Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Hai tuần Thứ 13 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Hai tuần Thứ 13 Thường Niên
Trong bài đọc thứ Nhất, chúng ta thấy ông Ápraham "mặc cả" với Chúa để cứu dân thành Sôđôm khỏi sự hủy diệt vì những hành động xấu xa tội lỗi của họ: " "Phải chăng Người sẽ tiêu diệt kẻ lành làm một với người dữ?  "  Có lẽ trong thành có được năm mươi người lành. Phải chăng Người cũng tiêu diệt đi; và không dung thứ cho nơi ấy vì năm mươi người lành ấy có được trong đó?" Áp-ra-ham cầu xin Chúa tha cho dân Sô-đôm cho dù có nhiều người tội lỗi hơn và Chúa đã nhận lời: " Ta sẽ không hủy diệt Sô-đôm vì mười người tốt lành ấy!"
Cho dù thế nhưng Chúa vẫn không kiểm đủ mười người tốt lành và Sodom đã bị tiêu hủy. Có bao giờ chúng ta đã ống như ông Ápraham thườmg xuyên "mặc cả" với Chúa không? Thương lượng như vậy không phải là xấu: sự việc cho chúng ta thấy sự thân mật và tin tưởng vào Chúa.
Trong bài đọc Tin Mừng, chúng ta thấy rõ Chúa Giêsu đòi hỏi chúng ta như thế nào nếu chúng ta thực sự muốn theo Ngài. Người Kitô hữu chúng ta cầu nguyện, tuyên xưng với tất cả mọi người là chúng ta "sẽ theo Chúa bất cứ nơi nào Ngài đi". Trong cuộc sống hàng ngày, chúng ta thực sự đã làm như vậy? Hay chúng ta thường hay kỳ kèo biện minh "Tôi cần phải làm việc gấp cho kịp thời hạn để đáp ứng với nhu câu của công việc hay tôi đang vội vàng xin hẹn dịp khác, hay tôi mắc sửa xe, hay đang nghĩ mát Ở biển với gia đình, v.v. tôi sẽ  cầu nguyện sau khi tôi có thời giờ!  Nhưng đến lúc đó, chúng ta đã mệt mỏi và dành thời gian và sẵn sàng đi ngủ và nghỉ. Hầu như chúng ta đã không coi việc dành thời cho Chúa là quan trọng, chúng ta chỉ phân chia thời gian, năng lượng vào những lúc bất tien hay chẳn bao giờ được ưu tiên. Chúng ta nên hỏi chúng ta là: ai đã tạo dựng ra chúng ta và duy trì chúng ta?
Lời Chúa Giêsu trong bài Tin Mừng"Con Người không có nơi để tựa đầu" Ngài nhấn mạnh sự mất cân bằng của chúng ta về các giá trị hoặc ưu tiên. Ngài luôn tiếp tục gõ cửa tâm hồn, trái tim của mỗi người chúng ta để tìm một nơi cư ngụ và nhiều lần chúng ta đã đơn phương làm ngơ phớt lờ Ngài, nhưng với Ngài, Ngài thích theo dỏi những công việc hàng ngày của chúng ta và thay vào đó là theo nhu cầu trần tục của chúng tôi.
Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Xin ban cho chúng con sự tự do chúng ta cần để chúng con có thể theo Chúa bất cứ nơi nào Chúa muốn chúng con đi và xin cho chúng con can đảm biết gạt bỏ qua một bên tất cả những gì dẫn đưa chúng con vào sự cám dỗ của trần gian..
 
REFLECTION 2019
In the first reading we see Abraham "bargaining" with God to save Sodom from destruction for their evil deeds: "Will you really let the just perish with the wicked?" "Perhaps there are fifty good people in the town. Would you not spare the place for the sake of these fifty righteous people?" Abraham pleaded with God to spare Sodom for even less good people and God agreed, "For the sake of ten good people, I will not destroy Sodom."
There were not ten good people and Sodom was destroyed. How often are we like Abraham trying to "bargain" with God? Such bargaining is not bad: it shows close familiarity and trust in God.
In the Gospel reading we hear from Jesus what following him entails. We Christians pray, proclaiming to all, that we "will follow the Lord wherever he goes."
In our daily life, do we really do so? Don't we usually tell our Lord, "I need to work as I have a deadline to meet or I need to rush to buy stuff in the supermarket or the mall because of the one-day sale, or fix the car, or relax in the beach, etc. and then I will pray! By that time, we are tired and spent and ready to sleep out. Doesn't it seem like we are allocating our lowest energy time to our Lord, thus putting him at lowest priority, he who created us and sustains us?
Jesus' statement that the "Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" emphasizes our imbalance of values or priorities. He keeps knocking into each person's heart for a place to reside and many times we simply choose to ignore him, and prefer to pursue our day-to-day routines and tasks and to attend instead to our mundane needs.
