Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần 26 Thường
Niên
Trong
bài đọc Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy những người muốn theo Chúa Kitô, Họ đã
có được sự cảm xúc và sự thúc đẩy qua những lời giáo huấn và chính cuộc sống
của Chúa Giêsu và họ đã theo Ngài và làm môn đệ của Ngài. Thật không may, trong
khi họ muốn theo Chúa Kitô, những họ vẫn còn có điều kiện:
"Trước hết, tôi phải chôn cha tôi"; "trước tiên, hãy để tôi nói
lời vài tạm biệt chia tay với gia đình tôi." Ý chí của Họ đã bị cản trở
bởi thứ vật chất, tình cảm bên ngoài đã dính liền mà không thể dứt khoát, hoặc
là những nghĩa vụ mà họ nghĩ là quan trọng hơn. Chúa Kitô đã cho chúng ta thấy rằng đã thực sự theo Chúa Kitô thì không có gì
quan trọng hơn nữa, và không thể để cho bất cứ một điều kiện nào được tiên quyết, "Hãy để kẻ chết
chôn kẻ chết; Còn anh, anh hãy đi loan báo triều đại của (Nước) Thiên
Chúa"; "Ai đã ra tay cầm cày, mà còn ngoái lại phía sau, thì không thích hợp với Nước Thiên Chúa."
Chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện để xin Chúa
Giêsu, người anh em của chúng ta, ban cho chúng ta những ân sủng này qua lòng
rộng lượng chủa Chúa để chúng ta có can đảm để đáp lại ơn gọi này. Xin Chúa có
thể soi sáng cho chúng ta biết ơn, trân trọng những hồng ân mà Chúa đã ban cho
chúng ta và để cúng ta luôn biết tìm kiếm kho báu vĩnh viễn trong Nước Chúa.
Reflection:
In the Gospel reading we see people who
wished to follow Christ. They were touched and moved by Jesus' preaching and life
to follow him and be his disciples. Unfortunately, while they wished to follow
Christ, they were willing to do so under certain conditions: "first, I
want to bury my father"; "first, let me say goodbye to my
family." They were hindered by other attachments or by what to them were
more important obligations.
Christ points out that the following of
Christ was truly demanding and allowed no pre-conditions, "Let the dead
bury the dead; as for you, leave them and proclaim the kingdom of God";
"Whoever puts his hand on the plow and looks back is not fit for the
kingdom of God."
The Church has declared 2014 as the
"Year of the Laity." The Church reminds and encourages the laity who
make up the great majority of the Church to fully live out their vocations as
members of Christ's Church and followers of Christ. The Church reminds all of
the primacy of our call to be "Christians" and to be
"Christ-like."
Let us pray to Jesus, our brother, for the
gift of generosity and courage to answer this call. May he enlighten us to
gratefully appreciate the many gifts given to us and to always seek for
treasures which last forever. May we learn to use and value whatever we have
always looking forward to the kingdom of heaven. May we learn to be generous in
our response to Christ.
Wednesday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey,
someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered
him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has
nowhere to rest his head.” Luke 9:57–58
At first, this appears to be an unusual response from our Lord.
This person appeared to be committing himself to follow Jesus wherever Jesus
led. But rather than complimenting the would-be follower, Jesus indicates that
there is nowhere for this man to follow Him. Instead, he would have to follow
Him into the unknown. Why would Jesus say this? Did He not want the man to
follow Him?
One thing that this passage teaches us is that Jesus was able to
read the souls and the intentions of those whom He encountered. Apparently,
what the man said was not exactly his true intention. In commenting upon this
passage, several Church Fathers point out that the man said what he said not
out of a deep desire to follow Christ, but so that he would look good in the
eyes of those around Jesus. Jesus knew his true intention, and therefore told
the man that if he wanted to follow Him, he would have to follow Him into the
unknown. Jesus then spoke to two others about following Him, and each time He
challenged them to follow Him without reservation.
The call to follow our Lord is absolute. We cannot halfheartedly follow
Him. We cannot follow Him for selfish reasons. The choice to follow our Lord
begins with Him calling to us interiorly. We must hear His clear voice and
invitation. The invitation we will receive will be one that asks everything of
us. Jesus will never call us to give half of our lives to Him, or even most of
our lives to Him. His call is one that demands everything. By demanding
everything from us, our Lord is actually giving everything to us. We are only
made whole when we give everything to Him and follow Him without reserve. This
is the starting point.
The choice to follow Jesus will also be done in a certain secrecy.
It’s not that we try to hide our choice to follow Him; rather, we must follow
Him with the right intentions. We do not do so because we want others to praise
us, admire us, or look up to us. We do not do so to boost our spiritual ego. We
follow Him because we have heard Him call and have chosen to respond to that
call in the way we are called. Therefore, every choice to follow Jesus must
begin in the secrecy of our interior life of prayer. Once our commitment is
firmly established, it will often become visible to others, but that must never
be a motivating factor.
Once we are firmly committed to follow Christ, there must be no turning
back. Jesus concludes today’s Gospel by saying, “No one who sets a hand to the
plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” The
choice to follow Christ requires a death to certain things in our lives. As our
journey moves forward, there will be temptations to return to our old ways. We
will remember the delights of past sins, feel the draw to other paths, and
might even experience the demand of absolute fidelity to be too much. These
experiences must be continuously rejected as temptations and lies. We must
never look back to what we gave up and must always look forward to that which
our Lord is calling us. Second-guessing our choice to follow Jesus will be a
very real temptation at times; therefore, our resolve must never waver.
