Chia sẻ Lời Chúa

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ bẩy Tuần 12Thường Niên-

uy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ bẩy Tuần 12Thường Niên- Gn 18:1-15, Mt 8:5-17

“Thưa Ngài, tôi chẳng đáng Ngài vào nhà tôi, nhưng xin Ngài chỉ nói một lời là đầy tớ tôi được khỏi bệnh” Tin Mừng hôm nay, nói về tình yêu của vị chỉ huy có uy quyền, tự tin, nhưng có một đức tin khiêm nhường. Mối quan tâm sâu sắc của ông đối với tôi tớ của ông, Ông rất lo lắng về người tôi tớ của mình, và trước cử chỉ khiêm tốn (thấp hèn) khi ông ta đến Chúa Giêsu để xin cứu chưa cho người đầy tớ của ông, Vị chỉ huy này tự nhận thấy thân phận của mình thấp hèn trước mặt Chúa và cảm thấy bản thân mình bất xứng, ông thể hiện đức tin của mình trước mặt Chúa Giêsu và trước mặt tất cả những người có mặt, Chính vì đức tin và tấm lòng khiêm nhường đó mà Chúa Giêsu đã hứa chữa lành cho người đầy tớ của ông ta. Chúng ta có thể tự hỏi điều gì thúc đẩy Chúa Giêsu đã làm cho phép lạ đê cứu ngươi đấy tớ của ông này. Chúng ta hay thường cầu xin Chúa nhưng ít khi được chúa ban ơn cho những gì mình xin, mặc dù chúng ta biết Ngài là luôn luôn lắng nghe! Vậy, tại sao Chúa không ban cho chúng ta những gì chúng ta xin?

Có phải là chúng ta đã cầu xin Chúa không đúng cách, như cách cầu xin của vị chỉ huy trên đã làm ? Lời cầu nguyện của ông không ích kỷ, nhưng rất khiêm nhường, tỏ lòng biết thương yêu người dưới quyền và tự tin. Thánh Phêrô Crysologus nói: “Sức mạnh của tình yêu không xem xét khả năng (...). Tình yêu không phân biệt cũng không cân nhắc, tình yêu không cần hiểu lý do, Tình yêu không từ chối trước khi bất khả, cũng không dừng bước trước những khó khăn đe dọa”. Đó có phải là những lời cầu nguyện của chúng ta?

“Tôi chẳng đáng Chúa vào nhà của tôi ...” (Mt 08:08). Đây là câu trả lời của vị chỉ huy, Chúng ta có cảm thấy thế nào khi nghe một người chỉ huy quân đội có bao nhiêu uy quyền trong tay mà nói với Chúa một câu như thế này? Niềm tin của chúng ta có được như thế? Thánh Maximus nói: “Chỉ có đức tin mới có thể giải thích bí ẩn này. Đức tin đúng là kiến thức, là sự hiểu biết sâu rộng. Đức tin là các căn nguyên vượt qua tầm hiểu biết của con người, vì đức tin thực sự làm cho chúng ta những điều vượt quá trí tuệ và sự hiểu biết”. Nếu đức tin của chúng ta được như vậy, Chúng ta sẽ chỉ cần nghe: “Con cứ về đi! con tin thế nào thì được như vậy! “Và ngay giờ đó, người đầy tớ được khỏi bệnh. »(Mt 08:13

Meditation:

What kind of faith and trust does the Lord Jesus want you to place in him? In Jesus’ time the Jews hated the Romans because they represented everything the Jews stood against – including pagan beliefs and idol worship, immoral practices such as abortion and infanticide, and the suppression of the Israelites' claim to be a holy nation governed solely by God's law. It must have been a remarkable sight for the Jewish residents of Capernaum to see Jesus’ conversing with an officer of the Roman army. Why did Jesus not only warmly receive a Roman centurion but praise him as a model of faith and confidence in God? In the Roman world the position of centurion was very important. He was an officer in charge of a hundred soldiers. In a certain sense, he was the backbone of the Roman army, the cement which held the army together. Polybius, an ancient write, describes what a centurion should be: "They must not be so much venturesome seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when hard pressed, they must be ready to hold their ground, and die at their posts."

The centurion who approached Jesus was not only courageous, but faith-filled as well. He risked the ridicule of his cronies by seeking help from an itinerant preacher from Galilee, and well as mockery from the Jews. Nonetheless, he approached Jesus with confidence and humility. He was an extraordinary man because he loved his slave. In the Roman world slaves were treated like animals rather than people. The centurion was also an extraordinary man of faith. He wanted Jesus to heal his beloved slave. Jesus commends him for his faith and immediately grants him his request.

Are you willing to suffer ridicule in the practice of your faith? And when you need help, do you approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith? “Heavenly Father, you sent us your Son Jesus that we might be freed from the tyranny of sin and death. Increase my faith in the power of your saving word and give me freedom to love and serve others with generosity and mercy as you have loved me.”

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him. Matthew 8:14–15

How do we properly respond to the action of God in our lives? In the passage above, we are given the witness of Peter’s mother-in-law to answer that question. It should be noted that Jesus was on a continual mission of healing. In fact, before arriving at the house of Peter, Jesus had just healed a centurion’s servant. When the centurion came to Jesus stating that he was not even worthy to have Him enter his house, Jesus saw the centurion’s faith and healed his servant from a distance. After arriving at the house of Peter, we are told that many people brought to Jesus those who were possessed by demons, and Jesus healed them all. But between the healing of the servant and the healings of the many, another healing occurred. The response to this healing sets for us a wonderful example.

Peter’s mother-in-law was ill and in bed with a fever. It’s unclear just how ill she was, but the fact remains that she was ill to the point of being in bed. Notice, first, that Jesus was not even asked to heal her. Rather, He “saw” her ill and in bed, approached her of His own choosing, “touched her hand,” and she was healed. Within the same sentence describing Jesus’ healing, we are told that “she rose and waited on him.” First of all, “she rose.” This should be seen as a symbolic depiction of what we must do when we are touched by grace. The grace of God, when it is given to us, must have the effect of causing us to rise. We rise from sin when we confess that sin and receive forgiveness, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We rise up every time God enters our lives to give us direction, clarity and hope. To rise is to be strengthened to dispel the burden that sin and confusion causes. We rise in strength, renewed and determined to go about the will of God.

