Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần 11 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần 11 Thường Niên
Thông thường, chúng ta có một cái gì đó trở nên đáng mơ ước chỉ bởi vì chúng ta không thể có nó hoặc nó thuộc về người khác. Nếu nó là của chúng ta, có lẽ nó sẽ không còn hấp dẫn đối với chúng ta nữa. Vua A-háp muốn có vườn nho của ông Na-bốt, và khi ông Na-bốt từ chối bán nó cho nhà Vua, Nhà Vua quá thèm khát và muốn có cho được vườn nho đó và chính vì thế nhà vua đã phát ốm và chán nản, cuối cùng vì sự ham muốn và thèm khát quá độ đã khiến nhà vua nghĩ cách giết chết Na-bốt để chiếm đoạt vườn nho mà nhà vua hàng khao khát. Đôi khi trong cuộc sống, Chúng ta có thể thấy mình đang ganh đua với người khác để chiếm hữu cho được những thứ mình muốn, như vật chất quyền lực, các mối quan hệ, tất cả chỉ vì chúng ta muốn những thứ ấy là tài sản của riêng mình. Đây là phần lớn cas gốc rễ đã gây ra những xung đột trên thế giới. Khi chúng ta nhận ra chúng ta có xu hướng này trong lòng của chính mình, thì chúng ta có thể bắt đầu nên phá vỡ cái vòng luẩn quẩn này đe chúng ta có thể có được sự tự do trong tâm hồn.
Hãy đưa cái má bên kia cho chúng, không chống lại những người muốn làm hại chúng ta, Hãy đi thêm vài dặm đường, hãy tự hiến cho người khác một cách tự do; Những gì Chúa đã dạy chúng ta trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay thật là khó để chúng ta thực hiện. Vì những điều này không thực tế, vì bản tính tự nhiên của con người chúng ta là tìm cách kháng cự hay trả thù. Nhưng Chúa Giêsu hôm nay muốn dạy van ban cho chúng ta những công cụ để phá vỡ cái lòng ích kỷ, và bạo lực để sống chúng ta c thể được trong sự  an bình trong Thiên Chúa.
Trong căn bản, Chúa muốn chúng ta quên đi những sự báo thù hay việc ăn thua đủ. Bằng mọi cách, Chúng ta cần phải đứng lên để bảo vệ cho công lý và cho những gì là sự thật, là chân lý, nhưng chúng ta không dùng đến sự hận thù và bạo lực. Vi đấy là những cách của thế giới mà chúng ta đang sống.  Khi nhìn vào thế giới kinh hoàng mà con người chúng ta đã tạo ra! Khi chúng ta thấy  mình bị xúc phạm, hay bị ngược đãi, chúng ta phải biết cưỡng lại sự cám dỗ khi đáp ứng với lời nói hay những hành động hận thù bằng tấm lòng biết thương yêu, biết tha thứ để để đem hòa bình đến cho mọi người; Chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện cho những người quấy rầy, làm hại chúng ta nếu được như thế, chúng ta sẽ tìm thấy một sự khác biệt trong chính mình, và cuối cùng ở nơi những người khác nữa.  Lạy Chúa, giúp chúng con vượt qua khỏi mọi sự gian ác với lòng tốt và tử tế của chúng con.
 
