Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ 6 Thưòng Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ 6 Thưòng Niên (Mark 8:11-13 )
Chúng ta thường cầu nguyện xin với Thiên Chúa cho chúng ta những nhu cầu khác nhau của chúng nhưng đôi lúc lại có những thái độ bực tức, chán nản và thất vọng nếu như chúng ta đã không được Chúa ban cho những điều như ý. Đôi khi chúng ta cũng có cảm tuởng như là cuộc sống của chúng ta bị hỗn độn, chán chường và rồi xa rời Thiên Chúa.  Có lẽ là đó là một phần của vấn đề của chúng ta khi chúng ta có những sự ngờ vực và khi tâm hồn của chúng ta bị xáo trộnvì sự thờ ơ, chúng ta có thể nghĩ rằng cuộc sống của chúng ta đầy những bão tố, gập ghềnh , và khó có sự kiểm soát được. Những sự nghi ngờ sẽ tự khép cửa tâm hồn và lòng  trí của chúng ta, ngăn chặn sức mạnh và năng lực của Thiên Chúa. .
            Nhu cầu đòi hỏi các bằng chứng hoặc dấu hiệu của Thiên Chúa là một hình thức nghi ngờ. Khi người Do thái đòi hỏi chúa Giêsu cho họ thấy những dấu chỉ hay những dấu lạ của Thiên Chúa,  Chúa  Giêsu đã từ chối, Trong thực tế, Ngài nói rằng sẽ không có bất cứ mốt dấu hiệu nào sẽ được đưa ra cho thế hệ đó. Người Do Thái thời đó đã được thấy và chứng kiến những phép lạ của Ngài và nghe những lời rao giảng của Ngài , thì cũng đã quá đủ cho họ rồi.  Người ta thường nói rằng là đối với những người tín hữu có đức tin thực sự, họ không có dấu hiệu hoặc bằng chứng nào là cần thiết, nhưng đối với kẻ nghi ngờ hoặc không tin, thì  không có dấu hiệu nào hoặc bằng chứng nào thực sự có thể làm cho họ tin. Đức tin ít có ảnh hưởng đến những tín điều hay giáo lý. Nhưng đó là sự tin tưởng tuyệt đối vào sức mạnh , tình yêu và lòng nhân từ của Thiên Chúa và sẵn sàng tiến hành qua cuộc sống mà không làm tê liệt vì sợ hãi. Nếu chúng ta làm được điều đó, chúng ta sẽ nhận được những dấu hiệu đủ loại, bằng chứng là những điều tuyệt vời mà Thiên Chúa đã làm cho chúng ta và những thay đổi đã xảy ra trong tâm hồn, trong cuộc sống của chúng ta. Lạy Chúa, xin cho chúng con có lòng tin sâu sắc để xua tan tất cả những  nghi ngờ trong lòng chúng con.
 
Monday 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
People often pray to God for various needs and are frustrated and disappointed if it appears that their prayers have not been granted. Sometimes it seems that our lives are chaotic and far removed from God. : maybe we are part of the problem. When we have doubts and when our hearts are divided and lukewarm, we can expect that our lives will be bumpy and out of control. Our doubt closes the doors of our heart and mind, blocking out the energy of God. When we ask God for something while filled with doubt, we have signalled that we really don’t think God can or will grant our request. Faith is spiritual power.
            The demand for proof or a sign from God is another form of doubt. When people demanded a sign from Jesus he refused in fact, he said that no sign at all would be given to that generation. They had seen his miracles and heard his teachings that should have been enough. It has been said that for the real believer, no sign or proof is necessary, but for the doubter or unbeliever no sign or proof is really possible. Faith has little to do with creeds or doctrines. It is absolute trust in God's loving and gracious power and a willingness to proceed through life without paralyzing fear. If we do that, we will be given a sign of sorts the evidence of the wonderful thins God has done for us and the changes that have come about in our own hearts.
Lord, may deep faith drive away my doubt. 
 
Monday 6^th wee of Ordinary Time
The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”  Mark 8:11–12
Jesus had performed many miracles. He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and fed thousands with only a few fish and loaves of bread. But even after all of that, the Pharisees came to argue with Jesus and demanded a sign from Heaven.
The response of Jesus is quite unique. “He sighed from the depth of his spirit…” This sigh was an expression of His holy sorrow over the hardness of hearts of the Pharisees. If they had the eyes of faith, they would have no need for yet another miracle. And if Jesus would have performed a “sign from heaven” for them, even that would not have helped them. And so Jesus does the only thing He can—He sighed.
