Bài giảng Chúa Nhật Truyền giáo Thế giới, ngày 29 Thường niên A.

Bài giảng Chúa Nhật Truyền giáo Thế giới, ngày 29 Thường niên A.

Sau Philippines, Việt Nam có dân số Công giáo lớn thứ hai ở Đông Nam Á, nhờ sự tận tâm của các linh mục và giáo sĩ truyền giáo thuộc các dòng Phanxicô, Đa Minh, Dòng Tên và Hiệp hội Truyền giáo Nước ngoài tại Paris. Hạt giống Tin Mừng đã được gieo trồng, phát triển và đơm hoa kết trái trong lòng người dân Việt Nam. Tuy nhiên, một cơn bão hận thù và sợ hãi đã bao vây Giáo hội. Kết quả là, nhiều vụ bắt bớ, đàn áp và giam cầm đã được tiến hành đối với các tín hữu Việt Nam.

Hàng trăm nghìn người Công giáo Việt Nam đã bị chặt đầu, bị voi giẫm chết, bị ngựa xé xác hoặc bị thiêu sống dưới thời các vị vua trong suốt thế kỷ 16 đến thế kỷ 19, và dưới chế độ cộng sản từ năm 1954 đến năm 1980, nhiều linh mục và giáo dân đã bị bỏ tù và chết trong các trại tập trung. Tuy nhiên, Tin Mừng vẫn liên tục được lan truyền cho đến ngày nay trên khắp Việt Nam và các nước láng giềng. Nhờ các nhà truyền giáo và tất cả những người ủng hộ sứ ​​mệnh này.

Hôm nay, toàn thể Giáo hội cử hành Chúa Nhật Truyền giáo Thế giới. Kể từ khi được công bố là một cuộc quyên góp của Giáo hoàng, tất cả các giáo xứ trên toàn thế giới đã dâng lễ vật trong Thánh lễ từ ngày này để hỗ trợ công việc truyền giáo ở nước ngoài. Nhiều người ngạc nhiên khi biết rằng các cuộc quyên góp Ngày Truyền giáo Thế giới diễn ra ở mọi giáo xứ nơi Giáo hội hiện diện. Điều này không chỉ bao gồm Hoa Kỳ, mà còn cả các giáo xứ nghèo hơn ở các nước đang phát triển.

Ngày Truyền giáo Thế giới là một khoảnh khắc của tình đoàn kết toàn cầu, khi mỗi thành viên trong gia đình Giáo hội, bất kể địa điểm hay xuất thân, đều có thể đóng góp phần mình để hỗ trợ lẫn nhau. Đó là lý do tại sao đây là một lễ kỷ niệm đặc biệt và quan trọng như vậy. Trong thông điệp Redemptories Missio, Thánh Gioan Phaolô II đã viết: Ngày Truyền giáo Thế giới là “một ngày quan trọng trong đời sống của Giáo hội vì nó dạy cách dâng hiến: như một lễ vật dâng lên Thiên Chúa, trong Thánh lễ Thánh Thể và cho tất cả các sứ mệnh trên thế giới” (RM 81). Đức Giáo hoàng cũng nói: “Các lễ vật được quyên góp trong Ngày Truyền giáo Thế giới được dành cho một quỹ đoàn kết chung, được phân phối nhân danh Đức Giáo hoàng, bởi Hội Truyền bá Đức tin giữa các sứ mệnh và các nhà truyền giáo trên toàn thế giới.” Đầu năm nay, vào Chúa nhật Lễ Ngũ Tuần, Đức Giáo Hoàng Phanxicô đã công bố thông điệp thường niên của ngài cho Chúa nhật Truyền giáo Thế giới năm 2020. Chủ đề được lấy từ sách Ê-sai: “Này con, xin hãy sai con đi” (6:8), trong đó ngài bàn về “lời mời gọi của Thiên Chúa để bước ra khỏi chính mình vì tình yêu Thiên Chúa và tha nhân qua việc phục vụ và cầu nguyện chuyển cầu”. Đức Giáo Hoàng Phanxicô giải thích rằng chính Giáo Hội là “tiếp tục sứ mệnh của Chúa Giêsu trong lịch sử”. Vì vậy, tất cả những người đã được rửa tội đều được sai đi nhân danh Giáo Hội và qua chứng nhân Tin Mừng của chúng ta, Thiên Chúa tiếp tục “biểu lộ tình yêu của Ngài”.

Sứ mệnh và sức mạnh biến đổi của Tin Mừng Chúa Kitô là Đường đi, là Sự thật và là Sự sống. Chúa Giêsu là Đường đi, Đấng mời gọi chúng ta theo Ngài với niềm tin và lòng can đảm.

Khi theo Chúa Giêsu là Đường đi của chúng ta, chúng ta kinh nghiệm được Sự thật và nhận lãnh Sự sống của Ngài, đó là sự trọn vẹn của sự hiệp thông với Thiên Chúa Cha trong quyền năng của Chúa Thánh Thần.

Qua sứ mệnh của Giáo Hội, chính Chúa Giêsu Kitô tiếp tục rao giảng Tin Mừng và hành động; sứ mệnh của Giáo Hội do đó làm cho thế giới hiện diện trong lịch sử thời điểm thuận lợi của ơn cứu độ. Đức Giáo Hoàng Phanxicô đã chỉ rõ rằng khoản quyên góp được trong Chúa Nhật này sẽ hỗ trợ “công việc truyền giáo được thực hiện nhân danh ngài bởi các Hội Truyền giáo Giáo hoàng, nhằm đáp ứng nhu cầu tâm linh và vật chất của các dân tộc và các Giáo hội trên khắp thế giới, vì ơn cứu độ của tất cả mọi người.”

Vị truyền giáo vĩ đại nhất mọi thời đại là Thánh Phaolô, người đã chịu nhiều khó khăn trong các chuyến hành trình truyền giáo của mình. Trong thư gửi tín hữu Thessalonica, Thánh Phaolô đã viết: “Vì Tin Mừng của chúng tôi không chỉ đến với anh em bằng lời nói suông, mà còn bằng quyền năng, bằng Thánh Thần và bằng sự xác tín mạnh mẽ.” Sẽ không ai tin Tin Mừng nếu các nhà truyền giáo Kitô giáo không chịu đau khổ vì Lời mà họ rao giảng, và mỗi chúng ta đều là một nhà truyền giáo. Chúa Giêsu nói, hãy trả lại cho Thiên Chúa những gì thuộc về Thiên Chúa, nghĩa là tất cả mọi thứ. Hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nhắc nhở chúng ta, chúng ta thuộc về Thiên Chúa.

Chính Ngài đã tạo dựng chúng ta và ban cho chúng ta tất cả những gì chúng ta có. Vì vậy, chúng ta phải sống cuộc đời mình trong sự nhận biết về sự thuộc về cơ bản này và trong lòng biết ơn đối với Thiên Chúa Cha, Đấng đã tạo dựng chúng ta theo hình ảnh Con yêu dấu của Ngài, Chúa Giêsu. Đó là một mầu nhiệm kỳ diệu.