Monday 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Often something becomes desirable only because we cannot have it or it belongs to another. If it were ours for the taking, perhaps it would not be as attractive to us. King Ahab wanted the vineyard of Naboth, and when Naboth refused to sell it to him, his burning desire to have it made him sick and depressed and eventually led to poor Naboth’s murder. We can find ourselves competing with others for possession, recognition, power, relationships all because we want them as our own possession. This is at the root of much of the world's conflict. When we recognize this tendency within ourselves, we can begin to break the vicious cycle and become free.
Turn the other cheek — do not resist the evildoer - go the extra mile — give freely to others — these are some of the hardest words in the New Testament. They seem unrealistic, and we can think of so many situations that seem to call for resistance or retaliation. But Jesus was giving us the tools to break the cycle of violence and live in the peace of God.
Basically, he asked us to give up revenge and getting even. By all means, stand up for justice and what is right, but do not resort to hatred and violence. These are the world’s methods, and look at the terrible world they have created! When we find ourselves insulted, put down, or persecuted, resist the temptation to respond with hateful words and actions. Send out blessings of peace; pray for the other. You will find a difference in yourself  and eventually in others.  Lord, help me to overcome evil with kindness.
 Monday 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.” Matthew 5:41–42
As the faith of Israel developed over the centuries, prior to the coming of Christ, there were various stages of advancement in morality. Prior to the establishment of moral laws in the Old Testament, it was common for families to inflict severe vengeance upon other families when harm was done to them. This caused ongoing violence and feuds. But advancements were made when the law of retaliation was established which said, “When a man causes a disfigurement in his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has disfigured a man, he shall be disfigured” (Leviticus 24:19–20). This was a new form of justice that forbade the vengeance from being more severe than the crime that was retaliated against. At the time, this helped end ongoing family feuds that continually escalated.
It is this law of retaliation that Jesus addresses in our Gospel today. The new and much higher form of morality that Jesus taught called His disciples to “offer no resistance to one who is evil” and to turn the other cheek when evil was done to them. Though strict justice requires satisfaction for sin, Jesus’ new teaching was that mercy pays every debt. First, His mercy bestowed upon us, for the forgiveness of our sins, pays the debt of our sins when we truly repent and change. But if we desire our debts to God for our sins to be forgiven and repaid, then we must do the same to others, holding nothing against them.
But Jesus goes even further. In the passage quoted above, Jesus exhorts His disciples to a new and radical form of charity and generosity. This new moral code was how the children of the Kingdom of God were now called to act. It was not enough to only forgive and to forget the debt one owes you because of their sin. Mercy now requires us to “Give to the one who asks” and to walk “two miles” with one who only asks you to walk one mile with them. In other words, Christian charity far exceeds every concept of strict justice and even goes beyond basic forgiveness. This was certainly a new and radical teaching from our Lord.
Think about this new moral law in your own life. What level of “justice” do you most commonly live by? When someone wrongs you, do you live like those prior to the Old Testament laws by seeking to get back at them to an even greater degree than the harm done to you? Do you live by the law that seeks the equal justice of an eye for an eye? Do you seek to forgive and offer mercy as a payment for the debt another has incurred by the sin they have committed against you? Or, ideally, do you strive to go even beyond the act of forgiveness and bestow mercy in a new and generous, superabundant way? This last level of love is difficult to obtain and live, but it is the way our Lord treats us and it is the way that He calls us to treat others.
Reflect, today, upon any hurt you may currently be struggling with. And consider the way in which you have been dealing with that hurt. As you seek to understand this new law of love and mercy given by our Lord, pray to Him that He will give you the grace you need to give to others the same level of mercy that God gives to you.
My generous Lord, You offer Your mercy in superabundance. You not only forgive when we repent, You also restore us to far greater heights of holiness than we could ever deserve. Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to offer this same level of mercy and love to those who have sinned against me. I forgive all who have hurt me. Please help me to also love them with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Monday 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024 
Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me to see how true justice and mercy flow from you, the source of all justice and the fount of all mercy. I am called to imitate your justice and mercy. I cannot do it on my own, and so, I trust in the gift of your grace to empower me. 
Encountering the Word of God 
1. The New Law: After pronouncing the blessings of the New Covenant (Matthew 5:3-12) and outlining the mission of the New People of God to go out into the world bringing the salt and light of the Good News (Matthew 5:13-16), Jesus deals with the laws and stipulations of the New Covenant. He explains how the New Law fulfills and deepens the directives of the Old Law. In particular, he uses six antitheses and brings six of the old laws of Moses to their fulfillment. Moses forbade killing, Jesus forbids anger and hatred (Matthew 5:21-26). Moses forbade adultery; Jesus forbids lust (Matthew 5:27-30). Moses forbade undocumented divorce; Jesus forbids divorce and remarriage (Matthew 5:31-32). Moses forbade false oaths; Jesus forbids false speech (Matthew 5:33-37). Moses invited the Israelites to practice justice; Jesus invites us to practice mercy (Matthew 5:38-42). Moses invited the Israelites to love their neighbor; Jesus invites us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).
2. Justice and Mercy: Jesus quotes Exodus 21:24-25, which says: “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” The intention of the Law was to limit retribution. According to the Law of Moses, the punishment had to fit the crime and not exceed it. “[T]his law of Moses was itself an act of mercy in limiting punishments. Human instinct is to punish the evildoer with more punishment than he inflicted” (Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Year A, 251). In calling his disciples to mercy, Jesus brings out the hidden heart of the Old Law and brings it to its fulfillment. If someone strikes you on the right cheek – meaning they just insulted you with their right hand and gave you a backhanded slap across your face – Jesus says to offer them the left cheek to slap. “In the Mishnah, [the back-handed] slap was regarded as far more insulting than a normal slap and involved double the penalty for a normal one. Yet Jesus challenges the disciples to forego the financial compensation one could receive and even endure further insult by offering the other cheek” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 100). Jesus is not forbidding his disciples to defend themselves against an attack or to protect the more vulnerable. What Jesus’ examples tell us is that his disciples are not going to return insult for insult. Jesus tells his disciples that if a Roman soldier compels them into service for a time, they are to be generous beyond the required call of duty. In short, Jesus’ disciples are to bear with insults and be generous with our goods and time. Justice and mercy do not oppose each other or exclude each other. “God is the one who proclaims justice forcefully but at the same time heals wounds with the balm of mercy” (Benedict XVI, December 18, 2011).
3. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel: While the Gospel focuses on the relationship between justice and mercy, the First Reading tells a story about a grave injustice. It is the story of King and Ahab and Queen Jezebel doing evil to obtain Naboth’s beloved vineyard. King Ahab, who reigned from 874 to 853 B.C., was introduced in 1 Kings 16:30 as an evil king of Israel. Part of the prophet Elijah’s mission was to confront King Ahab and his wife, the wicked Queen Jezebel. The king coveted Naboth’s property and his wife resorted to false witness and murder to acquire it for him. Queen Jezebel, a Phoenician princess, wanted her husband to act like a Canaanite tyrant rather than a virtuous king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Elijah will confront the king and pronounce doom on his royal line (1 Kings 21:17-27). Ahab responds to Elijah’s words with repentance, putting on sackcloth and fasting. God shows mercy to Ahab and postpones the punishment pronounced by Elijah. In contrast, Queen Jezebel gave no sign of repentance and will die a violent death (2 Kings 9:30-37).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the just one sent by the Father to justify us and restore us to righteousness. You are the merciful one sent by the Father to forgive our sins and be a model of merciful love for us to imitate. Fill my heart with your righteousness and pour out your mercy upon me today.
Living the Word of God: Do I repay insult with insult or do I respond to insult with merciful love? Do I complain when someone asks me for help or a favor or do I respond generously? Do I focus primarily on my needs and wants or am I attentive to the needs and wants of others? How am I called to live this section of the Sermon on the Mount today?