After this woman rose, she “waited” on Jesus. This is the reason we rise up when touched by grace. We are not given God’s grace so that we can go back to our sin, or pursue our own ventures, or do our own will. We rise so that we can serve our Lord and His holy will. In a sense, Jesus’ actions in our lives impose upon us a holy burden. But it is a burden that is light. It’s an obligation to serve and give ourselves to our Lord to attend to Him, His holy will, and to all that He calls us to do.

Reflect, today, upon this threefold action of the Gospel. See Jesus approaching you and touching you in your prayer. Know that He comes to you not only because you pray to Him but out of His own initiative when He sees you will respond. Then consider your response. Rise from that which keeps you down. Let God’s grace free you from the burdens you carry. And as He grants you this grace, determine to wait on Him and to serve His will alone. The service of our Lord is what we are made for, and doing so will enable us to continually receive His grace through His touch of love.

My merciful Jesus, You continually come to me, approaching me to reach out and touch me with Your grace. You desire my healing and strengthening every day. Help me to be open to all that You wish to bestow and please free me from all that keeps me down. May I rise up in service of You and Your holy will so that Your Kingdom may be built up more fully through me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have done marvelous things and performed wondrous deeds. All creation is a hymn to your power and awesomeness. Human history is a testament to your unfailing love. You sent your Son to redeem us and your Spirit to sanctify us. Help me to respond to your love and praise you for all eternity.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Ten Plagues: The section in Matthew’s Gospel that follows the Sermon on the Mount is a narrative of ten mighty deeds that Jesus did. In this way, Matthew recalls the ten “mighty deeds” of Moses in Egypt. The number ten also makes us think of the ten rebellions of Israel in the desert. Despite seeing the mighty deeds of the Lord mediated by Moses, the people of Israel were slow to believe and hard of heart. The same thing – ten mighty deeds followed by hardness of heart – happens in the Gospel of Matthew. When Moses performed the ten plagues in Egypt, the Book of Exodus often remarks that Pharaoh hardened his heart or that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. When Pharaoh saw that the Nile River, which was worshipped as a god, was turned to blood, this indicated that YHWH, the God of Moses, was more powerful than the Egyptian god. Effectively, the first of ten plagues demonstrated that the Lord God slew the Nile River. Each of the ten plagues, then, manifested that the Lord God was the true God of the universe and that the Egyptian gods were false gods. And yet, each time an Egyptian god was vanquished, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to believe.

2. Ten Rebellions: The hardness of heart manifested by Pharaoh was also manifested by the people of Israel in the desert. The book of Numbers records ten rebellions of Israel in the desert. They saw the same things that Pharaoh did and even more. Moses struck the rock and gave them water. Manna descended in the morning from the heavens, and the people had bread. Quail was given to them in abundance. They were healed from the bite of seraph serpents when they looked at the staff Moses set up. Leprosy was miraculously cured in the community. A pillar of cloud led them through the desert by day, and a pillar of fire led them and protected them by night. The sea was parted for them and rushed in upon Pharaoh’s army. And yet, despite these mighty works, the people of Israel rebelled. They saw the great things that the Lord did for them, and they refused to believe.

3. Ten Mighty Deeds: We see a similar history played out in the Gospel. Just as Pharaoh refused to believe when he saw the ten plagues, and just as many of the people in the wilderness refused to believe when they saw the great things Moses did through the Lord’s power, so also, the Pharisees conclude the section on Jesus’ ten mighty deeds with a refusal to believe and a diabolical accusation. Unlike the crowds, who respond, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel (Matthew 9:33), the Pharisees allege that Jesus’ miracles are the result of demonic power: “He drives out demons by the prince of demons” (Matthew 9:34). Jesus is acting like a New Moses; the Pharisees are acting like new Pharaohs. And just as Pharaoh sought to kill Moses and the Israelites, the Pharisees will plot to kill Jesus and his followers.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, work your mighty deeds in my life. May I have the faith of the centurion and recognize my unworthiness to have you dwell in the home of my heart. When I experience your healing power, may I be like Peter’s mother-in-law, who ministered to all those in her care.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ bẩy Tuần 12Thường Niên- Gn 18:1-15, Mt 8:5-17

Lời Nguyện: Lạy Chúa Giêsu, khi chúng con bước vào giờ cầu nguyện này, chúng con xin Chúa ban cho chúng con có được một đức tin sâu sắc hơn và nồng nhiệt hơn vào Chúa. Đối với Chúa, tất cả mọi thứ đều có thể; biến đổi và chữa lành vết thương của trái tim chúng con.

Gặp gỡ Chúa Kitô:

Đến gần Chúa Giê-su:

“Một người sĩ quan quân đội Lamã đến gần Chúa Giêsu và cầu xin Ngài.” Chúa Giêsu là luôn dễ tiếp cận. người sĩ quan này không ngại đến với Chúa và chúng ta cũng vậy. Sự hiện thân này chỉ dạy cho chúng ta bài học này là Thiên Chúa đã trở thành người để Ngài có thể dễ tiếp cận con con người chúng ta hơn, Giữa chúng ta và Thiên Chúa không khoảng cách xa vời nữa. Chúng ta là con cái của Ngài, không những chỉ là những người dân sống trên trái đất.

Khi còn nhỏ, chúng ta có đặc ân đến với Chúa Giêsu với bất cứ điều gì chúng ta có trong lòng. Vậy tại sao đôi khi chúng ta lại ngần ngại không mang đến cho Chúa bất cứ điều gì trong tâm hồn và lòng trí của chúng ta, dù lớn hay nhỏ? Một đứa trẻ có thể ngụy trang được nhu cầu chăm sóc, yêu thương hoặc tình cảm của mình không? Vì thế chúng ta cũng không nên dấu diếu Thiên Chúa những gì gì trong lòng của chúng ta.