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần 13 Thường Niên
Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay chúng ta thấy Thánh Mathêô diễn ta việc Chúa Giêsu đã ra lệnh các môn đệ của ngài băng qua hồ đến bờ bên kia.  Thánh Mathêô không giải thích rõ ràng lý do tại sao Chúa Giêsu đả phản ứng như thế với đám đông, mà chỉ đơn thuần đưa ra bối cảnh đã xảy ra với những người muốn xin theo Chúa, Điều quan trọng là Chúa Giêsu đã rời khởi nơi mà Ngài đang ở, Và đề cập thẳng đến vấn để một thầy thông giáo Do thái đến xin được đi theo Chúa Giêsu như một môn đệ. Thánh Mathêô đã tập trung ý chính vào những sự thiệt thòi, những mất mát và những bất lơi cho người muốn theo Chúa làm môn đệ của Ngài. Và do đó, Thánh Mathêô đã đưa ra cho chúng biết hai yếu tố quan trọng để trở thành người môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu, đó là: Từ bỏ tất cả và theo Chúa.
            Là môn đệ của Chúa Kitô, chúng ta có thể không phải từ bỏ nơi chôn nhau cắt rốn của chúng ta hay nơi  chúng ta đang sống, nhưng chắc chắn là chúng ta sẽ hy sinh, phải từ bỏ những thứ khác trong trong cuộc sống của chúng ta. Chúng ta phải từ bỏ mọi hình thức của thế gian, cũng như sự ích kỷ để đạt trọng tâm cuộc sống của chúng ta vào nơi Chúa Giêsu vì Ngài là người Đường, là Sự Thật và là Sự Sống. Chúng ta phải từ bỏ tất cả những gì làm cản trở và làm chúng ta sao lãng tới Thiên Chúa hay những gì lôi kéo chúng ta đi ra khỏi ánh sáng của Chúa Giêsu để tìm vào trong bóng tối của tội lỗi.
Nếu chúng ta không có tinh thần từ bỏ những thứ xấu, những thứ vật chất của thế gian, chúng ta có thể rất dễ dàng trở thành người mê mội,đam mê những thứ hay hư mất trong một thế giới mà thiếu vắng tình yêu, hòa bình, công lý và sự thánh thiện như Chúa đã dạy trong các Tin Mừng.
Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Xin ban cho chúng con sự tự do chúng ta cần để chúng con có thể theo Chúa bất cứ nơi nào Chúa muốn chúng con đi và xin cho chúng con can đảm biết gạt bỏ qua một bên tất cả những gì dẫn đưa chúng con vào sự cám dỗ của trần gian..
 
Meditation:
Jesus gave orders to cross the lake to the other shore. Matthew does not explain why Jesus  reacts to the crowd like this, for he is simply giving the setting for what follows, and the important thing is that Jesus leaves the place where he is. Immediately a scribe offers himself to Jesus as a disciple. Matthew intends this passage to focus on the cost of discipleship and so he has succinctly established two important elements in discipleship: leaving and following.  In the different gospels, we frequently see Jesus leaving to go somewhere else. To be a disciple involves “leaving”.
Discipleship may not involve leaving the place where we live, but it will certainly involve other forms of leaving. We must leave aside every form of worldliness and selfishness to centre our lives on Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. We must leave aside what distracts us from God or draws us away from the light of Jesus into the darkness of sin.
Without this spirit of “leaving”, we may very easily become enmeshed in a world where the love, peace, justice and holiness demanded by the gospel are absent.
Jesus, grant us the freedom we need to be able to follow You wherever You go and leave aside everything that leads us into temptation.
 
Reflection:
     The prophet Amos speaking in the name of Yahweh speaks of Yahweh's disappointment with His people. Specifying their sins in his words, He is against the sinners. He is bent to punish them. We can almost feel the anger of the father who scolds his children for not obeying.  Yahweh was really grieved by His people who sell the just, trample the head of the poor, and silence the right of the afflicted.  If we come to think of God creating man in His image and likeness, can we accept such action?  What is man up to?  Is he putting himself more than the Creator? 
     In the gospel passage, we read that the people pressed on Jesus because he cured the sick. As he prepared to cross to the other shore, two persons came and applied to follow him.  The first one offered to follow him but Jesus presented his own situation of poverty having no place to call his own, which the applicant must consider if he is serious to be in his company.  The other one wants to follow him, too, but he asked permission to go back to bury his father first. Jesus answered him. "Let the dead bury their dead."
     Here are two situations to consider if one wants to follow Jesus as a vocation. Following Jesus is God's initiative and requires a sacrifice. We may say that Jesus chooses those who follow him in a special way. If we refer to the call to consecrated life, it is God who calls us and with a price. The two men in the gospel reading may be both called but they have conditions. There have attachments. They are not ready for the sacrifice that following Jesus entails. 
     Let us pray for those who are being called to the service, that they hear God's call and that they be given the light and
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Matthew 8:18-22 Thứ hai tuần 13 TN.
Theo Chúa không phải dễ dàng, Theo Chúa, là chúng ta phải bỏ lại tất cả những mớ hành lý kiềng kàng, vô ích, không cần thiết cho cuộc sống, những thứ vật chất của trần thế, hay những niềm vui, thoải mái riêng cá nhân. Đó chính là con đường khó khăn với nhiều thách thức mà chúng ta phải đối mặt nếu chúng ta thực sự theo Chúa.
       Như những người trong bài Tin mừng hôm nay, đến nói với Giêsu rằng anh sẽ theo Ngài bất cứ nơi nào Chúa đi.
