Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần 30 Thường Niên

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần 30 Thường Niên

Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta hãy tự hỏi: Đã có bao giờ chúng ta đã từng nghĩ tới và đặt ra câu hỏi là: chúng ta là hạng người như thế nào? Có bao giờ chúng ta đã từng tự tôn mình lên trên người khác? Hay có bao giờ chúng ta đã thực sự quan tâm đến tới những người khác một cách chân tình, nghĩa là sẽ làm những gì mà chúng ta có thể làm để giúp người khác bất cứ khi nào chúng ta có thể làm được để đem được hạnh phúc đến cho họ?

Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nói rằng những ai muốn làm người đứng đầu, thì phải là người đứng sau, đứng cuối cùng của tất cả và là tôi tớ của tất cả mọi người. Có phải đó là ý của Chúa Giêsu muốn nói rằng đấy là cách để chúng ta đạt được tham vọng của chúng ta là phải được phục vụ? Không phải thế, thật ra, Chúa Giêsu không hề quan tâm đến việc chúng ta có đạt được tham vọng hay không! Nhưng Ngài muốn nói với chúng ta là phải làm như thế nào để được đứng đầu hay đến trước hết ngay trong trái Tim của Ngài, và ngay cả trong tâm hồn của người khác. Nếu chúng ta muốn là người đứng đầu trong trái Tim của Chúa Kitô, chúng ta phải là người tôi tớ của mọi người. Hơn nữa, nếu chúng ta có sự khiêm tốn để phục vụ người khác, chúng ta sẽ dễ dàng nhận ra được rằng: chúng ta cũng sẽ có một vị trí đặc biệt trong trái Tim của những người khác.

Có lẽ chúng ta thường chỉ quan tâm đến những sự ước muốn và nhu cầu riêng của chúng ta hơn, Nhưng Chúa Giêsu muốn biến đổi tâm hồn chúng ta, để chúng ta cũng có thể trở thành người biết lo lắng, biết nghĩ đến người khác, và biết quan tâm, phục vụ người khác.

Ngày hôm nay, chúng ta hãy xin Chúa Giêsu giúp chúng ta biết tập trung nhiều hơn vào những gì thực sự quan trọng, đó là sự quan tâm đối với những người khác, sự yêu thương những người khác hơn là sự tập trung vào những thứ hư vô, hay là chỉ biết làm việc và phục vụ riêng cho chính mình.

Saturday 30th Ordinary Time

Have we ever given any though on what kind of people we are? Do we promote ourselves? Or do we do show sincere concern for others, doing what we can, whenever we can, to help others in order to make them happy? In today's Gospel, Jesus said that those who want to be first must be the last of all and the servants of all. Is Jesus saying that the way to achieve our ambitions is to serve? Not at all. Jesus is not concerned with us achieving our ambitions. He is telling us how to be first in his heart, and even in the hearts of others. If we want to be first in Christ's heart, we must be a servant of all. Moreover, if we have the humility to serve others, we will realize that we also have a special place in other people's hearts.

Perhaps we are often concerned only with our own wants and needs. But Jesus wants to transform us, so that we too can become caring people, concerned with serving others. Let us ask Jesus today to help us be more focused on what really matter — concern for others, loving others, rather than focusing on empty, self-serving actions.

Saturday 30 Ordinary time

Opening Prayer: As I come into your presence today, I take comfort from St. Paul’s words in today’s second reading: For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. I know you have called me; I know you have given me so many gifts, and I know you will always be faithful to me. I come before you to renew my faith in you, to listen to what you have to say to me, and simply to enjoy being with the One who I know loves me.

Encountering Christ:

· The Vanity Trap: How much time we waste by worrying what other people are thinking of us! Just like the guests at this dinner, we jostle and vie for approval, recognition, and popularity. Our Lord’s parable points out how such expenditure of energy is pointless—we simply cannot control the whims of others, the ebbs and flows of societal fashions. Something completely outside of our control could easily push us to the lowest seat at the table at any time. Jesus wants us to release these vain strivings. He wants us to direct our energy and our hopes to more worthy goals. Instead of trying to exalt ourselves, he encourages us to humble ourselves. This doesn’t mean thinking less of ourselves—we are still created in God’s image and redeemed by Christ, so our true value and worth are not in question. Rather, he wants us to think about ourselves less, to occupy our minds with other things, to be freed from vain self-absorption, which is a dead-end when it comes to spiritual growth and interior peace. This parable echoes one of Christ’s unforgettable exhortations in his Sermon on the Mount: But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you besides (Matthew 6:33).

· The Good Roots of Bad Vanity: The sin of vanity, as all sin, involves the distortion of something good—in this case, something actually necessary. The human person needs to be loved, approved, valued, esteemed. We cannot flourish unless we know that we are valued just because of who we are. This need is built into our nature. The yearning to be valued and appreciated is a healthy yearning. After all, we are created in the image of God, who is a Trinity of Persons in an eternal exchange of love. To try and stifle the yearning for love would be to stifle our very humanity. The problem isn’t in the desire for appreciation, but in misplacing that desire. Our fallen nature is so insecure that we have a tendency to turn the desire to be valued into an idol as if being valued is the true goal of life instead of a necessary ingredient. When we do that, we can easily end up committing all kinds of evil acts just in order to remain in a particular person’s good graces. We will lie and gossip to get on someone’s good side. We will overextend ourselves to win someone’s approval. We may even subject our bodies to immoral activities just so we won’t be rejected by someone we are trying to impress or hold on to. In a desperate bid to be seen and valued by someone we care about, we can break every commandment. This is disordered. Jesus wants us to know that we never have to compromise our true identity as God’s children; we never have to disdain our innate human dignity to make ourselves loved, valued, and appreciated. This is because we already are loved, valued, and appreciated, infinitely, by God. Our faith tells us this. And so, the true path to interior peace and spiritual strength isn’t trying to win the approval of peers or bosses at any cost, but taking the time to exercise and nourish our faith, so that we see ourselves more and more constantly through God’s eyes.

· An Odd Place for God: St. Luke presents us with an odd scene in today’s Gospel. A leading Pharisee is hosting a large social gathering—think of a catered cocktail and dinner party in a wealthy socialite’s mansion. And Jesus is there. And he engages in a series of interactions and conversations during this party in which he takes advantage of the circumstances to preach the Gospel, to reveal the eternal truths. Most of us wouldn’t consider this setting a typical place for God to reveal himself. And yet, there it is, right in St. Luke’s Gospel. Is it possible that Jesus is revealing himself to me, teaching me the lessons I most need to learn, in the middle of the normal scenes of my everyday life? Of course, it is! That’s how God works. As the Catechism reminds us (27): God never ceases to draw man to himself. God is reaching out to me always and everywhere: at home, at work, at dinner parties, on the golf course. The question is, am I looking for him there, or am I so preoccupied with my own equivalent of choosing the places of honor at the table that I simply can’t hear his voice?

