Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần 29 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần 29 Thường Niên
Trong bài Dụ ngôn hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta thấy một thí dụ về người đầy tớ trung thành, biết lo việc nhà và biết trông chờ và sẵn sàng mở cửa cho người chủ trở về không biết lúc nào. dụ ngôn này, Chúa Giêsu đã  nhấn mạnh cho chúng ta biết sự cần thiết về đức tin và sự kỳ vọng thận trọng của chúng ta. Chúng ta biết chắc chắn rằng Thiên Chúa sẽ đến, nhưng chúng ta không biết ngày nào hay giờ nào. Như người đầy tớ khôn ngoan chúng ta phải biết sẵn sàng, tỉnh thức và chờ đợi cho đến khi Chúa đến. Đó mới là người xứng đáng lãnh được phần thưởng nơi Thiên Chúa.
            Thánh Basil đã viết: "Những gì là dấu hiệu của một Kitô hữu? Phải chú ý từng ngày, từng giờ và biết sẵn sàng trong trạng thái chuẩn bị trong sự hoàn hảo đó là phải biết làm đẹp lòng Thiên Chúa, và phải nhớ rằng Chúa sẽ đến trong bất cứ giờ phút nào.". Có lẽ ai trong chúng ta cũng đã phải trải qua một mất mát bất ngờ của một người bạn hoặc người thân, mà trong số họ là những người còn qua trẻ. Có bao giờ chúng ta đã trở nên quá gắn liền cuộc sống của chúng ta với những thứ hay hư nát của thế gian này, mà chúng ta đã quên và không chuẩn bị sẵn sàng cho ngày mà Chúa đã trở lại với chúng ta trong ngày Sau hết.?   Tinh thần và đạo đức của chúng ta phải là một tấm gương sang và trở thành một ví dụ thực sự tốt cho những người khác dưới sự chăm sóc và hướng dẫn của chúng ta. Đó là một trách nhiệm nghiêm trọng có giá trị cao cần phải được phản ánh.
            Xin Chúa giúp chúng con luôn biết sẵn sàng và sống đúng với vai trò và bổn phận của chúng con, để nhờ đó mà những người chung quanh có thể nhận biết Chúa qua những việc chúng con đã và đang làm..
 
REFLECTION Wednesday of 29th Week in Ordinary Time (B)
There are two lessons in the Gospel reading today: preparedness for Jesus' coming, and responsibility to develop and make use of gifts given to us by God.  The parable of the servants waiting for the master's return emphasizes the need for faith and vigilant expectation on our part. We know for sure that God is coming, but we do not know the hour. The wise servant is he who is ready and waiting for the master's arrival. It is he who deserves reward from the master. St. Basil writes: "What is the mark of a Christian? To watch daily and hourly and stand prepared in that state of perfection which is pleasing to God, knowing that at what hour he thinks not, the Lord will come." Perhaps some of us must have experienced an unexpected loss of a friend or relative, some of them still in the youthful years of life. Have we become too attached to things of this world, that we have forgotten to be ready, at all times, for God's coming? 
            The other message tells us of our responsibility and accountability to God for the gifts and talents he has bestowed on each of us. Greater responsibility entails greater accountability. When a person is placed in a position that allows him to guide, care, and influence others, much more is required of his moral, spiritual and ethical life so that he becomes a truly good example to those under his care. It is a responsibility worth serious reflection.
            "Lord, you are faithful even when I fail. Help me to remain ever faithful to you and to not shrink back when I encounter difficulties. Make me diligent in the exercise of my responsibilities and wise and prudent in the use of my gifts, time and resources.
 