Nhưng Chúa Giêsu bảo cho anh ta là” Con chồn có hang, Con chim có tổ, nhưng đối vời Ngài thì không có nơi nào chấp nhận và không có chỗ nghĩ chân”. Đây là sự thách thức đầu tiên để theo Chúa Giêsu; không phải ai trong chúng ta cũng dễ dàng sẵn sàng chấp nhận cam kết đi theo Ngài. Một số người, ngay cả những người thân yêu của chúng ta cũng có thể không đồng ý mà còn ngăn cản cuộc hành trình về đức tin của chúng ta và thậm chí có thể còn trở thành những trở ngại lớn của chúng ta.Trong cuộc gặp gỡ thứ hai, người môn đệ xin theo Ngài nhưng xin hoãn để về an táng người cha quá cố, nhưng Chúa đã nói với anh ta là việc ưu tiên trước nhất là theo Chúa, vì theo Ngài còn quan trọng hơn bất cứ thứ gì khác.
            Có một câu nói của ai đó đã để đời như sau: "Nếu bạn đang sống, thì bạn vẫn còn có hy vọng." Không giống như người chết, cuộc sống vẫn có cơ hội để chuyển đổi bản thân và làm vinh danh Chúa. Đoạn Tin Mừng hôm nay nhắc nhở chúng ta là theo Chúa Giêsu, chúng ta phải trả bằng vói giá của sự hy sinh.,  Như Chính Chúa đã hy sinh chính mạng sống của Ngài cho sự cứu rõi con người của chúng ta.           Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Xin ban cho chúng con sự tự do chúng ta cần để chúng con có thể theo Chúa bất cứ nơi nào Chúa muốn chúng con đi và xin cho chúng con can đảm biết gạt bỏ qua một bên tất cả những gì dẫn đưa chúng con vào sự cám dỗ của trần gian..
 
Reflection 2016
We Christians pray, proclaiming to all, that we "will follow the Lord wherever he goes."  
In our daily life, do we really do so? Don't we usually tell our Lord, "I need to work as I have a deadline to meet or I need to rush to buy stuff in the supermarket or the mall because of the one-day sale, or fix the car, or relax in the beach, etc. and then I will pray!  By that time, we are tired and spent and ready to sleep out.  Doesn't it seem like we are allocating our lowest energy time to our Lord, thus putting him at lowest priority, he created us and sustains us?
Jesus' statement that the "Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" emphasizes our imbalance of values or priorities. He keeps knocking into each person's heart for a place to reside and many times we simply choose to ignore him, and prefer to pursue our day-to-day day routines and tasks and to attend instead to our mundane needs.
 
Monday 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know this life is not the end, that I am just passing through on my way to my eternal home with you. Help me to always put you first in my life and never let anything come between us. 
Encountering Christ:
1.      Love Comes First: Matthew’s Gospel is the first book of the New Testament and, therefore, a bridge between the Old and New Testaments. It was written by a Jew, a former tax collector, to his fellow Jews, about the new Kingdom. Many modern readers dislike Matthew’s Gospel because of its hard sayings, like the one found in today’s reading. In this part of the Gospel, Jesus had not yet called apart his Twelve Apostles. Some newcomers had approached Jesus and Jesus had some harsh sayings for them. Following him wasn’t easy then, and it isn’t easy now. Our relationship with Jesus must be our highest priority in life—higher than even the good priorities that are part of caring for our human family. Of course we know that the burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy (Tobit 1:16-18); it honors the children of God who are temples of the Holy Spirit (CCC 2300). Yet, the pursuit of divine holiness trumps even the legitimate wishes of our human family. While this scenario may seem a bit extreme, and we are called to carefully discern God’s will, the point is clear: loving God always comes first. “Love…and do what you will,” said St. Augustine. If love is our modus operandi, God takes care of the details.
2.      Hard Teachings: Christ is Our Lord, and as Lord he demands the very best for his followers. Christ is a passionate lover and only demands what he knows we need. Flannery O’Connor once said: “To the hard of hearing, you must shout,” which is one reason why some of her writings are difficult to digest. Jesus, at times, seemed to shout into our world, but it was necessary because we are all somewhat deaf due to original sin. “Original sin entails captivity under the power of him who thenceforth had the power of death, that is, the devil. Ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to serious errors of education, politics, social action, and morals” (CCC 407). Yet, Christ’s demands are always signs that he loves us…even more than life itself.
3.      A Pure Heart: Many people in Jesus’ day misinterpreted obedience to the moral law as a performance, an external behavior, and they obeyed it to the letter. Yet Jesus as God demands more, not less, than the strict observances of the law. God wants our hearts—our pure hearts. God is a lover, not a slave driver. God wants all of us, our whole person, not just certain behaviors; he wants our whole selves. But the spiritual physics of giving him our all is that he gives it back to us and then some. God is always about the more. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). 
Conversing with Christ: Lord, help me today to make sure that what I say and do always increases my love for you and for our Father. Please help me also to assist my neighbor to grow in his love for God.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will look carefully at how I spend my free time and schedule extra time in dialogue to listen to you.
