Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ hai tuần 13 TN.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ hai tuần 13 TN. Matthew 8:18-22

Theo Chúa không phải dễ dàng, Theo Chúa, là chúng ta phải bỏ lại tất cả những mớ hành lý kiềng kàng, vô ích, không cần thiết cho cuộc sống, những thứ vật chất của trần thế, hay những niềm vui, thoải mái riêng cá nhân. Đó chính là con đường khó khăn với nhiều thách thức mà chúng ta phải đối mặt nếu chúng ta thực sự theo Chúa.
       Như những người trong bài Tin mừng hôm nay, đến nói với Giêsu rằng anh sẽ theo Ngài bất cứ nơi nào Chúa đi. Nhưng Chúa Giêsu bảo cho anh ta là” Con chồn có hang, Con chim có tổ, nhưng đối vời Ngài thì không có nơi nào chấp nhận và không có chỗ nghĩ chân”. Đây là sự thách thức đầu tiên để theo Chúa Giêsu; không phải ai trong chúng ta cũng dễ dàng sẵn sàng chấp nhận cam kết đi theo Ngài. Một số người, ngay cả những người thân yêu của chúng ta cũng có thể không đồng ý mà còn ngăn cản cuộc hành trình về đức tin của chúng ta và thậm chí có thể còn trở thành những trở ngại lớn của chúng ta.Trong cuộc gặp gỡ thứ hai, người môn đệ xin theo Ngài nhưng xin hoãn để về an táng người cha quá cố, nhưng Chúa đã nói với anh ta là việc ưu tiên trước nhất là theo Chúa, vì theo Ngài còn quan trọng hơn bất cứ thứ gì khác.
            Có một câu nói của ai đó đã để đời như sau: "Nếu bạn đang sống, thì bạn vẫn còn có hy vọng." Không giống như người chết, cuộc sống vẫn có cơ hội để chuyển đổi bản thân và làm vinh danh Chúa. Đoạn Tin Mừng hôm nay nhắc nhở chúng ta là theo Chúa Giêsu, chúng ta phải trả bằng vói giá của sự hy sinh.,  Như Chính Chúa đã hy sinh chính mạng sống của Ngài cho sự cứu rõi con người của chúng ta.           Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Xin ban cho chúng con sự tự do chúng ta cần để chúng con có thể theo Chúa bất cứ nơi nào Chúa muốn chúng con đi và xin cho chúng con can đảm biết gạt bỏ qua một bên tất cả những gì dẫn đưa chúng con vào sự cám dỗ của trần gian..
 
Reflection 2016
We Christians pray, proclaiming to all, that we "will follow the Lord wherever he goes."  
In our daily life, do we really do so? Don't we usually tell our Lord, "I need to work as I have a deadline to meet or I need to rush to buy stuff in the supermarket or the mall because of the one-day sale, or fix the car, or relax in the beach, etc. and then I will pray!  By that time, we are tired and spent and ready to sleep out.  Doesn't it seem like we are allocating our lowest energy time to our Lord, thus putting him at lowest priority, he created us and sustains us?
Jesus' statement that the "Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" emphasizes our imbalance of values or priorities. He keeps knocking into each person's heart for a place to reside and many times we simply choose to ignore him, and prefer to pursue our day-to-day day routines and tasks and to attend instead to our mundane needs.
 
Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Matthew 8:19–20
It is unclear from this passage alone why Jesus answered this scribe the way He did. At first, the statement of the scribe seems very devout: “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” But many of the Church Fathers, in their reflections of this conversation between Jesus and the scribe, offer helpful insights.
First of all, note that Jesus neither accepts the proposal of the scribe to be His follower nor rejects it. Rather, Jesus simply makes a statement which clarifies just what is involved in being His follower. Some Church Fathers suggest that this scribe was desirous of following Jesus because he thought there would be great rewards given to him by doing so. After all, Jesus was a miracle worker, was becoming quite popular, and showed potential to be a great leader. Therefore, the interior motivation of this scribe to follow Jesus wherever Jesus went was a questionable motivation. Did he want to follow Jesus because he thought it would benefit him in some worldly way?
