Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần 1 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần 1 Thường Niên (Mark 2:13-17)

 Những ràng buộc của chúng ta vào thế giới vật chất bởi vì chúng ta đang ở trong một thế giới tiêu dùng; chúng ta không có thời giờ cho người khác vì lối sống máy móc,với kỹ thuật tân tiến đã hủy hoại các mối quan hệ cá nhân của chúng ta với gia đình và những người khác. Những quy tắc đã trở nên quan trọng hơn con người; chúng ta không nhìn xuyên qua trái tim hay tình cảm mà chỉ biết nhìn bằng mắt thường. Chúng ta không nhận ra rằng các ràng buộc đấy sẽ dẫn đưa chúng ta đến hư không.

Lời Chúa có sức mạnh thâm nhập vào linh hồn và tâm hồn của chúng ta. Lời Chúa đánh giá những suy nghĩ và thái độ của tâm hồn con tim chúng ta. Lời Chúa kêu gọi sự suy nghĩ phán đoán của chúng ta như ông Lêvi (Mathêu) đáp lại lời kêu gọi của Chúa Giêsu. Ông ta lắng nghe Chúa Giêsu, tin vào những gì Chúa Giêsu nói và đi theo Chúa Giêsu không chút do dự. Phản ứng kịp thời của ông Lêvi đối với Lời Chúa đã khiến ông ta mời Chúa Giêsu dùng bữa cơm tối vớiông ta. Thiên Chúa phán xét chúng ta về cách chúng ta đáp lại lời Chúa, không phải về cách chúng ta làm sạch hay giữ vệ sinh bề ngoài, mà chính là sự giữ cho tâm hồn bên trong chúng ta được sạch sẽ.

Chỉ có Chúa mới có thể phán xét và tha thứ vì thế chúng ta không nên xét đoán người khác mà nên biết tha thứ. Chúa Giêsu, là Chúa, Ngài đã trở thành con người như chúng ta, Ngài biết mọi yếu điểm của chúng ta. Là con của Thiên Chúa, Ngài biết mọi nhu cầu vần thiết của chúng ta. Do đó, Ngài biết mọi thứ, kể cả những suy nghĩ và thái độ của chúng ta; không có gì mà có thể che giấu được khỏi tầm nhìn của Ngài. Ngài đã đến là để củng cố tâm hồn chúng ta nếu chúng ta tin tưởng vào Ngài, Ngài sẽ an ủi và dẫn đưa chúng ta nghỉ ngơi trong Ngài. Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con biết sống theo đức tin.  Xin giúp chúng con biết dùng lời nói và sự suy nghĩ của chúng con tìm thấy sự ưu ái trước tôn nhan Chúa.

 

Saturday on 1st Week in Ordinary Time  Heb. 4:12-16;  Mk. 2:13-17

Our assumptions are worldly because we are in a consumerist world; we do not have time for others because a mechanical life style has ruined our personal relationships. Rules have become more important than human beings; we do not see through hearts but see through our naked eyes. We do not realize that assumptions lead us to nowhere.

The Word of God has the power to penetrate the soul and spirit. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. It calls for our response as Levi responded to Jesus’ call. He listened to Jesus, believed in what he said and followed him without hesitation. His prompt response to the Word of God led him to dine with Jesus. God judges us on how we respond, not on how we are outwardly clean, but inwardly clean.

A clear judgement can come only through Jesus our Lord. Jesus, who became human for us, knows our every weakness. As Son of God he knows our every need. Thus he knows everything of our thoughts and attitudes; nothing is hidden from his sight. He will strengthen us if we trust him alone. He will comfort us if we rest in him. Dear Lord, help us to live by faith. Let our words and thoughts find favour before You.

 

Saturday of the First Week of Ordinary Time 2026

Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Mark 2:16–17

Today’s Gospel presents very good news: Jesus “did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” None of us is righteous; we are all sinners. From the divine perspective, each of us is in need of God’s mercy. Admitting this truth and embracing God’s mercy is often difficult for two reasons.

First, we might struggle to view our lives honestly through God’s eyes. This often stems from pride—the sin that gives us a false, elevated image of ourselves. Pride distorts reality, making it difficult to see our weaknesses. Secondly, we often fail to admit our sinfulness because we fail to recognize God’s mercy. If we did recognize and understand God’s infinite mercy, we would not fear to acknowledge our sins.

Imagine this: In an ancient kingdom, a person breaks the law, is arrested, and is brought before the king. Out of fear of punishment, the person might try to hide the truth or downplay the crime. But what if the king were perfectly merciful, only desiring the conversion of his subjects and not their punishment? The guilty person would have no reason to hide. Instead, he could admit his guilt, express sorrow, and resolve to change. In response, the king would not only forgive him but also offer everything necessary to help him begin anew.

