Suy Niệm bài đọc thứ Sáu tuần thứ 9 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm bài đọc thứ Sáu tuần thứ 9 Thường Niên
Con người chúng ta thường hay phàn nàn với Chúa khi mọi thứ đã xảy ra không được như ý muốn của chúng ta, cũng như những điều đau đớn, phiền muộn đã xảy ra. Nhưng khi tất cả mọi thứ tốt đẹp đã xảy ra hoàn toàn theo như ý muốn của chúng ta, thì con người chúng ta có lúc đã quên cám ơn hoặc khen ngợi Thiên Chúa , có lúc chúng ta đã quên Thiên Chúa hoàn toàn. Những nhân vật trong Sách Tôbia đã cực kỳ đau khổ thậm chí đã còn phải trải qua những bi kịch thật đau buốn. Nhưng lòng thương xót và lượng từ bi của Thiên Chúa luôn luôn làm việc và hiện diện trong những nỗi gian truân ấy, vì vậy mà cuộc đời của Tobit, Tobias, và Sarah đã được xoay chuyển, những khó khắn, nguy hiểm, đau buồn, thất vọng đã được biến thành những sự thành tựu, khôi phục lại sức khỏe và hạnh phúc. Họ đã bị choáng ngợp bởi tình yêu của Thiên Chúa và không bao giờ ngừng nghỉ ca ngợi Thiên Chúai. Có lẽ chúng ta có thể biểu hiện cái lòng biết ơn Thiên Chúa nhiều hơn cho những gì mà Thiên Chúa đã làm và đã ban cho chúng tôi. Chúng ta hãy cố gắng dành một chút thời giờ để ca ngợi và cảm tạ Chúa. Lòng biết ơn sẽ xua đuổi và giúp chung ta thoát khỏi bóng tối và sự tiêu cực trong tất cả những hình thức của nó. Lạy Chúa, giúp chúng con biết tự giác biết ơn những người đã giúp chúng ta cách này hay cách khác và biết cảm tạ Chúa một cách chân thành vì những gì Chúa đã làm cho chúng con qua những người chung quang của chúng con.
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Reflection Friday 9^th Week in Ordinary Time 2026
People often complain to God when things do not go well or when painful things happen. But when everything turns out well, sometimes God doesn’t get thanked or praised! The characters in the Book of Tobit had suffered terribly and even experienced tragedy. But God’s compassionate mercy was always at work, so Tobit, Tobias, and Sarah were delivered from danger and restored to health and happiness. They were overwhelmed by God’s love and never stopped praising Him. Perhaps we can show more gratitude for what God has done for us and spend a bit of time praising and thanking God. Gratitude gets rid of darkness and negativity in all its forms.
            Sometimes we think we have Scripture ‘all figured out.’ Jesus showed his listeners how their interpretation of Scripture was flawed. The Messiah was far more than the son of David — he was the son of God. The writers of the Gospels all tried to show how the entire Bible was talking about Jesus in one way or another — even in rather hidden ways. From start to finish, the Bible is about the mercy, compassion, and care of God for all humanity.
            That is the key with which we can open the meaning of Scripture. It also records the many ways in which humans fail to remain on the spiritual path to which God calls them. By meditating on Scripture and allowing it to speak to our heart, we too can draw on its wisdom and inspiration. The Lord will be revealed to us in surprising and illuminating ways.  Lord, help me to be grateful.
 
Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, “How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet.’ David himself calls him ‘lord’; so how is he his son?” The great crowd heard this with delight. Mark 12:35–37
Today’s Gospel presents us with one of Jesus’ many teachings in the Temple area just days before His Passion. Just prior to this Gospel, Jesus praised one of the scribes for his understanding of Scripture, saying to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). He then turned His attention to a large crowd and revealed the limited understanding that many of the scribes and teachers of the Law had about the Messiah.
Though the scribes rightly understood from Scripture that the Messiah would be born of King David’s lineage, their understanding of the Messiah was incomplete. Many believed that, as David’s descendant, the Messiah would be a great king who would lead the Jewish nation militarily and free them from Roman oppression. What they failed to understand was that the Messiah was not only a “Son of David” but also divine.
Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1, one of the most frequently cited Old Testament passages in the New Testament: “The LORD says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies your footstool.’” King David, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit, refers to the Messiah as his lord or master, expressing that the Messiah would not only be his descendant but also greater than David. Furthermore, David reveals that the LORD—the Father in Heaven—would exalt the Messiah to a position of divine authority.
To “sit at my right hand” was a favor granted only to one who was divine; not even David could sit at God’s right hand. To “make your enemies your footstool” was a reference to the ancient practice by which a victorious king would have his enemies lay prostrate before him, placing his foot upon them as a symbol of absolute dominion. However, Jesus’ kingship is not merely earthly but spiritual and eternal. The true enemies placed under His feet are sin, death, and the demons (1 Corinthians 15:25–26, Colossians 2:15).
Though we understand Jesus’ identity as the Son of David, the Messiah, and God Himself, it is important to humbly recognize that, like the scribes, we, too, struggle to fully grasp the mysteries of faith. In Heaven, when we see God face to face in the Beatific Vision, we will receive a full and immediate understanding of Him in His essence, far greater than anything we can comprehend today. Though this full revelation will be given to us at that time, we must continuously strive for greater clarity now.
The first and most foundational step toward that end is to prayerfully reflect on the Scriptures. This is more than merely acquiring intellectual knowledge of Scripture, as the scribes did. Study is a human effort, and while valuable, the only way to arrive at true understanding of Scripture—and of God, Whom Scripture reveals—is through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Here and now, we must be open to illumination that comes only from God.
Many of the scribes criticized Jesus because they relied solely on their own interpretation of Scripture. Most of them failed to be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their study. Perhaps the one scribe who spoke to Jesus with understanding and was “not far from the kingdom of God” stirred Jesus’ Sacred Heart with a longing that all scribes—and all of us—would approach His Word with the same openness.
Reflect today on the scribes and see yourself in them. Pray for the gift of divine illumination as you spend time in God’s Word, seeking to follow the example of the one scribe who understood. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding so that, like those listening to Jesus in the Temple, you, too, may understand His Word “with delight.”
My revealing Lord, I pray that one day I may be blessed with the Beatific Vision, beholding You face to face and comprehending all mysteries in the fullness of Your divine gift. Until that day, open my mind to understand and my heart to respond to You. Reveal Yourself and Your Truth to me, that I may delight in You now and forevermore. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday 9^th Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you revealed that your Son, Jesus Christ, is both the Son of David and the eternal Lord seated at your right hand. Grant us the grace to recognize your Son with faith, reverence, and joyful obedience. May our hearts delight in his kingdom and proclaim his glory before the world.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Riddle about the Messiah: In the Gospel, Jesus has met the three challenges to his authority posed by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Scribes, and answered each of their questions perfectly. The Pharisees needed to stop their emphasis on separation from the Gentiles and outright rejection of political authorities, the Sadducees needed to correct their understanding of the afterlife and have hope in the resurrection, and the scribes needed to return to the heart of God’s law and not get lost in arbitrary arguments about minutiae and lesser matters. Jesus has established his teaching authority, and now he sits, teaching in the temple area. He poses a question to the crowds about the Messiah and asks the people listening to ponder a riddle found in Psalm 110: “How is it that the Messiah is both ‘the son of David’ and yet also David’s Lord?” 
2. The Messiah as David’s Lord: Jesus’ question about Psalm 110 reveals that the Messiah is greater than merely an earthly descendant of David. Many in Israel expected the Messiah to be a political ruler who would restore the kingdom of David and free the nation from foreign oppression. To elevate their thinking about the Messiah, Jesus points to David’s own words: “The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand.” If David himself calls the Messiah “Lord,” then the Messiah must possess a dignity and authority greater than King David’s. Psalm 110 was widely regarded by ancient Jews as a messianic psalm, and Jesus uses it to lead his hearers beyond a merely political understanding of the Messiah. The Messiah is not only David’s son according to the flesh; he also shares in the authority and reign of God himself. By drawing attention to this mystery, Jesus begins to prepare the crowds to understand that the promised Messiah would establish not simply an earthly kingdom, but the everlasting Kingdom of God.