Jesus’ response to this scribe does two things. First, it removes all misconceptions of what it means to follow Jesus. If the scribe wanted to follow Jesus, then he had to be prepared to follow Him into poverty and homelessness rather than riches and possessions. Jesus wanted it to be clear to the scribe just what he was choosing. Secondly, Jesus’ response was certainly an invitation to the scribe to follow Him, but only in the light of this new knowledge. In other words, Jesus was saying, “Yes, come follow me. But be aware of what that means. Following me will not result in your earthly riches but in your earthly poverty.”
Why do you follow Jesus? It’s important to consider your motivations at times. Some choose to follow Jesus because this was simply the way they were raised. Others do so because it makes them feel better to do so. And still others do so because they think it will make their lives better in various ways. But what is the ideal motivation for following our Lord? The ideal motivation for following Jesus in a total and unwavering way is very simple: we follow Him because He is the Son of God and the Savior of the World. Jesus came to call us to Himself and has invited us to live in union with Him through faith. So ideally, we will follow Jesus simply because it is the right thing to do. We will not do so because of the so-called benefits. Love, in its purest form, does not love the other because of what we get out of it. Pure love is a gift given to another because they are worthy of our love. And with Jesus, He is worthy of our love and worship simply because of Who He is.
Reflect, today, upon Jesus inviting you to follow Him into poverty, detachment from all, simplicity of life and ultimately the sacrifice of your entire life. Do you understand what it means to be a follower of Christ Jesus? Do you understand that following Jesus cannot be done for selfish reasons? Do you realize that saying “Yes” to our Lord is saying “Yes” to His Cross? Ponder Jesus’ life and reflect upon whether or not you are willing to follow Him to the poverty of the Cross. If you can make the choice to follow our Lord, knowing full well what you are saying “Yes” to, then the end result will also be a glorious sharing in His resurrected life.
My glorious Lord, You walked through this world in poverty, rejection and suffering. You had no earthly home of Your own but now live in the riches of Heaven. Help me to follow You, dear Lord, wherever You lead me in this life. If You lead me to worldly poverty and suffering, I thank You. I thank You and choose to follow You no matter what. Give me the grace I need to follow You purely out of love for You, for You are God and are worthy of all my praise and worship. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I promise today to heed your call and follow your Son. I cannot do it alone and need the gift of your grace. Your grace, granted through your Son and Spirit, moves me to respond in faith to you and empowers me to do the good works that lead to eternal life.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Amos’ Oracles against the Nations and Israel: Over the next eight weeks our First Reading on weekdays will be taken from eight different prophets – Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Ezekiel. Three weeks ago, we heard about the prophets Elijah and Elisha, who were sent by the Lord to prophesy to the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the ninth century B.C. The two prophets opposed the idolatrous worship of Baal in Israel and sought to bring Israel to repent and uphold the covenant with the Lord. This week we will read from the Book of Amos. Amos was from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. He was a shepherd and orchard worker. He was not trained to be a prophet, yet the Lord called him and sent him to prophesy in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the year 762 B.C., during the reign of Jeroboam II and forty years before the Assyrian invasion and fall of Israel. What Amos first communicates in his book are eight judgments against the kingdoms (Amos 1:3-2:16). The first seven judgments are on kingdoms – Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and Judah – that were either vassals or allies of Israel. While the other kingdoms are accused of breaches of treaty, war crimes, and violence, the accusation against the Southern Kingdom of Judah concerns offenses against God. At the same time, the judgment against Israel, which is today’s First Reading, is the goal of the entire series (2:6-16). Israel is accused of exploiting the poor and the weak, selling their debtors into slavery, corruption in their courts, committing sexual sins, and falling into idolatry. In contrast to the infidelity and sins of Israel, God was faithful, cared for his people, delivered them from Egypt, gave them the gift of land, and raised up prophets and consecrated Nazirites. Prayer: If God were to judge me right now, what would he say?
