Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ 5 Thường
Niên. (Gen 3:1-8; Mark 7:14-23)
Qua bài Tin Mừng, Người Pharisêu và những người Do thái đã chất vấn Chúa Giêsu rất nhiều điều, nhưng với ý tưởng xấu xa của họ, Họ không phải hỏi Chúa Giêsu để tìm hiều hay học hỏi thêm về Chân Lý và sự thật, nhưng mục đích của họ muốn nêu lên những câu hỏi là muốn gài bẫy Chúa Giêsu và để họ có dịp triệt hạ Ngài.. Những người Do thái bình thường thì họ đánh giá cao sự khôn ngoan và sự tốt lành của Chúa Giêsu, trong khi đó, các nhà lãnh đạo tôn giào của họ đã khóa kín cửa lòng của họ, để đánh mất cái khôn ngoan mà không biết sự khiêm tốn và nhân nhượng vì thế họ không thể nhận ra rằng Chúa Giêsu, người đứng trước mặt họ là người có sự khôn ngoan còn to lớn hơn của vua Solomon.
Các môn đệ của Giêsu thông thường cũng không thể hiểu được những lời Giáo Huấn của Chúa, nhưng ít ra họ đã có cố gắng tìm tòi và học hỏi them ở nơi Chúa Giêsu. Quan trọng hơn, là họ còn nhớ được những giáo huấn mà Chúa đã truyền dạy cho họ, vì họ hiểu được rằng, sau khi Chúa Giêsu sống lại và lên trời, họ phải có khả năng nhớ lại những điểm quan trọng nhất của giáo lý của Ngài.
Wednesday 5th Week in Ordinary Time
The Pharisees and others questioned Jesus but, with a few exceptions, their intention was not to seek the truth but only to trap him. Ordinary people often appreciated the wisdom and the goodness of Jesus while their leaders were locked in their intransigence and could not realize that Jesus stood before them with wisdom greater than that of Solomon. Jesus’ own disciples were frequently unable to understand him, but at least they sought further clarification. More importantly, they remembered better than they understood so that, after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, they were able to recall the most significant points of his teaching.
As the Church spread all over the earth, She was able, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to rely on that teaching to deal with the many questions which arose throughout the ages to challenge our faith and our way of living. Blessed are we indeed, who enjoy the gift of faith, the truth given to us by Jesus which sets us free. Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of our faith and ask that we may always be attentive to the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, who guides us to remember Your teaching with understanding.
Wednesday 5th Ordinary
Time
Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” Mark 7:14–15
What is within you? What is in your heart? Today’s Gospel concludes with a list of vices that sadly come from within: “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.” Of course, none of these vices are desirable when looked at objectively. They are all quite repulsive. And yet too often they are sins that people deal with on a regular basis to one extent or another.
Take greed, for example. When understood clearly, no one wants to be known as one who is greedy. It’s a shameful attribute to have. But when greed is not looked at as greed, it’s easy to fall into the trap of living it. One who is greedy desires an excessive amount of this or that. More money, a better house, a nicer car, more luxurious vacations, etc. Thus, when a person is acting in a greedy way, greed does not seem undesirable. It’s only when greed is looked at in an objective way that it is understood for what it is.
In this Gospel, by naming this long list of vices, Jesus does us an incredible act of mercy. He rattles us and calls us to step back and look at sin for what it is. Jesus also makes it clear that when you live one or more of these vices, you become defiled. You become greedy, a liar, cruel, a gossip, hateful, arrogant, etc. Objectively speaking, no one wants this.
What is it in that list of vices that you struggle with the most? What do you see within your own heart? Be honest with yourself before God. Jesus desires that your heart be pure and holy, freed from these and every filth. But unless you are able to look at your own heart with honesty, it will be difficult to reject the sin with which you struggle.
Reflect, today, upon this list of sins identified by our Lord. Consider each one and allow yourself to see each sin for what it truly is. Allow yourself to despise these sins with a holy wrath and then turn your eyes to that sin with which you struggle the most. Know that as you consciously see that sin and reject it, our Lord will begin to strengthen you and purify your heart so that you become freed from that defilement and become, instead, the beautiful child of God you were made to be.
My merciful Lord, help me to see sin for what it is. Help me, especially, to see my own sin—that sin within my own heart that defiles me as Your dear child. As I see my sin, give me the grace I need to reject it and to turn to You with all my heart so that I can become a new creation in Your grace and mercy. Jesus, I trust in You!
