutely! But this is the Pascal way. Lord, give me the desire to forgive. Help me to forgive in Your way, and increase the scope of my love.
Monday of the Thirty-second
Week in Ordinary Time 2026
And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Luke 17:5–6
In the first part of today’s Gospel, Jesus instructs the Apostles to avoid scandal, correct the sinner with charity, and forgive without limit. This is a high calling and was especially troubling for the Twelve. While we are more familiar with Jesus’ radical demands of love and mercy, His first followers in first-century Israel found these teachings far beyond their cultural and religious expectations. Understandably, the Apostles were overwhelmed. As they listened, they did what many of us do: They reflected inwardly, recognized how far they were from this ideal and realized how difficult it would be to get there. So, with humility, they cried out, “Increase our faith.” It was the perfect prayer for the moment, and it reveals several important truths about growing in God’s grace.
First, if we are to grow in faith, we must allow the Gospel to challenge us. Because it calls us to perfection, the Gospel will always confront us with its clarity and purity. When we truly listen, we experience a deep inner conviction—a humble awareness of where God is calling us and how far we are from that ideal.
When a humble heart hears the voice of God and acknowledges the challenge it presents, a choice must be made. Either we join the Apostles in praying, “Increase our faith,” or we give in to discouragement and stop listening.
In truth, it is much easier to stop listening than to change. That refusal can become a habit. Many go through life content with the level of sanctity they’ve reached, never pressing forward toward the perfection to which they are called.
But those who seek greater holiness will constantly examine themselves in the light of truth. Their lives become a continual process of conviction of sin and disordered attachments, prayer for grace, purification, and then a renewed attentiveness to God’s voice—ever deeper, ever more exacting, and ever more transforming.
This journey is clearly laid out by many of the great mystical theologians of our Church, especially the mystical Doctors, such as Saints John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila, and Bonaventure. They describe the long road of purification we must travel to more fully perfect our souls, become instruments of divine grace, and ultimately share more fully in eternal glory among the Celestial Hosts.
The good news in today’s Gospel is that this perfection is possible. In response to the Apostles’ plea for greater faith, Jesus assures them that even faith the size of a mustard seed is enough. That seed, though tiny, holds immense potential. So it is with faith that is pure, planted in the good soil of an open heart, and nourished daily through prayer and the Sacraments. Such faith will grow and suffice for ongoing conversion.
Jesus adds that with such faith, one could say to a mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey. While not necessarily literal, this striking metaphor points to the spiritual power of faith. Mulberry trees were known for their deep and expansive root systems, making them difficult to uproot. Jesus is saying that even the most entrenched obstacles—sins, fears, habits—can be removed through authentic faith. When this happens on a regular basis, Jesus’ high calling is no longer overwhelming; it is encouraging, inviting, exciting, and hopeful.
Reflect today on what Jesus is asking of you. Do you allow His words to challenge you? Do you hear Him calling you beyond your current level of holiness? When you hear that call, do you join the Apostles in humbly praying, “Increase our faith”? Begin by letting the Gospel challenge you; rejoice when you sense that challenge. Then move forward with the little faith you have, confident that your commitment to ongoing prayer, charity, and participation in the Sacraments will nourish your faith and enable you to become the person God calls you to be.
My demanding Lord, You call me to the holiness of perfection. Please open my ears to hear Your voice, and grant me the courage and faith I need to respond. Increase my faith, Lord, and help it to grow, so that every sin and attachment clinging to my soul may be uprooted and cast into the depths of Your mercy. Immerse me, instead, in the boundless sea of Your grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
Monday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, cleanse your temple and fill it with your Holy Spirit. Wash me in the Blood of your Son and purify my soul. May my prayer rise before you like incense, and may my life become a living sacrifice, united to the sacrifice of Christ. Help me to honor your presence within me and recognize your Spirit dwelling in others.
