Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần 30 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần 30 Thường Niên
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta hãy tự hỏi: Đã có bao giờ chúng ta đã từng nghĩ tới và đặt ra câu hỏi là: chúng ta là hạng người như thế nào? Có bao giờ chúng ta đã từng tự tôn mình lên trên người khác? Hay có bao giờ chúng ta đã thực sự quan tâm đến tới những người khác một cách chân tình, nghĩa là sẽ làm những gì mà chúng ta có thể làm để giúp người khác bất cứ khi nào chúng ta có thể làm được để đem được hạnh phúc đến cho họ?
    Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nói rằng những ai muốn làm người đứng đầu, thì phải là người đứng sau, đứng cuối cùng của tất cả và là tôi tớ của tất cả mọi người. Có phải đó là ý của Chúa Giêsu muốn nói rằng đấy là cách để chúng ta đạt được tham vọng của chúng ta là phải được phục vụ? Không phải thế, thật ra, Chúa Giêsu không hề quan tâm đến việc chúng ta có đạt được tham vọng hay không! Nhưng Ngài muốn nói với chúng ta là phải làm như thế nào để được đứng đầu hay đến trước hết ngay trong trái Tim của Ngài, và ngay cả trong tâm hồn của người khác. Nếu chúng ta muốn là người đứng đầu trong trái Tim của Chúa Kitô, chúng ta phải là người tôi tớ của mọi người. Hơn nữa, nếu chúng ta có sự khiêm tốn để phục vụ người khác, chúng ta sẽ dễ dàng nhận ra được rằng: chúng ta cũng sẽ có một vị trí đặc biệt trong trái Tim của những người khác.
    Có lẽ chúng ta thường chỉ quan tâm đến những sự ước muốn và nhu cầu riêng của chúng ta hơn, Nhưng Chúa Giêsu muốn biến đổi tâm hồn chúng ta, để chúng ta cũng có thể trở thành người biết lo lắng, biết nghĩ đến người khác, và biết quan tâm, phục vụ người khác.
    Ngày hôm nay, chúng ta hãy xin Chúa Giêsu giúp chúng ta biết tập trung nhiều hơn vào những gì thực sự quan trọng, đó là sự quan tâm đối với những người khác, sự yêu thương những người khác hơn là sự tập trung vào những thứ hư vô, hay là chỉ biết làm việc và phục vụ riêng cho chính mình.
        
Reflection Saturday 30th Ordinary Time
Have we ever given any though on what kind of people we are? Do we promote ourselves? Or do we do show sincere concern for others, doing what we can, whenever we can, to help others in order to make them happy? In today's Gospel, Jesus said that those who want to be first must be the last of all and the servants of all. Is Jesus saying that the way to achieve our ambitions is to serve? Not at all. Jesus is not concerned with us achieving our ambitions. He is telling us how to be first in his heart, and even in the hearts of others. If we want to be first in Christ's heart, we must be a servant of all. Moreover, if we have the humility to serve others, we will realize that we also have a special place in other people's hearts.
    Perhaps we are often concerned only with our own wants and needs. But Jesus wants to transform us, so that we too can become caring people, concerned with serving others. Let us ask Jesus today to help us be more focused on what really matter — concern for others, loving others, rather than focusing on empty, self-serving actions.
 
Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.” Luke 14:8–9
This is an interesting parable. First of all, it must be noted that a true saint would not be embarrassed by such a humiliation. Instead, they would happily give their seat of honor to another. In fact, they would most likely have immediately taken the “lowest” spot, since this form of worldly honor would mean nothing to them. But Jesus wasn’t speaking at this time to living saints. He was speaking to people who did struggle with desires for worldly esteem. This shows that the people to whom Jesus was speaking were also insecure and lacked healthy self-esteem.
What’s beautiful is that Jesus meets these people where they are at, telling them a parable to which they could relate. These were the guests who were present at a dinner being held by one of the leading Pharisees to which Jesus was also invited. Jesus’ point was to gently share with them the truth that humility was far better than pride. True exultation and honor is found by humbling oneself and elevating others as a way of pointing to their innate dignity and value as persons. This is a hard lesson to learn.
Most people, when in a group of people, will struggle with comparing themselves to others. “She’s prettier” or “He’s more successful” or “They are very educated,” etc. This common tendency often comes as a result of being personally insecure with who you are as a person. However, if you were able to completely be at peace with who you are, if you loved yourself in the way God loves you, then you would be much freer to love others, see their dignity, and even rejoice in the ways that they are successful and exalted.
Jesus concludes His parable by saying, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” To the normal secular mind, this can be a hard truth to grasp. It can be difficult to understand the great value of humility. But humility is simply seeing yourself in the light of truth, in the way God sees you. The humble person does not need the praise and esteem of others. God’s love for them is sufficient. For that reason, humble people not only love themselves as God loves them, but they are then free to turn their full attention to the good of others. This is pure love. And this love is only possible when humility is lived fully.
Reflect, today, upon this gentle teaching of Jesus, given to those who greatly lacked humility. Try to see Jesus’ concern for them and His desire not to embarrass them but to free them from the heavy burden of their insecurities. If you are one who struggles with this, reflect upon our Lord gently inviting you to embrace humility. Pray for this virtue and practice it with sincerity. Know that the attainment of this virtue will open the door to much freedom in your life.
My humble Lord, You knew Yourself with perfection and loved Your own sacred soul with the same love the Father in Heaven had for You. Please help me to discover who I am. Help me to see myself as You see me. May I never be burdened by the distorted desire for earthly honors and worldly esteem. Instead, I pray that this glorious gift of humility will live deeply in my soul. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday Luke 14:1, 7-11
Encountering Christ:
The Vanity Trap: How much time we waste by worrying what other people are thinking of us! Just like the guests at this dinner, we jostle and vie for approval, recognition, and popularity. Our Lord’s parable points out how such expenditure of energy is pointless—we simply cannot control the whims of others, the ebbs and flows of societal fashions. Something completely outside of our control could easily push us to the lowest seat at the table at any time. Jesus wants us to release these vain strivings. He wants us to direct our energy and our hopes to more worthy goals. Instead of trying to exalt ourselves, he encourages us to humble ourselves. This doesn’t mean thinking less of ourselves—we are still created in God’s image and redeemed by Christ, so our true value and worth are not in question. Rather, he wants us to think about ourselves less, to occupy our minds with other things, to be freed from vain self-absorption, which is a dead-end when it comes to spiritual growth and interior peace. This parable echoes one of Christ’s unforgettable exhortations in his Sermon on the Mount: But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you besides (Matthew 6:33).
The Good Roots of Bad Vanity: The sin of vanity, as all sin, involves the distortion of something good—in this case, something actually necessary. The human person needs to be loved, approved, valued, esteemed. We cannot flourish unless we know that we are valued just because of who we are. This need is built into our nature. The yearning to be valued and appreciated is a healthy yearning. After all, we are created in the image of God, who is a Trinity of Persons in an eternal exchange of love. To try and stifle the yearning for love would be to stifle our very humanity. The problem isn’t in the desire for appreciation, but in misplacing that desire. Our fallen nature is so insecure that we have a tendency to turn the desire to be valued into an idol as if being valued is the true goal of life instead of a necessary ingredient. When we do that, we can easily end up committing all kinds of evil acts just in order to remain in a particular person’s good graces. We will lie and gossip to get on someone’s good side. We will overextend ourselves to win someone’s approval. We may even subject our bodies to immoral activities just so we won’t be rejected by someone we are trying to impress or hold on to. In a desperate bid to be seen and valued by someone we care about, we can break every commandment. This is disordered. Jesus wants us to know that we never have to compromise our true identity as God’s children; we never have to disdain our innate human dignity to make ourselves loved, valued, and appreciated. This is because we already are loved, valued, and appreciated, infinitely, by God. Our faith tells us this. And so, the true path to interior peace and spiritual strength isn’t trying to win the approval of peers or bosses at any cost, but taking the time to exercise and nourish our faith, so that we see ourselves more and more constantly through God’s eyes.
An Odd Place for God: St. Luke presents us with an odd scene in today’s Gospel. A leading Pharisee is hosting a large social gathering—think of a catered cocktail and dinner party in a wealthy socialite’s mansion. And Jesus is there. And he engages in a series of interactions and conversations during this party in which he takes advantage of the circumstances to preach the Gospel, to reveal the eternal truths. Most of us wouldn’t consider this setting a typical place for God to reveal himself. And yet, there it is, right in St. Luke’s Gospel. Is it possible that Jesus is revealing himself to me, teaching me the lessons I most need to learn, in the middle of the normal scenes of my everyday life? Of course, it is! That’s how God works. As the Catechism reminds us (27): God never ceases to draw man to himself. God is reaching out to me always and everywhere: at home, at work, at dinner parties, on the golf course. The question is, am I looking for him there, or am I so preoccupied with my own equivalent of choosing the places of honor at the table that I simply can’t hear his voice?
Conversing with Christ: What do I really want, Lord? I say that I want you to have the first place in my heart, that I want to know and embrace your will, that I want your friendship to be the fulcrum of everything I am and everything I do. Yet, I don’t always think, speak, and act as if that were truly the case. Why not? I suspect other desires or fears are at work deep within me, desires and fears I may not even be fully aware of. Please reveal them to me, Lord, as painful as it may be. I don’t want anything to interfere with my following of you.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ Các Linh Hồn Ngày 2 tháng 11