Conversing with Christ: What do I really want, Lord? I say that I want you to have the first place in my heart, that I want to know and embrace your will, that I want your friendship to be the fulcrum of everything I am and everything I do. Yet, I don’t always think, speak, and act as if that were truly the case. Why not? I suspect other desires or fears are at work deep within me, desires and fears I may not even be fully aware of. Please reveal them to me, Lord, as painful as it may be. I don’t want anything to interfere with my following of you.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a calm and honest examination of conscience and go to confession, so as to give room for your grace to cleanse and renew me.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

Là một Người Do Thái ngoan đạo, Chúa Giêsu tôn trọng luật pháp của Do Thái. Tuy nhiên, Ngài cũng chỉ ra cho chúng ta thấy rõ những trường hợp ngoại lệ mà mà luật lệ của con người quá khắt khe hơn luật của Thiên Chúa. Luật ngày Sa-bát là được làm ra không có nghĩa để làm khổ con người, được lập ra cho có lệ vì lợi ích riêng của một nhóm người giàu có, có học và làm khổ những người khác vì nghèo đói hay ít học.

Trong trường hợp ngày hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu thấy sự cần thiết để cứu chữa một người đang sống trong đau khổ vì sự tàn tật, đau bệnh trên thân xác lẫn tâm hồn…. Sự cần thiết để cứu chữa này sẽ giúp cho anh ta mau chóng vượt thoát được cái sự đau khổ chắc chắn là còn cần thiết phải thực hiện hơn là chỉ ngôi yên mà giữ luật cho đúng cách.

Luật được tạo ra là để duy trì và giúp cho xã hội và nhân loại được tốt đẹp hơn có nghĩ là Luật pháp cần phải được thực hành một cách đúng với sự công chính và trong cách vô tư, nếu như chúng ta thực hành luật pháp đúng theo như mặt đạo đức đó, thì Luật pháp chắc chắn sẽ để đem lại lợi ích cho tất cả mọi người, se trong thế giới của chúng ta sẽ có một nền hoà bình vĩnh cửu. Vì thế tất cả các những việc làm và hành động của chúng ta phải được thực hiện trong tình yêu, trong sự ngay thẳng và nghiêm minh, chính trực.

Lạy Chúa, xin lấp đầy chúng con với tình yêu của Chúa và đừng để cho chúng con phải bao giờ từ bất bình, phê phán với người khác, nhưng luôn luôn khoan dung và rộng lượng với người khác.

REFLECTION

As a devout Jew, Jesus respects the law. But, he also points out that there are exceptions to being too strict. The laws of the Sabbath were not meant to be followed for the sake of being followed. In today's instance, Jesus saw the need to cure the man with dropsy. The need to cure and help another outweighed the need to comply with the letter of the law.

Laws were creatd to maintain order. But love supersedes any law. If a greater good can be achieved from bending the law, then perhaps it should be done especially if doing so morally benefits others. All action should  done out of love

Reflection Friday 30 Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: I know you are here, Lord. You are always at my side, and you are always on my side. You never stop thinking of me. You delight in me—this is why you created me, why you went to the cross for my sins, why you have gone to prepare a place for me in your Father’s house. I come to you today full of gratitude, wanting to praise you, to bless you, and to hear and heed whatever word you wish to speak to me.

Encountering Christ:

· Stuck on the Sabbath: The question of the Sabbath comes up repeatedly in the Gospels. In fact, a very similar encounter occurred just a few verses earlier in Chapter 13 of St. Luke’s Gospel. The Pharisees had the wrong idea about God’s commandments. They considered them a kind of obstacle course. Successfully navigating through them was a way of proving oneself, of showing oneself worthy of praise. But the commandments of God are never merely random rules of a game. They are linked to our very nature. Their purpose is to remind us of our purpose—to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Anytime the commandments of God or the teachings of the Church are separated from this root, they are easily misinterpreted. Jesus continues to challenge the Pharisees’ conception of the Sabbath because the Pharisees had created so many stipulations regarding keeping the Sabbath that they had entirely lost sight of its true purpose. And they had done similar things with the other commandments as well. His question about rescuing a son or an ox who falls into a cistern, even on the Sabbath day, is meant to awaken them to a new avenue of reflection, an avenue that can help them get back on track. With what spirit do I see and understand the commandments and the teaching of the Church? Do I need to get back on track, in some way or another?

· A Surprising “Existential Periphery”: St. Luke points out that Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. This is worth noting for at least two reasons. First, by this time the Pharisees were already marshaling their power and influence against Jesus. They had set themselves up as his enemies. But Jesus continues to interact with them, to spend time with them, to try and reconcile with them. This is the spirit of Christ, who never gives up on anyone, no matter how hopeless they may seem to be. Is that my approach as well? Second, this encounter, which isn’t the only one of its kind in the Gospels, breaks down a common misunderstanding about Jesus. Very often, Jesus is depicted as a champion of the poor, the downtrodden, and the marginalized, to the exclusion of the popular, the wealthy, and the well-educated. This is a false opposition. It doesn’t come from the Gospels but from modern sociopolitical agendas. Jesus was and is the champion of every human being. He came to bring his grace to every single person. He didn’t exclude or condemn the wealthy and successful. Rather, he simply pointed out that the poor and downtrodden often seem to be more open to the Gospel message than those who tend to be self-sufficient. But he reached out to all of them. In today’s world, the Church is called to do the same. We must find Christ in the poor, the sick, the materially underprivileged. But we must also find him in the rich and influential, the successful leaders in every sector of society. They deserve to receive the grace and truth of the Gospel as much as everyone else, and the societies they influence will only benefit if they do receive them. They must not be spiritually overlooked or written off. They must be evangelized.

· Our Sunday Observance: In today’s secularized world, we tend to err in a different way as regards our observance of the Lord’s Day. Instead of overemphasizing its difference, we can easily underemphasize it. Sunday doesn’t look too different, in many Catholics’ lives, then Saturday or even a weekday. Instead of being a true break in the demanding rhythms of the workaday world, and a time to renew and refresh our souls with joyful worship, restful contemplation, and relaxing family fellowship, it becomes a crowded and noisy catch-all and catch-up day. Much of the freneticism of today’s world could be better managed by all of us if we would make a firm decision to live the Lord’s Day as God commands us to live it—remember, his commandments are anchored in fundamental needs of human nature, fundamental dimensions of human life that help us flourish if we respect them and disrupt our flourishing if we don’t. Here is some of the Catechism’s description of the proper living of the Lord’s Day (2184-2185): Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done," human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives. On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. How well does my normal Lord’s Day reflect those principles behind the Third Commandment? How eager am I to receive the blessings God wants to give me through my obedience to him in this area?

Conversing with Christ: At the deepest level, your will is for me to live life to the full, here on earth, and with you forever in heaven after I die. Your commandments, the teachings of your Church, the duties of my state in life, the providential circumstances in which I live—these are all expressions of that fundamental will that I fulfill the dream you have for me. Please help me to always remember this. When the demands of your will feel burdensome to my fallen human nature, help me to see the bigger picture, to trust in you, and to joyfully embrace my cross, knowing that on the other side of every Good Friday, when I live it in union with you, there is always an Easter Sunday.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will talk with my family about how we live the Lord’s Day, and about how we might be able to live it better.