Những Lời Vượt Thời Gian:

“Lạy Chúa, con không xứng đáng để Chúa vào nhà của con; nhưng xin Chúa phán mộ lời… ”Bằng những lời này, vị sĩ quan Lamã đã tỏ lộ đức tin của ông ta vào Chúa Giê-su và cho dù ông ta có uy quyền đối với những người khác, nhưng ông ta không tự phụ, mà còn khiêm tốn. Ông tin rằng Chúa Giê-su có thể chữa lành người tôi tớ của ông chỉ bằng một lời nói. Ông ta không cho rằng ông ta xứng đáng để Chúa Giêsu đến nhà mình; Ông ta không phải là người Do Thái mà là lính Lamã mà dân Do Thái rất ghét sợ. Chúa Giê-su đã nhận ra những đức tin và lòng khiêm tốn này nơi anh ta: “Quả thật, Ta bảo các ngươi, Ta không thấy một lòng tin mạnh mẽ như vậy trong Israel.”.

Chúng ta có đức tin và lòng khiêm tốn này khi chúng ta nói chuyện với Chúa Giê-su không?

Quyền năng của Đấng Christ:

“Ngài trừ thần dữ bằng một lời nói và chữa lành hết mọi người ốm đau." Chúa Giê-su có thể hoạt động trong cuộc sống của những người có đức tin và lòng khiêm tốn. Khi chúng ta phó thác mọi sự cho Chúa và để Ngàihoàn toà làm chủ cuộc sống của chúng ta, thì Ngài có thể làm những điều đáng kinh ngạc trong cuộc sống của chúng ta. Không chỉ chữa lành bệnh tật về thể chất của chúng ta, mà Chúa Giêsu còn muốn chữa lành chúng ta về mặt tinh thần vì tâm hồn của chúng ta là nơi thường xuyên bị tổn thương nhiểu nhất.

Điều quan trọng là chúng ta phải mở lòng đón nhận sự chữa lành hoàn toàn của Ngài, để nhờ lời Ngài mà chúng ta thoát khỏi mọi hình thức trói buộc hoặc những thói quen xấu, và giúp chúng ta có được khả năng biết yêu thương và phục vụ Ngài một cách tự do. Tất cả chúng ta cần phải phó thác các khía cạnh trong cuộc sống của mình cho Chúa Giêsu.

Đối thoại với Đấng Christ:

Lạy Chúa, hơn bất cứ điều gì, Ngài muốn phục hồi con để kết hợp hoàn hảo với chính Ngài. Con cũng muốn điều đó. Xin giúp con gạt bỏ niềm kiêu hãnh của mình sang một bên và mở rộng trái tim hoàn toàn đón nhận sự hàn gắn của Chúa để con có thể cảm nghiệm được trọn vẹn tình yêu trong Chúa.

Lạy Chúa, hôm nay nhờ ân điển của Chúa, con sẽ thực hiện một hành động chân thành của đức tin, đầu hàng một điều gì đó rất khó khăn đối với con.

Saturday 12th in Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: Dear Jesus, as I enter this time of prayer, I ask you to grant me a deeper and more ardent faith in you. For you, all things are possible; transform and heal the wounds of my heart.

Encountering Christ:

Approaching Jesus: “A centurion approached him and appealed to him.” Jesus is always approachable. The centurion wasn’t afraid to come to him and neither should we be. The incarnation teaches us just this lesson. God became man so that he could be more accessible, not distant. We are his children, not simply land-dwellers. As children, we have the privilege of coming to Jesus with whatever is on our heart. So why do we sometimes hesitate to bring him whatever is on our mind, on our heart, big or small? Does a child disguise his or her need for care, love, or affection? Nor should we.

Timeless Words: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word…” By these words, the centurion revealed that he had faith in Jesus and that, despite his authority over others, he wasn’t presumptuous, but humble. He believed that Jesus could heal by saying only a word. He didn’t presume that he was worthy to have Jesus come to his home; he was a non-Jew. Jesus recognized these qualities in him: “In no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Do we have this kind of faith and humility when we talk to Jesus?

The Power of Christ: “He drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick.” Jesus can work in the lives of those with faith and humility. When we surrender to him and get out of the way–as it were–he can do amazing things in our lives. More than just healing our physical ailments, Jesus wants to heal us spiritually because that’s where the greatest damage is all-too-often present. It is important that we open ourselves up to his complete healing, so that at his word we are free from all forms of bondage or addiction, and are made capable of loving and serving him in freedom. We all need to surrender aspects of our lives to Jesus. What holds us back today?

Conversing with Christ: My Lord, more than anything, you want to restore me to perfect union with yourself. I want that too. Help me to put aside my pride and to open my heart fully to your healing touch so that I may experience the fullness of your love and divine friendship.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ bẩy Tuần 12Thường Niên

Đôi khi chúng tôi nghĩ rằng các vị tiên tri thời Cựu ước thường hay mang những lời tiêu cực tới cho dân Do Thái, nhưng những lời huấn dụ gay gắt của Thiên Chúa qua các tiên tri thường là những lời cảnh báo luôn đi kèm với những lời khuyến khích họ sữa đổi để tìm đến niềm hy vọng trong sự tha thứ của Thiên Chúa. Vì Thiên Chúa không thể quên được chính mình và những thứ thuộc về Ngài, Con Người chúng ta thuộc về Thiên Chúa và được Ngài yêu thương vì chính chúng ta đã được tạo nên trong chính hình ảnh của Ngài, vì thế Ngài không bao giờ có ý định tiêu diệt con người bao giờ hết,Nhưng Thiên Chúa luôn làm việc, và luôn có những kế hoạch mới cho cuộc sống của chúng ta trong tương lai. Điều quan trọng là chúng ta không nên để cho những sự tuyệt vọng hay những tiêu cực xâm chiếm tâm hồn của chúng ta khi chúng ta gặp phải những khó khăn; hãy tránh những sự buồn tủi hay hoài nghi vì cả hai thứ này đều là kẻ thù của chúng ta và chúng muốn tìm cách hủy hoại tâm hồn chúng ta, Đây giờ là những lúc của sự đấu tranh, vì thế chúng ta cần phải biết dùng thời gian này để cầu nguyên, để cũng cố đức tin của chúng ta trong niểm hy vọng, Thiên Chúa không bao giờ ngủ và bỏ quên chúng ta.

Nếu như chúng ta chỉ biết cố gắng nắm bắt những ý tưởng mới để hoà nhập với cái tư duy cũ của chúng ta thì chúng ta chẳg khác gì như là người đổ rượu mới vào bầu da cũ, Vì bầu da cũ đã khộ cứng không thể chịu đựng sự lên men và ép nép của rượu mới, nên khi rượu mới lên men, thì bình da cũ không thể co giãn, đàn hồi nên phải vỡ ra, và như thế bình da cũ sẽ vỡ toang ra thì rượu mới trong bình cũng bị đổ ra ngoài hết…..