2. Israel’s Punishment: In the First Reading, Amos announces Israel’s punishment: “those who crushed the poor into the dust of the earth (2:7) will themselves be crushed into the ground (2:13). ... the swift will be unable to run, the strong become weak, the mighty cannot save even themselves” (Leclerc, Introduction to the Prophets, 131). Today’s Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 50 – reflects on Israel’s infidelity to the covenant. The people profess the covenant with their lips, but, in their hearts, hate the discipline of God’s law and word. Those, however, who truly praise God, who offer praise as a sacrifice are the ones who give God glory. In turn, God shows them the path that leads to salvation. Have I been faithful in my New Covenant relationship with God in Christ?
3. Following Jesus: The Gospel today reveals that following Jesus Christ is the path that truly leads to salvation. We are introduced by Matthew to one of the scribes, a scholar of the Law of Moses, who wants to follow Jesus, but probably doesn’t realize all that this entails. He thinks of Jesus primarily as another teacher and does not grasp that Jesus is more than a teacher. The path of Jesus, the scribe learns, leads to the Cross and entails renunciation. “True discipleship entails a radical change in lifestyle. With an austere itinerant ministry, a disciple may not even have a place to rest his head” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 130). Following Jesus is also more radical than following one of the prophets like Elijah, who allowed his disciple and successor, Elisha, to first say goodbye to his parents before leaving them. Our response to Christ cannot be delayed. “That only the high priest and a group of consecrated Jews known as Nazirites were exempt from the obligation to bury their parents (Lev 21:11; Num 6:6-7) indicates the extraordinary importance of Christ’s call to discipleship. He summons his followers to be set apart in a radical way to serve in God’s kingdom” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 130). Is there anything I am holding on to that keeps me from following Christ?
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I will follow you. I have heard your call to be your disciple, to renounce the things of this passing world, and to identify myself with you on the way to the Cross. Grant me your grace so that I may have the strength to carry my cross today.
Living the Word of God: The Liturgy of the Word is a call to examine our lives and see how we are treating the less fortunate in our communities and a call to follow Jesus more radically and promptly. How am I responding to the gift of God’s grace?
 
Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Jesus, I find my pride, vanity, and sensuality always fighting to keep me from giving myself fully to your love and service. Help me through this time of prayer to deepen my spirit of surrender to your call of love.
Encountering Christ: 
I Will Follow: “I will follow you wherever you go.” Although our hearts desire to follow Jesus wherever he leads us, without his grace it’s impossible. We have too great a tendency to sin and selfishness. But God’s grace is real and bigger than any selfish inclinations we may have! By our baptism, we have been given not only sanctifying grace but the infused theological virtues of faith, hope, and love that equip us as they are exercised and matured to truly follow the call of Jesus as his children. We have all the tools we need to share the Gospel with those around us.
Nowhere to Rest His Head: “The Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” One of the great tragedies of our times is that seemingly so few Christians are truly responding to Jesus’s invitation to follow him. Many say, “I believe in God in my own way!” That is the complete opposite of Christ’s call to sell all, take up our cross, and follow him. When we follow Christ in obedience and abandonment, we welcome him into our heart and our soul. He makes a little heaven of this sanctuary within us and rests his head there. How blessed we are to be accompanied in this way by the Lord of creation.
Follow Me...Now: “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.” We are all attached to the things of this life, and often have what seem like very good reasons to hold on tightly. Jesus knows we struggle with letting go, and yet, with confidence and firm decision, he invites us to follow him and leave all else behind. Why do we sometimes hesitate? We know that if we abandon ourselves to the One who created us and knows us best, that he will take care of our concerns for this life.
Conversation with Christ: Jesus, I want to truly follow you unconditionally, which is so hard for me. But I believe that if I am generous in giving everything over to you, you will be even more generous in equipping me to live my life completely in union with your most holy will.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will listen for and obey what you ask of me.
 
Mon 2nd July 2018 - 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Justice has always been an essential part of our relationship with God. God has made it very clear that he is not interested in our worship or rituals unless we also treat others with justice, mercy, and compassion. We might argue that we have oppressed no one, but we create, and we benefit from unjust political and economic systems.  On behalf of God, Amos raged at the Israelites for their economic oppression of the poor and their willingness to treat others as objects or slaves.
