Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy tuần 19 TN

Saturday 19th Ordinary Time
Chúa Giêsu yêu thương trẻ em và những người biết sống và có lòng đơn sơ một cách đặc biệt như trẻ em. Trái trái tim của Ngài luôn mở rộng yêu thương chúng ta, khi chúng ta không biết sợ để tỏ ra cho Ngài biết những bất lực của chúng ta, và chúng ta đang phụ thuộc vào Ngài như thế nào mỗi khi chúng ta có nhu cầu cần đến Ngài.
            Sự Khiêm tốn, giản dị, thanh khiết của tâm hồn, sự chân thành và ngoan ngoãn là những đặc điểm mà làm Chúa vui lòng nhất vì những đặc điểm này cho phép chúng ta công nhận Thiên Chúa là Cha của chúng ta trên tất cả mọi sự, và chúng ta là con cái của Ngài.
Cũng giống như một đứa trẻ con bình tĩnh và không sợ sệt bố mẹ vì cha mẹ là người luôn ở bên cạnh để chăm sóc cho nó, chúng ta cũng thế không nên phải sợ hãi và xáo trộn tâm hồn trong cuộc sống ở trần thế này, bởi vì chúng ta tin tưởng rằng Thiên Chúa có những kế hoạch tốt đẹp nhất cho chúng ta, mặc dù kế hoạch của Thiên Chúa có thể liên quan đến những sự đau khổ và thua thiệt phần vật chất. Nhưng Ngài sẽ không bao giờ bỏ rơi chúng ta, vì Ngài làm như vậy là vì Ngài yêu thương chúng ta, Chúng ta có thể bố thí của cải vật chất của chúng ta cho những người cần sự giúp đỡ, bởi vì Thiên Chúa sẽ luôn luôn ban lại cho chúng ta những nhu cầu mà chúng ta cần thiết.
             Để có được những đặc điểm đơn sơ như con nít chúng ta cần phải học cách tha thứ một cách dễ dàng, để có được cuộc sống tự do không có hận thù, không chống lại Thiên Chúa và tha nhân,  để sống được một cách đơn sơ như thế, Chúng ta phải biết ơn Chúa với những điều tuyệt vời mà Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta dù lớn hay nhỏ và phải biết sống với ơn gọi của chúng ta trong sự thánh thiện.
 
REFLECTION
Jesus loves children and those who embrace spiritual childhood in a special way. His heart is gladdened when we are not afraid to show him how helpless we are and how dependent we are on him for our every need. Humility, simplicity, purity of heart, sincerity and docility are traits that please Jesus most because these traits enable us to acknowledge at all times that God is Our Father and we are his children.
Much like a child who is calm and unafraid as long as his parents are around to care for him, we too should be fearless and unperturbed as we travel life's roads, because we trust that God has the best plans for us even if his plans involve pain and suffering. He will never abandon us because he is so in love with us. We give freely of our material possessions because God will always provide for our needs. To possess childlike traits is to learn how to forgive readily, to be free of grudges against God and neighbor, to live simply, to be thankful for things great and small. To be like children is to live our vocation of holiness.
 
Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them…” 
 
In the Catechism of the Council of Trent, which was promulgated by Pope Saint Pius V, this passage is linked with infant baptism. It states, “Besides, it is not to be supposed that Christ the Lord would have withheld the Sacrament and grace of Baptism from children, of whom He said: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me…” (II, 2, 32). This teaching clearly indicates one of the best ways that this passage is fulfilled today. Inviting even infants before they reach the age of reason to receive the Sacrament of Baptism fulfills this loving command of Jesus to “Let the children come to me…”
Young children do not have the ability to rationally understand love in its purest form. That comes with the age of reason, which has traditionally been understood to be around the age of seven. But children, and even infants, are capable of receiving our love and are capable of receiving the love of God, even if they do not yet fully comprehend this gift.
As a child grows, they learn what love means as they witness it and experience it, especially through the mediation of their parents. This helps form their consciences in such a way that they become capable of making their own free choice to love as they mature in age. But if a child is to grow into a loving adult, they need more than just a good example, they need grace. The grace of Baptism is the primary source of that grace in their lives.
It’s easy for many to see Baptism only as a nice ceremony to welcome the newly born child into God’s family. And though that is true, it is so much more. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that Baptism bestows an indelible mark which “remains for ever in the Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church” (CCC #1121). In other words, Baptism bestows upon one’s soul a gift that can never be removed and becomes an ongoing source of grace. And when an infant is baptized, it’s as if this Scripture passage above is perpetuated throughout that person’s life. Because of this sacramental grace, Jesus continually says to this baptized soul, “Come to Me.”
In addition to the grace of Baptism, we must all imitate Jesus’ action of welcome and acceptance of not only children but of every child of God. Though the disciples initially tried to prevent the children from coming to our Lord, we must not. We must understand that there is a real temptation within our fallen human nature to both withhold the love of God from others and to even prevent others from coming to God. Anger, pride, envy, jealousy and the like can cause us to object to the conversion of others and to God welcoming them to Himself. When that temptation sets in, we must hear Jesus say to us, “Let the children come to me” and “do not prevent them.”
Reflect, today, upon these gentle and inviting words of Jesus. As you do, try to call to mind anyone who you might try to prevent from coming to our Lord. Do you desire the holiness of all people? Is there anyone in your life whom you find it difficult to encourage to come to Jesus to be embraced and blessed?
Take on the heart of Jesus and see it as your duty to embrace others as He embraced these children. The more you become an instrument of the love of Christ, the more you will daily rejoice in God’s blessings as they are bestowed on others.
My tender Lord, You welcome all people to share in Your grace. You welcome every child and every child of God to share in Your loving embrace. Please extend that welcome to me and help me to accept this gift of Your infinite love. And help me to become a better instrument of Your love toward others, never interfering or preventing them from turning to You. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 19th Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me to understand the deep causes of my sinful choices. Enlighten my mind to see when and how I choose myself, when and how I am tempted to pride, and how the disordered love of pleasure and material things destroys my relationships with you and with others.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Children in the Kingdom: As Jesus travels with his disciples on the way to Jerusalem, he teaches them some important lessons about life in the Church. Much of the discussion has been about leadership and service in the Church. The disciples wanted to know who would be the greatest in the Kingdom, and Jesus responded by talking about servant leadership. Today, Jesus speaks about humility. While some of Jesus’ disciples tried to prevent children from being brought to Jesus so that he might bless them and pray over them, Jesus corrected them and took the opportunity to teach them about humility and simplicity of heart in the kingdom.
2. Renewal of the Covenant at Shechem: In Joshua 8, we read about the ratification of the Covenant of Deuteronomy on Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim. The town of Shechem was situated between these two mountains. It was the place where YHWH first promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendants and where Abraham first raised an altar in honor of the Lord. In Joshua 24, we read about the renewal of this covenant some 30 years later. “The event is a summons for the next generation, destined to outlive Joshua, to renounce other gods and to pledge their exclusive allegiance to Yahweh (24:23). Renewal ceremonies were a common feature of ancient Near Eastern treaty covenants” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 369). Joshua recounted the early history of Israel, from the call of Abraham to the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 24:3-11). When Israel conquered Canaan, this fulfilled the promise of Moses in Deuteronomy 6:10-11. If the people choose to be faithful to the covenant, they will enjoy the blessing of life and prosperity. If, however, they choose to break the covenant, they will trigger the curses of adversity and death. The same choice is presented to us in the New Covenant.
3. The Path of Humility: In the Gospel, Jesus continues to teach about the way of humility that leads to life. Earlier, he said to the people: “Unless you turn and become like children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4). The Kingdom belongs to the poor in spirit, to those who mourn, to the meek, to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, to the merciful, to the pure in heart, to the peacemakers, to those who are persecuted for the sake of justice. The humble are those who can shoulder their cross with Christ. The simple are those who can love without reserve. The childlike are those who allow themselves to be loved and guided by God.
 