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ Các Linh Hồn Ngày 2 tháng 11
Chắc chắn ai trong chúng ta cũng có một người thân trong gia đình đã được Chúa “cất” đi. Và lúc đó là một trong những lúc đau đớn và khó khăn nhất của chúng ta. Tuy nhiên, vào ngay ngày hôm đó, người thân yêu của chúng ta đã được tỉnh thức ở phía bên kia của sự chết. Họ tỉnh dậy trong ngày vui mừng hoan hỉ. Người thân yêu của chúng ta đã vui mừng trong sự hân hoan vui sướng, mà tiên tri Isaiah đã hát lên trong bài đọc I: Thiên Chúa đã dỡ bỏ tất cả những tấm màn sô, hay nhữngn khăn tang trong khắp các nước, tất cả các dân tộc; Ngài đã hủy diệt sự chết và lau đi những giọt nước mắt. Ngài là Thiên Chúa, Đấng mà tình yêu tìm cách để cứu chúng ta.
    Cuộc sống của những người mà chúng ta yêu thương đã không kết thúc và mạng sống đó đã không mất đi trong sự chết của họ nhưng họ đã được thay đổi trong sự sống của Thiên Chúa. Chúng ta đã không thực sự mất đi những người chúng ta yêu thương vì họ đã đến với sự chết, nhưng chúng ta đã đặt họ trong sự yêu thương, trong lòng thương xót của Chúa, nơi đó, họ sẽ nghỉ ngơi trong niềm vui cho đến khi chúng ta cũng sẽ chết đi ngay trong thế giới này được đánh thức trong niềm vui cùng với họ. Đối với chúng ta cũng thế, cuộc sống này sẽ không bao giờ kết thúc, nhưng đó chỉ là một sự thay đổi.
    Khi chúng ta suy niệm về bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta hãy tự hỏi: Đã có bao giờ chúng ta đã cảm thấy chán nản, buồn bã và cô đơn chúng ta đã mất đi một người thân? Hay chúng ta đã tìm thấy sự an ủi, sự bình thản hơn trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay? Qua bài Tin Mừng này, Xn Chúa giúp chúng ta biết yêu thương và tin tưởng nơi Chúa Giêsu là Chúa của chúng ta nhiều hơn.
 
REFLECTION
The day a loved one dies is among the most difficult and painful times we will ever experience. On that day, however, the loved one awakens on the other side of death. He awakens to a day of exultant joy. The loved one celebrates the joy of which Isaiah sings in the first reading: God has lifted all mourning veils from all peoples; he has destroyed death and wiped away all tears. He is the God whose love seeks to save us.
    Life has not ended for those whom we have loved and have lost to death; their lives have changed. We have not really lost these people we love to death. We have placed them in the loving, merciful hands of God where they will rest in joy until we too die to death in this world only to awaken to the same joy that sustains them. For us too, life will not end, it will be changed.
    After reflecting on today's Gospel, let us ask ourselves: have we ever lost a loved one that made us feel depressed, sad and lonely, but found comfort in today's Gospel? Did the Gospel help us love and trust Jesus' more?
 
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day), November 2
“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” John 6:40
Yesterday’s Solemnity of All Saints gave us an opportunity to celebrate and rejoice in the fact that there are countless people who have gone before us who are now enjoying the glories of Heaven. These faithful souls lived lives that were grounded in God’s grace and have been fully purified of all sin. They now gaze at our good God face-to-face.
Today, we commemorate the fact that many who die in a state of grace are not immediately ready to stand before the glorious throne of God and see Him face-to-face. The only way this is possible is if every sin and every attachment to sin is purged from our souls. We must have nothing but pure charity alive within us if we are to enter the eternal glories of Heaven. But how many people die in such a state?
The Church, in her wisdom and holiness, has taught clearly through the centuries that when a person passes from this world to the next while still attached to less serious sin, they need to be fully purified in order to enter Heaven. This is Purgatory. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (#1030–31a).
For some, Purgatory can be a frightening and even confusing thought. Why doesn’t God, in His infinite mercy, simply take all our loved ones who followed Him straight to Heaven? The answer is simple. He does! And the path for them to Heaven is this incredible mercy of their final purification.
Purification of all attachment to sin within our soul is a mercy beyond what we can imagine. Through this final purification, God prepares the holy souls who have died for an eternity of joy. But this purification is necessary because God, in His love, does not want any soul to live eternally with even a minor attachment to sin. God wants us all free. The truth is that every sin on our soul, even the smallest one, is reason enough for us to be excluded from Heaven. So Purgatory must be seen as a final mercy from God by which He lifts every last burden that keeps us from perfect love, so that our eternity will be one of utmost freedom and ecstasy. God wants us to be filled only with the purity of love forever. Thus, upon our death, we are graced to enter into a final and intense purification of every minor sin, so that when we see God in all His glory, we will see Him with the perfection to which we are called. Purgatory is a gift, a grace, a mercy. It will be painful to go through in the same way that overcoming any sin is painful. But the good fruit of freedom from sin makes every final purification we must endure worth it a hundredfold and more.
Reflect, today, upon the spiritual truth that God wants you to be a saint. If you are among those few who die in a state in which you are purified from every sin, then be assured that you have already completed your purgatory on earth. But if you or your loved ones are among the many who still hold some minor attachment to sin at the time of death, then rejoice that God is not done with you yet. Anticipate with much gratitude the final purification that awaits and look forward to the freedom that ultimately comes from that purification.
My merciful Lord, You desire that my soul and the souls of all your faithful be purified of every sin, even the smallest imperfection. I thank You for the mercy of Purgatory and pray that I will continually work toward that purification here and now. I pray, also, for all those who have gone before me and are still in need of these purifying fires. Pour forth Your mercy upon them so that they may be counted among the saints in Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I contemplate today the passing of family, friends, and acquaintances. I pray for each of them by name and hope that they have found your merciful love. May they enjoy eternal life with you and pray for me as I make my way through this passing.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Gift of Eternal Life: The Gospel of John focuses especially on the gift of eternal life. Jesus proclaims that everyone who believes in the Son receives eternal life. This does not mean that once we make an act of faith in Jesus we are assured of salvation. Faith is only the beginning of eternal life, not its culmination. In other words, by faith in Jesus, we receive the grace of sharing in God’s life. We receive this gift already on earth in the hope that we will possess it irrevocably in heaven. In this life, eternal life is a gift that we can receive more fully through spiritual growth and friendship with God. But it is also a gift that we can lose through sinful actions. Our hope, though, is that we will persevere in our faith and friendship with God and be raised to heavenly glory.
2. The Gift of Immortality: The passage from the Book of Wisdom, which is one of many first readings that can be chosen on this day, speaks about the gift of immortality given to the souls of the just. The Book of Wisdom offers the clearest teaching in the Old Testament on life after death. It offers us comfort and gives us hope for loved ones who have died (Giszczak, Wisdom of Solomon, 51). Throughout the Book of Wisdom, there is a contrast between two deaths: the physical death experienced by all human beings and the spiritual death of the wicked. Although the wicked persecute the righteous here on earth, the righteous will not suffer after their physical death. Instead, they will receive the gift of immortality and be greatly blessed. Their sacrificial love has been purified during their earthly lives by their suffering, just like gold is purified over time in the heat of the furnace. In heaven, the righteous will be vindicated and shine like the stars. “The righteous are identified as those who trust in [God] … Faith enables them to understand the truth and to abide with [God] in love. Trust in God leads to understanding, and faith leads to love. The final end of the righteous in communion with God satisfies the desires of both the will and the intellect. Truth and love, in the end, are inseparable” (Giszczak, Wisdom of Solomon, 52).
3. The Gift of Union with Christ: In the passage from the Letter to the Romans, which is also one of many second readings that can be chosen on this day, Paul speaks about the gift of union with Christ Jesus. Through our Baptism, we share in Jesus’ death but also in his resurrection. And this gives us hope that we will live with him and die no more. Already in this life, we enjoy new life in Christ and in his Spirit. Just as our faith needs to flourish in works
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I am thankful that I am united to you as a branch is united to the vine. Prune me as necessary so that I may bear fruit in God’s vineyard. Nourish me with the water of your Spirit so that I may flourish in holiness.
 
