Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ bẩy Tuần 12Thường Niên

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ bẩy Tuần 12Thường Niên- Gn 18:1-15,  Mt 8:5-17

Lạy Chúa Giêsu, khi chúng con bước vào giờ cầu nguyện này, chúng con xin Chúa ban cho chúng con có được một đức tin sâu sắc hơn và nồng nhiệt hơn vào Chúa. Đối với Chúa, tất cả mọi thứ đều có thể; biến đổi và chữa lành vết thương của trái tim chúng con.

Gặp gỡ Chúa Kitô:

            Đến gần Chúa Giê-su:

“Một người sĩ quan quân đội Lamã đến gần Chúa Giêsu và cầu xin Ngài.” Chúa Giêsu là luôn dễ tiếp cận. người sĩ quan này không ngại đến với Chúa và chúng ta cũng vậy. Sự hiện thân này chỉ dạy cho chúng ta bài học này là Thiên Chúa đã trở thành người để Ngài có thể dễ tiếp cận con con người chúng ta hơn, Giữa chúng ta và Thiên Chúa không khoảng cách xa vời nữa. Chúng ta là con cái của Ngài, không những chỉ là những người dân sống trên trái đất.

            Khi còn nhỏ, chúng ta có đặc ân đến với Chúa Giêsu với bất cứ điều gì chúng ta có trong lòng. Vậy tại sao đôi khi chúng ta lại ngần ngại không mang đến cho Chúa bất cứ điều gì trong tâm hồn và lòng trí của chúng ta, dù lớn hay nhỏ? Một đứa trẻ có thể ngụy trang được nhu cầu chăm sóc, yêu thương hoặc tình cảm của mình không? Vì thế chúng ta cũng không nên dấu diếu Thiên Chúa những gì gì trong lòng của chúng ta.

            Những Lời Vượt Thời Gian:

“Lạy Chúa, con không xứng đáng để Chúa vào nhà của con; nhưng xin Chúa phán mộ lời… ”Bằng những lời này, vị sĩ quan Lamã đã tỏ lộ đức tin của ông ta vào Chúa Giê-su và cho dù ông ta có uy quyền đối với những người khác, nhưng ông ta không tự phụ, mà còn khiêm tốn. Ông tin rằng Chúa Giê-su có thể chữa lành người tôi tớ của ông chỉ bằng một lời nói. Ông ta không cho rằng ông ta xứng đáng để Chúa Giêsu đến nhà mình; Ông ta không phải là người Do Thái mà là lính Lamã mà dân Do Thái rất ghét sợ. Chúa Giê-su đã nhận ra những đức tin và lòng khiêm tốn này nơi anh ta: “Quả thật, Ta bảo các ngươi, Ta không thấy một lòng tin mạnh mẽ như vậy trong Israel.”. Chúng ta có đức tin và lòng khiêm tốn này khi chúng ta nói chuyện với Chúa Giê-su không?

            Quyền năng của Đức Kitô:

“Ngài trừ thần dữ bằng một lời nói và chữa lành hết mọi người ốm đau." Chúa Giê-su có thể hoạt động trong cuộc sống của những người có đức tin và lòng khiêm tốn. Khi chúng ta phó thác mọi sự cho Chúa và để Ngàihoàn toà làm chủ cuộc sống của chúng ta, thì Ngài có thể làm những điều đáng kinh ngạc trong cuộc sống của chúng ta. Không chỉ chữa lành bệnh tật về thể chất của chúng ta, mà Chúa Giêsu còn muốn chữa lành chúng ta về mặt tinh thần vì tâm hồn của chúng ta là nơi thường xuyên bị tổn thương nhiểu nhất. 

            Điều quan trọng là chúng ta phải mở lòng đón nhận sự chữa lành hoàn toàn của Ngài, để nhờ lời Ngài mà chúng ta thoát khỏi mọi hình thức trói buộc hoặc những thói quen xấu, và giúp chúng ta có được khả năng biết yêu thương và phục vụ Ngài một cách tự do. Tất cả chúng ta cần phải phó thác các khía cạnh trong cuộc sống của mình cho Chúa Giêsu.        

            Đối thoại với Đức Kitô:

Lạy Chúa, hơn bất cứ điều gì, Ngài muốn phục hồi con để kết hợp hoàn hảo với chính Ngài. Con cũng muốn điều đó. Xin giúp con gạt bỏ niềm kiêu hãnh của mình sang một bên và mở rộng trái tim hoàn toàn đón nhận sự hàn gắn của Chúa để con có thể cảm nghiệm được trọn vẹn tình yêu trong Chúa.

  Lạy Chúa, hôm nay nhờ ân điển của Chúa, con sẽ thực hiện một hành động chân thành của đức tin, đầu hàng một điều gì đó rất khó khăn đối với con.

 

Saturday 12th in Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: Dear Jesus, as I enter this time of prayer, I ask you to grant me a deeper and more ardent faith in you. For you, all things are possible; transform and heal the wounds of my heart. 

Encountering Christ:

Approaching Jesus: “A centurion approached him and appealed to him.” Jesus is always approachable. The centurion wasn’t afraid to come to him and neither should we be. The incarnation teaches us just this lesson. God became man so that he could be more accessible, not distant. We are his children, not simply land-dwellers. As children, we have the privilege of coming to Jesus with whatever is on our heart. So why do we sometimes hesitate to bring him whatever is on our mind, on our heart, big or small? Does a child disguise his or her need for care, love, or affection? Nor should we.

Timeless Words: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word…” By these words, the centurion revealed that he had faith in Jesus and that, despite his authority over others, he wasn’t presumptuous, but humble. He believed that Jesus could heal by saying only a word. He didn’t presume that he was worthy to have Jesus come to his home; he was a non-Jew. Jesus recognized these qualities in him: “In no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Do we have this kind of faith and humility when we talk to Jesus?

The Power of Christ: “He drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick.” Jesus can work in the lives of those with faith and humility. When we surrender to him and get out of the way–as it were–he can do amazing things in our lives. More than just healing our physical ailments, Jesus wants to heal us spiritually because that’s where the greatest damage is all-too-often present. It is important that we open ourselves up to his complete healing, so that at his word we are free from all forms of bondage or addiction, and are made capable of loving and serving him in freedom. We all need to surrender aspects of our lives to Jesus. What holds us back today? 

Conversing with Christ: My Lord, more than anything, you want to restore me to perfect union with yourself. I want that too. Help me to put aside my pride and to open my heart fully to your healing touch so that I may experience the fullness of your love and divine friendship. 

 

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him. Matthew 8:14–15

          How do we properly respond to the action of God in our lives? In the passage above, we are given the witness of Peter’s mother-in-law to answer that question. It should be noted that Jesus was on a continual mission of healing. In fact, before arriving at the house of Peter, Jesus had just healed a centurion’s servant. When the centurion came to Jesus stating that he was not even worthy to have Him enter his house, Jesus saw the centurion’s faith and healed his servant from a distance. After arriving at the house of Peter, we are told that many people brought to Jesus those who were possessed by demons, and Jesus healed them all. But between the healing of the servant and the healings of the many, another healing occurred. The response to this healing sets for us a wonderful example.

           Peter’s mother-in-law was ill and in bed with a fever. It’s unclear just how ill she was, but the fact remains that she was ill to the point of being in bed. Notice, first, that Jesus was not even asked to heal her. Rather, He “saw” her ill and in bed, approached her of His own choosing, “touched her hand,” and she was healed. Within the same sentence describing Jesus’ healing, we are told that “she rose and waited on him.” First of all, “she rose.” This should be seen as a symbolic depiction of what we must do when we are touched by grace. The grace of God, when it is given to us, must have the effect of causing us to rise. We rise from sin when we confess that sin and receive forgiveness, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We rise up every time God enters our lives to give us direction, clarity and hope. To rise is to be strengthened to dispel the burden that sin and confusion causes. We rise in strength, renewed and determined to go about the will of God.

        After this woman rose, she “waited” on Jesus. This is the reason we rise up when touched by grace. We are not given God’s grace so that we can go back to our sin, or pursue our own ventures, or do our own will. We rise so that we can serve our Lord and His holy will. In a sense, Jesus’ actions in our lives impose upon us a holy burden. But it is a burden that is light. It’s an obligation to serve and give ourselves to our Lord to attend to Him, His holy will, and to all that He calls us to do.