Nguyện xin Đức Mẹ Đồng Trinh giúp chúng ta nói lời “vâng” của riêng mình, ý thức được nhu cầu cấp thiết phải làm cho Tin Mừng của Chúa Giêsu vang vọng trong thời đại chúng ta. Xin Mẹ ban cho chúng ta lòng nhiệt thành mới mẻ để mang Tin Mừng sự sống đến cho mọi người. Xin Đức Mẹ Đồng Trinh cầu bầu cho chúng ta để chúng ta có được sự can đảm thánh thiện cần thiết để tìm ra những cách thức mới mang ơn cứu độ đến cho mọi người trên thế giới.

Nguyện xin Chúa cho nhân loại biết  nhận ra giá trị đích thực của tất cả những gì Thiên Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta và không làm ô uế công trình tạo hóa của Thiên Chúa bằng cách biêt trân trọng giá trị những gì Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta trong quá khứ và hiện tại.

 

My Homily for World Mission Sunday 29th Ordinary Time A.

     After the Philippines, Vietnam has the second largest Catholic population in Southeast Asia, thanks to the dedication of missionary priests and clergymen from the Franciscan, Dominican, Jesuit orders and the Foreign Missionary Association in Paris.   The seeds of the Gospel were silently sowed, grown and brought to fruition in Vietnam.  However, a storm of hatred and fear surrounded the church. As a result, several harassing arrests, oppression, and detainments had been conducted on the Vietnamese faithful.

Hundred thousands of Vietnamese Catholics were beheaded, crushed to death by elephants, or quartered by horses or burnt alive under the Kings throughout the 16th to 19th centuries, and under the communist regime during 1954-1980 many priests and lay men were sent to prisons and died in the concentration camps. Yet, the Gospel was continuously spread today throughout Vietnam and its neighboring countries. Thanks to the missionaries and all who support the mission.

Today, the whole church celebrates World Mission Sunday. Since its announcement as a papal collection, all parishes worldwide have offered Mass collections from the day to aid the work of missionaries overseas.  Many are surprised to know that World Mission Sunday collections take place in every single parish where the Church is present. This includes not only the USA, but also in poorer parishes in the developing world.

World Mission Sunday is a moment of universal solidarity, when each member of the Church family, regardless of location or background, can play their part in supporting each other. This is why it is such a special and vital celebration.nIn Redemptories Missio saint John Paul II wrote: World Mission Sunday is “an important day in the life of the Church because it teaches how to give: as an offering made to God, in the Eucharistic celebration and for all the missions of the world” ( RM 81). The Pope also said: “The offerings that will be collected on World Mission Sunday are destined for a common fund of solidarity distributed, in the Pope’s name, by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith among the missions and missionaries of all the world.” 

Early this year on Pentecost Sunday, Pope Francis released his annual message for World Mission Sunday 2020. The theme is taken from the book of Isaiah: “Here am I, send me” (6:8), in which he discusses God’s “invitation to step out of ourselves for love of God and neighbor through service and intercessory prayer”. Pope Francis explains that it is specifically the Church that “continues the mission of Jesus in history”. Thus, all the baptized are sent forth in her name and through our witness of the Gospel, God continues “to manifest His love”.

            Mission and the transformative power of the Gospel of Christ are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is the Way who invites us to follow him with confidence and courage.

In following Jesus as our Way, we experience Truth and receive his Life, which is fullness of communion with God the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Through the mission of the Church, Jesus Christ himself continues to evangelize and act; her mission thus makes present in history the World the favorable time of salvation. Pope Francis specifies that the collection taken up on this Sunday will support “the missionary work carried out in my name by the Pontifical Mission Societies, in order to meet the spiritual and material needs of peoples and Churches throughout the world, for the salvation of all.”  

The greatest missionary of all time was St. Paul, who suffered many difficulties in his missionary journeys. In the letter to the Thessalonians saint Paul wrote “For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.”.  No one will believe the Gospel if Christian missionaries do not suffer for the Word they preach, and each of us is a missionary.  Give to God what belongs to God, Jesus says, which means everything. Today, Jesus reminds us, we belong to God.

It is He who has created us and given us all that we have. And therefore, we must live our life in recognition of this fundamental belonging and in gratitude toward God our Father, who creates us in the image of his beloved Son, Jesus. It is a wondrous mystery. 

            May the Virgin Mother help us to say our own “yes”, conscious of the urgent need to make the Good News of Jesus resound in our time.   May she obtain for us renewed zeal in bringing to everyone the Good News of the life. May the Virgin Mother intercede for us so that we can acquire the holy audacity needed to discover new ways to bring the gift of salvation to every human in the world.

May humanity see the true worth of all that God has provided for us and not defile God’s creation by hanging a price tag on it.

 

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech.  They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status.  Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Mt 22:15–17

The Herodians were a political group who supported the rule of Herod Antipas and his dynasty. They favored collaboration with the Roman Empire and upheld the Herodian line as the legitimate rulers over Judea. For the sake of national stability, they promoted political compromise.

The Pharisees, on the other hand, were a religious sect devoted to the Law of Moses and the strict observance of Jewish customs, though often corrupted by legalism. They viewed Gentile rule as a threat to the sanctity of God’s covenant and wielded great influence over the people due to their outward piety and perceived religious authority.

Given their stark political and theological differences, the alliance formed between the Pharisees and the Herodians in their plot against Jesus is both startling and revealing. Despite their longstanding enmity, they found common ground in their mutual hatred of Jesus. The Pharisees sought to undermine His credibility among the people, while the Herodians hoped to present Him as a threat to Roman authority. Together, they constructed a trap, hoping Jesus would either speak against the Law or against Caesar—either of which would serve their purposes.

Hatred, envy, jealousy, pride, and self-righteousness can forge what appears to be unity—even among rivals—but it is a unity rooted in darkness, a counterfeit communion built on shared agendas rather than truth. It is the kind of alliance in which satan himself rejoices. Such false unity always unravels. Anything built on pride and sin cannot stand. Unity can only endure where truth, humility, and love prevail.

As we look around us, we see many such counterfeit alliances formed not by shared conviction in what is good and true, but by convenience in opposing what threatens personal influence or power. Individuals and groups unite to silence voices that speak uncomfortable truths. This is frequently seen in politics and culture, but is also tragically found even within the Church. In every case, truth is twisted, motives are disguised, and God’s pure and holy will becomes the object of attack. When such unholy alliances take root within the Church, they do grave damage to our common mission to proclaim the Gospel in truth.

True Christian unity is not grounded in shared ambitions or human agendas, but in the Person of Jesus Christ. It is expressed through charity, humility, and fidelity to God’s will. It is not built on calculation or convenience but on the self-emptying love of Christ, who calls us to die to self and live for Him. Our only agenda must be that God be glorified and His children drawn into His glory and sanctification. As members of His Body, the Church, our unity must reflect the communion of the Most Holy Trinity, rooted in divine love, not in political expediency or pride.