In our relationship with God, let us always be vigilant that our words and our love is expressed in deeds, and that we have a special concern for the poor and weak; just as God does! It is easy, in a burst of enthusiasm, to express a desire to follow Jesus. He warned those who came to him that there would be a price — a sacrifice of comfort, convenience, and control of one’s life. Even the foxes and birds would have more stability and security, for they had a nesting place.
Jesus and those who follow him would always live from moment to moment, relying totally on God. Likewise, with family obligations — following the Lord was even more important than these. Jesus repeatedly exhorts those who come to him to follow, wherever that may lead. Do we have the courage and the trust?
Lord, grant me the freedom and trust to follow You.
 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Thứ 13 Thường Niên nam B

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Thứ 13 Thường Niên nam B
Lạy Chúa, chúng con đang ráng sức phấn đấu với bản thân không chỉ để tin cậy vào Chúa mà còn tin cậy vào cả những người khác trong cuộc sống của con. Xin Chúa giúp chúng con có đủ can đảm để tin tưởng vào lòng tốt của Chúa và của người khác bằng cách đổi mới sự hiện diện của Chúa trong trái tim chúng con.
            Qua bài tin mừng chúng ta thất ông chủ Hội đường Do thái đã năn nỉ Chúa Giêsu “ “Con gái tôi đang hấp hối, xin Ngài đến đặt tay trên nó để nó được khỏi và được sống”. ông chủ Hội đường Do thái tên Jairus đã khẩn khoan van xin với Chúa ngay từ đáy lòng sâu thẳm của ông. Đây là đứa con gái nhỏ của ông và ông sẽ làm bất cứ điều gì có thể để cứu cô con gái của ông. Ông ta tin rằng Chúa Giêsu có khả năng chữa lành cho cô, vì vậy ông ta quyết định đến gần Chúa Giêsu và nài xin Chúa với lòng thành kính và sự tin tưởng vào quyền năng cứu rỗi của Chúa Giêsu.
            Mỗi khi thấy mình gặp những khủng hoảng về tinh thần hay những sự khó khó vật chất, chúng ta sẽ hướng về ai? Chúa Giêsu có phải là người đầu tiên chúng ta muốn cầu nguỵn và tâm sự hay nài xin trong tình huống sinh tử không? Tại sao chúng ta làm thế hay tại sao chúng ta không chạy đến với Chúa?
            Hãy có Niềm tin và “Đừng sợ hãi; Hãy tin tưởng." Thế giới của chúng ta ngay cả những người gần gũi nhất với chúng ta sẽ thuyết phục với chúng ta rằng chúng ta đang lãng phí thời gian để tin vào Chúa Giêsu hoặc thực hành đức tin Công giáo của chúng ta. Họ muốn chúng tôi dựa vào trí thông minh hay kiến thức của chúng ta hoặc dựa nguồn tài chính của chúng ta. Ngoài ra, những kẻ ác có thể cố gắng bằng nhiều cách để gieo vào lòng chúng ta những nỗi sợ hãi và nghi ngờ. Đây là những cám dỗ, nhưng Chúa Giêsu là người trung thành và chân thật.
            Kinh nghiệm sống nào khẳng định cho chúng ta biết rằng Chúa Giêsu có thể đáng được tin cậy với những mối quan tâm và lo lắng lớn nhất của chúng ta?  Chúa Giêsu đã  từng trải qua những khốn khổ, cám dỗ trong cuộc sống của Ngài. Chúa biết tất cả những đau khổ, những tuyệt vọng và cả những ý nghĩ của chúng ta trong lòng. Chúa Giêsu muốn chúng ta phải biết trân trọng những khốn khó, cám dỗ trong đời này và thường xuyên để chúng ta có thể nhớ lại mỗi khi thấy mình lo lắng hoặc sợ hãi được dễ dàng lắng đọng hơn trong tay Ngài.
