Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư thuần thứ 10 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư thuần thứ 10 Thường Niên
Trong khi các đoạn Tin Mửng hôm qua (Mt.5: 13-16) Chúa Giêsu mô tả nhiệm vụ và bổn phận của các môn đệ, Bài Tin Mừng hôm nay chúng ta nghe Chúa Giêsu nói với chúng ta về sứ vụ của Chúa Giêsu liên quan đến các điều luật của Thiên Chúa. Nhiệm vụ của Ngài đến với Thế gian không phải là để tiêu diệt hoặc bãi bỏ lề luật của các tiên tri, nhưng Ngài đến để thực thi và làm những Luật này được nên trọn vẹn.
Chúa Giêsu có ý Khi Ngài nói Ngài đến để thực thi luật của Chúa?
            Chúa Giêsu đã đến để tỏ lộ cho chúng ta  thấy rõ được ý nghĩa thực sự của Cựu Ước và do đó Ngài đã đến để hoàn thành. Nhưng thực thi theo Thánh Mathêu  có nghĩa là phải triệt để và bén nhậy với những nhu cầu luật pháp , để phù hợp với việc loan báoTin Mừng  Nước Thiên Chúa. Bằng cách này, mà Chúa Giêsu đã mời gọi tất cả mọi người phải nhận ra là tinh thần của luật pháp và không việc thực thi luật phái ckhông chỉ đơn thuần là việc thực thi những điểu được viết thành luật. Điều này cũng được khẳng định cho chúng ta thấy trong bài đọc thứ Nhất hôm nay (v. 6) trong đó nói và nhấn mạnh rằng là thật sự không phải là chữ viết của giao ước mới là vấn đề,  nhưng là thần khí.
            Nhửng ”chữ viết”' ở đây đồng nghĩa với pháp luật như một tiêu chuẩn bề ngoài mà đật trước tất cả mọi người, bởi vì con người là bộ phận hay phạm phạm hay phá luật pháp, một tội phạm bị kết án và bị kết án tử hình. Mặt khác, Thần khí (Chúa Thánh Thần) là  Đấng ban sự sống là "Thần khí” của Thiên Chúa hằng sống, người mà đã đến để  hoàn tất những ứng nghiệm lời hứa trong giao ước mới. Thần khí viết  các lề luật tương tư như thế ngay trên bia đá trong tâm hồn của chúng ta " (v. 3). Đấy là Chúa Giêsu, bộ luật mới của chúng ta. Vì thế, chúng ta là, là những các môn đệ của Chúa Kitô, chúng ta phải biết tuân theo, vâng lời  luật của Chúa mỗi ngày bằng cách là biết sống và  làm theo ý muốn của Thiên Chúa, và sống theo cách của Chúa trong sự công bình, chínhtrực.
            Lạy Chúa, xin giúp và ban chúng con có được ân sũng của Chúa ban mỗi ngày, để chúng con biết tuân giữ luật pháp của Thần Khí củă Chúa là luật biết yêu thương người.
Tìm kiếm ý muốn củă Thiên Chúa trong tất cả mọi việc con làm, Và Ngài sẽ chỉ cho con lối mà con sẽ di.. đi  hãy nhận ra Người trong mọi nẻo đường con đi và Người sẽ san phẳng các lối con theo.
 
Reflection SG
While the preceding passage (Mt.5:13-16) describes he mission to the disciples, today’s gospel talks about the mission of Jesus in relation to the law. His mission is not to destroy or abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfil them. What does Jesus mean by fulfillment of the law?
            Jesus came to reveal the true meaning of the OT and thus bring it to fulfillment. But fulfillment, Matthew means radicalizing and sharpening the demands of the law in accordance with the proclamation of the Kingdom. By this he was inviting the people to realize the spirit of the law and not mere observance of the letter of the law. This is reiterated in the first reading (v. 6) wherein stated that it is not the letter of the new covenant that matters but the spirit.
            The ‘letter’ here is synonymous with the law as an external standard before which all people, because they are law breakers, stood guilty and condemned to death. On the other hand, the spirit who gives life is the ‘spirit of the living God’s, who, in fulfillment of the promise of the new covenant, writes that the same law inwardly on tablets of human hearts’ (v. 3). This is Jesus — our new law. So, as disciples of Christ, we respond daily to the law by doing God’s will with righteousness and as a way of life.