Reflect today on the unity to which you are called. Do you form alliances based on personal ambition or on wholehearted worship of God? Reflect especially upon your involvement within the Church and consider whether, even unintentionally, you act more like a politician or lobbyist than a true disciple of Christ. Commit yourself not to an agenda, but to Jesus. Worship Him, surrender your life to Him, and allow Him to unite you with other members of His Body, the Church. Such unity is the only unity that endures all things and bears lasting fruit.

My Jesus and Head of Your Church, You call all Christians to form a spiritual bond that is forged through union with You. Grant me the grace of humility and charity, so that I may work within Your Church not with a personal agenda, but with mercy and truth. May I seek Your will alone and set aside my own ideas and preferences, choosing only You and Your eternal glory. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Sunday 29th Ordinary Time A.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the Lord of history, and no earthly power can thwart your purposes. Teach us to recognize your providence at work even in circumstances we do not understand. Give us wisdom to fulfill our responsibilities in this world while remembering that everything ultimately belongs to you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Authority of Caesar: In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees attempt to trap Jesus with a seemingly impossible question: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” They send their disciples together with the Herodians, hoping that Jesus will give an answer that can be used against him. The trap is carefully constructed. If Jesus answers “yes,” the Pharisees can accuse him of compromising Israel’s loyalty to God by supporting the Roman occupation. If he answers “no,” the Herodians can report him to the Roman authorities as someone encouraging rebellion against Caesar. A similar tax revolt had occurred under Judas the Galilean in A.D. 6, when he opposed the Roman census. Jesus, however, sees through their malice. He asks them to show him the coin used to pay the census tax. They produce a Roman denarius, bearing the image and inscription of Caesar. Jesus then asks, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” When they answer, “Caesar's,” Jesus responds: “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Jesus does more than escape their trap. He exposes the false assumption behind their question. They have presented him with a choice between loyalty to Caesar and loyalty to God, as though the two were necessarily incompatible. Jesus refuses to accept their false dilemma. Earthly governments possess legitimate authority, and citizens have legitimate obligations toward them. Paying taxes, obeying just laws, and contributing to the common good are not necessarily compromises of our faith. At the same time, earthly authority is never absolute. Caesar receives what belongs to Caesar, but God receives what belongs to God. There is an important irony here. The coin bears Caesar’s image, but the human person bears God’s image. Genesis tells us that God created humanity in his own image and likeness. If Caesar can claim the coin because it bears his image, then God can claim us because we bear his. Jesus exposes their question as a false dilemma. “He is saying that political and religious obligations can both be legitimately met. Paying taxes is not a compromise of one’s duties toward God, nor does serving God exempt one from supporting the civil government” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 286).

2. God is the Lord of History: This helps us understand the First Reading from Isaiah. The historical setting is very different. Israel is living under the shadow of the Babylonian Empire, which has conquered Jerusalem and carried God’s people into exile. Yet God announces that he will bring about Israel’s liberation through a surprising instrument: Cyrus, the king of Persia.

Even more astonishingly, God calls Cyrus his “anointed” (Messiah). Cyrus is not an Israelite king. He does not belong to the covenant people. He does not worship the God of Israel as his own God. Yet God says to him: “I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not.” God has chosen Cyrus for a particular purpose: “For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel, my chosen one.” God will use this pagan king to accomplish his purposes. Cyrus will conquer Babylon and eventually permit the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. Historically, Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 B.C., and shortly afterward permitted the Jewish exiles to return. Why would Isaiah emphasize this remarkable fact? Because Israel must learn that God is not limited by the political powers of this world. Earlier in Israel’s history, God had worked through Moses, Joshua, David, and other leaders from within his covenant people. Now he works through a Gentile king. Babylon may appear to possess overwhelming power, but Babylon does not have the final word. Persia may appear to be the great power of the moment, but Persia does not have the final word either. God does. That is why the Lord declares through Isaiah: “I am the Lord, there is no other.” The rise and fall of empires does not mean that God has lost control of history. He remains Lord even when his purposes are accomplished through people who do not know him or intend to serve him. The connection with today's Gospel becomes clearer. The world of Jesus is dominated by another empire: Rome. Like Babylon and Persia before it, Rome appears powerful and permanent. Caesar’s image is stamped on the coins. Roman armies occupy the land. Roman officials collect the taxes. Yet Jesus reminds us that Caesar’s authority exists within a much larger reality. Caesar may possess the coin, but God possesses history. Every earthly authority and empire – Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome – is temporary and subordinate to the Lord who created the nations and directs history toward his purposes. In the First Reading, Isaiah is reminding the people that God is the Lord of history.

3. Faithful Citizens Who Await the True King: The Second Reading shows us how Christians are to live in the midst of this world of earthly powers. Paul begins his First Letter to the Thessalonians by giving thanks for their “work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is significant because Thessalonica was a major city of the Roman Empire and the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. The Christians there lived within the political, economic, and religious structures of the Roman world. They could not simply withdraw from society. Yet they had undergone a fundamental transformation. They had “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” and to await “his Son from heaven.” Here we see the Christian response to earthly authority. Christians are not called to despise the world or flee from every political structure. They are called to live faithfully within the world while recognizing that their ultimate allegiance belongs to God. The Thessalonians had faith, love, and hope because they knew that the Roman Empire was not the final reality. Neither Caesar nor any other earthly ruler could determine their ultimate destiny. They were awaiting the return of Jesus Christ, the true Son of God and the true Lord of history. This gives us an important perspective on our own lives. Political powers rise and fall. Nations expand and decline. Governments change. Economic systems flourish and disappear. Leaders come and go. We may be deeply concerned about these things – and rightly so – but we must never allow them to become ultimate. We belong to God. We are called to fulfill our responsibilities as citizens, to obey legitimate authority, to contribute to the common good, and to pray for those who govern us. But we must also remember that every earthly authority is temporary. Our citizenship in any earthly nation is temporary as well. Our deepest identity is found in Christ. The coin bears Caesar’s image and can therefore be returned to Caesar. But we bear God’s image, and therefore we belong entirely to God. The Lord who used Cyrus to liberate Israel from Babylon is still the Lord of history. The Lord who sent his Son into the world under the rule of Caesar is still guiding history toward its fulfillment. And the Christians who lived faithfully in Thessalonica while awaiting Christ’s return provide an example for us.

 

Suy Niêm Chúa nhật 29 Thường Niên Năm A.  Khánh nhật Truyền giáo

Hôm nay là Chủ nhật Khánh nhật Truyền giáo, là ngày dành riêng cho những người Công giáo trên toàn thế giới cảm nhận về hoạt động truyền giáo của Giáo hội qua lời cầu nguyện và hy sinh.

Lễ Khánh nhật Truyền giáo cử hành vào Chúa nhật trước Chủa nhật cuối cùng của tháng 10, đó là thời điểm mà Giáo hội không những chỉ cầu nguyện mà còn hỗ trợ những người truyền giáo trên toàn cầu. Trong bài tông huấn Redemptories Missio Thánh Giáo hoàng Gioan Phaolô II đã viết: (RM 81). Ngày Khánh nhật Truyền Giáo là “một ngày quan trọng đời sống của Giáo Hội vì nó dạy chúng ta cách dâng hiến: như của lễ dâng lên Thiên Chúa, trong việc cử hành Thánh Thể và cho tất cả các sứ mạng trên thế giới”.