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật 11 Thường Niên (Năm B)

 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật 11 Thường Niên (Năm B)

Đã bao giờ anh chị em nhìn thấy một cây tre mọc lên? Nếu trồng bằng hạt tre giống, hạt tre cần phải mất 5 năm trồng dưới đất mới nảy mầm.

Hơn hai măn về trước, tôi có xin mấy cái rễ tre trúc (gíống như lứa và lổ ô) của người bạn về trồng dọc theo con lạch sau nhà và hy vọng những bụi tre này sẽ bảo vệ con rạch sau nhà tránh được sự xói lở sau những trận mưa. Sau khi chúng tôi trồng trong bốn năm đầu chúng tôi không thấy tre phát triển nhiều, chỉ thấy một vài cây tre nhỏ như đám trúc con mọc lên to bằng cây đũa, cao được vài phân. Nhưng sau năm thứ năm, chúng tôi thấy đám tre đã phát triển quá nhanh và to lớn hơn, có cây to hơn cả cổ chân và dài hơn chục mét. Bây giờ sân sau của chúng tôi đầy tre. Chúng tôi đang gặp vấn nạn lớn vì chúng tôi không thể ngăn cản sự phát trển của đám tre này, thậm chí nó còn xâm lấn mọc đầy vườn sau của hàng xóm hai bên nhà chúng tôi.

