Suy Niệm Bài đọc thứ Ba tuần thứ 10 Thường Niên

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ  Năm Tuần 10 Thường Niên
Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta biết là nếu chúng ta là những người theo Chúa Giêsu, thì chúng ta cũng chưa chắc đã thực hành theo đúng như các điều luật viết trong sách luật của ông Môisen. Chúa Giêsu đã cảnh báo các môn đệ là những sự độc ác có thể gây ra do lòng tức giận Ngài khuyến khích họ nên tìm kiếm sự hòa giải với tất cả những ai mà chúng ta đã làm điều gì sai trái với họ hoặc những ai mà đã làm điều sai trái với chúng ta.  Sự tức giận có thể gây ra tổn hại về sức khỏe và tinh thần của chúng ta. Chúng ta không nên cầm giữ, dồn nén bất cứ một sự oán giận nào trong lòng của chúng ta và tất cả những chuyện cũ đầy cay đắng không khoan dung trong tâm hồn của  chúng ta.  Chúa Giêsu đã dạy rõ ràng là chúng ta không nên sử dụng những từ ngữ, (kiểu chơi chữ) để gây hại, làm tổn thất tinh thần cho những người khác.
            C
            Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta biết là điều kiện cần thiết để đến với Ngài là chúng ta cần phải biết hòa thuận và kính trọng với mọi người chung quanh cho dù họ là bất cứ hạng nười nào. Nếu chúng ta nuôi dưỡng sự oán giận với người khác trong lòng thì chúng ta không xứng đáng để tiến tới gần bàn thờ của Thiên Chúa.
           Bổn phận đầu tiên của chúng ta là phải cố gắng hết sức để hòa giải với những người mà chúng ta đã làm họ mất lòng hay những người đã làm mất lòng chúng ta trước khi chúng ta bước đến trước bàn thờ để dâng lễ hay cầu nguyện. Và chỉ có được thế,  thì chúng ta mới sẵn sàng được tâm hồn và xứng đáng dâng vật lễ của chúng ta lên Thiên Chúa một cách đẹp lòng Ngài. Và đấy là những gì có thể giúp chúng ta tìm thấy sự an bình trong ân sủng của Thiên Chúa.
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay Chúa muồn chúng ta hãy nhìn vào chính cuộc sống của chúng ta và thử xem coi chúng ta đã sống và giữ những điều mà Chúa Giêsu Kitô đã dạy. Chúng ta có ý thức và cư xử với mọi người trong tình thần hoà giải, thân thiện trong hoà bình? Hãy tự xét coi: chúng ta có cần phải xin lỗi ai đó trong cuộc sống của chúng ta? chúng ta đã có sự tha thứ cho người có lỗi với chính mình? Chúng ta có tìm kiếm hòa giải, cho dù chúng ta chỉ là một trong những nạn nhận bị người khác xúc phạm?
Xin cho lời của Chúa trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, trở thành một cái nhiệt kế tình yêu hàng ngày của chúng ta đối với Thiên Chúa và đối với anh chị chung quanh chúng ta.
 
Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time 2023
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.” Matthew 5:21–22
The passage quoted above gives us three deepening levels of sin that we commit against another. These sins were new teachings not contained in the Old Testament. By this teaching, Jesus’ call to radical holiness and love of neighbor is made very clear. The first level of sin is simply to be “angry” interiorly. The sin of anger is an interior attitude of disgust toward another. Jesus says that the consequence of having anger toward another is that you will be “liable to judgment.” The second level of sin is when you say to another “Raqa.” This Aramaic word is difficult to translate but would include some form of expression of one’s anger toward another. It would be a derogatory way of saying to another that they are unintelligent or inferior. The third level of sin Jesus identifies is when you call another “fool.” This word is an even stronger expression of Raqa and would be a verbal criticism of them, indicating that the person is a lost soul in a moral sense. It’s a strong moral condemnation of another that is expressed.
So, do you struggle with anger? Jesus’ calling to freedom from all levels of this sin is a high one. There are many times in life when our passion of anger is stirred up for one reason or another, and that passion leads to one of these levels of sin. It’s a common temptation to want to condemn another with whom you are angry in the strongest way possible. 
It’s important to understand that this new teaching of Jesus is truly not a burden when understood and embraced. At first, it can seem that these laws of our Lord against anger are negative. That’s because lashing out at another gives a false sense of satisfaction, and these commands of our Lord, in a sense, “rob” us of that satisfaction. It can be a depressing thought to think about the moral obligation to forgive to the point that disordered anger disappears. But is it depressing? Is this law of our Lord a burden?
The deep truth is that what Jesus teaches us in this passage is, in many ways, more for our own good than that of others. Our anger toward another, be it interior, verbally critical or all-out condemning, can be hurtful toward the person with whom we are angry, but the damage these forms of anger do is far worse for us than them. Being angry, even interiorly, even if we put on a happy face, does great damage to our soul and our ability to be united to God. For that reason, it is not this new law of our Lord regarding anger that is the burden, it is the anger itself that is a heavy burden and a burden from which Jesus wants you free.
Reflect, today, upon the sin of anger. As you do, try to see your disordered anger as the real enemy rather than the person with whom you are angry. Pray to our Lord to free you from this enemy of the soul and seek the freedom that He wants to bestow.
My merciful Lord, You call us to perfect freedom from all that burdens us. Anger burdens us. Help me to see the burden that my anger imposes upon me and help me to seek true freedom through the act of forgiveness and reconciliation. Please forgive me, dear Lord, as I forgive all who have hurt me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.” Matthew 5:21–22
The passage quoted above gives us three deepening levels of sin that we commit against another. These sins were new teachings not contained in the Old Testament. By this teaching, Jesus’ call to radical holiness and love of neighbor is made very clear.
The first level of sin is simply to be “angry” interiorly. The sin of anger is an interior attitude of disgust toward another. Jesus says that the consequence of having anger toward another is that you will be “liable to judgment.” The second level of sin is when you say to another “Raqa.” This Aramaic word is difficult to translate but would include some form of expression of one’s anger toward another. It would be a derogatory way of saying to another that they are unintelligent or inferior. The third level of sin Jesus identifies is when you call another “fool.” This word is an even stronger expression of Raqa and would be a verbal criticism of them, indicating that the person is a lost soul in a moral sense. It’s a strong moral condemnation of another that is expressed.
So, do you struggle with anger? Jesus’ calling to freedom from all levels of this sin is a high one. There are many times in life when our passion of anger is stirred up for one reason or another, and that passion leads to one of these levels of sin. It’s a common temptation to want to condemn another with whom you are angry in the strongest way possible. 
It’s important to understand that this new teaching of Jesus is truly not a burden when understood and embraced. At first, it can seem that these laws of our Lord against anger are negative. That’s because lashing out at another gives a false sense of satisfaction, and these commands of our Lord, in a sense, “rob” us of that satisfaction. It can be a depressing thought to think about the moral obligation to forgive to the point that disordered anger disappears. But is it depressing? Is this law of our Lord a burden?
The deep truth is that what Jesus teaches us in this passage is, in many ways, more for our own good than that of others. Our anger toward another, be it interior, verbally critical or all-out condemning, can be hurtful toward the person with whom we are angry, but the damage these forms of anger do is far worse for us than them. Being angry, even interiorly, even if we put on a happy face, does great damage to our soul and our ability to be united to God. For that reason, it is not this new law of our Lord regarding anger that is the burden, it is the anger itself that is a heavy burden and a burden from which Jesus wants you free.
Reflect, today, upon the sin of anger. As you do, try to see your disordered anger as the real enemy rather than the person with whom you are angry. Pray to our Lord to free you from this enemy of the soul and seek the freedom that He wants to bestow.
My merciful Lord, You call us to perfect freedom from all that burdens us. Anger burdens us. Help me to see the burden that my anger imposes upon me and help me to seek true freedom through the act of forgiveness and reconciliation. Please forgive me, dear Lord, as I forgive all who have hurt me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Thursday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want to imitate your patient love. When someone offends me or corrects me, I will not react in anger or rashly, but seek the truth in love. When I offend something I will seek out their forgiveness and make amends.
Encountering the Word of God. 
1. Elijah’s Trust in the Lord: The First Reading tells us about the end of a long drought in the northern Kingdom of Israel. Elijah knows the rain is coming and tells the wicked King Ahab to eat and drink, for the famine and drought are over. Elijah himself climbs Mount Carmel to wait for the rain as it comes in from the sea. He is bent over, possibly in prayer, and does not raise his eyes to the sea. Instead, he has his servant inform him of what takes place. He trusts fully in God’s word and does not need to see to believe. In the servant’s seventh report, the servant tells Elijah that he sees a small cloud, rising from the sea, which indicates that the promised rain is near. Although the story is not as powerful as the one we read yesterday about Elijah calling forth fire from the sky to consume the sacrifice, it does teach us an important lesson about God’s providence. The Lord watches over us. This is recalled in today’s psalm, which praises God for his loving care. God has visited the land and watered it with rain. This is necessary for an abundant and rich harvest.
2. Salvation from Sin and Death: It is important to remember that when we pray to God we should not limit ourselves to asking for our material needs. Today’s psalm can be read in the light of Jesus Christ and we see that there is a much greater visitation that will take place – the Incarnation of the Son of God. Jesus brings us, not earthly water that lasts for a time, but living water that gives eternal life (4:14). We need salvation, not just from famine or drought, but from sin and death. God, in his providence, did not leave us to ourselves when our first parents sinned against him but sent his only Son to save us.
3. Wounds against Charity: When we present ourselves before God, we do so as people redeemed in Christ. We form part of the Body of Christ and are bound with others in love. Having something against our brothers or sisters wounds this unity and charity. Calling them “fools” goes against the peace and joy that Christ brings. Our righteousness or holiness does not consist primarily in fulfilling detailed external rites. The Pharisees were confused on this point. Our righteousness and holiness are found in union with Christ. This union with Christ and the communion we share with others in Christ is a gift that we need to accept and protect. That is why Christ tells each one of us today: “Go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I desire to practice righteousness. I want to remain in a right relationship with the Father, with you, and with the Spirit. I ask for your grace so that I may do good works that give glory to God and merit eternal life.
Living the Word of God: Who is it that I struggle with the most? Who do I interact with that I call a fool or consider a fool in my heart? What can I do to fix that relationship? How can I see the good in my brother or sister?
 