Vào dịp Lễ Chúa Thánh hiện xuống, Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô đã công bố thông điệp hàng năm của ngài cho Chủ nhật Truyền giáo Thế giới năm 2020. Chủ đề được lấy từ sách Ê-sai: “Này tôi đây, xin người sai tôi” (6: 8), trong đó ngài nói về “lời mời của Thiên Chúa mời gọi chúng ta hãy bước ra khỏi chính mình vì tình yêu thương đối với Thiên Chúa và người xung quanh qua việc phục vụ và cầu nguyện cho nhau ”.

Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô giải thích rằng chính Giáo hội “tiếp tục sứ mệnh của Chúa Giêsu cách đặc biệt trong lịch sử”. Do đó, tất cả những người đã được rửa tội đều được sai đi nhân danh Giáo hội và qua chứng tá Tin Mừng của chúng ta, Thiên Chúa tiếp tục “bày tỏ tình yêu của Ngài”.

    Sứ mệnh và quyền năng biến đổi của Tin Mừng Chúa Kitô là Đường, Sự thật và Sự sống. Chúa Giêsu Kitô là Đường. Ngài mời gọi chúng ta theo ngài với sự tự tin và can đảm. Khi bước theo Chúa Giêsu là Con đường của mình, chúng ta cảm nghiệm được Sự thật và đón nhận Sự sống của Ngài, ví đó là sự hiệp thông viên mãn với Thiên Chúa Cha trong quyền năng của Chúa Thánh Thần.

            Qua sứ mạng của Giáo hội, chính Chúa Giêsu Kitô tiếp tục truyền giáo và hành động; do đó sứ mệnh của Giáo hội là làm cho lịch sử Thế giới trở thành thời gian thuận lợi cho sự cứu rỗi. Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô nói rõ rằng cho chúng ta biết là Tiền quyên góp được trong ngày Chúa Nhật này sẽ dùng cho việc hỗ trợ “các công việc truyền giáo đang được thực hiện nhân danh ngài qua các Hiệp hội Truyền giáo của Giáo hoàng, nhằm đáp ứng nhu cầu vật chất và tinh thần của các dân tộc và Giáo hội trên toàn thế giới, vì sự cứu rỗi của tất cả mọi người ”.

Nhà truyền giáo vĩ đại nhất mọi thời đại là thánh Phao-lô, người đã phải chịu nhiều khó khăn trong hành trình truyền giáo. Trong lá thư gửi cho dân thành Têsalônica, thánh Phaolô viết “Vì Tin Mừng của chúng tôi không đến với anh em trong lời nói đơn lẻ, nhưng bằng quyền năng và trong Chúa Thánh Thần và với nhiều niềm tin.”. Sẽ không có ai tin vào Phúc âm nếu các nhà truyền giáo không phải bị đau khổ vì Lời họ rao giảng, và mỗi chúng ta là một nhà truyền giáo.

Hôm nay, Chúa Jêsus phán: Hãy trả cho Thiên Chúa những gì thuộc về Thiên Chúa, điều này có nghĩa là tất cả. Hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nhắc nhở chúng ta, chúng ta thuộc về Chúa.

Chính Người đã tạo ra chúng ta và ban cho chúng ta tất cả những gì chúng ta có. Và do đó, chúng ta phải sống cuộc sống của mình để luôn biết tỏ cho người khác biết về điền cơ bản này và phải biết ơn với Thiên Chúa Cha của chúng ta, Đấng tạo đã dựng chúng ta theo hình ảnh của Con yêu dấu của Ngài là Chúa Giêsu. Đó là một bí ẩn kỳ diệu.

Xin Đức Maria mẹ Đồng Trinh giúp chúng ta biết nói tiếng “xin vâng” chính mình, ý thức được nhu cầu cấp bách cho việc đêm Tin Mừng của Chúa Giêsu đến khắp nớ và làm vang dội trong thời đại chúng ta. Xin Mẹ ban cho chúng ta có lòng nhiệt thành trong việc mang Tin Mừng của Chúa đến cho mọi người qua cuộc sốnh của chúng ta. Xin Mẹ cầu bầu cho chúng ta để chúng ta có được sự can đảm thánh thiện cần thiết để khám phá ra những cách thức mới để mang lại ân cứu độ cho mọi người trên thế giới. Xin cho nhân loại thấy được giá trị đích thực của tất cả những gì Thiên Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta và không làm ô uế công trình tạo dựng của Thiên Chúa bằng cách treo lên đó với một cái giá.

 

CS-Sunday 29^th Ordinary Time A. World Mission Sunday

Today is World Mission Sunday, a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice.

World Mission Sunday come on the next-to-last Sunday of October, it’s a time in which the Church not only prays for and supports missionaries across the globe. In Redemptories Missio saint John Paul II wrote: ( RM 81). World Mission Sunday is “an important day in the life of the Church because it teaches us how to give: as an offering made to God, in the Eucharistic celebration and for all the missions of the world”.

            Early this year on Pentecost Sunday, Pope Francis released his annual message for World Mission Sunday 2020. The theme is taken from the book of Isaiah: “Here am I, send me” (6:8), in which he discusses God’s “invitation to step out of ourselves for love of God and neighbor through service and intercessory prayer”.

Pope Francis explains that it is specifically the Church that “continues the mission of Jesus in history”. Thus, all the baptized are sent forth in her name and through our witness of the Gospel, God continues “to manifest His love”.

            Mission and the transformative power of the Gospel of Christ are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is the Way. He invites us to follow him with confidence and courage. In following Jesus as our Way, we experience Truth and receive his Life, which is fullness of communion with God the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.

            Through the mission of the Church, Jesus Christ himself continues to evangelize and act; her mission thus makes present in history the World the favorable time of salvation.  Pope Francis specifies that the collection taken up on this Sunday will support “the missionary work carried out in hisname by the Pontifical Mission Societies, in order to meet the spiritual and material needs of peoples and Churches throughout the world, for the salvation of all.” 

The greatest missionary of all time was St. Paul, who suffered many difficulties in his missionary journeys. In the letter to Thessalonians saint Paul wrote “For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.”. 

No one will believe the Gospel if Christian missionaries do not suffer for the Word they preach, and each of us is a missionary. 

Today, Jesus says, Give to God what belongs to God, which means everything. Today, Jesus reminds us, we belong to God.  It is He who has created us and given us all that we have.  And therefore, we must live our life in recognition of this fundamental belonging and in gratitude toward God our Father, who creates us in the image of his beloved Son, Jesus.

