Suy Niệm Tin MừngThứ Hai Tuần 23 TN

Suy Niệm Tin MừngThứ Hai Tuần 23 TN: Luke 6:6-11
Trong cuộc sống hiện tại, chúng ta mỗi người ai cũng đều muốn tìm kiếm những thứ khác nhau trong cuộc sống, và hay bị thu hút, cám dỗ bởi hay bị thúc đẩy vào những gì mà họ tìm kiếm. Thánh Phaolô đang tìm kiếm sự hiệp nhất với Chúa Kitô trong Chúa Thánh Thần. Điều này cho phép thánh nhân nhìn rõ vào cuộc sống và cái chết với sự thờ ơ, lãnh đạm,  miễn sao mà ngài tìm thấy Chúa Kitô ở đó, cho dù Chúa Kitô ở trong sự hiệp nhất với dân Ngài trong niềm hạnh phúc vĩnh cửu hoặc trong sự hợp tác với họ nhằm lao động cho tình yêu của thế giới. Qua bài Tin Mừng, Những người Biệt Phái đang rình mò, quan sát để tìm kiếm những khe hở hay những sơ xuất của Chúa Giêsu đẻ lên án Chúa,  vì đối với họ, họ thích tìm kiến những sự chú ý trọng cái vẻ bề ngoài, chấp hành pháp luật được coi như là một ưu tiên hàng đầu và  coi trọng cái vỏ bề ngoài hơn cả những việc làm tốt và những lành phúc đức với  lòng nhân hậu và thương xót;  Họ đã để cho sự ghen tương, tức tối đè nén cảm xúc riêng trong tâm hồn của họ.
Nhưng Chúa Giêsu đã nhận thức sâu sắc cái sự đau đớn và khổ sở của người có cánh tay khô héo, tật nguyền. Phục hồi cánh Tay của anh Chúa cho anh ta có được một cuộc sống trọn vẹn. Nhưng đối với Ngài, Ngài đã phải chịu những chỉ trích và nhưng chống đối thật nguy hiểm. Nhưng Chúa Giêsu đãi bất chấp những trách móc, chê bai và những cái giá mà Ngài sẽ phải trả.
            Còn chúng ta, Chúng ta đã nhanh chóng nhìn người khác và vội vàng phán xét họ? Bởi vì họ có những tiêu chuẩn khác với chúng ta? Chúng ta đã phán đoán họ dựa theo pháp luật của tình yêu hay dựa theo sự giải thích riêng cá nhân của chúng ta?  Chúng ta cần biết thận trọng và cố gắng để tìm cơ hội thực hiện những việv làm hữn ích làm đẹp lòng Chúa hơn là bận tâm trong việc tìm những cọng rác trong mắt của những người chung quanh rồi lên án họ mà quên đi cái đà ngang đang dính cứng ngắc trong mắt mình mà mình không thấy.
            Thiên Chúa của chúng ta là Đấng hằng hằng Hữu, là đấng công minh, chính trực, là dấng hay cứu chữa người đau bệnh  và là đấng ban phát sự sống. Xin Cho chúng ta luôn biết thể hiện tình yêu thường với lòng nhân hậu với mọi người và luôn luôn có sự tự tin và hy vọng, biết giơ thẳnh cánh tay của chúng ta ra để đón nhận được hồng ân và những thứ cần thiết để chúng ta có được một cuộc sống lành mạnh từ nơi Thiên Chúa.
 
Reflection
Different people look for different things in life, and are drawn or driven by what they look for. Paul is looking for unity with Christ in the Spirit. This enables him to look at life and death with indifference, so long as he finds Christ there, whether Christ in union with his people in eternal happiness or in collaboration with them to labor for the love of the world. The Pharisees watch, alert to any transgression. To them, observance of the law takes precedence over good deeds and works of mercy; do’s and don’ts override feelings and wants.
            Jesus looks around and recognizes where there is a need. Today’s gospel tells us that Jesus, keenly aware of the pain and suffering of the man with the withered hand, restores him to life’s wholeness in spite of the potential scandal he may cause and the price to pay.