Hôm nay là chủa nhật chúng ta có thể gọi là “Chúa nhật của hạt và cây” vì sự phổ biến của những hiện tượng mà chúng ta thấy trong Bài đọc thứ nhất và Phúc âm. Một mẫu số chung trong hai bài đọc là Thiên Chúa là Đấng duy nhất chịu trách nhiệm về sự sinh trưởng và phát triển của những hạt giống hay những chiếc rễ tre nhỏ thành cây.

Trong Bài Đọc Thứ Nhất, tiên tri Êzekiel nói với chúng ta rằng Thiên Chúa sẽ lấy chồi non và trồng trên một ngọn núi cao và nơi đó nó sẽ phát triển, sinh hoa kết trái và cung cấp nơi trú ẩn cho các sinh vật có cánh.

Trong Bài Đọc Tin Mừng, chúng ta thấy Chúa Giêsu đã dùng hình ảnh hạt cải để diễn tả Nước Thiên Chúa. Bây giờ chúng ta thấy hạt cải tuy rất nhỏ bé, nhưng cây của nó có thể phát triển và trở thành cây lớn và đã làm người ta phải nghi ngờ khả năng của một hạt cải nhỏ bé mà có thế biến thành một cây cải to lớn như thế. Ở đây, chúng ta chú ý đến trọng tâm của sự phản ánh của chúng ta, khám phá tiềm năng của hạt cải và sự cần thiết để chúng ta áp dụng tâm lý “hạt cải.”

Trong cuộc sống, hầu hết mọi người đều mong muốn và mơ ước về những điều lớn lao, nhưng thật không may, họ lại quên mất cái nguyên tắc gốc rễ là “những điều to lớn đều được bắt đầu từ việc nhỏ” và điều đó giải thích tại sao hầu hết mọi người đều chết với những ước mơ và khát vọng cao cả của mình.

Nỗi sợ hãi của chúng ta khi bắt đầu cho một việc làm cho dù là nhỏ thì nỗi sợ hãi đó là cách dễ dẫn chúng ta đến sự thất bại nhất. Chẳn hạn chúng ta không thể giảm cân nếu chúng ta chỉ đăng ký tập thể dục trong tập thể dục hay gym; mà chúng ta cần thực hiện những bài tập thể thao thường xuyên và tập từng chút một cho đến khi chúng ta đạt được mục tiêu. Chúng ta không thể trở thành một vận động viên thể thao hay người học giỏi chỉ bằng những ước muốn thôi; mà chúng ta cần phải bắt đầu tập dợt bằng những chi tiết nhỏ nhất cho đến khi chúng ta đạt được khả năng mong muốn. Chúng ta không thể trở thành triệu phú chỉ bằng cách nói không không; mà chúng ta cần phải bước đi từng gian đoạn lên kế hoạc và làm việc chăm chỉ, chậm nhưmg mà chắc.

Trong đoạn Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu Kitô, nhấn mạnh cho chúng ta thấy sức mạnh cao cả trong đời sống thiêng liêng được bắt đầu qua sự khiêm tốn, Sự khiêm tốn này phải được bắt đầu bằng quá trình sinh trưởng của hạt cải. Đối với mỗi mục tiêu, có một quá trình. Vương quốc của Thiên Chúa là mục tiêu của đời sống tinh thần của chúng ta và để đạt được mục tiêu này, chúng ta cần phải trải qua một quá trình bao gồm làm những việc nhỏ và những việc làm nhỏ mọn này có thể được coi như là bước tiến để đạt được mục tiêu. Những điều sau đây tạo thành tâm lý hạt cải mà chúng ta cần phải có trong cuộc hành trình đến với Nước của Thiên Chúa.

Có một sự chậm trễ tự nhiên giữa việc trồng trọt hạt giống và thu hoạch. Câu chuyện mở đầu của bài giảng đã thể hiện rất rõ sự chậm trễ này. Hạt cải không thể trở thành cây to trong một sớm một chiều. Hạt giống cần có thời gian để nảy mầm, phát triển và lớn dần thành cây. Như Thánh Vịnh 37:  có viết: sự kiên nhẫn liên quan đến sự chờ đợi; “Hãy lặng thinh trước mặt CHÚA và đợi trông Người.” (Thi thiên 37: 7). Trong thư thứ nhất gởi goáo đoàn Côrintô Thánh Phaolô viết: Tôi đã trồng, Apollô đã tưới, nhưng Thiên Chúa mới làm cho mọc lên. Cho nên kẻ trồng hay người tưới chẳng là gì cả, nhưng ấy là Thiên Chúa, Ðấng làm cho mọc lên. (1 Cô 3: 6-7) Trong thơ thứ nhất Thánh Phêrô có viết: những người trẻ hãy vâng phục các kỳ mục: anh em hãy lấy đức khiêm nhường mà đối xử với nhau, vì Thiên Chúa chống lại kẻ kiêu ngạo, nhưng ban ơn cho kẻ khiêm nhường. Vậy anh em hãy tự khiêm tự hạ dưới bàn tay uy quyền của Thiên Chúa, để Người cất nhắc anh em khi đến thời Người đã định. (1 Phêrô 5: 6)