It is a wondrous mystery.  May the Virgin Mother help us to say our own “yes”, conscious of the urgent need to make the Good News of Jesus resound in our time.  May she obtain for us renewed zeal in bringing to everyone the Good News of the life. May the Virgin Mother intercede for us so that we can acquire the holy audacity needed to discover new ways to bring the gift of salvation to every human in the world. May humanity see the true worth of all that God has provided for us and not defile God’s creation by hanging a price tag on it.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy tuần 28 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy tuần 28 Thường Niên
Bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta có cảm giác lạ và khác thường khi chúng ta nghe Chúa Giêsu nói về một thứ tội mà không thể tha thứ được.  Qua bức hoạ của Thánh Luca về Chúa Giêsu thì Chúa là một người luôn có bàn tay mở rộng và luôn tha thứ cho những người tội lỗi, Chúa là người mà dường như không thể có khả năng từ chối sự tha thứ cho những ai có tội. Tuy nhiên, hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nói về một thứ tội lỗi mà không thể nào có thể tha thứ được.
Khi những người Pharisi đã thấy Chúa Giêsu làm phép lạ và trừ quỷ ra khỏi người bị quỷ ám. thế nhưng họ cho rằng Chúa Giêsu bị ám bởi quỷ Beelzebul, và khi Ngài trừ quỷ ra khỏi người bị quỷ ám này ngài đã  nhờ chính sức mạnh của các hoàng tử quỷ. Họ nhìn Chúa Giêsu mà coi như Ngài như là chúa quỷ Sa-tan; họ nghĩ là họ đang chứng kiến rõ ràng ​là Thiên Chúa không còn chấp nhận  việc làm tốt của Chúa Giêsu đã làm mà họ chỉ thấy việc làm hiện tại của Sa-tan. Họ đã mù quáng và không còn thấy được lòng thương xót đầy nhân hậu và sự thật nơi Chúa Giêsu. Họ không còn có thể phân biệt giữa cái ác và tội lỗi khi họ  phải đối mặt với chúng. Kể từ khi họ không còn có thể nhìn thấy tội lỗi là tội lỗi, họ không còn thấy sự cần thiết cho sự ăn năn. Họ bị sa lầy vĩnh viễn trong tội lỗi của họ. Họ đã khổng thể thấm nhuần được những ân sủng của Chúa Thánh Thần.
      Trong cuộc sống hiện tại Chúng ta cũng có lúc phải đối mặt với mối nguy hiểm này. Tội lỗi phải được công nhận là tội lỗi, tội ác xấu xa là tội ác, sự thật và sự thiện hảo phải là sự thật và  thiện hảo. Nếu chúng ta có thói quen không nhìn thấy tội lỗi ở những nơi tội lỗi, thì chúng ta có thể đã đánh mất đi cái khả năng của chúng ta để phân biệt giữa thiện và ác. Mặc dù có tội, chúng ta sẽ không còn có khả năng ăn năn. Chúng ta đã bị mù trong chính tâm hồn của chúng ta.
 
REFLECTION
It's very strange to hear Jesus speak about an unforgivable sin. The portrait Luke paints of Jesus is of a man whose arms are constantly open to sinners, who seemingly is incapable of refusing forgiveness to sinners. Yet today, Jesus speaks of the unforgivable sin,
The Pharisees had looked at Jesus working miracles and driving demons out of people possessed. What they saw was Jesus possessed by Beelzebul, driving demons out of people possessed by the power of the prince of demons. They looked at Jesus and saw Satan; they witnessed the obviously God-sanctioned works of Jesus and saw Satan at work. They blinded themselves to the goodness and truth in Jesus. They could no longer discern between evil and sin when confronted by them. Since they could no longer see sin as sin, they no longer saw the need for repentance. They were mired permanently in their sin. They had made themselves impermeable by the grace of the Spirit.
We also face this danger. Sin must be recognized as sin, evil as evil, truth and goodness as truth and goodness. If we get in the habit of not seeing sin where there is sin, we will lose our ability to discern good and evil. Though culpable, we will be incapable of repentance. We will have blinded ourselves.
 
Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” Luke 12:8–10
Why would those who speak a word against the Son of Man be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit not be forgiven? One common interpretation is that speaking “against the Son of Man” represents a misunderstanding of Jesus’ earthly teaching. We know that even the Twelve Apostles misunderstood Him during His earthly ministry. On a number of occasions, Jesus asked them, “Do you still not understand?” (cf. Mark 8:17–18; 7:18; Matthew 15:16).
To lack understanding of the Gospel is certainly a deficiency, and it may become sinful, especially when that misunderstanding is expressed in words. That’s why Jesus says that those who speak a word “against the Son of Man will be forgiven.” This sin is often the result of weakness or ignorance and does not necessarily involve grave matter. It is still sin and must be repented of. But Jesus identifies a far graver sin: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Of this sin, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss” (CCC 1864).
Since such obstinacy in sin is deadly and can lead to eternal damnation, it must be avoided at all costs. We must never persist in sin with a hardened heart. Such obstinacy is itself a grave sin, even if the particular sin we cling to is not, in itself, objectively serious.
Obstinate persistence in sin, then, is the lowest point we must never reach. But we are called to more than just avoiding obstinate persistence in sin. The ideal is found in Jesus’ earlier statement: “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.”
Do you acknowledge the Son of Man before others? What does that look like, practically speaking? It means living your faith openly and without shame. It means speaking of Christ when the opportunity arises, defending the truth of the Gospel with charity and clarity, and bearing witness through your actions, even when doing so is difficult. To acknowledge Christ is to live in such a way that others see Him in your words, your decisions, your priorities, and your love. This public witness may at times bring rejection, ridicule, or even persecution. But when we confess Christ in this life, He will confess us in the next, before the angels and before the Father in Heaven.
Sometimes, when we think about this life and the next, we focus only on avoiding what is gravely sinful. We may reason, “As long as I’m not a serious sinner, I’ll make it to Heaven.” While that might be true, obstinacy in small sins can be magnified over time. Recall the words spoken to the Apostle John in his vision: “So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16).
Reflect today on the sincerity and fervor of your faith. Are you “hot,” burning with love for God and eager to proclaim Him? Or have you grown lukewarm, complacent, or hesitant to fully live and share your faith? Consider especially any patterns of small sins or compromises that, over time, may have hardened your heart or dulled your spiritual zeal. God calls you not to minimalism in faith but to boldness, zeal, and an unwavering witness. Let His mercy penetrate every area of your life, and let your life become a confession of Christ before the world. In the end, it will be worth every sacrifice, for He Himself will acknowledge you before the angels of God.
Lord Jesus, I desire to confess You boldly and without fear. Forgive me for the times I have remained silent or compromised the truth. Free me from all obstinacy and hardness of heart. Set my soul aflame with the fire of Your love, and help me to witness to You in all things. May my life proclaim You on earth so that You will proclaim me in Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, give me the courage to acknowledge your Son before others. When I am tempted to remain silent because of fear or concern about what others may think, strengthen me with your Holy Spirit. May I remain faithful to Christ in both ordinary circumstances and moments of trial, trusting that you will never abandon those who place their confidence in you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Acknowledging Christ Before Others: In yesterday’s Gospel, Jesus warned his disciples not to fear those who can kill the body. Today he continues this teaching by telling them what they should do instead: acknowledge him before others. To acknowledge Jesus means more than simply admitting that we believe in him. It means openly identifying ourselves as his disciples and allowing our faith in him to shape the way we live. Saint Paul expresses this same truth when he writes, “For, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Jesus promises that those who acknowledge him before others will themselves be acknowledged by him before the angels of God. The Son of Man who is rejected and crucified will return in glory, and he will recognize as his own those who remained faithful to him. The warning is equally serious: “Whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.” Jesus is not speaking merely about an occasional failure caused by fear or weakness. Peter himself denied Jesus three times, yet he was forgiven and restored. Jesus is warning against a deliberate and persistent rejection of him. Every disciple therefore faces a choice. Will we allow fear of human opinion to determine how openly we live our faith, or will we trust Christ enough to acknowledge him regardless of the consequences?
2. The Mercy of God and the Rejection of Grace: Jesus then gives a difficult warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. He says that a person who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but that “the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
This saying becomes clearer when we remember that the Holy Spirit is the one who moves our hearts toward repentance and opens us to God's mercy. The Church understands this unforgivable sin as a deliberate and obstinate refusal to repent – to reject the grace by which God offers forgiveness. This does not mean that some particular sin is simply too terrible for God’s mercy. Peter denied Jesus and was forgiven. Those responsible for Jesus’ death could also receive forgiveness if they repented (see Luke 23:34; Acts 3:17-19). God’s mercy is greater than our sins. The danger is refusing that mercy. If a person deliberately closes himself to the Holy Spirit and refuses to repent, he refuses the very grace through which his sins can be forgiven. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit” (CCC, 1864). Jesus’ warning is therefore ultimately an invitation. Do not harden your heart. Do not convince yourself that you have no need of repentance. Remain open to the Holy Spirit, who continually calls us back to the Father.
3. The Spirit Gives Us Courage: Jesus concludes by addressing the fear of persecution. His disciples will be brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities because of their allegiance to him. Yet Jesus tells them not to worry beforehand about how they will defend themselves. “The Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” Jesus does not promise that his disciples will never suffer. He promises that they will never face suffering alone. The same Spirit who transforms the fearful into courageous witnesses will give them the wisdom and strength they need. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, whose memorial we celebrate today, is a remarkable example. As bishop of Antioch, Ignatius was arrested and taken to Rome to be martyred during the reign of the Emperor Trajan. Along the journey, he wrote letters to several Christian communities, encouraging them to remain united in Christ and faithful to the Gospel. He did not seek to escape the suffering that awaited him. Instead, he embraced martyrdom as an opportunity to imitate Christ and bear witness to him. Ignatius understood that Christian discipleship ultimately means belonging completely to Christ. He famously wrote to the Romans, “I am God's wheat, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found pure bread of God.” His words reveal not a desire for suffering for its own sake, but an extraordinary confidence that Christ would sustain him through suffering and bring him to eternal life. Most of us will never be called to martyrdom. Yet we are all called to acknowledge Christ – in our families, workplaces, friendships, communities, and ordinary decisions. Sometimes that witness requires courage. When it does, we can remember Jesus’ promise: the Holy Spirit is with us. We do not have to manufacture the courage ourselves. The Spirit who sustained the martyrs is the same Spirit who has been given to us.
 