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) - John 6:37-40
Opening Prayer: Lord God, today is a difficult day because I am remembering my friends and family who have passed away. Increase my trust in you. I know that their lives are not ended but only changed. Jesus, do not lose any of the ones the Father has given into your hands!
Encountering Christ:
Fear of Death: November 2 occupies a unique place in the Catholic calendar because we remember all who have died in Christ. With the notion of Christ our Redeemer, we are relatively comfortable. But what of death? We imagine death as the black-robed scythe, the termination of life, growth, and laughter. Death is a pall and a chilling of the bones. The passing over from life to death frightens us. In death, all that is familiar is stripped from us—except for Christ. Christ promises, “I will not reject anyone who comes to me.” The fear of death is the fear of an ultimate rejection—that we as persons will be rejected by life itself. But Christ has conquered death. Because he welcomes us into new life, death no longer has the power of ultimate rejection. Reflect on Christ’s promise, “I will not reject anyone who comes to me. I will not.”
Christ Loses Nothing: In the movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Mr. Rogers said, “Death is human. Everything human is mentionable. And everything mentionable is manageable.” If death were an absolute loss and complete annihilation, it would be unmentionably dark. But death is meant to be a conversion, a passing from darkness into light. Christ lets nothing essential be lost. “This is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me.” Not anything. Nothing given to Christ is lost. And so I give him my love, my life, my time, my personality, my quirks, my pastimes. All of it is taken up, embraced, redeemed, transformed, and preserved for eternal life. We are God’s children; he wants nothing that is authentically ours to be lost.
Exaltation and Life: “I shall raise him on the last day.” With this brief statement, the Messiah opens grand vistas. We shall be raised by him, exalted on high. It shall be on the last day, the great day of redemption. “We firmly believe, and hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives forever, so after death the righteous will live forever with the risen Christ and he will raise them up on the last day” (Catechism 989). Just as we hope and believe this for ourselves, so we hope and believe it for our departed loved ones. Together with the whole Church, let us pray for them.
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, death will never seem nice to me. It is cold and hard, just as it was for you on the cross. The psalms tell me that you do not rejoice in the death of your loved ones. Knowing that you welcome us into eternal life—that changes everything!

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên
Là một Người Do Thái ngoan đạo, Chúa Giêsu tôn trọng luật pháp của Do Thái. Tuy nhiên, Ngài cũng chỉ ra cho chúng ta thấy rõ những trường hợp ngoại lệ mà mà luật lệ của con người quá khắt khe hơn luật của Thiên Chúa. Luật ngày Sa-bát là được làm ra không có nghĩa để làm khổ con người, được lập ra cho có lệ vì lợi ích riêng của một nhóm người giàu có, có học và làm khổ những người khác vì nghèo đói hay ít học.
Trong trường hợp ngày hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu thấy sự cần thiết để cứu chữa một người đang sống trong đau khổ vì sự tàn tật, đau bệnh trên thân xác lẫn tâm hồn…. Sự cần thiết để cứu chữa này sẽ giúp cho anh ta mau chóng vượt thoát được cái sự đau khổ chắc chắn là còn cần thiết phải thực hiện hơn là chỉ ngôi yên mà giữ luật cho đúng cách.
Luật được tạo ra là để duy trì và giúp cho xã hội và nhân loại được tốt đẹp hơn có nghĩ là Luật pháp cần phải được thực hành một cách đúng với sự công chính và trong cách vô tư, nếu như chúng ta thực hành luật pháp đúng theo như mặt đạo đức đó, thì Luật pháp chắc chắn sẽ để đem lại lợi ích cho tất cả mọi người, se trong thế giới của chúng ta sẽ có một nền hoà bình vĩnh cửu. Vì thế tất cả các những việc làm và hành động của chúng ta phải được thực hiện trong tình yêu, trong sự ngay thẳng và nghiêm minh, chính trực.
Lạy Chúa, xin lấp đầy chúng con với tình yêu của Chúa và đừng để cho chúng con phải bao giờ từ bất bình, phê phán với người khác, nhưng luôn luôn khoan dung và rộng lượng với người khác.
 