Khi chúng ta đều có những suy nghĩ hay ý tưởng mới, hình ảnh mới, hay biểu tượng mới, và cách thấu hiểu thế giới mới, chúng ta cần phải tạo nên một tâm trí và tâm hồn mớ để có thể chứa đựng chúng. Những ý tưởng cũ và cách làm việc cũ kỹ đôi khi cũng phải được đặt sang một bên, nếu chúng ta muốn phát triển và tiến lên về phía trước. Vì thế trong những môi trường mới, những ý tưởng mới cũng phải được áp dụng đối với những ý thức tâm linh của chúng ta, Như chân Phước Hồng Y John Newman nói: "Sống là để thay đổi; được hoàn hảo là phải có sự thay đổi thường xuyên. “ Chúng ta hãy không nên cứng nhắc và sợ thay đổi hay cứ bám víu thật chặt vào những gì quen thuộc mà nên biết thay đổi, cầu tiến và chấp nhận thay đổi của Giáo Hội.Lạy Chúa xin hãy mỡ rộng tâm hồn và lòng trí của chúng con để chúng con có một tâm hồn biết cởi mở và cầu tiến.

Reflection:

"Is there anything that is impossible for the God? (Gen 18: 14) This was the reply of the Lord to Sarah's skepticism that she would bear a child in her old age. Time and time the Lord has shown his faithfulness and power over things that do not seem humanly possible. Miracles of healing, conversion, how events conspire resulting in outcomes that only he could have wrought.

Let us not underestimate God and put limits on his power to surprise and amaze us. Let the words of Scripture reassure us of his infinite love for his people. As one develops the habit of thumbing through his living Word, we get to know our Lord more and more. And we are ever more convinced that nothing is too marvelous for him to do!

Harassed with everyday cares? Somehow, it all works out, we are able to sleep the sleep of the just, and in the morning, we are ready to face another day. Saddled with problems? The Lord will send people, veritable "angels" who can lift the burden for and along with us. Scared of a medical procedure? Let your prayer or mantra be, "Only you, O Lord, suffices," as St. Teresa of Avila affirmed. The Lord is above any pain, any trial that can be inflicted on us in this world. What a marvelous God we have!

our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, deserving of respect? Do we value the persons in our lives above material things, so that we spend more time with them than with earning more money? Like John the Baptist, each one of us must fashion a lifestyle that will make the Gospel easier to preach, to see, to influence. How different this will be in our culture with its self-centered and inauthentic life-style. Ultimately, we must be counter-cultural in terms of being really Christian, genuinely Christian, in all of life, not just at the Sunday liturgy. We are called and challenged to declare by the life-style we fashion, by the values we formulate, by the self-identity we reflect, the centrality of Jesus in our daily lives. We must be counter- cultural by proclaiming more through action than by words: "Jesus is Lord." That is what John the Baptist did. That is what we must try to do and to be, in reliving his life in ours. That is the message of today's feast, celebrating the birth of John the Baptist.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu tuần thứ 12 Thường Niên

Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy những cách mà Chúa Giêsu đã đối xử với mọi người khác nhau, Trong câu chuyện hôm nay về người bệnh phong cùi, Theo luật Do Thái thì người mắc bệnh này không được phép đến gần bất cứ người Do Thái nào vì sẽ gây ô uế cho người đó và người đó phải được thanh tầy trước bước vào đèn thờ. Như những bài Tin Mừng thì Chúa Giêsu đã không ngại ngùng đến gần họ, và sẵn sàng chữa lành bệnh phong cùi của họ. Điều trái ngược với cách thức mà Ngài đã phản ứng với người cha của cậu bé bị quỷ ám (Mc 9:23) khi người ấy nói với Ngài "Lạy Chúa, Chúa có thể làm được bất cứ điều gì, xin thương xót chúng tôi và giúp chúng tôi." Chúa Giêsu có lẽ đã trả lời phần nào đột ngột hay ít nhất một cách nghiêm nghị: “Nếu có thể!... mọi sự đều là có thể cho người tin!" Tức thì cha đứa bé kêu lên mà nói: "Tôi tin! Nhưng xin hãy đáp cứu lòng tin yếu kém của tôi!" (Mc 9:25).

Những phản ứng khác nhau của Chúa Giêsu cũng cho chúng ta thấy những cách khác nhau trong những lời, lòng tin và cách cầu xin của những người đã xin Chúa thực hiện những yêu cầu của họ, Những người bệnh phong cùi đã không dám nói bất cứ điều gì vì dám đặt câu hỏi về khả năng của Chúa, nhưng người bệnh phong cùi này đã biết phó thác và đặt tất cả niềm tin tưởng vào sự quan phòng của Chúa Giêsu. Còn người đàn ông kia đã không đến với Chúa để cầu xin cho chính mình mà đến để cầu xin cho người con yêu dấu của mình, trong những lúc mà ông ta đang tuyệt vọng và đang tìm kiếm sự cưu giúp.

Trong sự tuyệt vọng của ông ta, ông ta đã dùng những lời gần như đay nghiến chính mình. nhưng trong thực tế, trong thăm tâm của ông ta có lẽ đã không có ý như thế. Do đó chúng ta đã được dạy để cầu nguyện với lòng khiêm tốn, kiên nhẫn, bền bĩ, và dịu dàng như là dấu hiệu của niềm tin đó cho phép chúng ta đón nhận và tận hưởng những ân sủng của Thiên Chúa. Lạy Chúa Giêsu, theo như Thiên ý và ân sũng của Chúa, Xin Chúa tẩy sạch chúng ta sạch mọi tội lỗi.

Reflection:

It is instructive to consider the different ways in which Jesus deals with people. In this story of the leper, recounted by Matthew, Mark and Luke. Jesus responds gently and promptly to the leper's indirect request for healing. This contrasts with the way in which he reacted to the father of the boy possessed by a demon (Mark 9:23) who said: “If you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.” Jesus answered somewhat abruptly perhaps or at least sternly: “‘If you can?’ Everything is possible to anyone who has faith. ‘Immediately the boy’s father cried out,’ I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!’”