Saturday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” Luke 12:11–12
Jesus lived this Gospel passage in His own life to perfection. He was arrested, interrogated, falsely condemned and questioned by the Chief Priest, Herod and Pontius Pilate. During His interrogations, sometimes He spoke and at other times He remained silent. In preparation for these interrogations, Jesus did not study each ruler ahead of time, trying to figure out what He should say and not say. He did not prepare a defense but relied upon His perfect union with the Holy Spirit and with the Father to be led at every moment in His human nature.
Though it may be unlikely that you will be arrested for your faith and put on trial for being Christian by the civil authorities, it is possible that you will experience various other forms of interrogation and condemnation at times during which you are challenged to respond. And more likely, if you are judged by another, you may be tempted to defend yourself in anger, attacking back.
This Gospel passage, when clearly understood and lived, should have the effect of calming you and reassuring you during any and every experience of judgment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way” (# 2478). And though you must always strive to do this yourself, there will most likely be times when others do not act in this careful and truthful way toward you. Thus, if you are judged by another, even if what they say has truth to it, it is important that you not react with defensiveness and anger, unless the Holy Spirit has unmistakably led you to do so. The key message Jesus gives is that you must trust that the Holy Spirit will always lead you as you humbly and continually seek to follow His every prompting. This is only possible if you have built a firm habit of attentiveness to the Voice of God within your conscience.
Because the experience of rash judgment, detraction, calumny and the like are painful to encounter, you must prepare your defense ahead of time by learning to only rely upon the Holy Spirit in all things. Jesus exhorts us to do so! Therefore, if you daily and humbly seek to fulfill God’s will, hear His voice, and respond with generosity, then you can be certain that when the time comes and you experience these forms of judgment, you will be ready. The Holy Spirit will speak to you, inspire you, console you and give you every grace you need to respond in accord with God’s will. Do not doubt this. Have faith and confidence in these words and this promise of our Lord.
Reflect, today, upon the ways that you have responded in the past to the judgment of another. Try to call to mind specific moments when this has happened. Did you respond with similar judgments? Were you filled with anger? Did you brood over injury? Did you lose your peace of heart? If you have fallen into these temptations, then commit yourself in faith to believe what Jesus says today. Trust Him. Trust that He will be with you in those difficult moments in the future and pray that you will be graced to respond only as the Holy Spirit directs you.
My innocent Lord, You were put on trial, judged and falsely condemned. Yet in all of that, You were the Innocent Lamb Who always loved and spoke truth with perfection. When I experience judgment in my life, please fill me with peace of heart and trust in Your promise that the Holy Spirit will be with me, inspiring me and leading me in accord with Your perfect will. Holy Spirit, I abandon myself to You now and always. Jesus, I trust in You.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Sáu Tuần 28 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Sáu Tuần 28 Thường Niên
Qua bài Tin Mừng, Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta biết là cuộc sống chúng ta đang sống hôm nay thật sự chỉ là cuộc sống tạm thời. Chúng ta không nên sợ cái chết ở trần thế, mà nên sợ cái chết đời đời. Đó là lý do tại sao chúng ta không nên chỉ chú ý đến cuộc sống trần gian, nhưng chúng ta phải chú ý đến sự sống vĩnh cửu đời đời ngày sau. Vĩnh cửu, đời đời là những chữ mà chúng ta thấy khó để liên kết với con người bởi vì tất cả mọi thứ ở đây không thể kéo dài mãi được. Tất cả mọi sự ỡ đời này đều có sự giới hạn. Vì tất cả mọi thứ, dù có bao bền lâu bao nhiêu, rồi cũng sẽ bị huỷ diệt. Ngay cả thế giới này cũng thế, rồi thì cũng qua đi. Và bất cứ điều gì chúng ta làm, đặc biệt là những điểu ẩn kín vẫn được Thiên Chúa nhìn thấy rất tỏ tường. Tất cả những hành động của chúng ta sẽ được phát hiện khi chúng trình diện mặt Chúa trong ngày sau hết của cuộc đời.
Chúng ta hãy bắt đầu ngay bây giờ, hãy bắt đầu làm việc cho những thứ cần thiết cho thiên đường, chứ không phải là chỉ để mắt của chúng ta hướng về những mối quan tâm trần thế, hữu hình. Hãy nhớ, Thiên Đàng thì tồn tại mãi mãi và có thật!
 