            How quick are you to judge people? By what standards? Is it according to the law of love or your own personal interpretations of that law? It’s good to be vigilant and to try to be as pleasing to the Lord as possible. But getting stuck in the “weeds” of every individual rule can blind us to God’s desire for us to become vessels of his love, compassion, and justice in this world.  Our God is a God who cures and gives life. May we, with confidence and hope, stretch out our hands to receive from God and people the help we need to live a wholesome life.
            Lord Jesus, give me the grace to reflect prayerfully on my daily life, to see you as I perceive the world around me — Your gaze, Your gestures, Your hands, Your feet, Your voice — and to respond by life-giving service.
 
Monday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions… Luke 6:6–8
Jesus had a gift. Of course, He had every good gift to perfection. But in today’s Gospel, we see one of  Jesus’ gifts made manifest. Namely, Jesus was able to realize the intentions of those He daily encountered.
Normally, we can only know another’s intentions if they were to tell us their intentions. We cannot read minds and hearts. But our Lord could. He had the divine ability to read every soul and know every heart. For that reason, when someone came to Him with great faith, He knew it. And when someone came to Him with evil intent, He knew it.
When Jesus perceived the ill intentions of the scribes and Pharisees, He used that knowledge to manifest their intentions. They intended to find a reason to accuse Jesus, so He gave them one. Jesus cured a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, and the scribes and Pharisees “became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.” They thought miracles were violations of the law of Sabbath rest.  Jesus knew they would apply their twisted logic to this miraculous healing, and He knew they would become enraged at Him on account of their envy. So, in a sense, Jesus provoked them so that that which was in their hearts would come forth for them to see.
All of our interior intentions and thoughts are known by God and must become manifest to us in the presence of God. By provoking the scribes and Pharisees in charity, Jesus forces them to face that which was within them. They had to choose to either continue down the path of envy or to realize the foolishness of their interior thoughts. Sadly, for the scribes and Pharisees, it appears that many of them became more hardened in their sin. But this was a choice only they could make.
Reflect, today, upon your own interior intentions and thoughts. Why do you do the things you do? What hidden motivations are in your heart? Is there some person, or a certain situation you find yourself in that causes you to obsess in anger interiorly? Or is it true charity that resides within you and is the source of your actions? Is there a profound faith? A supernatural hope? Or is it primarily some sin with which you struggle? Know that Jesus knows your heart, and He wants you also to see clearly those things hidden in your heart. He wants you to see your intentions as clearly as He sees them. Allow Him to reveal the depths of your heart to you so that you can turn away from the sins you find and rejoice in the virtues by which you live.
My glorious Lord, you know all thoughts and probe the depths of every heart. You know me, Lord, through and through. Please open my eyes to see that which is within me so that I can discern the ill intentions I have and rejoice in the virtues given to me by You. May I always be attentive to You, dear Lord, so that I become aware of all that You wish to reveal to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Monday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the Creator of all things. You created the universe so that we could come to know you, love you, and enjoy eternal life with you. I thank you for all that you have done and look forward to being with you in heaven.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Sabbath and our Creation: The Old Testament gives two reasons for the Sabbath rest. The first reason is found in Exodus. God created the world and then rests on the seventh day (Exodus 20:11). We, as God’s creatures, are called to imitate our Creator. We are called to work six days and hallow the seventh day. In this way, we celebrate and remember the great work of creation. When Jesus restores the man to health on the Sabbath, it recalls the withered hand of Adam who reached for the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Jesus restores humanity to its original vocation to share in the life of God. On the New Sabbath, on Sunday we rest and celebrate the divine work of creation.
2. The Sabbath and our Redemption: The second reason for the Sabbath rest in the Old Testament is to recall how God has saved us (Deuteronomy 5:15). God saved the people of Israel and delivered them from slavery in Egypt. In the New Testament, we learn how Jesus himself saved us from the slavery of sin and death and rested in the tomb on the Sabbath. When Jesus restores the man to health on the Sabbath, it looks forward to our redemption and salvation. On the New Sabbath, on Sunday, we rest and celebrate the divine work of redemption and recreation.
