Qua bài Tin Mừng
hôm nay, chúng ta hãy thử ngẫm nghĩ: chúng ta có như những người Biệt Phái
những kẻ tự cho mình đạo đức hơn người khác, vì mình thông hiểu giáo lý, thuộc
lòng và biết tất cả những Luật của Môisen, nhưng tai hại thay, họ đã không thực
hành và cư xử như những gì họ đã học, và tin. Như thánh Phaolô đã nói “Đức tin
không có hành động là chết”. Chúa Giêsu
đã chỉ cho chúng ta thấy rằng những kiến thức đạo đức tôn giáo không phải là
điều quan trọng nhất, nhưng phải là hành động của tình yêu.
Điểm chung để trở thành một người
Kitô hữu là phải biết yêu mến Thiên Chúa và yêu thương người khác. Nếu chúng ta
không thực hiện được điều đó, thì chúng ta còn thua cả những người ngoại giáo
và chúng ta cũng chẳng là gì. Vì thế chúng ta cần phải tìm đến với những người
khác hơn là chỉ biết ngồi ở một chỗ rung đùi trong cái chức vụ thoải mái của
chúng ta
Chúa Giêsu cũng đã đưa ra cho chúng
ta thấy cái tầm quan trọng của sự khiêm nhường và sự tha thứ. Ngay cả khi Ngài
được gọi là bậc thầy, là “sư phụ” của các tông đồ, nhưng Ngài không bao giờ
muốn được họ phục vụ, chính Ngài, ngài đã phục vụ họ như trong việc rửa chân
cho họ trong bữa tiệc ly. Ngài còn dạy họ hãy làm cho người khác như chính Ngài
đã làm cho họ.
Trong khi Chúa Giêsu bị nhạo báng ở
dinh quan Philatồ, Ngài vẫn giữ được cái
thái đô khiêm nhượng và hiền lành. Ngài bị đóng đinh như một tội phạm,
nhưng Ngài đã sẵng sàng tha thứ cho kẻ thù của mình. Ngài đã làm tất cả, chịu
sĩ nhục, chịu đánh, chịu đau khổ và ngay cả việc chịu chết để cứu rỗi tất cả
các tội lỗi của con người chúng ta.
Chúng ta nên học nơi Chúa Giêsu,
người Con một của Thiên Chúa đã hạ mình làm tôi đày, để sống giữa chúng ta, để
phục vụ chúng ta hơn là để được phục vụ. "Trong anh em, người làm lớn cả,
phải làm người phục vụ anh em. Ai tôn mình lên, sẽ bị hạ xuống, và ai hạ mình
xuống sẽ được tôn lên."
"Lạy Chúa Giêsu, xin dạy chúng
con biết sống theo sự khiêm tốn của Chúa là biết phục vụ mọi người để chúng con
có thể được sống trong tình yêu trong Chúa như Chúa đã yêu thương chúng con.
Xin Chúa đỗ đầy niềm vui trong việc phục vụ tha nhân nơi chúng con, để chúng
con có thể nhận ra sự tự do đích thực trong
tình yêu vị tha và phục vụ quảng đại cho những người chung quanh, xóm
giềng của chúng con. "
REFLECTION
Today's Gospel calls for a change of attitude on the different levels of
society. In the Church and in society, there are lawmakers and those who
observe the law. This will always be the case and remain necessary but the
Gospel condemns the lawmaker who imposes burdens on the shoulders of others
without himself being willing to carry them. Lawmakers and observers of the law
are governed by the same law of love.
There
will always be people to with titles and degrees and dignitaries bedecked with
medals for small or big achievements who often meet at exclusive parties and
dinners. There will always be teachers and pupils, masters and students, those
with diplomas and ordinary laborers. There will always be parents and children,
adults and the young.
This
is message in today's Gospel. It asks to reflect not so much on the terms that
we use but on the way we live in community. The father and the son are together
children of God. The teacher and his pupil are together disciples of Jesus. The
lawmaker and other people are together under the great law of God, which is the
law of love.