Wednesday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Luke 12:39–40
These words from Jesus should cause us to sit up and take notice. This parable, followed by the rest of today’s Gospel, exhorts us to always be prepared for our particular judgment at the conclusion of our earthly life. There are various reasons these words should be heeded.
First of all, the obvious reason is that life for any of us could end at any time. We only need to recall various tragedies in which people have suddenly died from a car accident or from some other unexpected reason. Furthermore, there truly will be a specific moment in time when our Lord does return to earth for the Final Judgment. That moment will take place in an instant without any warning. It’s easy to presume that this end of the world when our Lord “comes to judge the living and the dead” will not happen for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years. But the simple truth is that it could be at any time, when those who are alive least expect it.
With that said, there is another important reason to always be prepared and ready to meet our Lord for our particular judgment. Even though our particular judgment will take place in a definitive way at the end of our life when we see our Lord face-to-face, we also encounter Him every day, all day, receiving daily rewards for our fidelity or judgment for our sins. It is useful to see this “hour you do not expect” as every moment of every day. If you can live every day with this ongoing expectation that our Lord is coming to you, today, then every moment can be turned into a moment of much grace.
Think about your day today. Does God want to come to you, to inspire you and to lead you to fulfill His holy mission today? Indeed He does. He has a specific mission for you today that will not be there tomorrow. He wants you to be aware of His presence right now so that you can respond to Him with much generosity.
Reflect, today, upon the importance of always being vigilant and attentive to God’s presence in your life. He wishes to speak to you, day and night, so as to guide you into a life of true holiness. If you can build a habit of attentiveness to His continual comings, then you will truly be prepared for that final coming when you meet our Lord face-to-face.
My ever-present Lord, You do come to me day and night, speaking to me, inspiring me, and leading me. Please fill me with the gift of holy vigilance so that I will always be prepared to meet You and hear Your holy voice. May I learn to build a habit of responding to You always. And may I especially be prepared for that glorious moment when I am blessed to see You face-to-face.  Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Wednesday of 29th Week in Ordinary Time (B) 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you know all things. You know when and how I will be tempted, how I will fail, and how I will be victorious. Guide me along the right path so that I may be entrusted with more. I am your servant and will strive to care for those you have entrusted to me.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Be Vigilant: Jesus teaches his disciples to be ready for our encounter with him at the moment of our death and to be ready for his second glorious coming at the end of time. Yesterday, we listened to Jesus compare his disciples to servants waiting for the master’s return from a marriage feast. The servants who were vigilant and welcomed the master were seated at the table and served by the master when he returned. When Jesus knocks at the door, we must open the door to him. Just like the householder does not know when a thief may strike, we do not know the day or the hour of Jesus’ return.
2. Our Royal Tasks: Cyril of Alexandria interprets the three watches of the night as three stages in our lives: childhood, adulthood, and old age. “The first of these, in which we are still children, is not called to account by God but is deemed worthy of pardon, because of the innocence as yet of the mind and the weakness of the understanding. The second and the third – the periods of adulthood and old age – owe obedience and piety of life to God, according to his good pleasure. Whoever is found watching and well-belted, whether by change he is still young or has arrived at old age, shall be blessed. For he will be counted worthy of attaining to Christ’s promise” (Commentary on Luke, Homily 92). Today, Jesus compares the apostles to domestic servants who are charged with various duties in the household of God’s kingdom. The royal tasks entrusted to them must be fulfilled diligently before Christ’s sudden return (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 133). Unfaithful stewards neglect their duties and will be punished. To whom much is given, much will be required. In short, watchfulness, diligence, service, and fidelity lead to the joy of heaven; carelessness, laziness, greed, and infidelity lead to the misery of hell.
3. The Ministry of Paul: Paul exemplifies the characteristics of a good and faithful servant. He was watchful and allowed himself to be guided by the Holy Spirit. He was diligent, even working to sustain himself and not burden the Christian communities with whom he stayed. He served tirelessly and saw his life as being for the service of the Gospel. In the First Reading, he called his ministry “stewardship” since it has been entrusted to him by God and given to him for the benefit of the people he served. Paul was faithful, faithful to Christ and to the mission he had been given. Not only was Paul a steward of the mysteries of God, but he was also a minister and servant (diakonos) of God. Paul served the Gentile Christians by communicating to them the mysteries of salvation, mysteries revealed to the Apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit. This plan of salvation includes the Gentiles, who, in Jesus Christ and through the Gospel, have been made coheirs of the promises made to Israel and members of the Body of Christ. Their inheritance and ours is eternal life.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the supreme example of a Servant. You did the will of your Father perfectly. It was your sustenance. Help me to imitate you and be attentive to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit you have poured out within me.
 
Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time.  2023
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, my Creator, and Redeemer, everything good comes from you. You are the one source of peace and happiness. Thank you for bringing me into existence and ensuring I received the invaluable gift of the faith.Thank you for accompanying me in every moment. I am grateful for your mercy and love, and wish to respond more generously to you in my life.
Petition: Lord, help me to be a faithful and prudent steward.
1. Wanted: Faithful and Prudent Stewards: Anyone who has had a management position knows that one of the riskiest parts of the job is hiring. Very often, it can seem like rolling dice, especially when there is a conflict between what’s read in the resume and what’s felt in the gut. Nevertheless, to make a good hire, you need to have a clear idea of what you want. The Lord has a simple job description for the stewards he is looking to bring on. They must be faithful and prudent. In being faithful, they don’t seek to impose their vision or desires over his, but rather serve the Master who has given them their commission. Their will is such that they are confident in assimilating the desires of their master. They can perceive how to adjust and adapt to the multitude of circumstances that arises. These stewards are continually applying the old wristband test, “WWJD,” i.e., What Would Jesus Do?
2. Tasting One’s Own Medicine: Having been “hired” by the master, it would be foolish not to expect to be held accountable for the trust that he bestows. Nevertheless, the irresponsible steward indulges his appetites and abuses his authority. The master’s “delay” gives him a false sense of security. Without the natural brake of his master’s watchful eye, his pride gets out of control. Yet the master is bound to return, and the servant eventually experiences the results of his arrogance: the taste of his own medicine is bitter indeed. The Lord is inviting us to have a greater awareness of his constant presence. His absence and “delay” are only apparent. He is very much present to those who wish to live their God-given charge with integrity and responsibility. His grace is always available to those who live their lives in his presence.
3. Management Styles: The two types of stewards have very different management styles. One beats the servants; the other “distributes the food allowance at the proper time.” We all want to be counted among those faithful and prudent stewards who take good care of those entrusted to us. Yet at times, the responsibility we have seems more burdensome than desirable. While the bad steward indulges his passions, the good steward is in danger of giving into his fatigue and impatience. Frustration is a distinct possibility when it comes to forming others. If the Lord died such a cruel death for our salvation, who can measure the value of a single soul? By contemplating that example, we need to learn to put aside our petty annoyances and instead be faithful in caring for those entrusted to us. 
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have given me such great responsibility. I am sorry for the times I have offended you, and for when I have not lived up to the trust you have bestowed on me. I promise you that I will strive to reflect your love for those to whom you have entrusted to my care.
Resolution: When my patience is tested, I will pause and ask myself, “How does the Lord want me to handle this situation?”