REFLECTION
As a devout Jew, Jesus respects the law. But, he also points out that there are exceptions to being too strict. The laws of the Sabbath were not meant to be followed for the sake of being followed. In today's instance, Jesus saw the need to cure the man with dropsy. The need to cure and help another outweighed the need to comply with the letter of the law.
Laws were created to maintain order. But love supersedes any law. If a greater good can be achieved from bending the law, then perhaps it should be done especially if doing so morally benefits others. All action should be done out of love
 
Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. Luke 14:1
Jesus accepted an invitation from this prominent Pharisee to dine at his house. The people at the dinner were “observing him carefully.” It’s somewhat easy to picture the scene. For most people, being invited to a dinner with many strangers who are observing them carefully may leave them feeling quite uncomfortable and self-conscious. But Jesus showed up with perfect confidence and an unwavering commitment to share the Gospel. One thing we can learn from this dinner and Jesus’ disposition at it is that uncomfortable situations are actually great opportunities to share your faith. 
We will all have times when we are put in an uncomfortable situation. Imagine, for example, being invited to a party for a distant relative or a new neighbor. You decided to attend and knew that you would know very few people there. The tendency for those who are shy would be to show up, find someone they know, and then spend the rest of the time with that person. But consider what Jesus did. He probably knew very few people at this dinner. Jesus’ primary purpose in attending was not to just relax and have a fun time while He met new friends. Instead, His primary purpose was to preach His saving message to those in need. Thus, He went to those in need and did so with confidence.
Whether you are one who likes to socialize and meet new people, or are one who dreads such settings, consider the simple fact that these settings are wonderful opportunities to share your faith. Like our Lord, if you are willing to put yourself out there, entering situations that are new and unfamiliar, then you may start to discover that the opportunities abound. New settings and new people are new opportunities to evangelize. True, they are also opportunities to make new friends and enjoy yourself. But if you have a heart set on the desire to share the Gospel, then you will regularly look for new opportunities in which you can somehow share your faith with others.
Reflect, today, upon this simple Gospel scene of Jesus attending a dinner, with many people He did not know, for the purpose of sharing the faith with them. Imagine yourself joining our Lord at this meal. How would you have felt? Would you have been self-conscious and uncomfortable? Or would you have seen it as an opportunity to share the Gospel? Reflect upon how zealous you are in your efforts to evangelize others and recommit yourself to this holy endeavor. Tell our Lord you are ready and willing to be used by Him wherever He sends you and then try to see every new adventure and experience in life as a new opportunity to share Christ’s saving message with others.
My saving Lord, You desire that Your saving message be shared far and wide, to the ends of the earth. Please fill me with zeal for souls. Give me an unwavering desire to share the Gospel with everyone I meet. Please use me, dear Lord, in the way You desire, so that Your love and mercy will be brought to those in need. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time - Luke 16:1-8
Opening Prayer: Lord God, thank you for this day. Thank you for creating and redeeming me. I praise you for your goodness, wisdom, and beauty. Help me to grow more like you through my prayer today.
Encountering Christ:
The Lure of Money: This unusual passage is part of a chapter-long discourse concerning money which is unique to Luke’s Gospel. In tomorrow’s Gospel, we will hear how one cannot serve both God and money, and at the end of the chapter, we hear the poignant story of the rich man and Lazarus. In Luke 16:14, the center point of the chapter, we learn who Jesus had in mind during this discourse: “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him.” Of course, God created us all, and he knows exactly how each one of us feels about money, whether we have a lot or very little. Let’s pray with transparency about the treasures with which Our Lord has entrusted us, asking what he would have us do with them. He calls us to use our treasures prudently, to put them to good use here on earth so as to reap eternal dividends. 
 I Know What to Do: We are struck by the steward’s acute situational analysis. “What shall I do?... I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. [But] I know what I shall do…” We envy him for this ability to put his finger on the problem and choose a fitting solution. Our lives, on the other hand, can be filled with doubt, and sometimes with sin. We ask: “What shall I do, now that my sin has distanced me from God? I am not strong enough to stop sinning, and I am ashamed to beg for help. I don’t know what to do!” In this passage, the Lord encourages us to act and to act shrewdly. We are not to remain indecisive, but to step away from sin and act as a child of the light. Let us summon our strength–aided by grace–in order to right our ship and restore our friendship with God through the sacrament of Confession.
Right Stewardship: It is interesting to note the crisis which set the parable in motion: “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property.” Why would a prudent steward, one capable of “dealing with those of his own generation” and “finding welcome in their homes,” be so careless as to squander his master’s property? Perhaps he squandered his master’s property to make his own life easy and comfortable. Let us always remember that all that we have belongs to God. We are custodians of creation and of souls he has put in our care. If we are careless with his “property,” God one day will call us to account for our carelessness. But if we cherish and guard the things of God and the people he has put in our life, we are really cherishing and guarding our own happiness and security in Christ.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace of true prudence—the kind of prudence which seeks first the Kingdom of God. I know that you will give me everything else besides. Teach me to live as a child of the light. 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng -Lễ Kính Các Thánh 1/11

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng -Lễ Kính Các Thánh 1/11
Trong Tin Mừng Chúa Giêsu hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy rằng cuộc sống của Ngài là một cuộc sống trong Tám Mối Phúc Thật, và chúng ta cũng nên cập nhật cuộc sống chúng ta theo tinh thần của Tám Mối Phúc Thật. Trong các mối phúc thật, chúng ta có thể làm thành một bảng tóm tắt là “làm thế nào”, trong những giai đoạn khác nhau trong  cuộc sống của chúng ta, trong những tình huống và những sự thử thách khác nhau, và cách mà chúng ta phải cư xử theo nghĩa vụ riêng của mình.  Chúng ta được mời gọi để chấp nhận cuộc sống theo gương của Chúa Giêsu như chính Ngài đang sống ở giữa chúng ta.  Đó việc góp phần vào việc xây dựng nền móng cho của Nước Thiên Chúa mà Chúa Giêsu không ngừng mời gọi chúng ta.  
            Trong quá trình này, có rất nhiều sự khó khăn nhắc nhở chúng ta về sự cần thiết để thánh hoá và thanh lọc qua sự đầu hàng Thiên Chúa với tất cả những gì chúng ta đang có. Sự cam kết này phải được đánh dấu với niềm hy vọng như thư của thánh Gioan đã nói với chúng ta: “Tất cả những người có niềm hy vọng này dựa vào Ngài làm cho mình thanh tịnh, vì Ngài là đấng thật là tinh khiết"
            Chúng ta cũng được mời gọi để kiểm tra liên tục lại cuộc sống của chúng ta một cách thường xuyên mỗi ngày để chúng ta có thể khám phá ra những lĩnh vực trong của cuộc sống đang làm cản trở việc xây dựng Vương quốc của Thiên Chúa. Để đạt được điều này, Chúa Giêsu đến để mời gọi chúng ta tìm kiếm những hình ảnh của Thiên Chúa trong mọi sự, ngay cả trong những sự bất công hay bắt bớ. Trong khi chúng ta phải đối mặt với những tình huống này, chúng ta được chứng kiến lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa một cách nhân lành.
Xin Chúa, ban cho chúng con có được những ân sủng của Chúa để làm chứng cho tình yêu và lòng thương xót của Chúa trong tất cả những kinh nghiệm trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của chúng con. Trong những khi chúng con phải đối diện với những trường hợp thử thách, xin giúp chúng con can đảm để chứng kiến lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa đối với chúng con.
 
Reflection
In today’s Gospel Jesus reveals to us that his life is a life of the Beatitudes and that we should also fashion our lives in the spirit of the Beatitudes. In the Beatitudes, we find a summary of how, in our different stages of life, in the different situations and challenges, we are supposed to behave. The behavior we are invited to adopt mirrors Jesus' life amongst us. It also contributes to the building of the foundations for the Kingdom of God to which Jesus constantly invites us. In this process, the many difficulties remind us of the need for purification through a total surrender to God. This commitment should be marked with hope as the first letter of John tells us: “everyone who has this hope based on Him makes himself pure, as He is pure.”
            We are also called to examine our lives constantly on a daily basis so as to discover those areas of our lives that hinder the building of the Kingdom of God. In order to achieve this, we are invited to seek the face of God in all things even in injustices or persecutions. As we face these situations, we are to witness meekly to the mercy of God.  Grant us, Lord, the grace to witness to Your love and mercy in all our daily life experiences
 