3. The Sabbath and our Consummation: The Sabbath – our resting on the Lord’s Day – also looks forward to our eternal rest and sharing in eternal life. It is an anticipation of heaven. When Jesus restores the man to health on the Sabbath, the miracle looks forward to our ultimate healing at the moment of our death. The span of our life is like the six days of the week in which we work. The moment of our death is to be the beginning of our eternal Sabbath rest. The Holy Spirit is bringing all things to their ultimate consummation. On the New Sabbath, on Sunday, we rest and celebrate the divine work of consummation.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the redeemer of the world. You redeemed us from sin and death and broke the reign of the Evil One. You bestowed on me the gift of recreation. I thank you and praise you for all that you have done and I look forward to being with you in heaven.
 
Suy Niệm Tin MừngThứ Hai Tuần 23 TN: Luke 6:6-11 
Qua bài Tin Mừng, Những người Biệt Phái đang rình mò, quan sát để tìm kiếm những khe hở hay những sơ xuất của Chúa Giêsu để lên án Chúa, vì đối với họ, họ thích tìm kiến những sự chú ý qua cái vẻ bề ngoài, chấp hành  luật pháp được coi như là một ưu tiên hàng đầu và coi trọng cái vỏ bề ngoài hơn cả những việc làm tốt và những lành phúc đức với  lòng nhân hậu và thương xót;  Họ đã để cho sự ghen tương, tức tối đè nén cảm xúc riêng trong tâm hồn của họ.Nhưng Chúa Giêsu đã nhận thức sâu sắc cái sự đau đớn và khổsở của người đau khổ tật nguyền. Phục hồi cánh tay của anh, Chúa cho anh ta có được một cuộc sống trọn vẹn. Nhưng đối với Ngài, Chúa Giêsu đã bất chấp những trách móc, chê bai và những cái giá mà Ngài sẽ phải trả. Ngài phải chịu những chống đối nguy hiểm cho Ngài.
            Còn chúng ta, có lẽ chúng ta đã nhanh chóng nhìn người khác và vội vàng phán xét họ? Bởi vì họ có những tiêu chuẩn khác với chúng ta? Chúng ta đã phán đoán họ dựa theo pháp luật của tình yêu hay dựa theo sự giải thích riêng cá nhân của chúng ta?  Chúng ta cần biết thận trọng và cố gắng để tìm cơ hội thực hiện những việc làm hữn ích làm đẹp lòng Chúa hơn là bận tâm trong việc tìm những cọng rác trong mắt của những người chung quanh rồi lên án họ mà quên đi cái đà ngang đang dính cứng ngắc trong mắt mình mà mình không thấy.
            Thiên Chúa của chúng ta là Đấng hằng hằng Hữu, là đấng công minh, chính trực, là dấng hay cứu chữa người đau bệnh  và là đấng banphát sự sống. Xin Cho chúng ta luôn biết thể hiện tình yêu thường với lòng nhân hậu với mọi người và luôn luôn có sự tự tin và hy vọng, biếtgiơ thẳnh cánh tay của chúng ta ra để đón nhận được hồng ân và những thứ cần thiết để chúng ta có được một cuộc sống lành mạnh từ nơiThiên Chúa.
 
Reflection
Different people look for different things in life, and are drawn or driven by what they look for. Paul is looking for unity with Christ in the Spirit. This enables him to look at life and death with indifference, so long as he finds Christ there, whether Christ in union with his people in eternal happiness or in collaboration with them to labor for the love of the world. The Pharisees watch, alert to any transgression. To them, observance of the law takes precedence over good deeds and works of mercy; do’s and don’ts override feelings and wants.
            Jesus looks around and recognizes where there is a need. Today’s gospel tells us that Jesus, keenly aware of the pain and suffering of the man with the withered hand, restores him to life’s wholeness in spite of the potential scandal he may cause and the price to pay. 