REFLECTION

The second reading declares that hope does not disappoint. We can also add that faith and trust do not disappoint. Because the basis of this hope, faith and trust that Paul talks about is the love of God that has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Because the love of God has been poured into all of us, and, in spite of our sins, we have been reconciled to God through the death of his Son.

In the Gospel reading, the same is affirmed: "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I shall not turn away." And Jesus adds, "And the will of him who sent me is that I lose nothing of what he has given me, but instead that I raise it up on the last day."

Many people think that there are many ifs, buts and conditions attached to these assertions.. The answer is a clear "No." God's love is poured out into all of us, into each one of us, regardless of race, creed, sex and gender orientation. God's love is generous, boundless, unlimited, filled with compassionate mercy. God's love is not just full: it runs over, filled to the brim and overflowing.

We can include a

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Năm Tuần 30 Thường Niên .

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Năm Tuần 30 Thường Niên

Trong bài đọc thứ nhất, Thánh Phaolô cảnh cáo chúng ta "hãy mạc áo giáp của Thiên Chúa vào." Hãy sẵn sàng và chuẩn bị cho trận chiến,Thánh Phaolô đã nói với chúng ta như thế, nhưng tất nhiên ông không nói về những cuộc xung đột đẫm máu như chiến tranh để tranh giành ảnh hưởng về chính trị, kinh tế hay lãnh thổ. Nhưng Thánh Phaolô nói về cuộc xung đột với tội lỗi, là nguyên nhân của tệ nạn , tội ác mà con người đã gây ra tội.

Công đồng Vatican II đã nhận xét rằng "một cuộc đấu tranh vĩ đại chống lại quyền lực của bóng tối đang tràn ngập trong toàn bộ lịch sử của con người" (Giáo Hội trong thế giới hiện đại, 37). Ngay cả Chúa Giêsu cũng đã phải gặp và đương đầu với các cuộc xung đột này từ những con người tội lỗi, như chúng ta đã thấy trong Tin Mừng hôm nay: vua Hêrôđê đã lên kế hoạch để tìm cách giết Chúa Giêsu. Chúng ta không thể mong đợi để được miễn trừ những xung đột trong cuộc sống của chúng ta. Công Đồng cũng đã cảnh báo rằng "khi nào thứ tự của những giá trị bị xáo trộn và đảo ngược, thì sự xấu được trộn lẫn với sự tốt lành, cá nhân và các nhóm chỉ chú trọng hoàn toàn đến lợi ích riêng của họ, và không thèm để ý những người khác. Vì vậy, những sự xung đột sẽ xảy ra trong thế giới của chúng ta và tất cả không còn gì là tình anh em đích thực nữa, Chỉ có tiền và quyền lợi riêng. "Các tội lỗi trầm trọng thường là những tội mà vi phạm đến sự công lý và tình bác ái.”

Rất nhiều sư cần thiết ở nơi chúng ta hơn so với những sự cố gắng quyết tâm để xử lý tất cả mọi người một cách công bằng và bác ái. Người Công giáo có lương tâm được mời gọi để giúp đỡ giải quyết những sai lầm phải trái. Việc bảo đảm sự công bằng cho người lao động, nhân phẩm cho người bị áp bức, và hỗ trợ cho người nghèo là những mối quan tâm của người Kitô giáo. Chúa Giêsu đã gặp phải những cuộc xung đột, đối đầu với những giáo sĩ, luật sĩ Do thái chì vì Ngài đã khẳng định phẩm giá và quyền lợi của mỗi cá nhân. Chúng ta phải tiếp tục những mối quan tâm mà Chúa Giêsu đã biểu lộ và làm cho những nghèo khổ và những người bị kinh bỉ và bị thiệt thòi. Lạy Chúa Giêsu, xin Chúa giúp chúng con biết can đảm và sẵn lòng làm việc với những người khác để thay đổi xã hội chúng con đang sống để sớm trở thành một xã hội Công Bằng trong tình bác ái và tự do.

Reflection (Jesuit)

In the first reading, St Paul warns us “to put on the armors of God.” Be ready for battle, he is telling us, but of course he is not speaking of those bloody conflicts motivated by political, economic, and territorial considerations. He is speaking of the conflict with sin, the ultimate cause of evils which men perpetrate.

The Second Vatican Council observed that “a monumental struggle against the powers of darkness pervades the whole history of man” (Church in the Modern World, 37). Even Jesus himself met with this conflicts from sinful men, as we saw in today’s gospel: Herod was planning to kill Jesus. We cannot expect to be immune. The Council also warned that “when the order of values is jumbled, and bad is mixed with the good, individuals and groups pay heed solely to their own interests, and not to those of others. Thus it happens that the world ceases to be a place of true brotherhood,.” The gravest sins are usually those which vilate justice and charity.

More is needed of us than the determinate effort to treat everyone justly and chariably. Conscientious Catholics are called t help right wrongs. The securing of justice for workers, dignity for the downtrodden, and assistance to the poor is a Christian concern. Jesus met conflict head-on by insisting on the dignity and rights of individuals. We must continue the concerns which Jesus showed for the indigent and the underprivileged.

Lord, help me to work with others to set the downtrodden free.

Thursday Feast of Saint Simon and Jude Apostles

  

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ các Thánh Simon and Jude, Tông Đồ Luke 6:12-19 28-10-

Qua một đêm cầu nguyện, Chúa Giêsu đã chọn ra mười hai người tông đồ trong số các môn đệ của Ngài. Tông đồ là những người được sai đi. Qua bài tin mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã trao phó cho mười hai Tông Đồ nhiệm vụ là giảng Tin Mừng cứu độ cho mọi người. Ngài cũng đã trao cho họ quyền lực của Ngài để tiếp tục rao truyền, chữa bệnh và đem lời của Chúa Giêsu Kitô đến cho mọi dân tộc, và mọi quốc gia được thấy rằng Nước Thiên Chúa đã đến.

Trong thư gửi tín hữu Êphêsô, Thánh Phaolô xác định rõ ràng tất cả chúng ta như là môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu và là các thành viên của Giáo Hội của Chúa Kitô. "Anh em không còn phải là người xa lạ hay người tạm trú, nhưng là người đồng hương với các thánh, và là người nhà của Thiên Chúa, bởi đã được xây dựng trên nền móng là các Tông Ðồ và ngôn sứ, còn đá tảng góc tường là chính Ðức Kitô Giêsu." (Ep 2: 19-20).

Là những môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu, tất cả chúng ta có chung cùng một nhiệm vụ và công trình được giao phó cho các Tông đồ và Giáo Hội. "Tất cả anh em cũng được xây dựng cùng với những người khác thành ngôi nhà Thiên Chúa ngự, nhờ Thần Khí Chúa Thánh Thần" (Ep 2: 22). Hôm nay chúng ta đang chuẩn bị kết thúc năm thánh, năm đức tin, chúng ta hãy nguyện xin Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta có đức tin, biết cởi mở và rộng lượng để cho công việc Chúa Thánh Thần làm việc trong chúng ta. Để mỗi người chúng ta có thể là thành viên của Giáo Hội, luôn biết yêu thương, nắm vững và tiếp tục nhiệm vụ và các công trình của Chúa Giêsu là đemTin Mừng và Tình yêu của Chúa Kitô đến với mọi người chưa biết Chúa. Biết khuyến khích và làm gương cho những người anhchị em nguội lạnh biết tìm về với tình yêu vô biên của Thiên Chúa nhân từ.