“Lord, grant us the grace to observe the spirit of the law of love.”
 
Wednesday 10th Week in Ordinary Time
Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” Matthew 5:17–18
The law and the prophets, as found in the Old Testament, consists of three types. First, there are the moral laws, such as the Ten Commandments, that are primarily based on the natural law of God. By “natural law,” we mean that our human reason can understand their truthfulness, such as with “Thou shall not kill, steal, etc.” Second, there were many liturgical precepts that were laid down and practiced as a preparation for and prefiguration of their ultimate liturgical fulfillment. The fulfillment is now found in the sacramental life of the Church. Third, there were various legal precepts that gave specific directions on daily living. These laws include instructions on food, relations with others, how to treat foreigners, cleansings, purifications of utensils, tithing, and much more.
In our Gospel today, Jesus essentially says two things. First, regarding the legal and liturgical precepts, He says that He came to “fulfill” them. Thus, Christians are no longer bound by these Old Testament legal and liturgical laws, in that we are now called to a much higher fulfillment of them all. But as for the moral laws, especially those found in the Ten Commandments, not a single precept taught is abolished. Instead, these Commandments are deepened, and the call to moral perfection is now much clearer. It is for this reason that Jesus goes on to say, “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
It’s important to understand that those who lived before the time of Christ were not held to the same standard as we are today. That’s because they did not enjoy the gift of grace that was won by the Cross and is bestowed by the Holy Spirit. Today, we have so much more and, for that reason, are called to a much greater life of holiness. For example, we no longer celebrate the Passover as a mere remembrance of what God did by setting the Israelites free from slavery to the Egyptians. Today, we celebrate the New Passover through our participation in the Holy Eucharist, and our “remembrance” goes beyond the simple recalling of a memory of old. Our remembrance is one that enables us to actually participate in the saving sacrifice of Christ. We share in the actual event and are partakers of the grace won on the Cross each time we celebrate the Holy Mass. And as for the moral laws of the Old Testament, they become the bottom line of morality. The upper limit is now much higher. We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We are to lay down our lives for others and take up our crosses daily to follow Jesus. We are called to the perfection of sacrificial love, and that is only possible by our sharing in the very life, death and resurrection of Christ our Lord.
Reflect, today, upon the very high calling you have been given by our Lord. It’s not enough to simply do the bare minimum in our worship and moral life. Doing so may permit you to be “least in the Kingdom of heaven,” but God wants you to share in His greatness. He calls you to be among the “greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” Do you understand your high calling? Do you have the perfection of holiness as your goal? Commit yourself to the full participation in the New Law of Christ and you will be eternally grateful that you did.
My most glorious Lord, You came to bring our lives to the fullness of grace and holiness. You call us to the heights of Heaven. Help me to see my high calling, dear Lord, and to work diligently to embrace all that You now command by Your New Law of grace and mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Wednesday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you call me to a high standard of life in the New Covenant. I realize that on my own I cannot live this, but also that, with your grace, all things are possible. With the grace of your Son and Spirit, I can be holy and perfect, love my enemies, and forgive those who sin against me.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Elijah vs. the Prophets of Baal: In the First Reading, we hear about some events in the northern Kingdom of Israel. The wicked King Ahab, the son of Omri, reigned over Israel and fell into idolatry. In Samaria, he built an altar for the Canaanite god of storms and fertility, Baal, and the fertility goddess, Asherah (1 Kings 16:32-33). In response to the idolatry of King Ahaz and his wife Jezebel, the Lord, the God of Israel, called Elijah to be his prophet and told him of the drought and famine that would afflict the land of Israel. Elijah confronted King Ahaz and asked that all Israel be gathered at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah. On the mountain, Elijah challenged the false prophets of Baal to a contest to prove that the Lord is God. This challenge recalls the confrontation between Moses and the Egyptian magicians in the Book of Exodus and the confrontation between the Lord God and the Dagon in the Book of Samuel. Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal throughout the day as they were unable to call down fire from heaven upon the sacrifice they prepared. In the afternoon, Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord with twelve stones, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel. To show the power of the Lord God, Elijah doused the sacrifice with water and filled the trench around the altar with water. In contrast to the complicated prayer and frenzied actions of the prophets of Baal, Elijah’s prayer to God is very simple. Elijah unites his prayer to the time of the afternoon offering in the Temple in Jerusalem. He recalls God’s covenant faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By doing this, Elijah’s prayer recognizes that the Lord God acts in history and cares for his people, who have entered into a covenant with him. Second, Elijah says that he has served the Lord faithfully and done everything according to his word. In this case, he did exactly as the Lord commanded during the famine and now confronts the King about the false prophets of Baal. Lastly, Elijah asks God to answer his prayer so that the people of Israel may know him as the true God and may turn their hearts back to him. He is not seeking his own glory, but only that of the Lord God. God answers his prayer and heavenly fire consumes the sacrifice and licks up the water. Before this great sign and manifestation of divine power, the people cry out: “The Lord is God; the Lord is God.”