Saturday 19th Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me to understand the deep causes of my sinful choices. Enlighten my mind to see when and how I choose myself, when and how I am tempted to pride, and how the disordered love of pleasure and material things destroys my relationships with you and with others.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Correcting the People’s Understanding of Sin: In the First Reading, God questions the prophet Ezekiel about a common proverb in Israel: Because the parents have eaten green and sour grapes, their children’s teeth are set on edge and are irritated. The proverb means that children suffer due to the sins of their parents. God tells Ezekiel that this proverb is not to be repeated in Israel: for the righteous and virtuous will live; those who sin will be punished and die. The Lord delights not in the death, but in the life of his people, and the way to life consists in fidelity to God’s commandments (Ezekiel 18:5-9). Ezekiel teaches the people that the sinner is responsible for his own fate: “A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own” (Ezekiel 18:20). As God’s prophet, Ezekiel calls sinners to repentance, fulfills his prophetic mission, and holds each person responsible for their own actions.
2. Repentance from Sin: Understanding the relation between personal responsibility, sin, and punishment also corrects the mistaken view of the people of Israel who think that they suffer in exile only because they are victims of history – because their parent, forefathers, and ancestors sinned while they are guiltless. “They believed they were not responsible but rather were victims. Ezekiel challenges this erroneous mindset and argues that each person bears responsibility for his or her own conduct” (Leclerc, Introduction to the Prophets, 295). Ezekiel teaches that each generation can break with the past and begin a new life in conformity with God’s law. This opens to Israel the way to hope. Another reason for hope is the possibility of repentance. “Repentance brings freedom because puts an end to the influence of the past and opens one's life to the future that God will form. In repentance, one takes on a new heart and a new spirit (18:30-32)” (Duggan, The Consuming Fire, 312). Those who turn from evil to good will escape judgment for their past deeds; the righteous who turn from good to evil, however, will be punished. “A person’s fate depends not on past actions but on present choices and conduct. This means that repentance is always possible, but so, too, is backsliding” (Leclerc, Introduction to the Prophets, 295). Ezekiel teaches that “Even when the nation as a whole is in decline and being punished, God will not overlook repentance in individuals, even when the temporal consequences of others’ sins affect them in the form of famine or conquest. One’s past righteousness will not avail once one has turned from it to wickedness, but one’s past crimes will not block God’s mercy when one repents, even if natural or necessary consequences for in remain” (Prothro, The Bible and Reconciliation, 65-66).
3. The Path of Humility: In the Gospel, Jesus continues to teach about the way of humility that leads to life. Earlier, he said to the people: “Unless you turn and become like children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4). The Kingdom belongs to the poor in spirit, to those who mourn, to the meek, to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, to the merciful, to the pure in heart, to the peacemakers, to those who are persecuted for the sake of justice. The humble are those who can shoulder their cross with Christ. The simple are those who can love without reserve. The childlike are those who allow themselves to be loved and guided by God.

August 15- Suy Niệm Lễ Kính Đức Mẹ Hồn Xác Lên Trời

August 15- Suy Niệm Lễ Kính Đức Mẹ Hồn Xác Lên Trời
Trong bài đọc Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy được ba sự chuyển động đó là: Mẹ Maria lên đường thăm viếng người chị họ là ba Elizabeth, em bé trong bụng của bà Elizabeth đã nhảy mừng và bài ca Magnificat của Đức Maria đã tóm lược những biến động lịch sử về lòng từ bi và nhân hậu của Thiên Chúa đối với dân riêng của Ngài. Sự xuất hiện của Con Thiên Chúa qua Đức Maria cũng được loan báo.
Trong ngày Lễ kính Đức Mẹ Vô Nhiễm Nguyên Tội, chúng ta được mời gọi để sống với những cảm nghiệm về sự hiện diện của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta. Ngài chuyển đổi chúng ta từ nơi này sang nơi khác, đôi khi từ các vùng an toàn của chúng ta; Ông làm chúng ta kinh ngạc với những bất ngờ; Bất ngờ có thể là nơi "nơi mà Thiên Chúa đã chuẩn bị cho chúng ta." Thiên Chúa là Chúa của biến động và sự thay đổi.
      Những biến đổi hay những sự thay đổi thường không phải là dễ dàng. Một người phụ nữ sắp sinh con trong bài đọc thứ nhất nhắc nhở chúng ta về nỗi đau đớn của việc sinh đẻ trước khi chào đón một cuộc sống mới, cũng giống như sự đầu phục hoàn toàn của chúng ta để sống theo ý muốn của Thiên Chúa bất cứ điều gì có thể. Và việc đầu phục theo ý muốn của Thiên Chúa, lời tuyên xung của chúng ta, là chìa khóa để chúng ta về nhà Cha với quyền năng yêu thương và sự cứu độ của Thiên Chúa. lời Kinh Magnificat của Đức Maria thừa nhận các biến động của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của Đức Maria,  " Linh hồn tôi ngợi khen Đức Chúa, Thần trí tôi hớn hở vui mừng, Vì Thiên Chúa, Đấng cứu độ tôi  … Đấng Toàn Năng đã làm cho tôi Biết bao điều cao cả. Danh Người thật chí thánh chí tôn”
Chúng ta tin rằng khỉ Đức Maria qua đời, Mẹ đă đuoc Thiên Chúa đưa cả thân xác và linh hồn vào thiên đường vì vài trò đặc biệt của mẹ là Mẹ Thiên Chúa. Xin cho chúng ta là những người con cái của Mẹ, được trở nên giống như mẹ biết nhìn thấy những sự biến đổi của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta: Thiên Chúa đã làm chúng ta biến đổi chính mình như thế nào trong cuộc đời chúng ta? Chúng ta có thể làm gì để tự mình có thể đón nhận được lời mời gọi của Thiên Chúa dành cho chúng ta?  Chúng ta nên phải làm gì hơn để được đưa đến nơi mà Cha yêu thương của chúng ta đã chuẩn bị sẵn cho chúng ta?
 
Aug 15- Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary
      In the Gospel reading (Day Mass) we see three movements: Mary setting out to visit her cousin Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaping for joy and Mary's Magnificat which summarizes historical movements of God's mercy and compassion. The coming of the Son of God through Mary is also proclaimed.
      At the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary we are invited to experience the "moving" presence of God in our lives. He moves us from one place to another, at times from our comfort zones; he surprises us with the unexpected; the unexpected could be the place "where God had prepared a place for us." God is the Lord of movement and change.
      Movement or change is often not easy. A woman about to give birth in the first reading reminds us of the pain of childbirth in order to welcome a new life, like our total surrender to the will of God whatever it may be.
      And this surrender to God's will, our fiat, is the key to our going home to the loving and saving power of God.  Mary's Magnificat acknowledges God's movements in Mary's life, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior!"
      We believe that at Mary's death she was assumed body and soul into heaven because of her special role as Mother of God. May we, her children, be like her in seeing God's movements in our lives: how has God moved me in my life? What more could I do to dispose myself to see God's invitations to me? What more should I do to be brought to the place prepared for me by my loving Father?
 