Wednesday 5th Ordinary Time 2025
1. Old Food Laws: Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel takes place immediately after the Pharisees from Jerusalem challenged him about observing their traditions. The Law of Moses provided strict dietary rules that had several purposes. First, they were a protection against foods that could be dangerous if not cooked or prepared properly. Second, they had a penitential dimension. The People of Israel had to make a sacrifice not eating certain foods, like shellfish, pork, and certain cuts of beef. Third, the dietary laws protected the People of Israel from contact and table fellowship with the Gentile (pagan) nations. A day was coming when the dietary restrictions, contained in the Law of Moses, would be rescinded. This is because the blessing given first to the children of Israel would be extended to the Gentiles. The cultural and social barrier between Israel and the Gentiles would no longer be necessary.
Wednesday
5th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord, I believe that your heart is open and ready to receive me this morning. I want to please you. Help me to listen closely to your words as I pray.
Hear and Understand: After his admonition of the Pharisees (yesterday’s reading) Jesus turned and implored the crowd gathered there to “hear and understand” his teaching. We might imagine some urgency in his manner, reflecting his heart’s desire that the crowd not be misled by their rulers. He was saying it's not what we eat, but how we speak and behave that has the power to either glorify the Father or defile us. May we take his words as seriously as his listeners and disciples did, and reflect and repent, if necessary, on any sins of the tongue or defiling behaviors.
REFLECTION
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" So goes that famous line from the comic book character The Shadow and how apt a summary for today's Gospel passage. The Pharisees emphasized much on rituals and rules more than they taught principle and meaning of what those rituals and rules meant. They and the people they preached to were so caught up with these rituals and rules that they neglected the spiritual sustenance of
their own souls.
We can go to Mass and pray the same prayers everyday but Jesus reminds us that we should not depend on the Mass and the prayers we recite to cure us from sin or should we recite them to make us become holier, righteous people. The real us depends on what we think and what we really value. It is from our hearts that we achieve who we really are and how we influence those around us. In the first reading we read how the Queen of Sheba was so impressed by Solomon's wisdom that she praised him and gave him expensive presents. However the story ends with the queen returning to her own country without really saying how she applied what she has
learned. Let us ask ourselves today, how do we apply to action what we hear from the mass and from the prayers we recite? Do we reflect and seek the message and true meaning of Jesus' words? Do we pray to our Blessed Mother not because it is our habit to pray the Rosary or because we ask for her intercession but because we want to feel her presence and the love of her Son within us?
Finally, let us be reminded not to allow evil to lurk in our hearts but rather to allow the goodness and purity of God's love to grow within us.
Qua bài Tin Mừng, Người Pharisêu và những người Do thái đã chất vấn Chúa Giêsu rất nhiều điều, nhưng với ý tưởng xấu xa của họ, Họ không phải hỏi Chúa Giêsu để tìm hiều hay học hỏi thêm về Chân Lý và sự thật, nhưng mục đích của họ muốn nêu lên những câu hỏi là muốn gài bẫy Chúa Giêsu và để họ có dịp triệt hạ Ngài.. Những người Do thái bình thường thì họ đánh giá cao sự khôn ngoan và sự tốt lành của Chúa Giêsu, trong khi đó, các nhà lãnh đạo tôn giào của họ đã khóa kín cửa lòng của họ, để đánh mất cái khôn ngoan mà không biết sự khiêm tốn và nhân nhượng vì thế họ không thể nhận ra rằng Chúa Giêsu, người đứng trước mặt họ là người có sự khôn ngoan còn to lớn hơn của vua Solomon.
Các môn đệ của Giêsu thông thường cũng không thể hiểu được những lời Giáo Huấn của Chúa, nhưng ít ra họ đã có cố gắng tìm tòi và học hỏi them ở nơi Chúa Giêsu. Quan trọng hơn, là họ còn nhớ được những giáo huấn mà Chúa đã truyền dạy cho họ, vì họ hiểu được rằng, sau khi Chúa Giêsu sống lại và lên trời, họ phải có khả năng nhớ lại những điểm quan trọng nhất của giáo lý của Ngài.
Wednesday 5th Week in Ordinary Time
The Pharisees and others questioned Jesus but, with a few exceptions, their intention was not to seek the truth but only to trap him. Ordinary people often appreciated the wisdom and the goodness of Jesus while their leaders were locked in their intransigence and could not realize that Jesus stood before them with wisdom greater than that of Solomon. Jesus’ own disciples were frequently unable to understand him, but at least they sought further clarification. More importantly, they remembered better than they understood so that, after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, they were able to recall the most significant points of his teaching.
As the Church spread all over the earth, She was able, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to rely on that teaching to deal with the many questions which arose throughout the ages to challenge our faith and our way of living. Blessed are we indeed, who enjoy the gift of faith, the truth given to us by Jesus which sets us free. Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of our faith and ask that we may always be attentive to the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, who guides us to remember Your teaching with understanding.
Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” Mark 7:14–15
What is within you? What is in your heart? Today’s Gospel concludes with a list of vices that sadly come from within: “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.” Of course, none of these vices are desirable when looked at objectively. They are all quite repulsive. And yet too often they are sins that people deal with on a regular basis to one extent or another.
Take greed, for example. When understood clearly, no one wants to be known as one who is greedy. It’s a shameful attribute to have. But when greed is not looked at as greed, it’s easy to fall into the trap of living it. One who is greedy desires an excessive amount of this or that. More money, a better house, a nicer car, more luxurious vacations, etc. Thus, when a person is acting in a greedy way, greed does not seem undesirable. It’s only when greed is looked at in an objective way that it is understood for what it is.
In this Gospel, by naming this long list of vices, Jesus does us an incredible act of mercy. He rattles us and calls us to step back and look at sin for what it is. Jesus also makes it clear that when you live one or more of these vices, you become defiled. You become greedy, a liar, cruel, a gossip, hateful, arrogant, etc. Objectively speaking, no one wants this.
What is it in that list of vices that you struggle with the most? What do you see within your own heart? Be honest with yourself before God. Jesus desires that your heart be pure and holy, freed from these and every filth. But unless you are able to look at your own heart with honesty, it will be difficult to reject the sin with which you struggle.
Reflect, today, upon this list of sins identified by our Lord. Consider each one and allow yourself to see each sin for what it truly is. Allow yourself to despise these sins with a holy wrath and then turn your eyes to that sin with which you struggle the most. Know that as you consciously see that sin and reject it, our Lord will begin to strengthen you and purify your heart so that you become freed from that defilement and become, instead, the beautiful child of God you were made to be.
My merciful Lord, help me to see sin for what it is. Help me, especially, to see my own sin—that sin within my own heart that defiles me as Your dear child. As I see my sin, give me the grace I need to reject it and to turn to You with all my heart so that I can become a new creation in Your grace and mercy. Jesus, I trust in You!
1. Old Food Laws: Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel takes place immediately after the Pharisees from Jerusalem challenged him about observing their traditions. The Law of Moses provided strict dietary rules that had several purposes. First, they were a protection against foods that could be dangerous if not cooked or prepared properly. Second, they had a penitential dimension. The People of Israel had to make a sacrifice not eating certain foods, like shellfish, pork, and certain cuts of beef. Third, the dietary laws protected the People of Israel from contact and table fellowship with the Gentile (pagan) nations. A day was coming when the dietary restrictions, contained in the Law of Moses, would be rescinded. This is because the blessing given first to the children of Israel would be extended to the Gentiles. The cultural and social barrier between Israel and the Gentiles would no longer be necessary.
Opening Prayer: Lord, I believe that your heart is open and ready to receive me this morning. I want to please you. Help me to listen closely to your words as I pray.
Hear and Understand: After his admonition of the Pharisees (yesterday’s reading) Jesus turned and implored the crowd gathered there to “hear and understand” his teaching. We might imagine some urgency in his manner, reflecting his heart’s desire that the crowd not be misled by their rulers. He was saying it's not what we eat, but how we speak and behave that has the power to either glorify the Father or defile us. May we take his words as seriously as his listeners and disciples did, and reflect and repent, if necessary, on any sins of the tongue or defiling behaviors.
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" So goes that famous line from the comic book character The Shadow and how apt a summary for today's Gospel passage. The Pharisees emphasized much on rituals and rules more than they taught principle and meaning of what those rituals and rules meant. They and the people they preached to were so caught up with these rituals and rules that they neglected the spiritual sustenance of
their own souls.
We can go to Mass and pray the same prayers everyday but Jesus reminds us that we should not depend on the Mass and the prayers we recite to cure us from sin or should we recite them to make us become holier, righteous people. The real us depends on what we think and what we really value. It is from our hearts that we achieve who we really are and how we influence those around us. In the first reading we read how the Queen of Sheba was so impressed by Solomon's wisdom that she praised him and gave him expensive presents. However the story ends with the queen returning to her own country without really saying how she applied what she has
learned. Let us ask ourselves today, how do we apply to action what we hear from the mass and from the prayers we recite? Do we reflect and seek the message and true meaning of Jesus' words? Do we pray to our Blessed Mother not because it is our habit to pray the Rosary or because we ask for her intercession but because we want to feel her presence and the love of her Son within us?
Finally, let us be reminded not to allow evil to lurk in our hearts but rather to allow the goodness and purity of God's love to grow within us.
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