            Chúa Giêsu không phủ nhận hay làm giảm giá trị của con người chúng ta. Khi “Người cầm tay đứa nhỏ…”  Chúa trân trọng tất cả những gì Ngài đã tạo ra trong nhân loại chúng ta, và Ngài biết những nỗi đau khổ mà ông Jairus và vợ ông đã trải qua. Chúa Giêsu nhẹ nhàng đưa tay ra để chạm vào con gái của ông Jarius khi ngài làm cô bé được sống lại. Chúa Giêsu không cần phải nắm lấy tay cô để làm nên điều kỳ diệu, nhưng Chúa thích chạm vào cô hơn vì Chúa yêu thương cô bé. Chúa Giêsu cũng thường chạm vào tâm hồn chúng ta mỗi ngày qua những người mà Ngài đã đưa vào và đặt họ vào trong cuộc sống của chúng ta. Sự đụng chạm thân mật của người phối ngẫu, sự đeo bám thiếu thốn của một đứa trẻ, sự âu yếm từ đứa cháu, hoặc tình cảm của đồng nghiệp  đó là những cách Chúa Giêsu đã chạm vào chúng ta mỗi ngày. Đôi khi Ngài cũng “chạm vào lòng chúng ta” trong lời cầu nguyện thầm lặng của chúng ta.
            Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Đấng chữa lành mọi bệnh tật, chúng con đến trước mặt Chúa với đức tin và sự trông cậy, vì biết rằng Chúa luôn tìm kiếm và bam₫n cho chúng con những điều tốt lành nhất. Xin Chúa hãy mở rộng trái tim của chúng con để đón nhận những lời chúc phúc và đón nhận bất cứ những ơn chữa lành nào mà Chúa muốn ban cho chúng con. Xin Chúa hãy làm cho tâm hồn con biết cảm xúc sâu sắc hơn để chúng con biết cải hoá luônvà giúp chúng con có thể làm chứng cho Chúa nhiều hơn về những ơn lành mà Chúa đã ban xuống trong lòng của chúng con. Lạy Chúa, hôm nay nhờ ân điển của Chúa, chúng con sẽ giao phó mõi lĩnh vực cần được chữa lành trong cuộc sống của chúng con cho Chúa, để Chúa đụng vào làm xoa díu và biến đổi chúng con nên thánh thiện hơn.
 
Reflec tion 13th Week in Ordinary Time B
He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat. Mark 5:41–43
Jairus was the leader of the synagogue in Capernaum. In that position, he would have been pressured to be in opposition to Jesus. But his daughter was ill, and his daughter was more important to him than the opinions of the other religious leaders of the time. So he humbly came to Jesus by himself, fell at Jesus’ feet and pleaded with Him to heal his daughter.
Jairus makes two acts of faith in Jesus. The first was his request that Jesus heal his infirmed daughter. But the second took even more faith. On the journey with Jesus to see his daughter, he received the sorrowful news that his daughter had died. Jesus’ response to this was to turn to Jairus and say, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” Clearly, Jairus responded to this command of love with faith and trusted that Jesus could even raise his daughter from the dead.
As you ponder the faith of Jairus, consider this interior tension he must have been experiencing. He was tempted by the political and peer pressure of the scribes and Pharisees who opposed Jesus. He was tempted to despair while his daughter’s illness became increasingly worse. And when he heard she had died, he would have been tempted even more to despair when faced with the apparent fact that Jesus was too late. But he didn’t give in to these temptations. He remained in hope and trust.
When Jesus arrived at Jairus’ home, He saw many people who were “weeping and wailing loudly.” When Jesus questioned their acts of despair, He said to them, “The child is not dead but asleep.” But upon hearing this, they ridiculed Him. Clearly, the other people present did not have the hope and the faith that Jairus had. Therefore, it is also helpful to prayerfully meditate upon the contrast of Jairus and the others present.
The story concludes with Jesus raising the girl from the dead. He then told those present to keep this miracle quiet. Jesus did not heal her to gain fame. He did not heal her to prove to the people who were despairing and without faith that they were wrong. Instead, He primarily healed her on account of the faith manifested by the girl’s father.