Reflect, today, upon the depth of your own decision to follow
Jesus. First, consider whether or not you have heard this radical and absolute
call echo within the depths of your soul. Only there, in the secrecy of your
interior life, will you hear God speak. Second, consider your motivations for
following Jesus. Do you do so to look good in the eyes of others? Or do you do
so out of love of God? Third, consider whether your commitment is total. It is
not enough to give most of your life to Christ; He demands everything. Finally,
ponder also the fact that there will be many temptations along the way to
return to your former sinful way of life. Allow your resolve to eliminate those
temptations and continuously recommit yourself to the journey to which you have
been called.
My demanding Lord, You have called me to a radical commitment of
my entire life to follow You. I hear Your voice and choose to say “yes” to Your
invitation. Please free me from all selfish motives in life, and give me the
resolve I need to follow You wherever You lead. Jesus, I trust in You.
Introductory Prayer: In you, Lord, I find all my joy and happiness.
How could I offend you by chasing after fleeting success and lifeless trophies?
I believe in you because you are truth itself. I hope in you because you are
faithful to your promises. I love you because you have loved me first. I am a
sinner; nevertheless, you have given me so many blessings. I humbly thank you.
Petition: Let me willingly accept the cost of following
in your footsteps
1. Hidden Expenses: A would-be disciple of Jesus' boasts that he
will follow Our Lord anywhere, whatever the sacrifice. Jesus' response makes us
wonder whether the fellow understood what he would be getting into. Following
Christ is demanding — and not always glamorous. We might dream of doing great
things for Christ, but then find the day-to-day struggle distasteful ("the
Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head"). Unglamorous challenges take
many forms. A new wife might discover, to her chagrin, that her husband can't
handle finances. Or a parent with high hopes learns that a child has a learning
disability that will limit her ability to excel. Or a husband takes a
higher-paying job to support his family, only to find his new boss is a tyrant.
Or a teen suffers ridicule at public school for her modest clothes. All these
trials can be the cost of following Christ. What price am I willing to pay?
2. Family Ties: Christ tries to dissuade another would-be
follower from "burying his father." The man was probably settling his
father's estate and getting too involved in family finances. Our Lord wanted
him to cut with all that immediately and get on with the work of the Kingdom.
Too often, money matters distract us from doing what Christ wants. No wonder
St. Paul warns, "The love of money is the root of all evils" (1
Timothy 6:10). Is money holding me back in my relationship with Christ? Am I
working longer hours than I need to just for money?
3. Long Goodbye: The moment of decision had arrived. But
instead of joining Jesus' camp, the would-be disciple felt the tug of family
ties. As followers of Christ, we have to be willing to make a fundamental
option for Christ — an option that by necessity excludes other paths. Does this
sound hard? It should sound familiar. Think of the young woman who says yes to
a proposal of marriage. She does so assuming that her beloved has long broken
off other romantic relationships. Or take the student who decides to go out for
the soccer team at school. He rules out spending hours of practice on the
basketball court. By extension, if we want to follow Christ, why do we fritter
away hours in activities that have nothing to do with our faith or the Church?
Are there things I need to weed out of my life?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me focus my energies better on you
and what you are asking of me. Let me not be distracted by activities or
material possessions or even relationships that aren't helping my spiritual
life.
Resolution: I will weed out one thing from my life that
doesn't fit my state as a Christian. It could be a Website, a subscription to a
publication, an immodest piece of clothing, or a relationship.
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba Tuần 26 Thường Niên (Luke
9:51-56)
Hôm nay chúng ta
hãy suy niệm vào tình yêu bao la của Chúa Giêsu Kitô đã ban cho chúng ta, Đó là
một tình yêu có sự tôn trọng tự do cá nhân riêng của mỗi chúng ta. Những khoảnh
khắc trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, đôi khi chúng ta chẳng khắc gì những người của
Samaria, có những hành động kém thân thiện, không hiếu khách khi Chúa Kitô đi
qua và ghé thăm chúng ta. .
Chúng
ta không thể biết được là khi nào Ngài đã đến với chúng ta. Có thể Ngài đến
trong hình bóng một người thấp kém nhất trong chúng ta, có thể là một em bé,
lang thang bán vé sổ, có thể là người hành khất đang ăn xin trên đường mà chúng ta đã gặp trên hè
phố hôm nay,
có thể một người nào đó đang thiếu thốn tình thương, đang thất vọng, đang cần sự
chú ý và giúp đỡ của chúng ta.! Chúa Giêsu luôn luôn đi qua trong cuộc sống của
chúng ta, trong những khoảng thời gian tốt có, xấu có, Sự qua lại ghé thăm của
Ngài luôn luôn là những mục đích để giúp chúng ta phát triển thêm trong đức
tin, để giúp chúng ta kiên định giữ lời dạy bảo của Ngài và tìm kiếm vương quốc
của Ngài là Thiên Đàng trước tiên.