At times, this type of reaction is the only good one. We may all face situations in life where others confront us with harshness and stubbornness. When this happens, we will be tempted to argue with them, condemn them, try to convince them we are right, and the like. But sometimes one of the holiest reactions we can have to the hardness of our heart of another is to experience a deep and holy sorrow. We must also “sigh” from the depths of our spirits.
When one is hard of heart, rational talking and arguing will prove to be of little avail. Hardness of heart is also what we traditionally call the “sin against the Holy Spirit.” It’s a sin of obstinacy and stubbornness. In that case, there is little or no openness to the truth. When you experience this in the life of another, silence and a sorrowful heart are often the best reaction. Their hearts need to be softened and your deep sorrow, shared with compassion, may be one of the only responses that can help make a difference.
Reflect, today, upon any person in your life with whom you regularly argue, especially regarding matters of faith. Examine your approach and consider changing how you relate to them. Dismiss their irrational arguments and let them see your heart in the same way that Jesus allowed His divine heart to shine forth in a holy sigh. Pray for them, have hope, and allow your sorrow to help melt the most stubborn of hearts.
My compassionate Jesus, Your heart was filled with the deepest compassion for the Pharisees. That compassion led You to express a holy sorrow over their stubbornness. Give me Your same heart, dear Lord, and help me to grieve not only over the sins of others, but also over my own sins, especially when I am stubborn of heart. Melt my heart, dear Lord, and help me to also be an instrument of Your holy sorrow to those in need of this grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Monday 6^th wee of Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I never want to test you. I know that you permit me to be tested, and these trials and temptations are opportunities for me to purify my love for you. I choose you, the holiness of your Name, the coming of your Kingdom, and the accomplishment of your Will. 
Encountering the Word of God
1. Arguing with Jesus: Jesus’ mighty works in the Gospel of Mark are not only acts of mercy toward the sick, the suffering, and the possessed, and signs that the age of salvation has come, but are demonstrations of his divine power and invitations to believe that he is the Son of God. He has just demonstrated his divine power by multiplying bread for thousands of people and by walking on the water. Despite these mighty works, the Pharisees persist in their refusal to believe in Jesus. In today’s Gospel, they are said to begin to argue with Jesus. In truth, they have been in conflict with Jesus from the very beginning. The most recent conflict was an argument about the human traditions they added in a very burdensome way to the Law of Moses. While the Pharisees wanted to strengthen the barriers between Israel and the Gentiles, much of what Jesus has done in this section of Mark’s Gospel is to begin to break down the barriers that separated the people of Israel from the Gentiles. Jesus will soon establish the New Covenant at the Last Supper and on the Cross and this New Covenant will welcome people from all nations into the family of God. The Pharisees, however, are resisting this.
2. Seeking a Sign from Jesus: Instead of humbly seeking to learn from Jesus and follow him, the Pharisees seek only to test Jesus and demand a heavenly sign from him. Just as the devil tested and tempted Jesus in the desert (Mark 1:13), the Pharisees test and tempt Jesus. They act like Jesus hasn’t performed any heavenly signs and want him to perform yet another sign. But Jesus has been performing mighty works throughout his public ministry: healing the sick, the deaf, and blind, exorcising demons, restoring the dead to life, walking on water, and multiplying bread for the crowds. The fact that the Pharisees want yet another sign is evidence that no matter what Jesus does and how many signs he performs, many of the Pharisees will continue to refuse to believe in him and change their ways. From the beginning, John the Baptist and Jesus invited the people to a change in mindset, to metanoia. The way of the Pharisees, the way of puffed-up self-righteousness does not lead to eternal life. What the Gospel of Mark teaches especially is that the way of discipleship is the way of humble suffering that leads to heavenly glory.
3. The Sin of Cain and the Righteousness of Abel: The story of Cain and Abel in the First Reading invites us to contemplate our relationship with God. We see Cain and Abel offer sacrifices to the Lord. Genesis says that Cain brought an offering to the Lord. It doesn’t say that he brought the first-fruits or the best of his harvest. By contrast, we know that Abel brought “one of the best firstlings of his flock.” These two sacrifices manifest two different ways to relate to the Lord God. Cain keeps the best for himself and offers the Lord God the leftovers. Abel trusts in God, offers God the best, and is willing to sacrifice in the present, knowing that a better future awaits. When Cain sees that his sacrifice was not accepted with favor, God tells him to be on guard against sin. Cain could have mended his ways, imitated his brother, and offered the Lord God the best. Instead, Cain turned his wrath toward his brother and killed him. As the story of humanity continues in Genesis, the descendants of Cain will represent those who choose the way of sin, while the descendants of the third son of Adam and Eve, Seth, will represent those who choose the way of righteousness.