Suy Niệm bài đọc thứ Bẩy tuần thứ 9 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm bài đọc thứ Bẩy tuần thứ 9 Thường Niên Scripture: Mark 12:38-44

  Như câu chuyện của Tobit trong sách Tôbia đến một kết thúc, chúng ta thấy rằng ông ta và gia đình ông đã phải chịu đựng nhiều đau khổ, thử thách đắng cay trong quá khứ. Và giờ đây, họ đã ơn của Chúa được may mắn vượt quá những sự hy vọng và mong đợi của họ. Tobit đã không quên dậy Tobia là không nên quên ơn người bạn đã đồng hành, hướng dẫn và giúp đỡ con ông là Tôbia và giúp đỡ gia đình ông, nên ông đã muốn chia một nửa những gì ông ta có để thưởng cho người bạn đồng hành của con ông. Nói cách khác, Ông Tobit đã muốn dạy cho Tobia biết quảng đại và rộng lượng với người cộng sự của mình  Để đáp lại sự quảng đại và đô lượng ấy, người bạn đồng hành đã cho Tobia biết rằng,  ông thực sự chính thiên thần  Raphael được Chúa gởi đến để thử thách Tobit và giúp ông.
 
Suy Niệm bài đọc thứ Bẩy tuần thứ 9 Thường Niên
            Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy một góa phụ đã dâng cúng tới những hai đồng xu nhỏ. Như chúng ta biết là một góa phụ thời Chúa Giêsu, là người rất cô đơn, và nghèo khổ và bần cùng nhất trong xã hội thời đó vì không có sự hỗ trợ xã hội và họ là những người không có một tương lai vững chắn. Không có ai chăm sóc cho các nhu cầu cần thiết của họ? Việc bà goá phụ bỏ hai đồng xu nhỏ vào thùng tiền trong đền thánh, nếu như bà ấy đã giữ lại một đồng xu đẻ mua một tí cơm cho mình, chắc chắn sẽ không ai trách bà ta. Tuy nhiên, trong cuộc sống đầy thiếu tốn và mong manh như thế, bà goá phụ này đã tự hy sinh và lựa chọn dâng cho Chúa tất cả những gì bà có, kể cả mạng sống của bà cho Thiên Chúa. Bà ấy chính là người anh hùng trong câu chuyện này.  Bà goá phụ trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay chính là điềm tiên báo trước những gì mà Chúa Giêsu sẽ làm. Khi Chúa Giêsu bước vào thành Jerusalem, nơi mà Ngài sẽ dâng hiến tất cả những gì mà Ngài đang có, là chính Ngài cho Thiên Chúa Cha cũng là vì con người chúng ta. Và kết quả sẽ là những ơn phước vô biên mà Chúa ban cho chúng ta, những phúc lành mà Chúa ban cho không thể đo lường được . Chúa Giêsu yêu thương mời gọi chúng ta hãy nên quảng đại trong tình thần cũng như vật chất,  nhưng Ngài không không bắt buộc chúng ta. Bằng cách nào mà Chúa Giêsu đã mời gọi chúng ta chúng ta nên quảng đại?
            Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con biết yêu thương như Ngài đã yêu chúng con, biết hy sinh và quảng đại như  Chúa đang làm ... để biết cho đi những gì chúng ta có, (tài chánh, thời gìờ) một cách rộng lượng và quảng đại mà không bao giờ biết do dự.
 