Chúng
ta hãy cố gắng không nên từ chối bất cứ điều gì mà có vẻ không tốt cho chúng
ta, hay là một sự thất vọng, vv . Chúng ta hãy nhớ cầu nguyện xin Chúa ban cho
chúng ta những ân sũng và những hồng ơn được hiểu biết và kiên nhẫn, được ơn sức
mạnh tinh thần trong thời gian thử thách. Và đặc biệt nhất là hồng ân của trí
tuệ để chúng ta biết phân biệt và nhận ra Chúa khi Chúa đến và đang đi qua đời
chúng ta.
Meditation:
Are you surprised
to see two of Jesus' disciples praying for the destruction of a Samaritan
village? The Jews and Samaritans had been divided for centuries. Jewish
pilgrims who passed through Samaritan territory were often assaulted. Jesus did
the unthinkable for a Jew. He not only decided to travel through Samaritan
territory at personal risk, but he also asked for hospitality in one of their
villages! Jesus' offer of friendship was rebuffed. Is there any wonder that the
disciples were indignant and felt justified in wanting to see retribution done
to this village? Wouldn't you respond the same way? Jesus, however, rebukes his
disciples for their lack of toleration. Jesus had "set his face
toward Jerusalem" to die on a cross that Jew, Samaritan and Gentile might
be reconciled with God and be united as one people in Christ.
Tolerance is a much needed virtue today. But
aren't we often tolerant for the wrong thing or for the wrong motive? Christian
love seeks the highest good of both one's neighbor and one's enemy. When
Abraham Lincoln was criticized for his courtesy and tolerance towards his
enemies during the American Civil War, he responded: "Do I not destroy my
enemies when I make them my friends?" How do you treat those who cross you
and cause you trouble? Do you seek their good rather than their harm?
"Lord Jesus, you are gracious,
merciful, and kind. Set me free from my prejudice and intolerance towards those
I find disagreeable, and widen my heart to love and to do good even to those
who wish me harm or evil."
Tuesday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he
resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of
him. Luke 9:51–52
Shortly after Jesus spoke to His disciples about His pending
suffering, death and resurrection, we read that Jesus “resolutely determined to
journey to Jerusalem.” There is much to reflect upon in that short statement.
First of all, Jerusalem was the place of the Temple where the
animal sacrifices of the Old Testament took place as a prefiguration of the one
and ultimate sacrifice to come. Jesus came into this world as the Lamb of God,
the Sacrificial Victim Who would die for our sins. He knew His ultimate end in
this world, and He knew it would require much suffering. This knowledge of His
future suffering is the foundational context of this passage today.
As Jesus’ suffering and death drew close, He became more and more determined
in His human will to fulfill the will of the Father by laying down His life. Of
course, Jesus always fulfilled the will of the Father, but little by little the
human manifestation of Jesus’s determination became more and more pronounced.
The specific human virtue that slowly became manifest was courage. Spiritual
courage is the supernatural ability to embrace the will of the Father when His
will leads a person into a life of sacrifice. Within our fallen human nature,
we tend to avoid sacrifice. We often work to avoid conflict and suffering and
to embrace the easy way in life. Therefore, to come face-to-face with some
future suffering brings forth a temptation to fear—and that fear requires
courage to overcome it. As His suffering drew closer, the temptation to fear
grew stronger and, as a result, His perfect virtue of courage became more
manifest. Note that Jesus not only decided to go to Jerusalem to offer His life
sacrificially, He “resolutely determined” to do so. There was no wavering, no
doubting the Father’s will, no hesitancy, no fear. His perfect sacrificial love
slowly became manifest for all to see.
Another reason Jesus became resolute in His determination to
travel to Jerusalem was to witness His love to His disciples. They needed
courage themselves. So, as they listened to Jesus speak about what was
coming in Jerusalem and as they witnessed His unwavering determination, they
were also encouraged and were strengthened to overcome the temptations to fear.
Of course, they only perfected that virtue later in their lives when they also
followed in the footsteps of our Lord, laying down their own lives as martyrs.
Reflect, today, upon that which causes fear and anxiety in your
own life. If that suffering is of your own making, then seek to rectify it. But
if that suffering is a cross that our Lord is calling you to embrace with love,
then do so sacrificially and with much determination. Do not be cowed by the
heaviness of the cross you are given in life. The crosses we are called to
embrace are always able to be transformed into grace. Allow courage to grow
within you and allow the witness of our Lord to encourage you as you seek to
imitate His sacrificial love.
My courageous Lord, You faced Your suffering with much courage,
strength, surrender and hope. You saw the value of Your free embrace of Your
suffering and chose it with all the power of your soul. Give me the grace I
need, dear Lord, to also resolutely determine to journey toward the cross I am
called to embrace in life, so that my free embrace of my cross will unite me
more fully with You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Tuesday 26th Sunday Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Jesus, my heart thirsts for an encounter
with you, but so often I want to meet you on my own turf, according to my own terms.
Open my heart to allow myself to be challenged by your word to journey wherever
you are leading, not setting the conditions myself, but allowing you to invite
me deeper.
Encountering Christ:
·
Determined
to Journey to Jerusalem: Through
intimate prayer with his Father, Jesus came to a clear understanding of the
Father’s will. Once he knew his Father’s will, there was not the slightest
hesitation on his part. His resolute determination did not arise from a
personal attraction to what lay ahead. He was in no way deceived as to the
excruciating suffering that awaited him in Jerusalem. Yet, his determination
was unfailing. In her writings, St. Teresa of Avila speaks of the importance of
having a “determined determination” never to give up prayer. How “determinedly
determined” are we to become a saint? How “determinedly determined” are we to
fulfill God’s will in our life no matter what?