 
Mon 2nd July 2018 - 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Justice has always been an essential part of our relationship with God. God has made it very clear that he is not interested in our worship or rituals unless we also treat others with justice, mercy, and compassion. We might argue that we have oppressed no one, but we create, and we benefit from unjust political and economic systems.  On behalf of God, Amos raged at the Israelites for their economic oppression of the poor and their willingness to treat others as objects or slaves.
In our relationship with God, let us always be vigilant that our words and our love is expressed in deeds, and that we have a special concern for the poor and weak; just as God does! It is easy, in a burst of enthusiasm, to express a desire to follow Jesus. He warned those who came to him that there would be a price — a sacrifice of comfort, convenience, and control of one’s life. Even the foxes and birds would have more stability and security, for they had a nesting place.
Jesus and those who follow him would always live from moment to moment, relying totally on God. Likewise, with family obligations — following the Lord was even more important than these. Jesus repeatedly exhorts those who come to him to follow, wherever that may lead. Do we have the courage and the trust?
Lord, grant me the freedom and trust to follow You.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lẽ Kính Thánh Phêrô – Phaolô Tông Đồ

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lẽ Kính Thánh Phêrô – Phaolô Tông Đồ
Để thực sự trở thành một môn đệ, một tín hữu của Chúa Giêsu có ý nghĩa gì?  Bài phúc âm hôm nay cho thấy một số điều kiện đòi hỏi mà chúng ta cần phải có để được Chúa Giêsu mời gọi để làm người đối tác trong sứ mệnh cứu độ của Ngài.
Một điều kiện cần có lòng Tin để có thể hoàn toàn sự tin tưởng vào sự quan phòng của Thiên Chúa. Trong trường hợp một người nói là muốn trở thành môn đệ của Chúa. Chúa Giêsu đã nói với ông ta rằng muốn theo Chúa thỉ từ bỏ tất cả, ngay cả những điều tối thiểu cần thiết cho cuộc sống cững chẳng cần. Như việc kiếm nơi trú ẩn hang ngày cũng chẳng cần thết “on Người không có chỗ tựai đầu. “
            Điều kiện thứ hai thậm chí còn khó khăn hơn khi Chúa Giêsu nói có vẻ thô lỗ với một người có trách nhiệm chon cất người Cha. Phản ứng của Chúa Giêsu với người đàn ông này hầu như khá xúc phạm và không được nhạy cảm. Làm thế nào mà kẻ chết có thể chôn kẻ chết? Tuy nhiên, qua sự suy ngẫm thêm chúng ta bằng cách nào đó có thể thấy được cái lý do tại sao Chúa Giêsu đã nhận xét như vậy. Chúa Giêsu khuyến cáo là những xu hướng của chúng ta là tìm cách để hợp lý hóa và trì hoãn các quyết định của chúng ta như là một cách để biện minh cho hành động của chúng ta. Khi làm như vậy, chúng ta bỏ lỡ thông điệp của Chúa Giêsu, Đấng muốn thể hiện sự khẩn cấp trong việc thực hiện sứ mệnh cứu độ. Điều quan trọng là bây giờ. Có nhiều việc phải làm để công bố Tin Mừng của tình yêu và lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa. Mặc dù chúng ta tôn trọng người chết, thời gian trần thế của họ là hơn và do đó, những gì trở nên quan trọng và cấp bách là những gì thúc đẩy cuộc sống và sự hiện diện của Chúa Giêsu ở giữa chúng ta.
            Cuối cùng, Chúa Giêsu muốn các môn đệ phải tập trung hoàn toàn vào nhiệm vụ. Chúng ta biết rất rõ là chúng ta có thể bị phân tâm rất nhiều trong những mối quan tâm và sự lo lắng trong cuộc sống. Tuy nhiên, khi những gì đang bị đe dọa trong nhiệm vụ liên quan đến sự cứu rỗi của chúng ta và đó chính là Đức Giêsu, Đấng kêu gọi chúng ta, mọi thứ khác chỉ là thứ yếu.
            Tất cả những điều kiện đã nói ở trên mô tả những thách thức mà Chúa Giêsu muốn gởi tới cho những ai muốn được theo Ngài. Những điều kiện đó quả thực là quá khó khăn và đòi hỏi chúng ta phải đồng hành với Chúa Giêsu trong sứ vụ của Ngài, nhưng hãy yên tâm phần thưởng dành cho chúng ta rất lớn. Chúng ta đã sẵn sàng để theo Chúa Giêsu Chưa? Ngài đang chờ đợi sự đáp ứng của chúng ta.
 
REFLECTION’
What does it really mean to become a disciple, a follower of Jesus? The gospel passage suggests a number of requirements when one is called by Jesus to become a partner in his mission of salvation.
One requirement is to be able to trust fully in God's providence. In the first instance of this person wanting to be a disciple, Jesus tells him that even something basic like shelter is not assured as even the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.
The second condition is even more challenging in that Jesus seems to be rude to someone who feels the responsibility to bury his father first. His response to the man is quite insulting and insensitive. How can the dead bury the dead? Yet, it is only through further reflection that we can somehow see the reason why Jesus made such a remark. Jesus challenges our tendency to rationalize and procrastinate our decisions as our way to justify our actions. In doing so, we miss the message of Jesus who wants to show the urgency in fulfilling the mission of salvation. What is important is the now. There is much to be done to proclaim the good news of the love and mercy of God. Though we respect the dead, their earthly time is over and thus, what becomes important and urgent is what promotes life and the presence of Jesus in our midst.