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 2026
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.” Lk. 1:46-69         
Today we celebrate one of the great solemnities on the Church’s liturgical calendar: the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Belief in her bodily assumption first took root in the early Church among those who witnessed this glorious event. Though we do not have written firsthand accounts of the Assumption, a variety of traditions have stood the test of time.
According to a tradition handed down by Saint John Damascene in the fifth century, all of the Apostles except Thomas were miraculously gathered in Jerusalem at the time of Mary’s Dormition, or falling asleep. After reverently placing her body in a tomb near the Garden of Gethsemane, they later opened it at Thomas’s request, who had arrived late and wished to venerate her body. To their astonishment, the tomb was empty. This led the Apostles to conclude, through divine revelation, that the Blessed Virgin had been assumed body and soul into Heaven. That empty tomb is still honored today in the cave near Gethsemane and remains a popular place of pilgrimage. This early tradition laid the foundation for the Church’s growing conviction through the centuries that Mary’s Assumption was not merely a pious belief but a divinely revealed truth. In 1950, this truth was solemnly defined as dogma by Pope Pius XII in Munificentissimus Deus.
Why was the Blessed Virgin Mary taken body and soul into Heaven at the completion of her earthly life? Because, by a singular grace, when she was conceived in the womb of her mother—traditionally known as Saint Anne—her conception was the Immaculate Conception. That is, she was conceived without the stain of Original Sin. This grace, called a prevenient or preceding grace, was given to her through the foreseen merits of her Son’s future death on the Cross. That grace transcended time and preserved her from sin in advance, making her Son also her Savior, as she proclaimed in the Magnificat: “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Though the Blessed Virgin Mary was not saved by her own merit, having been given the fullness of grace at the moment of her Immaculate Conception, she perfectly cooperated with that grace throughout her life. She remained free not only from Original Sin but also from all personal sin. Since “the wages of sin is death”, and since the Blessed Mother was entirely without sin, her body and soul were never separated in death, which leads to bodily corruption. Instead, having completed the course of her earthly life, the Blessed Virgin Mary “was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (Munificentissimus Deus, 44).
Why is this important for us today? Because the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is not only a singular privilege granted to her, it is also a sign of hope and a promise of what awaits all who remain faithful to Christ. Mary is the first and greatest disciple; where she has gone, we hope to follow. Her bodily glorification reveals that our salvation is more than spiritual, it also includes the redemption of the body. In a world wounded by sin, suffering, and death, the Assumption shines as a beacon of the final victory of grace. It reminds us that Heaven is our true home, that holiness is possible, and that those who entrust themselves to God alongside our Blessed Mother will share in Christ’s Resurrection. As our loving Mother, now enthroned in glory, Mary intercedes for us and draws us ever closer to her Son, encouraging us to live each day with faith, purity, and joyful hope.
Reflect today on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a sign of hope and a promise of what is to come for you and your loved ones. Though we will die and our bodies will be laid to rest, one day our bodies and souls will rise and share in the resurrected glory of Jesus and Mary. This will be our eternity. Turn your eyes to that day, profess your faith in it, rejoice in God your Savior, and proclaim His greatness alongside His most glorious Mother.
Most glorious Mother of God, you were singularly privileged to be preserved from the stain of Original Sin at your Immaculate Conception, and you fully cooperated with the fullness of grace throughout your earthly life, thereby meriting the gift of your bodily Assumption when your time on earth was completed. Pray for me, that I may be filled with hope and persevere in grace, so that I, too, may one day share in the glory of the Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, my eyes today look towards my heavenly home. I long to be with you, with your Son, with your Spirit, and with all the saints. I can’t wait to see my heavenly Mother, the New Ark of the Covenant, and the Woman clothed with the sun.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Mary as the New Ark: Yesterday’s Vigil Mass for the Assumption of Mary told the story of the transfer of the old Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, to Mount Zion. Today, we celebrate the passage of Mary, the new Ark of the Covenant, to the Heavenly Jerusalem, where God dwells in glory. The Gospel today – Mary’s Visitation – brings out the parallels between the old Ark and the New Ark. The old Ark rested in the hill country of Judah, in the house of Obed-Edom, for about three months; Luke tells us that Mary stayed with her cousin Elizabeth, in the hill country of Judea, for about three months. Both arks were sources of blessing. And just as King David leaped as a priest-king before the old Ark as it was brought to Jerusalem, John the Baptist, the son of the priest Zechariah, leaped in Elizabeth’s womb before Mary. “In his mother’s womb John the Baptist danced like David before the Ark of the Covenant; like David he recognized: Mary was the new Ark of the Covenant, before which the heart exults with joy, the Mother of God present in the world who does not keep this divine presence to herself but offers it, sharing the grace of God” (Benedict XVI, August 15, 2011). The symbol of the ark in the Old Testament gives way to reality in the New Testament in a real person, in Mary, the true Ark of the Covenant.
2. Mary as the Woman Clothed with the Sun: The First Reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, lifts our eyes and our hearts toward heaven, where we contemplate Mary not only as the true and new Ark of the Covenant but also as the Woman clothed with the sun. The latter symbolizes that now she is totally clothed with God and totally living in God, surrounded and penetrated by divine light. The crown of twelve stars symbolizes that she is surrounded by the twelve tribes of Israel, by the whole People of God, and the Communion of Saints. The moon under her feet symbolizes her victory over death and mortality. Mary is the great sign of the victory of love, the victory of goodness, the victory of God. She is a sign that consoles us and invites us to trust in God and to imitate Mary in her self-offering to God (see Benedict XVI, August 15, 2007). Because of her immersion in her Son’s Paschal Mystery, Mary was enabled to share in his victory over sin and death. In us, who have been incorporated into Christ’s Death and Resurrection through Baptism, Christ’s Resurrection is still incomplete. In Mary, however, it is complete and perfect. In Mary, the mystery of Christ has fully taken effect, redeeming her from death and bringing her, body and soul, to the Kingdom of immortal life (see Benedict XVI, August 15, 2008). She has entered into the fullness of union with God and with her Son.
3. Mary in Heaven, Body and Soul: The Assumption of Mary was a gift of the Risen Christ to his Mother. She was the one in whom the Son of God made his dwelling. Today, the day of the Assumption, she began to dwell body and soul in God. By means of the Immaculate Conception, she was preserved from sin; by means of the Assumption, she was preserved from the corruption of the grave (John Paul II, August 15, 1982). In Mary, we witness the victory of her Son over the Ancient Serpent, whose head is crushed. As well, when we contemplate Mary in heaven, we contemplate our definitive home. We are pilgrims in this world, and we experience the battle between evil and good, the battle between those who pridefully rebel against God and those who humbly seek the will of God. One way to stay on the path that leads to life is to keep our eyes fixed on Mary, clothed with the sun, clothed with eternal divine love (John Paul II, August 15, 1986). With Jesus, she is our model and our guide. In heaven, body and soul, Mary has been raised with Jesus and is enthroned with him. In heaven, body and soul, Mary lives the promise of salvation, offered to us in Jesus Christ. In heaven, body and soul, Mary eternally worships the Father with Christ. In heaven, body and soul, Mary contemplates in glory the very face of God. In heaven, body and soul, Mary exercises her maternal mediation for us, her children.
 
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.”  
Today we celebrate one of seventeen different memorials, feasts and solemnities in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary that are found on the Roman Liturgical Calendar. Today’s celebration is one of the four great Solemnities by which our Blessed Mother is honored. Obviously, no other person other than our Lord is honored and celebrated with as much solemnity as the Mother of God.
The Solemnity of the Assumption honors the fact that when the Blessed Virgin Mary completed her life on earth, she was taken body and soul into Heaven to be with her resurrected Son so as to adore the Most Holy Trinity forever. It’s an amazing fact to consider that she retains her body and soul, united as one in Heaven, in anticipation of that glorious day when the new Heavens and Earth will be created and when all the faithful will rise so as to live in a new bodily form forever with God.
Though this dogma of our faith had been held and believed by the faithful from the earliest times of our Church, especially since it was witnessed by those closest to our Blessed Mother at the time of her glorious Assumption, it wasn’t until November 1, 1950, that Pope Pius XII solemnly proclaimed it to be so, raising this teaching of our faith to the level of a dogma, meaning, it must be held and believed by all. In part, the Holy Father declared, “…we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
The Gospel passage quoted above comes from the beginning of Mary’s song of praise, her Magnificat, by which she not only gives the greatest glory to God but also reveals who she is. She is the one whom “all generations” will call “blessed.” She is the one for whom “the Almighty has done great things.” She is the one who will eternally proclaim “the greatness of the Lord” and whose spirit will forever rejoice in God her Savior. And she is that lowliest of servants whom God has raised up to the greatest glory.
Reflect, today, with the whole Church, upon the Most Glorious Ever-Virgin Mary who was conceived without sin, remained sinless throughout her life, and was taken body and soul into Heaven where she now adores the Most Holy Trinity and intercedes for you and for the whole Church. This is a Solemnity of great rejoicing! Share in this joy with the whole Church and with all the saints in Heaven!
Most glorious and Ever-Virgin Mary, I rejoice today with you and with the whole Church for the most glorious things that God has done for you. You are beauty beyond beauty, Immaculate in every way, and worthy of our deepest love. As you now share body and soul in the glories of Heaven, please pray for me and for all your dear children on earth. Cover us with your mantle of love and pour forth the mercy of God upon us always. Mother Mary, assumed into Heaven, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Aug 15 The Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, my eyes today look towards my heavenly home. I long to be with you, with your Son, with your Spirit, and with all the saints. I can’t wait to see my heavenly Mother, the New Ark of the Covenant, and the Woman clothed with the sun.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Mary as the New Ark: Yesterday’s vigil mass for the Assumption of Mary told the story of the transfer of the old Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, to Mount Zion. Today, we celebrate the passage of Mary, the new Ark of the Covenant, to the Heavenly Jerusalem, where God dwells in glory. The Gospel today – Mary’s Visitation – brings out the parallels between the old Ark and the New Ark. The old Ark rested in the hill country of Judah, in the house of Obed-Edom, for about three months; Luke tells us that Mary stayed with her cousin Elizabeth, in the hill country of Judea, for about three months. Both arks were sources of blessing. And just as King David leaped as a priest-king before the old Ark as it was brought to Jerusalem, John the Baptist, the son of the priest Zechariah, leaped in Elizabeth’s womb before Mary. “In his mother’s womb John the Baptist danced like David before the Ark of the Covenant; like David he recognized: Mary was the new Ark of the Covenant, before which the heart exults with joy, the Mother of God present in the world who does not keep this divine presence to herself but offers it, sharing the grace of God” (Benedict XVI, August 15, 2011). The symbol of the ark in the Old Testament gives way to reality in the New Testament in a real person, in Mary, the true Ark of the Covenant.
2. Mary as the Woman Clothed with the Sun: The First Reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, lifts our eyes and our hearts toward heaven, where we contemplate Mary not only as the true and new Ark of the Covenant but also as the Woman clothed with the sun. The latter symbolizes that now she is totally clothed with God and totally living in God, surrounded and penetrated by divine light. The crown of twelve stars symbolizes that she is surrounded by the twelve tribes of Israel, by the whole People of God, and the Communion of Saints. The moon under her feet symbolizes her victory over death and mortality. Mary is the great sign of the victory of love, the victory of goodness, the victory of God. She is a sign that consoles us and invites us to trust in God and to imitate Mary in her self-offering to God (see Benedict XVI, August 15, 2007). Because of her immersion in her Son’s Paschal Mystery, Mary was enabled to share in his victory over sin and death. In us, who have been incorporated into Christ’s Death and Resurrection through Baptism, Christ’s Resurrection is still incomplete. In Mary, however, it is complete and perfect. In Mary, the mystery of Christ has fully taken effect, redeeming her from death and bringing her, body and soul, to the Kingdom of immortal life (see Benedict XVI, August 15, 2008). She has entered into the fullness of union with God and with her Son.
3. Mary in Heaven, Body and Soul: The Assumption of Mary was a gift of the Risen Christ to his Mother. She was the one in whom the Son of God made his dwelling. Today, the day of the Assumption, she began to dwell body and soul in God. By means of the Immaculate Conception, she was preserved from sin; by means of the Assumption, she was preserved from the corruption of the grave (John Paul II, August 15, 1982). In Mary, we witness the victory of her Son over the Ancient Serpent, whose head is crushed. As well, when we contemplate Mary in heaven, we contemplate our definitive home. We are pilgrims in this world, and we experience the battle between evil and good, the battle between those who pridefully rebel against God and those who humbly seek the will of God. One way to stay on the path that leads to life is to keep our eyes fixed on Mary, clothed with the sun, clothed with eternal divine love (John Paul II, August 15, 1986). With Jesus, she is our model and our guide. In heaven, body and soul, Mary has been raised with Jesus and is enthroned with him. In heaven, body and soul, Mary lives the promise of salvation, offered to us in Jesus Christ. In heaven, body and soul, Mary eternally worships the Father with Christ. In heaven, body and soul, Mary contemplates in glory the very face of God. In heaven, body and soul, Mary exercises her maternal mediation for us, her children.
 