·
He
Sent Messengers Ahead of Him: The Samaritans would not welcome Jesus because the
destination of his journey was Jerusalem. Their motives were based on cultural
tensions of the times: Samaritans and Jews purely and simply did not mix. Yet,
what these Samaritans did not realize was that they were turning away their
Lord God and Savior for something as trivial as a centuries-old tradition of
resentment and prejudice. How often for us, too, a multitude of reasons present
themselves for turning away the Lord’s advances in our lives. Jesus’s steps
were pointed in the direction of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem was the place of the
cross. We easily find excuses to refuse Our Lord’s invitations because they
bring us uncomfortably close to the cross. We forget that the “Jerusalem” Jesus
invites us to can also be the source of the fullness of life for us.
·
Fire
to Consume Them?: James and John,
together with the rest of the apostles, had still not come to see things as God
sees them. They failed to understand that God does not work in human hearts, or
in the world at large, by force. The only force he uses is that of love. The
Samaritans were not to be converted through a show of brute power. In fact,
Jesus knew that the way to transform their hearts lay precisely in continuing
down the road to their redemption, to the point of drinking the chalice that
was his to drink. Let us join Our Lord on his path toward Jerusalem, and
perhaps, instead of focusing on the attitudes of those around us, allow God to
transform our hearts and teach us to love to the ultimate consequences, as he
did.
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, you journeyed resolutely toward
Jerusalem, knowing that your Passion and death awaited you there. Grant me a
“determined determination” to embrace the invitation to follow you to its final
consequences. Give me the strength to desire not only holiness but also the
path necessary to reach it. Help me to keep my eyes set on you no matter what.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will practice
fortitude as the opportunity presents itself in my day.
REFLECTION
To "become like little children" in the Gospel reading
does not mean to be ignorant and weak, helpless and gullible. To "become
like little children" means to be little children totally dependent on
their parents and elders in our relationship with our heavenly Father. It means
we should be "innocent," with the pure innocence of little children,
trusting, obedient and dependent on our Father in heaven in the way of little
children with their parents. It means we somehow let go of our pride, arrogance
and complete confidence in ourselves.
In the first reading Yahweh, God of Israel, faithful to his
covenant, reiterates his love for Israel and promises their return to
Jerusalem, "I am going to save my people ... They will be my people and I
shall be their God." Are we
able to "become like little children" before our heavenly Father? Are
we able to have complete trust and confidence that our heavenly Father will
take care of us? "If God so clothes the grass in the field which blooms
today and is to be burned tomorrow in an oven, how much more will he clothe
you?" (Mt 6: 30) "As bad as you are, you know how to give good things
to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good
things to those who ask him!" (Mt 7: 11)
REFLECTION Tuesday 26th
Ordinary Time Luke 9:51-56
Let us reflect today on the immense love of Jesus Christ
for us – a love that respects your freedom. Many moments in our life we, like
the people of Samaria, act in the same hostile way, not knowing it is the Lord
who is passing by and visiting us. What are some of the moments that Jesus
could be passing by? He often takes the form of a little one, someone of no
importance to whom we do not pay attention and whom we can easily reject. A
poor one perhaps? Or a relative who needs consolation? Someone sick who may
need medical help? Or a situation that is not expected? A failure in life?
Jesus is always passing in our lives, in good times and bad times. This passing
is always to help us grow stronger in faith, for us to hold steadfast to his
teachings and to seek first his kingdom. Let us not reject anything that does
not seem good for us, an irritation to our plans, a disappointment, etc. Let us
pray instead for the gift of understanding and patience - the gift of fortitude
in times of trials. And most especially the gift of wisdom to discern when the
Lord is passing.
Suy
Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần 26 Thường NiênBài đọc Tin Mừng hôm
nay cho chúng ta thấy được những sự kiện quan trọng trong sứ vụ công khai của Chúa Giêsu Kitô: Ông Phêrô đã tuyên xưng đức tin ông và tin vào Chúa Giêsu, Ngài là Đấng Thiên sai của Thiên Chúa, đã tiên đoán về sự đau khổ về cuộc khổ nạn của Ngài và cái chết và sự phục sinh của Ngài và Ngài cũng đã tõ
mình ra trong cuộc biến mình
với Môi-se và
Ê-li trước mặt các tông đồ Phêrô, Giacôbê và Gioan.
Đây chính trong bối cảnh này mà Chúa Giêsu thấy
các môn đệ tranh cãi về cái tôi, về cái chức quyền của họ "Họ
đã tranh cãi là ai trong số họ là
người lớn nhất." Và Chúa
Giêsu đã giáo huấn họ, dạy cho họ biết được cái giá trị
của của mỗi người chúng ta trong nước của Thiên Chúa, và Ngài
đã mang một đứa trẻ trước mặt họ,
"Ai đón chào những đứa trẻ này vì danh thầy, là đón chào thầy, và ai chào
đón thầy, thì đón chào Đấng đã sai thầy và hãy
nghe đây. nếu một ai trong các người được coi như thè nhỏ nhất hay thấp kém nhất trong số tất cả các con, Thì người ấy là một con người vĩ đại nhất. "
Trong giá trị của Thiên Chúa, người
lớn nhất vĩ đại nhất là nhỏ nhất và thấp
kém. Thật là vinh phuc cho ngững ai có tinh thần của người nghèo... Những người than khóc...