       Reflect, today, upon this threefold action of the Gospel. See Jesus approaching you and touching you in your prayer. Know that He comes to you not only because you pray to Him but out of His own initiative when He sees you will respond. Then consider your response. Rise from that which keeps you down. Let God’s grace free you from the burdens you carry. And as He grants you this grace, determine to wait on Him and to serve His will alone. The service of our Lord is what we are made for, and doing so will enable us to continually receive His grace through His touch of love.

    My merciful Jesus, You continually come to me, approaching me to reach out and touch me with Your grace. You desire my healing and strengthening every day. Help me to be open to all that You wish to bestow and please free me from all that keeps me down. May I rise up in service of You and Your holy will so that Your Kingdom may be built up more fully through me. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have done marvelous things and performed wondrous deeds. All creation is a hymn to your power and awesomeness. Human history is a testament to your unfailing love. You sent your Son to redeem us and your Spirit to sanctify us. Help me to respond to your love and praise you for all eternity.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Ten Plagues: The section in Matthew’s Gospel that follows the Sermon on the Mount is a narrative of ten mighty deeds that Jesus did. In this way, Matthew recalls the ten “mighty deeds” of Moses in Egypt. The number ten also makes us think of the ten rebellions of Israel in the desert. Despite seeing the mighty deeds of the Lord mediated by Moses, the people of Israel were slow to believe and hard of heart. The same thing – ten mighty deeds followed by hardness of heart – happens in the Gospel of Matthew. When Moses performed the ten plagues in Egypt, the Book of Exodus often remarks that Pharaoh hardened his heart or that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. When Pharaoh saw that the Nile River, which was worshipped as a god, was turned to blood, this indicated that YHWH, the God of Moses, was more powerful than the Egyptian god. Effectively, the first of ten plagues demonstrated that the Lord God slew the Nile River. Each of the ten plagues, then, manifested that the Lord God was the true God of the universe and that the Egyptian gods were false gods. And yet, each time an Egyptian god was vanquished, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to believe.

2. Ten Rebellions: The hardness of heart manifested by Pharaoh was also manifested by the people of Israel in the desert. The book of Numbers records ten rebellions of Israel in the desert. They saw the same things that Pharaoh did and even more. Moses struck the rock and gave them water. Manna descended in the morning from the heavens, and the people had bread. Quail was given to them in abundance. They were healed from the bite of seraph serpents when they looked at the staff Moses set up. Leprosy was miraculously cured in the community. A pillar of cloud led them through the desert by day, and a pillar of fire led them and protected them by night. The sea was parted for them and rushed in upon Pharaoh’s army. And yet, despite these mighty works, the people of Israel rebelled. They saw the great things that the Lord did for them, and they refused to believe.

3. Ten Mighty Deeds: We see a similar history played out in the Gospel. Just as Pharaoh refused to believe when he saw the ten plagues, and just as many of the people in the wilderness refused to believe when they saw the great things Moses did through the Lord’s power, so also, the Pharisees conclude the section on Jesus’ ten mighty deeds with a refusal to believe and a diabolical accusation. Unlike the crowds, who respond, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel (Matthew 9:33), the Pharisees allege that Jesus’ miracles are the result of demonic power: “He drives out demons by the prince of demons” (Matthew 9:34). Jesus is acting like a New Moses; the Pharisees are acting like new Pharaohs. And just as Pharaoh sought to kill Moses and the Israelites, the Pharisees will plot to kill Jesus and his followers.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, work your mighty deeds in my life. May I have the faith of the centurion and recognize my unworthiness to have you dwell in the home of my heart. When I experience your healing power, may I be like Peter’s mother-in-law, who ministered to all those in her care.

 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ bẩy Tuần 12Thường Niên

Đôi khi chúng tôi nghĩ rằng các vị tiên tri thời Cựu ước thường hay mang những lời tiêu cực tới cho dân Do Thái, nhưng những lời huấn dụ gay gắt của Thiên Chúa qua các tiên tri thường là những lời cảnh báo luôn đi kèm với những lời khuyến khích họ sữa đổi để tìm đến niềm hy vọng trong sự tha thứ của Thiên Chúa.  Vì Thiên Chúa không thể quên được chính mình và những thứ thuộc về Ngài, Con Người chúng ta thuộc về Thiên Chúa và được Ngài yêu thương vì chính chúng ta đã được tạo nên trong chính hình ảnh của Ngài, vì thế Ngài không bao giờ có ý định tiêu diệt con người bao giờ hết,Nhưng Thiên Chúa luôn làm việc, và luôn có những kế hoạch mới cho cuộc sống của chúng ta trong tương lai.        Điều quan trọng là chúng ta không nên để cho những sự tuyệt vọng hay những tiêu cực xâm chiếm tâm hồn của chúng ta khi chúng ta gặp phải những khó khăn; hãy tránh những sự buồn tủi hay hoài nghi vì cả hai thứ này đều là kẻ thù của chúng ta và chúng muốn tìm cách hủy hoại tâm hồn chúng ta, Đây giờ là những lúc của sự đấu tranh, vì thế chúng ta cần phải biết dùng thời gian này để cầu nguyên, để cũng cố đức tin của chúng ta trong niểm hy vọng, Thiên Chúa không bao giờ ngủ và bỏ quên chúng ta.

            Nếu như chúng ta chỉ biết cố gắng nắm bắt những ý tưởng mới để hoà nhập với cái tư duy cũ của chúng ta thì chúng ta chẳg khác gì như là người đổ rượu mới vào bầu da cũ, Vì bầu da cũ đã khộ cứng không thể chịu đựng sự lên men và ép nép của rượu mới, nên khi rượu mới lên men, thì bình da cũ không thể co giãn, đàn hồi nên phải vỡ ra, và như thế bình da cũ sẽ vỡ toang ra thì rượu mới trong bình cũng bị đổ ra ngoài hết…..

            Khi chúng ta đều có những suy nghĩ hay ý tưởng mới, hình ảnh mới, hay biểu tượng mới, và cách thấu hiểu thế giới mới, chúng ta cần phải tạo nên một tâm trí và tâm hồn mớ để có thể chứa đựng chúng. Những ý tưởng cũ và cách làm việc cũ kỹ đôi khi cũng phải được đặt sang một bên, nếu chúng ta muốn phát triển và  tiến lên về phía trước. Vì thế trong những môi trường mới, những ý tưởng mới cũng phải được áp dụng đối với những ý thức tâm linh của chúng ta, Như chân Phước Hồng Y John Newman nói: "Sống là để thay đổi; được hoàn hảo là phải có sự thay đổi thường xuyên. “ Chúng ta hãy không nên cứng nhắc và sợ thay đổi hay cứ  bám víu thật chặt vào những gì quen thuộc mà nên biết thay đổi, cầu tiến và chấp nhận thay đổi của Giáo Hội.Lạy Chúa xin hãy mỡ rộng tâm hồn và lòng trí của chúng con để chúng con có một tâm hồn biết cởi mở và cầu tiến.

 

Reflection:

"Is there anything that is impossible for the God? (Gen 18: 14) This was the reply of the Lord to Sarah's skepticism that she would bear a child in her old age. Time and time the Lord has shown his faithfulness and power over things that do not seem humanly possible. Miracles of healing, conversion, how events conspire resulting in outcomes that only he could have wrought.  

 Let us not underestimate God and put limits on his power to surprise and amaze us. Let the words of Scripture reassure us of his infinite love for his people. As one develops the habit of thumbing through his living Word, we get to know our Lord more and more. And we are ever more convinced that nothing is too marvelous for him to do!  

     Harassed with everyday cares? Somehow, it all works out, we are able to sleep the sleep of the just, and in the morning, we are ready to face another day. Saddled with problems? The Lord will send people, veritable "angels" who can lift the burden for and along with us. Scared of a medical procedure? Let your prayer or mantra be, "Only you, O Lord, suffices," as St. Teresa of Avila affirmed. The Lord is above any pain, any trial that can be inflicted on us in this world. What a marvelous God we have!

our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, deserving of respect? Do we value the persons in our lives above material things, so that we spend more time with them than with earning more money? Like John the Baptist, each one of us must fashion a lifestyle that will make the Gospel easier to preach, to see, to influence. How different this will be in our culture with its self-centered and inauthentic life-style. Ultimately, we must be counter-cultural in terms of being really Christian, genuinely Christian, in all of life, not just at the Sunday liturgy. We are called and challenged to declare by the life-style we fashion, by the values we formulate, by the self-identity we reflect, the centrality of Jesus in our daily lives. We must be counter- cultural by proclaiming more through action than by words: "Jesus is Lord." That is what John the Baptist did. That is what we must try to do and to be, in reliving his life in ours. That is the message of today's feast, celebrating the birth of John the Baptist.