Saturday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
“The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will
be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11–12
If you were to plan out the ideal future for yourself,
what would it look like? Imagine if you were not constrained by budget or
resources. Imagine if you could pick to do anything you wanted, to go anywhere
you wanted, and enjoy any activity that you wanted. Imagine the greatest
experience you could possibly have. What would that be? Most people would
immediately think about indulging in the greatest pleasures imaginable. A life
of the most luxurious accommodations, the best food, the most beautiful scenery
and the most relaxing and enjoyable time possible. But would that truly be the
“ideal future for yourself?”
The Gospel passage above is very clear. Greatness is
found in servanthood. Exaltation is enjoyed only through humility. Is the ideal
lifestyle one that is filled with indulgence, entertainment, luxury, and the
like? Certainly not. The ideal life, the greatest life, the most exalted life
is the life of the most humble service of others as possible. That’s
essentially what Jesus tells us in this passage. Do you believe that?
Note that Jesus uses the words “greatest” and “must” in
the same sentence. These two words are both quite definitive. There is no one
greater than the “greatest,” and the path to that greatness requires, without
exception, that the greatest be a servant of everyone else. In many ways, this
truth defies most human conceptions of greatness. Most often, if someone is
considered “great,” then they are served and treated with an honor and respect
not given to most. For example, if you had someone of great importance over to
your home for dinner, you would most likely wait on them. Of course, service in
this context is much more than waiting on tables or providing a meal. Though
that is a blessed way to serve others and to express love, Jesus’ concept of
service goes far beyond this. How do we serve as one who is truly great? We do
so especially by humbling ourselves. Humility is the greatest form of service
we can render another.
Jesus was, without question, the humblest person to ever
live. Only His mother shared perfectly in this holy virtue. Humility enables a
person to break out of every selfish tendency and turn their love to the good
of the other. Jesus did this first by becoming Incarnate in the womb of His
dear mother. The Eternal Son of God did not become man because it somehow
benefited Him in a self-centered way. He did it because He loved us and His
Incarnation benefited us. The Son of God did not allow others to mock Him,
ridicule Him and ultimately murder Him because it somehow benefitted Him. He
did it so that He could enter death and destroy it so that we could rise with
Him. He did it for us. And we could go through every passage of the Gospels and
see that everything Jesus did was done for others and never done out of a
selfish desire. This self-giving service our Lord offered every day was a fruit
of the incredible humility that He lived. Jesus did everything He did out of
His love for others and with humility so as to bring salvation and
transformation to their eternal souls.
In our lives, we need to make a fundamental choice. Am I
going to live for myself? Or am I going to live for others? It seems as though
very few people live fully for others. It is difficult to take our eyes off
ourselves and turn them only to the good of others. But if we realize that
living for others is also the path to our own greatness and ultimate
exaltation, then it becomes much easier. Serving others, especially in a
spiritual way by which you do all you can to help them grow closer to God, is what
will make you great. Nothing else can do so. Believe that and live it.
Reflect, today, upon a life of true greatness. Reflect,
especially, upon how you can live such a life. How can you more completely
serve others? How can you make their holiness your primary goal? How can you
help others grow in their love of God? Humble yourself and turn your eyes from
yourself to others. Doing so will make an eternal difference for others and
also for yourself.
My exalted Lord, You are exalted far above all others.
You are Greatness Itself. The life You lived, dear Lord, was one of the
greatest humility. But it was in this humility that You accomplished the
salvation of the world. Help me to imitate Your greatness by making the service
of others my most central mission in life. I love you, my Lord. May I love and
serve others with You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday 20th ordinary Time 2023
Introductory Prayer: Jesus Christ, where else can I turn each day but to
you? One day, I will make that final turn to you, and it will last for all
eternity. Yet as in everything else, you set the pace, you take the initiative,
and you are the protagonist. You will turn and look my way first and I, as I
strive daily to do, will respond and gaze back into your eyes. This moment of
prayer is a rehearsal for that final turn to you. Amen.