REFLECTION Oct 28 Sts. Simon and Jude,

After spending a night in prayer, Jesus picked out twelve men from among his disciples or followers and made them his apostles. An apostle is someone who is sent. Jesus entrusted to the Twelve his mission of preaching the Good News of salvation to all men. He also conferred on them the authority to carry out his works which show that the Kingdom of God is already here. In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul clearly identifies all of us as being disciples of Jesus and members of one Church. "You are citizens like all the saints, and part of God's household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for the main cornerstone" (Eph 2: 19-20).

As Jesus' followers, we all share in the mission and works which were entrusted to the Apostles and the Church. "All grow into one holy temple in the Lord, and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit" (Eph 2: 22). Let's ask Jesus for the faith, openness and generosity to let the Holy Spirit work in us. May each one of us, as members of the Church, lovingly embrace and continue Jesus' mission and works.

Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have called me to collaborate with you in spreading your kingdom of love. Strengthen my faith, hope, and love so as to respond generously to your call. Lord, I humbly ask the grace to listen to your voice.

Encountering Christ:

1. Jesus Spent the Night in Prayer: Jesus’s profound union with the Father is exemplary. We are called to imitate his desire for union with the Father as did all of the great saints. “Love to pray. Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of himself,” says St. Teresa of Calcutta. When we pray, we turn to the Father, like Jesus did to better know the Father’s will. We ask to grow in the desire to act according to his will. We look to Jesus who shows us how important it is to pray, especially when we have important decisions to make.

2. Jesus Called Disciples: Jesus knew that his choice of Apostles would affect everything about the new church. He prayed about who to invite and, when he extended the invitation, he hoped they would follow. Jesus knew that each one was created for a mission and would find fulfillment in carrying out his mission. Yet Jesus did not force this invitation upon them. He allowed them to respond freely. In the same way, God calls each one of us for a specific mission and gives us the freedom to choose the path of God’s will or the path of our own will. Those who fulfill their mission will find fulfillment, and win eternal life as well.

3. Judas the Traitor: Choosing to respond positively to God’s call does not mean that once we follow Christ, salvation is assured. There are twists and bends along the journey, temptations and falls, growth and success, and the opportunity to lose everything. Judas, who stood so faithfully by Christ’s side up to the end turned away to become a traitor. We must be on guard, renewing our love for God in our hearts every day, participating regularly in the sacraments, and seeking to conform our behavior to the Gospel standard.

Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord, you teach me important truths about my eternal destiny in these lines of Scripture. Prayer is essential to finding and living out the specific mission you have for me. Through prayer I will stay connected to you so that I may be your friend always. Sustain me in the life of grace. I ask when I pray the “Our Father,” “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.” Grant that I may be a faithful follower up until the very last moment of my life.

Encountering Christ:

· Called by Name: St. Luke points out that after a long night of prayerful discernment, Jesus called his disciples to himself, and from them, he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles. The Christian life is a response to a call. Jesus draws us to himself, and he does so personally, as St. Luke makes abundantly clear by listing each of the Twelve Apostles by name. There is nothing generic about being a Christian. There is nothing self-help-ish about being a Christian. There is nothing Lone Ranger-ish about being a Christian. Jesus reiterates this during the Last Supper: It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain (John 15:16). In a secular world, this is hard to remember. We must keep going back to it. Our lives are not our own. We are Christians, friends and followers of Christ. We have been called and chosen, set apart for a mission, given an eternal destiny. This vision of our deepest identity is vibrant and adventurous. Is that how I live? Or have I fallen into the trap of viewing my faith as a checklist of dos and don’ts, as a burden, as an optional extra dimension to a life being led for this world only? It’s worth thinking and praying about.

· Do You Remember? The Twelve Apostles would have remembered this day, the day Jesus called them to be members of his inner circle, for the rest of their lives. It was a special day. They would never reduce their relationship with Jesus to that moment of encounter and calling, but that moment would have had a special resonance in their hearts throughout their lives. It probably came back to them and provided encouragement in moments of difficulty and trial. We know St. Paul often began his letters with a reference to the moment of his call, and we can imagine that the Twelve would have often alluded to their moment of call as they too bore witness to the Gospel. Today’s saints, Simon and Jude, suffered martyrdom together in Persia (modern-day Iran) at the end of their earthly mission. We know very little of their missionary adventures, but we can rest assured that their unforgettable experience of being called by Christ was a sure anchor amid the storms they encountered throughout their lives. And what about us? How vivid is our awareness of Christ having called us? Do we often think back on those powerful experiences of his grace, those times when we knew–when we truly, experientially knew–that God was acting in our lives, nudging us, calling us, strengthening us? God often rebuked his chosen people in the Old Testament for forgetting about his many powerful interventions in their lives. May the Lord never rebuke us for such spiritual negligence!

· Our True Identity: In today’s first reading, St. Paul painted a compelling, beautiful picture of the Church. First, he told the Ephesians that they were no longer strangers or sojourners. That is the state of anyone who has not discovered and embraced their identity as children of the one true God, a state the Ephesians had experienced poignantly during their pre-Christian pagan phase of existence. Then St. Paul contrasted that state of uncertainty and insecurity with their new state: you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. In Christ, through our membership in the Church, our true identity has been given and revealed. We have a place in the universe. We belong. We have brothers and sisters who will be with us for all eternity. We are not wandering aimlessly through a random cosmos hoping blindly that some kind of meaning will stumble upon us. We know where we came from: the loving, all-powerful heart of God. We know where we are: on a pilgrimage through this fallen world, spreading the good news of the Gospel and growing in grace, virtue, and friendship with Christ. We know where we are going: to the Father’s House, to everlasting life in the company of Christ himself and all the saints and angels. Is this such a small thing, knowing all of this? Amid life’s hustle and bustle, we often act as if it were just a small thing. In truth, however, it is the biggest thing. And our daily life will only benefit if we treat it that way.

Conversing with Christ: When I stop to think about the miracle of your Church, of this massive community of believers spanning twenty centuries and the entire globe, a community united today by the same Gospel and the same sacraments and the same apostolic authority that has united it since the time of your own Incarnation, I am overwhelmed. I am filled with awe. You are faithful. You are redeeming the world by unfolding your new creation. And you have called me to enter into this amazing story, chosen me to participate actively in the spread of your Kingdom, the only kingdom where salvation can be found. Thank you, Lord, thank you.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will take time to write out two or three of my most powerful experiences of your presence in my past, so that I don’t forget about them, and so that I continue to be strengthened by the loving, grateful memory of your faithfulness to me.