 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ bẩy Tuần 12Thường Niên- Gn 18:1-15,  Mt 8:5-17

            “Thưa Ngài, tôi chẳng đáng Ngài vào nhà tôi, nhưng xin Ngài chỉ nói một lời là đầy tớ tôi được khỏi bệnh” Tin Mừng hôm nay, nói về tình yêu của vị chỉ huy có uy quyền, tự tin, nhưng có một đức tin khiêm nhường. Mối quan tâm sâu sắc của ông đối với tôi tớ của ông, Ông rất lo lắng về người tôi tớ của mình, và trước cử chỉ khiêm tốn (thấp hèn) khi ông ta đến Chúa Giêsu để xin cứu chưa cho người đầy tớ của ông, Vị chỉ huy này tự nhận thấy thân phận của mình thấp hèn trước mặt Chúa và cảm thấy bản thân mình bất xứng, ông thể hiện đức tin của mình trước mặt Chúa Giêsu và trước mặt tất cả những người có mặt, Chính vì đức tin và tấm lòng khiêm nhường đó mà Chúa Giêsu đã hứa chữa lành cho người đầy tớ của ông ta. Chúng ta có thể tự hỏi điều gì thúc đẩy Chúa Giêsu đã làm cho phép lạ đê cứu ngươi đấy tớ của ông này. Chúng ta hay thường cầu xin Chúa nhưng ít khi được chúa ban ơn cho những gì mình xin, mặc dù chúng ta biết Ngài là luôn luôn lắng nghe!  Vậy, tại sao Chúa không ban cho chúng ta những gì chúng ta xin?

            Có phải là chúng ta đã cầu xin Chúa không đúng cách, như cách cầu xin của vị chỉ huy trên đã làm ? Lời cầu nguyện của ông không ích kỷ, nhưng rất khiêm nhường, tỏ lòng biết thương yêu người dưới quyền và tự tin. Thánh Phêrô Crysologus nói: “Sức mạnh của tình yêu không xem xét khả năng (...). Tình yêu không phân biệt cũng không cân nhắc, tình yêu không cần hiểu lý do, Tình yêu không từ chối trước khi bất khả, cũng không dừng bước trước những khó khăn đe dọa”. Đó có phải là những lời cầu nguyện của chúng ta?

            “Tôi chẳng đáng Chúa vào nhà của tôi  ...” (Mt 08:08). Đây là câu trả lời của vị chỉ huy, Chúng ta có cảm thấy thế nào khi nghe một người chỉ huy quân đội có bao nhiêu uy quyền trong tay mà nói với Chúa một câu như thế này? Niềm tin của chúng ta có được như thế? Thánh Maximus nói: “Chỉ có đức tin mới có thể giải thích bí ẩn này. Đức tin đúng là kiến thức, là sự hiểu biết sâu rộng. Đức tin là các căn nguyên vượt qua tầm hiểu biết của con người, vì đức tin thực sự làm cho chúng ta những điều vượt quá trí tuệ và sự hiểu biết”. Nếu đức tin của chúng ta được như vậy, Chúng ta sẽ chỉ cần nghe: “Con cứ về đi! con tin thế nào thì được như vậy! “Và ngay giờ đó, người đầy tớ được khỏi bệnh. »(Mt 08:13

 

Meditation:

What kind of faith and trust does the Lord Jesus want you to place in him? In Jesus’ time the Jews hated the Romans because they represented everything the Jews stood against – including pagan beliefs and idol worship, immoral practices such as abortion and infanticide, and the suppression of the Israelites' claim to be a holy nation governed solely by God's law. It must have been a remarkable sight for the Jewish residents of Capernaum to see Jesus’ conversing with an officer of the Roman army. Why did Jesus not only warmly receive a Roman centurion but praise him as a model of faith and confidence in God? In the Roman world the position of centurion was very important. He was an officer in charge of a hundred soldiers. In a certain sense, he was the backbone of the Roman army, the cement which held the army together. Polybius, an ancient write, describes what a centurion should be: "They must not be so much venturesome seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when hard pressed, they must be ready to hold their ground, and die at their posts."

            The centurion who approached Jesus was not only courageous, but faith-filled as well. He risked the ridicule of his cronies by seeking help from an itinerant preacher from Galilee, and well as mockery from the Jews. Nonetheless, he approached Jesus with confidence and humility. He was an extraordinary man because he loved his slave. In the Roman world slaves were treated like animals rather than people. The centurion was also an extraordinary man of faith. He wanted Jesus to heal his beloved slave. Jesus commends him for his faith and immediately grants him his request.

            Are you willing to suffer ridicule in the practice of your faith? And when you need help, do you approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith?  “Heavenly Father, you sent us your Son Jesus that we might be freed from the tyranny of sin and death. Increase my faith in the power of your saving word and give me freedom to love and serve others with generosity and mercy as you have loved me.”

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu tuần thứ 12 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu tuần thứ 12 Thường Niên

Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy những cách mà Chúa Giêsu đã đối xử với mọi người khác nhau, Trong câu chuyện hôm nay về người bệnh phong cùi, Theo luật Do Thái thì người mắc bệnh này không được phép đến gần bất cứ người Do Thái nào vì sẽ gây ô uế cho người đó và người đó phải được thanh tầy trước bước vào đèn thờ. Như những bài Tin Mừng thì Chúa Giêsu đã không ngại ngùng đến gần họ, và sẵn sàng chữa lành bệnh phong cùi của họ. Điều trái ngược với cách thức mà Ngài đã phản ứng với người cha của cậu bé bị quỷ ám (Mc 9:23) khi người ấy nói với Ngài "Lạy Chúa, Chúa có thể làm được bất cứ điều gì, xin thương xót chúng tôi và giúp chúng tôi." Chúa Giêsu có lẽ đã trả lời phần nào đột ngột hay ít nhất một cách nghiêm nghị: “Nếu có thể!... mọi sự đều là có thể cho người tin!"  Tức thì cha đứa bé kêu lên mà nói: "Tôi tin! Nhưng xin hãy đáp cứu lòng tin yếu kém của tôi!" (Mc 9:25).

            Những phản ứng khác nhau của Chúa Giêsu cũng cho chúng ta thấy những cách khác nhau trong những lời, lòng tin và cách cầu xin của những người đã xin Chúa thực hiện những yêu cầu của họ, Những người bệnh phong cùi đã không dám nói bất cứ điều gì vì dám đặt câu hỏi về khả năng của Chúa, nhưng người bệnh phong cùi này đã biết phó thác và đặt tất cả niềm tin tưởng vào sự quan phòng của Chúa Giêsu. Còn người đàn ông kia đã không đến với Chúa để cầu xin cho chính mình mà đến để cầu xin cho người con yêu dấu của mình, trong những lúc mà ông ta đang tuyệt vọng và đang tìm kiếm sự cưu giúp.

            Trong sự tuyệt vọng của ông ta, ông ta đã dùng những lời gần như đay nghiến chính mình. nhưng trong thực tế, trong thăm tâm của ông ta có lẽ đã không có ý như thế.  Do đó chúng ta đã được dạy để cầu nguyện với lòng khiêm tốn, kiên nhẫn, bền bĩ, và dịu dàng như là dấu hiệu của niềm tin đó cho phép chúng ta đón nhận và tận hưởng những ân sủng của Thiên Chúa. Lạy Chúa Giêsu, theo như Thiên ý và ân sũng của Chúa, Xin Chúa tẩy sạch chúng ta sạch mọi tội lỗi.