2. The Fulfillment of the Old Law: In the Gospel, Jesus has just finished proclaiming the beatitudes and he now begins to explain his relationship to the Law of Moses and the prophets. He fulfills them in two ways: first, through his life, death, and resurrection; second, through his teaching, by showing the kind of life to which the law ultimately pointed. Jesus is the authoritative interpreter of the law and brings out its deeper meaning. “It is in this sense that the smallest letter of the law remains until heaven and earth pass away and until all things have taken place. The law retains its status as God's revealed word, and one must continue to teach and obey these commandments. But disciples must now follow the law in light of Christ's authoritative interpretation” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 94).
3. The Passing Away of Heaven and Earth: When Jesus speaks of the law not passing away until heaven and earth pass away, we need to understand this as referring to three events. The first is the event of Jesus’ death on the Cross. This event establishes the New Covenant and brings the Old Covenant to its fulfillment. The sacrificial laws of the Old Covenant expire with the sacrifice of Jesus but the moral Law was retained and refined (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 15). The veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus’ death and symbolizes the perfection and transformation of the Old into the New. Jesus’ death inaugurates a 40-year period from A.D. 30-70, in which Jewish Christians still retain many of the prescriptions of the Old Law while embracing their new life in Christ. During this period, believers in Christ begin to understand that Gentile believers are not obligated to take on the yoke of the Old Law (Acts 15:10). The second passing away of heaven and earth is the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70. The Temple was a microcosm of the universe and had images of the sun, the moon, and the stars. The destruction of the Temple, i.e., the passing away of the microcosm of the universe, was the sign of some of the Old Law passing away. Lambs and animals could no longer be sacrificed in the Temple; annual pilgrimages to the Temple ceased. The cultural walls of separation – including many dietary restrictions – between Jews and Gentiles were truly torn down. The third passing away of heaven and earth is the end of the world. This means that the heart of the law of the Old Covenant, brought to fulfillment in the New, remains until the end of time. In the next section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus will highlight six Old Covenant laws and bring them to their perfection in the New Law.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, inscribe your law on my heart. Cut away my stubbornness and resistance to your grace. Guide me with your Spirit and make me docile to the Spirit’s inspirations.
Living the Word of God: Am I teaching others the new commandment of love? How do I live this in my family? Am I a model of love and charity? What do I need to change?
 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Ngày 11 tháng 6 Lể Thánh Barnabas Tông đồ

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Ngày 11 tháng 6 Lể Thánh Barnabas Tông đồ
Trong bài đọc Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta nghe Chúa Giêsu hướng dẫn các môn đệ, những người mà Ngài sẽ trao cho nhiệm vụ là rao giảng Nước Trời. Họ sẽ chữa lành tất cả các bệnh tật, làm cho kẻ chết được sống lại và trừ được ma quỉ. Ngài đã hướng dẫn họ không được mang tất cả những gì cho cuộc hành trình rao giảng của, họ phải ra đi với bàn tay trắng và cây gậy đi đường, họ phải biết tin tưởng vào sự quan phòng của Thiên Chúa qua sự nương dựa vào sự  tiếp đón và hiếu khách của những người tiếp nhận họ.