Saturday 9^th Ordinary Time 2023
Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Mark 12:41–42
As soon as Jesus saw this widow contribute her “few cents” worth of coins, Jesus was moved with love. He immediately used this as an opportunity to teach a lesson to His disciples. He called them over and explained that this poor widow had contributed more than anyone because “she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”
Our Lord judges’ generosity far differently than the world. What does it mean to be generous? Generosity certainly applies to how you use your money. But it also applies to your time, energy, commitment, and every other aspect of your life. To be generous, according to Jesus, is to give all you have, your “whole livelihood.”
You accomplish this goal when you make God and His holy will the central and most important part of your life. You can hold nothing back from Him! Does this mean that if you want to strive for perfection, then you must give away all you own? Perhaps the best answer is both “Yes” and “No.” The answer is “Yes” in the sense that we must become completely detached, on an interior and spiritual level, from everything that is not part of God’s perfect will. The answer is “No” in the sense that, for most people, it is part of His holy will that you own a house, a car, other possessions, and do enjoy other material comforts with your family and friends. The key is the interior detachment and the central focus upon the glory of God and the total service of His holy will. Love of God and neighbor, and freedom from selfishness, will be the guiding factors in these decisions.
With that said, there are certainly some who live in excess and indulgence in our world and, as a result, are deeply attached to their extravagant lifestyle. And there are some who are physically poorer who are just as attached, interiorly, to that which they do not have. For example, what if this poor widow, instead of giving her last few cents, sat in the Temple area watching as the wealthy put in large sums of money and allowed herself to grow in jealousy and greed. This interior attitude would have been in stark contradiction to the generous and trusting spirit she acquired through her total generosity. True generosity is a fundamental disposition of our lives. It means that we have chosen to imitate our Lord through a total self-giving of ourselves to His holy will. And that does include seeing all that we possess as belonging to Christ for the service of His holy will.
Reflect, today, upon whether material possessions and wealth possess you more than you possess them. Are you controlled by desires for more and struggle with disordered attachments to the things you do have? Are you able to make love of God and love of neighbor the central focus of your life and use all that you have, in accord with God’s will, for those purposes? Reflect upon the generosity in the heart of this humble and poor widow and allow our Lord to teach you how to be generous through her holy witness.
My generous Lord, You bestow upon us all good things. You enrich our lives with Your love and mercy which are the true treasures we must seek. Fill my heart with the same generosity exemplified by this poor widow so that I, too, will imitate the total self-giving that she lived in imitation of You. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 9^th Ordinary Time 2023
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe in you. To please you is worth more than any praise or recognition the world can give. I trust that you will always inspire my heart to love you in all I do. I wish only to forget myself to love you and those you send my way.
Petition: Lord Jesus, may I do all for the glory of your name!
1. A Scalpel to My Vanity: The scribes did everything right in the eyes of men. Jesus could see that it was all a facade. Their robes were for them to be noticed. People were to pay them tribute for being men of honor. Today that same vanity is still popular. What we wear, our car, and the titles or letters that follow our name seem to give us self-worth. Yet, these men of means brought nothing but condemnation upon themselves. Their position of leadership and learning placed a great responsibility upon them. However, far from the great good they could do for others, they used it to take advantage of others. What deeds do I have to show for any position or learning I have?
2. Eliminating My Egotism: For whom do I live? The scribes lived for themselves. If they taught, it was to impress others. If they gave, it was to build a reputation. If they prayed, it was to justify everything they stole from the poor. They were not evil men; they were ‘good guys.' But they were driven by self-love. It explained all they did. Even if they happened to do something just, its worth was empty, for they sought themselves.
3. Behold True Charity: Against the backdrop of so much show and empty parading, Jesus sees a bright act of virtue. He sees what no one else sees. He saw someone almost ignored by everyone. The authenticity of her gift was twofold. She gave quietly, without any thought of winning praise: her gift was for God alone. And what she gave appeared small but was her all, everything she owned. Pure charity is done for God and involves the gift of our entire self. Unreserved offers of service, ever ready to love and serve, when, where and as I am asked, how rare these are! How do I give? Is my charity ever hidden? In what ways do I give my entire self to God?
Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, free me from self-love that kills the value of my giving and assassinates my efforts to form virtue. Help me die to myself for the love of others. May I never neglect anyone who needs my help. But keep my giving quiet so that my only reward will be found in you for all eternity.
Resolution: I will do a hidden act of charity today. 
 
Reflection SG
As the story of Tobit comes to an end, we see that he and his family have suffered much in the past. Now, however, they have been blessed beyond their expectations. Tobit tells Tobias to recompense his travelling companion beyond the agreed upon price. In other words, he invites Tobias to be generous. In response to this generosity, the companion reveals that he is actually an angel — Raphael.
In today’s Gospel we see a widow offering two small coins. As a widow, she would have little social support and an uncertain future. Who will care for her needs? If she saved one coin for herself no one would blame her. Yet, in her vulnerability, she chooses to give everything she has to God. She is the hero of this story.
            The widow foreshadows what Jesus is about to do. He is entering Jerusalem where he will give everything he has his very self — to the Father for our sake. The result is blessing beyond measure.  Jesus lovingly invites us to be generous but does not force this. In what way is Jesus inviting me to be generous?
Lord, help me to love as You love….to risk as You risk…to give generously of my resources, my time, myself.
 