 

Reflection:

It is instructive to consider the different ways in which Jesus deals with people. In this story of the leper, recounted by Matthew, Mark and Luke. Jesus responds gently and promptly to the leper's indirect request for healing.  This contrasts with the way in which he reacted to the father of the boy possessed by a demon (Mark 9:23) who said: “If you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.” Jesus answered somewhat abruptly perhaps or at least sternly: “‘If you can?’ Everything is possible to anyone who has faith. ‘Immediately the boy’s father cried out,’ I do have faith.  Help the little faith I have!’”

Jesus’ different reactions also reveal to us the different ways in which the two men made their request. The leper did not say anything to appear to question Jesus’ ability to cure him but left everything to Jesus’ good will. The other man was not making a request for himself but for his son and was obviously desperately looking for help. His desperation added a sharpness to his words which he perhaps did not intend. We are thus taught to pray with humility and patience and gentleness as signs of the faith which allows us to receive and enjoy God’s graces. Lord Jesus, according to Your gracious will, cleanse us of all sin.

 

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Matthew 8:1–3

After leading the Israelites out of Egypt, God gave Moses not only the Ten Commandments but also laws governing daily life, including regulations on ritual purity. Among these were strict laws regarding leprosy, a contagious and incurable disease at the time. Lepers were forbidden to touch anyone, were isolated from the community, barred from worship, and required to cry out “Unclean, unclean” when approaching others. Beyond preventing disease, these laws had a deeper spiritual meaning: leprosy became a symbol of sin, which defiles the soul and separates us from the holiness of God, necessitating divine purification.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus fulfills and transcends the requirements of the Mosaic Law by touching and healing a leper. Under the Law, contact with a leper rendered a person unclean, yet Christ’s divine power reverses this order. The leper’s touch does not defile Jesus; instead, it purifies the leper. In this miraculous act, Jesus reveals a deeper spiritual reality: it is only through His touch of divine grace that sinners are truly cleansed and restored to communion with God. No longer does impurity separate man from holiness; rather, in Christ, holiness overcomes impurity, offering reconciliation and healing to all who seek Him in faith.

The scene unfolds immediately after Jesus concludes His Sermon on the Mount and descends from the mountain. This imagery echoes Moses descending from Mount Sinai after receiving the Ten Commandments. Yet, while Moses brought down a law written on stone, Jesus, the new and greater Moses, descends not merely as a lawgiver but as the very embodiment of the New Covenant. In Him, the Law is not only taught but fulfilled and perfected. Whereas the Mosaic Law prescribed ritual separation from impurity, Christ now draws near to the unclean, extending the Divine Mercy that alone can fully restore and sanctify.

The leper perfectly models how we ought to approach Jesus and the New Law of grace. He does not demand healing, nor even explicitly ask for it; rather, he simply professes faith in who Jesus is and what He can do: “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” In addressing Jesus as “Lord,” the leper acknowledges His divine authority, recognizing Him not merely as a miracle-worker, but as the One who has dominion over sickness, impurity, and all creation. Furthermore, the leper displays not only trust in Jesus’ power but also surrender to His divine will. He does not presume to dictate the outcome but submits himself entirely to the Lord’s mercy.

Too often, we approach God with a kind of spiritual wish list, treating prayer as a means of securing our desires rather than aligning ourselves with His will. Like the leper, we must transform our prayer from self-centered petitions to acts of faith and trust. First, we acknowledge God’s sovereignty—that He alone is the all-powerful Lord, capable of healing every wound and forgiving every sin. Second, we surrender completely to His will, trusting that He knows and desires what is best for us. How beautiful it is to pray, “Lord, if You wish…” or “Lord, as You will…”—a prayer that reflects a petition Jesus had just taught on the mountain: “Thy will be done.”

Reflect today on this humble leper and the example he sets for perfect prayer. We do not need to convince God to help us; He desires it far more than we do. Call to mind those areas of your life that, like leprosy of old, separate you from God and His Church, leaving you in need of His healing grace. Entrust your wounds to the Lord with humility and trust, laying them before His mercy. Seek Him in prayer and especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and like the leper, you too will hear Him say, “I will do it. Be made clean.”

Lord of perfect mercy, You desire my cleansing far more than I do, and You alone can accomplish it. Like the leper, I profess my faith in You as the New Moses, the Perfect Lawgiver, and the Divine Healer. All that You say and do is holy, restoring my soul and leading me to life. I surrender myself entirely to You—my wounds, my sins, my weaknesses. Let Your will alone be done in me, O Lord, for through Your touch, I find my healing and peace. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2026

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I wish to be made clean with all my heart. You sent your Son to cleanse me and wash away my sins with his blood. He is the true Lamb sacrificed for our sins. He is my brother and Redeemer, who paid my debt of sin and brought me home to you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The First of Ten Great Works of the New Moses: Matthew 8 begins the narrative section of Book Two of Matthew’s Gospel. While Book One, Matthew 3-7, announced the Kingdom, Book Two, Matthew 8-11, is concerned with the establishment of the Kingdom. It covers Jesus’ miracles and his commissioning and instruction of the twelve apostles. Jesus, the New Moses, comes down from the mountain after his sermon to perform the first of ten great works and signs that reveal the nature of the kingdom he has announced. The 10 great works of the New Moses recall the 10 plagues that the old Moses mediated to Egypt. Jesus first cures a leper, who exhibits great faith in Jesus and his divine power. Jesus was not made ritually unclean by touching the leper; rather, Jesus’ holiness transformed the uncleanliness of the leper and made the Leper clean. In his Incarnation, the Son was not made unclean by assuming our human nature. He became like us in all things but sin. He was not contaminated by his solidarity with us. Through his passion, Jesus transformed our human nature; he merited for us the Spiritual Bath that would cleanse us of our sins. We are made clean in the waters of Baptism because it is our share in the action by which our human nature was transformed, namely, the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2. Liturgical Worship in the New Kingdom: Jesus announced his kingdom with a call to repentance. Through the gift of God’s grace, we turn from a life of sin and enter into communion with God. Christ, the high priest taken from among men, has made us a new people, a kingdom of priests. Jesus tells the leper to show himself to the priest so that he can be reintroduced into the community of worship. Through our Baptism and our Confirmation, we are introduced into the Liturgy of God’s Kingdom: we now share in the thanksgiving sacrifice of the Son of God; we truly worship the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit.

3. The Faith of the Leper: The leper approaches Jesus with remarkable humility and confidence: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” He does not presume to tell Jesus what he must do, nor does he doubt Jesus’ power to act. His faith unites complete trust in Christ’s ability with complete surrender to Christ’s will. In this way, the leper teaches us how to pray. We bring our needs, wounds, and sins before the Lord with confidence, knowing that he possesses the power to heal and save. Yet we also submit ourselves to his wisdom and providence, trusting that whatever he wills is ordered to our true good. The response of Jesus reveals the heart of God toward those who seek him in faith: “I will; be clean.” Christ does not turn away from those who come to him in humility. He stretches out his hand, touches us in our weakness, and restores us to communion with God and his people.

 

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Matthew 8:1–4

To do homage to another is to publicly express reverence and respect. This is what this leper did to Jesus. He “did him homage.” But the leper went even further. He also expressed his certain faith that Jesus could cure him if He wished to do so. And Jesus did desire this. Jesus stretched out His hand to touch the leper and pronounced the words, “I will do it. Be made clean.” And with that, the leper was cleansed.

The first thing to note in this passage is that Jesus “touched” the leper. This was a forbidden practice, since lepers were unclean, and touching them could spread their disease. But Jesus broke the norm and touched the man, revealing to him his innate dignity.

It’s interesting to consider the question: Who paid whom a greater act of homage? Was the act of homage shown by the leper greater? Or the act of touching and cleansing the leper greater? Though we need not compare these two acts, it is helpful to reflect upon the profound fact that Jesus did show a form of homage to this unclean leper.

As was said above, to do homage to another is to publicly express reverence and respect to them. Without a doubt, Jesus did just this. He not only honored the leper by His touch and healing, but He publicly expressed His love and respect for this man through this act.