            How quick are you to judge people? By what standards? Is it according to the law of love or your own personal interpretations of that law? It’s good to be vigilant and to try to be as pleasing to the Lord as possible. But getting stuck in the “weeds” of every individual rule can blind us to God’s desire for us to become vessels of his love, compassion, and justice in this world.  Our God is a God who cures and gives life. May we, with confidence and hope, stretch out our hands to receive from God and people the help we need to live a wholesome life.    Lord Jesus, give me the grace to reflect prayerfully on my daily life, to see you as I perceive the world around me — Your gaze, Your gestures, Your hands, Your feet, Your voice — and to respond by life-giving service.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Thứ 23 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Lễ kính Sinh Nhật Đức Trinh Nữ Maria
Vớì Thiên Chúa thì không có thời gian. Ngài tồn tại từ muôn thuở. Và kế hoạch của Ngài cũng bắt đầu từ đời đời. Trí óc của con người chúng ta không thể thực sự hiểu được sự vĩnh hằng, không có sự bắt đầu và kết thúc, và mãi mãi vô tận. Chúng ta chỉ có thể thán phục Thiên Chúa và kinh ngạc với những cách làm của Người: chúng ta thực sự không thể hiểu được, đặc biệt là những công việc và sự can thiệp của Người trong thời gian và lịch sử nhân loại.
     Có vẻ như cách làm việc của Thiên Chúa rất khác với cách làm việc của chúng ta. Cách Thiên Chúa  làm việc là chọn những cái nhỏ bé và không đáng kể trong mắt của thế gian, Ngài đã chọn Belem, "Và ngươi, Bêlem, đất thuộc Juda, hẳn ngươi không phải là nhỏ nhất trong hàng bộ lạc Juda, vì tự ngươi: sẽ xuất hiện vị thủ lĩnh, kẻ sẽ chăn dắt Israel dân Ta".
     Và Thiên Chúa chờ thời gian của Ngài; Ngài không vội vàng. Thiên Chúa chờ đợi. Ngài chờ đợi sự ra đời của cô bé sẽ sinh Con cho Ngài. Thật là tuyệt vời dừng bao khi Thiên Chúa đã chuẩn bị cho sự xuất hiện của Người Con của mình như một con người thật.
     Sự ra đời của ̣̣Đức Maria không có gì là đáng kể, chỉ là sự ra đời tầm thường như nhửng cô bé gái bình thường với cha mẹ là ông Goan Kim và bà Anne. Nhưng trong kế hoạch của Thiên Chúa, sự ra đời của Đức Maria là điều cốt yếu trong kế hoạch cứu độ cho loài người. "Đức Maria ̣được Chúa bảo vệ khỏi tất cả những vết bẩn dơ của tội lỗi ban đầu ngay từ khoảnh khắc lúc đầu mới được thụ thai", Maria, "đầy ơn phúc", đã ở trong "thời kỳ trọn vẹn" được chọn làm Mẹ người Con của Đấng Tối Cao.
     Chúng ta hãy vui mừng và hân hoan đón chào ngày mừng sinh nhật của Đức Maria như là sự "khởi đầu mới" cho phẩm giá và ơn gọi của phụ nữ. Sự đồng ý chấp thuận của Đức Maria khi được loan báo và bài ca Magnificat của cô khi thăm viếng bà Isave đã tóm lược những phản ứng quảng đại của Đức Maria đối với Thiên Chúa.
Tin Mừng hôm nay đã trình bày cho chúng ta gia phả của Chúa Giêsu. Khi chúng ta nhìn sâu hơn vào câu chuyện của mỗi vị tổ tiên trong những dòng dõi con người của Chúa Giêsu, trong đó bao gồm từ Ông Abraham Tới đời vua David, qua đó, chúng ta thấy Thiên Chúa đã chuẩn bị và ban  ơn cứu độ cho dân của Ngài, Thiên Chúa đã giữ lời hứa với tổ phụ Abraham và ban cho Ngài con cháu đời ày qua đời khác cho đến khi kế hoạch cuối cùng của Ngài sẽ được nhận ra. Với điều này trong tâm trí, chúng ta đều được khuyến khích theo đuổi và sống tình yêu của Chúa Kitô, vì đó là những gì Thiên Chúa đã hứa và định trưc cho chúng ta được.
 
REFLECTION Mt 1: 1, 16
     For God there is no time. He exists from all eternity. And his plans are also from eternity. Our minds cannot really comprehend eternity, timeless, without beginning and end, and forever and ever. We can only be in awe and wonder at God and his ways: we really cannot fully understand, especially his workings and interventions in time and human history.