Aug 15 The Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, my eyes today look towards my heavenly home. I long to be with you, with your Son, with your Spirit, and with all the saints. I can’t wait to see my heavenly Mother, the New Ark of the Covenant and the Woman clothed with the sun.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Mary as the New Ark: Yesterday’s vigil mass for the Assumption of Mary told the story of the transfer of the old Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, to Mount Zion. Today, we celebrate the passage of Mary, the new Ark of the Covenant, to the Heavenly Jerusalem, where God dwells in glory. The Gospel today – Mary’s Visitation – brings out the parallels between the old Ark and the New Ark. The old Ark rested in the hill country of Judah, in the house of Obed-Edom, for about three months; Luke tells us that Mary stayed with her cousin Elizabeth, in the hill country of Judea, for about three months. Both arks were sources of blessing. And just as King David leaped as a priest-king before the old Ark as it was brought to Jerusalem, John the Baptist, the son of the priest Zechariah, leaped in Elizabeth’s womb before Mary. “In his mother’s womb John the Baptist danced like David before the Ark of the Covenant; like David he recognized: Mary was the new Ark of the Covenant, before which the heart exults with joy, the Mother of God present in the world who does not keep this divine presence to herself but offers it, sharing the grace of God” (Benedict XVI, August 15, 2011). The symbol of the ark in the Old Testament gives way to reality in the New Testament in a real person, in Mary, the true Ark of the Covenant.
2. Mary as the Woman Clothed with the Sun: The First Reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, lifts our eyes and our hearts toward heaven, where we contemplate Mary not only as the true and new Ark of the Covenant but also as the Woman clothed with the sun. The latter symbolizes that now she is totally clothed with God and totally living in God, surrounded and penetrated by divine light. The crown twelve stars symbolize that she is surrounded by the twelve tribes of Israel, by the whole People of God, and the Communion of Saints. The moon under her feet symbolizes her victory over death and mortality. Mary is the great sign of the victory of love, the victory of goodness, the victory of God. She is a sign that consoles us and invites us to trust in God and to imitate Mary in her self-offering to God (see Benedict XVI, August 15, 2007). Because of her immersion in her Son’s Paschal Mystery, Mary was enabled to share in his victory over sin and death. In us, who have been incorporated into Christ’s Death and Resurrection through Baptism, Christ’s Resurrection is still incomplete. In Mary, however, it is complete and perfect. In Mary, the mystery of Christ has fully taken effect, redeeming her from death and bringing her, body and soul, to the Kingdom of immortal life (see Benedict XVI, August 15, 2008). She has entered into the fullness of union with God and with her Son.
3. Mary in Heaven, Body and Soul: The Assumption of Mary was a gift of the Risen Christ to his Mother. She was the one in whom the Son of God made his dwelling. Today, the day of the Assumption, she began to dwell body and soul in God. By means of the Immaculate Conception, she was preserved from sin; by means of the Assumption, she was preserved from the corruption of the grave (John Paul II, August 15, 1982). In Mary, we witness the victory of her Son over the Ancient Serpent, whose head is crushed. As well, when we contemplate Mary in heaven, we contemplate our definitive home. We are pilgrims in this world and we experience the battle between evil and good, the battle between those who pridefully rebel against God and those who humbly seek the will of God. One way to stay on the path that leads to life is to keep our eyes fixed on Mary, clothed with the sun, clothed with eternal divine love (John Paul II, August 15, 1986). With Jesus, she is our model and our guide. In heaven, body and soul, Mary has been raised with Jesus and is enthroned with him. In heaven, body and soul, Mary lives the promise of salvation, offered to us in Jesus Christ. In heaven, body and soul, Mary eternally worships the Father with Christ. In heaven, body and soul, Mary contemplates in glory the very face of God. In heaven, body and soul, Mary exercises her maternal mediation for us, her children.
 
Suy Niệm Lễ Kính Mẹ Hồn xac lên Trời. 15/8
Theo quan niệm của người Do Thái thời xưa, có lẽ Đức Maria cũng chỉ là một người đàn bà như mọi người đàn bà khác, Hơn nữa Đức Maria có một địa vị rất khiêm tốn nhất trong xã hội, vì Đức Maria chỉ là một người thiều nữ yếu kém, trong một xã hội trọng dụng đàn ông. Đức Maria cũnglà người phụ nữ còn nhỏ tuổi trong một thế giới có giá trị trong tuổi tác. Đức Maria cũng chỉ là một người nghèo hèn trong một thế giới mà  Người  nghèo được coi như đó là một lời nguyền rủa của Thiên Chúa.
Đức Maria chắc cũng chỉ là một phụ nữ quê mùa, chân lấm tay bùn, cuộc sống xa vời với cuộc sống thành thị và những trung tâm quyền lực. Tuy nhiên, trong phụng vụ hôm nay gọi Đức Maria được tôn vính là mộtngườicó được "vinh dự lớn nhất trong nhân loại con người chúng ta. "Con Người" phải có nghĩa là một cái gì đó sâu sắc, cao trọng hơn cả quyền lực của loài người.
            Vinh quang của Đức Maria không chỉ là một đặc ân cá nhân mà có thể được so với sự phục sinh và lên trời của Chúa Giêsu con của bà, nhưng đó cũng một lời hứa mà Thiên Chúa đã hứa ban sự vinh quang đó cho chúng ta ngày sau. Sự vinh quang đó không những chỉ được chú trọng vào nhân phẩm độc đáo của Đức Maria như là người mẹ của Chúa Giêsu, mà cònchú trọng đến số phận của chúng ta nữa. Đức Maria đã có cuộc sống thực tế của con người, và bà cũng sẽ phải chết như con người chúng ta, nhưng Đức Maria cả hồn lẫn xác đã được đưa vào thiên đàng.  Đây cũng là một lời nhắc nhở cho chúng ta biết rằng vào ngày cuối của cuộc đời, chúng ta cũng sẽ được như vậy, chúng ta cũng sẽ được sống lại từ cõi chết, và thân xác của chúng ta sẽ được mặc lấy sự không hư nát, và trong sự sống bất diệt.
          Trong sự vinh quang của Đức Maria sẽ mở rộng tầm ảnh tưởng của Bà trong cuộc sống của chúng ta.  Đức Maria luôn luôn hiện diện với chúng ta hơn bao giờ hết một cách thiêng liêng, một sự hiện diện gần gũi có sức mạnh hơn nhiều so với sự hiện diện thể xác.  Đây chính là một cái sức mạnh đã gắn bó chúng ta với Đức Maria và để chúng luôn biết rằng Đức Maria luôn ở giữa với chúng ta, và chúng ta như đám gà con đang được săn sòc và ấp ủ dưới cách gà mẹ, nhất là mỗi khi chúng ta âu lo, bị căng thẳng hay bị những khổ đau chồng chất trong cuộc sống hàng ngày chúng ta.
            Đức Maria luôn khuyên nhủ chúng ta là muốn vác lấy thập giá của chúng ta một cách kiên trì và nhẫn nhục như Mẹ đã gánh lấy Thánh giá của Mẹ khi xưa. Chính Mẹ muốn thúc đẩy chúng ta nên bắt chước Mẹ là nên phục vụ người khác một cách quảng đại và vui vẻ như Mẹ phục vụ. Và cuối cùng, Chính Đức Maria cũng đã tạo niềm cảm hứng cho chúng ta để biết siêng năng cầu nguyện thường xuyên như Mẹ đã làm. Ai có thể là một người mẹ, một cổ động viện tốt hơn cho chúng ta so với Đức Maria, Mẹ của chúng ta?
 