3. Jesus’ Messianic and Divine Identity: The Gospels tell us how Jesus identified himself as both the Messiah and the divine Son of God. He not only performed miraculous signs but also proposed riddles for the crowds to ponder. “Thus Jesus is using the question about the Messiah in Psalm 110 to reveal the mystery of his own divine identity. He is both a descendant of King David and the Lord of King David. He is both the long-awaited Messiah and the pre-existent Son of God. In other words, he is both human and divine. And he reveals all this without ever coming out and explicitly declaring, ‘I am the Messiah,’ or ‘I am David’s Lord,’ or ‘I existed from before the dawn of creation.’ Jesus uses the question about the Messiah in Psalm 110 just as he used the riddle about the Son of Man in Daniel 7 to reveal and conceal his messianic and divine identity – until the time was right” (Pitre, The Case for Jesus, 148). Jesus will be revealed as a king who reigns from the Cross and now sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father in power. Jesus is the royal Messiah who offers mercy, grace, wisdom, peace, and eternal life.
 
Friday 9^th week in Ordinary Time 2023
As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, “How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet.’” Mark 12:35–36
At the time of Jesus’ ministry, the Jews understood that the Messiah would come from the line of David. Furthermore, many thought that the Messiah would simply be a nationalistic leader who would lead the Jewish nation out of the oppression of the Romans. Thus, they reduced the Messiah to a descendent of David who would set them free in a more political way.
In the passage above, Jesus gives clarity to this common understanding of the Messiah as the “son of David.” The Messiah would not only descend in human form from David’s ancestral line, He was also David’s “Lord.” Jesus shows this by pointing to Psalm 110 in which David refers to the Messiah as his Lord. And though this subtle distinction may not at first seem to be that important to us today, Jesus clearly makes an intentional effort to teach this.
One key lesson we should take from this passage is that we must work diligently to have a correct image of Jesus. Though today we may not see our Lord as a nationalistic leader who came to set us free from political oppression, we can often form other erroneous images of Him. For the Jews at that time, the idea that the Messiah was also the “Lord” of King David was new. This points to the divinity of the Messiah and His eternal nature. Jesus gives this subtle clarification and “The great crowd heard this with delight.” We also must work to delight in a clear and correct understanding of Who Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God and Son of Man truly is. So Who is He?
To answer this question, first consider how you see Jesus in your life. Jesus is your friend, a wise teacher, an inspiring personality, a kind soul, a merciful leader and a model for us all. But He is also so much more. To pick only one image of Who Jesus is and to then give that one image excessive focus in our lives is an error similar to the error that many of the Jews had at the time Jesus taught them.
The “so much more” is the part we must focus on as we consider the identity of our Lord. We must see Him as God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. As God, He is to be worshiped and adored. And though He was God from all eternity, He also took on human flesh, uniting humanity with divinity. And as a human, He permitted Himself to die so that He could rise in His human nature. This way, if we unite ourselves to Him through a total surrender of our lives, then we will also die in our sin but then rise with Him to new life. In so doing, we are given the gift of eternal salvation and are enabled to share in the eternal life of the Most Holy Trinity. Though much more could and should be said about the identity of our Lord, this slight glimpse into His life should help us to avoid the trap of limiting Who He is in our minds and hearts.
Reflect, today, upon the image you have of Jesus. Look for ways that you may unintentionally limit His greatness and glory in your mind and heart. Try to expand that image of our Lord that you have and be open to all that He desires to reveal to You about Himself. The more you do so, the more you, too, will be filled with “delight” as the Person of our Lord is more clearly revealed to you.
My infinite and glorious Lord, You are so far beyond our understanding and comprehension, yet You invite us to come to You so that we may know You more fully. Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to shed the erroneous and limited images of You that I have, so as to come to know You as You are. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday 9^th Ordinary Time 2023
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have created and redeemed me. I believe that you have called me to prayer today. I trust you will teach me to pray and relish what is right and true, good and beautiful. I love you, Lord, for in you is all perfection, goodness, and love.