Solemnity of All Saints, November 1
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5: 1–3
Today we celebrate one of the most glorious solemnities within our Church! Every saint, canonized or not, is honored today. Our Gospel passage lays out the path by which these saints entered Heaven. While on earth, these great men and women lived lives that were poor in spirit, filled with a holy mourning, meekness, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, mercy, peace, purity of heart and even persecution. Each one of these Beatitudes concludes by stating the reward that those who lived these qualities obtains: Heaven, comfort, satisfaction, mercy, seeing God, being children of God and rewards beyond what we can imagine in God’s Kingdom.
The Beatitudes invite us to the heights of holiness. They are not for the faint of heart or for those living a lukewarm spiritual life. These Beatitudes present us with the pinnacle of holy living and challenge us to the core. But every effort put into living these Beatitudes are worth it here on earth and ultimately in Heaven. Let’s look briefly at two of these Beatitudes.
The second Beatitude states that those “who mourn…will be comforted.” This is an interesting Beatitude. Why is it holy to mourn? Simply put, this form of holy mourning means that you not only have a holy sorrow for your own sins but that you have this holy sorrow as you see the many evils within our world. This is crucial today. First, it should be quite obvious that we must have holy sorrow for our own sins. Doing so means your conscience is working. And when your conscience is working, you will be compelled, by this holy sorrow, to acknowledge your offenses against God and work diligently to change. But we must also have a holy sorrow as we see the many evils within our world. Too often today there is a tendency to undermine this Beatitude by presenting universal acceptance of all things as a good. We are told we must not judge, and though that is true when it comes to judging another’s heart, a worldly presentation of this secular “virtue” attempts to lead us to downplay the objective nature of sin. Our secular world tempts us to ignore many objective moral truths by which God guides us into all truth. But as Christians, our first approach must be to despise all that our Lord taught was objectively morally evil. And when we do come face-to-face with immoral lifestyles, the appropriate response must be holy sorrow, not acceptance of grave sin. To mourn over another’s poor choices is a true act of charity toward them.
The fourth Beatitude calls us to “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” This means that we not only have a holy sorrow over our sins and the objective evils of our world, but that we also allow ourselves to be filled with a hunger and thirst for truth and holy living. This drive must become a burning motivation within us to do all we can to further the Kingdom of God everywhere. This Beatitude enables us to overcome indifference, inspiring us to bring about change in the face of all opposition. And this drive is fueled by charity and every other accompanying virtue.
Reflect, today, upon the beautiful truth that you are called to become a saint. And the surest path to sainthood is the Beatitudes. Read them carefully. Meditate upon them and know that they reveal to you how God is calling you to live. If one of these Beatitudes stands out to you, then spend time focusing upon it. Work to internalize these graces, and God will work wonders in your life, one day making this solemnity within our Church a true celebration of your life well lived.
My most holy Lord, You reign now in Heaven and desire that Your glorious Kingdom be firmly established upon earth. Give me the grace I need to seek holiness with all my heart and to especially use Your revelation of the Beatitudes as the path by which I travel. I pray that I will become a true saint in this world and that You will use me to further Your Kingdom now and for eternity. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Solemnity of All Saints November 1, 2024 | Friday
Opening Prayer: Lord God, guide me along the path that leads to true beatitude, to eternal life with you. Help me to overcome the temptation to seek primarily the fleeting happiness that comes from wealth and pleasure. May I truly imitate your Son, the Incarnation of the Beatitudes!
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Eightfold Path to Happiness: Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount that there is an eightfold path to happiness or blessedness. If we want to be happy, we need to seek spiritual poverty instead of riches, offer up our suffering instead of seeking disordered pleasure, grow in meekness and humility instead of pride, seek righteousness instead of earthly honors, be merciful instead of envious, be pure of heart instead of duplicitous, be a peacemaker instead of a divider, and accept persecution due to our faith in Christ. This path to true happiness is most definitely a paradox. We do not normally think that those who mourn or that those who are persecuted are happy. The world wants us to accept a great lie and equate happiness with wealth, power, and pleasure. Jesus, by contrast, wants us to see how humility, docility to the Spirit, trust in the Father’s care, justice, peace, purity, and mercy are the hallmarks of true happiness. Today, the Church invites us to contemplate the saints as models of those who followed Jesus’ eightfold path to happiness. We need to learn how we, with our unique personalities and lives, are called to the same holiness.
2. Salvation comes from our God and the Lamb: The Second Reading, from the Book of Revelation, is a reminder that our salvation and blessedness are not something we achieve through our efforts alone. Salvation is, first of all, a divine gift. This means that it is unmerited. In fact, we did nothing to earn the grace we received in Baptism. Revelation 7:3 references how we have been sealed by God and protected from evil through Baptism. The waters of Baptism are how we become members of God’s people and how we are adopted into God’s family as his sons and daughters (Barber, Coming Soon, 107). When John, the author of the Book of Revelation, contemplates those who have been saved and dwell with God in the blessedness of heaven, he first sees 144,000. This number symbolizes a righteous remnant from the 12 tribes of Israel who have been saved. John then sees a great innumerable multitude from the Gentile nations. The saints from the 12 tribes and the Gentiles carry palm branches because they are celebrating their admittance into the heavenly Temple (Barber, Coming Soon, 112). They wear white robes because they have been delivered from the great tribulation.
3. We are God’s Children Now: The First Letter of John contemplates the great mystery of our divine adoption. Through our Baptism, we are now God’s children. This is an awesome gift, and yet something greater awaits us at the end of our earthly lives. Here, on earth, we walk by faith and often stumble as we walk along the eightfold path of the beatitudes. In heaven, our faith in God will give way to the vision of God: “for we shall see him as he is.” Here, on earth, we are drawn toward God by our hope in his promises. Not only do we hope in the promise of eternal life, but also in the promise that God will give us, through his Son, what we need to attain eternal life.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, bring me to trust in your Word today. I struggle to see how poverty, mourning, and meekness lead to happiness. I need to overcome my selfish tendencies and look to the needs of those around me. Help me to see and serve you in the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the poor, and the sick.
 
Nov 1- Solemnity of All Saints - Matthew 5:1-12
Opening Prayer: Lord God, today’s Gospel passage crescendos from values such as purity and poverty to the intensity of persecution and trial to the pure joy of eternal reward. Teach my heart to beat in symphony with this message from your heart.
Encountering Christ:
Blessed Are the Merciful: Each of the beatitudes is a pearl of Gospel wisdom with enough richness to occupy a contemplative heart for quite some time. Let us examine one beatitude at random: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” God is our merciful Father, who has given us the gifts of creation and redemption, along with special graces such as a family or a good workplace. He shows his mercy by giving us the grace to resist temptation, and holding out the offer of forgiveness when we fall. A life of mercy is a life of blessedness—in other words, happiness. This is the promise of all eight beatitudes.
The Church Chooses All!: The Church’s liturgy today does not restrict us to the contemplation of one beatitude, but floods us with all of them at once. This Gospel bonanza is in accordance with today’s feast day, the Solemnity of All Saints. It is truly a wonder to think of the variety and diversity of the saints. They were poor in spirit and thirsty for righteousness. They were meek and merciful, poor and peaceful. They were persecuted, insulted, and mocked. And what did they receive in exchange? Happiness in Heaven. One thing all the saints have in common is their reward of Heaven, eternal life with Jesus. And that is where all our sufferings and crosses in Christ are leading us too. So rejoice and be glad!
True Blessedness: The repetition of the word “Blessed” is the most characteristic element in this Gospel passage. The repetition of it rings in our ears: blessed, blessed, blessed. “Blessed” is a synonym for “happy” but with a deeper connotation. Jesus is not suggesting that we will feel great when we mourn or are insulted. But he is suggesting that there is a deeper kind of happiness–beatitude–which suffuses even suffering and all kinds of unpleasantness, transforming it through faith. This joy of the saints ran soul-deep, and no amount of adversity could take it away. 
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I can only accept these challenging beatitudes and aspire to them because they come from you. You lived them yourself first, and then you invited me to live them, giving me the grace I need to follow you. O Lord, continue to rain down your grace on me so I can be blessed!