1. Ezekiel and the Vision of the New Temple: The Lateran Basilica is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. Its annual commemoration celebrates its dedication in the fourth century by Pope Sylvester and serves as a sign of our communion with the See of Peter. The readings for this feast invite us to contemplate the mystery of the Temple and its fulfillment in the New Covenant. The First Reading comes from the prophet Ezekiel, who devotes the final chapters of his book to a vision of the restoration of God’s people. At the center of this vision is a New Temple from which a supernatural river of water flows. This imagery recalls the four rivers that flowed out of the original Garden of Eden, watering the earth. In fact, one of the springs in Jerusalem was named Gihon, after one of Eden’s four rivers. Ezekiel’s vision, however, looks beyond the restoration of the earthly Jerusalem and anticipates the life-giving presence of God among his people. The river flowing from the New Temple transforms the land, making even the waters of the Dead Sea fresh and bringing life wherever it flows. This prophecy finds its fulfillment in the Church, which is the true Temple from which the grace of the Holy Spirit flows forth as a life-giving river through the sacraments (see Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1442).
Monday of the
Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” Luke 17:1–2
Having a millstone placed around your neck and thrown into the sea is very descriptive. Jesus is using very evocative language. A millstone was a large round stone with a hole in the center. If it were placed around someone’s neck and they were thrown into the sea, they would obviously sink to the bottom and die. Thus, Jesus is clearly stating that this awful fate is actually better than the fate of those who cause “one of these little ones to sin.”
First of all, it should be clarified that no one can actually cause us to sin. Sin is our own free choice, and we, and we alone, will be held accountable for our own sin. One thing that Jesus is pointing out here is that even though every person must take responsibility for their own actions and their own sins, we must also take responsibility for the ways that we act as tempters of others. We are all sinners. Therefore, by our sin, we will all tempt others to sin also. Sometimes we will tempt people to sin by provoking them to anger. At other times we will tempt others to sin by setting a poor example. And on the contrary, we also have the ability to “tempt” people to virtue. Or more properly speaking, to inspire and encourage them.
With that said, Jesus explains that the fate of those who act as tempters of others, especially the “little ones,” will suffer consequences graver than an untimely death. The little ones of which Jesus speaks should be understood as those who are weak in faith, overly sensitive, particularly vulnerable at that time in their life, and susceptible to outside influence. This could be a child, or it could be someone who is currently teetering on the edge of despair, confusion, anger, or any serious sin. When you encounter people like this, how do you treat them? Jesus has a deep heart of compassion for these people and wants us to have the same depth of compassion. But sometimes we fail. We may be negligent in our duty to reach out to them. Even this negligence could be a form of causing “one of these little ones to sin.” Of course, it is even far worse if we were to actively agitate them, harshly judge them, provoke their anger, draw them into some sin of weakness and false consolation by our temptation, etc. The simple truth is that Jesus loves those who are weak, vulnerable and sinful, and He wants us to love them with His heart. When we fail to do so, Jesus will hold us accountable for their further fall from grace.
Reflect, today, upon the person or persons in your life that appear especially vulnerable, sinful, confused and lost at this time. Who is it that struggles with anger, or an addiction or some sinful lifestyle? Ponder your attitude toward them. Are you judgmental, condemning, belittling and the like? Do you tempt them to fall further into any sins of weakness they commit in a vulnerable state, thus leading them into further sin? Or, when you encounter someone who is greatly struggling, do you turn to them with the deepest compassion and mercy, forgiving any ways that they may sin against you, and work hard only to be there for them in their need, no matter how hard it is on you? Commit yourself to a profound love of all of God’s “little ones” and seek to serve them with the heart of Christ so that one day they will eternally rejoice with you in Heaven.
My most compassionate Lord, You love the sinner and deeply desire that they turn to You in their need. Please give me Your heart of compassion so that I will be free to love them as You love them. May I never become an instrument of temptation for them to fall further away from You but, instead, become an instrument of Your unfailing mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.