Suy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

Suy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

Ngày nay, chúng ta không thể nói với người làm phải vâng tuân theo chủ nhân của họ. Chúng ta thấy chế độ nô lệ dưới mọi hình thức như là một tội ác và không thể chấp nhận được và chúng ta phải tìm mọi cách và tất cả mọi thứ trong khả năng của mình để bãi bỏ nó. Nhưng những người Ephêsô vẫn còn quan trọng hoá và cố vượt thời gian để thực hiện.

Bất kể mọi tình huống chúng ta có thể tự thấy chính mình đang làm chứng cho ​​Chúa Giêsu trong cách sống của chúng ta. Việc chúng ta sống trong một môi trường ngột ngạt hay có một ông chủ bất công không quan trọng, chúng ta phải luôn biết hy vọng và là ngọn hải đăng chiếu ánh sáng. Bằng cách biểu lộ cách sông của Chúa Giêsu trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của chúng ta, chúng ta có thể gây ảnh hưởng sâu đậm đến những người khác. Và chưa chừng biết đâu, chúng ta thậm chí có thể làm cho những người áp bức chúng ta phải biến đổi! Đức tin không thể được coi như là sự đương nhiên. Thánh Luca nói với chúng ta rằng việc thường xuyên đến với Chúa Giêsu hoặc cứ đến nhà thờ chưa chắc đã bảo đảm được quyền làm con trong mắt Chúa.

Có nhiều người trong chúng ta đã tự mãn và chắc chắn rằng họ đã làm trọn bổn phận tinh thần, những những người ấy sẽ tự thấy mình ở dưới đáy cùng. Cũng có những người gặp phải những khó khăn và thất bại nhưng biết đứng lên tiếp tục cuộc hành trình trong đức tin; họ sẽ được nâng lên. Cho dù cửa nước Trời của Thiên Chúa thực sự là hẹp nhỏ, nhưng với tình yêu thương, lòng khiêm tốn, và sự phục vụ có thể giúp chúng ta vượt qua.

Nếu như tôn giáo mà chỉ nói mà không có hành động hay việc làm và nếu chúng ta thiếu yếu tố quan trọng đó thì việc nghe lời Thiên Chúa có nghĩa là làm theo lời của Chúa; Hai điều này không thể tách rời nhau được. Cách thức để sống theo Chúa mỗi ngày của chúng ta là chúng ta phải biết kiểm tra cách sống của chúng ta là hãy xem chúng ta đã có lắng nghe lời Chúa qua Phúc Âm như thế nào.

Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con biết dùng cuộc sống của chúng con để phản ánh lời của Ngài.

Reflection Wednesday Week in Ordinary Time (B)

Today, we would not tell slaves to obey their masters. We see slavery in any form as an intolerable evil and we would do everything in our power to abolish it. But Ephesians still has an important and timeless point to make. Regardless of the situation we find ourselves in we can witness to Jesus by our way of life. It doesn’t matter if we live in an oppressive environment or have an unjust boss we should always be a beacon of light and hope. By demonstrating the way of Jesus in our everyday life we can have a profound effect on others. Who knows, we might even convert our oppressors!

Faith cannot be taken for granted. Luke tells us that familiarity with Jesus or going to church in themselves are no guarantee of being right in the eyes of the Lord. There are many who are self-satisfied and sure that they have it made spiritually who will find themselves at the bottom. There are also those who struggle and fall but continue to walk in faith — they will be lifted up. The door of the kingdom of God is narrow indeed — only love, humility, and service can fit through.

All of the religious talk and activity in the world is of little use if we are lacking that important element. Hearing the word of God means doing the word of God; the two cannot be separated. The manner of our everyday life is the test of how well we have listened.

Lord, may my life reflect Your word.

Wednesday 30th Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: I come before you today, Lord, eager to praise you and to receive from you the grace I need to live this day to the full. I feel what St. Paul describes in today’s first reading: we do not know how to pray as we ought. And I invoke your promise through St. Paul: The Spirit himself comes to the aid of our weakness… the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. Holy Spirit, guide my time of prayer today, for the glory of God and the advance of Christ’s Kingdom.

Encountering Christ:

· Clear Destinations: Jesus had a clear destination. He was …making his way to Jerusalem. He knew that his mission was to culminate in his self-offering on the cross for the world’s redemption. And even though he kept busy on the way, Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went; he never lost sight of that destination. Do I know what my destination is? Do I know how everything I do in my daily life contributes to the journey? We need to be intentional about keeping our destination–everlasting happiness through growth in our communion with God here on earth and entering the Father’s house after death–in the forefront of our minds. So many other voices try to distract us. So many false promises vie for our attention. We are so easily distracted. As disciples of Christ, we should learn from our Master and renew our commitment every single day to continue our journey to our true destination.

· Few or Many? The question posed to Jesus in today’s Gospel is one that continues to be posed in every generation: Lord, will only a few people be saved? Jesus doesn’t really give a direct answer to this question. Rather, he turns the tables. We don’t really need to know how many people will make it to heaven. What we need to be concerned about is our own journey, our own fidelity to God’s grace. And so, Jesus encourages us to stay humble, to take good care of our own souls first: Strive to enter through the narrow gate. He implies that in this fallen world it isn’t so easy to be a faithful disciple of Jesus: …many… will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. Being Christ’s disciple is not complicated—he himself summed it up in two commandments: love for God and love for neighbor. But the many traps and deceptions swirling around us and within us–because of our own fallen nature (concupiscence), the fallen world, and the fallen angels who hate God and work to separate us from him–make it difficult. It is so difficult, in fact, that we can easily deceive ourselves, thinking we are living a faithful friendship with Christ when in truth we are just building up our own petty, self-centered kingdoms. This is the message of his parable about the master who locks the door. We don’t need to panic. God’s grace will never fail us. We just need to stay humble, to stay focused, to make good use of the many means for spiritual growth the Church offers us (that’s part of our “striving”), and trust that God will do the rest.

· A Cure for Discouragement: The tone of our Lord’s answer to his questioner in today’s Gospel can strike some readers as stark, maybe even pessimistic. But we must not take this passage in isolation from the rest of the Gospel. Jesus makes equally clear in many passages that God’s mercy is infinite and proactive; he wants us to be saved. In fact, the basic theological virtue of hope propels us to remain deeply optimistic even amid all our struggles and the grave evil around us. The Catechism points out (1821): We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will. In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere "to the end" and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God's eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ. In hope, the Church prays for "all men to be saved.” This robust, wise, theological hope is what St. Paul has in mind when he writes in today’s first reading: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). We should all memorize this verse and go back to it frequently, because it is true, and it reminds us of a truth that we need to be reminded of almost every single day.

Conversing with Christ: I want to strive to enter through the narrow gate of your friendship— narrow because to be your faithful friend I have to stay humble, to stay small, to become once again like a child, trusting more in you than in myself or any otherworldly power. I want to live with the buoyant joy of hope always shining in me and through me. I want to live simply, truly, limpidly, free from all unnecessary complications that inhibit me from living in your peace and spreading that peace all around me. Teach me, Lord; never let me be separated from you.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a special visit to the Eucharist and pray earnestly for the salvation of all people, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Meditation:

What does the image of a door say to us about the kingdom of God?