Finally, Jesus wants his followers to be totally focused on the mission. People cannot be faint-hearted or wishy-washy in their commitment as their progress to be totally dedicated to the mission will be lacking and lukewarm. We know very well how we can be distracted with so many concerns and anxieties in life that are legitimate and reasonable. Yet, when what is at stake is the mission regarding our salvation and it is Jesus who calls us, everything else is secondary. There is some truth to one book entitled: "God is first. You are second. I am third."
All the aforementioned describe the challenges of Jesus to anyone who desires to become his follower. It is indeed arduous and demanding to be companions of Jesus in his mission, but rest assured the rewards are great. Are we ready to follow Jesus? He is only waiting for our response?
 
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him. Matthew 8:14–15
How do we properly respond to the action of God in our lives? In the passage above, we are given the witness of Peter’s mother-in-law to answer that question. It should be noted that Jesus was on a continual mission of healing. In fact, before arriving at the house of Peter, Jesus had just healed a centurion’s servant. When the centurion came to Jesus stating that he was not even worthy to have Him enter his house, Jesus saw the centurion’s faith and healed his servant from a distance. After arriving at the house of Peter, we are told that many people brought to Jesus those who were possessed by demons, and Jesus healed them all. But between the healing of the servant and the healings of the many, another healing occurred. The response to this healing sets for us a wonderful example.
Peter’s mother-in-law was ill and in bed with a fever. It’s unclear just how ill she was, but the fact remains that she was ill to the point of being in bed. Notice, first, that Jesus was not even asked to heal her. Rather, He “saw” her ill and in bed, approached her of His own choosing, “touched her hand,” and she was healed.
Within the same sentence describing Jesus’ healing, we are told that “she rose and waited on him.” First of all, “she rose.” This should be seen as a symbolic depiction of what we must do when we are touched by grace. The grace of God, when it is given to us, must have the effect of causing us to rise. We rise from sin when we confess that sin and receive forgiveness, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We rise up every time God enters our lives to give us direction, clarity and hope. To rise is to be strengthened to dispel the burden that sin and confusion causes. We rise in strength, renewed and determined to go about the will of God.
After this woman rose, she “waited” on Jesus. This is the reason we rise up when touched by grace. We are not given God’s grace so that we can go back to our sin, or pursue our own ventures, or do our own will. We rise so that we can serve our Lord and His holy will. In a sense, Jesus’ actions in our lives impose upon us a holy burden. But it is a burden that is light. It’s an obligation to serve and give ourselves to our Lord to attend to Him, His holy will, and to all that He calls us to do.
Reflect, today, upon this threefold action of the Gospel. See Jesus approaching you and touching you in your prayer. Know that He comes to you not only because you pray to Him but out of His own initiative when He sees you will respond. Then consider your response. Rise from that which keeps you down.
Let God’s grace free you from the burdens you carry. And as He grants you this grace, determine to wait on Him and to serve His will alone. The service of our Lord is what we are made for, and doing so will enable us to continually receive His grace through His touch of love.
My merciful Jesus, You continually come to me, approaching me to reach out and touch me with Your grace. You desire my healing and strengthening every day. Help me to be open to all that You wish to bestow and please free me from all that keeps me down. May I rise up in service of You and Your holy will so that Your Kingdom may be built up more fully through me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I believe that Jesus is the Christ and your eternal Son. You sent him to establish the Church as the seed and beginning of your Kingdom. Through Peter, the apostles, and the disciples, you spread your Kingdom to the ends of the earth. Reign in my heart!
Encountering the Word of God
1. From Saul the Pharisee to Paul the Apostle: When we contemplate the life of Saul the Pharisee, we witness a great conversion. Unlike King Saul, who was chosen by God to lead his people and who failed miserably, Saul the Pharisee followed a different path. When he encountered the Risen Jesus, he did not act arrogantly and stubbornly hold on to his old ways. King Saul fell because of his pride and disobedience; Saul the Pharisee was raised up because of his humility and the obedience of faith. One of the goals of the Acts of the Apostles is to show that the lives of Paul and Peter parallel each other. The author, Luke, wants to show that the controversial teachings of Paul are actually in line with those of Peter. The Old Covenant has been brought to fulfillment in the New. Salvation is not through the works of the Old Law or ethnic descent from Abraham and Jacob. Salvation is through faith in Jesus, who died for us and poured out the Spirit upon us. This is the Good News that Paul the Apostle and Peter the Rock brought to the world.
2. From Simon the Fisherman to the Foundation Rock: Like Saul, Simon’s life was marked by conversion. When Simon encountered Jesus, he fell to his knees and begged Jesus to depart, for he, Simon the Fisherman, was a sinful man. Jesus didn’t see Simon’s sinful past as an obstacle. Jesus responded to Simon’s confession with loving mercy. He lifted him up and gave him a new mission – to be a fisher of men and of God’s children scattered throughout the world, to be a shepherd of his flock, to be a foundation rock of his Church. When we read the Acts of the Apostles together with Luke’s Gospel, we see that Luke shows not only that Paul and Peter did similar miracles and preached a similar message, but that their actions and words are those of Christ himself.