            Trong bài đọc thứ nhất, chúng ta nghe tác giả mô tả một người môn đệ gương mẫu trong Hội Thánh đầu tiên. Đấy là thánh Barnabas, một người tốt, là một người rất đáng tin cậy, người biết vâng lời và có ảnh hưởng, là môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu và cũng là một trong 12 Tông Đồ  đã  đem các dân tộc trở lại với Chúa và tuyên xưng Chúa Giêsu Kitô bằng lời nói và hành động. Hội Thánh tại Jerusalem đã gời ngài đi Antioch và thi hành nhiệm vụ của ngài  ở Antioch. Chúng ta đã được nghe nói rằng thánh Barnabas đã hoạt động mạnh mẽ qua ơn Chúa Thánh Thần. Hoạt động chính của ngài là củng cố đức tin  cộng đồng ở Antioch.  Việc rao giảng của ngài đã góp phần không nhỏ vào sự phát triển cộng đồng và gia tăng nhân số.
            Tất cả chúng ta có lẽ sẽ không rao giảng hùng hồn được như Thánh Phêrô. Chúng ta sẽ không thể lôi kkéo cả ngàn tín đồ về với Chúa như thánh Phaolô. Chúng ta cũng không có thể hiểu được thong minh về thần học như thánh Gioan. Chúng ta cũng không có thể làm cho kẻ chết  được sống hay chữa bệnh hay nói tiếng lạ, nhưng tất cả chúng ta cũng nên học hỏi và bắt chước thánh Barnabas. Tất cả chúng ta nên học hỏi để khuyến khích anh chị em của chúng ta nên biết sống và trở nên những người Kitô Hữu tốt hơn. Tất cả chúng ta hãy ráng trở nên là những người con xứng đáng của Chúa trong những lời nói và việc làm hàng ngày của chúng ta
 
Reflection on St Barnabas, Apostle June 11
In today’s gospel reading, we hear Jesus instructing his disciples, whom he missions to proclaim the kingdom of heaven. They are to cure the sick, raise the dead and cast out devils. He instructs them to travel light and to rely on the hospitality of those who receive them.
            In the first reading, we have a depiction of an exemplary disciple in the early church. This is Barnabas, a good man. Barnabas comes across as a reliable, obedient and influential man, who collaborates with the Spirit in converting the nations and proclaiming the Lord Jesus by words and deeds. The church in Jerusalem sends him to mission in Antioch. We are told that he sees the working of the Spirit in Antioch. His labour consolidates the faith of the Antioch community and his preaching contributes to the increase of the community. The critical mass of prophets and teachers in Antioch includes Barnabas and Saul of Tarsus, latterly known as Paul, whom Barnabas takes under his wing.
May the Lord’s peace and love prevail in our Church and in the world. St. Barnabas, pray for us.
 
Reflection: Saint Barnabas, Apostle
I always admired Barnabas. His name, which means “Son of Encouragement”, reminds me of a guy I knew in high school, Joe. He was a delight to be around, and everyone else was better when he was with us. He was one of the best advertisements for Christianity I have ever known, truly a lampstand. I was always disappointed that he was some sort of Evangelical Christian and not a Catholic, that he did not play for our team, so to speak. I imagine Barnabas to be a lot like him, with a word of encouragement for everyone and never a personal attack, neither to a person’s face nor behind their back, not with meaningless compliments but actual encouragement. Blessed is everyone around a Barnabas.
            Encouragement, it seems to me, is an eighth gift of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, encouragement is not only a gift of the Holy Spirit but also a title. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Encouragement. The Holy Spirit brings encouragement where it is needed by giving this gift to someone near a person whom he is pleased to encourage and is, thereby, the Spirit of Encouragement that every Barnabas is the son of.
            Today we read that Barnabas went to Antioch and encouraged everyone “for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.” This kind of encouragement is more truly a proof of the presence of the Holy Spirit than speaking in tongues or prophecy. The evil spirit gives prophecies, but only the Holy Spirit gives encouragement to Christians. We see a characteristic of that encouragement when Barnabas goes up to Tarsus and finds Paul. A true Barnabas looks for the God-given gifts in others and is not jealous but rather rejoices.
            We Christians are not all going to preach like Peter. We will not all count converts by the thousands like Paul. We do not all have the theological mind of John. We may not raise the dead or cure the sick or speak in tongues or prophesy, but we all should learn to emulate Barnabas. We all should learn to encourage our brothers and sisters to be better Christians. We should all be sons and daughters of encouragement – not mere human encouragement: patronizing, saccharine words – but the encouragement of the Spirit of Encouragement, who fills our hearts, who always has a word or action ready for us to share with another. When you see a person in need, just listen to that Spirit and speak the encouragement.