Today Jesus tells us a story about the door being shut to those who come too late and suggests that they had offended their host for being late and n ot prepared, They deserved to be excluded. It was customary for teachers in Jesus' time to close the door on tardy students and not allow them back for a whole week in order to teach them a lesson in discipline and faithfulness. Jesus told this story in response to the question of who will make it to heaven. Many rabbis held that all Israel would be saved, except for a few blatant sinners who excluded themselves! After all, they were specially chosen by God when he established a covenant with them.

Jesus doesn't directly answer the question, however; but his response is nonetheless unsettling on two counts. First, Jesus surprised his listeners by saying that one's membership as a covenanted people does not automatically mean entry into the kingdom of God. Second, Jesus asserts that many from the gentile nations would enter God's kingdom. God's invitation is open to Jew and Gentile alike. But Jesus warns that we can be excluded if we do not strive to enter by the narrow door. What did Jesus mean by this expression? The door which Jesus had in mind was himself. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved (John 10:9). Jesus opens the way for us to enter into God's kingdom through the cross where he has laid down his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. If we want to enter and remain citizens of God's kingdom, then we must follow Jesus in the way of the cross. The word strive can also be translated agony. To enter the kingdom of God one must struggle against the forces of temptation to sin and whatever would hinder us from doing the will of God (even apathy, indifference, and compromise).

The good news is that we do not struggle alone. God is with us and his grace is sufficient! As we strive side by side for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27) Jesus assures us of complete victory! Do you trust in God's grace and help, especially in times of testing and temptation?

"Lord Jesus, help me to always trust in your saving grace, especially when I am tempted and put to the test. Help me to be faithful to you and give me the courage and strength to resist temptation, especially the temptation to compromise or to be indifferent to your word."

Suy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Ba tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

 Suy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Ba tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

Hạt cải và men làm bánh mì có thể dạy cho chúng ta những gì về vương quốc của Thiên Chúa?

Như chúng ta biết hạt cải là hạt rất nhỏ, nhỏ nhất trong các loại hột. Nhưng khi hột được gieo vào đất tốt đã được cuốc xới bón phân tốt, nước tưới đầy đủ, hạt cải nhỏ bé sẽ nẩy mầm và phát triển lớn lên thành bụi lớn và thu hút được nhiều loài chim, vì sự chăm sóc, tưới bón của người trồng, nên dù hạt cải đen nhỏ, đã trở thành vườn cải tốt tươi với cành lá xum xuê đến nỗi chim trời có thể làm tổ. Vương quốc của Thiên Chúa cũng tương tự. Nó bắt đầu được chớm nở từ sự khởi ban đầu rất nhỏ nhen trong trái tim của người chúng ta bằng sự tiếp nhận Lời của Thiên Chúa.

Hành trang để được vào nước trời cũng giống như là bột men làm bánh, Đó là đức tin, đức tin được chớm nở trong trái tim của mỗi người chúng ta bằng sự tiếp nhận Lời của Thiên Chúa. Đức tin đó hoạt động vô hình và gây biến chuyển và đổi thay từ bên trong, Men là một tác nhân mạnh mẽ của sự thay đổi. Một cục bột còn lại chính nó vẫn chỉ là một cục bột. Nhưng khi men được thêm vào để bột bánh được phồng lên và khi đút vào lò nướng đó sản xuất bánh mì thơm ngon và đó là chủ yếu cho cuộc sống đối với con người.

Đức tin sẽ biến đổi những ai đã được đón nhận cuộc sống mới mà Chúa ban cho vì khi chúng ta dâng lên Chúa cuộc sống của chúng ta. Thì cuộc sống của chúng ta sẽ được biến đổi bởi sức mạnh của Chúa Thánh Thần đấng đang ngự trong chúng ta. Thánh Phaolô có nói, "kho tàng này, chúng tôi lại chứa đựng trong những bình sành, để chứng tỏ quyền năng phi thường phát xuất từ Thiên Chúa, chứ không phải từ chúng tôi. (2 Cô-rinh-tô 4:7). Hãy đặt niềm tin của chúng ta vào sức mạnh và sự biến đổi của Chúa Thánh Thần

Meditation:

What can mustard seeds and leaven teach us about the kingdom of God? The tiny mustard seed literally grew to be a tree which attracted numerous birds because they loved the little black mustard seed it produced. God's kingdom works in a similar fashion. It starts from the smallest beginnings in the hearts of men and women who are receptive to God's word. And it works unseen and causes a transformation from within. Leaven is another powerful agent of change. A lump of dough left to itself remains just what it is, a lump of dough. But when the leaven is added to it a transformation takes place which produces rich and wholesome bread when heated – the staple of life for humans. The kingdom of God produces a transformation in those who receive the new life which Jesus Christ offers. When we yield to Jesus Christ, our lives are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Paul the Apostle says, "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Do you believe in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit?

"Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and transform me into the Christ-like holiness you desire. Increase my zeal for your kingdom and instill in me a holy desire to live for your greater glory."

Tuesday 30th Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: In today’s psalm you remind me of the experience of your Chosen People in exile. How could they have continued to hope in your promise of redemption when they found themselves oppressed and helpless in foreign lands for decade after decade? And yet, you did fulfill your promise, and wonderfully brought them back, and then their mouth was filled with laughter and their tongue with rejoicing. I often feel that I am in exile, far from my true homeland. My heart aches for lasting peace and joy. And I come to you this day to renew my hope in you and to ask for the grace I need to continue my journey through this valley of tears.

Encountering Christ:

· Visualizing the Invisible: Christ’s parables make visible in our minds realities that, in themselves, are invisible. They are, in a certain sense, echoes of his own Incarnation, through which the invisible God became visible in Jesus. We need these parables. The invisible realities are the ones we most need to keep firm as the reference points of our lives. If we can’t visualize them somehow, we tend to forget them, and we lose those reference points. That’s when we get lost and go astray. We should love these parables, then, as fuel for our hope, the hope that propels us forward on the journey of life. As St. Paul mentions in today’s first reading: For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance (Romans 8:24-25). This virtue of hope is in short supply in our postmodern, secularized world. That world is shortsighted; it expects perfect happiness to result from the right combination of consumer products, digital popularity, exercise routines, and entertainment subscriptions. It has no place for, and no way to comprehend, the inevitable sufferings that come to us in this fallen, sin-ridden world. But in Christ, we can both accept and comprehend them. We know they come from the brokenness of human nature and human society, and we know that in Christ even the most twisted brokenness can be redeemed. Turning back to St. Paul in today’s first reading: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us (Romans 8:18).

