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.
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 2024
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. 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. They 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).
2. Josiah, the Last Good King of Judah: The First Reading records the discovery of the
Book of the Law in the Temple, while King Josiah reigned. When the Book of
Sirach praises the great men of the Bible, it says this about King Josiah
(640-609 BC): “The memory of Josiah is like a blending of incense prepared by
the art of the perfumer; it is sweet as honey to every mouth, and like music at
a banquet of wine. He was led aright in converting the people and took away the
abominations of iniquity. He set his heart upon the Lord; in the days of wicked
men he strengthened godliness” (Sirach 49:1-3). The only truly good kings of
Judah were Hezekiah and Josiah. In Chronicles, Hezekiah and Josiah are each
described as authentic sons of David; each acts like a new Solomon without
Solomon’s faults. Already as a boy, Josiah “began to seek the God of David his
father,” and he “walked in the ways of David his father” (2 Chronicles 34:2-3).
Josiah was a religious and liturgical reformer: he was “zealous for the temple and
the organization of the Levitical ministry and liturgy” (Hahn, The
Kingdom of God as Liturgical Empire, 183). Josiah’s reform and renewal
efforts (around 622 B.C.) were a response to finding the Book of the Law in the
Temple. “He receives this book as the word of God, and it leads him to
repentance and to seek prophetic insight and guidance so as to better
understand it and order the life of the kingdom by its precepts” (Hahn, The
Kingdom of God as Liturgical Empire, 183-184). He renewed and reestablished
the covenant and enshrined God’s Law once more as the heart of the kingdom’s
spiritual and community life. Josiah is the only king of Judah to fulfill the
threefold injunction of Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” As the author
of Second Kings, writes: “Before him [Josiah] there was no king like him, who
turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his
might” (2 Kings 23:25).
3. Josiah’s Reforms and the Prophet Zephaniah: Josiah instituted ten reform measures
for Judah and two for the northern kingdom (for Bethel and Samaria) (2 Kings
23:4-18). The destruction of the altar at Bethel is noteworthy: “Bethel had
been a holy site since the days of Jacob (Genesis 28:10-15; 35:1-4). But under
Jeroboam I who established a golden calf there, it had become an idolatrous
shrine, and under Jeroboam II it was identified as ‘the king’s sanctuary,
and... a temple of the kingdom’ (Amos 7:13). Ancient pedigree notwithstanding,
the altar at Bethel was destroyed by Josiah, who also ordered the destruction
of all other worship sites in Samaria. In his religious vision for Judah, the
Temple in Jerusalem was to be the only place of authorized worship of [the
Lord]. This conforms to the prescriptions of Deuteronomy 12” (Leclerc, Introduction
to the Prophets, 209). Zephaniah was one of the prophets who prophesied
during the reign of King Josiah and his prophecies can be seen as either
anticipating Josiah's reform efforts (if he prophesied before 622 B.C.) or
supporting them (if he prophesied after 622). The dominant theme of his book is
the Day of the Lord: God is coming to judge and punish in response to the
pervasive sin of Judah and its neighboring cities. Zephaniah’s judgment
culminates with the indictment of Jerusalem and, like the prophet Micah, he
“indicts the entire ruling establishment for its wrongdoing: the officials,
judges, prophets and priests” (Leclerc, Introduction to the Prophets,
215). God, we are told, will seek out and put an end to these evildoers. Even
though the threat of exile and destruction looms over the people, Zephaniah
refers to the survival of the remnant of Judah. From this remnant, the people
of Judah will be recreated; they will no longer be proud or haughty but rather
humble and lowly. They will seek the Lord, “they shall do no wrong and utter no
lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths” (Zephaniah 3:13).
God will defeat those who oppress his people and bring his people home and
restore their fortunes.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the Davidic king and
good shepherd who protects me from the ravenous wolves dressed as sheep. Take
the fruit I produce today, purify it, transform it, and offer it to the Father
as a pleasing sacrifice.
Living the Word of God: What kind of fruit have I produced for
the Kingdom of God? Am I swayed by the messages of false prophets? Or am I like
King Josiah, who places God’s Word at the center of his life, and seeks to love
God with all his being?
Wednesday of the Twelfth Week
in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord help me to
deeply embrace your teaching in these lines of Scripture so that, by your
grace, I produce only good fruit.
Encountering Christ:
Beware: False prophets have
always plagued believers. These days, many succumb to false prophets such as
politicians, Hollywood stars, or Instagram influencers. The fruits of these
prophets are divisiveness, confusion, loneliness, and disorientation. People
look for God on apps like HeadSpace, in meditation closets, or exercise
classes, completely missing that God revealed Himself in the person of Jesus
Christ. Our Lord counseled us to “beware” of these “rotten trees.” Like all
false prophets, these lead us away from truth and happiness. If we partake of
their fruit, we will not experience the peace and joy Our Lord wants to give
us.
Bearing Good Fruit: Jesus said good trees
bear good fruit and cannot bear rotten fruit. Spiritually speaking, why is this
so? Because good trees are rooted in Christ and fed by the Spirit. They know
they owe their existence to God and give glory to him in their goodness. The
fruit they bear is the spiritual consequence of a life aligned with God’s will
for them. Their fruit is God’s doing, not theirs.
You Will Know Them: If it’s
possible to know false prophets by their bad fruit, why are so many people
taken in by them? One possibility is that people choose the “low-hanging bad
fruit” over the less accessible good fruit. To discern good fruit from bad
fruit, we must know Jesus Christ. We have to put some effort into reading,
studying, asking questions–in other words, seeking–and praying. As we draw
closer to Christ he gives us ways to discern good fruit from bad fruit, and
good trees from bad ones. As we grow in holiness, not only do we more easily
recognize good fruit, but by his work within us, we bear good fruit of our own,
such as forgiveness, humility, chastity, love, mercy, and self-control.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, false
prophets abound, and their fruit seems attractive and satisfying. Protect me
and those I love from consuming bad fruit. May your presence be so powerful
within me that I cannot help but bear good fruit for your glory.
Resolution: Lord, today by
your grace I will ardently pray for the leaders in our world who are drawing
people away from the Gospel.
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.
REFLECTION
WEDNESDAY, 12TH Week in Ordinary Time (2017)
We live in a world of contradictions. Lots of people today say one thing
but mean another. It is easy to be victims of so-called religious leaders who
show compassion but have hidden agenda; they know and say the right words, like
a performance they do.
But as much as we need to be wary of false prophets and others who
use religion to advance their selfish intentions, we do have to reflect on how
we should live our Christian faith.
A leader I knew and respected told me that the worst thing you
could do to a person is to make him/her believe that you care for him/her, when
indeed you do not. A so-called leader by name could do that, but a true leader
strives to make a genuine connection with others, know them well and see where
they are coming from.
Jesus lived and taught the people in the way he wanted us to live.
He made efforts to know his followers, to know their dreams and their fears. He
connected with those he met, sinners and true followers. He did this out of his
love for
people. It is this
kind of love he urges us to live.
There are no prerequisites to the following of Christ: it is free
of hypocrisy and of trappings. All we have to do is to love Christ and allow
ourselves to be loved by him: no preconditions or pretenses needed.
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