Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy tuần thứ 7 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy tuần thứ 7 Thường Niên
Bài đọc thứ nhất trích sách Huấn Ca dạy chúng ta là giống như sự yêu thương của cha mẹ, Thiên Chúa đã tạo con người ra và ban cho nhân loại tất cả những thú cần thiết; Ngài hy vọng chúng ta nhìn thấy và nhận ra tấm lòng rộng lượng và sự sáng tạo vĩ đại của Ngài.
            Tất cà những em nhỏ rất đặc biệt trong ánh mắt của Thiên Chúa, vì chúng tin tưởng trong niềm tin là cha mẹ sẽ chăm lo hết mình cho chúng. Nếu không có tình yêu và sự chăm sóc của cha mẹ, các em nhỏ có thể sẽ không sống nổi trong thế giới hôm nay. Để có sự sống còn, các em phải được tiếp nhận và được chăm sóc. Khi chúng ta lớn lên và trưởng thành, chúng ta học hỏi và phải lo toan cho chính bản thân mình. Không giống như các em nhỏ, chúng lệ thuộc hoàn toàn vào cha mẹ, chúng ta sẽ bớt đi niềm tin cậy và còn nghi ngờ nhiều hơn nơi những người khác. Nghi ngờ người khác vì chúng ta lo sợ và tìm kiếm cách để có thể ẩn dấu những chương trình và động cơ của những người mà chúng ta phải đối phó với. Bản chất của Thiên Chúa thì cũng giống như một cha mẹ hoàn hảo, đáng yêu và luôn biết chăm sóc con mình như Thánh Phaolô đã viết, làm cha như chúng ta biết nó thực sự là khuôn mẫu theo như cương vị làm cha của Chúa Cha, Đấng yêu thương chúngta ở trên trời.
            Như vậy, Chúa Giêsu mời gọi chúng ta trở nên như những em nhỏ để được vào Nước Trời, Trở nên được như những em nhỏ trong sự tin tưởng của chúng ta vào lòng sự chăm sóc và  yêu thương của Chúa Cha chúng ta ở trên trời.
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REFLECTION
The first reading from Sirach tells us how, like a loving parent, God had created and provided for mankind; he hopes we see and acknowledge his generosity and the magnificence of his creation.
Little children are so special in the eyes of God because of their wholehearted trust and faith that their parents would take care of them. Without the love and care of their parents (or of other people), little children could not really survive. In order to survive and live, little children have to receive and be cared for.
As we grow older, we learn and must take care of ourselves. Unlike little children with complete trust in their parents, we become less trustful of and more suspicious of others. Suspicious of others, we fear for and look for possible hidden agenda and motives of people we deal with.
God's nature is that of a perfect parent, loving and always caring and giving: as Paul wrote, fatherhood as we know it is really patterned after the fatherhood of the loving Father in heaven.
Thus, Jesus calls us to be like little children in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven, to be like little children in our trust in the care and love of our heavenly Father for us.
 
Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:13–14
Simplicity, trust, purity of intent, transparency, and resiliency are all qualities that children often have by nature. They are not yet capable of evil intent. They are quick to forgive and reconcile when conflicts arise. And they have an unwavering confidence in the care of their parents. These are among the qualities that we need to imitate in our relationship with God.
It seems that as we age and as our human reason develops, we can lose some of the important qualities we had as children. But when it comes to our relationships with our loving God, we must never lose the important childlike qualities that lead us to be completely trusting and dependent upon God’s providence and care.
Children are also weak in the sense that they are not able to care for themselves. They rely completely upon the care of others, especially parents. For that reason, a child is an ideal image of how we must approach God. We must see our weakness and dependence. We must know, with deep conviction, that we are incapable of caring for ourselves. And though we may achieve a certain independence as we age, being able to provide for ourselves materially, we will never be able to provide for the interior spiritual needs we have. For our spiritual needs, we remain completely dependent upon the mercy of God. We must never forget that, at our core, we are spiritual beings who long for true spiritual satisfaction. Material or fleshly satisfactions that we can obtain by ourselves will never suffice to fulfill us at the deepest level of who we are. God and God alone is capable of this form of fulfillment.
Think about your own approach to life. Do you seek to find fulfillment and satisfaction in life through your own efforts? Have you attempted to take complete control of your present and future happiness? Though it is essential that we act responsibly in life, it must be understood that the most responsible way we can act is by willfully turning over complete control of our lives to God’s providence and care. As a child depends upon a parent, so we must depend upon the grace of God.
Reflect, today, upon a child. Ponder, especially, how a child is dependent upon others. As you do, see yourself similarly as one who must become completely dependent upon God for all that is important in life and for all that ultimately fulfills who you are. Trust in God’s providence and mercy, and allow that childlike trust to place you firmly in the arms of your Father in Heaven.