This is our God. We do not need to fear being honest with ourselves or with Him. He is the Divine Physician, and we are the sick who need His healing touch. We need to see our sins clearly, confess them humbly, and rely on God’s mercy to change.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls the tax collector Levi—also known as Matthew—to follow Him. Levi was a Jew who cooperated with the Roman occupiers, burdening his fellow Jews with unjust taxes. He likely used fear and intimidation to extract more than was owed, enriching himself at their expense. As a result, Levi would have experienced deep guilt and the disdain of Jewish authorities, including the scribes and Pharisees.

Although we do not know the exact workings of Levi’s soul when Jesus called him, we do know his response: He left his customs post, changed his life, and followed Jesus. Levi then welcomed Jesus and His disciples into his home for a meal, where other tax collectors and sinners were present.

The fact that these sinners gathered at Levi’s table and shared a meal with Jesus reveals something extraordinary: They sensed His merciful heart. In Jesus’ presence, they did not feel condemned but loved. His gaze was one of healing, not judgment, inviting them to a new life. That meal was, in essence, a sinners’ gathering—souls who found in Jesus the freedom and hope to change.

The scribes and Pharisees, in contrast, represent more than judgmental attitudes. They symbolize the thoughts of guilt, shame, and unworthiness that often plague those who struggle with habitual sin. These inner voices can lead us to fear repentance, falsely believing that our sins are too great for God’s mercy. We must reject those voices and remember Jesus’ words: “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.”

Reflect today on the freedom that awaits those who discover Jesus as the Divine Physician who heals our wounds. If you allow guilt, shame, or fear to keep you from God’s mercy, then place yourself at that sinners’ meal with Jesus. Sin is a heavy burden to carry, but like Levi, we are invited to turn away from it with humble repentance. Let God forgive your past, heal your wounds, and lead you forward as His disciple.

Lord Jesus, Divine Physician, You are perfectly merciful, desiring to heal sinners, not condemn them. Please help me to see my sins honestly and to trust in Your boundless mercy without fear. May I respond to Your call with humble repentance and follow You with a faithful heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Saturday of the First Week of Ordinary Time 2026

Opening Prayer: Lord God, find me at my place of work and call to me. Do not let my heart be overwhelmed by the cares and anxieties of this world. Teach me to entrust myself to your fatherly care as I seek to serve my brothers and sisters.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Call of Levi: Today, we read the second of five conflicts narrated in the Gospel of Mark. In the first conflict, Jesus demonstrated his divine authority as the Son of Man to forgive sins. In the second, Jesus acts as a divine physician who attends to the sickness of sinful humanity. Jesus is a gentle physician who spends quality time with his patients. While the scribes and Pharisees disassociated themselves from those they deemed as public sinners, Jesus entered into the lives of those he came to redeem and save. Levi, also known by his Greek name Matthew, was a tax collector. Like the four fishermen who left their boat and nets behind to follow Jesus, Levi left behind his customs post and followed Jesus. All five men humbly recognized their sinful state and their need for Jesus to establish them in a right relationship with God. By contrast, the scribes and Pharisees thought of themselves as already righteous and in no need of a divine physician to heal them.

2. The Desert Fathers: Today, we celebrate the memorial of Saint Anthony the Great (c. 251-356). He was the pioneer of the Desert Fathers, the early Christian hermits, ascetics, and monks who withdrew to the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and beyond in the third through fifth centuries. Saint Anthony is considered the “Father of Monasticism.” He sought radical discipleship amid a post-persecution Church that was tempted to grow comfortable and worldly. The desert movement emphasized fleeing societal distractions to pursue undiluted devotion to Christ. The Desert Fathers’ theology was practical and scriptural rather than speculative. It was rooted in imitating Christ and growing in a life of grace. As the bloody persecution of Christians died down in the Roman Empire, the Desert Fathers viewed ascetic withdrawal as a form of “white martyrdom” (a bloodless witness).

3. Life of Saint Anthony: Anthony was born in 251 in Koma, Egypt, some sixty miles south of Cairo. His family was Christian and wealthy and belonged to the rural Egyptian population who were known as “Copts.” When he went to church one day, he heard the words Jesus spoke to the rich young man: “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21). In response to the Word of God, Anthony immediately sold his property and gave the money to the poor but also set aside some of the money for his younger sister. However, the next time Anthony went to church, he heard the Sermon on the Mount and the following words: “Do not be anxious for tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). In response, he gave away the remaining sum of money and entrusted his sister to a household of virgins, where she was cared for and raised. Anthony himself, who had detached himself from all earthly possessions, began a life of asceticism that was to form him over the course of several decades. The spirituality of Anthony and the Desert Fathers has many elements worthy of incorporation into our lives: solitude and quiet (hescyhia); asceticism and self-discipline; unceasing prayer; humility and repentance; spiritual warfare and discernment; living in community and entrusting oneself to a spiritual guide; charity and hospitality; detachment and simplicity; and continual meditation on scripture. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, teach me the solitude and stillness of living in the desert with you. Free my soul from any attachment to passing and worldly things. Empower me with your grace to overcome sin and temptation.