· The Mustard Seed: The parable of the mustard seed allows us to visualize the future fruitfulness of our seemingly small actions on behalf of Christ. Most of what happens in the Church is small by the world’s standards—a sprinkle of water at baptism, a word of absolution in confession, a host of unleavened bread at Communion. And yet, contained in these small realities is the actual grace of God. The same goes for our small prayers, our small sacrifices, our small, hidden acts of virtue. These are tiny, from the world’s perspective—not worthy of even a footnote in the annals of the relentless 24/7 news cycle, let alone a headline. And yet, hidden within these tiny acts of faith and responses to God’s grace is a great future, just as the tiny mustard seed contains in potency the largest of shrubs. Contemplating this comparison will enable us to continue committing ourselves to the small things, the things that don’t appear in the headlines, but the things that will be fruitful for an everlasting Kingdom.

· The Leaven in the Dough: The parable of the leaven in the dough allows us to visualize the hidden and transforming power of faith, hope, and love, of the grace and truth brought into the world by the Gospel. The leaven literally disappears within the mass of dough. In comparison with the dough, its weight and volume are insignificant. And yet, the entire loaf is affected by that leaven. It is changed and transformed. Just so, Christians living their faith authentically may be indistinguishable on the outside from their neighbors, their coworkers, their comrades, while their witness, their mere presence, gradually works a transformation not only of their inner circles, but even of entire communities, societies, and cultures. How important it is for us to contemplate this image and believe in the hidden power of God’s grace! When the enemy of our souls can’t get us to rebel against God through mortal sin, he will try to distract us from the fruitfulness of day-by-day fidelity to grace by stirring up obsessions with “headline-worthy” events and decisions over which we have no influence at all. If we spend all our energy and attention there, the dough within our grasp will never receive the leaven God wants to give it through our humble and courageous faith.

Conversing with Christ: I cannot see you, Lord, but I believe in you. I cannot see all the results of my efforts to serve you and build up your Kingdom, but I believe that none of those efforts will be in vain. I cannot see all the graces I receive when I go to Mass and confession, but I believe they are there, at work in my mind and heart like leaven in the dough. Thank you, Lord, for teaching me with these simple, beautiful parables. Help me to savor them, to allow their truth to feed my hope so that I never stop working joyfully with you to advance your Kingdom.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will perform one act of kindness or Christian witness without looking for any immediate recognition, result, or recompense, knowing that in so doing I am spreading leaven and planting seeds.

Meditation:

Through the two parables today our Lord Jesus explains to us what the Kingdom of God is like.The Kingdom of God is evident on earth by how it grows from very small and humble beginnings into something much larger and greater. The tiniest of seeds becomes a large tree. A small amount of yeast causes the entire loaf to grow. Likewise, twelve simple Apostles took His words and built a church that now covers the entire world. Throughout history, Christ's work has been continued by the work of "small" people such as Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa. The Kingdom of God is still like the mustard seed and is still being planted and growing in our world today. Through these parables, Jesus encourages us patience and hopeful certainty; parables referring to the Kingdom of God and to the Church and that are also applied to the growth of this same Kingdom in each of us. We now ask our Lord Jesus to fill us with the Holy Spirit and transform us into the Christ-like holiness God desire. Increase our zeal for God’s kingdom and instill in us a holy desire to live for His greater glory.

Meditation:

Through the two parables today, Jesus places before our eyes one of the characteristics of the Kingdom of God: it is something that flourishes slowly as a mustard seed, but, eventually, grows to offer shelter to the birds in its trees. With this parable, Our Lord encourages us to patience, fortitude and hope. These virtues are especially necessary for those who devote themselves to propagate the Kingdom of God. We must be patient, and with God's grace and human cooperation, wait for the planted seed to grow while profoundly embedding its roots in the good soil to gradually become a tree.

In the first place, we need to have faith in the virtuality, fecundity contained in the seed of the Kingdom of God. This seed is the Word; it is also the Eucharist that is planted in us through Communion. In John Gospel, Our Lord Jesus Christ compared himself to “a kernel of wheat that falls to the ground and dies (…). But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (Jn 12:24).

The Kingdom of God, our Lord goes on, is similar to “the yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened." (Lk 13:21). Here also the yeast needed to leaven all the dough. We only need the yeast inside the dough, getting to the people, to be like salt that preserves from corruption and makes all food to taste (cf. Mt 5:13). Time is also of essence so that it can carry out with its function by and by.

The kingdom of God produces a transformation in those who receive the new life which Jesus Christ offers. When we yield to Jesus Christ, our lives are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Paul the Apostle says, "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Through these parables, Jesus encourages us patience and hopeful certainty; parables referring to the Kingdom of God and to the Church and that are also applied to the growth of this same Kingdom in each of us.

Suy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Hai tuần 30 Thường Niên

 Suy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Hai tuần 30 Thường Niên

Bài Phúc âm hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu chữa người đàn bà bị quỷ ám gập lưng trong đền Thánh vào ngày Sabat không ngoài mục đích để dậy cho người phái siêu và người do thái bài học là họ phải giữ ngày Sabat, nhưng không phải chỉ giữ khơi khơi bằng môi bằng miệng, nhưng họ phải biết dùng ngày nghĩ để thờ phượng Chúa và làm việc ngay lành phúc đức. Nếu họ biết dùng ngày nghĩ để thả trâu, thả bò, thả gia súc đi ăn, đi uống nước tại sao họ lại cấm Chúa chữa bệnh ngày sabat... Đúng là bọn giả hình.

Còn Chúng ta thì sao, chúng ta có giữ ngày chúa nhật như điều răn thứ ba trong mười điều răn của Chúa. Có người trong chúng ta chẳng những không giữ xác ngày Chúa nhật mà còn không đi lễ ngày Chúa nhật, một số chúng ta vì công ăn việc làm, điều đó có thể chập nhận được nhưng cần phải kiếm thời gian đi dự thánh lễ Chúa Nhật, nhưng còn một số không nhỏ trong chúng ta, có tiền có bạc rủng rỉng, chẳng phải đi làm ngày Chúa Nhật, nhưng thích du hí, trên các tàu con du lịch vào ngày cuối tuần.. tha hồ vui chơi chẳng còn nhớ ngày chúa Nhật chẳng còn nhớ thánh lễ buộc trong ngày Chúa Nhật.

