Ngay trong Bữa Tiệc Ly, Thánh Phêrô đã dám tuyên bố rằng ông sẽ sẵn sàng theo Chúa Giêsu cho đến chết, nhưng sự can đảm và nhiệt tình đó không còn nữa ngay ông ta khi nhìn thấy Chúa Giêsu đã tự nộp mình cho quân dữ trong vừa cây dầu. Thánh Phêrô khám phá ra sự thật đáng buồn là ông không thể theo Chúa Giêsu đến nơi thập giá với sức mạnh của sự quyết tâm nơi mình. Mãi đến sau khi Chúa Thánh Thần Hiên Xuống thì ông ta mới nhận được sức mạnh của Chúa Thánh Thần và có can đảm và vững tâm rao giảng Tin Mừng mà không còn sợ hãi những khi phải đối mặt với sự bắt bớ, trừng phạt và cái chết. Mỗi người chúng ta cũng cần phải phấn đấu để trở thành những người chân tình và trung thành như Thánh Phêrô. Cũng như Chúa Giêsu có thể nhìn thấy chân lý phản ánh qua các môn đệ, những người xung quanh chúng ta sẽ thấy chân lý và sự chân thành được phản ánh trong những hành vi và việc làm của chúng ta. Trong thực tại, thật là dễ dàng để chúng ta thổi phồng và tô điểm sự thật.
Khi chúng ta tự đầu hàng con tim và tâm thức chúng ta với Chúa, chúng ta có thể làm chủ cuộc sống tâm linh, tình cảm của chúng ta qua kinh nghiệm sống trong sự liêm chính, và thánh thiện trọn vẹn. Thực tại của thiên đường, những lời hứa của một Thiên Chúa trung thành, và một nỗi sợ hãi tội lỗi lành mạnh sẽ làm việc với nhau để hình thành trong chúng ta một sự cam kết chân thành với chân lý, sự thật mà Chúa Giêsu đã cho thấy. Chúng ta hãy tôi tiếp tục cầu xin Thánh Thần nắn đúc chúng ta theo hình ảnh của Chúa Kitô. Thế giới đang chờ đợi những việc làm chúng của chúng ta..
REFLECTION
Why is it so hard for us to be truthful? Is it because we are afraid or insecure? Is it because we are too proud to admit that we might be wrong? Or maybe it is hard to face the consequences of the truth. In contrast to Peter's denial was Jesus' response when he was asked if he was the Messiah. Jesus simply replied, "I am." By giving such an answer, Jesus signed his own death warrant. Fear did not overcome him because he had placed himself in his Father's hands and knew that God's word could never be overcome.
At the Last Supper, Peter said that he would willingly die for Jesus, but his bravado and enthusiasm soon left him when he saw how meekly Jesus surrendered to his captors. Peter discovered the sad truth that he could not follow Jesus to the cross solely by the power of his own resolve. It was only after Pentecost that he received the power of the Spirit and began to preach the Gospel with boldness — even in the face of punishment and death.
Each one of us should strive to be sincere and truthful people. Just as Jesus could see truth reflected in his disciples, those around us should see truth and sincerity reflected in our conduct. It is too easy to exaggerate and embellish the truth. For example, frequently during election time, we hear people saying they do not know whom to vote for, because they cannot trust politicians. Has anybody lost trust in us?
As we surrender our hearts and minds to the Spirit, we too can master our emotional life and experience a godly wholeness and integrity. The reality of heaven, the promises of a faithful God, and a healthy fear of sin will work together to form in us the simple commitment to the truth that Jesus showed. Let us continue to ask the spirit to mold us into the image of Christ. The world is waiting for our witness.
Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all…” Matthew 5:33–34
The purpose of an oath was to guarantee the truthfulness of the statement made. Sometimes this can be very good. For example, many of the Sacraments involve making a public vow before God and the Church. In these cases, the vow is a form of oath that is solemnized so as to invite the grace of God to enter and strengthen it. It becomes a way of making a public witness to one’s faith and an expression of one’s need for God’s grace to be faithful to the promise that is made.
Jesus is not speaking about these forms of public vows, oaths and promises in the Gospel today. Instead, He is addressing a practice that some engaged in, whereby they regularly swore on God’s name about the truthfulness of what they were saying. The problem with this is that it takes something solemn and sacred and carelessly turns it into something ordinary. There is no need to “swear to God” about everything one says.
First of all, if one feels a need to call on God’s name regularly so as to convince another of the truthfulness of their statements, then it is most likely the case that they do so because they are struggling with dishonesty. Oath-taking on a regular basis seems to presuppose a human tendency to lie. For that reason, it is not ideal to go about one’s daily interactions with this presupposition. Instead, as Christians we must strive for a fundamental disposition of truthfulness. Jesus concludes this Gospel teaching by saying, “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.” In other words, work to become a person of true honesty and integrity. Be sincere in all of your dealings, and do not begin with a presupposition of dishonesty. Begin with the intention of complete honesty and sincerity, and that will suffice.
Furthermore, if one were to go about their day making one oath after another, swearing on God’s name to the truthfulness every time, this would have the effect of lessening the solemnity of those few times when this is a good and holy practice. Making public vows, such as marriage vows, or public promises, such as priests make, are unique and solemn. Publicly renewing our faith within the Church, taking an oath as one begins the responsibility of some public office, or any other more solemn opportunity for oath-taking should be seen as a special occasion. Therefore, our daily commitments must simply be the fruit of our honesty and integrity as persons.
Reflect, today, upon your own daily approach to honesty and sincerity. Do you go about your day with the goal of living in the truth, speaking the truth and seeking the truth? Are you honest with others, seeking good and clear communication with them? Ponder these questions and know that interior integrity requires these virtues of honesty and sincerity. Seek that integrity and others will benefit as they grow to trust you each and every day.
Lord, You are the source of all truth, and You are Truth Itself. Please help me to become a daily instrument of that Truth in all that I say and do. I choose You and Your holy will always, and I choose to be Your instrument for all to see. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me hear your voice amid the noise of the world. I want to respond generously to your call. I need to discern wisely what I need to leave behind to follow your Son. Grant me a wise and discerning heart so that I can live in your love and bring others to enjoy life with you.
1. Leaving the Dead: In 1 Kings 19:15-16, the Lord God gave Elijah three anointing tasks. He was to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, Jehu to be king over the northern kingdom of Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his place. In today’s First Reading, Elijah carries out the third task, manifesting his prompt obedience to God’s word. The appointment of Elisha as prophet looks forward to an episode in the New Testament when Jesus calls a disciple to follow him. When Elijah casts his mantle over Elisha, Elisha says to Elijah: “Let me kiss my father and my mother goodbye, and I will follow you.” And Elijah allows him to do so. In the Gospels, one of the disciples says to Jesus: “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:21-22). The Gospel of Luke reads: “To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:59-60).
No comments:
Post a Comment