Of course, the homage we owe to God is unique. It is the homage of worship. We must bow down before Him, surrendering our lives in total abandonment and trust. We must honor Him as God and express our love accordingly. But, in addition to Jesus showing His almighty power by this miracle, He also sets for us an example of how we must treat others. Every person, because they are made in the image and likeness of God, deserves our utmost respect, and they deserve to receive that respect in a public way. We must continually seek to honor and respect others and express that honor and respect for others to see. This is especially difficult when the person we are called to show respect for is considered by others as “unclean.” The leper is only a symbol of the many types of people whom the world considers unclean and unworthy. Criminals, the poor, the confused, the sinner, the homeless, the political opponent and every other person in our world deserves our utmost respect and reverence. Doing so does not justify their sin; rather, it cuts through the surface and looks at their innate dignity.

Reflect, today, upon the act of homage done by this leper to Jesus. And then reflect upon the act of homage Jesus offers this leper by publicly confirming his innate dignity. Who in your life is represented by this leper? Who is “unclean” because of the condition of their life, the sin they commit, or the public stigma they have? Whom is God calling you to reach out and touch with love and respect, for others to see? Seek out the leper in your life and do not be afraid to imitate this holy act of homage exemplified by our Lord.

My holy Lord, You are worthy of all adoration, glory and homage. You and You alone deserve our worship. Help me to continually discover Your hidden presence in the lives of those around me. Help me, especially, to see You in the leper of our day. May my love and respect for them flow from my love for You and become an imitation of Your act of love for all. Jesus, I trust in You.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 12 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 12 Thường Niên

Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nhắc nhở mọi người chúng ta rằng khi chúng ta xây nhà trên cát, nó cũng giống như việc xây dựng niềm tin của chúng ta vào sự lãnh đạo sai lầm và những lời tuyên bố giả dối. Đây là loại đức tin sẽ không kéo dài. Thay vào đó, để xây một ngôi nhà được vững chắc, bền lâu, chúng ta phải xây trên một nền tảng bằng đá chắc, có nghĩa là "nên xây dựng cuộc sống của mình vào Thiên Chúa," vì Thiên Chúa ví chính Mình như là "Đá Tảng". Ở đây, Chúa Giêsu nhắc lại những mối quan hệ trong giao ước giữa Thiên Chúa với dân Israel tại Sinai. Bất chấp tất cả những gì đã xảy ra trong lịch sử của Israel. Thiên Chúa vẫn luôn luôn trung thành với giao ước.

            Chúng ta nên tránh xa những nhà lãnh đạo sai quấy, những người tìm cách dẫn đưa chúng ta đến gần với họ hơn là đến gần với Thiên Chúa. Ơn gọi của chúng ta cũng như các môn đệ, là sống để làm theo ý muốn của Thiên Chúa và không ngừng xây dựng mối liên hệ giữa chúng ta và Thiên Chúa theo tinh thần của giao ước mới giữa Thiên Chúa và chúng ta. Đó là một cuộc sống biết dựa vào sự quan hệ với Thiên Chúa bằng niềm tin không thể sụp đổ, Với niềm tin vững mạnh vào Thiên Chúa chúng ta sẽ chẳng còn sợ gì, cho dù là sức mạnh của bảo tố cỡ nào đi nữa, thì nó cũng không thể lay chuyển được chúng ta.

 

Reflection Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time –

            In his sermon, Jesus tells the people that when we build our house on sand, it is like building our faith on false leadership and false claims. This type of faith will not last. Instead, to build our house on a rock, means to “to build one’s life on God,” since God is Himself is “the Rock”. Here, Jesus recalls the covenant relationship established by God with the people of Israel at Sinai. Regardless of all that had happened in the history of Israel, God has always remained faithful to the covenant.

We should avoid false leadership or claims that seek to lead us closer, not to God, but to the leader himself or herself. Our call as disciples is to do God’s will and to constantly build on the covenant relationship between God and us. A life build on this covenant relationship with God cannot fall, no matter how strong the forces against it. Lord, help me build my trust in You alone.

 

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’” Matthew 7:21–23

Jesus’ words are shocking because they challenge the assumption that prophesying, casting out demons, and performing mighty works in His name guarantee entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. However, mighty works without obedience and love are insufficient. The passage warns against a distorted discipleship that promotes our own will rather than relying on the interior conversion required to do the will of the Father.

Saint Paul echoes this truth: “And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). Even the most extraordinary spiritual gifts—prophecy, knowledge, and faith to move mountains—are worthless unless they are animated by the infused virtue of charity, the love that comes from God and enables us to act according to His will.

Jesus’ warning is particularly relevant to those who bear responsibility for preaching, teaching, or guiding others in the faith. Those who work in God’s name can sometimes act according to their own will rather than His. At times, even devout Christians fail to be authentic instruments of God’s pure and perfect will, mistaking their own judgments or desires for His divine guidance.

It is essential that everyone who claims to follow Christ regularly reflect on Jesus’ words. He did not teach this lesson as a mere theoretical warning but because He knew that many of His followers would need it. This passage is not meant to encourage us to judge others within the Church, presuming to identify those who fit His description. Rather, it is a personal exhortation meant for each of us. Jesus preaches these words so that we might examine our own hearts, asking whether we truly seek to do the Father’s will or merely profess faith in name alone.

As a source of self-reflection, consider the words “Lord, Lord.” If you use those words—if you pray and call on God as the Lord of your life—that is a good start; but it is only a start. Many people struggle even to reach that personal level of prayer and attentiveness to God.

Presuming you do pray, how do you pray? Do you list for God the many things you do for Him, expecting Him to be impressed? Do you prophesy in God’s name, meaning you speak about Him to others? Do you cast out demons in God’s name, meaning you combat satan and all evil? Do you do mighty deeds in God’s name, meaning you engage in works that reflect Christian discipleship?

If so, that is good—but based on today’s Gospel, it is not enough. According to our Lord, some who answer “Yes” to those questions will hear at the time of their judgment: “I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.”

Reflect today on Jesus’ challenging call to listen clearly to His voice alone and then act in accord with His will. Doing so requires us to set aside our own agenda and preconceived notions of what God wants. Serving Christ is not a matter of doing Him favors for which He will be grateful. It’s a matter of unwavering obedience by which we do God’s will alone—nothing less, nothing more, and nothing other. Heed Jesus’ challenge and reexamine how you serve Him. Listen first, then act on what you hear. Doing so will guarantee that your life is built on a solid rock foundation of the faith that leads to the divine gift of charity.

My demanding and just Lord, flood my mind with Your Word, that I may know Your ways. As I listen to Your voice, grant me the courage to act on all You say, never seeking my own will but Yours alone. Use me as You will for Your glory and make me obedient to Your Word, that my life may be built upon the solid foundation of faith and love. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2026

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want my house and my life to be built wisely on solid rock and not foolishly on shifting sand. I promise to listen to the life-giving words of your Son and act on them. May I accomplish your heavenly will in all that I do.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Two Kinds of Paths: The Sermon on the Mount began with the promise of nine blessings upon those who practice humility, justice, and peace. The Sermon ends with three warnings. We read the first warning on Tuesday (Matthew 7:12-14): Woe to those who walk along the easy path that leads to the wide gate. It is a path and gate that leads to destruction and eternal death. The narrow and difficult path and gate lead to eternal life. Which path are we following right now? Which path will we follow in the days ahead?

2. Two Kinds of Prophets: Yesterday, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist, so we didn’t hear the first part of the second warning from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:15-20). After contrasting two paths, Jesus highlights the difference between listening to false prophets and true prophets. False prophets are wolves in sheep’s clothing. The fruit they produce may look good at first, but ultimately it is rotten. Rotten trees produce rotten fruit; good trees produce good fruit. Lambs and sheep who follow the Good Shepherd produce good fruit, often through the dedication and sacrifice of their lives. Wolves can put on a good show, but eventually are caught and unmasked. The false prophet – the wolf in sheep’s clothing – cries out, “Lord, Lord,” but this is just empty lip-service and is only for show. It is not true faith working through charity. Instead of helping others to grow in knowledge of the good shepherd and develop a relationship with the shepherd, they merely go through the motions. They want to take advantage of others and care very little, in the end, if others are brought to Christ. Which false prophets have I followed?

3. Two Kinds of Builders: The third warning brings out the need to do the will of the Father in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We need to listen to Jesus’ words and act on them. If we do this, our lives will be built on solid rock and not sand. Jesus is the one who reveals to us the will of the Father. Every time we read the Gospel in prayer, we are listening to Jesus’ words. By keeping his commands, we remain in his love (John 15:10). God’s word enables us to find the path that leads to harmony with God’s loving will. In Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict taught that we can discern God’s will and recognize it in our conscience, but that we also need Jesus to draw us up to himself and into himself, so that in communion with him we can learn God’s will (see Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Vol. 1, 148-150). What kind of foundation have I built my life on?