 
June 11, 2025 | Wednesday- St. Barnabas Apostle.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you call me to a high standard of life in the New Covenant. I realize that on my own, I cannot live this, but also that, with your grace, all things are possible. With the grace of your Son and Spirit, I can be holy and perfect, love my enemies, and forgive those who sin against me.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Fulfilling the Law: Matthew’s Gospel often brings out how the new age inaugurated by Jesus, i.e., “the age to come” (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30), relates to the old age, i.e., “this age” (Matthew 12:32). Between the old and the new, there is much continuity: “the gospel is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel and the world in the Old Testament; the Church continues Israel’s work of redemption in the world; the Eucharist is the Church’s sacrificial rite fulfilling the sacrificial rites of Israel. And yet many things change in Jesus’s coming as Christ and the fulfillment of all things old” (Huzienga, Behold the Christ, 148). The word “fulfill” connotes making something bear fruit that it has always potentially contained. And so, Jesus, over a thousand years after Moses mediated the Old Law to Israel, Jesus is making the Old Law bear its fruit in its fullness and abundance.
2. Until Heaven and Earth Pass Away: When we look at the 613 Laws of Moses, we realize almost immediately that certain laws – like the 29 dietary laws about not eating shellfish, pork, and other foods – are no longer binding. In fact, the Gospel of Mark says that Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19). And so, when did “heaven and earth pass away”? Jesus’ phase refers to the destruction of his body and the destruction of the Temple, which was seen as a microcosm of the universe. This means that certain aspects of the Law of Moses passed away with Jesus’ crucifixion in A.D. 30 and the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70. Almost a third of the 613 Laws of Moses – 202 to be exact – dealt with the Temple and its sacrifices. Other laws, like the Ten Commandments, remain in effect after the Temple’s destruction and are even intensified by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount. Unlike the Old Law, which did not empower the people of Israel to follow it, the New Law gives the grace of the Holy Spirit and empowers the New People of God to follow it and grow in holiness and perfection.
3. The Message of Paul and Barnabas: As we celebrate today the memorial of Saint Barnabas, we can recall how he, along with Paul, brought the message of the Gospel to the nations. They preached how Jesus came to fulfill the Law of Moses and the Prophets. This message met with opposition among the Judaizers. They rejected the Gospel message of Paul and Barnabas that faith in Christ justifies, while the works of the Old Law could not. The Spirit and the New Law of Jesus give life, while the letter and the Old Law of Moses do not (2 Corinthians 3:6). Paul and Barnabas had a difficult task, a humanly impossible task. They had to demonstrate this newness of life in their words and actions. They had to cooperate day in and day out with the grace of Christ to be authentic witnesses of the Gospel of salvation.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, inscribe your law on my heart. Cut away my stubbornness and resistance to your grace. Guide me with your Spirit and make me docile to the Spirit’s inspirations.
 
Reflection: Saint Barnabas, Apostle
St. Barnabas, a Cypriot, was one of the earliest Jews to join the young Christian community. He sold a piece of land and brought the money to the apostles to use for the Christian community. Here we see his generosity.
When Saul was converted by the Lord in Damascus, Barnabas took charge of him and introduced him to the apostles in Jerusalem. Afterwards, he was commissioned to go with Saul, now called Paul, to preach in far-away countries and to non-Jews.  St. Barnabas was stoned to death in Salamis, Cyprus in 61 AD.
This tells us to be missionaries – to tell non-believers about Jesus, even our family members who have stopped believing in God and are so pre-occupied with earning money or having a good time. We are called to bring the Good News of salvation to others because there are people hungry for it.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus says that true virtue is more than just being good and upright. We are told to reconcile with those who are angry with us, regardless of who is right or wrong. The world needs peacemakers, people who answer evil with good. Enough of "patigasan," people should learn to reconcile because we know that we will not always be in total agreement with others. And so if we have a quarrel with someone, we must pray for the grace to reconcile with him/her. And if everyone has this attitude, won't the world be a better place to live in?