     It does seem that God's ways are so different from our ways. He works with and chooses what is small and insignificant in the world's eyes: he chose Bethlehem, "so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah, from you shall I raise the one who is to rule over Israel."
     And God bides his time; he is not in any hurry. God waits. He waited for the birth of the maiden who would give birth to his Son. Amazing how he prepared for the coming of his Son as man.
     Mary's birth was insignificant, the ordinary birth of an ordinary baby girl to ordinary parents, Joachim and Anne. But in God's plan, Mary's birth was crucial in God's salvific plan for humankind. "Preserved from all stain of original sin from the first moment of her conception," the maiden Mary, "full of grace," was in the "fullness of time" chosen to be the Mother of the Son of the Most High.
     We rejoice and celebrate Mary's birth as the "new beginning" of the dignity and vocation of women. Mary's Fiat at the annunciation and her Magnificat at the visitation summarize her generous response to God.
 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy tuần 22 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy tuần 22 Thường Niên
Con người chúng ta thường như có vẻ thù nghịch với Thiên Chúa và với nhau; thật sự con người hay xa lạ với nhau, như thư thánh gởi cho giáo đoàn Côlôxê đã mô tả. Sự thù địch và ghẻ lạnh đã tạo ra thế giới chúng ta đang sống những sự lộn xộn, tàn bạo và đáng sợ. Sự sợ hãi, bạo lực, hận thù được phát triển mạnh mẽ hơn mỗi ngày như chúng ta đã thấy qua báo chí, internet, bao nhiêu cuộc tàn sát dã man trong những tháng vừa qua. Nhưng mục đích cuộc sống của chúng ta không phải là như thế. Chúa Giêsu xuống thế để hòa giải con người tội lỗi chúng ta với Thiên Chúa và con người với nhau qua cái chết của Ngài trên thập tự giá. Việc mà chúng ta chỉ cần phải làm là mở rộng tấm lòng của chúng ta với cuộc sống mới mà Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho chúng ta. Đó là vấn đề trong xã hội ngày nay, nhiều người, ngay cả những người đạo đức là không muốn thay đổi. Chúng ta có thể hạnh phúc và bình an như chúng ta mong muốn, sự lựa chọn luôn luôn là ở nơi chúng ta vì Thiên Chúa cho chúng ta tự do, Ngài không ép buộc chúng ta.
            Qua bài Tin Mừng, Chúa Giêsu đã cho chúng ta thấy rằng, luật Sabbath (kiêng việc ngày Chúa Nhật) đã được ban ra là để giúp đỡ con người, Chử không phải là được ban ra để là chướng ngại vật cản trở cuộc sống con người chúng ta. Với Thiên Chúa thì con người và niềm hạnh phúc của con người mới chính là điều ưu tiên trước hết. Đây là điều chúng ta cần phải luôn nhớ. Chúa Giêsu là Chúa của ngày Sa-bát; Chính Ngài đã trở thành quy luật của chúng ta, và Ngài đã cai trị chúng ta với tình yêu thương và lòng thương xót. Chúng ta hãy nhận và coi đó là luật và là nguyên tắc của chúng ta nữa!
 Lạy Chúa, xin biến đổi lòng trí và trái tim của chúng con.
 
Reflection SG
Human beings often seem so hostile to God and one another; truly estranged, as the author of Colossians describes it. This hostility and estrangement has created the messy and frightening world we live in. The fear, violence, and hatred seem to grow stronger daily. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Jesus reconciled humanity to God and one another through his death on the cross. All we have to do is open ourselves to this new life that Jesus offers us. That is the problem — many people, even religious people, simply do not want to change. We can be as happy and at peace as we want to be — the choice is always ours. God does not force us.
Some who were sticklers for the rules were angry that the disciples of Jesus had eaten some grain in the fields on the Sabbath. This was forbidden. But Jesus pointed out a time when David and his men were hungry and in great need. They entered the temple and ate the bread of the Presence, which was forbidden to all but the priests. His point was that Sabbath rules were made to help people, not set up obstacles to hinder their journey. People and their well-being count first. This is something we need to remember continually. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath — he himself has become our rule, and his rule is love and mercy. Let that be our rule too!