Reflection: Aug 15, 2014 Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary
     When we see a member of our family in intense pain, we feel pain, too. The gospel reading presents us Jesus hanging on the cross and below are his mother and the women friends with John the apostle keeping him company and support. Jesus is not outdone in generosity and concerns, so he uttered words of comfort to his mother saying, "This is your son," and to his beloved disciple, a plea for his mother saying, "This is your mother." The scene is heart-rending, but it is also of utmost concern.
     Once a mother with a son and two daughters who wanted to join a foreign missionary institute said, "If I had one more daughter I'll still gladly give her to the Lord. The mother told her daughters upon their departure for the foreign mission not to worry for her, for certainly the Lord will take care of her. Soon her son got married and lived separately. Left alone without any of her children around, she entered a nursing home while waiting for the arrival of the missionaries. The son arrived and the daughters arrived. The following day she went home to heaven with the Lord. Was this woman rewarded for allowing her daughters to leave her and go to the foreign mission?
Suy Niệm Lễ Kính Đức Mẹ Hồn Xác Lên Trời
Sự vinh danh của Đức Maria không chỉ là một đặc ân cá nhân mà có thể được so sánh với sự phục sinh và lên trời của Chúa Jêsus con của Mẹ, nhưng còn cả những lời hứa và cam kết về sự tôn vinh của chúng ta một ngày nào đó. Việc Vinh Danh Đức Maria không chỉ là việc nhấn mạnh đến phẩm giá độc nhất của mẹ như là mẹ của Chúa Jêsus, mà còn nhấn mạnh đến vận mệnh của mỗi người chúng ta, Đức Maria cũng sẽ phải trải qua một kinh nghiệm về cuộc sống con người thật sự nhất về cái chết của con người nhưng sự lên trời vào Thiên Đàng là một lời nhắc nhở rằng trong ngày cuối cùng, chúng ta cũng sẽ sống lại từ cõi chết, và thân xác chúng ta sẽ được mặc lấy sự hư nát và sự bất tử.
Một hậu quả khác của sự vinh hiển của Đức Maria là sự mở rộng ảnh hưởng của Mẹ trong cuộc sống của chúng ta. Mẹ đã hiện diện nhiều hơn với chúng ta bây giờ hơn bao giờ hết trong một cách thức tinh thần, một sự hiện diện mạnh hơn sự hiện diện của cơ thể, Đó là một điểm nhấn về cái sức mạnh để biết rằng Đức Maria đang ở với chúng ta khi căng thẳng và căng thẳng tràn ngập chúng ta hoặc khi đau khổ và đau khổ Áp đảo chúng tôi.
 
Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary
Mary's glorification is not only a personal privilege which can be compared to the resurrection and ascension of her son Jesus, but also a promise and a pledge of our own glorification one day. It not only emphasizes her unique dignity as the mother of Jesus, but also underscores our own destiny. Mary experienced the human fact of death but her assumption into heaven is a reminder that on the last day, we, too, shall rise from the dead, and our bodies will be clothed with incorruptibility and immortality.
Another consequence of Mary's glorification is the extension of her influence in our lives. She is more present to us now than ever before in a spiritual way, a presence that is more powerful than physical presence. It is an anchor of strength to know that Mary is with us when tensions and stress beset us or when sufferings and hurts overwhelm us.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Sáu tuần thứ 19 Thường Niên

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Sáu tuần thứ 19 Thường Niên
            Trong bài Tin Mừng chúng ta nghe câu chuyện người Pharisêu tìm cách để cài bẫy Chúa Giêsu bằng câu hỏi là một người đã có vợ có được phép ly dị vợ của mình không?. Đó là một cái bẫy để bắt tội Chúa Giêsu. Nhưng với Chúa Giêsu, Ngài luôn bảo vệ những giao ước và những điều cam kết của hôn nhân như đã được dự tính trước, và chính Ngài đã giải thích là việc ông Môisen cho phép họ ly hôn chỉ vì những “người Do Thái này đã cứng lòng". Lời dạy của Chúa Giêsu hôm nay rất thẳng thắn và đơn giản là hôn nhân là một sự cam kết lâu dài và một giao ước vĩnh viễn “vì sự gì Thiên Chúa đã liên kết thì loài người không được phân chia. (Mt 19:6).
            Như Chúa đã nói với dân Do Thái, "... chứ nào có phải bởi cung kiếm của ngươi, Ta đã ban cho các ngươi đất, ngươi không vỡ; những thành các ngươi không xây mà được ở, những vườn nho, dầu các ngươi không trồng mà được ăn " (Josua 24:13).
Đối với tất cả mọi người trong chúng ta khi đã làm đám cưới nhau trước mặt Chúa và sống chung với nhau được một thời gian dài, thật sự đó là nhờ vào ơn sủng của Thiên Chúa chứ không phải là tự sức hay cái tài khéo của chúng ta mà thực hiện được sự cam kết đó được lâu dài.
Lạy Chúa, xin Chúa ở lại trong chúng con và xin cho tình yêu của Chúa mang lại tình yêu hoàn hảo mà Chúa đã đặt trong chúng con.
 
Reflection
The Gospel reading from Matthew is the story of the Pharisees’ attempt to trap Jesus by asking if a man can divorce his wife. Jesus defends the commitment of marriage as originally intended and explains that divorce was allowed in the time of Moses only because of the “hardness of the hearts” of the Jewish people at the time. Jesus is very straightforward in his expectation that marriage is a permanent commitment.
As God told the Israelites, “…it was not your sword or your bow. I gave you a land that you had not tilled and cities that you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.” For any of us who have been married for a long time, it is totally evident that we have not accomplished that long-term commitment on our own but with God’s grace.  Lord, remain in us and may Your love bring to perfection the love You have put in us.
 
Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”  Mt.19:3-6
Jesus’ time, divorce was a controversial and divisive issue. Two prominent schools of thought offered opposing views: The followers of Rabbi Hillel permitted divorce for trivial reasons, while the followers of Rabbi Shammai allowed it only for serious offenses. In today’s Gospel, Jesus does not side with either group. Instead, He elevates the conversation by pointing back to God’s original design for marriage, revealed at the beginning of creation. Jesus reminds us that God’s intention for marriage is the permanent and sacred union of man and woman—a covenant, not merely a contract. When the two become “one flesh,” it is not only a physical union but also a spiritual and ontological reality: A new creation comes into being through the marital bond.
Today, many people misunderstand the sacredness of marriage. Many marriages falter for a variety of reasons. This is partly because the ideal of marriage is demanding and requires deep personal sacrifice. True love—caritas, or charity—goes far beyond emotion and affection. It calls for the complete gift of self, radical selflessness, and unwavering commitment. When lived according to God’s design, such love yields rewards that far surpass the trials it entails. But when relationships are clouded by selfishness, resentment, unforgiveness, or sin, they often unravel, leaving behind pain and regret.
Saint Paul refers to marriage as “a great mystery,” likening it to the union between “Christ and the Church”. This is more than a metaphor; it is a theological truth. Every baptized person is called to be part of the Body of Christ and to share in the eternal Wedding Feast of the Lamb. The saints and mystics refer to this as “spiritual marriage”—the soul’s union with Christ in Divine Love.
The path to such divine union is rigorous. It demands the total gift of oneself to God. Every sin and attachment to sin must be stripped away by grace—and by our cooperation with that grace. This purifying journey prepares the soul for Mystical Marriage, a lasting and unbreakable union with God.
Just as the heights of sanctity are reached only through great effort, so too is the perfection of marriage—or any relationship. This can feel daunting, but it should not lead to discouragement. Rather, it should inspire us with hope and resolve. Whether in marriage, friendship, or our relationship with God, we must pursue the ideal with zeal. Sanctity does not happen overnight, and neither do holy relationships. All require perseverance, humility, and grace.
Jesus’ teaching on marriage challenges us, but it is full of promise. It offers hope because it affirms that the grace needed to live this vocation comes as a gift from God in the Sacrament of Matrimony. For those called to marriage, and who receive and cooperate with this grace, the reward is nothing less than divine communion and eternal joy. To reach this end, we must transcend our natural limitations and rise above self-interest, fear, and the desire for comfort. This vocation requires a lifelong commitment to sacrificial love, fidelity, and perseverance, even amid trials and suffering.
Reflect today on your vocation and how well you live the depth of love to which you are called. Whether you are married or celibate, trust in God’s providence and resolve to live not by the standards of the world, but by the wisdom of the Kingdom of Heaven. Such a calling can only be fulfilled by grace and by hearts courageous enough to say “Yes” to that grace, day after day. Resolve to say “Yes,” and your reward will be great.
My loving Lord, the charity that flows from Your Sacred Heart is pure and holy, radiating throughout Your entire Church. Draw me ever deeper into that love, so that I may receive You into my life and radiate Your love to others. Help me and all Your children to love You with all our hearts and to love one another, so that we may be perfectly united in You. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, from the beginning you created man and woman in your image and called them to become one flesh in a covenant of faithful love. Through your Son, you restored the beauty of your original plan and raised marriage to the dignity of a Sacrament. Open my mind to understand your wisdom, purify my heart to love as you love, and teach me to reflect the faithful, life-giving love of Christ in all my relationships.
Encountering the Word of God
1. First-Century Discussions About Divorce: When the Pharisees questioned Jesus about divorce, they were inviting him into an ongoing debate among the Jewish teachers of his day. The school of Rabbi Hillel interpreted Deuteronomy 24 quite broadly, allowing a man to divorce his wife for almost any reason – even something as trivial as spoiling a meal. The school of Rabbi Shammai took a much stricter position, permitting divorce only in cases of grave marital unfaithfulness. The Pharisees were possibly trying to force Jesus to choose sides as a test. But, more likely, they wanted him to place himself in apparent opposition to Moses. Moses permitted divorce in the Second Law (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), but Jesus forbade remarriage in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:32). Yet Jesus refused to be drawn into their trap. Instead of beginning with Deuteronomy, he returned to Genesis. Jesus turned the discussion away from Moses’ temporary concession toward God’s original design for marriage. Rather than debating the limits of divorce, Jesus revealed the deeper truth that marriage was always intended to be a lifelong covenant established by God himself (see Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1760). 
2. Revoking Moses’ Concession: Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brings the Law of Moses to its fulfillment. Some commandments are deepened by moving from external actions to the intentions of the heart. Thus, the commandment against adultery reaches its fulfillment in purity of heart, and the prohibition against murder extends to avoiding anger and hatred. Other Mosaic regulations were temporary concessions made because of Israel’s hardness of heart. The permission for divorce belongs to this latter category. Moses tolerated divorce to limit its abuses in a sinful society, but this was never God’s ultimate plan. Jesus identifies divorce as a concession to human sinfulness and then revokes that concession, restoring the permanence of marriage established at creation. In Christ, marriage is no longer measured by the compromises of a fallen world but by God’s faithful and unchanging love (see Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 312). 
3. The Theology of the Body: Saint Pope John Paul II devoted many of his Wednesday audiences to Jesus’ remarkable appeal to “the beginning.” Christ does not merely settle a legal dispute about divorce; he invites us to rediscover God's original plan for the human person. Before sin entered the world, man and woman were created for communion. Their union expressed a total, faithful, fruitful, and self-giving love that reflected the image of God himself. Sin wounded this communion by introducing selfishness, domination, and the hardness of heart that eventually made divorce seem necessary. But Christ came not simply to condemn sin but to restore what had been lost. Through the grace of the Sacrament of Matrimony, husbands and wives are empowered to participate in the faithful love of Christ for his Church. Christian marriage thus becomes far more than a legal contract or merely a human institution; it becomes a living sign of the Gospel itself – a visible witness that God's covenant love is permanent, fruitful, forgiving, and stronger than sin.
 
Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted” Mt. 19:11
This was Jesus’ response to a lengthy discussion about the indissolubility of marriage. One of the reasons that “Not all can accept this word…” is because marriage, and every other vocation, requires wholehearted sacrifice and selflessness. When this is not present, and when the selfless living that is required of us turns to selfishness, then every conflict becomes a heavy burden. A burden that is unbearable without grace.
What is love? What form of love is required in marriage and every other vocation? What love is required of parents and grandparents? The answer is the same to all of these questions. We must love with complete selflessness and in a sacrificial way. Love, in its truest form, always looks to the good of the other and never focuses upon oneself.
Only grace can enable us to live a life based on true love. Our fallen human nature tends to “navel gaze,” meaning, we tend to go through life thinking about ourselves—“What will make my life better? How will this affect me? This person has hurt me. I don’t want to do this or that, etc.”
 It is very difficult in life to turn our eyes from ourselves to the love of others. This is why Jesus said that this form of love can only be embraced by “those to whom that is granted.” And those to whom this depth of love is granted are those who are open to God’s transforming grace in their lives.
One reason that it is very difficult to love in a completely selfless way is because it requires us to live by grace. Our feeble human minds cannot arrive at the high calling of charity by itself. It is only by grace that we will understand that selfless living is not only best for those whom we are called to love, but it is also best for us.
And in the context of married life, parenting, other vocations and every other situation in life, if our love is always focused upon the good of the other, and if our lives imitate the total sacrifice of Christ, then we will see God do great things through us. As He does, we will also see God do great things in us. The bottom line is that we only become who we were made to be when we live like Christ. And He lived a life that was unconditionally sacrificial and selfless.
Reflect, today, upon the high calling of love that you have been given. Can you accept this teaching of our Lord? Has an understanding of the nature of true love been granted to you by grace? And if so, are you doing all you can to live a life of selfless sacrificial love in union with Christ Jesus? As you examine your life and your relationships, especially with those closest to you, consider how well you act as Christ to them. Consider whether you forgive, turn the other cheek, seek mercy, compassion, understanding, gentleness and every other virtue and fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Where you are lacking and find selfishness, do not hesitate to beg our Lord to grant you the grace to not only understand your high calling of love, but to also embrace it in your actions to the fullest degree. Then, and only then, will you be able to live the vocation to which you have been called.
My loving Lord, Your love is beyond all comprehension. It is a love that can only be understood by the gift of Your grace. Please do grant me the grace I need to not only understand and to receive Your love in my life but to also offer Your love to all. May my life become an ongoing instrument of the perfection of love that You lived. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
 
 
Friday 19^th Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you sent your Son to elevate the institution of marriage to a Sacrament. You offer to us the grace of sharing in the love between your Son and the Church. This is a great mystery and I ask you to enlighten my mind so that I may understand it more deeply each passing day.
Encountering the Word of God
1. First-Century Discussions About Divorce: When the Pharisees approached Jesus to test him with a question about marriage and divorce, we need to recall the division between the then-current schools of thought on divorce. One of the schools, led by Rabbi Hillel the Elder (who died around A.D. 10), was more liberal and taught that a man could divorce his wife for any reason. Specifically, he gave the example of a burnt dinner as a reason for divorce. The other school was more conservative and was led by Rabbi Shammai. He taught that adultery or a serious transgression was the only reason for divorce. The Pharisees had heard that although Moses permitted divorce in the Second Law (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), Jesus forbade divorce and remarriage in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:32). The Pharisees saw “an opportunity to discredit Jesus by pitting him against Moses. Jesus evades the trap by quoting the words of Moses from Genesis (19:4-5) and then turns the tables by showing that the Pharisees are the ones out of touch with God’s true intention for married life as revealed in the Torah” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 40). 
2. Revoking Moses’ Concession: When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, he brought the Old Law to fulfillment. He did this in various ways. Some Laws of Moses needed to be interiorized. Not committing the external sin of adultery, for example, needed to be grounded in not committing the interior sin of lust. However, some Laws of Moses need to be corrected. The laws about hating and killing enemies needed to be corrected. As well, the law of Moses permitting divorce needed to be corrected. The law in Deuteronomy (24:1-4) tolerating the practice of divorce and limiting its abuses was a concession Moses granted because of the people’s hardness of heart and not because it was God’s original intention. “Jesus described divorce and remarriage as a legal concession to the sinfulness of Israel (Mt 19:8). But instead of reaffirming these practices, he revoked the Mosaic permission and restored the original standard of lifelong marriage that God instituted at creation” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Deuteronomy, 46). 
3. God’s Unfaithful Bride: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel contains two allegories about Israel as God’s unfaithful bride. One is found in Chapter 16, which is today’s First Reading. The other is found in Chapter 23. The language in both was so graphic that ancient rabbis restricted who was allowed to read them. Today’s passage alludes to the origin of the city of Jerusalem. It was originally a Canaanite city and was the last city to fall to the Israelites under King David. The reading speaks about how God saw the city grow and how he betrothed her by covering her with the corner of his cloak. God made a covenant with her under King David and he dressed her as a queen. Instead of being a faithful bride and queen, the city of Jerusalem chose to play the harlot and slaughter her own children. This is a reference to the infant sacrifices offered to the pagan god Molech in the valley of Hinnom under King Solomon and the other Judean kings. Pagan shrines proliferated in Jerusalem and the city made alliances with and paid tribute to the Egyptians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians (Ezekiel 16:24-33). The passage ends with God acknowledging that his people have broken the covenant. This is likely a reference to the covenants of Sinai and Deuteronomy under Moses. God also promises that he will remember the covenant made when his people were young. This is likely a reference to the covenant oath made to Abraham. God promises to establish a new covenant, called here “an everlasting covenant.” This new covenant will be a renewed marriage relationship that will be established when God forgives the sins of his people (Ezekiel 16:59-63) (see Bergsma and Pitre, A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament, 845

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 19 Thường Niên

 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 19 Thường Niên

Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay Chúa Giêsu đã dạy cho chúng ta về việc cần thiết cho việc tha thứ cho nhau, "không phải là bảy lần mà thôi, nhưng phải bảy mươi lần bảy”. Bởi vì chúng ta cần nên phải có lòng thương xót và đại lượng với lòng từ bi như Chúa Cha của chúng ta trên trời.

Trong cuộc sống hiện tại, chúng ta có thể không thấy quá khó để tha thứ cho những người mà chúng ta yêu thích. Nhưng chúng ta lại cảm thấy rất khó để tha thứ cho những người mà chúng ta không ưa (thích) hay là những người đã làm tổn thương cho chúng ta về thân xác lẫn tinh thần.