Monday 32nd in
Ordinary Time 2024
1. Sin and Forgiveness: The Gospel of Luke today contains three lessons drawn from the parables and teachings Jesus has just given. The first lesson is about scandal. Scandals or “things that cause sin” are “moral stumbling blocks that lead others to do evil” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 290). Scandalous behavior, Jesus teaches, will inevitably occur throughout the centuries. Earlier, Jesus pronounced a woe on the Pharisees and the Scholars of the Law who, through their hypocrisy, were sinning and causing others to sin (Luke 11:37-54). Here, he pronounces a woe on the one through whom scandals occur. Jesus is warning his disciples not to behave like the Pharisees. The second lesson is about the need to forgive without limits. This is a lesson drawn from the parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son (15:1-32). When the lost coin is found, when the lost sheep is brought back into the fold, when the prodigal son returns, when the person who has sinned against us encounters us, forgiveness, merciful love, and restoration are what they need from us.
Chúng ta hãy thử tưởng tượng nếu chúng ta là người đã phạm những lỗi lầm với một người nào đó trong gia đình hay với Giáo Hội bảy lần một ngày. Chúng ta có lời xin lỗi mỗi khi chúng ta nhận ra rằng chúng ta đã làm sai. Mỗi khi chúng ta xin lỗi, chúng ta lại được sự tha thứ một cách vô điều kiện. Chúng ta sẽ có cảm giác như thế nào? khi chúng ta là người đã nhiều lần phạm lỗi và xúc phạm đến anh chị em của chúng ta. Chúng ta đã liên tục được sự tha thứ của Thiên Chúa. Bây giờ Thiên Chúa, qua Chúa Giêsu, đã mời gọi chúng ta hãy rộng lượng để tha thứ cho những người khác, như Ngài đã tha thứ cho chúng ta. Để tha thứ là để thiết lập một gương sáng về tình yêu thương trong cộng đồng. Một gương sáng tốt dễ ảnh hưởng đến người khác một cách tích cực và gắn bó cộng đồng, cũng giống như những gương mù gương xấu ảnh hưởng đến những người khác một cách tiêu cực và phân chia cộng đồng. Chúa Giêsu thú nhận rằng điều đó chắc chắn sẽ gây ra tội lỗi. Tội lỗi ảnh hưởng đến người khác cũng như chính mình. Không những chúng ta phải biết chăm lo chính chúng ta đẻ đừnf phạm tội, nhưng điều quan trọng hơn, là chúng ta đừng bao giờ làm gương mù gương xấu đễ đưa anh chị em của chúng ta bắt chước và lâm vào con đường tội lỗi. Hơn nữa, Chúa Giêsu dạy chúng ta phải chủ động và phải biết nêu gương tốt về tình yêu thương, và sự tha thư. Chúng ta có dám tỏ vẻ như một “kẻ Ngốc” mỗi khi chúng ta tha thứ cho những người phạm lỗi hay xúc phạm đến chúng ta rất nhiều lần và chúng ta cứ tiếp tha thứ cho họ mãi mãi? Tuyệt đối là không! Nhưng đây là cách của loài người chúng ta. Lạy Chúa, xin cho chúng con biết rộng lượng và sẵn sàng tha thứ. Xin giúp chúng con Chúa ơi, để chúng con biết tha thứ theo như cách của Chúa, và xin Chúa hãy gia tăng tình yêu thương trong chúng con..
Imagine you are that brother or sister who has sinned against someone in the family or the Church seven times a day. You apologies every time that you realize that you have been wrong. Every time you apologies, unconditional pardon is given you. How do you feel? We are that person who has repeatedly sinned against our brothers and sisters. We are repeatedly pardoned by God. Now God, through Jesus, is asking us to forgive others, as He has forgiven us.
To forgive is to set an example of love in the community. Good examples affect others positively and bond the community, just as bad examples affect others negatively and divide the community. Jesus admits that things which cause sin will inevitably occur. Sin affects others as well as oneself. Not only should we take care not to sin, but more importantly, we should never lead our brothers and sisters into sinning. Furthermore, Jesus teaches us to be pro-active and set examples of love, by forgiving. Would I appear to be a fool in forgiving serial sinners? Absolutely! But this is the Pascal way. Lord, give me the desire to forgive. Help me to forgive in Your way, and increase the scope of my love.