3. Jesus, the Christ: The lives of Saul and Simon were marked by powerful conversions. They left their former ways of life and followed the Lord Jesus. Jesus’ life was not marked by conversion. He was sinless and did not need to convert. However, Jesus did identify himself with us sinners. He grew in stature, strength, wisdom, and grace. He was tempted as we are and did not fail. He was victorious and, through his suffering, perfected our human nature. The lives of Paul and Peter parallel that of Jesus and give us a model to follow. We are all called to become more like Christ in our daily lives. “Christification” is the way.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, enlighten my mind and guide me to know my mission and how to place the talents you gave me at the service of your Kingdom. I reaffirm my faith in you today as the Son of God. Be with me always as I walk toward eternal life with you.
 
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I believe that Jesus is the Christ and your eternal Son. You sent him to establish the Church as the seed and beginning of your Kingdom. Through Peter and the apostles and the disciples you spread your Kingdom to the ends of the earth. Reign in my heart!
Encountering the Word of God
1. Peter and Paul: Peter was a fisherman who became the Rock on which Jesus built his Church; Paul was a tentmaker, who became the Apostle whom Jesus sent to the Gentiles. Peter denied Christ, but then turned and strengthened his brethren; Paul persecuted the Church, the Body of Christ, but then turned and brought the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Both men experienced Christ, responded to him generously, and ultimately gave witness to him through their martyrdom in Rome: Peter was crucified upside down on the Vatican Hill; Paul was beheaded along the Via Ostiense. Peter is a man who is deeply conscious of his sin and experiences how his sin offends his God. His weakness and failings often bring him to tears of repentant love and a deeper trust in the Lord. Paul, on the other hand, knows that he is weak, but enjoys the struggle of life. He wants to do battle, run the race, fight the good fight. He trusts not in himself, but in the love of Christ, who can conquer all things.
2. Peter’s Mission: Both Peter and Paul received special commissions from Jesus Christ. Pope Benedict XVI pointed out that Peter was given his task on three different occasions (Homily, June 29, 2009). First, in the Gospel of Matthew, Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God and, in response, Jesus tells Peter that he “will be the rocky foundation on which he will build the edifice of the Church; he will have the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to open or close it to people as he sees fit; lastly, he will be able to bind or to loose, in the sense of establishing or prohibiting whatever he deems necessary for the life of the Church” (Benedict XVI, June 7, 2006). Second, in the Gospel of Luke, during the Last Supper, Jesus tells Peter: “When you have turned again, strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:32). These words foretell the weakness of Simon Peter, who was to deny to a maid and a servant that he knew Jesus. “Through this fall, Peter – and with him the Church of all times – has to learn that one’s own strength alone does not suffice to build and guide the Lord’s Church” (Benedict XVI, June 29, 2006). Jesus’ words also promise Peter’s conversion; Jesus will look at Peter (Luke 22:61) and bring him reconciliation and salvation. Third, in the Gospel of John, the risen Jesus entrusts his flock to Peter. He would preside over the flock in charity by following Christ and being open to the action of the Spirit. Peter, then, is the Rock who is called to strengthen his brethren and care for the flock like a shepherd. Peter’s faith began in his experience of Jesus, was founded on the mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection, advanced by the working of the Holy Spirit, and, after his death, gave way to the beatific vision in the glory of heaven.
3. Paul’s Mission: Paul is an Apostle by vocation, by the will of God: his conversion was not the result of a development of thought or reflection, but the fruit of divine intervention, an unforeseeable, divine grace (Benedict XVI, October 25, 2006). The only thing that mattered to him was serving Jesus Christ and his Gospel. He dedicated himself to make the Gospel known, to announce the grace destined to reconcile men with God, self, and others. He never tired of proclaiming that we are justified through faith in Jesus Christ. The works of the Old Law do not justify and make us righteous. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, he “no longer lives for his own justice. He lives for Christ and with Christ: in giving of himself, he is no longer seeking and building himself up” (Benedict XVI, November 8, 2006). We are united to Christ by faith and are led by the Spirit to the fullness of love. Paul recognized Peter as one of the pillars of the Church. He respected him but did not hesitate to defend the truth of the Gospel. He confronts Peter and argues in favor of freedom from the Law: “In the light of the encounter with the Risen Christ, Paul realized that as soon as they adhered to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gentiles no longer needed as a hallmark of justice either circumcision or the rules that governed food and the Sabbath: Christ is our justice, and all things that conform to him are ‘just.’ No other signs are necessary in order to be just” (Benedict XVI, October 1, 2008). We are free when we conform our lives to Christ, are guided by faith, and serve our brothers.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, enlighten my mind and guide me to know my mission and how to place the talents you gave me at the service of your Kingdom. I reaffirm my faith in you today as the Son of God. Be with me always as I walk toward eternal life with you.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Thứ 13 Thường Niên C

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Thứ 13 Thường Niên
Để thực sự trở thành một môn đệ, một tín hữu của Chúa Giêsu có ý nghĩa gì?  Bài phúc âm hôm nay cho thấy một số điều kiện đòi hỏi mà chúng ta cần phải có để được Chúa Giêsu mời gọi để làm người đối tác trong sứ mệnh cứu độ của Ngài.