Hiền lành... Những ai đói khát vì sự công chính... Những ai bị bách hại
vì sự công chính." (Mt 5: 3-10)
Con Thiên Chúa "Ngài
đã hủy mình ra không, là lĩnh lấy thân phận tôi đòi, trở thành giống hẳn người
ta; đem thân đội lốt người phàm, 8 Ngài đã hạ mình thấp hèn, trở
thành vâng phục cho đến chết, và là cái chết thập giá! 9 Bởi vậy
Thiên Chúa đã siêu tôn Ngài! và ban cho Ngài Danh hiệu vượt quá mọi danh hiệu,"(Phil 2:
7-9)
Để theo Đức Giêsu kitô là đi theo con
người đầy tờ khiêm tốn, đau khồ, ""Nếu
ai muốn đi sau Ta, thì hãy chối bỏ chính mình, hãy vác lấy khổ giá của mình và
hãy theo Ta. 3" (Mc 8: 34)
Reflection:
Our gospel
reading today follows key events in our Lord's public ministry: Peter's
profession of faith in him as the Messiah of God, his prediction of his
suffering, death and resurrection and his transfiguration with Moses and Elijah
before the apostles Peter, James and John.
It is in
this context that Jesus finds his disciples arguing "about which of them
was the greatest." And Jesus educates them in God's value system by
bringing in a little child before them, "Whoever welcomes this little
child in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who
sent me. And listen: the one who is found to be the least among you all, is the
one who is the greatest."
In God's
value system, the least is the greatest. For "fortunate are those who have
the spirit of the poor. . . those who mourn. . . the gentle. . . those
who hunger and thirst for . . . those who are persecuted for the cause of
justice." (Mt 5: 3 – 10)
The Son of
God "emptied himself, taking the nature of a servant, made in human
likeness. . . humbled himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross.
That is why God exalted him and gave him the Name which outshines all
names." (Phil 2: 7 – 9)
The
following of Jesus is the following of the humble Suffering Servant, "If
you want to follow me, deny yourself take up your cross and follow me."
(Mk 8: 34)
Monday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by
his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least
among all of you is the one who is the greatest.” Luke
9:48
This conversation between Jesus and His disciples took place
shortly after three events. First, it took place after the disciples returned
from the first mission on which Jesus had sent them. Second, it was after Peter
made his profession of faith stating that Jesus was “The Messiah of God.”
Third, it occurred after the Transfiguration in which Jesus took Peter, James
and John up the mountain to reveal His glory. After these three events, it
appears that a certain rivalry began to manifest itself among the disciples.
Perhaps there was jealousy of Peter’s profession of faith, or perhaps the
disciples who were not taken up the mountain of the Transfiguration were a bit
envious. But whatever the cause, Jesus addresses what is the beginning of a
desire for vainglory among the disciples.
In commenting on this passage, Saint Cyril of Alexandria notes
that in the spiritual battle, the devil’s first tactic is to stir up fleshly
desires within our souls to keep us bound by the desire for those pleasures.
However, when a person is able to escape these more base and fleshly desires,
then the devil stirs up a spiritual sin; namely, a selfishness and vainglory.
It is this desire for vainglory, the desire to be perceived as the greatest,
with which the disciples were struggling.
Our Lord addresses the disciples after He “realized the intention
of their hearts.” This is a very important line. Essentially, Jesus noticed
that the desire for vainglory was just beginning. By analogy, when a weed
begins to grow, it is easily pulled up by the roots. But if it is left to grow
for a while, then the roots are more difficult to pull up, and doing so often
affects the other plants and ground around the weed. So it is with sin. By
gently bringing a child into their midst and stating that “the one who is least
among you is the one who is the greatest,” Jesus was helping them to remove
this “weed” of the sin of vainglory before it took deep root in their lives. As
Jesus continues His conversation with the disciples, He continues to act with
gentleness, addressing their slight error in their reasoning.
This is important to understand, because our Lord always desires
to address our sin the very moment it begins. If we are open to His subtle
promptings of grace, gently redirecting our actions the moment we begin to go
astray, then our attentiveness to His loving rebuke will help keep us from
becoming more deeply rooted in our error, whatever it may be. Establishing a
practice of constant self-reflection greatly helps with this. Establishing this
habit means we do not see our Lord as a harsh and critical Judge; rather, we
see Him in His gentleness and care. This image of Jesus gently bringing a child
before the disciples so as to teach them about true greatness should help us to
realize that we should never fear these gentle promptings of grace.
Reflect, today, upon our Lord appearing before you, gently addressing
the small sins with which you are struggling. Of course, all serious sins must
be firmly dealt with first. But once all serious sin is rooted out of your
life, be attentive to the gentle and merciful promptings of grace by which
Jesus wants to root out every small sin at its beginning and even every
spiritual imperfection. Attentiveness to these graces is the surest way to grow
in holiness and to allow our Lord to lead you into His glorious will, making
you truly great within His Kingdom.
My most merciful and gentle
Jesus, I thank You for the many ways in which You come to me, revealing Your
love and grace. Please help me to see clearly the ways that I must change, so
that even the beginnings of the smallest sin in my life may be rooted out. I
love You, my Lord. Help me to love You with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You
Monday 26th in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord, thank you for this time to reflect on
your word. Help me to draw from it a message you have for me personally
today.