Sự vâng lời bao gồm sự cởi mở, phục tùng và sẵn sàng làm theo hướng dẫn. Hạt cải không thể phát triển thành cây lớn nếu nó không đáp ứng được quá trình sinh trưởng. Vâng lời là quy tắc đầu tiên trên thiên đàng và để làm nên thiên đàng, chúng ta cần phải vâng lời trong mọi việc. Sự sa ngã của A-đam là vì không vâng lời, nhưng sự cứu chuộc đến với chúng ta là nhờ sự vâng lời của Chúa Giêsu Kitô (Rô-ma 5:19).

Trong thư thứ nhất gởi cho giáo đoàn Côrintô, Thánh Phaolô đã nhấn mạnh rằng: tình yêu chiến thắng mọi sự (1 Cô 13: 7). Tình yêu thương có thể được tìm thấy trong mọi điều tốt đẹp bởi vì Thiên Chúa là Đấng rất tốt lành như thư thứ nhất của thánh Gioan viết: Ai không yêu mến thì đã không biết Thiên Chúa,vì Thiên Chúa là lòng mến. (1 Gioan 4: 8). Tình yêu bao gồm việc tìm kiếm những gì có lợi cho người khác. Do đó nó là vị tha.

Trở lại vấn đề cái cây mà hạt cải đã biến thành, chúng ta biết rằng những con chim trời đến làm tổ và trú ngụ trên đó. Ngay tại thời điểm này, cây cối phục vụ nhu cầu của con người sinh vật khác. Hạt cải nảy được nẩy mầm do tình yêu thương của người trồng gieo hạt và chính người gieo hạt này đã chăm sóc, chú ý và làm cho tình yêu thương đó được tiếp tục và đến với loài chim trên không.

Trong sự hợp nhất của chúng ta, chúng ta được trở nên mạnh mẽ và có thể sinh ra những trái tốt trong sự công chính và hòa bình, trong sự hòa hợp và chân thật. Giống như hạt cải trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta có thể bắt đầu từ việc nhỏ. Tuy nhiên, ngày qua ngày được khuấy động bởi tác động biến đổi của những sự đau khổ, cho dù đó là sự đau đớn trên thể xác, do bệnh tật, cô đơn hay sự mất mát người thân, chúng ta có thể trở thành một cộng đồng làm chứng nhân cho Chúa để lôi kéo người khác đến với Chúa. Như Phaolô đã dạy cho chúng ta trong bài đọc thứ hai hôm nay, tất cả sự trưởng thành của chúng ta sẽ phụ thuộc vào đức tin vững chắc của chúng ta nơi Thiên Chúa, Đấng đã ban cho chúng ta sự can đảm mà chúng ta cần trong mọi hoàn cảnh.

Trong khi tiếp tục nghi thức phụng vụ trong Chúa Nhật này, chúng ta hãy tiếp tục làm gương cho cuộc sống của mình giống như hạt cải bé nhỏ hay một cách thích hợp hơn là áp dụng tâm lý hạt cải bằng sự khiêm tốn, kiên nhẫn, vâng phục và yêu thương của chúng ta. Mong rằng chúng ta ghi nhớ và duy trì một chân lý là:   những sự thầnh công lớn lao đều được bắt đầu từ những việc làm nhỏ.

Kính Chúc quý ÔBACE một ngày chủ nhật tươi đẹp và một tuần tuyệt vời sắp tới.

 

Homily for the 11^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B

Have you ever seen how bamboo trees grow? For the Asian Bamboo, it takes 5 years for the seed to germinate and it takes years to become grown bamboo.