Một điều kiện cần có lòng Tin để có thể hoàn toàn sự tin tưởng vào sự quan phòng của Thiên Chúa. Trong trường hợp một người nói là muốn trở thành môn đệ của Chúa. Chúa Giêsu đã nói với ông ta rằng muốn theo Chúa thỉ từ bỏ tất cả, ngay cả những điều tối thiểu cần thiết cho cuộc sống cững chẳng cần. Như việc kiếm nơi trú ẩn hang ngày cũng chẳng cần thết “ on Người không có chỗ tựai đầu. “
            Điều kiện thứ hai thậm chí còn khó khăn hơn khi Chúa Giêsu nói có vẻ thô lỗ với một người có trách nhiệm chon cất người Cha. Phản ứng của Chúa Giêsu với người đàn ông này hầu như khá xúc phạm và không được nhạy cảm. Làm thế nào mà kẻ chết có thể chôn kẻ chết? Tuy nhiên, qua sự suy ngẫm thêm chúng ta bằng cách nào đó có thể thấy được cái lý do tại sao Chúa Giêsu đã nhận xét như vậy. Chúa Giêsu khuyến cáo là những xu hướng của chúng ta là tìm cách để hợp lý hóa và trì hoãn các quyết định của chúng ta như là một cách để biện minh cho hành động của chúng ta. Khi làm như vậy, chúng ta bỏ lỡ thông điệp của Chúa Giêsu, Đấng muốn thể hiện sự khẩn cấp trong việc thực hiện sứ mệnh cứu độ. Điều quan trọng là bây giờ. Có nhiều việc phải làm để công bố Tin Mừng của tình yêu và lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa. Mặc dù chúng ta tôn trọng người chết, thời gian trần thế của họ là hơn và do đó, những gì trở nên quan trọng và cấp bách là những gì thúc đẩy cuộc sống và sự hiện diện của Chúa Giêsu ở giữa chúng ta.
            Cuối cùng, Chúa Giêsu muốn các môn đệ phải tập trung hoàn toàn vào nhiệm vụ. Chúng ta biết rất rõ là chúng ta có thể bị phân tâm rất nhiều trong những mối quan tâm và sự lo lắng trong cuộc sống. Tuy nhiên, khi những gì đang bị đe dọa trong nhiệm vụ liên quan đến sự cứu rỗi của chúng ta và đó chính là Đức Giêsu, Đấng kêu gọi chúng ta, mọi thứ khác chỉ là thứ yếu.
            Tất cả những điều kiện đã nói ở trên mô tả những thách thức mà Chúa Giêsu muốn gởi tới cho những ai muốn được theo Ngài. Những điều kiện đó quả thực là quá khó khăn và đòi hỏi chúng ta phải đồng hành với Chúa Giêsu trong sứ vụ của Ngài, nhưng hãy yên tâm phần thưởng dành cho chúng ta rất lớn. Chúng ta đã sẵn sàng để theo Chúa Giêsu Chưa? Ngài đang chờ đợi sự đáp ứng của chúng ta.
 
REFLECTION’
What does it really mean to become a disciple, a follower of Jesus? The gospel passage suggests a number of requirements when one is called by Jesus to become a partner in his mission of salvation.
One requirement is to be able to trust fully in God's providence. In the first instance of this person wanting to be a disciple, Jesus tells him that even something basic like shelter is not assured as even the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.
The second condition is even more challenging in that Jesus seems to be rude to someone who feels the responsibility to bury his father first. His response to the man is quite insulting and insensitive. How can the dead bury the dead? Yet, it is only through further reflection that we can somehow see the reason why Jesus made such a remark. Jesus challenges our tendency to rationalize and procrastinate our decisions as our way to justify our actions. In doing so, we miss the message of Jesus who wants to show the urgency in fulfilling the mission of salvation. What is important is the now. There is much to be done to proclaim the good news of the love and mercy of God. Though we respect the dead, their earthly time is over and thus, what becomes important and urgent is what promotes life and the presence of Jesus in our midst.
Finally, Jesus wants his followers to be totally focused on the mission. People cannot be faint-hearted or wishy-washy in their commitment as their progress to be totally dedicated to the mission will be lacking and lukewarm. We know very well how we can be distracted with so many concerns and anxieties in life that are legitimate and reasonable. Yet, when what is at stake is the mission regarding our salvation and it is Jesus who calls us, everything else is secondary. There is some truth to one book entitled: "God is first. You are second. I am third."
All the aforementioned describe the challenges of Jesus to anyone who desires to become his follower. It is indeed arduous and demanding to be companions of Jesus in his mission, but rest assured the rewards are great.
Are we ready to follow Jesus? He is only waiting for our response?
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. Luke 9:52–56
The passage above begins the section of Luke’s Gospel commonly referred to as “The Journey to Jerusalem: Luke’s Travel Narrative” (Luke 9:51–19:27). In this first stop on their journey to Jerusalem, the Samaritans refused hospitality to Jesus and the disciples because of the ongoing bitterness between the Jews and the Samaritans. When James and John experienced this hostility, they asked Jesus, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Clearly, they took the rejection of the Samaritans personally, and, out of their hurt and anger, they sought revenge.