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 12 Thường Niên

Trong thời đại của sự hài lòng tức thời và sự tiến bộ của kỹ thuật và công nghệ, chúng ta rất dễ bị nản lòng khi mọi thứ không theo ý muốn của chúng ta. Thánh giáo hoàng John Paul II gọi đó là " quán cà phê Công giáo ", nơi mà chúng ta chỉ chọn các nguyên tắc và giá trị thuận tiện cho chúng ta và chúng ta sẵn sàng bỏ qua các vấn đề khác. Có bao nhiêu người trong chúng ta hôm nay bị chế giễu tại chỗ làm việc vì chúng ta chịu đựng quá nhiều nỗi khó khăn và bị chê là chúng ta không thực tế? Hay chúng ta tự diễn giải về những lời giáo huấn của Giáo hội theo sở thích của chúng ta và hợp lý hóa cho những gì chúng ta thực sự biết là sai nhưng cố biện minh để làm cho nó có vẻ đúng?

            Thiên Chúa là tấm gương của chúng ta về sự trung tín. Ngài rất yêu chúng ta không phải "vì... " mà là "bất chấp". Như chúng ta được thấy hình ảnh trong các dụ ngôn về đứa con hoang đàng (Lc 15: 11-32) và những người làm công trong vườn nho (Mt 20: 1-16), tình yêu thương và sự độ lượng, nhân từ của Ngài dành cho mỗi người chúng ta đều như nhau. Ngài không dành sự thiên vị nhiều hơn cho những người "ngoan ngoãn hơn", "trung thành hơn" hay "chăm chỉ hơn", Niềm tin và tình yêu của Ngài dành cho mỗi người chúng ta không đổi, không ai hơn không ai kém hơn.

            Đức tin không phải là kết quả của những lời cầu xin hoàn toàn hay thành khẩn, không bị ảnh hưởng bởi những hoàn cảnh riêng biệt. Nhưng đức tin phải được tại nên như bất kỳ một mối quan hệ nào bằng với thời gian và nỗ lực. Cầu nguyện liên tục, thường xuyên lãnh nhận các bí tích và tìm cách nghe Lời Chúa thường xuyên hơn; những điều này sẽ giúp chúng ta giữ được đức tin của chúng ta mạnh mẽ, để khi chúng ta gặp phải khó khăn, chúng ta không nhanh chóng phàn nàn hay chạy trốn mà chúng ta phải hiên ngang đối mặt với những rắc rối, khó khăn của chúng ta và như thế, chúng ta sẽ nhìn thấy được có bàn tay của Chúa đang giúp và nâng đỡ chúng ta thoát khỏi những sự khốn khó và đem chúng đến với sự hoàn hảo. Khi chúng ta nhìn thế giới bằng đức tin, chúng ta không chỉ đơn giản nhìn thấy những cái tốt và xấu; thay vào đó, chúng ta thấy Thiên Chúa tiết lộ chính Ngài cho chúng ta.

 

REFLECTION

In this era of instant gratification and technological advancement, it is very easy to get discouraged when things do not go our way. Pope John Paul II called it "cafeteria Catholicism," where we choose only the principles and values that are convenient to us and ignore other issues. How many of us today would scoff at Job for enduring so much hardship and say he's not being practical? Or interpret the Church's teachings according to our preferences and rationalize or justify what we intrinsically know as wrong in order to make it seem right?             God is our example of faithfulness. He loves us not "because of" but "in spite of." As illustrated in the parables of the prodigal son (Lk 15:11-32) and the workers in the vineyard (Mt 20:1-16), his love and generosity extend equally to all. He does not favor those who are "more obedient," "more loyal," or "more hardworking." His faith and love are constant.

            Faith is not the result of fulfilled petitions. It is not affected by circumstances. It is established like any relationship with time and effort. Constant communication (prayer), receiving sacraments, seeking to hear the Word of God – these helps keep our faith strong, so that when difficulties arise, we are not quick to complain and run away but rather face our troubles and see God's hand molding us into perfection. When we view the world with faith, we do not simply see good and bad; instead, we see God revealing Himself to us.

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. Matthew 7:28–29

These lines conclude the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew’s Gospel chapters 5–7. In that lengthy sermon, Jesus touches on many topics and presents us with a summary of all we need to know in our lives of faith. In these concluding lines of His sermon, the words “astonished” and “authority” should stand out. Why were the crowds astonished at Jesus’ teaching? Because His teaching was new and relied upon a new authority that the people hadn’t experienced before.

The authority with which the scribes taught was based upon their knowledge of the traditions handed down to them from earlier teachers. The scribes studied long and hard and then presented what they had learned. This was the form of religious teaching that the people were used to receiving.

Jesus, however, arrived on the scene and astonished the crowds, because He spoke with a new authority that they had not seen before. Jesus’ authority came forth from His very Person. It was not based upon what He had studied and learned from those who preceded Him. Instead, when He spoke, it was He Himself Who was not only the mouthpiece of the New Law of grace, He was also the Author of the Law and its source.

Try to ponder the idea of authority. For example, a child knows that a parent has authority over them. They may not like it at times, but they understand that they do not set the rules of the house but must abide by the rules set by their parents. Or consider the authority of civil leaders. Law enforcement officers, for example, have an authority entrusted to them by their office. They are not only well versed in the rule of law, they can also enforce it and everyone knows it.

Similarly, Jesus did not just know about the new and glorious truths He taught. He did not simply learn them from the Father in Heaven and then pass them on verbally. Instead, when He taught, He did so as the One Who knew the New Law of grace, the One from Whom it originated, and the one and only Person sent to enact and enforce this New Law.

Reflect, today, upon the New Law of grace and mercy taught by our Lord, especially as it is contained in the lengthy Sermon on the Mount. Reading those words is much more than something we study and learn. The words themselves are alive; they are the Word of God. Reading them makes present to us the same authority that the crowds experienced in Jesus’ time. Everything Jesus taught was and is new, deep, profound, transforming and alive. And when He teaches it, He also establishes His divine authority to enforce it upon the world. This is good news, because His New Law is not an imposition; it is the one and only source of freedom and new life. Reflect upon this New Law of our Lord and pray that you will more fully come under its authority.

My glorious Lawgiver, You taught as One with authority. Today, as Your holy Word is read and proclaimed, You continue to exercise Your new and glorious authority of love and mercy. Please help me to listen to You and to always submit myself to Your authority so that I am governed by Your New Law of grace. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want my house and my life to be built wisely on solid rock and not foolishly on shifting sand. I promise to listen to the life-giving words of your Son and act on them. May I accomplish your heavenly will in all that I do.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Tempted by Sarai: In the First Reading, we hear of Sarai’s solution to the problem of not having any children. Just as Eve tempted her husband, Adam, and gave him the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Sarai tempted her husband, Abram, to father a child with her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar. This was not God’s plan. God was testing his servants, and they failed to be patient. Sarai and Abram wanted to hasten the fulfillment of God’s promise instead of continuing to trust in the Lord. Just as Eve listened to the serpent who falsely promised a share in God’s life through sin, so also Sarai listened to the temptation to bring about God’s promise through sin. “Just as Eve gave the forbidden fruit to Adam, so likewise Sarai gives the forbidden fruit of Hagar to Abram” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 43-44). When we sin, we lie to ourselves.

2. Abram’s Sin: Just as Adam did not object to the sinful fruit offered by Eve, Abram did not object to Sarai’s proposal. “And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai” (Genesis 16:2). “That verse has an ominous ring. Did he think to seek the voice of God in this matter? Perhaps he just mused, God helps those who help themselves. Humanly speaking, Sarai was way beyond the age of fertility. So why not try out her suggestion, Abram may have rationalized. After all, God’s promise of ‘seed’ didn’t specify a female individual by name” (Hahn, A Father who Keeps His Promises, 101). The fallout of their sin “is tension in the home (16:4), retaliation (16:6), and the birth of a wild and contentious son (16:12)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 78). God will respond to Abram’s sin by inviting him fourteen years later to “walk before me, and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). God promises that Abraham would have a son by Sarai. And as a sign of this covenant promise, God commands circumcision. And this sign has a penitential dimension, considering Abraham tried to bring about God’s plan by having sexual relations with his wife’s maidservant.