 
Saturday 22nd Ordinary Time
“The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” Luke 6:5
This short yet powerful statement by Jesus was spoken in response to the Pharisees who questioned Jesus as to why His disciples were apparently doing what was unlawful on the sabbath. They were walking through a field of grain, picking grain as they walked, and eating it for nourishment on their journey from one town to another.
This challenge from the Pharisees highlights their scrupulous approach to the moral law. Recall the Third Commandment given through Moses: “Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God. You shall not do any work…” (Exodus 20:8–10). From this Commandment, the Pharisees had developed a complex commentary which went into great detail about what kind of work was forbidden on the Sabbath in their view. One such regulation was to pick and mill grain. Thus, they judged that this was what the disciples were doing and were, therefore, violating the Third Commandment.
The laws of God, as they are given by God, must be followed perfectly. His divine Law refreshes us, enlivens us and enables us to live in union with Him. The Pharisees, however, deeply struggled with a need to control the lives of the people through their human interpretation of the divine Law. By saying that “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath,” Jesus made it clear that this scrupulous interpretation of the Third Commandment taught by the Pharisees did not align with the truths of that divine Law.
One lesson to learn from this encounter is that each one of us can easily fall into a similar trap. It’s easy to replace God’s true Law with our perception of faith and morality. We are weak human beings, and there are many things that affect our thinking and our convictions in life. Emotions, habits, family relationships, friendships, media and so many other things affect us in powerful ways. Sometimes for good and sometimes for ill. We can easily arrive at certain judgments of faith and morality that are slightly erroneous, being based on subtle errors. As a result, we can easily begin to get off track in our thinking and convictions and, over time, can find that we have deviated far from the truths of God. When this happens, it can be difficult to humbly admit it and change our convictions.
Reflect, today, upon the humble truth that Jesus and Jesus alone is Lord of the divine Law. This means that we must perpetually remain open to changing our opinions when we hear our Lord speak to us. Ponder any way in which you have become overly attached to your own opinions. If they bring forth peace, joy, charity and the like, then they are most likely in union with God. If they are burdensome, a cause of confusion, contention or frustration, then you may need to step back and humbly reexamine the convictions you hold, so that He Who is Lord of all will be able to speak His divine Law to you more clearly.
Lord of all Truth, You and You alone are the guide of my life. You and You alone are the Truth. Help me to be humble, dear Lord, so that I can recognize any error in my convictions and turn to You and Your divine Law as the one and only guide for my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 22nd Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have invited me to share in your divine life. Only in union with your Son and filled with your Spirit can I attain this life. Thank you for the gift of the Eucharist, which sustains me on my journey to you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Lord of the Sabbath: In Galilee, Jesus establishes who he is subtly through his words and actions. In Nazareth, he presented himself as the Messiah who inaugurates the Great Jubilee of God’s mercy. In these first chapters dealing with his public ministry in Galilee, Jesus has been called the Holy One of God and the Son of God. Simon Peter, the fisherman, called him “master” at first, but came to believe in him and called him “Lord.” Jesus has also referred to himself as the divine bridegroom. In today’s Gospel, Jesus refers to himself as both “the Son of Man” and the “Lord of the Sabbath.” These are all invitations to us to enter into the mystery of Jesus’ identity and Person. Only God is Lord of the Sabbath. Only the true Son of Man has both divine and human characteristics. The Lord of the Sabbath is the one who brings the original Sabbath to its fulfillment. The Sabbath was the sign of God’s covenant with creation and humanity. It was an invitation to rest from the labors of the week and enjoy God’s presence in worship and family. It became a remembrance of God’s deliverance. It was transformed by Christ into the memorial of his passion, death, and resurrection. It is now a day that looks forward in the Spirit to the glorious consummation of all things and our eternal rest with God the Father in heaven.