 
Meditation: Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3 Saint Barnabas, Apostle
He was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. (Acts 11:24)
When your ceiling falls in and water starts gushing from above, you call a plumber. When your house catches fire, you call the fire department. When you hear that a new church has sprung up in Antioch, consisting of both Jews and Gentiles, who do you call? A peacemaker! Even in those early days, leaders in the Church knew that when a large number of zealous, excited people get together, they need a guiding hand and some skilled mediation.So the apostles sent Barnabas.
            This isn’t the only place in the Scriptures where we encounter this fellow. Other stories help round out our image of who Barnabas is and what sort of character traits he has. When he is first introduced, we learn that his real name is Joseph, but the apostles nicknamed him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). Then, every time he appears in Acts or Paul’s letters, we hear of him as a peacemaker, as someone widely respected in the Church. Indeed, he must have been a solid, reliable man, to be sent to a faraway city on such an important mission!
We’d all like to be peacemakers. But it isn’t enough to want it. Bringing peace to a stressful situation—helping people to experience God’s calm—can be quite a challenge. How do we know what to say to defuse an argument or bring people together in harmony? A great clue is in Barnabas name, and in the first thing he did when he got to Antioch: encouragement.
            Peacemaking doesn’t involve having all the answers. It doesn’t mean taking control of a situation and mastering everyone involved. The first step can often be just a simple boost. “You’re doing great.” “I’m proud of you; hang in there.” Even if we have no other wisdom to offer, a few genuine encouraging words can defuse a tense situation. It can soften hearts and start people on the path to reconciliation. Your hopeful, peace-filled attitude can be contagious, in fact.
            So the next time you’re in a stressful situation that needs a peacemaker, remember Barnabas, and try to become a son or daughter of encouragement as well! “Lord, help me to be a peacemaker and serve you as faithfully as Barnabas did.”

Suy Niệm Bài đọc thứ Ba tuần thứ 10 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Bài đọc thứ Ba tuần thứ 10 Thường Niên
"Tất cả những điều gì Thiên Chúa đã hứa với dân Israel Ngài đã thực hiện  hoàn thành ." Do đó, Thánh Phaolô đã nói lên mối quan hệ giữa Cựu Ước và Tân Ước. Ông Môisen Nghe lời mệnh lệnh của Thiên Chúa và dẫn đưa dân Israel ra khỏi Ai Cập. Ông đã đem đám dân nô lệ này ra khỏi ai cập và Thiên Chúa  đã biến họ thành một quốc gia hùng mạnh  trong thời vua David. Trong mọi thời gian, Thiên Chúa đã chọn những người này làm dân của riêng Ngài và Ngài là Thiên Chúa của họ, như Ngài đã hứa với dân Israel trong sách Xuất Hành 6: 7; (cf. Lêvi  26:12) và Và sau đó Ngài đã lặp đi lặp lại nhiều lần qua các tiên tri như tiên tri  Giêrêmi 30:22;  Êzêkiel 11:20: "Các ngươi sẽ là dân của Ta, và Ta, Ta sẽ là Thiên Chúa của các ngươi.” (Giêmi 30:22).
Bốn đặc điểm tuyệt vời này đánh dấu mối quan hệ của Thiên Chúa với dân Israel: Sự lựa chọn của Thiên Chúa,  Giao ước mà Ngài đã lập với họ, Ban cho họ 10 Điều răn (Luật) để hướng dẫn họ sống vui vẻ (Thánh Vịnh 119) theo những lời Giao ước đó,  Và những lời hứa mà Ngài đã thực hiện, đặc biệt là lời hứa ban cho họ một Đấng Thiên Sai.
Bốn yếu tố này,  Sự lựa chọn, Giao Ước, Luật, và Lời hứa ban cho đấng cứu thế, là cách để cho dân Israel trở thành những người có niềm hy vọng lớn lao của Thiên Chúa, vì vậy cả bốn đều là những biểu hiện khác nhau của tình yêu tuyệt vời của Thiên Chúa trong Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho nhân loại. Trong bối cảnh này, chúng ta đạt được một sự hiểu biết sâu sắc hơn về lời khẳng định của Thánh Phaolô.
Lạy Cha trên Trời, xin  làm cho chúng con được trở nên một dân tộc với niềm hy vọng vĩ đại trong Chúa Kitô; xin làm cho chúng con trở thành những ánh sang thật sự sáng của thế gian, và muối mặn của thé giới này.