Reflection Friday 28^th Ordinary Time:
     It is clear that the life we live today is temporary. We are not to fear the earthly death, but rather the eternal death. That is why we should not just pay attention to the earthly life, but rather also to the eternal life. Because eternal life lasts forever. Forever is a word we find hard to relate with because all things here do not last. Warranties are limited and guarantees have a lifespan of its own, no matter the assurances we get, All things, no matter how durable get broken. Even this world is passing away slowly. And whatever we do, especially those hidden, are seen by God. All our actions will be uncovered and exposed at the end of time. Nothing will escape God's sight. Let us then start working then for the things of Heaven, rather than just fix our eyes always and only on tangible earthly concerns. Heaven exists. Forever is real!
 
Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.” Luke 12:4–5
Physical harm, or even death, is not the greatest threat we face. Certainly, many people fear the idea of dying suddenly; when such a tragedy occurs, the deceased’s loved ones rightly enter into mourning. The pain of loss is real. Jesus, however, is clear that our far greater fear should be eternal separation from God. In fact, many martyrs throughout history have been highly honored for courageously facing death with faith and ultimate trust in God—choosing to fear sin more than their physical well-being.
I           the passage above, Jesus prefaces His exhortation by lovingly calling His disciples, “my friends.” He says the same to us. He then exhorts us not to fear those who can only kill the body but can do no more. Instead, we should fear only the one “who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna.”
At first read, it might appear that Jesus is speaking of the devil, but He’s not. Satan has no power to cast a soul into Gehenna—that is, hell. Only God has that power. Jesus is clear: we must fear God—“Yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.”
Do you fear God? While this could seem confusing, it is actually liberating when understood properly. The fear of which Jesus speaks is not a disordered fear based on evil threats. It is a holy fear—one of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. That gift was first articulated in the Old Testament: “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the LORD, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).
When one fears God in the sense of reverent awe and childlike obedience, worldly threats and even diabolical attacks lose their power. The fear that holy souls possess is the fear of losing their friendship with God. This form of holy fear is the beginning of wisdom because it rightly orders all other fears. Fear in and of itself is not evil. It is a natural emotion that must be properly ordered, so that holy fear remains and unholy fear is overcome. Holy fear—such as fear of Gehenna (hell) or of disobeying God’s perfect will—brings forth the good fruits of repentance, vigilance, and spiritual freedom.
When our soul’s fears are properly ordered, we will fear only that which separates us from God: sin. Worldly fears are diminished when we have a holy fear of God alone. We fear neither persecution, misunderstanding, loss, unexpected tragedy, nor anything else in this world.
Just as Jesus begins this exhortation by tenderly calling His disciples “my friends,” so He continues His compassion by revealing His Father’s perfect providence toward those who trust in Him: “Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6–7).
Jesus’ exhortation to fear God remains clear and absolute. It is softened by the revelation that if the Father cares even for common sparrows and if He counts every hair on your head, then God, who is both all-loving and all-knowing, can and should be fully trusted. At the same time, a holy fear of separation from God should draw us ever closer to Him in humility and love.
Reflect today on whether your fears are rightly ordered. Do you fear the loss of eternal life more than the trials of this passing world? Allow the fear of the Lord to take root in your soul—not to cause anxiety, but to deepen your faith, increase your trust, and strengthen your resolve to remain always close to God.
All-loving and all-knowing Lord, Your providence is perfect for those who foster a holy fear of separation from You and grow in deep affection for Your holiness. Please fill me with the Gift of the Fear of the Lord, so that I fear nothing in this life except harming my relationship with You and those whom I am called to love with Your love. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Reflection Friday 28^th Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are my loving Father, and nothing in my heart is hidden from you. Protect me from the leaven of hypocrisy and the temptation to seek the approval of others. Teach me to trust your providence, to live honestly before you, and to recognize that every good thing I possess is a gift of your loving grace.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Leaven of Hypocrisy: In today’s Gospel, Jesus has just left the home of the Pharisee where he delivered a series of strong warnings against religious hypocrisy. Now, with his disciples gathered around him, he turns their attention to the danger that confronted them as well. “Beware of the leaven – that is, the hypocrisy – of the Pharisees.” Leaven, or yeast, works quietly from within. A small amount can gradually permeate an entire batch of dough and cause it to rise. Jesus uses this image to describe hypocrisy because it can also begin quietly in the human heart and gradually influence everything we do. Hypocrisy occurs when there is a separation between who we appear to be and who we really are. We may perform good and religious actions while secretly nurturing pride, envy, resentment, greed, or the desire for human approval. Worse, we can begin to deceive ourselves, convincing ourselves that our outward behavior proves that we are holy. Jesus warns his disciples because religious practice itself can become a source of pride. We can become so accustomed to praying, attending Mass, studying Scripture, serving others, or speaking about our faith that we begin to think we are better than those who do not do these things. The very practices intended to lead us toward God can become occasions for self-exaltation. Jesus therefore calls his disciples to a deeper integrity. Our exterior life must correspond to the interior disposition of our hearts. We are not called to appear holy before others but to become holy before God.
2. Nothing Hidden from God: Jesus then explains why hypocrisy is so dangerous: “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.” We may successfully hide our thoughts and intentions from other people, but nothing is hidden from God. This truth can be unsettling. God sees the sins, selfish motives, resentments, and compromises that we would prefer to conceal. He sees not only what we do but why we do it. No amount of outward religious appearance can deceive him. Yet this teaching is not meant merely to frighten us. It is also an invitation to freedom. We do not need to maintain a false image before God. He already knows us completely, and he still loves us. The path to holiness begins when we stop pretending and allow God’s grace to transform what is actually within us.
Jesus therefore tells his disciples not to fear what other people think of them. The opinions of others are temporary. What matters ultimately is how we stand before God. When our lives are oriented toward his truth, we can live with integrity even when others misunderstand us or disapprove of our choices. The Christian life requires this interior freedom. We should strive to be the same person in private that we appear to be in public – not because we are perfect, but because we are honestly seeking God's grace to become holy.
3. Fear of the Lord: Jesus now addresses another temptation that can lead his disciples into hypocrisy: fear. If disciples know that the world may reject them for following Christ, they may be tempted to hide their faith or compromise their convictions in order to gain acceptance.
Jesus therefore says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more.” Instead, he tells them to fear the one who has authority over eternal destiny. This is the biblical “fear of the Lord”: not a servile terror of God but a reverent recognition that God alone is the ultimate judge and that eternal life matters more than temporary human approval.
Jesus’ reference to Gehenna recalls the Valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem, a place associated with grave sin and divine judgment in Israel’s history. It became an image of the final punishment of those who definitively reject God. Jesus is reminding his disciples to keep eternity in view. The loss of earthly life is not the greatest tragedy; the loss of eternal life is. Yet Jesus does not leave his disciples trembling before God’s judgment. He immediately turns their attention to God’s tender providence. Five sparrows are sold for two small coins, yet not one escapes the Father’s notice. “Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” This is the heart of Jesus' teaching. The fear of the Lord and trust in God's fatherly love belong together. Because God is our judge, we should take holiness seriously. Because God is our Father, we can trust him completely. We do not need to compromise our faith to win the world’s approval. The disciples of Jesus are therefore called to live without hypocrisy and without fear: honestly before God, courageously before the world, and confidently beneath the loving gaze of their heavenly Father.
 