2. The New Priests: In his dispute with the Pharisees, Jesus challenges them to look beyond the narrow letter of the Law and their burdensome human traditions and to embrace the new life that he brings. Jesus compares himself to David and his disciples to David’s companions. He refers to an episode in the Old Testament, when King Saul was seeking to destroy David, and when Ahimelech, the priest of Nob, gave the Bread of the Presence to David and his men to eat. Among the people of Nob, there was also a servant of King Saul, Doeg the Edomite. He was the chief of Saul’s shepherds. Doeg acted as a spy and told Saul where David was and who helped him. Saul then killed Ahimelech, Ahimelech’s family, over 80 priests of the Lord, and the men, women, children, and animals in the priestly city of Nob. What Jesus hints at is that the Pharisees were acting like the wicked spy Doeg and were trying to trap Jesus and his disciples. Jesus is telling them that their religious authority over Israel is ending and a new priesthood, gathered around the new David, is beginning. Just as David and his men were not guilty because they ate the Bread of the Presence that only the priests could eat, so also Jesus and his disciples are not guilty because they picked heads of grain, rubbed them, and ate them on the Sabbath. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, and his disciples will soon replace the Pharisees as the religious authorities over Israel.
3. A Deacon of the Gospel: In his Letter to the Colossians, Paul refers to himself as a “minister (diakonos: deacon) of the Gospel.” He moves from the big picture of God’s creation of the world and reconciliation of all things in Christ to the Christian community in Colossae. To drive home the transformation that Christ has brought about in their lives, he employs the strongest possible language: “you who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds” (see Hamm, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 180). They have been brought from lives of sin in a sinful Gentile culture to a life of holiness through reconciliation in Christ’s body. “They have been made holy by their baptism, and God’s purpose is to bring that holiness to perfection. The goal of being presented to God fully perfected requires a Christian response to God’s initiatives of creation and redemption, celebrated in verses 15-20 applied to the Colossians in verses 21-22” (Hamm, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 181). Paul and Epaphras have been “deacons” of the Gospel and seek to share in the Church’s mission of preaching the Gospel to the entire world, to all human beings everywhere.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, lead me to imitate you and truly share in your life. I am a member of the New People of God and need to bring the Gospel to others so that they can fully live as members of God’s People.
 
Saturday 22nd Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have invited me to share in your divine life. Only in union with your Son and filled with your Spirit can I attain this life. Thank you for the gift of the Eucharist which sustains me on my journey to you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Jesus’ Response to the Pharisees: The observance of the Sabbath rest is one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15). The Sabbath rest enabled the people of Israel to worship God without the distractions of work and recalled God’s original plan of creation: to have human beings enter into communion with God and share in his rest. The Sabbath expressed the covenant between God and Israel and was a way for Israel to imitate God and share in his holy rest. The Pharisees accused Jesus’ disciples of violating the Sabbath since they were gathering crops (Exodus 34:21). Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ accusation in three ways. He first points out that his disciples were hungry and that, because of their need, their actions of gathering grain on the Sabbath and eating it did not violate the Sabbath rest. Second, Jesus also revealed himself as the new David. The exception made for David and his men should also be made for Jesus and his disciples. Jesus and his disciples are like the priests in the Temple, who were allowed to break the Sabbath when they replaced the Bread of the Presence on the Sabbath. Third, Jesus called himself the “Lord of the Sabbath.” He placed himself above the Sabbath and, in doing so, proclaimed his divinity. Jesus, with his community of disciples, formed the origin and center of a New Israel (Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, vol. 1, 114). Jesus’ disciples will ultimately find the rest they seek in him. The new family of God is formed not by adherence to the Old Law of the Torah, but by adherence to Jesus himself and his New Law.
2. Bringing the God of Israel to All Nations: Jesus is God and was able to bring the Old Law (the Torah) to fulfillment in the New Law. In this way, Israel will be able to fulfill its vocation to be a light to all the nations. What Jesus does in his teaching is bring the God of Israel to the nations, so that all the nations can now pray to God and recognize Israel’s Scriptures as the word of the living God. Jesus “has brought the gift of universality, which was the one great definitive promise to Israel and the world. This universality, this faith in the one God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – extended now in Jesus’ new family to all nations over and above the bonds of descent according to the flesh – is the fruit of Jesus’ work. It is what proves him to be the Messiah. It signals a new interpretation of the messianic promise that is based on Moses and the Prophets, but also opens them up in a completely new way” (Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, vol. 1, 116-117). The Apostles are servants of Christ and trustworthy stewards of the mysteries of God and will bring these mysteries – the sacraments – to all the nations.