 

Saturday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Jesus. Mark 2:14

How do you know the will of God for your life? In his spiritual classic, The Spiritual Exercises, Saint Ignatius of Loyola presented three ways in which we come to know the will of God. The first way is the clearest and most definitive way. It is a time in which the person experiences a “clarity beyond doubting” as a result of a special grace of God. In describing this experience, Saint Ignatius mentions the passage quoted above as an illustration of this experience.

There is little said about this call of Levi in the Gospel of Mark, which is also recorded in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 9:9). Levi, who is also known as Matthew, was going about his occupation of collecting taxes at his customs post. It appears that Jesus spoke only these two simple words to Levi: “Follow me.” As a result of these two words, Levi abandons his former life and becomes a follower of Jesus. Why would Levi do such a thing? What was it that convinced him to follow Jesus? Clearly there was much more than just a two-word invitation from Jesus that convinced him to respond.

That which convinced Levi was a special grace of God which produced within his soul a “clarity beyond doubting.” Somehow Levi just knew that God was calling him to abandon his former life and embrace this new life. There was no long discussion, no weighing of the pros and cons, no prolonged thinking about it. Levi just knew, and he responded.

Though this form of clarity in life is rare, it’s important to be aware of the fact that sometimes God does act this way. This is a great gift when it happens! And though this depth of instant clarity is not always the way God speaks to us, it’s important to acknowledge that God does speak to us this way at times.

Reflect, today, upon this call of Levi. Ponder this inner certitude he was given in that moment. Try to imagine what he experienced and what others may have thought of his choice to follow Jesus. Be open to this same grace; and if you ever feel as if God speaks to you with such clarity, be ready and willing to respond without hesitation.

My dear Lord, thank You for calling us all to follow You without hesitation. Thank You for the joy of being Your disciple. Give me the grace to always know Your will for my life and help me to respond to You with total abandonment and trust. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Saturday of the First Week of Ordinary Time 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, the world easily attracts all my attention. I can be like Levi with my head buried in numbers and money. Lift my gaze to see your Son calling me to follow him. Give me the strength to leave my earthly customs post behind and dine with your Son at the heavenly banquet.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Second Conflict: In the first conflict, narrated yesterday in Mark’s Gospel, the scribes accused Jesus of blasphemy. Today the local scribes who belonged to the Pharisees accuse Jesus of associating with tax collectors and public sinners. The Pharisees were a reform movement that sought to attain and maintain ritual purity through strict obedience to the Law of Moses and their traditions. They wanted nothing to do with the Roman Gentiles who occupied the land or with the people who collaborated with them, such as tax collectors. They can’t believe that Jesus and his disciples are having a meal in the house of Levi, a tax collector, and dining with other tax collectors and public sinners. Just as the scribes did not openly accuse Jesus of blasphemy, but did so in the thoughts of their hearts, the Pharisees did not directly accuse Jesus, but went to his disciples and tried to undermine their commitment to him.

2. Jesus, the Physician for Sinners: Jesus heard their question and responded by giving a deeper insight into his person and ministry. On the one hand, he identifies himself as a physician. From Mark’s Gospel, we know that Jesus does not just heal physical ailments, but is also capable of healing spiritual ones. He can cast out demons and forgive sins. On the other, Jesus’ ministry is directed to sinners: “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” This contains a riddle for the Pharisees, who thought that they were righteous because of their meticulous fulfillment of the Law of Moses. As Paul will later teach, the works of the Law of Moses were unable to justify or make someone righteous. We are justified, not by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus. The Pharisees were blind to their sin. They didn’t recognize that they needed Jesus, the divine physician, to heal their sickness. They thought that they could be in a right relationship with God through their works. As Christians, however, we know that only the grace of God can justify us and that the only works that are meritorious for eternal life are those works of charity empowered by divine grace.

3. Confidently Approach the Throne of Grace: The Letter to the Hebrews exhorts us to confidently approach the throne of divine grace. Because God’s Word is powerful enough, like a sharp sword, to expose our innermost thoughts and desires, we could be tempted to remain in fear. And yet the letter tells us that when we become aware of ourselves as we truly are, we will recognize our need for a trustworthy and merciful high priest to advocate and intercede before God on our behalf. The letter proclaims that we have such a great high priest, Jesus Christ. Aware of this truth we can confidently approach the throne of grace not out of presumption but because of the mercy of Jesus, our high priest. Jesus is the great high priest, and his priestly ministry surpasses all other high priests in power and efficacy. The ancient Levitical and Aaronic priests passed through the veil of the sanctuary of the earthly temple; Jesus, by contrast, has passed the veil of the heavens into the heavenly sanctuary where God dwells. This is the place of his priestly intercession for us. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, your Apostle Levi, rose from sitting at his customs post and sat down with you in his house for a meal. Enable me to do the same each day, to leave aside the cares and worries of the present age and experience the transforming and eternal life you offer.