Petition: Lord Jesus, make my heart more like yours.
1. Speaking for All to Hear: Imagine Jesus teaching in the Temple area, surrounded by hundreds of spiritually hungry men and women. The scribes stand in the background and at a distance: cold stares, squinting eyes, full of distrust, fear, and scheming. He raises his voice enough for even those in the back to hear. He is speaking to everyone. What are their dispositions? Most of the crowd does more than hear; they listen intently. They believe that God will speak to them through Jesus, speak to their needs and hearts, and give them the love, truth, and inspiration they need. Others listen but superficially. Their motives are curiosity, entertainment, and vanity – something to talk about. The scribes don’t listen, except for what might serve their plotting. Jesus still tries to reach them then and reach me now. Am I open?
2. A Mysterious Identity: Lord and Son - The scribes oppose Jesus for jealousy, ignorance, and pride…. But the greatest reason is that he acts as though he were the Messiah, even God himself. How close they are to the truth! Using their own Scriptures, he points to this truth: somehow the Messiah will be both son and Lord. His rebuttal of their objections is another effort of his heart to reach out. He invites them to rise to the level of faith. Reminiscent of his words to his mother – “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s work” (Luke 2:49) – Jesus is a son of man by birth, but by origin and mission, he is the Lord, the Son of the Most High. Do I overcome my pride and ignorance with faith, allowing God to work at his level, far beyond my comprehension?
3. Hearing with Delight: Prayer is a difficult and challenging art; indeed, it is much more than an art. We try to focus, reflect and enter into dialogue with someone we neither see nor hear with our senses. And worst of all, we don’t usually feel anything: “I get nothing out of it!” While prayer is not about feelings but rather loving, it is nonetheless an experience that should move us in some way to change. Listening to Jesus brought “delight” to the crowds. A neat and convincing argument! The wonderment of discovering truth! The joy and satisfaction of seeing their champion score a victorious blow! Whatever the occasion, our experience of Christ in prayer can, at times, produce delight, but only to the degree that we share or conform our thoughts, desires, and loves to his. The scribes found no delight, for they shared not his heart and mind. Where is my delight?
 
Friday 9^th Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: 
Dear Lord Jesus, I come before you in prayer. I ask you to increase my faith so that I may hear and understand what you will tell me. May my understanding of your word and your mysteries lead me to a deeper love, and may that love move me to greater obedience to you.
Encountering Christ:
The Lord Said to My Lord: Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand.’” The same psalm says, “Yours is princely power from the day of your birth” (Psalms 110:3). Therefore, it was quite reasonable for the scribes to interpret this passage as referring to David’s royal lineage. It was true that Joseph, Jesus’s foster-father, was of the house of David (Luke 1:27). However, their interpretation was incomplete. Jesus pointed to the mystery of the Incarnation. He is truly the son of David and truly the eternal Son of the Father. Our Lord’s person possesses each nature fully, both human and divine. 
Jesus the Pedagogue: Jesus asked the scribes about something they knew, the prophecy in Psalm 110, to reveal something they did not yet know about that same prophecy. That is how we learn. We build from that which we know to learn something new. So our knowledge of two plus two equals four lays the groundwork for grasping the sum of four plus four. Jesus is a master teacher. Either by familiar Biblical references or by simple imagery taken from daily life, Jesus taught his listeners about himself and his kingdom. One of the primary purposes of Our Lord’s Incarnation was to make God more accessible to man; this is not only true in his reality as God and man, but also in his teaching.
The Crowd Heard with Delight: In what did the crowd delight? It would seem in part that they delighted in Jesus getting the better of the scribes, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees. This passage came after attempts by Our Lord’s enemies to entrap him. Now Our Lord asked them a question, and one they could not answer. Humility rejoices when truth prevails over insincerity. However, they also rejoiced in the vindication of Our Lord’s doctrine. They were excited that his teaching showed no fissures, contradictions, or weaknesses. Our intellect demands that ideas be coherent. Even though they could not fully grasp Jesus’s teaching, the crowd saw that it withstood all challenges. This reassured and delighted them.