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm 30th Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm 30th Thường Niên - Luca 13:31-35
Trong bài tin mừng hôm nay, Thánh Luca cho chúng ta thấy rằng những người Biệt Phái không phải là những người xấu cả và cũng có một số ít trong số những người biệt phái này đã có cảm tình với Chúa Giêsu và đến báo cho Ngài biết về mối nguy hại sẽ xẩy đến với Ngài. Không cần nghi ngờ, chúng ta đều biết không phải tất cả những người Biệt Phái là thánh cả, như trong phần trước của bài tin mừng hôm nay, Thánh Luca, đã cho chúng ta nghe Chúa Giêsu giảng: " Anh em đừng xét đoán, thì anh em sẽ không bị Thiên chúa xét đoán." (Lk.6 : 37).

Người Biệt Phái là những người rất sùng đạo. Lỗi của họ là vì họ đã quá đạo đức và quá thận trọng với cái vỏ bề ngoài của luật lệ, nhưng Chúa Giêsu đã không chỉ trích họ về những điều đó. Cái sai lầm lớn nhất của họ là họ để tự rơi vào cái bẫy mà họ thường xuyên phải đối mặt đó là tự cho mình là những người đạo đức, rồi đâm cuồng tín và tỉ mỉ. Sự nhiệt tình của họ dễ dàng trở nên cố chấp, không biết khoan dung. Họ đã sẵn sàng áp đặt gánh nặng lên mọi người sự nghiêm ngặt, khắt khe trong các lề luật Thiên Chúa theo cách riêng của họ, mà họ quên rằng Thiên Chúa là đấng đầy lòng nhân từ, thương xót và dịu hiền, bởi vì Ngài biết không phải tất cả chúng ta luôn luôn có thể sống và tuân giữ từng những chi tiết nhõ trong lề luật của Thiên Chúa để đạt được lý tưởng trong sự thánh thiện.
Trong bài thánh thư gởi cho Ê-phê-sô chúng ta đọc hôm nay, Thánh Phaolô thúc giục chúng ta nên dùng chân lý sự thật, công bằng và lòng nhiệt thành để truyền bá Tin Mừng hòa bình của Chúa. Chúng ta có thể có được lòng nhiệt thành, sốt sắng như những người Biệt Phái, nhưng lòng nhiệt thành của chúng ta phải được sinh động bởi sự thật và công lý, vì chúng ta phục vụ Tin Mừng bình an của Thiên Chúa.
Lạy Chúa Cha trên trời, sự kiên nhẫn của Chúa chính là cơ hội cho chúng con được cứu rỗi. Xin Chúa ban cho chúng con một tinh thần kiên nhẫn khoan dung, khiêm nhường và rèn tôi lòng nhiệt thành của chúng con trong sự thật và công bằng.
 
Thursday -30th Week in Ordinary Time (Rom. 8:31-39)
Luke shows us that the Pharisees were not evil men and that at least some of them were sympathetic to Jesus and warned him of danger. No doubt, not every single Pharisee was a saint, but earlier in this chapter 13 of Luke’s gospel we heard Jesus’ teaching: “Do not judge and you will not be judged yourselves” (Lk.6:36). The Pharisees were very religious people. Their fault was that they were too religious and scrupulous, but that did not of itself merit Jesus’ criticism of them. Their greatest fault was that they fell into the trap frequently facing such over-religious and scrupulous people: their zeal easily become intolerance. They easily imposed on others their own strict fidelity to the Law of God, forgetting that God is merciful and kind since not all of us can always in every single detail attain to the ideal of holiness.
Today’s passage from Ephesians urges us to use truth, justice and zeal to propagate the Gospel of peace. We may be as zealous as the Pharisees, but our zeal must be animated by truth and justice, for we serve the Gospel of peace.
Heavenly Father, Your patience is our opportunity to be saved. Grant us a spirit of patience and tolerance and temper our zeal with truth and justice
 
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling!” Luke 13:34
It’s helpful to ponder the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His heart is one that is strong and gentle, compassionate and just, merciful and truthful. In this Gospel passage, we are given a glimpse of Jesus’ love for the people of Jerusalem. He was not expressing His love for the city, but for the people in the city. It is clear that His deepest desire, His strong yearning, was that they allow Him to draw them close to Him so that He can protect them from all evil.
Jesus begins by speaking the word “Jerusalem” twice. This expresses deep compassion for the people of that city. It also expresses a lament that they have not turned to Him, remaining unwilling to change. Their refusal began long before Jesus walked the earth when their forefathers rejected the call of the prophets to repent and turn back to God. The stubbornness of their fathers continued with the people of Jesus’ day, and He experienced their rejection. This rejection did not lead Jesus to anger or condemnation as much as it led Him to holy sorrow.
The image of a hen gathering her brood under her wings is a lovely image to meditate upon. A mother hen protects her chicks with great courage and without concern for her own safety. When danger approaches, she extends her wings and covers the vulnerable chicks to protect them. Jesus uses this motherly image to express His desire to protect not only the people of Jerusalem, but all of us.
If Jesus yearned to gather the people together under his “wings” to protect them, then we should know, with certainty, that we need our Lord’s protection. He would not desire something that was unnecessary. He is not an overly protective God Who irrationally worries about His children. His concern is real and necessary, and we must know that we need His protection.
As you go about your daily life, do you feel as though you can handle life on your own? Do you act as an independent child who wants to separate yourself from the safety of your parents? Though we must all work to become responsible in life, we will never arrive at a point where we no longer need the protection of our loving God. The world in which we live is filled with dangers from which only God can protect us.
At the beginning of today’s Gospel, Jesus referred to Herod as a “fox.” That image must be seen in the context of Jesus desiring to act as a mother hen, protecting her brood. Jesus was told that Herod was trying to kill Him, but He clearly was not afraid of Herod. Of Herod’s desire to kill Jesus, Jesus said, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.’” As a protector, Jesus took authority over demons, performed healings and opened the gates of Heaven by rising from the dead on the third day. As we go through life, there will be many demons who seek to attack us. We will need many forms of healing, and without the gift of Jesus’ triumph over death itself, we will not be led to the glories of Heaven. Demons are real. Wounds are real. And the need for a Savior is real.
Reflect, today, upon the image of Jesus acting as a mother hen, extending His wings over you to protect you from the many temptations and diabolical attacks you will encounter in this world. Ponder the fact that you need His daily protection. The demons will never stop their attacks. Mental, emotional and spiritual wounds need His healing. Jesus is the only one Who can protect you and heal you so that He can then pour forth the gift of eternal life. Remain under His protective care, and allow Him to fulfill the yearnings of His Sacred Heart.
My compassionate Lord, You yearn to protect me from the many evils in this world. You yearn to heal me of the wounds my sins have caused. And You yearn to bestow upon me the gift of eternal life. I accept Your protection, dear Lord, and pray for the healing I need. Please cover me always and bestow upon me the gift of eternal life. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Thursday 30^th in Ordinary time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are my shield and fortress. In you alone, I trust. I have nothing to fear from my enemies because you are at my side and have clothed me with your protection.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Culmination of Jesus’ Mission in Jerusalem: In the Gospel, Jesus demonstrates that he was fully aware of the evil plans of Herod Antipas. When some of the Pharisees came to Jesus to warn him about Herod and suggest that he flee, Jesus foretold his imminent death in Jerusalem as well as the third day of his Resurrection. During his public ministry, Jesus worked tirelessly, preached about the Kingdom of God, cast out demons, and healed the sick. His mission, though, will culminate in the holy city of Jerusalem in a few months. He knows that he is journeying to Jerusalem for his final Passover. On Palm Sunday, the first day of the week before Passover, Jesus will enter the gates of Jerusalem, and just as he predicted, the crowds will cry out: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” The crowds will proclaim him as their king and royal savior. On the sixth day, on Good Friday, Jesus will be lifted up on the Cross, and the sign over his head will read: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” In Jerusalem, Jesus is manifested as our great high priest, the greatest of all the prophets, and our merciful king!
2. The Refusal to Listen to Jesus: Just as the people of Israel refused to heed the word of the prophets, the people in Jerusalem refused to listen to Jesus. They refused his divine message of love, compassion, mercy, and salvation. Jesus said that he desired to gather the people under his arms. He will do this on the Cross. His arms will stretch out, and he will embrace us. Jesus is a mighty warrior, clothed in the armor of God, and he fights against evil, sin, and death. Today, Saint Paul encourages us to be a soldier of God and draw strength from God in our fight against evil. The armor we will put on in our fight is not made of steel, bronze, or hardened leather. Just as the Kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink but rather of peace, righteousness, and justice, so too the armor of God is one of truth, righteousness, good news, faith, salvation, and fortitude. 
3. The Strength of God: God is our Rock. He is the one who trains us for battle. God is our fortress of mercy, our stronghold of deliverance, our trustworthy shield. We are under God’s care in all we do. He guides us as we proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Our mission to combat against evil and our mission to extend the Kingdom of God must be sustained by prayer in the Spirit. We should not trust in our own strength or armor, nor should we proclaim our own set of truths. Rather, we need to rely on the help and power of the Holy Spirit. When we do this, we are protected and guided by our God. We need to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ so that all men and women may welcome the word of the Kingdom and, in turn, become soldiers for Christ.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I am striving to be one of your faithful soldiers. You have washed me clean in the waters of Baptism and strengthened me through the oil of Confirmation. Help me to fight the good fight today and trust more fully in the protection and strength of God.
 