Encountering Christ:
·
The
Disciples Argued: In
retrospect, imagine listening in on what sounded like petty bickering among men
who would become the first pope and pillars of the future church. That they
were arguing, among all things, for a place of position seems outrageous
knowing how holy these men eventually became. This incident speaks to the
awesome and gratuitous transforming power of God! None of us deserve sainthood,
but when we bend our hearts toward Jesus and follow in his footsteps, he graciously
softens our hard edges, tames our restlessness, and stretches our capacity to
love until we are able to love as he does. Then, the desire of the Father is
fulfilled for us and we are made worthy, by his doing, to join him one day in
heaven for all eternity.
·
Jesus
Knew: Jesus “realized the
intention of their hearts” and he concluded that the remedy was to place a
small child in their midst. The disciples had succumbed to concupiscence, as we
all do. Bishop Barron, quoting Thomas Aquinas, acknowledged we are primarily
attracted to power, wealth, honor, or pleasure. “When we try to satisfy the
hunger for God with something less than God, we will naturally be frustrated,
and then in our frustration, we will convince ourselves that we need more of
that finite good, so we will struggle to achieve it, only to find ourselves
again, necessarily, dissatisfied,” he said. By placing a child in their midst,
Jesus was trying to show the disciples what is most important to him: not power
or status, but purity of heart. Jesus does the same for us, calling us over and
over again through prayer and the sacraments to purify our intentions and seek
him above all things.
·
In
Our Company: Moment by moment
Jesus was dismantling his friends’ notion of what it means to be an apostle.
They had assumed they were members of an exclusive club, wielding powers Jesus
gave them for the good of mankind. Jesus reminded them that his love and powers
are available to anyone who loves him in return, from a small child to a
stranger expelling demons on the other side of town. As practicing Catholics,
we might be tempted to fall into the trap of comparing our faith practices or
our apostolic works to others, instead of keeping our focus on Christ. He
reminds us to draw our meaning and purpose from him alone.
Conversing with Christ: Lord as I walk through my day, help me
to be aware of times when I measure my worth by worldly standards instead of
yours. Reorient me, just as you did the apostles.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will do a hidden act of
service, making myself small out of love for you.
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ kính Thiên Thần bản Mệnh. Oct 2
Qua Kinh thánh chúng ta có đầy đủ các ví dụ về cách các thiên thần
đóng vai trò là sứ giả và người bảo vệ con người chúng ta. Khi ông Phêrô bị xích trong tù và bị canh giữ cẩn mật, thiên thần đã hiện ra đánh thức ông ta vào nửa đêm, tháo xiềng xích và đưa ông ra khỏi nhà tù một cách an toàn, vượt qua
nhiều trạm
lính canh và qua những
cánh cổng khóa chặt. Khi ông Phêrô nhận ra mình không nằm mơ, ông đã thốt lên: "Bây giờ tôi đã tin chắc rằng Chúa đã sai thiên sứ của Ngài đến và giải cứu tôi" (Công vụ 12:11).
Khi Đaniel
bị ném vào hang của
bầy sư tử đói, thiên thần đã bảo vệ ông khỏi bị các con sư tử đói hãm hại (Đaniel 6:22).
Thánh
Basil (329-379 sau Công nguyên) nói, "Bên cạnh mỗi tín hữu là một thiên thần như người bảo vệ và chăn
dắt người
đó trong cuộc sống." Các
thiên thần phục vụ Chúa Giêsu sau khi Ngài bị cám dỗ trong đồng vắng và trong
cơn hấp hối trong Vườn Ghếtsêmani (Lu-ca 22:43). Các thiên sứ sẽ hiện diện khi Chúa Kitô trở lại trong ngày sau hết, trong ngày đó các thiên thần bản mệnh
sẽ báo cáo phúc trình lên Chúa trong giờ phán xét của Ngài (Mat 25:31). Các thiên thần cho chúng ta thấy
rằng vũ trụ mà Chúa tạo ra này không chỉ là vật chất.
Các thiên thần sa ngã
(Jude 6; 2 Phêrô 2: 4; Khải huyền 12: 9), được mô tả trong Kinh thánh là ác thần
hoặc
là ma quỷ (Mk 5:13; Mat 25:41), chúng tìm kiếm cám dỗ và hủy diệt linh hồn của chúng ta (1 Phêrô 5: 8) . Nếu chúng không thể thuyết phục được chúng ta từ bỏ đức tin và lòng trung thành của
chúng ta đối với Đức Kitô, thì chúng sẽ cố gắng cám dỗ chúng ta không sống theo ý muốn của Thiên Chúa bằng cách đánh lạc hướng chúng ta bằng
những thứ
vật chất làm hoa mắt thịt con người chúng ta và khiến chúng ta thờ ơ với những điều răn của Thiên Chúa.
Thiên Chúa ban cho chúng ta thiên thần của Ngài để giúp đỡ có được vũ khí linh thiêng làm lá chắn đức tin và tấm giáp công bình (Êphêsô 6: 1-11) để chống
lại ma quỷ và sự dối trá của chúng. Nhờ ân sủng của Chúa Thánh Thần, chúng ta cũng tham gia với các ca đoàn
thiên thần trên trời để hát ngợi khen Thiên Chúa.