Petition: Lord
Jesus, teach me to be humble as you were humble.
1. True Greatness: Jesus Christ, the lord of history and the world, came to
show us what it means to be humble. His divinity did not keep him aloof, but
rather he emptied himself, stripping himself of all glory to serve us humbly,
eventually dying for us on the cross. Such humility is astonishing. Who could
ever imitate such lowliness? We have trouble tolerating even minor offenses
against our person or reputation. Christ voluntarily assumed our human nature
and subjected himself to shame, insult, and torture to save us.
2. Authority Not Their Own: The Pharisees were in a position of authority, having
been lifted up from the mere dust from which God made them to the noble
position of arbiters and interpreters of the law. For that reason, Christ tells
his listeners to obey what they say – not on account of their authority, but
because of the authority given them by God. However, many of the Pharisees were
more interested in the honors and privileges of their position than in being
the link between souls and God. Contrast their example with the model of
humility set by Christ.
3. The Promise of Freedom: Christ came to earth to liberate us. He freed us from sin
and death and has given meaning to human suffering. He did this not in a proud
way but as a humble servant. As a lamb led to slaughter, he took upon his
shoulders the punishment for our sins. Far from coming to judge us, he came to
free us and let the judgment fall on himself. How does my concept of freedom
mesh with that of Christ setting us free from sin? Am I convinced that the
freest person in this life is the person who has strived to form virtue and
thus can joyfully and easily choose to do good and not evil? Do I humbly ask
Our Lord for the grace to act rightly knowing I cannot do anything good without
his help?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, Jesus Christ, you chose the path of humble service
to attract souls to your heavenly Father. Help me continue the work of calling
souls to him. Remind me that my proud behavior can do nothing to gain these
souls. Inspire me with your grace so that I may love you more than myself.
Saturday 20th rdinary Time 2022
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, today I place myself
in your presence and I ask you to open my heart so that I can let your word
penetrate more deeply. In this meditation, I want to conform my life to your
Gospel, to your ideal for me. I want to overcome my own pharisaical attitudes,
and take on the attitudes of your kingdom. Let me approach the Scriptures with
humility, so that I can change what needs to be changed. Let these words be the
nourishment I need to be able to grow and mature spiritually, to let go of my
childish ways of seeing the world.
Encountering Christ:
Not Lifting a Finger: We want to be the kind of people who
lift our fingers to help others with their burdens, right? We must, therefore,
learn to be with others, to feel with them, to put ourselves in their shoes so
that we can understand what their burdens feel like. Our hearts need to feel
real empathy. We are Pharisees when we look upon others’ sins or lack of faith
and judge them. We are Christs for others when we put judgment of others aside,
pray for them, listen to them, accompany them, and strive to lift their
burdens.
Works to Be Seen: People who do works to be seen are
pharisaical. There is no room for these kinds of people in the kingdom of God.
When we strive to impress those around us or, worse yet, prove that we are
better than they are, we are enslaved by sin. By contrast, when we are able to
serve another person in a hidden way, it keeps our love for God something truly
personal and intimate—just between God and us. As this intimacy with Christ
fills our hearts, he can free us from the desire to be seen by others.
The Greatest Is a Servant to
Others: How
many opportunities we have each day to be the least, and the servant of others!
Day after day we find ourselves disgruntled because of a terse discussion,
because someone doesn’t respect our opinion, or because they think they know
more than we do. We feel belittled in some way. The injustice can hurt, but
Christ invites us to offer these moments as a fragrant gift to him, which will
strengthen us to be humble servants to others.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, take away my proud spirit. Help me
to be a servant of others. Help me to let go of the opinions of myself that
drive me to want to be at the top and be seen by others. Help me to live only
for you. I know you see me.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will
do a hidden act of service for someone.
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