Twenty some years ago, I planted a few bamboo’s roots along the creek in our backyard. The first four years we did not see much bamboo, only a few tiny bamboo bushes. But after the fifth year, the bamboo grow faster and bigger. Now our backyard is full of bamboo. We are in great trouble now because we cannot stop them, they even invaded our neighbor’s backyard.

Today in the First Reading and the Gospel narratives we could see one common denominator is that God is solely the one in charge of the growth and development of the seeds.  In the First Reading, the oracle of the Prophet Ezekiel tells us that God will take a tender shoot and plant it on a high and lofty mountain where it will grow, bear fruit, and provide shelter for winged creatures. In the Gospel, our Lord Jesus uses the image of a mustard seed to describe the kingdom of God.

Now the mustard seed is typically small, but the tree that could grow and become a large tree that we could doubt the possibility of a tiny seed transiting to a gigantic tree. Here, we come to the heart of our reflection which explores the potentials of mustard and the need for us to adopt a mustard seed mentality.

In life, most people desire and dream about big things, but they, unfortunately, forget the root principle that “great things start small,” and that explains why most people die with their lofty dreams and aspirations. The fear of starting small is the easiest way to failure. We cannot lose our weight by merely registering in a gym; we need to do the exercises regularly and little by little we may get to the goal. We cannot become a great sportsperson by just wishing; we need to start with the little details until we achieve greatness.

In the Gospel passage today, Jesus re-emphasizes the power of greatness in the spiritual life through humble beginnings using the growth process of the mustard seed. For every goal, there is a process. The kingdom of God is the goal of our spiritual life and to reach the goal we need to pass through a process which involves doing little things that would serve as steps to the target. The following constitute the mustard seed mentality which we urgently need in our journey to the kingdom of God.

            First, Humility is vital in our spiritual journey. Our Lord Jesus is a perfect example of humility as the word of God tells us that though He was in the form of God, Jesus did not regard equality with God, and being found in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. (Phil 2:6-8) The sowing of the mustard seed into the soil portrays humility which goes before its exaltation to a huge tree.  In Luke Gospel, Jesus says that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be exalted. There is a natural delay between planting and harvesting. Our opening story demonstrates this delay very well. The mustard seed does not become a huge tree overnight. The seed takes time to germinate, develop and grow gradually into a tree.

Second, Patience involves waiting as we see in Psalm 37.7: “be patient and wait for the Lord to act”.  God is the one that gives increase as first letter to the Corinthians Saint Paul wrote: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters are anything, but only God, who causes the growth.” (1Cor. 3:6-7)            

Third, Obedience involves openness, submission, and willingness to follow instructions. The mustard seed cannot grow into the massive tree if it fails to respond to the growth process. Obedience is the first rule in heaven and to make heaven we need to be obedient in all things. The fall of Adam and Eve was because of disobedience, but our redemption came through the obedience of Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:19). 

Fourth, Love could be found in every good thing because God, who is the ultimate good, in his first letter, St. John said God is love (1 Jn 4:8). St. Paul insists that love conquers all things (1Cor13:7).  Love involves seeking out what would be beneficial to others.  Hence it is selfless. Turning to the tree which the mustard seed had become, we learn that the birds of the air come to make their homes on them. At this point, the tree serves the needs of others. The mustard seed grows out of the love of the one who plants and the one who gives increase and that love continues and reaches the birds of the air.

In our unity, we become strong and able to bear the good fruits of justice and peace, harmony and truth. Like the mustard seed in today’s Gospel, we may start small. However, day by day stirred on by the transforming effect of suffering, whether it be through physical pain, sickness, loneliness or loss of loved ones, we can become a community whose witness draws others to God.  Saint Paul pointed out in today’s second reading, all of our growth will depend upon our firm faith in God, who gives us the courage we need in every circumstance.

As we continue with the liturgy of this Sunday, let us continue to model our lives after the mustard seed or more appropriately adopt the mustard seed mentality by our humility, patience, obedience, and love.    May we remember and sustain the fact that great things start small.  We hope you all have a beautiful Sunday and a great week ahead.