Reflection Friday 28^th Ordinary Time:
     It is clear that the life we live today is temporary. We are not to fear the earthly death, but rather the eternal death. That is why we should not just pay attention to the earthly life, but rather also to the eternal life. Because eternal life lasts forever. Forever is a word we find hard to relate with because all things here do not last. Warranties are limited and guarantees have a lifespan of its own, no matter the assurances we get, All things, no matter how durable get broken. Even this world is passing away slowly. And whatever we do, especially those hidden, are seen by God. All our actions will be uncovered and exposed at the end of time. Nothing will escape God's sight. Let us then start working then for the things of Heaven, rather than just fix our eyes always and only on tangible earthly concerns. Heaven exists. Forever is real!
 
Friday 28^th Ordinary Time 2024
“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops.” Luke 12:2–3
Immediately prior to this passage quoted above, Jesus told His disciples: “Beware of the leaven—that is, the hypocrisy—of the Pharisees.” This comes after Jesus gives a long and very direct series of condemnations of these leaders in the previous chapter. Jesus is quite serious about their destructive actions. So, after directly confronting them, He then turns to His disciples to warn them of the consequences of these hypocritical leaders.
A hypocrite is one who pretends to have some moral virtues but, in truth, is only deceiving himself and attempting to deceive others. For that reason, Jesus assists His disciples by sharing with them the fact that all truth will eventually come to light. Thus, every good deed will eventually be seen by all for its goodness, and every evil intent, no matter how hidden, will eventually come to light. 
Though the immediate temptation for many in hearing this passage will be to think about others who they think fall into the sin of hypocrisy, it may be far more useful to ponder these truths for oneself. The simple message that Jesus preaches is that we must be people who are truthful in every way. We must be honest with ourselves and make sure that we are fully aware of our inner life, seeing ourselves only in the way that God sees us. This act of honesty and integrity is one of the best ways by which we prepare ourselves for eternal life. How sad it would be if we went through life pretending, on the surface, to be something we were not, only to have the full truth divulged at our final judgment when it is too late to change.
Being honest with ourselves can be difficult. It’s normal for us to want to be good, to want to be holy, and to want others to think this way about us. For that reason, it is very common for us to put forth only the best image of ourselves, hiding many other things that may embarrass us and even humiliate us. And though we do not have any moral obligation to tell everyone about every sin we struggle with interiorly, it is morally essential that we face it ourselves and do so with the grace of God.
One practical way to do this is to ponder the above Scripture passage. Jesus makes it clear that at some time, in some way, everything within us in our hearts and minds will come to light. For some this will happen, by God’s grace, during this life as a way for them to change. For others, these secrets will only come to light at their final judgment. The truth, however, is that all that we are, all that we think, and all that we do in a hidden way will come to light. And if that frightens you in some way, that is good. Sometimes we need a holy fear to encourage us to look inward and to deal with all that we keep hidden from others.
Reflect, today, upon the importance of striving for a life of true transparency and integrity. The best way to do this is to live every day as if everything within your heart were visible for all to see. If that means you need to change in some way so as to be at peace with what will eventually come to light, then work diligently on making that change here and now. The opposite of hypocrisy, for which the Pharisees were firmly condemned, is honesty and sincerity. Spend time reflecting upon these beautiful virtues and pray that the Lord will gift you with them so that you can live a life of true integrity here and now in preparation for that glorious day of judgment, when all will be “known” and “proclaimed on the housetops.”
My revealing Lord, You see all things. You know my heart in every way. Please grace me with the ability to see myself as You see me and to know my inner heart as You know me. As the deepest truths of who I am come to light for me to see, I pray that I will also have the grace to sincerely change so that I may truly glorify You with my actions and become a source of authentic inspiration to all. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Reflection Friday 28^th Ordinary Time: 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you lovingly care for me as my Heavenly Father. Help me to experience this truth more deeply in my life. I am tempted to trust in myself and my abilities rather than you. Do not let me fall into this temptation. May I see all good things as coming from you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Pharisaical Hypocrisy: In the Gospel, Jesus has just left the Pharisee’s house, where he delivered a blistering warning. Now, with his disciples gathered around him, he focuses in on the heart of the matter and also how it applies to his disciples. This prevents his disciples from getting puffed up with pride and thinking that they were better than the Pharisees and scholars of the law. In just a few words, Jesus identifies a real danger for those steeped in religious practice – the sin of hypocrisy. He compares it to leaven or yeast that inflates dough. A person can easily become inflated about how good they are and how pious they are and how they are better than everyone else because of their pious practices. The Father, Jesus teaches, sees everything. Nothing is hidden from God, especially the real intentions driving our actions. God the Father is not fooled by the hypocrite. The Gospel concludes not with another condemnation of Pharisaical hypocrisy, but with how to overcome it – filial trust in God’s loving care for us.
2. The Justifying Faith of Abraham: In the First Reading, Paul is going to show from the Old Testament that we are justified and made right with God, not through the works of the old law, but through faith. His prime example is Abraham. Paul alludes to the fact that Genesis 15 says that Abraham was made righteous through his belief in God. And it is only in Genesis 17 that Abraham was circumcised. This means that Abraham was justified by faith apart from one of the works of the law – that of circumcision, which incorporated a man into God’s covenant family. If Abraham was justified by faith and not by such works, then the same would apply to us. Paul emphasizes that our initial faith and grace of justification are a gift of God and not something we earn like a wage. We do need to build up spiritual and heavenly treasure, but we cannot do this without the initial empowerment and continual sustenance of divine grace. 
3. The Psalms of David on Blessedness and Righteousness: After referring to how Abraham was justified by faith, Paul then quotes the Book of Psalms to show that it teaches the same doctrine. Paul refers to David as the author of Psalm 32 and says, “So also David declares the blessedness of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not record’” (Romans 4:7-8; Psalm 32:1-2). The one who is forgiven is the recipient of God’s mercy. Paul here teaches that the Psalm means that justification includes divine forgiveness and that our transgressions are no longer held against us. What is more, this initial justification and forgiveness is an unmerited gift and not a wage that we earn by our human efforts. God’s actions in justifying us include crediting righteousness, forgiving iniquities, and covering and not recording our sins. God truly cleanses us through justification, but the sins we commit cannot be undone and remain forever as events of history. “God can remove the guilt of our sins; likewise, God can without the punishment that our sins deserve. But their occurrence remains forever inscribed in the annals of past time. This is something that God’s mercy must simply overlook” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 62).