Finally, Jesus’ divine love shining through His humanity is clearly seen when He says that “she should be given something to eat.” Jesus did not stand there expecting praise from those present. Rather, His loving compassion shone through as He expressed His concern that this little girl must have been hungry. His love led Him to address this minor detail.
Reflect, today, upon how you would have acted were you Jairus. What would you have done in the face of spiritual and moral opposition? Would you have turned to our Lord in trust and confidence? And when all human hope seemed lost, would you have maintained your trust in our Lord? Pray that the faith and hope of Jairus will inspire you, and commit yourself to follow his holy example.
My compassionate Lord, You responded to the faith of this loving father, Jairus, with mercy and compassion. You encouraged Him to trust and were attentive to every detail. Please give me a similar faith so that I will never despair in life but always keep my hope in You. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Reflec tion 13th Week in Ordinary Time B 2024
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you have power over sickness and death. You created me to enjoy eternal life with you. Heal me in the depths of my soul so that I may love you with all my heart, mind, and strength. Increase my faith so that I may entrust myself more fully to your loving care.
Encountering the Word of God 
1. Authority Over Sickness and Death: Last Sunday, we heard how Jesus demonstrated his divine authority and power over nature by calming the storm and the sea (Mark 4:35-41). The next story in Mark’s Gospel continues the theme of Jesus’ divine authority and shows that he has power over demons (5:1-20). Today’s Gospel adds two more demonstrations of Jesus’ divine authority: He has authority over disease (Mark 5:25-34) and over death (Mark 5:21-24; 35-43). The two stories are connected by the number 12: The woman suffered a hemorrhage for 12 years and the little girl was only 12 when she died. As well, in both stories, the women are called “daughters.” Both stories manifest faith in Jesus: Jesus tells the woman that her faith has saved her and Jesus invites Jairus to put away fear and have faith. Gifts are generously bestowed in both stories: the woman received the gifts of faith, peace, healing, and salvation; the girl received the gift of restoration to life. Read together all four stories – the calming of the sea, the exorcism, curing the woman, restoring the girl to life – invite us to believe in Jesus’ divinity. Who is it that can calm the winds and sea? Who is it that can cast out demons? Who is it that can heal? Who is it that can raise us from the dead? Who is it that can overcome our fear and instill peace in our hearts? Jesus, the Son of God, can!
 
2. Life After Death: The Book of Wisdom contains the clearest teaching in the Old Testament on life after death. Our First Reading is Wisdom’s reflection on the opening chapters of Genesis. God, Wisdom teaches, did not create death. The Lord created being itself and declared that it is good. To some beings, God gave life. And to some living beings, to human beings created in God’s image and likeness, God gave the spiritual powers of intelligence and will. God formed us to be imperishable. The righteous, Wisdom declares, are God’s portion and will enjoy eternal life; the wicked, who belong to the devil, will experience eternal death. If our death, then, was not created by God, where does it come from? Wisdom responds that death entered the world “through the devil’s envy.” “Envy is a sinful sadness over the good fortune of others. The devil was envious of the greatness of God and of the good life given to humanity. Here for the first time in the Bible, the serpent in Genesis is explicitly identified as the devil (Greek diabolos). This brief verse reveals Wisdom’s interpretation of salvation history as the struggle of righteous wisdom seekers to obtain their immortal destiny and to avoid the death spiral of the ungodly” (Giszczak, Wisdom of Solomon, 49).