 

Homily for the 11^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B

With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private. Mark 4:33–34

The deepest mysteries of our faith can only be understood by someone who has deep faith. Understanding requires much more than just a keen intellect; it also requires an interior attentiveness to and familiarity with the voice of God. For that reason, as Jesus spoke to the crowds, He used parables and figures of speech rather than speaking directly about the mysteries of Heaven.

By analogy, if you were to attend a very special feast and you had well-formed taste buds, you might enjoy being served the best cut of meat cooked to perfection with a fine glass of wine. But to a small child, such a meal might not be that appealing. The same is true with music. If you were a musician who studied and played music throughout life, then you might have a greater appreciation for certain types of music. Others might simply be drawn to a certain type of music by the beat or because it has catchy lyrics.

In a similar way, a person who has only a little faith might not be immediately drawn into the deepest mystical truths of God when they are explained directly and clearly. Instead, they might find that a simplified Gospel message that uses familiar imagery or stories is better able to catch their attention and communicate the message.

This is good for us to understand because it’s good for us to turn to the means of communication with God most suited for our depth of faith and understanding. For most people, it will be very useful to see themselves as one of those people in the crowds to whom Jesus spoke His parables. We should especially see ourselves as a part of the crowds as we begin our journey of faith. However, when a person has spent much time in prayer and meditation over the years and their faith begins to deepen, they may find that parables and stories are not as inspiring as they once were. They need more. They long for God to speak to them more clearly and deeply.

Practically speaking, as your faith grows, it is good to look for the deeper ways that God speaks to you. How does He come to you and explain His will and the truths of faith more directly as Jesus did to the Apostles? Perhaps reading the lives of the saints, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or some other spiritual book will engage you more deeply. Also, some Scripture passages may feed you more as you grow in faith, such as the passages where Jesus speaks more directly to His disciples.

Reflect, today, upon the way that you are most fully fed by God’s holy Word at this point in your life. The best way to identify this is to consider what it is that has given you the most consolation and inspiration as of late. How has God’s Word most powerfully resonated within you over this past year? Identifying the way that God has spoken to you recently is the best way to decide how to continue to receive from Him all that He wants to teach you and reveal to you at this point of your journey of faith. Continue to seek out God’s voice, and be open to letting Him draw you ever more deeply into the beautiful depths of the mysteries of His Kingdom.

Glorious Word of God, You choose to speak to Your people in varied ways. To some, You speak through parables and figures of speech. To others, You speak more directly and intimately, revealing the depths of Your Heart. Please speak to me in the ways that will deepen my faith so that I can continue my journey into the many mysteries You wish to reveal. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Homily for the 11^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, as I contemplate the mystery of your Kingdom, I pray that you may reign more fully in my heart and in my life. Thy Kingdom Come! Conquer all that is evil and strengthen all that is good. 

Encountering the Word of God 

1. Mark’s Three Parables about the Kingdom: The Gospel of Mark records three parables of Jesus about the mystery of the Kingdom of God. All three parables employ the image of a seed. Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) to the crowds by the sea and later explains the meaning of the parable in private to his disciples to illustrate how people receive the good seed of the Kingdom in different ways. The two parables we hear today emphasize two other dimensions of the mystery of the Kingdom of God. The Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29) dwells on the mystery of how the Kingdom of God will grow. The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32) reflects on the fact that the Kingdom will start small but become very large over time and welcome people from every nation. The three parables can be seen as building on one another: the first focuses on the beginning and sowing of the seed; the second on the growth of the seed; the third on what the seed will become in time. Mark’s Parable of the Sower invites listeners to welcome the seed of the Kingdom like good soil. Rather than be indifferent to the Kingdom and carried away by the temptations of the devil, or be superficial and stumble due to tribulation and persecution, or be fruitless and overcome by worldly anxiety and the lure of riches, we are called to be receptive to God’s word and yield a superabundant and supernatural harvest. In Mark’s Parable of the Growing Seed, Jesus compares the mystery of natural, organic growth to the supernatural growth and expansion of the Kingdom of God. The farmer plants and seed and cares for it, but he is not the principal cause of the seed’s growth. This parable teaches us that the growth of the Kingdom of God in an individual and in the world is a divine work. The farmer can till the soil, fertilize it, and provide some water. However, the farmer cannot control the weather and doesn’t cause the warmth and light of the spring and summer sun necessary for growth. This teaches us that we cooperate with the work of God, but we cannot control or hasten the arrival of the kingdom by our efforts any more than the farmer can harvest his grain early (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 91). Our individual spiritual growth only happens by collaboration with the gift of God’s grace and the theological virtues. The growth of the kingdom of God in the world only happens by our collaboration with the work of the Holy Spirit. In the end, the “parable serves as an encouragement for those who think their efforts for the kingdom are fruitless, and a warning for those who think they can bring about the kingdom by their own projects and programs” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 91). Mark’s Parable of the Mustard Seed contains an unexpected twist at the beginning. Mustard seed wasn’t something that you would normally sow. It wasn’t like wheat which needed to be sown every year. The mustard plant is actually very invasive and grows easily in arid climates. The parable first tells us that the Kingdom of God will be sown by Christ and by his disciples and be very invasive. The main point of the Parable of the Mustard Seed, however, is to compare the small start of the Kingdom to its impressive growth. A seed can’t welcome all the nations, but a great shrub can. “From its humble, inauspicious beginnings in Jesus’ itinerant preaching in Galilee with a small band of followers, the kingdom will mature to an immense tree in whom the Gentiles will find a home. This growth will not be due to human methods but to God’s hidden power. Jesus speaks with utter assurance of the future success of the kingdom, urging his disciples to persevere with hope and patience” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 92).