Jesus’ different reactions also reveal to us the different ways in which the two men made their request. The leper did not say anything to appear to question Jesus’ ability to cure him but left everything to Jesus’ good will. The other man was not making a request for himself but for his son and was obviously desperately looking for help. His desperation added a sharpness to his words which he perhaps did not intend. We are thus taught to pray with humility and patience and gentleness as signs of the faith which allows us to receive and enjoy God’s graces. Lord Jesus, according to Your gracious will, cleanse us of all sin.

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Matthew 8:1–4

To do homage to another is to publicly express reverence and respect. This is what this leper did to Jesus. He “did him homage.” But the leper went even further. He also expressed his certain faith that Jesus could cure him if He wished to do so. And Jesus did desire this. Jesus stretched out His hand to touch the leper and pronounced the words, “I will do it. Be made clean.” And with that, the leper was cleansed.

The first thing to note in this passage is that Jesus “touched” the leper. This was a forbidden practice, since lepers were unclean, and touching them could spread their disease. But Jesus broke the norm and touched the man, revealing to him his innate dignity.

It’s interesting to consider the question: Who paid whom a greater act of homage? Was the act of homage shown by the leper greater? Or the act of touching and cleansing the leper greater? Though we need not compare these two acts, it is helpful to reflect upon the profound fact that Jesus did show a form of homage to this unclean leper.

As was said above, to do homage to another is to publicly express reverence and respect to them. Without a doubt, Jesus did just this. He not only honored the leper by His touch and healing, but He publicly expressed His love and respect for this man through this act.

Of course, the homage we owe to God is unique. It is the homage of worship. We must bow down before Him, surrendering our lives in total abandonment and trust. We must honor Him as God and express our love accordingly. But, in addition to Jesus showing His almighty power by this miracle, He also sets for us an example of how we must treat others. Every person, because they are made in the image and likeness of God, deserves our utmost respect, and they deserve to receive that respect in a public way. We must continually seek to honor and respect others and express that honor and respect for others to see. This is especially difficult when the person we are called to show respect for is considered by others as “unclean.” The leper is only a symbol of the many types of people whom the world considers unclean and unworthy. Criminals, the poor, the confused, the sinner, the homeless, the political opponent and every other person in our world deserves our utmost respect and reverence. Doing so does not justify their sin; rather, it cuts through the surface and looks at their innate dignity.

Reflect, today, upon the act of homage done by this leper to Jesus. And then reflect upon the act of homage Jesus offers this leper by publicly confirming his innate dignity. Who in your life is represented by this leper? Who is “unclean” because of the condition of their life, the sin they commit, or the public stigma they have? Whom is God calling you to reach out and touch with love and respect, for others to see? Seek out the leper in your life and do not be afraid to imitate this holy act of homage exemplified by our Lord.

My holy Lord, You are worthy of all adoration, glory and homage. You and You alone deserve our worship. Help me to continually discover Your hidden presence in the lives of those around me. Help me, especially, to see You in the leper of our day. May my love and respect for them flow from my love for You and become an imitation of Your act of love for all. Jesus, I trust in You.

Friday 12^th Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I wish to be made clean with all my heart. You sent your Son to cleanse me and wash away my sins with his blood. He is the true Lamb sacrificed for our sins. He is my brother and Redeemer, who paid my debt of sin and brought me home to you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The First of Ten Great Works of the New Moses: Matthew 8 begins the narrative section of Book Two of Matthew’s Gospel. While Book One, Matthew 3-7, announced the Kingdom, Book Two, Matthew 8-11, concerns the establishment of the Kingdom. It covers Jesus’ miracles and his commissioning and instruction of the twelve apostles. Jesus, the New Moses, comes down from the mountain after his sermon to perform the first of ten great works and signs that reveal the nature of the kingdom he has announced. The 10 great works of the New Moses recall the 10 plagues the old Moses mediated to Egypt. Jesus first cures a leper, who exhibits great faith in Jesus and his divine power. Jesus is not made ritually unclean by touching the leper; rather Jesus’ holiness transforms the uncleanliness of the leper and makes the Leper clean. In his Incarnation, the Son is not made unclean by assuming our human nature. He became like us in all things but sin. He was not contaminated by his solidarity with us. Through his passion, Jesus transforms our human nature, he merits for us the Spiritual Bath that will cleanse us of our sins. We are made clean in the waters of Baptism because it is our share in the action by which our human nature was transformed, namely the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2. Liturgical Worship in the New Kingdom: Jesus announces his kingdom with a call to repentance. Through the gift of God’s grace, we turn from a life of sin and enter into communion with God. Christ, the high priest taken from among men, has made us a new people, a kingdom of priests. Jesus tells the leper to show himself to the priest so that he can be reintroduced into the community of worship. Through our Baptism and our Confirmation we are introduced into the Liturgy of God’s Kingdom: we now share in the thanksgiving sacrifice of the Son of God; we truly worship the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit.

3. From the Babylonian Exile to Jesus: In the First Reading, King Zedekiah’s rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, led to the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, the palace of the king, the Temple of the Lord, and the walls of the city in 587 B.C. Jeremiah prophesied that the exile of Judah in Babylon would last for seventy years: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place” (Jeremiah 29:10-11). God promised to restore Israel and give them a Davidic king to establish peace and justice in the land. What is more, “the restored reign of the Davidic king is joined, in Jeremiah's prophecy, to an inner transformation that accomplishes a new passover: ‘Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord’ (31:31-32). Israel’s death will be followed by resurrection” (Levering, Ezra & Nehemiah, 41). King Nebuchadnezzar will have a dream of a statue and the prophet Daniel will have a dream of four beasts that symbolize the succession of four kingdoms, leading to the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. The golden head and the lion represent the Neo-Babylonian empire (612-539 B.C.), the silver chest and the bear represent the Medo-Persian empire (539-331 B.C.), the bronze torso and the leopard represent the Greek empire (331-63 B.C.), and the iron legs and ten-horned beast represent the Roman empire. During the time of the Roman Empire, God sent his Son to establish his Kingdom, a Kingdom which will never be destroyed.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have made me clean through Baptism to worship you in Spirit and in truth. I now share in your death and resurrection and am a member of your Kingdom. Extend your reign in my heart, in my family, and in my community.