Loving Father, I turn to You in complete trust as a small child turns to a loving parent. May I never become so self-sufficient that I fool myself into thinking I am capable of finding my own fulfillment in life. Instead, may I always see You as the one and only source of true fulfillment and always trust in You alone. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 7th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I accept your Kingdom today like a child. I welcome it in simplicity and poverty of heart. I want to experience the healing touch of your Son. Call me each day to encounter you in prayer.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Christian Life of Prayer: The First Reading, taken from the concluding paragraphs of the Letter of James, contains some very concrete exhortations for Christian life and alludes to two Sacraments: Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. James’ main exhortation is to pray: prayer for consolation in our suffering; prayer for healing in our sickness; prayer of praise in our joy; and prayer of intercession for one another. Prayer is the raising of our hearts and minds to God or the request of good things from God. Prayer is a gift, founded on humility of heart. God seeks us out and our prayer is a response to him. Prayer is an encounter with God that takes place in our heart, the place of the Covenant between God and man in Christ (CCC, 2559-2564). Prayer is communion with Christ and the members of his Body the Church. When we pray for one another we build up this communion, the bonds of charity are strengthened and the peace of the New Covenant reigns. 
2. Prayer and Humility: Prayer is founded on humility, and the children in today’s Gospel are models of both humility and prayer. Humility because the Kingdom of God belongs to the child-like. The Kingdom of God is the lordship of God. It is God who reigns, not us. At the same time, we are called to share in that reign. Humility is important because God’s lordship and sovereignty are rejected by the prideful and accepted by the humble. Second, the children are examples of prayer because they turn to Jesus, approach him, and allow themselves to be touched by him. 
3. Prayer and the Sacraments: Prayer, then, is an encounter with God the Father through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit. By opening our hearts to him in prayer we allow God to enter in, to reign and touch our hearts. This touch purifies us and strengthens us. This touch comes to us especially through the Sacraments. Baptism removes the stain of original sin and introduces us into the life of the Trinity; Confirmation strengthens us in the Spirit and enables us to worship God in the Spirit; the Eucharist nourishes us for the journey of life and unites us in the Body of Christ; Reconciliation brings us back into the fold and restores us to life; Anointing of the Sick unites us with the passion of Christ and prepares us for the final journey; Orders configures men to Christ as Priest, Teacher and Pastor; Matrimony perfects the couple's love and introduces them into the covenant between Christ and his Church 
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I recognize that I do not know how to pray as I should. You are the one who can teach me how to pray and enter into communion with the Father. Teach me to praise the Father for his goodness, to ask for good things in your name and according to his will, to thank him for his wondrous gifts, and to ask for forgiveness when I fail.
Living the Word of God: If I take an honest look at my life of prayer, what do I see? How can I improve my life of prayer? Do I need to reserve more time for prayer? Do I need to go beyond vocal prayer and try meditation or contemplation? Do I need to learn how to pray with my spouse or family? Have I taught my children and grandchildren how to pray?
 
Saturday 7th Week in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer:  Jesus, as I come before you today, I imagine myself as a little child. I see you smiling at me as I walk up to receive your hug. As I enter into my prayer, I thank you for my very life. I thank you that I can come to you as a child. Loving you isn’t about what I know but about how willing I am to trust you and open myself to you, how willing I am to listen to you and act on what you ask of me. Lord, I believe that you love me just as I am, and I hope in all that you call me to be. Teach me, Lord, to come to you more and more simply, like a little child.
Encountering Christ:
Let the Children Come to Me:  Throughout the Gospels, we hear of people bringing their children to Jesus for healing, but in this instance, it seemed that the people were bringing their children to Jesus simply to be with him. They weren’t asking for anything but that their children be close to Jesus and be touched by him. They wanted them to have a personal encounter with Christ. We can imagine that, after Jesus indignantly told the disciples to let the children come to him, he smiled at the children. We can see him placing a gentle hand on their heads. Maybe we can even imagine him swinging them around and laughing. Jesus enjoyed being with the children. He wants to enjoy our children in the same way—and for them to enjoy and trust him. How faithful are we in bringing our children to Christ? Are they baptized? What about our grandchildren, nieces and nephews, godchildren, our children’s friends? Do we ask Jesus to bless them? How is our home and family life shaped by our faith? 
The Kingdom… Belongs to Such as These: When Jesus said that the Kingdom belongs to “such as these,” we consider the characteristics of a young child: vulnerability, trust, dependence, curiosity, and a willingness to believe. Children are also often very persistent, forgiving, generous, affectionate, and simple. These characteristics contrast with what we see in someone who is immature: selfish, self-centered, demanding, easily bored, easily angered. Jesus asks us to be childlike, not childish.
Like a Child:  When we become like a child, we trust our Father to know what is best for us. We turn to him for help with all our needs. We look to him for comfort and encouragement. When we are childlike, we are humble. We know we are little, and we know we are called to grow. In addition to our daily prayer, we grow when we make time for spiritual reading and extended moments of refreshment on retreat, when we share our spiritual journey with friends, when we are able to open up to a good spiritual guide. We know that we need the help of both God and others to grow into the saint we are meant to be.
Conversing with Christ: My Lord, it seems like it should be easy to be childlike, but there are so many obstacles. Instead of spending time with you in conversation and wonder, I am often satisfied reading about you and others’ experiences of you. Even though you know every thought, word, and deed in my life, I sometimes try to avoid bringing the things I am not proud of to you. I resist being dependent and asking for help. Lord, how can it be so hard to let go and be little? I am consoled when I think of you opening your arms to me as I would to a little child I loved. You smile at me and give me the strength to begin anew each day. Thank you, Lord, for your endless patience, and for your unconditional love.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will reflect on the ways I have separated myself from you by failing to be childlike and I will make a plan as to how to overcome it. I will also reach out to one of the children in my extended family or a godchild to affirm and encourage him/her.