2. Ezekiel’s Parable: The First Reading, from Ezekiel, was chosen because it is an Old Testament parable about the future Kingdom of God. It is taken from a section of Ezekiel that follows a section with allegories about the Kingdom of Babylon. Ezekiel compares King Nebuchadnezzar II, who reigned over Babylon from 605 to 562 B.C., to a great eagle (Ezekiel 17:3). At the beginning of his reign, the great eagle subjugated the Kingdom of Judah as a vassal kingdom. Eight years later, in 597 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar took the King of Judah, the young Jehoiachin, into exile and placed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, on the throne (Ezekiel 17:5). Instead of listening to the prophet Jeremiah and accepting the rule of Babylon, Zedekiah sought the support of Egypt to fight against Babylon (Ezekiel 17:7). All of this led up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Our First Reading, Ezekiel 17:22-24, is a messianic prophecy of hope. In the prophecy, the cedar tree is the Kingdom of Israel, the crest of the cedar is the house of David, and the tender shoot is an heir, a Son of David (see Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Year B, 276). What Ezekiel promises is that “God himself will choose a descendant of the house of David (a ‘twig’) and establish him in Jerusalem (the ‘mountain height of Israel’), where his dynasty and kingdom will flourish” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Ezekiel, 35). The Responsorial Psalm also speaks of the just one flourishing like a cedar of Lebanon. Jesus alludes to Ezekiel’s prophecy in his Parable of the Mustard Seed. Ezekiel prophesied under the oppression of the Babylonian Empire; Jesus prophesied under the oppression of the Roman Empire. “The Messiah and all connected with him perpetually look small in the eyes of the world, like a mustard seed. Yet, in ways unseen, the seed grows. It fills the whole earth. It brings eternal life to those who seek its shade. It is a spiritual empire, the Tree of Life from which all birds and beasts (Gentiles) of the world can eat and gain eternal life (Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Year B, 281).

3. We Walk by Faith: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians teaches them about the resurrection. In this life, we are on a journey toward our true home in heaven. In our conduct, we should seek to please God because one day we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ and be judged. Paul is courageous because he walks by faith. Paul can suffer like Christ and offer himself due to his faith and his hope in the resurrection. To live by faith entails both trusting in God and conducting oneself after the manner of Jesus’ ‘yes’ to God, that is, in self-giving love. Paul recognizes that our true home, the place where we were created to belong, is actually in the presence of the Father and his risen Son (2 Corinthians 4:14). Therefore, he now expresses his desire to leave the body and go home to the Lord. He speaks about how we will all be judged. Each person will be judged individually on how they lived.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I thank you for your parables which reveal the deep mysteries of the Kingdom. You continue to teach me each day. I am your disciple and want to learn from you. You are meek and humble of heart and show me how to be a faithful child of God.

Living the Word of God: How do we welcome the seed of God’s Kingdom? How do we collaborate with God’s grace? How is our spiritual growth? Are we like a shrub that others find rest in? How will I be judged?