Friday 12^th Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord, I ask you to touch my heart that I may pray for what I ought, be made clean, and be filled with your love.

Encountering Christ:

Homage: “A leper approached, did him homage...” This poor man was totally alone and, as a leper, he was forbidden to come within 6 feet (4 cubits) of another person. He was also required to announce he was unclean so that no one would approach him. How humiliating for the poor suffering man. Yet, in this case, the leper broke all the rules to approach Jesus and do him homage. We rarely, if ever, have to make this kind of sacrifice to offer God praise and worship. We have multiple options for daily Mass nearby, adoration chapels, and access to the sacraments. May we never take for granted the myriad of opportunities we have been given to do homage to the Lord.

Do You Wish It? “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” This leper desperately wanted to be cured, yet he approached the Lord in homage and asked, “If you wish.” What humility! Here is a lesson for us. When we pray, we don’t tell God what we want or think is best. Instead, we totally surrender to his will for us. Do we want what God wants for us or what we want? Pope Benedict XVI once was asked, “How does the Pope pray?” “The pope,” he said, “is a beggar before God!” A true beggar trusts totally in God’s benevolent will.

Be Made Clean: It seems in this passage that the leper’s will was perfectly aligned with God’s will. He was made clean. We all want a resounding answer of “yes” to our prayer, but we need to be completely opened to how God wishes to answer us. We let God be God, knowing that he sees things much more clearly than we ever will. “To accept whatever, he gives. And to give whatever it takes, with a big smile. This is the surrender to God” (St. Teresa of Calcutta). Will we let him do it his way?

Conversing with Christ: Lord, I do want to be cleansed of all sin and attachment to this world but I also recognize my struggle to give you complete control. I want what you want, Lord! I surrender myself completely to your merciful hands.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng lễ Kính Thánh Tâm cực Thánh Chúa Giêsu,

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng lễ Kính Thánh Tâm cực Thánh Chúa Giêsu,

Hôm nay chúng ta mừng kính trọng thể Trái Tim cực Thánh (Thánh Tâm) Chúa Giêsu. Trong Đại lễ mừng kính Trái Tim (Thánh Tâm) cực Thánh Chúa Giêsu, chúng ta cử hành việc kính nhớ đến thân xác con người của Đấng Cứu Rỗi của chúng ta. Trái tim thật xứng đáng là một biểu tượng của toàn thể thân xác con người. Đó là trung tâm của cơ thể, và nhịp tim là bằng chứng về sự sống của thân xác con người. Trong lễ Thánh Tâm, chúng ta thờ kính những bộ phận thực tế trong thân xác của Đấng Cứu Rỗi chúng ta, Con Tim đã đập ngay từ lúc thân xác được hình thành trong cung lòng của Đức Maria, Trái tim luôm đập đều đạn trong khi ngài đã rao giảng về sự tha thứ và chữa lành những người đau bệnh, Trái tim dừng đập ngay trên Thập giá, Trái Tim đã bị đạm xuyên qua bởi lưỡi đơơòng của tên lính dữ, và Trái Tim ấy lại bắt đầu đập lại một lần nữa ngaỳ lúc Ngài Phục Sinh, và vẫn còn đập đến hôm nay, đập trong thân xác đang ngự ngay bên hữu Đức Chúa Cha. Hơn nữa, lòng sùng kính Thánh Tâm Chúa Giêsu là sự tận tâm với tình yêu của Chúa Giêsu, tình yêu gấp đôi của Chúa Giêsu: tình yêu Thiên Chúa và tình yêu con người của Ngài. Thánh Tâm Chúa Giêsu là sự tượng trưng cho tình yêu của Thiên Chúa vì Ngài đã tác tạo ra thế giới và cứu chuộc một thế giới con người sa ngã, nhưng Trái Tim này cũng thể hiện tình yêu thương trọn vẹn mà Chúa Giêsu đã dành cho con người, sự đau khổ, Ngài dành cho các môn đệ, đặc biệt cho người " môn đệ Chúa Giêsu yêu. "Thánh Tâm Chúa Giêsu yêu không chỉ với tình yêu của Thiên Chúa, nhưng cũng là trái tim của một con người hoàn hảo, biết yêu trong mối quan hệ tình cảm như mọi người.

Với tình yêu, trong bản tính con người và thiên chúa, biểu tượng Thánh Tâm Chúa Giêsu là một tình yêu vô biên, cho không, Tình yêu cho di mà không được đáp lại. Qua lịch sử loài người, Thiên Chúa đã yêu thương con người với một tình yêu vĩnh cửu, nhưng con người đã vô ơn, không màng để ý tới mà còn xúc phạm đến tình yêu này. Điển hình là những phản ứng đáp trả lại của con người chúng ta đối với tình yêu của Thánh Tâm Chúa Giêsu la những ngọn đòng, những con dao nhọn đâm xuyên qua trái Tin Ngài bằng những bạo lực, những vđàn áp những người yếu thế cô đơn. Như chúng ta đã không đáp trả lại tính yêu của Thiên Chúa cho được xứng đáng mà còn cố gắng để tiêu diệt tình yêu của Thiên Chúa. Tuy nhiên, thay vì ngọn đòng đã hủy Thánh Tâm Chúa Giêsu, thì Trái Tim Chúa Giêsu lại được mở rộng to hơn nữa, và tuôn trào ra máu và nước trong những biểu tượng cuối cùng của món quà hoàn chỉnh.

Hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu mời gọi chúng ta hãy cố học hỏi nơi Ngài, vì Ngài hiền lành và khiêm nhường trong lòng. Chúng ta hãy từ tốn đón nhận lời mời gọi quảng đại này. Nếu chúng ta nghĩ rằng chúng ta biết tất cả mọi thứ hoặc chúng ta có đủ kiến thức và sự khôn ngoan , nhưng chúng ta chưa biết và hiểu được rõ về tình yêu của Chúa Kitô, thí chính chúng ta đang nhầm lẫn. Chúng ta sẽ thực sự khôn ngoan khi chúng ta làm chủ tình yêu: tình yêu Thiên Chúa dành cho chúng ta, tình yêu chúng ta dành cho Chúa trở lại, tình yêu Thiên Chúa dành cho tất cả mọi người khác, tình yêu chúng ta dành cho tất cả những người mà Thiên Chúa yêu thương. Tất cả tình yêu này là một tình yêu. "Nơi điều này mà thực là lòng mến:là không phải vì ta đã yêu mến Thiên Chúa, nhưng là chính Người đã yêu mến ta, và sai Con của Người đến làm hi sinh đền tạ tội lỗi ta." (1Jm 4:10) Chúng ta sẽ không làm chủ được tình yêu cho đến khi nào nhịp đập của trái tim của chúng ta hoà nhập một cách hoàn hảo với nhịp đập của Thánh Tâm Chúa. Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Chúa đã hiền lành và khiêm nhường trong lòng, Xin làm cho trái tim của chúng con được trở nên giống như Thánh Tâm của Chúa

The Solemnity of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, (Friday after Copus Christi Sunday)

If we think that we know anything or have a certain amount of wisdom, but we have not yet learned about love, we are mistaken. Today we celebrate the preeminent devotion, the greatest devotion of Christianity: the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the Sacred Heart we celebrate the human body of our Savior. The heart deservedly stands as a symbol of the whole body. It is at the center of the body, and the heartbeat is evidence of the life of the body. In the Sacred Heart, we worship the actual organ in the body of our Savior, beating from the time of its formation in the womb of the Blessed Mother, beating while he preached forgiveness and healed the sick, stopped by the Cross, pierced by the lance, begun again at the Resurrection, and still, today, beating in the body seated at the right hand of the Father.

Further, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is devotion to the love of Jesus, the twofold love of Jesus: the divine love and his human love. The Sacred Heart is truly symbolic of the love of God which created the world and which redeemed a fallen world, but it also expresses the fully human love which Jesus had for the crowds, for the suffering, for his disciples, particularly for the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” The Sacred Heart loved not only with the love of God, but also was the perfect human heart, loving in right relationship all things.

We are convicted by the Sacred Heart for our lack of love. If it were only a symbol of divine love, the love which created us, so stunning in its infinity, an infinity which is for all but no less infinitely for each, we are by definition incapable of such love, but, since it is also a symbol of Jesus’ human love, we are indicted when we see how much love a human heart is capable of. Consider how, in comparison, we love so little. How small is our love for our families, our friends, and our enemies! How little compassion do we have for the sick, the poor and the suffering!

The love, both human and divine, symbolized by the Sacred Heart is an unrequited love. Through all human history, God has loved humans with an everlasting love, but humans have ignored and insulted this love. There is no greater symbol of the human response to God’s love than the Sacred Heart pierced by a lance. Humans respond with violence against the very symbol of God’s love, as if, unable to repay the love, and refusing to be in debt, they try to destroy the love of God. Yet the lance, rather than destroy the Sacred Heart, only opens it further, pouring forth blood and water in the final symbol of the complete gift.

Jesus invites us today to learn from him, for he is meek and humble of heart. Let us take him up on this generous invitation. If we think that we know anything or have a certain amount of wisdom, but we have not yet learned about love, we are mistaken. We will be truly wise when we are masters of love: the love God has for us, the love we return to God, the love God has for everyone else, the love we have for those whom God loves. All this love is one Love. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.” We will not be masters of love until the beating of our hearts is in perfect sync with the Sacred Heart. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto yours.

The Solemnity of the Feast of the Sacred Heart,

But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but onesoldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. John 19:33–34

John’s Gospel is filled with deep spiritual imagery and symbolism. It is clear that this imagery and symbolism was divinely inspired so as to give us spiritual food for reflection and meditation. One such image is given to us today as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As Jesus and the two criminals on either side of Him hung upon their crosses, the soldiers came to hasten their deaths by breaking their legs to cause them to more quickly suffocate. But when they came to Jesus, He had already died. So one of the soldiers, traditionally known as Longinus, thrust his spear into Jesus’ side, and blood and water flowed forth. Some traditions identify Longinus with the centurion who cried out after Jesus’ death, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (See Matthew 27:54.) Other traditions state that he converted at that moment, making him the first convert to Christianity. And still other traditions state that Longinus could not see well, and the blood and water from Jesus’ side poured upon his eyes, healing him. Regardless of whether these traditions are true, we know that Jesus’ side was pierced and blood and water flowed forth.The symbolism of this act was more than a mere human symbol. It was an instrument of the profound spiritual reality that was taking place at that moment. As Jesus’ Sacred Heart was pierced, the blood and water that poured forth was the new sacramental life of the Church. The Blood was the Most Holy Eucharist and the Water was the gift of Baptism. And when Jesus had previously “breathed His last” and “handed over His Spirit,” the Sacrament of Confirmation was bestowed

When we celebrate those Sacraments today, it is easy to see them as mere symbols of what we partake in. But in our Christian Tradition, the Sacraments are so much more. The symbol is also the reality. It is the instrument of what it symbolizes. Therefore, every time we witness a Baptism or partake in the Holy Eucharist, we are mystically present with Longinus, receiving the grace and mercy of our redemption, pouring forth from Jesus’ wounded side, so as to heal us and make us whole.

The human heart is, physically speaking, a bodily organ responsible for pumping blood throughout. But from a spiritual perspective, given that we are both body and soul, the human heart is also the source of our life. Without it, we physically and spiritually die. So it is with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was not only a physical heart that was physically pierced by the lance long ago. It is now also the source of our ongoing spiritual life, and, without Jesus’ Sacred Heart of Mercy, we will die in our sins.

Reflect, today, upon the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. See His Heart as the ongoing source of your new life in grace. Understand that His Heart is more than a symbol of His grace and mercy, it is the spiritual source and the font of that mercy. Prayerfully place yourself before His Cross, this day, and allow the blood and water, flowing from His wounded side, to cover you so that you, too, may believe.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, You poured out upon the world the love and mercy of Your transforming grace through the instrument of the blood and water pouring forth from Your wounded side. Help me to gaze upon this font of mercy and to be covered with it through the gift of the Sacraments. May I always be open to all that You wish to bestow upon me by these precious and transforming instruments of Your love. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Jesus, I trust in You.