3. The Conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount: In the Gospel, Jesus, the son of David, concludes his Sermon on the Mount with two teachings: the first is the need to do the will of the Father in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven; the second is to listen to Jesus’ words and act on them. The two teachings go hand in hand: Jesus is the one who reveals to us the will of the Father. Every time we read the Gospel in prayer, we are listening to Jesus’ words. By keeping his commands, we remain in his love (John 15:10). God’s word enables us to find the path that leads to harmony with God’s loving will. In Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict taught that we can discern God’s will and recognize it in our conscience, but that we also need Jesus to draw us up to himself and into himself, so that in communion with him we can learn God’s will (see Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Vol. 1, 148-150).

Thứ Tư Sau Chúa Nhật 12 Thuờng niên

Thứ Tư Sau Chúa Nhật 12 Thuờng niên - Gospel Mt 7:15-20

Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã cảnh báo chúng ta rằng cái dáng bên ngoài có thể bị đánh lừa chúng ta. Chúng ta không thể chỉ đánh giá con người bởi sự cái dáng đẹp trai, hay xinh xắn bề ngoài, nhưng chúng ta phải tìm hiểu nội tâm và sự suy tính của người đó.  Một con sói có thể mặc da cừu, nhưng điều đó không làm cho nó trở thành một con cừu. Đó là một sự lừa gạt, nó cố tạo ra cái giáng con Cừu ngây thơ vô tội, nhưng thật tình nó giả cừu đề gần cừu và giết cừu con để ăn thịt. Một con cừu thật sự không bao giờ có thể ăn thịt đồng bọn, thực sự nó không bao giờ có thể làm được cái điều gian ác đó. Một con sói đội lốt cừu, nó có thể thay đổi hình dáng bề ngoài của nó nhưng sẽ không thể thay đổi cái bản chất bên trong nham hiểm độc ác của Sói. Sói vẫn hoàn là sói cho dù có có dáng dấp bề ngoài của nó là những thừ gì!.

            Nhìn những hành vi của mình, những người chung quanh chắc chắn sẽ thấy được cái bản chất thật của mình, chùm nho có được từ cây nho, và những bụi gai không thể nào sản xuất được những chùm nho, đó là bản tính tự nhiên của thiên nhiên. Trái táo không bao giờ có thể thấy từ một dây leo. Tất cả mọi thứ đều có tính chất bẩm sinh riêng biệt trong thiên nhiện

            Chúng ta cần phải nhận thức được việc đúng hay sai trong cuộc sống của chúng ta và sống theo luân lý đạo đức như một người chính trực. Tiên tri Isaia đã cảnh báo: " Khốn thay những kẻ bảo cái tốt là xấu, cái xấu là tốt,những kẻ biến tối thành sáng, sáng thành tối,(Ê-sai 5:20).

            Để chúng ta tránh được những sai lầm trong cuộc sống cá nhân của chúng ta, chúng ta phải thiết thực, thật lòng và tin tưởng nơi Thiên Chúa, với lời của Ngài, và ân sủng của Ngài đó đặc điểm và cá tính! Những người thực sự thành tâm với Thiên Chúa, họ biết rằng sức mạnh của họ không tùy thuộc chính bản thân họ, nhưng là tùy thuộc nơi Thiên Chúa, Thiên Chúa sẽ ban những gì chúng ta cần đến, Ngài luôn luôn ở bên cạnh và sẵn sàng giúp chúng ta mỗi khi cần.

            Thành quả của một môn đệ được đánh dấu bằng hy vọng, đức tin và tình yêu, công lý, thận trọng, dũng cảm và tiết độ. Để theo Chúa Giêsu Kitô, chúng ta cố nên tìm kiếm những việc làm hữu ích giống như việc trồng hoa quả tốt trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, xa lánh, chối bỏ bất cứ điều gì tạo ra hậu quả xấu xa.  Chúng ta hãy cầu xin Chúa Giêsu Kitô, Chúa chúng ta giúp cho chúng ta biết can đảm để sinh hoa đẹp, trái tốt vì phần rỗi của chúng ta, chúng ta biết chối bỏ bất cứ những điều gian ác hay gây ra gương mù, gương xấu cho người chung quanh. Xin Chúa giúp chúng ta được lớn mạnh trong đức tin, hy vọng, tình yêu trong Chúa trong sự công bằng, bác ái.`

 

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time - Gospel Mt 7:15-20

            In the Gospel today, Jesus warns us that appearances can be deceiving. We can’t just judge people by the appearance; we have to find out what’s inside the Heart and brain. A wolf can wear a sheepskin, but that doesn’t make him a sheep. It’s a trick. He’s trying to look innocent, but he wants to eat the sheep, something a real sheep could never do. A wolf in sheep clothing may change his outward appearance but does not change his inner nature. He is still a wolf regardless of his appearance, and his behavior will show his true nature. Grapes come from grapevines and nowhere else. Thorn bushes cannot produce grapes. It’s not in their nature.  Apples can never grow from an ivy tree. Everything has an innate nature that will show through.

            We need to be aware of a true or false teacher in our lives and live according to moral truth and upright character. The prophet Isaiah warned against the dangers of falsehood: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20). How do we avoid falsehood in our personal lives? By being true, true to God, his word, and his grace, and that takes character! Those who are true to God know that their strength lies not in themselves but in God who supplies what we need.   The fruit of a disciple is marked by faith, hope and love, justice, prudence, fortitude and temperance.  To follow Jesus Christ, we seek to cultivate good fruit in your life and reject whatever produces bad fruit.  We ask our Lord Jesus to give us the courage to bear good fruit for His sake and reject whatever will produce evil fruit. Ask Him to help us grow in faith, hope, love, sound judgment, justice, courage, and self control.

 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư, tuần 13 Thường Niên

            Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy rằng ma quỷ có thật, hiện hữu và chúng luôn tìm cách để xâm nhập vào tâm hồn và ngay cả thân xác để hãm hãi chúng ta. Ma quỷ luôn tìm cách để tách biệt chúng ta ra khỏi tình yêu của Thiên Chúa bằng cách cám dỗ và làm cho chúng ta mù quáng và không nhìn nhận ra đâu là sự thật, và ngăn cản chúng ta làm những gì đẹp lòng Thiên Chúa.

            Làm thế nào ma quỷ và sự ác có thể thành công trong việc áp đạt quyền lực của chúng trên chúng ta?  Ma quỷ sẽ tìm cách và làm bất cứ điều gì khiến cho mọi người chúng ta phải tách rời xa Thiên Chúa, chẳng hạn như việc chúng làm cho chúng ta tin rằng chúng ta là bậc thầy của chính mình, bằng cách tập trung và đạt sự chú tâm của chúng ta vào các giá trị bên ngoài, như tham lam,ích kỷ, tự đại...

            Một khi chúng ta đang sống trong đường lối của Thiên Chúa trong tình yêu, chân lý và sự thật, Nhưng nếu chúng ta lại để cho bóng tối, với tham vọng và những lời nói dối len lỏi vào trong tâm hồn của chúng ta vả từ đó ma quỷ sẽ nắm lấy cơ hội đó đễ làm chúng ta khoe khoang, chia rẽ chúng ta và Thiên Chúa. Tuy nhiên, Thiên Chúa sẽ bao bỏ rơi chúng ta mà Ngài còn ban cho chúng ta những ân sủng và cứu chúng ta trong những tình huống tuyệt vọng, ngay cả những khi chúng ta đã làm những việc mất lòng Chúa như Chúa Giêsu đã giải thoát và cứu chữa người bị quỷ ám trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay. Điều duy nhất mà chúng ta cần phải làm là phải biết đặt niềm tin của chúng ta trong bàn tay thương yêu vô biên của Chúa, hãy tin tưởng và chắc chắn rằng Ngài sẽ không bao giờ bỏ rơi chúng ta.

            Lạy Chúa, xin giải thoát chúng con thoát khỏi mọi sự dữ của những điều gian ác, và những sự cám dỗ của tội lỗi và  ma quỷ.