3. Jesus Became Poor so that We Might Become Rich: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians contains a heartfelt appeal for money to help the Christians suffering in Jerusalem. “Several factors brought about dire poverty in the Jerusalem church – among them: drought and famine; heavy taxation, imposed both by Rome and by Jewish authorities; and the constant addition of Jewish converts, some of whom may have been shunned socially and economically, and thereby impoverished, because they chose to be baptized” (Stegman,Second Corinthians, 190). Before asking them to resume their participation in the collection for Jerusalem, Paul offers the example of how the Macedonians have been generous (2 Corinthians 8:1-7) and the supreme example of Jesus Christ’s “gracious act.” Although he was rich – enjoying divine life – the Son of God, Jesus Christ, became poor in assuming our human nature and in offering himself for us on the Cross. By his poverty, Jesus has attained for us the possibility of becoming rich and sharing in the divine nature and eternal life through grace. Paul praises the Corinthians for excelling in faith and knowledge, reminds them of his love for them, and asks that they excel in giving graciously. Paul wants them to contribute proportionally. They shouldn’t contribute so much to the poor in Jerusalem that they impoverish themselves in Corinth. Paul advocates for the principle of equality and refers to the story of the manna in the desert: “No matter how much or how little each person gathered, there was sufficient daily manna for all. But some of the Israelites attempted to hoard this food rather than trust in their daily allowance. Those who hoarded, however, found that their extra food rotted (Exodus 16:19-20)” (Stegman, Second Corinthians, 200). By recalling the Exodus story, Paul is teaching the Corinthians and us to trust in God our Father, to give generously, and to seek the just and equitable distribution of material goods.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I thank you for becoming poor so that I might become rich, not with the material wealth of this passing world, but with the spiritual wealth of heavenly life. Help me to know and alleviate the sufferings of those around me. May I become poorer in spirit each day and receive more abundantly the Kingdom of Heaven.
 
Reflec tion 13th Week in Ordinary Time B
Opening Prayer: Lord, I struggle to trust not only you but others in my life. Help me to have the courage to trust in your goodness and that of others by renewing your presence in my heart.
Encountering Christ:
Jesus First: “Please, come lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live.” Jairus was speaking to Our Lord from the depths of his heart. This was his little daughter and he would do whatever he could to save her. He believed that Jesus was capable of healing her, so he made the decision to approach Jesus and manifest his confidence in Jesus’s power to save. When we find ourselves in crisis, to whom do we turn? Is Jesus the first person we speak with in a life-or-death situation? Why or why not?
Have Faith: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” So often, the world–even those closest to us–will try to tell us we are wasting our time believing in Jesus or practicing our Catholic faith. They would prefer that we rely on our own intelligence or our financial resources. In addition, the evil one can try in multiple ways to sow fear and doubt in our hearts. These are temptations, but Jesus is faithful and true. What life experiences affirm for us that Jesus can be trusted with our greatest concerns and worries? When has he “come through”? Jesus wants us to treasure these memories and revisit them often so we can recall them when we find ourselves worried or afraid and more easily rest in him.
Hand in Hand: “He took the child by the hand…” Jesus doesn’t deny or reduce the value of our humanity. The Lord cherishes all that he created in our humanity, and he knows the pain Jairus and his wife experienced. Jesus gently reached out to touch Jarius’s daughter as he brought her back to life. He didn’t have to take her hand to work the miracle, but he preferred to touch her because he loved her. Jesus touches us daily through those he puts in our lives. The intimate touch of a spouse, the needy clinging of a child, the cuddle from a grandchild, or the affection of a colleague—these are ways that Jesus touches us every day. He also sometimes “touches us” in silent prayer. 
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, healer of all ills, I come before you in faith and trust, knowing that you look for my greatest good. Open my heart to receive whatever blessings and healings you desire to give me. Touch me deeply so that by my ongoing conversion I may bear greater witness to the touch of the Master’s hand.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will entrust an area of my life that needs healing to your transformative touch. 
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Thứ 13 Thường Niên Năm B
Trong bài đọc thứ nhất, chúng ta được nhặc nhở là Thiên Chúa không vui mừng trong sự hủy diệt sự sống. Thiên Chúa là tình yêu. Chúa đã tác tạo ra mọi thứ trong vũ trụ vì lợi ích cho con người chúng ta. Điều này cũng đã được Thánh Phaolô nói rõ với cộng đoàn Côrintô rất rõ ràng khi ông yêu cầu họ hãy dâng hiến rộng rãi cho Giáo Hội Giêrusalem, ccojng đoàn đã phản đối việc chấp nhận người ngoại vì họ đã là kẻ thù, nhưng Thánh Phaolô nói, "Phải, nhưng chúng ta phải từ tâm và quảng đại với họ." Chúng ta biết sự rộng lượng của Chúa Giêsu. Ngài làm cho chính mình nghèo khó hơn để làm cho chúng ta được giàu có hơn qua Cha của Ngài. Một người hoàn toàn biết quảng đại là cách Chúa Giêsu mời gọi chúng ta phải sống trong Tin Mừng hôm nay.