            Chắc chắn là chúng ta cần phải có ân sủng của Thiên Chúa để đánh động và cải hoá trái tim của chúng ta, để chúng ta có thể nhìn xa hơn về những tội phản nghịch và chống lại chúng ta, và để chúng ta có thể hiểu được và thông cảm với những người đã chống lại hay phản nghịch với chúng ta.  Và từ đó, chúng ta mới có thể nhận ra rằng những người phản nghịch với chúng ta có thể thật sự là không biết những gì mà họ đã làm hay các hành vi của họ thực sự không có gì là đáng kể, hay là chúng ta có thể đã phóng đại những sự thiệt hại mà họ đã gây ra cho chúng ta. Điều quan trọng hơn là ân sủng của Thiên Chúa sẽ nhắc nhở chúng ta về lòng thương xót và sự tha thứ của Thiên Chúa đối với chúng ta trong những hành vi tội lỗi của chúng ta và Thiên Chúa luôn luôn tha thứ cho chúng ta, nhưng chúng ta cũng phải biết tha thứ cho những người còn mắc nợ chúng ta.

 

Reflection: 

     The Gospel reading speaks of the necessity that we forgive one another, "not seven times, but seventy-seven times" because we should be merciful and compassionate as our heavenly Father. 

     We may find not so hard to forgive those we like. But it is not easy to forgive those whom we do not like or who have gravely injured us. .  

     It takes God's grace to soften our hearts, to look beyond the offense committed against us, and to understand the offender. Then we may realize that the offender may not really know what he/she has done or that the offense is really not that great or that we may have over-stated the harm done to us.  

     More important, God's grace will remind us of God's mercy and forgiveness to us for our own many offenses and that God will forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us.  

 

Reflection

Someone once said, ‘the only way to be able to forgive others without limits is to live in the grateful awareness of the Father’s infinite love and forgiveness we have already received! 

Our “debt” to the Father is immeasurable in comparison with our neighbour’s “debt” to us. How can we pass on God’s Forgiveness to those who have wronged us?  Praying for them: Thinking first about whether we’ve done anything wrong ourselves; dropping the issue and letting them know it’s past history; looking for ways to show kindness to them.  Forgiveness must come from the heart! It must be profound and absolute! v27. “The servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt, altogether!” The servant received extravagant mercy from the king, but responded to another with extravagant mercilessness! I forgive but I cannot forget, is not truly Christian. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!

 

Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2026

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”Mt. 18:21-22

In the Book of the Prophet Amos, a poetic formula is repeated: “For three crimes of Damascus, and now four—I will not take it back…” (cf. Amos 1). By the time of Jesus, rabbinic tradition had adopted the interpretation of this passage to mean that God forgives three times, but not four and, therefore, so should we: “When a person commits a transgression the first time, he is forgiven; a second time, he is forgiven; a third time, he is forgiven; but the fourth time, he is not forgiven” (Yoma 86b).

In today’s Gospel, Peter’s question is generous but still rooted in human calculation. His question follows immediately after Jesus teaches about fraternal correction. Peter, taking in this instruction and knowing the rabbinic tradition, more than doubles the expected number of times to forgive, suggesting seven. But Jesus immediately corrects him—not to reject his generosity, but to elevate it: “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” This phrase, “seventy-seven times,” is not a literal number; it signifies that forgiveness must be limitless, reflecting the boundless mercy of God. It is not merely a command to repeat acts of forgiveness, but an invitation to let our hearts be formed by Divine Mercy.

The parable Jesus tells in response to Peter’s question offers deeper insight into His meaning. It echoes the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” A king has a servant who owes him a huge amount—an unpayable debt, symbolizing the incalculable weight of our sin before God. When the servant begs for patience, the king goes beyond all expectation: he forgives the entire debt out of compassion. But that same servant, having just received mercy, encounters a fellow servant who owes him only a small amount. Rather than extending the mercy he himself had received, he becomes violent, demanding repayment and imprisoning the man. The king, upon hearing this, is enraged—not merely because of injustice, but because of the servant’s utter failure to mirror the mercy he had been shown. Jesus concludes with a sobering warning: “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”

Limitless forgiveness is very difficult unless we have a deep and abiding gratitude for the Divine Mercy God has shown us. Our debt before God is incalculable. We could never repay it on our own. Though we might be tempted to think, “I’m a good person,” Scripture reminds us: “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God”. Without Jesus taking on our human condition and paying the debt of our sin through His suffering and death, we could not be saved. Grasping this truth and allowing it to penetrate our hearts is essential to living the Christian life. Only when we become keenly aware of the mercy God has poured into our lives can we foster true gratitude. And it is that gratitude that must inspire and compel us to offer the same limitless mercy to everyone who sins against us—no exceptions, no conditions. Just as we have been forgiven, so must we forgive, from the heart.

Reflect today on how deeply you are aware of the mercy God has shown you. Do you take it for granted, or have you allowed it to transform you? Consider especially those you struggle to forgive. Let gratitude for God’s mercy soften your heart. From that softened heart, choose to forgive—not seven times, but seventy-seven times and beyond. In doing so, you will reflect the very heart of God and become a vessel of His saving grace in the world.

Most merciful Jesus, there is no limit to the love and forgiveness You continuously offer us. We are indebted to You with our very lives. Please give me the grace I need to be truly grateful for Your Divine Mercy and to express that gratitude by showing the same limitless mercy to all. Use me, dear Lord, as a vessel of Your grace and tender care. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2026

Opening Prayer: Lord God, your mercy is beyond all measure. Though I have sinned against you countless times, you never tire of calling me back through your grace. Fill my heart with gratitude for the forgiveness I have received, and free me from resentment, bitterness, and the desire for revenge. As you have shown me mercy,

Encountering the Word of God

1. How Often Should I Forgive? In the Ecclesial Sermon, Jesus founds life in the Church not on committees, fundraisers, and planning sessions, but on humble service, concern for little ones, and seeking out the lost (Matthew 18:1-14). After hearing Jesus’ instructions on bringing about reconciliation, Peter naturally asks, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Peter's suggestion already exceeds the ordinary expectations of his day, yet Jesus’ response shatters every attempt to place limits on mercy: “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.” Jesus immediately illustrates this command through the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. A servant is forgiven an unimaginably large debt that he could never hope to repay, yet he refuses to forgive a fellow servant who owes him only a tiny fraction of that amount. The contrast is striking. Before God, every one of us is the first servant. We have received a mercy that we could never earn. When we refuse to forgive others, we forget the immeasurable debt that Christ has already forgiven through his Cross.

2. Four Hundred and Ninety: Jesus’ answer is not simply a poetic way of saying “always.” The number “seventy times seven” (490) recalls the prophecy of Daniel, who learned that Israel's full restoration would come after “seventy weeks of years” (Daniel 9:24-27). Although the people returned from Babylonian exile, humanity remained in a deeper exile caused by sin. Although Jeremiah’s seventy-year prophecy was fulfilled with Judah’s return from Babylon, Daniel learned that the definitive end of Israel’s exile would not come until “seventy weeks of years” (490 years), counted from Artaxerxes’ decree to Ezra in 457 B.C. That prophecy reaches its fulfillment in the last week of years, A.D. 27–34, when Jesus the Messiah, through his saving death and resurrection, brought about the true forgiveness of sins and restoration foretold in Daniel. Thus, Daniel foretold the day when God would finally bring an end to transgression, atone for iniquity, and establish everlasting righteousness. Jesus reveals that this long-awaited age has now arrived. Through his death and resurrection, the true exile ends because the forgiveness of sins is now offered to the whole world. For Peter, this command carries special significance. Having received the keys of the Kingdom, he will become the chief steward of Christ’s household, entrusted with proclaiming and administering God’s forgiveness. Yet Peter’s ministry also becomes a model for the entire Church. Every Christian who has received God’s mercy is called to become an instrument of that same mercy in the lives of others. 

3. Jubilee Forgiveness and Freedom: Jesus’ words also recall the Jubilee legislation of Leviticus 25. Every fiftieth year, debts were cancelled, slaves were set free, and ancestral lands were restored. The Jubilee proclaimed that God’s people were not meant to remain enslaved forever but were called to freedom and restored communion. Four hundred and ninety years comprise ten Jubilee cycles, making “seventy times seven” a symbol of perfect and complete forgiveness (Bergsma, New Testament Basics for Catholics, 56). The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant reveals that Christ has inaugurated the definitive and perpetual Jubilee. “Thus, when Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive, Jesus’s ‘seventy times seven’ response meant: be generous as your Father in heaven was generous. Jesus commissioned Peter and his successors to be the living embodiment of jubilee, to perpetuate the age of the Messiah” (Bergsma, Jesus and the Jubilee, 79). Through his Passion, the debt of sin has been cancelled, the slavery of sin has been broken, and humanity has been invited home to the Father’s house. Those who have received this gift cannot continue to imprison others through resentment or refuse the forgiveness they themselves have freely received. Every act of Christian forgiveness becomes a participation in Christ’s saving work, extending the freedom and reconciliation of the new Jubilee until he comes again in glory. 

 

Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.Mt. 18:15

Saint John Chrysostom, in commenting upon this passage, explains that “seventy-seven times” was a way of saying “always.” In other words, Jesus was not giving a specific number to the times we must forgive, He was saying that forgiveness must be offered forever and always, without limit. This is the depth of forgiveness offered to us.

This passage also shows the contrast between the human tendency towards forgiveness and God’s. Peter, no doubt, must have thought that he was being generous by asking if he should forgive his brother as many as seven times. Perhaps he thought Jesus would be impressed by this apparently generous suggestion. But the infinite mercy of God can never be outdone. There is simply no limit to the mercy of God, and, therefore, there must be no limit to the mercy we offer others.