 

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2026

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:15–16

    Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, describes the fruits borne from a life steeped in sin—the works of the flesh: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.” In contrast, he lists the fruits borne from a life lived in the Holy Spirit: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (cf. Galatians 5:19–23).

    Saint Paul’s words reflect Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel. While Jesus primarily warns against false religious leaders who lead souls astray, His teaching applies to all influential voices that shape hearts and minds. The “fruits” of a person’s life reveal the truth of their character—not only in their ministry but also in the lives of those who follow them. People in past generations were primarily influenced by family, neighbors, or community members. Today, television, the Internet, and social media have introduced a new and powerful class of influencers—many of whom we have never met—who shape our values, habits, and aspirations.

    Young people, in particular, are highly susceptible to such influences. Social media influencers, through carefully curated images, short video clips, and charismatic messaging, often portray a life of happiness and success that their followers long to imitate. The seductive nature of these figures—who appear to reveal the secrets to success, beauty, relationships, or wealth—can subtly shape moral outlooks. Many promote ideas and values contrary to the Gospel, presenting a lifestyle that leads not to the fruits of the Spirit but to the works of the flesh.

    However, this influence is not limited to the young. Across all ages, cultures, political affiliations, and occupations, people are swayed by voices in the media, in entertainment, and even within the Church. False prophets do not always present themselves as explicitly evil; their words are often mixed with just enough truth to seem compelling. Yet, as Jesus warns, “by their fruits you will know them.”

We must apply Saint Paul’s contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit to those we allow to shape our lives. Many modern influencers, though they appear polished and successful, subtly promote immorality, impurity, selfishness, dissensions, factions, and envy. These values are often woven into the media we consume—television, music, social platforms, and even popular ideologies. Despite the clear dangers, many are drawn in by these influences and are affected more deeply than they realize. Thus, discernment is essential.

    The best safeguard against false prophets is a life firmly rooted in Christ. We must immerse ourselves in prayer, Scripture, and the Sacraments, where the Holy Spirit will grant us the wisdom to discern truth from deception.

    Reflect today on the fruit Jesus calls you to bear: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Who in your life—whether in person or through media—most inspires these qualities in you? Resolve today to fill your mind and heart with voices that bear good fruit. Seek out those whose words and actions align with the Gospel, and actively turn away from those who promote division, impurity, vanity, and selfish ambition. By doing so, you will be heeding Jesus’ warning: “Beware of false prophets.” The battle for your soul—and the souls of the next generation—begins with the voices we choose to hear.

    My Lord of abundant fruitfulness, when You dwell within me, my life bears good fruit for Your Kingdom, for others, and for my own soul. Grant me wisdom to discern the voices around me—to reject those not from You and to follow those filled with Your Spirit. May I, too, be a holy voice, shining Your light for all to see. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

“Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.” Matthew 7:16–17

    “So by their fruits you will know them.” This is how our Gospel passage for today concludes. It offers us an exceptionally practical way by which you can discern the working of God in your own life and in the life of others.

    When you look at your own life, what good fruit, born for the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God, do you see? Some people may find little to no fruit born, either for good or bad. Such complacency is, in and of itself, bad fruit. Other people may see an abundance of fruit, thus producing many consequences in this world. They influence the lives of many, and their public actions make a true difference. Sometimes for good…and other times for evil.

    When discerning the actions of God in our world, we must first be very objective. The evil one is always very deceptive and regularly presents his bad fruit as good. For example, the legalization of abortion is often presented by many within our world as a “right to choose” or a “health service.” But the intentional death of any unborn child is clearly “bad fruit” from a “rotten tree.” There are even many so-called “humanitarian groups” or very wealthy “philanthropists” who present their work as “good fruit,” when it is anything but good. And on the contrary, there are many who work hard to bring forth a greater respect for life from the moment of conception to natural death, or strive to uphold the sacredness of marriage as God designed it, or work to promote the freedom to worship in accord with the will of God, but are labeled by the secular world as prejudiced, bigoted, fearmongers and even hateful. But their work, done very sacrificially, truly does bear good fruit for the Kingdom of God.

    How about your own life? When you examine your actions and the fruit born of those actions, from where does that fruit originate? Does it come from a false sense of compassion, a misguided “charity,” and a fear of being criticized for standing for the truth? Or does it come from a deep love of God, an awareness of the truth God has revealed to us, and through a courageous proclamation of the pure Gospel?

    Good fruit, born from the heart of the Father in Heaven, will always mirror the truths of our faith. A false sense of compassion, false accusations, persecutions and the like will flow from the rotten trees in our world. We must work diligently to be those good trees that bear the good fruit coming from God. This requires a radical commitment to do what is right in the face of the evil all around us.

    Reflect, today, upon these images Jesus presents. Do you see clearly both the good and bad fruit around you? Is your life helping to foster the lies of the evil one or the truth and love of God? Look at the fruit your life bears, as well as the fruit within our world, in an objective way, comparing it to the clear and unambiguous teachings of Jesus. Seek out that good fruit with all your heart and do all you can to bring it forth, no matter the cost, and you will not only save your soul, you will also help feed others with the good fruit of Heaven.

    My Lord of all truthfulness, You and You alone define the good and evil in our world. Your truth reveals the good fruit that is born to nourish the growth of Your glorious Kingdom. Give me courage and clarity of mind and heart so that I may continually do all that You call me to do so as to bring the good fruit of the Kingdom to all in need. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want to be a good tree in your orchard. Prune me and nourish me so that I may bear good fruit for your Kingdom. Cut away the stubbornness of my heart. Fill me with the warm light of your Son and the life-giving water of your Spirit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. From Promises to Covenants: When we read the Genesis story of Abram, later named Abraham, we see how God elevates each of his three promises to Abram to covenants. The first promise was that God would make Abram a great nation. As the years passed, Abram grew somewhat impatient when he didn’t see the fulfillment of that promise. In the First Reading, we hear him complain that he has no children and that one of his servants was going to end up as his heir. God responded to Abram’s complaint by asking him to contemplate the stars and number them: “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so shall your descendants be.” Abram responded to God with faith, not doubt. Now, on a clear night away from the city, we can only see between 2,000 and 4,500 stars. You reach this number of descendants in 11 to 12 generations. In response, Abram trusted that God would be faithful to his promise and covenant and that his descendants would be numerous. God added that Abram’s descendants would possess the land of Canaan. And when Abram asked for a sign, the Lord God responded by making a binding covenant. The Lord passed through the sacrificed animals alone, signifying that he would be faithful to his promise and covenant. Abram believed the Lord God, and this act of faith was rewarded with the “grant covenant” of nationhood and land: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates.”

2. The Lord Remembers His Covenant Forever: Psalm 105 is a prayer that contemplates the fidelity of the Lord to his covenants. “The psalm accents the Lord’s faithfulness to Israel: all the miracles, provisions, and acts of deliverance displayed in early biblical history show that God went to great lengths to fulfill his covenant oath to give Abraham’s offspring ‘the land of Canaan … for an inheritance’ (105:11)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 920). The covenant that God made with Abraham was reiterated to his son, Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob (Israel) (Psalm 105:9-11). We notice that God did not require Abram to walk between the covenant pieces. This means that it was a grant covenant, like that given to Noah. Just as Noah believed God, so also Abram believed. And just as God swore to Noah that he would not destroy the earth again with a flood, so also God swore to Abram that he would father a great nation and his descendants would occupy the land of Canaan. God is faithful to his covenants, even when we are not.

3. Warning against False Prophets: In the Gospel today, Jesus warns his followers to be on guard against false prophets, who claim to speak for God but actually teach in opposition to the Gospel. False prophets are wolves dressed like sheep. How can we distinguish false prophets from true teachers? “Jesus tells us to examine their behavior. On the principle that like produces like, we are to evaluate the fruits of their lives. If their actions and their character show forth good things, such as grapes and figs, then the prophet is a good and trustworthy tree. However, if the works of the alleged prophet produce prickly thistles or a harvest of bad fruit, then he has blown his cover – the self-styled prophet is really a rotten tree that cannot be trusted” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 120). With time, the sheepskin the false prophet wears will fall off, and the fruit of their works will be revealed as rotten. With time, the works of true prophets reveal that they are good and lasting. They are true sheep who faithfully heed the voice of the Good Shepherd.