 
Reflection SG
“Whatever promises God has made have been fulfilled in him.” Paul thus sums up the relation between the Old and New Testaments.  Moses obeyed God’s command and led the Israelites out of Egypt. He made this crowd of runaway slaves into a people. Later David made this people into a nation. All the time, God was making this people into his own and giving himself to them as their God, as he promised in Exodus 6:7; (cf. Leviticus 26:12) and later repeated several times through the prophets Jer 30:22; Ezek 11:20: “You shall be my people and I will be your God.”
            Four great characteristics marked God’s relation with Israel: God’s choice, the Covenant he made with them, the Law to guide them in living joyfully (Psalm 119) according to that Covenant, and the promises he made, especially the promise of a Messiah. Promise is part of the vocabulary of hope. These four elements, Choice, Covenant, Law, Messianic promise, were God’s way of making the Israelites into a people of great hope, so the four are all different expressions of God’s great love in Jesus for humanity. Against this background we attain a deeper understanding of Paul’s affirmation.
Heavenly Father, make us a people of great hope in Christ; make us truly light of the world, salt of the earth
 
Tuesday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world…” Matthew 5:13–14
Every Christian has two primary duties in life. First, we must strive for personal holiness. And second, we must work to help others achieve this same degree of holiness. This is what it means to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”
Consider salt. Salt is a preservative, and it also adds flavor to food. It does so by entering the food and, in a sense, disappearing. So it must be with us. First, our Lord must enter our lives and preserve us from the corruption of sin. But as He does so, He will also bring out our goodness in a way that the “flavor” of holiness is evident to others. In this way, we will be used as salt for others. This is especially done by our works of charity.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux said in her autobiography, “I see now that true charity consists in bearing with the faults of those about us, never being surprised at their weaknesses, but edified at the least sign of their virtue.” She believed that this was especially the way we act as salt and light to others. We help to preserve others from sin by being merciful to them when they are weak. We enrich their lives by seeing their goodness and rejoicing in it. And we do so in a hidden way. By our gentleness and compassion, our kindness and mercy, we preserve others and help them to grow in God’s abundant grace. And we do so, many times, without them even realizing how God used us.
Consider, also, light. The world in which we live is oftentimes quite dark and despairing. There is corruption all around us and temptations abound. Thus, the light of Christ must be made manifest far and wide. Those all around us need to see clearly the path to holiness and happiness. Again, this is possible if we first work to become light itself. Christ, the true Light of the World, must so permeate our lives that we find it almost automatic to shine brightly in a fallen world. When Christ is alive in us, we will radiate joy and peace, calm and conviction, moral goodness and determination. And when we live this way, we will not have to “impose” the Gospel on others; rather, God’s light will simply shine and be a beacon of hope to those who come into our presence.
Reflect, today, upon these two missions in life. First, ponder your call to holiness. How does God want to bring light into your own life, preserve you from all sin and add spiritual flavor for holy living? Second, who does God want you to love with His love? Who needs hope and joy, mercy and kindness, words of wisdom and encouragement? Be holy and then allow that holiness to shine forth to others and you will indeed be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
My Jesus, the true Light of the World, please shine brightly in my life so that I will see clearly and will be preserved from the darkness of sin. As You fill me with Your light, please use me as an instrument of Your love and mercy to a world filled with chaos and confusion. Dispel the darkness, dear Lord, and use me as Your instrument as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Tuesday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, as I listen to your Son’s Sermon on the Mount, I pray that the seed of his Word may find good soil to grow and flourish. Help me welcome your Word, die to myself, and bear fruit for your Kingdom.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Jesus Raises Up the Humble of Heart: In the Beatitudes, Jesus proclaims that those who follow him and enter the Kingdom of Heaven are blessed, yet they are the humble, the meek, the pure of heart, and the persecuted. “Now he teaches his hearers that in spite of their marginal social situation, they actually hold a lofty position, that God works through them, in their lowly status, to redeem the world. They are the world’s salvation, even though the world regards them as cursed, as enemies” (Huizenga, Behold the Christ, 146). Just as salt transforms food and light transforms a room, Jesus’ disciples need to transform the world around them with the grace and light of Jesus. 