Thursday 30^th in Ordinary time 2022
Opening Prayer: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock! Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.” Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will. I believe, help my unbelief!
Encountering Christ:
1. Behold: This exchange between Jesus and some Pharisees highlights why it was necessary for the Son of God to leave his throne at the right side of the Father and come himself to save us. The Pharisees were Jewish scholars, and like the Sadducees, were experts in the law (Scripture) and in how to interpret it. They were the ones anointed to teach and guide God’s people. We see in this conversation that these so-called experts of Scripture did not recognize Jesus as the Word. If they had, they would have known that no human power, even the kingly power of Herod, was a match for the power of Jesus. Our Lord took this opportunity to remind them that God has authority over evil: “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.’” The power of Jesus is the same power that is given to every baptized person by the Holy Spirit. We have access to God’s power over evil because he dwells in us.
2. Yearn: The architect Antonio Barluzzi built churches in the Holy Land that speak in stone and mortar the Gospel story of a particular holy site. The church built where Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) is in the shape of a large teardrop. It is called Dominus Flevit (The Master Wept). The mosaic on the altar that has been placed in front of a large window overlooking the ancient Jewish Temple Mount (now a mosque) is the image of a hen gathering her brood under her wings. Barluzzi’s “stones cry out” (Luke 19:40) to the profound reality that God yearns for our love. This yearning is more intense than what a mother or father feels when a child goes astray, because God’s love for us is perfect. God loved us so much that he sent his Son to redeem us. This is what Jesus spoke of when he said, “and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.”
3. Unwilling: “Jerusalem…how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling!” These Pharisees are just a few of a much larger group of people who, throughout the ages, have chosen not to believe in Jesus. All of them were “unwilling” to be gathered into the arms of Mother Church. To the Pharisees, Jesus prophesied, “Behold, your house will be abandoned.” Indeed that came to be when, in 70 AD, the Romans quelled a Jewish revolt, burning the Temple down and leaving all of Jerusalem and much of ancient Palestine in ruins. In our day, many people ignore the Ten Commandments and suffer physical, psychological, and spiritual consequences here on earth, as well as the pains of Purgatory or Hell after death. And there are also people who reject Jesus yet seem to thrive by worldly standards, like weeds with the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30), but they miss out on the profound peace that comes from having faith. We who are “willing” to be gathered under the protective wings of Mother Church are in the safest place—the center of God’s will.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, I find it difficult to understand how these Pharisees didn’t recognize you as the Messiah they had long waited for. Yet, so often I, too, struggle to believe you are who you say you are. So often, I fall back on my own strength. Forgive me Lord. I want to believe. Jesus, I trust in you.
 
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.’“ Luke 13:31-32
What an interesting exchange this was between Jesus and some of the Pharisees. It’s interesting to look at both the action of the Pharisees as well as that of Jesus.
It could be asked why the Pharisees spoke to Jesus in this way, warning Him of Herod’s intent. Were they worried about Jesus and, therefore, were they trying to help Him? Probably not. Instead, we know that the majority of the Pharisees were jealous and envious of Jesus. In this case, it appears that they were warning Jesus of Herod’s wrath as a way of trying to intimidate Him to leave their district. Of course, Jesus wasn’t intimidated.
Sometimes we experience the same thing. At times we may have someone come and tell us some gossip about us under the guise of trying to help us, when in fact it’s a subtle way of intimidating us so as to fill us with fear or anxiety.
The key is to react only in the way that Jesus did when confronted with foolishness and malice. Jesus did not give in to the intimidation. He was not at all concerned by Herod’s malice. Rather, He responded in a way that told the Pharisees, in a sense, “Don’t waste your time trying to fill me with fear or anxiety. I am doing the works of my Father and that’s all I should be concerned about.”
What is it that bothers you in life? What are you intimidated by? Do you allow the opinions, malice or gossip of others to get you down? The only thing we should be concerned about is doing the will of the Father in Heaven. When we are confidently doing His will, we will also have the wisdom and courage we need to rebuke all deceit and silly intimidation in our lives.
Reflect, today, upon your own commitment to the will of the Father in your life. Are you fulfilling His will? If so, do you find that some people come and try to deter you? Strive to have the same confidence of Jesus and keep focused on the mission given to you by God.
Lord, I do trust in Your divine will. I trust in the plan You have laid out for me and refuse to be influenced or intimidated by the foolishness and malice of others. Give me courage and wisdom to keep my eyes on You in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.