Lạy
Chúa Giêsu, Chúa là nơi nương tựa và sức mạnh của chúng con. Chúng con cầu xin Chúa
giúp chúng con biết chạy đến bàn tay hướng dẫn của Mẹ Maria
và sự giúp đỡ của các
thiên thần trong việc bảo vệ chúng con khỏi tất cả những sự cám dỗ của ma quỷ. Xin Chúa ban
cho chúng con sức mạnh của ý chí và lòng dũng cảm để từ chối những gì là xấu xa và biết chọn những gì là tốt cho linh hồn và cuộc sống mai sau.
Meditation: 10-2 The Holy Guardian Angels
Scripture is full of examples of how the
angels serve as messengers and protectors. When Peter was chained in prison and
kept under guard, an angel woke him in middle of the night, released his
chains, and brought him safely out of prison, past several guards and through
locked gates. When Peter realized he wasn't dreaming, he exclaimed: "Now I
am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me" (Acts 12:11).
When Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions, an angel protected him from
harm (Daniel 6:22).
St. Basil the Great (329-379 AD) said,
"Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading
him to life." Angels ministered to Jesus after his temptation in the
wilderness and during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). The
angels will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve
at his judgment (Matthew 25:31). The angels show us that this universe which
God created is not just materialistic.
The
fallen angels (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelations 12:9), described in Scripture
as evil spirits or devils (Mark 5:13; Matthew 25:41), seek our destruction (see
1 Peter 5:8). If they cannot persuade us to disown our faith and loyalty to
Christ, they will attempt to divert us from doing the will of God by
distracting us with good things that weigh us down or make us indifferent
towards the things of God.
God gives us the help of his angelic hosts and
he gives us spiritual weapons, the shield of faith and
the breastplate of righteousness (see Ephesians 6:1-11), to resist
the devil and his lies. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we, too, join with
the angelic choirs of heaven in singing the praises of God. Do you thank the
Lord for his guidance and protection?
Lord Jesus, you are our refuge and
strength. May I always know your guiding hand and the help of your angels in
protecting me from all that is evil. Give me strength of will and courage to
refuse what is evil and to choose what is good.
October 2, Memorial of the Holy Guardian
Angels - Your Protector and Guide
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say
to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly
Father.” Matthew
18:10
The reality of angels is fascinating to most people, especially to
children. The Guardian Angels, in particular, are often pictured in sacred art
as walking hand-in-hand with children. And though this is true, they also walk
hand-in-hand with each one of us throughout our lives. This is their sacred
duty given to them by God. In quoting Saint Basil, the Catechism of the
Catholic Church explains the existence of Guardian Angels by saying:
“From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful
care and intercession. ‘Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and
shepherd leading him to life’” (#336).
Imagine, in an earthly sense, that you had a personal bodyguard to
look after you day and night throughout your life. Perhaps this evokes two
different sentiments. First, it would most certainly comfort you when there is
imminent danger around. You would know you are not alone and that you would be
kept safe from physical harm. Another sentiment it may invoke is that of a loss
of personal privacy. If someone were watching over you, day and night, you
would always be aware of their watchful eye. Everything you said and did would
be noticed. For some, this may not always be welcome. Why? Because this means
they see all you do, including your sin. Fear of judgment, the loss of personal
privacy and the like may be difficult to accept.
But now imagine that this “bodyguard” is one who offers no
judgment, acts with perfect love for you, keeps confidentiality with perfection
and cares only for your well-being. Though it may be hard to imagine that such
a person could exist, that person does exist in the person of your guardian
angel.
Your guardian angel is real, has a keen and powerful intellect,
has a will perfectly united with the will of God, and was created for the
single purpose of protecting you and leading you into the fulfillment of God’s
will. When you sin and stray, your guardian angel’s only concern is to guide
you back to God. When you are fearful or in trouble, your guardian angel’s only
care is to protect you and fill you with God’s peace and courage. And though
God could have provided you with all of these graces directly, without the
mediation of an angel, He chose to do so through the mediation of your personal
guardian angel. Only in Heaven will we fully understand the profound depth of
love, protection, and care given to us by these angelic beings.
Reflect, today, upon the intimate knowledge that your guardian
angel has of you. As you ponder this reality, rejoice that someone knows you so
well and loves you with a perfect love. This angel of yours not only loves you
perfectly but also has been entrusted with great power from God to protect you
and shepherd you to the fulfillment of your life mission. Prayerfully
acknowledge the great gift that your guardian angel is to you and entrust
yourself more fully to this angelic mediation.
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me
here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
Guardian angel, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
Opening Prayer: Lord, I know that, as today’s psalm
says, seeking you is the path to reviving my heart: “… you who seek God, may
your hearts revive!” I believe that you are here present with me now, eagerly
and lovingly wanting to revive my heart, to fill me with courage, to nourish
the good desires that you planted within me long ago. I truly seek you, Lord. I
seek to know you better, so that I can love you better, so that I can follow
you better. Revive my heart, O Lord!