Thursday 10th Week in Ordinary Time:  Matthew 5:20-26
Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time 2023
Introductory Prayer: Father of love, the source of all blessings, you have led me throughout my life, and you lead me still. Thank you for your paternal care. Jesus, Son of God, you died for me on the cross to pay for my sins and manifest your unconditional love for me. Thank you for showing me the way home to the Father. Holy Spirit, sweet guest of the soul, you heal me and strengthen me and set me on fire from the most intimate depths of my soul. Thank you for your loving presence within me.
Petition: Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart more like yours.
 
1. Anger in Our Hearts: Jesus is speaking here in particular about anger, a desire for revenge or an attitude that refuses to forgive. Jesus always brings us back to the human heart. Actions flow from decisions made in the heart, even if not immediately evident. When we cultivate a sentiment in our heart – be it good or evil - it will eventually find ways of coming to fruition. “If you are angry do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger or you will give the devil a chance” (Ephesians 4:26). Any unwillingness to forgive leads to resentment in the heart and ultimately destroys lives and relationships. “What does it mean to forgive, if not to appeal to a good that is greater than any evil?” (Pope Saint John Paul II, Memory and Identity, p. 15).
2. Insults Are Grave Matters: “Sticks and stones may break my bones…” Each one of us knows firsthand the penetrating power of words. One may edify or destroy, enhance or tarnish, heal, or wound with them. It is rather striking that Jesus refers to insults towards “a brother or sister:” in other words, insulting those closest to us, especially those closest to our hearts. It is no revelation that those we love the most are also the ones most capable of wounding us deeply, and vice versa. What dagger could ever penetrate more than an unkind word from a loved one? The true revelation is that God takes each word we speak seriously. In fact, he will hold us accountable for them because the words are an outward manifestation of what we have in our hearts. The power of words reveals the weight of words.
3. Hold No Grudges: “If you remember that your brother or sister has something against you…” This phrase makes us shift a little in our seats. Jesus gives us a tremendous view into God’s heart. God’s very essence is a unity of love – three persons, one nature. We are made in God’s image and to live forever in union with God. But so, too, are my brothers and sisters. If we have done anything to wound the union of love with those around us, we must repair the breach. In fact, it is so important to God (and so important for us) that God will not accept our “offering” if we have consciously wounded the unity with those around us. Bring those particularly difficult relationships to prayer, and draw the strength from God to love as we should. He will not ask for some virtue and then refuse his grace.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, teach me to love and help me to be a saint. You have created me and called me to the Catholic faith. Help me to live that faith generously, living the primacy of love in my daily life. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.
Resolution: Today, I will do three hidden acts of charity. 
 
REFLECTION
In today's Gospel we hear about anger. We also hear that if we are to be followers of Jesus, it is not enough to follow the letter of the law. The disciples are warned against the evil that anger can bring and they are encouraged to seek reconciliation with anyone who has wronged them or whom they have wronged. Anger places our spiritual health in danger. There should be no holding on to old resentments that fill us with uncharitable bitterness. Jesus is clear about not using the power of words to inflict harm on those around us.
Jesus set down an essential condition to come to him. We need to be at peace with our neighbor. Many of us have suffered because we have stopped speaking to each other, unwilling to reach out because of stubbornness or pride. If we harbor resentment towards another, we are told not approach the altar of God. Our first duty is to try to reconcile and then come to the altar. Only then are we ready to offer the gift of ourselves in a manner that is pleasing to God. This is what can help us to find peace that comes to us by God's grace.
s we reflect on today's Gospel, let us look at our own lives and see if we are following Jesus' teaching. Are we consciously acting as peacemakers? Is there somebody in our lives to whom we need to give an apology? Is there somebody we still have not forgiven? Do we seek reconciliation, even when we are the one who was offended? May Jesus' teaching, in today's Gospel, become the thermometer of our daily love for God and for each other.