The Samaritans were descendants of mixed marriages between Jews and Gentiles that took place in the eighth century B.C. during the Assyrian captivity. They lived in the territory in between Galilee and Jerusalem. They were generally hostile toward the Jews in Jerusalem, in large part because the Jews believed that the Temple in Jerusalem was the only place to offer sacrifice, while the Samaritans built their own temple on Mount Gerizim. The Samaritans also mixed their practice of the Mosaic Law with various other beliefs, contrary to Jewish practices. Thus, even though both groups sought to worship the same God, their differences led to ongoing rejection of each other and hostility.
When Jesus was invited to join in this hostility, He rejected it. Jesus was not saying that the Jews were right in their belief, nor was He saying that the Samaritans were right. Rather, He was simply saying that He would have no part in their ongoing bitterness. Recall, also, in John’s Gospel that the woman at the well was a Samaritan and that Jesus was very compassionate toward her. He ultimately gave her “Living Water” to quench her spiritual thirst—much to her surprise and much to the surprise of the other Samaritans.
One important lesson we can take from Jesus’ treatment of the Samaritans is that bitterness, anger, a desire for revenge and indignation at others is completely contrary to His will. This is especially useful to ponder when we encounter divisions within the Church. It’s certainly a sad fact that there are various factions at times within the Church. And though it might be the case that some of those divisions come about as a result of errors on the part of one group or another, bitterness, attacks, anger and indignation must always be avoided. And when we look at the Church today as a whole, it is clear that many people fall into the same temptation that James and John fell into. There are many who wish to “call down fire from heaven to consume” the other. When that happens, you can be certain that the response from our Lord in Heaven will be the same today as it was when attempted by James and John. Jesus’ response will be to rebuke the angry and critical party. Indignation at others, especially toward those within the Church, is not inspired by God. Therefore, we must flee from such foolishness whenever that temptation comes.
Reflect, today, upon any way that you have been drawn into some conflict with other members of the Church, even if it is only an interior conflict of anger. Have you taken sides and desired to call down fire from Heaven upon them? If so, learn from this lesson taught to these disciples. Leave judgment to God and seek to offer only compassion and charity. Seek the mercy that brings about unity. Though we must never compromise on the Truth so as to bring about a false sense of unity, we must never embrace hostility toward another on account of our wounded pride. Think about anyone or any group of people within the Church that you have indignation toward and pray that you will be given the mind and Heart of our Lord to see them as He sees them.
My loving Lord, You continually sought to reconcile all people to Yourself and to Your Father. You never allowed irrational anger to bring about further division. Please give me the grace I need to imitate Your compassionate Heart so as to be an instrument of the unity You desire. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
 
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Thứ 13 Thường Niên
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, following you and being your disciple is often challenging and difficult. I am here in this time of prayer, to listen and to learn how to imitate you, to make your will my own, and to put aside all my excuses. Help me to be docile and attentive to what you are asking of me today. 
Encountering Christ:
1.      Spreading the Message of Love: Here Christ began his journey to Jerusalem where he upended the old law of “an eye for an eye,” and replaced it with self-emptying love. The Jews and Samaritans had been at war for centuries, just as today there are still wars in our country, our world, and even in our own hearts. As Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said, “the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” The way of Christ is infinitely gentler and infinitely more difficult. He calls us to look mercifully at the faults of others but to examine carefully our own. Christ knows that people are never converted by violence. We won’t convert others by telling them they are wrong, but by showing them Christ. “Where you don’t find love, sow love…and you will reap abundant love” (St. John of the Cross).
2.      Nowhere to Lay Our Heads: The stakes are high for a follower of Christ. We know we are to love each other as Christ loved us, but how that plays out in our lives just isn’t always clear. It’s often hard to get our footing while following Christ and, again and again, we find it challenging to be in the world but not of the world. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran minister and prisoner of conscience during the Nazi regime, spoke of the danger of “cheap grace”—grace without discipleship and grace without the cross. When Christ calls us, he calls us to die. As the Master goes, so go his disciples. When we face the demands of living a Christian life and are tempted to look back and long for the “fleshpots of Egypt” as the Israelites did, we need the Lord’s help to persevere in doing the Father’s will.
3.      Saying Farewell: To follow Christ means to live in a constant state of conversion. We are continually leaving the old life behind and becoming a new creation in Christ. “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). We walk in this world, but with the laws of another world in our hearts. As a result, our life in this world is a constant spiritual battle, and we each must decide, daily, whose army we will fight in. We must learn to forgive, to love and not count the cost, to die to ourselves, and to live for others. We eschew earthly treasures but gain security and identity in Christ. Slowly, we stop looking back at what we’ve given up and left behind. We are too excited about what lies ahead: eternal life—which is like “swimming in an ocean of infinite love” (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi).
Conversing with Christ: Lord, you are always thinking of and loving me at every moment of every day. Help me to believe this! Help me to trust in your plan for my life. Help me to empty my heart of all that is not of you, and be open to the grace you want to pour into my heart today. Help me to see you in all that happens to me, and to be generous and courageous in witnessing to your love in my life. Please give me the grace and courage I need to bring your saving message to those I meet on my journey today. 
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will try to forgive and bear wrongs patiently.