Encountering Christ:
Some Spiritual Allies: Angels are purely spiritual beings. They
can influence the material world and interact with it, but they are not
material beings. This purely spiritual nature is symbolically represented in
art by depicting them with wings. But since they are immaterial, popular
culture in our secularized world doesn’t pay angels much mind. They can’t be
studied in a laboratory. For a materialistic culture like ours, that makes them
irrelevant, if not nonexistent. And yet, today Jesus speaks explicitly about
angels as playing a constant and central role in our lives. Each of us has at
least one guardian angel who watches over us even while staying always in God the
Father’s presence. All around us these unseen spiritual allies work
mysteriously but tirelessly to protect and guide us as we make our way through
life’s difficulties and temptations. They are true persons united to us through
their fidelity to God, committed to serving Christ’s Kingdom and glorifying God
by helping us along our Christian journey. Today of all days we should thank
God for the gift of our guardian angels, and we should thank our guardian
angels for being faithful to God’s love instead of joining the devil and his
fallen angels in their fruitless rebellion against the Lord.
Childlike Simplicity: Any time Jesus begins a statement with,
“Amen, I say to you,” he is inviting us to pay special attention; he is making
a solemn proclamation. In today’s Gospel, this proclamation came in the wake of
his disciples’ squabbles about ambition and rank in Christ’s Kingdom. Jesus
intervened in the discussion by turning the tables. For Jesus, true greatness
is found not in energetic striving to climb the ladder of success, but in
humility, in childlike simplicity: ..unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this
child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. How hard it is for us to release
our striving! How hard it is for us to accept and enjoy what the Lord provides
for us each day without needlessly fretting about things outside our control!
How hard it is for us to be content with simply knowing and embracing God’s
will moment by moment! Instead of living in the peace of childlike trust in
God’s perfect providence, we doubt and worry and demand and complain and dwell
in the turbulence of unnecessary anxiety. Jesus wants us to release those
attitudes and lean with childlike confidence on his infinite goodness. Let us
do so, following Baruch’s admonition from the first reading: As your hearts
have been disposed to stray from God, turn now ten times the more to seek
him…
Learning from St. Germaine: A little-known saint brings together the two
themes of today’s liturgy: grateful faith in our guardian angels and childlike
confidence in God’s providence. St. Germaine of Pibrac died at the young age of
twenty-two, in France in 1601. She came from a poor family and lost her mother
as an infant. Her stepmother made her sleep in the barn to make room in the
house for her own children, and then sent her out to work as a shepherdess when
she was just nine years old. For a girl with poor health and a crippled hand,
shepherding wasn’t an easy job, but Germaine took advantage of it as best she
could. She made a little rosary for herself out of a knotted string to help her
pray while she worked, and she dedicated what little free time she had to teach
the younger children of the town their catechism. Her faith drove all she did,
and her confidence in God was the anchor of her life. In fact, she was so
committed to leaning on God that she never missed Mass, even if the bell for
Mass rang after she was already in the fields with the sheep. On those occasions,
she would leave her shepherd’s crook there in the ground, charge her guardian
angel with caring for the flock and go off to worship the Lord. She never lost
a sheep. When her young body was exhumed during a restoration of the local
church, forty years after her death, it was found incorrupt, confirming the
sanctity that had already shown itself through miracles during her teens.
Perhaps we have something to learn from this peasant girl of the sixteenth
century whose faith spawned wisdom and courage well beyond her years.
Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord, you know my heart. You know
how deeply I desire to trust you fully, wildly, joyfully. I know that the
fulfillment I yearn for will not come from anxious ambition and fretful
striving. It will come from living an ever-deeper communion with you, from
throwing myself into your arms and rejoicing in being loved and chosen by you.
I want to live in the peace and the meaning of your Kingdom; teach me to live
with the childlike simplicity you made as a condition of entering that Kingdom.
Angel sent by God to guide me; be my light and walk beside me; be my guardian
and protect me; on the path of life direct me.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will say a special prayer of
thanksgiving to my guardian angel, and then say another guardian angel prayer
whenever I find myself anxious or worried.
10-2 The Holy Guardian
Angels
“Unless
you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 18:3)
These are some pretty forbidding words from Jesus,
especially for those of us whose childhood years are far behind us! But the
good news is that we don’t have to become childlike all by ourselves. Jesus is
here to help us. Let’s begin by thinking
for a moment about what Jesus meant when he urged us to become childlike.
Children tend to be secure little people. Especially in the
tightly knit communities of first-century Palestine, the family unit was both
broad and deep. A child knew almost reflexively that his parents would love him
and take care of him. He tended to be very secure because he was growing up in
a stable environment. Of course, life wasn’t always easy. Poverty and disaster
were still possibilities. But whatever might happen, he knew he wouldn’t have
to face it alone. Even if his parents were to die or desert him, he had an
entire network of aunts, uncles, cousins, and neighbors to help him.
We can have that same kind of security. We have a Father in
heaven who is always looking out for us. We are part of a tightly knit community
that includes our brothers and sisters in the Church as well as the saints and
angels in heaven. It also includes our guardian angel. Just as our earthly
family can’t always shield us from hardship, neither can this heavenly being. But loyal family members that they are, our
angels never leave our side. Today in your prayer, try surrendering to your
father and his angels one or two of the worries that we carry around with US:
anxieties about things outside of our control or too far into the future for us
to do anything about. And remember: we
are not alone! Ask the Holy Spirit to write this truth our heart every morning.
Then throughout the day, remind ourselves that we belong to a large, warm, and
welcoming community of faith.
As we do, we will find ourselves acting even more like the
child of God we really are. “Let’s ask our Lord Jesus to give us the grace to
rely on Him today. Ask his father to help us become like a child again.”
.webp)