Opening Prayer:
 Dear Lord Jesus, I come before you in need of grace. I thank you for your kindness, both in listening to and speaking with me. I know that what you communicate is perfectly true and perfectly loving. Please open my mind and my heart to receive your message with docility. 
Encountering Christ:
Seeking Honor: “Beware of the scribes, who like to… accept greetings (and seek)… seats of honor in synagogues, and… banquets.” It's commendable to publicly show one’s allegiance to God, whether that be in outward dress or gestures. Did not Our Lord say, “Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket”? (Matthew 5:15). It is also, however, problematic to hide or deny our relationship to God in public. The problem is not so much “what” the Pharisees and scribes did, but “why.” Jesus corrected their distorted intentions; their actions were not for love of God but for garnering praise. 
A Poor Widow: “A poor widow also came and put in two small coins.” Everyone has something to give. It is never about the amount but the generosity: the rich gave from their surplus; the widow gave all she had. Generosity, or lack thereof, reveals a lot about a person. When a person is selfish with time or treasure, it shows an attachment either to one’s plans or to material goods. These attachments become the source of a person’s security, but any security that is apart from God is an empty one. Attachments close a person off from God and others since both are viewed as a threat to that false security. Inversely, generosity with time or treasure shows healthy independence from creatures. This opens the heart to God and neighbor. This is the internal logic of the vow of poverty for religious; while not all Christians are called to live the religious life, all are called to live a degree of detachment, which brings with it openness and charity.
The Gratitude of God: The generosity and faith of the poor widow clearly moved Jesus. She gave all to the God who had given her all that she had and all that she needed. By her actions, she revealed her confidence in God’s continuing providence. The widow was generous because of her faith and humility. Nevertheless, the greater humility was that of Christ. The very Son of God showed gratitude for the generosity of his creature. Everything about Our Lord’s Incarnation shows a desire to be close to man, and he adds to that the most profound tenderness, as seen in this passage. How can the gift of “our all” compare to the gift of his “divine all” to us? It cannot. Nevertheless, he gives us his grace so that we may love him, and he cherishes our efforts when we do. 
Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord Jesus, I continue to be awestruck at your boundless generosity towards me. All the good that I am, that I have, and that I do comes from you. What can I give you in return? I can give you my need, and I can give you my consent so that you continue to work in me and through me. May my actions be for your glory and not my own.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will be generous with you and my neighbor on at least one occasion, whether it be materially or spiritually.
 
REFLECTION
We live in a society in which values that are contrary to the Gospel message are canonized. The cornerstone is not Christ but economics. A person's value is measured more often than not in terms of his economic status.
Today's Gospel reading is heavy with irony. Here, the scribes, the self-appointed hope of Israel, parade about-Jesus' own words-in their robes, accepting marks of respect in public, front seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the savings of widows and recite long prayers for the sake of appearance.
In contrast is the humble, quiet faith of the poor widow. She is the authentic hope of Israel and represents everything Israel could have been. With a single gesture, dropping a few small coins in the poor box, this woman captures the heart of the message of the classic prophets, of the wisdom writings and of Jesus' teaching about the Law.
  Here in the middle of the highly politicized city of Jerusalem, the center of hostility to Jesus, comes this woman at the very end of Jesus' ministry, who stands for the best and the richest spirituality which the Old Testament and Jerusalem have to offer. Jesus says of her, "She gives from her want, all that she has to live on." It's her generosity that Jesus admires. We ourselves are called by Jesus not merely to make donations to the Church and to the poor. We're called to be generous people, unselfish people in all of our relations with others. God does not value us for our money, but for our generosity.
 
Scripture: Mark 12:13-17
"Lord Jesus, all that I have is yours. Take my life, my possessions, my time and all that I have and use them as you desire for your glory."
            Clothes are for warmth and protection, but the layers accumulate – layers of meaning!  Clothes are a language; they become an assertion of one’s self-image, one’s identity.  Clothes say, “This is who I am.”    Uniforms assert membership of a particular class: the army, the police, the clergy….
            The Scribes loved to “walk about in long robes and be greeted obsequiously in the market-place.”  A language is an agreement; there is no private language.  What use is a special hat if no one knows what it is saying?  One gets the feeling that people who depend on robes and uniforms and badges and insignia must be very unsure of themselves and are craving recognition from others.  The Scribes believed that their knowledge of the Law was the sum of all wisdom and the only knowledge worth having.  But that belief was insecure while there was even one person who disagreed.  How Jesus threatened their identity!  He challenged them and beat them in argument, though he had never been to rabbinical school.  He earned their unremitting hostility. 
            In today’s passage he pointed out a casualty of the Temple system: the poor.  A widow at that time was a very symbol of poverty and helplessness.  In that world, to lose one’s husband was to lose one’s identity.  This poor widow of no identity was being exploited by people who clung desperately to a false identity.  It’s the tragic story of the world.