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 2024

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you began to dwell in my heart when I was baptized. What an awesome and wonderful gift! Remain in my heart, abide there, and make it yours. I offer myself to you today and only want to enjoy your love forever.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Sacred Heart of Jesus: When we contemplate the three members of the Holy Family, we can see how they had hearts that were sacred, immaculate, and chaste. The Heart of Jesus is called “sacred,” and means that it is holy, consecrated, and set apart. The Hebrew word for holy in the Bible is kadosh, which means set apart. In the Genesis story of creation, God hallowed the seventh day (the Sabbath) and set it apart for himself. This teaches us that “God shared his holiness with his creation, and with it came peace, fruitfulness, and integrity” (Hahn, Holy is His Name, 26). In Exodus, God revealed his name and his holiness – his transcendence, his otherness, and his power – to Moses and the People of Israel. “In Exodus God takes up residence among his people – not as one of them (not yet) but permanently with them in the holy place. … Holiness is now an earthly reality, visible as fire and audible as thunder but also visible by association in pots and pans, slaughtered animals, and tent cloth” (Hahn, Holiness is His Name, 39). At Mt. Sinai, Israel was set apart from all other nations and called to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). Under David and Solomon, the people occupied the holy land and built a holy temple in a holy city. In the New Testament, God’s holiness is made incarnate in Jesus: “The child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Jesus is the Holy One of God. God became man to save us from sin so that we could be holy and share in his holiness. When we contemplate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we contemplate God’s merciful love and the invitation made to us to share in God’s holiness through the Son and in the Spirit.

2. The Immaculate Heart of Mary: Yesterday, we celebrated the Sacred Heart of Jesus and contemplated the manifestation of God's merciful love in Jesus Christ. Today, we celebrate the Immaculate Heart of Mary and contemplate the great things that God accomplished in Mary and that he wants to accomplish in us. Unlike Mary’s pure and immaculate heart, our hearts are marked by sin; we are wounded and tend toward evil. The fruit of the tree tempts us with false delight. Like Paul, we end up committing the evil things we don’t want to do and not doing the good things that we should do. When we see our heart and find that it is attached to sin, we should not get discouraged. That is what the devil wants. Our misery is not the end; it is only the beginning. Just as God brought his people out of the misery of Egyptian slavery, so also he brings us out of the slavery of sin. He patiently awaits our response to his call. He wants to transform the misery of our heart through his merciful love into purity of heart so that we can see him: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” While the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception celebrates especially how her heart and soul were preserved from any stain of original sin, today’s memorial celebrates how she kept her heart without stain. When we look at Mary, who intercedes for us now before God, we contemplate in her the Church that has already reached perfection. In Mary, the Church exists without spot or wrinkle. In her, the Church is already the all-holy (CCC, 829). She is the image and beginning of the perfected Church, and she shines forth on earth as a sign of hope and comfort to us, the pilgrim People of God (CCC, 972).

The Chaste Heart of Joseph: Jesus’ heart is called “sacred,” Mary’s heart is called “immaculate,” and Joseph’s heart is called “chaste.” Chastity differs from celibacy. Not everyone is called to be celibate, but all are called to be chaste. The virtue of chastity opposes the vice of lust. While lust is a disordered desire for sexual pleasure, chastity is the successful integration of sexuality within the person (CCC, 2337). The heart is of utmost importance. It is the place of our decision-making: we can choose to commit adultery in our heart or we can choose to love God with all our heart. “The heart is the dwelling-place where I am; where I live; according to the Semitic or Biblical expression, the heart is the place ‘to which I withdraw.’ The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation; it is the place of covenant.” Joseph’s heart is truly a model for us of fatherly protective love and spousal chaste love.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, sanctify my heart so that I may love you with an undivided love, cleanse my heart so that I may have a worthy dwelling for you, purify my heart so that I may love my brothers and sisters as I should.

Friday 12^th Ordinary Time 2025 - Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Opening Prayer: Lord God, search for me when I stray, find me when I am lost, heal me when I am sick, bring me home when I have abandoned you. Help me rejoice when my brothers and sisters are brought back and enjoy communion with you once again.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Promise of a Shepherd in Ezekiel: When we meditate on today’s First Reading, we should recall that Ezekiel was called in the sixth century B.C. to prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. The reference to shepherds is likely a reference to the kings and other leaders of Israel and Judah. They were not caring for the flock in their charge. The crucial point of Ezekiel’s prophecy and also of Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jeremiah 23:3) is that the Lord is taking the initiative: “he will come and act to save his people because they are his sheep and are in great need. The truth is that God has determined to act, and he solemnly promises that he will restore his people to their land, where they will experience both peace and abundance. The intense heart of the Lord for his people is revealed in this ardent declaration that he will come and deliver them. We can only imagine the comfort and consolation these words brought to a defeated people living hundreds of miles from home and suffering a seemingly irreversible misfortune” (Keating, Ezekiel, 238).

2. The Good Shepherd who Loves Us: Turning to the Gospel, it is good to remember that when Jesus tells a parable, there is usually a twist that is out of the ordinary. The sower in Matthew and Mark, for example, is careless as they sow seed on the path, among thorns, and on rocky ground. The householder in Luke is overly generous with the laborers who only worked an hour. The vineyard owner in Matthew foolishly sends his son after the tenants just killed some of his servants. In today’s Gospel, in the parable of the lost sheep, we can ask: “Would a sensible shepherd leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the desert to go and find the lost one?” We could understand leaving the sheep in a protected area, but it seems foolish to leave the ninety-nine for the sake of the one. A sensible shepherd would say to themselves, “Well, too bad. I lost one. At least I have ninety-nine more.” But that is not how God thinks about us. We are created in God’s image and likeness. We are loved individually by name. And the Son of God loves us with a divine and human sacred heart. What could seem foolish to us is actually a deep revelation about the generosity, abandon, and self-sacrificing nature of God’s love.

3. Reconciled to God and Saved by the Shepherd: The First Reading promises that God will shepherd his people. The Gospel sees the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, who seeks us out when we stray. The Second Reading, from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, speaks about the love of God that has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us, justifying us by shedding his blood, reconciling us to the Father through his death, and saving us by his life. Paul promises that we will be saved through Christ “from the wrath,” which means the day of final judgment. This is “when the Lord will reveal the full measure of his justice. To be saved from this is to be rescued from final condemnation. By saying that believers will be saved by his life, Paul specifies that salvation is a participation in the risen life of the Messiah” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 79)