Một viên chức rất quan trọng, người cai quản giáo đường Do Thái, đến gần Chúa Giêsu để được giúp đỡ khi đứa con gái nhỏ của ông sắp chết. Tình yêu của Chúa Giêsu sẵn sàng với lòng từ bi, quảng đại với tình yêu Chúa đã đi cùng với viên chức đến nhà mình. Chúa Giêsu muốn chắc chắn rằng viên chức này không nghĩ rằng sự chữa lành của con gái ông là điều gì đó huyền diệu, nhưng đúng hơn là tình yêu của Thiên Chúa đến với đến cô bé qua Chúa Giêsu. Ngài đã tiếp diện với cô ấy và với gia đình như một người bạn.
Chúa Giêsu cũng hiếm khi làm phép lạ từ xa; Ngài chữa khỏi mọi người khi họ có mặt để nói đến sự gần gũi giữa Chúa và con người chúng ta. Ngài muốn gần gũi với mọi người, để biết họ và để cho họ biết Ngài, gần với Ngài hơn. Họ mở lòng họ với nhau, và Chúa Giêsu cho thấy chính mình theo cách rất con người và thực tế này như một người bạn luôn rộng lượng trong tình yêu, trong sự từ bi, và lòng quảng đại.
Thật khó để đặt hai chân lý này lại với nhau. Chúa Giêsu là Con Đức Chúa Trời, nhưng Ngài cũng là anh em chúng ta. Một khi chúng ta bắt đầu thấu hiêu được sự bí ẩn này; biết Chúa Giêsu là Con Thiên Chúa, là Đấng đã tạo nên trời và đất, và là người bạn thân nhất của chúng ta; cuộc sống của chúng ta sẽ thay đổi. Chúngta sẽ bắt đầu nhận ra rằng trong thời gian khốn cùng, đau khổ, chúng ta có thể quay về với Chúa Giêsu và Ngài sẽ ở lại trong chúng ta. Chúng ta sẽ được ơn Chúa để đặt niềm tin của chúng ta nơi Ngài và chúng ta cũng có thể biết sẵn sàng tiếp cận với những người khác như một người bạn, biết cởi mở chính mình và chia sẻ những gì chúng ta có với người chung quanh.
 
REFLECTION Sunday 13th Ordinary Time B
The first reading reminds us that God does not rejoice in the destruction of the living. God is love. He created everything in the universe for our good. That is also made very clear in what Paul says to the church at Corinth when he asks them to give generously – to the church of Jerusalem, the church that had been so opposed to accepting the Gentiles. They had been enemies, and Paul says, "Yes, but you must be generous to them." We know the generosity of Jesus. He made himself poor to make us rich through his Father. A totally generous friend is how Jesus is in today's Gospel.
A very important official, the leader of the synagogue, approaches Jesus for help as his little daughter is dying. Jesus' heart goes out to him with compassion, generosity, and love, and he accompanies the official to his house. Jesus wanted to be sure that this official did not think the healing of his daughter was something magical, but rather the love of God reaching out to the little girl through Jesus. He was reaching out to her and to the family as a friend.
Jesus also seldom worked miracles from a distance; he cured people while in their presence to ensure the connection. He wanted to interact with people, to know them and to let them know him. They opened their hearts to each other, and Jesus shows himself in this very human and real way as a friend who reaches out in love, kindness, compassion, and generosity.
It is difficult to put these two truths together. Jesus is the Son of God but he is also our brother and friend. Once we begin to enter into this mystery – knowing Jesus as Son of God, as the one who made the heavens and the earth, and as our closest friend – our lives will change. We will begin to realize that in the moment of need and pain, we can turn to Jesus and he will be there for us. We will be inspired to follow him and in turn we will reach out to others as a friend, opening ourselves and sharing what we have.