What is your personal practice when it comes to seeking the forgiveness of God in your life? And what is your practice in regard to offering forgiveness to another? This line quoted above introduces the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. In that parable, the servant owed his king a “huge amount.” In mercy, the king forgave the debt just as God is willing to forgive us no matter what. But forgiveness does have one price. The price is that we must also forgive others to the same extent. Thus, when the servant who was forgiven a huge amount later sees one of his servants who owed him a much smaller amount, he demands the debt be paid in full. The result is that the king hears of this and withdraws his mercy, requiring the servant to pay him back in full.

This tells us that forgiveness is not an option unless we are perfect and owe no debt to God. Of course, if anyone thinks that, then they are not living in reality. As we read in the letter to the Romans, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. As a result, it is essential that we offer forgiveness always and everywhere, without condition, without limit and without hesitation. How easily do you do this? How fully do you forgive?

One of the hardest persons to forgive is the one who has no sorrow for their sin. When this happens, it is easy to justify our condemnation of them. One thing that might be helpful to reflect upon if you are currently withholding forgiveness from another and remain angry, bitter or hurt, is that your lack of forgiveness does more damage to your own soul than to theirs. By refusing to forgive, you do immeasurable damage to your soul and to your relationship with God. Remaining angry and hurt only leads to more anger and hurt. It leads to vengeful thinking and even acting. And that is a sin for which you will be held accountable.

Reflect, today, upon the infinite depth of mercy and forgiveness you are called to offer to each and every person who has or will hurt you. To forgive is certainly not to excuse. On the contrary, the act of forgiveness acknowledges the sin. But mercy must be offered no matter what. Always, everywhere, unending and without any conditions, it must be offered. If this is difficult to do, do it anyway and do not stop. Doing so will not only help the sinner, it will also open the gates of mercy from God in your life.

My forgiving Lord, Your mercy is infinite and unfathomable. You desire to forgive every sin in my life and to restore me completely to a life of perfect union with You. I accept this gift of forgiveness in my life, dear Lord, and I freely choose to offer this same depth of mercy to everyone who ever has or ever will sin against me. I forgive as completely as I can. Please help me to imitate Your unending mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Thursday 19th Ordinary Time 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, reign in my soul. I offer myself to you and ask that you forgive my many sins. I am not worthy to have the debt of my sin cancelled, and yet you have cancelled it. Strengthen me when I need to forgive those who offend me.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Seventy Times Seven: When Peter asks Jesus how often he is to forgive, Jesus responds with a number that has deep significance. Jesus tells Peter to forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven times. Seventy times seven equals 490. It is equivalent to seven times seven times ten. The number makes an appearance in the book of the prophet Daniel. Daniel was pondering Jeremiah’s words about the length of the exile in Babylon. Jeremiah prophesied that the exile would last 70 years. And this corresponds to the return of the people of Judah in 538 B.C. And Daniel learned that, although the people of Judah would return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple and the walls, the true end of the exile would not come until 70 weeks of years. 70 weeks of years means 490 years! And that corresponds to the redemptive death of Jesus, the Anointed One.

2. Jubilee Forgiveness and Freedom: The number 490 also evokes the perfection of the Jubilee Year. Israel was supposed to celebrate the jubilee every 49 years. This is when all debts would be forgiven, all slaves would be released from servitude, and all ancestral land would be restored. “Four hundred and ninety years is ten jubilee cycles, a period of perfect forgiveness. The number 490 represents the perfection of forgiveness” (Bergsma, New Testament Basics for Catholics, 56). By evoking the number 490, Jesus is alluding to Daniel 9 and Leviticus 25. “In one sense, Jesus was referencing the era of punishment the angel Gabriel described to Daniel for Israel’s offenses against the Lord (seventy weeks of years). In a way, he was saying, ‘As many times as God has forgiven Israel, so you should forgive others.’ But there was also a sacramental, liturgical aspect to Jesus’s statement to Peter, because Peter was going to be the first pope. He was going to be the head of the Church and the head of those in Holy Orders. And those in Holy Orders – the priests and bishops – are God’s chief forgivers. … Thus, when Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive, Jesus’s ‘seventy times seven’ response meant: be generous as your Father in heaven was generous. Jesus commissioned Peter and his successors to be the living embodiment of jubilee, to perpetuate the age of the Messiah” (Bergsma, Jesus and the Jubilee, 79). 

3. The Book of Joshua: Today, we begin reading from the Book of Joshua, the sixth book of the Bible. Literally, the Book of Joshua narrates the history of the conquest of the Promised Land by the people of Israel. This conquest is the initial fulfillment of the covenant promise made to Abraham that his descendants would possess the land of Canaan. The conquest of Canaan takes place in three phases. The people conquered the city of Jericho, followed by Ai, and then the central highlands. Then, there is a southern campaign (Joshua 10), followed by a third, northern campaign (Joshua 11). Tradition reads the Book of Joshua with reference to Christ and the Church. Joshua has the same name as Jesus and foreshadows Jesus in many ways. Joshua “triumphs over the enemies of God’s people and leads them to their blessed inheritance. The Promised Land of Canaan has layers of spiritual significance. Allegorically, Canaan is the world that is conquered by Christ leading and directing the missionary efforts of the Church. Battles for the conversion are fought and won, not with the physical implements of war, but with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Morally, Canaan is the soul of the believer that is captured and claimed by Jesus. As the new Joshua, he drives from it, not a host of wicked nations, but a host of sins and vices that drag us away from the Lord. Anagogically, Canaan is our heavenly homeland. There the saints find rest from the grueling wilderness of this world and enjoy forever the milk and honey of eternal happiness (CCC 117)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 337).

 

Thursday 19th Ordinary Time 2024

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you sent your Son to elevate the institution of marriage to a Sacrament. You offer to us the grace of sharing in the love between your Son and the Church. This is a great mystery and I ask you to enlighten my mind so that I may understand it more deeply each passing day.

Encountering the Word of God

1. First-Century Discussions About Divorce: When the Pharisees approached Jesus to test him with a question about marriage and divorce, we need to recall the division between the then-current schools of thought on divorce. One of the schools, led by Rabbi Hillel the Elder (who died around A.D. 10), was more liberal and taught that a man could divorce his wife for any reason. Specifically, he gave the example of a burnt dinner as a reason for divorce. The other school was more conservative and was led by Rabbi Shammai. He taught that adultery or a serious transgression was the only reason for divorce. The Pharisees had heard that although Moses permitted divorce in the Second Law (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), Jesus forbade divorce and remarriage in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:32). The Pharisees saw “an opportunity to discredit Jesus by pitting him against Moses. Jesus evades the trap by quoting the words of Moses from Genesis (19:4-5) and then turns the tables by showing that the Pharisees are the ones out of touch with God’s true intention for married life as revealed in the Torah” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 40). 

2. Revoking Moses’ Concession: When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, he brought the Old Law to fulfillment. He did this in various ways. Some Laws of Moses needed to be interiorized. Not committing the external sin of adultery, for example, needed to be grounded in not committing the interior sin of lust. However, some Laws of Moses need to be corrected. The laws about hating and killing enemies needed to be corrected. As well, the law of Moses permitting divorce needed to be corrected. The law in Deuteronomy (24:1-4) tolerating the practice of divorce and limiting its abuses was a concession Moses granted because of the people’s hardness of heart and not because it was God’s original intention. “Jesus described divorce and remarriage as a legal concession to the sinfulness of Israel (Mt 19:8). But instead of reaffirming these practices, he revoked the Mosaic permission and restored the original standard of lifelong marriage that God instituted at creation” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Deuteronomy, 46). 

3. God’s Unfaithful Bride: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel contains two allegories about Israel as God’s unfaithful bride. One is found in Chapter 16, which is today’s First Reading. The other is found in Chapter 23. The language in both was so graphic that ancient rabbis restricted who was allowed to read them. Today’s passage alludes to the origin of the city of Jerusalem. It was originally a Canaanite city and was the last city to fall to the Israelites under King David. The reading speaks about how God saw the city grow and how he betrothed her by covering her with the corner of his cloak. God made a covenant with her under King David and he dressed her as a queen. Instead of being a faithful bride and queen, the city of Jerusalem chose to play the harlot and slaughter her own children. This is a reference to the infant sacrifices offered to the pagan god Molech in the valley of Hinnom under King Solomon and the other Judean kings. Pagan shrines proliferated in Jerusalem and the city made alliances with and paid tribute to the Egyptians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians (Ezekiel 16:24-33). The passage ends with God acknowledging that his people have broken the covenant. This is likely a reference to the covenants of Sinai and Deuteronomy under Moses. God also promises that he will remember the covenant made when his people were young. This is likely a reference to the covenant oath made to Abraham. God promises to establish a new covenant, called here “an everlasting covenant.” This new covenant will be a renewed marriage relationship that will be established when God forgives the sins of his people (Ezekiel 16:59-63) (see Bergsma and Pitre, A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament, 845).