3. Imitating Jesus and Paul: The Corinthians can learn humility from Paul and Apollos, who stay within the limits set out by what is written in Sacred Scripture. “Paul reprimands self-righteous Christians for their egotism and unfair criticisms. Although he describes them as wise and prosperous, his rhetorical irony implies the opposite, i.e., they are ignorant and impoverished. Their refusal to embrace the foolishness of Christ exposes their pride and reveals how petty their problems look compared to the humiliation of the apostles” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 289). On account of Christ, Paul and the other Apostles have become like publicly disgraced criminals, fools in the eyes of the world, weak; they are held in disrepute, hungry and thirsty, poorly clad, roughly treated, homeless; and they have to work and toil to sustain themselves. They are ridiculed and persecuted, slandered, and treated like rubbish and scum. Paul admonishes the Christians in Corinth, not to shame them, but to lead them to Christ through the Gospel. Paul considers himself a father to the Corinthians, having brought them new life through the Gospel (2 Corinthians 12:14). Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him. Through the calling of the twelve Apostles, Jesus forms the new Israel as the New People of God. As Christians, we are called to imitate Jesus’ humility and meekness of heart. Throughout the centuries many saints, like Paul, offer to Christians models worthy of imitation.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, lead me to imitate you and truly share in your life. I am a member of the New People of God and need to bring the Gospel to others so that they can fully live as members of God’s People.
 
Saturday 22nd Ordinary Time 2023
Opening Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the honor of praying before you. I need you in my life. You are my foundation, my strength, and my joy. Please increase my faith, hope, and love so that I may cling ever more to you in all that I do. 
Encountering Christ:
Simplicity of Heart: There is a strong contrast between the Pharisees' hypocrisy and the apostles' simplicity. The problem was not the Pharisees’ zeal for the law. In another passage, Jesus defended their authority to teach: “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you” (Matthew 23:2-3a). The problem was their disposition. Our Lord continued, “but do not follow their example. For they preach but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens… and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:3b-4). The Pharisees seemed to exercise their authority in a controlling and oppressive manner towards others while allowing themselves much leeway (Matthew 15:3-6). Again, this passage shows their heavy-handed criticism of the apostles. For their part, the hungry apostles simply reached for some food. While the apostles struggled with ambition and vanity (Mark 9:34), there remained in them a childlike simplicity born from sincerity (John 1:47).
Defending His Own: The Pharisees and scribes frequently attacked Jesus, accusing him of being possessed or mad, setting verbal traps for him, and the like (Matthew 12:24; Mark 12:14). In such instances, he bore it with great patience, although he would correct their errors and call out their hypocrisy. However, when the Pharisees attacked his apostles, Jesus never failed to come quickly and firmly to their rescue. Here, he defended their simply satiating their hunger. In another passage, Jesus quickly clarified Peter’s confusion about Jesus’s payment of the temple tax by working a miracle (Matthew 17:24-26). When Judas brought the temple guard to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Our Lord said that he was the one for whom they came so that they should let the apostles go (John 18:8). Jesus will allow us to suffer in following him, but he will also protect and strengthen us on our journey. Our Lord looks after his own.
Lord of the Sabbath: “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” Throughout his public life, Jesus frequently affirmed his authority. More than once, Jesus said or implied this: “Moses said… but I say to you” (Matthew 5:21-22; Matthew 5:27-28; Matthew 19:7-9). He unambiguously declared that he is a      greater authority than Moses. So, too, in this passage, Jesus’s ultimate argument in defense of his apostles was his own authority. The same relationship holds between Jesus and his Church. The Church has authority and power from its union with the Lord, and Jesus promised to uphold that union until the end of time (Matthew 28:20). Our confidence in the Church is rooted in our confidence in Jesus and in his promises.
Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for your protective and provident love. You never allow me to be tempted beyond my ability to resist. You have frequently come to my aid. Please help me to grow in simplicity of heart so that I may avoid the pitfalls of hypocrisy and insincerity. I realize that I need purification and will entrust myself to your loving hands.