Suy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên

Suy niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư tuần thứ 30 Thường Niên
Ngày nay, chúng ta không thể nói với người làm phải vâng tuân theo chủ nhân của họ. Chúng ta thấy chế độ nô lệ dưới mọi hình thức như là một tội ác và không thể chấp nhận được và chúng ta phải tìm mọi cách và tất cả mọi thứ trong khả năng của mình để bãi bỏ nó. Nhưng những người Ephêsô vẫn còn quan trọng hoá và cố vượt thời gian để
thực hiện.
Bất kể mọi tình huống chúng ta có thể tự thấy chính mình đang làm chứng cho ​​Chúa Giêsu trong cách sống của chúng ta. Việc chúng ta sống trong một môi trường ngột ngạt hay có một ông chủ bất công không quan trọng, chúng ta phải luôn biết hy vọng và là ngọn hải đăng chiếu ánh sáng. Bằng cách biểu lộ cách sông của Chúa Giêsu trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của chúng ta, chúng ta có thể gây ảnh hưởng sâu đậm đến những người khác. Và chưa chừng biết đâu, chúng ta thậm chí có thể làm cho những người áp bức chúng ta phải biến đổi! Đức tin không thể được coi như là sự đương nhiên. Thánh Luca nói với chúng ta rằng việc thường xuyên đến với Chúa Giêsu hoặc cứ đến nhà thờ chưa chắc đã bảo đảm được quyền làm con trong mắt Chúa.
Có nhiều người trong chúng ta đã tự mãn và chắc chắn rằng họ đã làm trọn bổn phận tinh thần, những những người ấy sẽ tự thấy mình ở dưới đáy cùng. Cũng có những người gặp phải những khó khăn và thất bại nhưng biết đứng lên tiếp tục cuộc hành trình trong đức tin; họ sẽ được nâng lên. Cho dù cửa nước Trời của Thiên Chúa thực sự là hẹp nhỏ, nhưng với tình yêu thương, lòng khiêm tốn, và sự phục vụ có thể giúp chúng ta vượt qua.
Nếu như tôn giáo mà chỉ nói mà không có hành động hay việc làm và nếu chúng ta thiếu yếu tố quan trọng đó thì việc nghe lời Thiên Chúa có nghĩa là làm theo lời của Chúa; Hai điều này không thể tách rời nhau được. Cách thức để sống theo Chúa mỗi ngày của chúng ta là chúng ta phải biết kiểm tra cách sống của chúng ta là hãy xem chúng ta đã có lắng nghe lời Chúa qua Phúc Âm như thế nào.
Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con biết dùng cuộc sống của chúng con để phản ánh lời của Ngài.
 
Reflection Wednesday Week in Ordinary Time
Today, we would not tell slaves to obey their masters. We see slavery in any form as an intolerable evil and we would do everything in our power to abolish it. But Ephesians still has an important and timeless point to make. Regardless of the situation we find ourselves in we can witness to Jesus by our way of life. It doesn’t matter if we live in an oppressive environment or have an unjust boss we should always be a beacon of light and hope. By demonstrating the way of Jesus in our everyday life we can have a profound effect on others. Who knows, we might even convert our oppressors!
Faith cannot be taken for granted. Luke tells us that familiarity with Jesus or going to church in themselves are no guarantee of being right in the eyes of the Lord. There are many who are self-satisfied and sure that they have it made spiritually who will find themselves at the bottom. There are also those who struggle and fall but continue to walk in faith — they will be lifted up. The door of the kingdom of God is narrow indeed — only love, humility, and service can fit through.
All of the religious talk and activity in the world is of little use if we are lacking that important element. Hearing the word of God means doing the word of God; the two cannot be separated. The manner of our everyday life is the test of how well we have listened. Lord, may my life reflect Your word.
 
Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” Luke 13:27
We should definitely take our Lord’s words spoken above to heart. It’s easy to presume we will be saved. It’s easy to simply presume that God is kind and that we are good people at heart and, therefore, salvation is assured. But that’s not what Jesus says.
So who will be saved? When we get to Heaven, God willing, we may be surprised at who is saved and who is not. This is clearly one of the messages of today’s Gospel. Jesus even goes so far to say that some, when they die, will assume they are going to enter into Heaven but will hear our Lord say to them, “I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!” Again, we should take these words to heart.
One of the most dangerous sins we can fall into is presumption. Presumption is deadly because it has a double effect upon us. First, the person caught in presumption is one who has committed mortal sin but has not repented of it. But the presumptuous person also remains incapable of repentance because they refuse to acknowledge their sin. Their conscience is not working. They have blinders on and expect God to wear those same blinders. But God sees all things and judges accordingly.
The “narrow gate” of which Jesus speaks is a simile used by Jesus to tell us that it is not easy to obtain Heaven. It requires a concerted effort on our part as well as the infinite mercy of God. But regarding our part, the attainment of Heaven is only possible if we intentionally seek out the will of God and respond generously to Him. First, that means we confess and turn away from our sins. But from there, it means that we make every effort to fulfill God’s will in our lives.
If this is hard to accept, simply remind yourself that this teaching came directly from Jesus Himself. He is absolutely clear and means what He says. If that fills you with a sort of holy fear, then that is a good thing. “Holy fear” is a gift by which we have a well-ordered conscience that is able to identify those things in our lives that have become immovable obstacles to eternal salvation. The same well-ordered conscience will lead us to that narrow gate which is the only path to eternal life.
Reflect, today, upon the fact that we must all take eternal salvation seriously. If you find that you have become lax in your spiritual life, then use this Gospel as a motivation to change. Do not allow yourself to be one of those knocking at the gates of Heaven, only to realize that our Lord does not know you. Do all you can to eradicate the sin of presumption from your life, and your reward will be truly great in Heaven.
My most merciful Lord, You and You alone can open the gates of Heaven to us, and You and You alone will do so only to those who have responded to Your holy will. Please open my eyes to any ways that I turn from You and remain lax in my spiritual journey. Give me the grace I need to see clearly and to respond to You with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Reflection Wednesday Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, show me the path that leads through the narrow gate! Guide each of my steps as I walk toward you. Strengthen me with your grace as I attempt to enter through the narrow gate.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Strive to Enter through the Narrow Gate: On his final journey to Jerusalem, Jesus entertained a question about how many people would be saved. He didn’t answer the question directly. Rather than focus on the number of those who will be saved, Jesus invited the person to work out their own salvation and strive to enter through the narrow gate of salvation. As Paul would later write to the Philippians: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Our initial salvation is not based on our works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our final salvation, however, depends on a lifetime of keeping the faith (2 Timothy 4:7-8), following the commandments (Matthew 19:17), persevering in good works (Romans 2:7), striving for holiness (Hebrews 12:14), praying in earnest (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and fighting against the forces of evil (Ephesians 6:11) and the selfish demands of the flesh, which drag us down (Romans 8:13; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27) (see Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 359).
2. Reclining at Table in the Kingdom of God: Jesus uses the image of reclining at table in the Kingdom of God as an image of the age of salvation. Jesus ties the ingathering of the twelve tribes of Israel to dining at the long-awaited banquet in the kingdom of God. The Israelite tribes, who were scattered among the Gentile nations in 722 B.C. by the Assyrians, as well as the Gentiles, among whom the tribes were scattered, will both be ingathered, not in the earthly Promised Land or earthly city of Jerusalem, but in the banquet of the heavenly kingdom. Those who reject Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom will be cast out and excluded from the kingdom. We see the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophetic proclamation in the celebration of the Eucharist. Men and women from all nations and cultures are gathered daily and weekly to partake of Jesus’ flesh and to drink Jesus’ blood. In the Eucharist, we enjoy a foretaste of the banquet of heaven.
3. Paul’s Teaching on Household Relationships: In the concluding chapter of the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul deals with life in the household. He has just dealt with the relationship between a husband and wife and how they should be mutually subordinated to one another and love one another (Ephesians 5:21-33). He follows this by exhorting the children in the household to obey their parents and invokes the fourth commandment to honor one’s parents. He then exhorts parents to educate and rear their children “with the training (paideia) and instruction of the Lord.” Both children and parents have duties and responsibilities toward one another. Likewise, he exhorts slaves and masters. In Paul’s day, one-third of those who lived in the Roman Empire were slaves. People often became slaves because of debt they were unable to repay. In a countercultural way, Paul exhorts masters to treat the slaves who lived in their household in a considerate manner that Jesus would find acceptable. In short, while slaves are encouraged to serve willingly and honestly, masters are called to respect their servants and refrain from any harsh treatment (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 353).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have welcomed me into your Father’s house. I belong to the household of God! What an awesome, unmerited grace! Walk with me along the path that leads to and through the narrow gate of salvation.