And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Luke 17:5–6
In the first part of today’s Gospel, Jesus instructs the Apostles to avoid scandal, correct the sinner with charity, and forgive without limit. This is a high calling and was especially troubling for the Twelve. While we are more familiar with Jesus’ radical demands of love and mercy, His first followers in first-century Israel found these teachings far beyond their cultural and religious expectations. Understandably, the Apostles were overwhelmed. As they listened, they did what many of us do: They reflected inwardly, recognized how far they were from this ideal and realized how difficult it would be to get there. So, with humility, they cried out, “Increase our faith.” It was the perfect prayer for the moment, and it reveals several important truths about growing in God’s grace.
First, if we are to grow in faith, we must allow the Gospel to challenge us. Because it calls us to perfection, the Gospel will always confront us with its clarity and purity. When we truly listen, we experience a deep inner conviction—a humble awareness of where God is calling us and how far we are from that ideal.
When a humble heart hears the voice of God and acknowledges the challenge it presents, a choice must be made. Either we join the Apostles in praying, “Increase our faith,” or we give in to discouragement and stop listening.
In truth, it is much easier to stop listening than to change. That refusal can become a habit. Many go through life content with the level of sanctity they’ve reached, never pressing forward toward the perfection to which they are called.
But those who seek greater holiness will constantly examine themselves in the light of truth. Their lives become a continual process of conviction of sin and disordered attachments, prayer for grace, purification, and then a renewed attentiveness to God’s voice—ever deeper, ever more exacting, and ever more transforming.
This journey is clearly laid out by many of the great mystical theologians of our Church, especially the mystical Doctors, such as Saints John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila, and Bonaventure. They describe the long road of purification we must travel to more fully perfect our souls, become instruments of divine grace, and ultimately share more fully in eternal glory among the Celestial Hosts.
The good news in today’s Gospel is that this perfection is possible. In response to the Apostles’ plea for greater faith, Jesus assures them that even faith the size of a mustard seed is enough. That seed, though tiny, holds immense potential. So it is with faith that is pure, planted in the good soil of an open heart, and nourished daily through prayer and the Sacraments. Such faith will grow and suffice for ongoing conversion.
Jesus adds that with such faith, one could say to a mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey. While not necessarily literal, this striking metaphor points to the spiritual power of faith. Mulberry trees were known for their deep and expansive root systems, making them difficult to uproot. Jesus is saying that even the most entrenched obstacles—sins, fears, habits—can be removed through authentic faith. When this happens on a regular basis, Jesus’ high calling is no longer overwhelming; it is encouraging, inviting, exciting, and hopeful.
Reflect today on what Jesus is asking of you. Do you allow His words to challenge you? Do you hear Him calling you beyond your current level of holiness? When you hear that call, do you join the Apostles in humbly praying, “Increase our faith”? Begin by letting the Gospel challenge you; rejoice when you sense that challenge. Then move forward with the little faith you have, confident that your commitment to ongoing prayer, charity, and participation in the Sacraments will nourish your faith and enable you to become the person God calls you to be.
My demanding Lord, You call me to the holiness of perfection. Please open my ears to hear Your voice, and grant me the courage and faith I need to respond. Increase my faith, Lord, and help it to grow, so that every sin and attachment clinging to my soul may be uprooted and cast into the depths of Your mercy. Immerse me, instead, in the boundless sea of Your grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, cleanse your temple and fill it with your Holy Spirit. Wash me in the Blood of your Son and purify my soul. May my prayer rise before you like incense, and may my life become a living sacrifice, united to the sacrifice of Christ. Help me to honor your presence within me and recognize your Spirit dwelling in others.
1. Ezekiel and the Vision of the New Temple: The Lateran Basilica is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. Its annual commemoration celebrates its dedication in the fourth century by Pope Sylvester and serves as a sign of our communion with the See of Peter. The readings for this feast invite us to contemplate the mystery of the Temple and its fulfillment in the New Covenant. The First Reading comes from the prophet Ezekiel, who devotes the final chapters of his book to a vision of the restoration of God’s people. At the center of this vision is a New Temple from which a supernatural river of water flows. This imagery recalls the four rivers that flowed out of the original Garden of Eden, watering the earth. In fact, one of the springs in Jerusalem was named Gihon, after one of Eden’s four rivers. Ezekiel’s vision, however, looks beyond the restoration of the earthly Jerusalem and anticipates the life-giving presence of God among his people. The river flowing from the New Temple transforms the land, making even the waters of the Dead Sea fresh and bringing life wherever it flows. This prophecy finds its fulfillment in the Church, which is the true Temple from which the grace of the Holy Spirit flows forth as a life-giving river through the sacraments (see Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1442).
Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” Luke 17:1–2
Having a millstone placed around your neck and thrown into the sea is very descriptive. Jesus is using very evocative language. A millstone was a large round stone with a hole in the center. If it were placed around someone’s neck and they were thrown into the sea, they would obviously sink to the bottom and die. Thus, Jesus is clearly stating that this awful fate is actually better than the fate of those who cause “one of these little ones to sin.”
First of all, it should be clarified that no one can actually cause us to sin. Sin is our own free choice, and we, and we alone, will be held accountable for our own sin. One thing that Jesus is pointing out here is that even though every person must take responsibility for their own actions and their own sins, we must also take responsibility for the ways that we act as tempters of others. We are all sinners. Therefore, by our sin, we will all tempt others to sin also. Sometimes we will tempt people to sin by provoking them to anger. At other times we will tempt others to sin by setting a poor example. And on the contrary, we also have the ability to “tempt” people to virtue. Or more properly speaking, to inspire and encourage them.
With that said, Jesus explains that the fate of those who act as tempters of others, especially the “little ones,” will suffer consequences graver than an untimely death. The little ones of which Jesus speaks should be understood as those who are weak in faith, overly sensitive, particularly vulnerable at that time in their life, and susceptible to outside influence. This could be a child, or it could be someone who is currently teetering on the edge of despair, confusion, anger, or any serious sin. When you encounter people like this, how do you treat them? Jesus has a deep heart of compassion for these people and wants us to have the same depth of compassion. But sometimes we fail. We may be negligent in our duty to reach out to them. Even this negligence could be a form of causing “one of these little ones to sin.” Of course, it is even far worse if we were to actively agitate them, harshly judge them, provoke their anger, draw them into some sin of weakness and false consolation by our temptation, etc. The simple truth is that Jesus loves those who are weak, vulnerable and sinful, and He wants us to love them with His heart. When we fail to do so, Jesus will hold us accountable for their further fall from grace.
Reflect, today, upon the person or persons in your life that appear especially vulnerable, sinful, confused and lost at this time. Who is it that struggles with anger, or an addiction or some sinful lifestyle? Ponder your attitude toward them. Are you judgmental, condemning, belittling and the like? Do you tempt them to fall further into any sins of weakness they commit in a vulnerable state, thus leading them into further sin? Or, when you encounter someone who is greatly struggling, do you turn to them with the deepest compassion and mercy, forgiving any ways that they may sin against you, and work hard only to be there for them in their need, no matter how hard it is on you? Commit yourself to a profound love of all of God’s “little ones” and seek to serve them with the heart of Christ so that one day they will eternally rejoice with you in Heaven.
My most compassionate Lord, You love the sinner and deeply desire that they turn to You in their need. Please give me Your heart of compassion so that I will be free to love them as You love them. May I never become an instrument of temptation for them to fall further away from You but, instead, become an instrument of Your unfailing mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.
1. Sin and Forgiveness: The Gospel of Luke today contains three lessons drawn from the parables and teachings Jesus has just given. The first lesson is about scandal. Scandals or “things that cause sin” are “moral stumbling blocks that lead others to do evil” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 290). Scandalous behavior, Jesus teaches, will inevitably occur throughout the centuries. Earlier, Jesus pronounced a woe on the Pharisees and the Scholars of the Law who, through their hypocrisy, were sinning and causing others to sin (Luke 11:37-54). Here, he pronounces a woe on the one through whom scandals occur. Jesus is warning his disciples not to behave like the Pharisees. The second lesson is about the need to forgive without limits. This is a lesson drawn from the parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son (15:1-32). When the lost coin is found, when the lost sheep is brought back into the fold, when the prodigal son returns, when the person who has sinned against us encounters us, forgiveness, merciful love, and restoration are what they need from us.
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