Ngày Chúa Nhật là ngày của Chúa, Chúa muốn chúng ta nghỉ ngơi có thời gian để đến với chúa, có thời giờ để nghĩ tới Chúa, tới người anh chị em chung quanh chúng ta. Bài Phúc âm Chúa Giêsu dậy cho chúng ta thấy ma quỷ có quyền năng, chúng có quyền phép để hành hạ thân xác và tinh thần con người chúng ta nếu chúng ta yếu đuối hoặc để chúng tự do hành động. Nhưng quyền năng của ma quỹ chí có thể hủy hoại con người chứ không thể gải thoát con người khỏi cảnh tù đày trong hố sâu của tội lỗi. Thiên Chúa là người mới có quyền phép để giải thòat chúng ta khỏi sự dữ, sự đau khổ nơi thân xác và tinh thần. Vì thế chúng ta cần siêng đến Chúa, nhất là các ngày lễ Chúa nhật để chúng ta được thêm sức mạnh phần hồn và phần xác qua của ăn chúa ban cho chúng ta bằng chính máu và thịt của Chúa Giêsu. Chúng hãy để thân xác nghĩ ngơi để lời chúa đến và được lắng đọng trong tâm hồn, để lời Chúa đem lại cho chúng bình an và tự do và không bị ràng buộc những thèm khát cám dỗ của Satan

Meditation:

Is there anything that keeps you bound up or oppressed? Infirmity, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, can befall us for a variety of reasons and God can use it for some purpose that we do not understand. When Jesus encountered an elderly woman who was spent of her strength and unable to stand upright, he gave her words of faith and freedom and he restored her to health. She must have suffered much, both physically and spiritually for eighteen years, since Jesus remarked that Satan had bound her. How can Satan do this? The scriptures indicate that Satan can act in the world with malice and can cause injuries of a spiritual nature, and indirectly even of a physical nature. Satan's power, however, is not infinite. He cannot prevent the building up of God's kingdom or reign in our lives. Jesus demonstrates the power and authority of God's kingdom in releasing people who are oppressed by physical and emotional sickness, by personal weakness and sin, and by the harassment of the evil one in their lives. It took only one word from Jesus to release this woman instantly of her infirmity. Do you believe in the power of Jesus to release you from affliction and oppression?

The Jewish leaders were indignant that Jesus would perform such a miraculous work on the Sabbath, the holy day of rest. They were so caught up in their ritual observance of the Sabbath that they lost sight of God's mercy and goodness. Jesus healed on the Sabbath because God does not rest from showing his mercy and love, ever. God's word has power to change us, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Is there anything that keeps you bound up or that weighs you down? Let the Lord speak his word to you and give you freedom.

"Lord Jesus, you grant freedom to those who seek you. Give me freedom to walk in your way of love and to praise and worship you always. Show me how I can bring your mercy and healing love to those in need around me."

Monday 30th Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, in today’s psalm you remind me that you are a God who bears our burdens… who is our salvation. That’s why I come to you today in prayer. You know my burdens. You know how I long to experience the spiritual freedom that comes from your healing grace. All my trust is in you, my God; show me that path of salvation.

Encountering Christ:

· The Harshness of Hypocrisy: Once again Jesus came face to face with the sin that seems to stir his anger the most: hypocrisy, putting on the appearance of having virtues that one in fact does not have. The synagogue leader was perfectly happy indirectly excoriating Jesus for healing (considered a form of work forbidden by the Sabbath laws) on the Sabbath, while at the same time contentedly caring for his livestock on the Sabbath. This shows hypocrisy because the virtue behind keeping the Sabbath is faith in an all-powerful and loving God (thus we can take one day a week for rest without fearing that our lives and livelihoods will unravel), not legalistic perfectionism. The synagogue leader claimed to know and love God, as evidenced by his minute observance of Sabbath laws, but he couldn’t see how Jesus healing this oppressed, crippled woman was a magnificent manifestation of God’s power and love, deserving of praise and rejoicing. Yet, the many other worshippers did see it, and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him. How often we fall into the same deadly harshness of hypocrisy! We are so focused on perfectionism, or the appearance of perfectionism, that we blind ourselves to the wonders the Lord is working all around us! For a clue to our own unconscious hypocrisy, all we need to do is reflect prayerfully on all the things we tend to complain about. What do those complaints tell us about ourselves? Are they healthy and balanced, or are they a bit too harsh, a bit too strident, a bit too turbulent, revealing our own attachments and petty self-righteousness?

· King of Kings: The most obvious lesson in this Gospel passage may slip by unnoticed if we’re not careful. Jesus points out that this woman has been suffering from a debilitating physical ailment for eighteen years. He also points out that the origin of this ailment was demonic. We don’t get any more details, except to see that Jesus was able to completely cure her with a word and a touch. Jesus is the Lord of life and history. His Kingdom is the definitive, everlasting Kingdom. The powers of evil will not prevail over Christ and his Kingdom: …I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). This power of Christ, and his solemn promise, is the source of our hope. And our hope is the source of our spiritual energy as well as our joy. Whenever we feel that energy or that joy wane, we can be sure we have lost sight of the power of Christ and his promise. To keep up our hope and our spiritual energy, we need only to keep gazing at Christ and all his loving omnipotence.

· The Unhealed: Many people are not healed of their maladies in this life. Many people suffer physical or psychological ailments for more than eighteen years, despite many prayers and sacrifices offered to the Lord. Why is this? Each case is unique because each person is unique. But one thing we know for sure: God hears all our prayers. If he doesn’t answer a petition the way we wanted, we can rest assured that his way of answering will be better. In other words, suffering is not in itself contrary to growth in holiness, to growth in faith and hope and love. Ever since Jesus himself redeemed us through the immense suffering of his Passion, this unavoidable reality has become one of God’s favorite channels of grace. St. Paul puts this beautifully in today’s first reading. He points out that we are God’s children, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him (Romans 8:17). Whatever God permits in our lives, for as long as he permits, can be woven into the tapestry of his redemption and our salvation, fitting us for the glories of heaven and the joys of deeper communion with God.

Conversing with Christ: I believe in your goodness and your wisdom, Lord. And I want to stay humble enough to always see that goodness and wisdom at work in my life and in the world around me. Please save me from the harshness of hypocrisy. Please enlighten me so that my own sufferings and challenges never become an obstacle to growth in grace. I hope in you, Lord; help me to hope more firmly.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will keep a special eye on what I complain about and how often I complain, trying to see more clearly any incipient hypocrisy at work in my life.

Romans 8:12-17

Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. (Romans 8:14)

So often, we read passages like this one and focus on what we have to do: “I really need to work harder at being led by the Spirit.” While it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re being responsible to your calling, how often do you simply rejoice in the fact that you are a child of God? It’s true: You have a Father in heaven who loves you immensely. And just to make sure that you know this, he put his Spirit in your heart—the Spirit who confirms this truth by crying out: “Abba, Father!” (Romans 8:15).

As if that isn’t amazing enough, the news gets even better. Not only are you God’s child, you are also his heir (Romans 8:17). Think about Britain’s Prince William. Someday he will inherit the kingdom from his father, Prince Charles, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. All the riches and rights of the crown will be his. Now if William is looking forward to that day, how much more should you look forward to the day when you will inherit the kingdom of God? Keep in mind that your inheritance is infinitely greater! You will receive a “crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:8). You will live forever in a place of pure beauty where every tear will be wiped away and where there will be no sorrow or crying or pain or death any more (Revelation 21:4). It boggles the mind—and it’s all yours!

Did you know that you can start to draw on your inheritance right now? In fact, God has given you his Spirit as kind of a “first installment” of all the treasures that await you (2 Corinthians 1:22). So ask the Spirit to show you how to take hold of your heavenly inheritance. Ask him to give you a taste of your Father’s goodness now. Prayers can be answered, hurts healed, and relationships restored. All it takes is a little faith and the courage to step forward and claim your inheritance.

“Lord, I stand in awe of the inheritance you have given me! Help me to avail myself of all the grace, mercy, and love that you have set aside for me today.”