2. Salt of the Earth: In ancient times, salt was used to preserve meat and food and keep it from spoiling. Beef or pork, for example, was salted for long journeys at sea. Salt was a valuable commodity and even acted as a currency for Roman legionaries. They were sometimes paid in salt, and this is where we get the word “salary” from. Lastly, salt accompanied many of the sacrifices offered in the Temple in Jerusalem. By calling his followers the “salt of the earth,” he is suggesting that their existence and their discipleship sustain the world. They are valuable, pearls of great price, in the world. Their work is a pleasing sacrifice to God. In the same breath, Jesus gives his disciples a warning: They can fail and fall away, and, if this happens, they will meet a bad end (see Huizenga, Behold the Christ, 146).
3. Light of the World: By calling his disciples, the “light of the world,” Jesus refers back to the original vocation of Israel to be a “light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6). Israel struggled to be faithful to their calling and often became like the pagan nations instead of a light to them. Jesus warns his disciples not to hide their light from the world. They need to give the light they have received from God through Jesus and in the Spirit to the entire household. The city set upon a mountain is the Church, “established by God’s building hands in the midst of the world and yet also above it. The Christian cannot help it if God has placed and established him in the midst of the world, to watch over the world, to be watched by the world. … Christians are not their own architects and masters. The city is the dwelling of the saints, the City of God, and this polis [city] gathers up the surrounding world around itself and acts as its center and source of meaning. To it all the nations stream for strength, instruction, and protection” (Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy, Heart of the World: Vol I, 207).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I pray that I may be salt and light. Help me to give flavor to my preaching of your Gospel and enlighten the minds of those around me with your light. May I never lose my saltiness or extinguish the flame of your love.
 
Tuesday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, as I listen to your Son’s Sermon on the Mount, I pray that the seed of his Word may find good soil to grow and flourish. Help me welcome your Word, die to myself, and bear fruit for your Kingdom.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Salt of the Earth: After announcing to his disciples the paths that lead to happiness and blessing in the New Covenant, Jesus speaks about his disciples’ calling and mission. If the disciples live the beatitudes, they will be the salt of the earth. What does this mean? In the ancient world, salt was used not only to season but also to preserve food. The fish from the Sea of Galilee, for example, were dried and salted in Magdala and could be transported to faraway places like Rome without spoiling. By calling his disciples the “salt of the earth,” Jesus indicates that his disciples are to season and add flavor to the world and preserve the peace of the New Covenant on the earth. One day, like the salted fish from Magdala, Jesus’ disciples will be sent from Jerusalem and Galilee to the ends of the earth with the Gospel of Salvation. If they lose their saltiness, however, they will be worthless and unable to extend the Gospel throughout the world. There is also a deeper meaning concerning salt. Salt was also used to season the grain or bread offerings in the Temple (Leviticus 2:13). The salt, added to the offering, signified the covenant meal between God and the offeror. As the salt of the earth, Jesus’ disciples are to be the salt that seasons the world so that the world can be offered to God as a pleasing sacrifice. If, however, they break the covenant and lose their saltiness, then Jesus’ disciples will be unable to sanctify the world and bring it to God as an offering in the New Covenant (see Pitre, Reflections on the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A).
2. Light of the Word: If Jesus’ disciples live the beatitudes, then they will not only be the salt of the earth, but will also be the light of the world. This echoes the original vocation of Israel to be a light to the Gentile nations (Isaiah 42 and 49). The images of salt, light, and the city set on the mountain all refer to the Temple in Jerusalem. Salt seasoned the sacrifices in the Temple, the seven lamps of the menorah lit the sanctuary, and Jerusalem is the city set on Mt. Zion. Like the salt sent out into the world from Galilee, olive oil, used in lamps, was also sent out into the world from Galilee. Jesus’ disciples will season the world and transform it into a pleasing sacrifice. They will bring the light of the Gospel to the ends of the earth and overcome the darkness and ignorance caused by sin.
3. The Son of Consolation: The First Reading was chosen for the Memorial of Saint Barnabas. His real name was Joseph and “Barnabas” was his nickname (Acts 4:36). He was from the tribe of Levi and was a native of Cyprus. His nickname, given to him by the Apostles, means “son of encouragement (or consolation or comfort).” The Greek word used to translate the Aramaic is “paraklesis,” which is related to “paraclete.” This latter is a title for the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26) and means advocate, consoler, intercessor, and counselor. Barnabas “will live up to the meaning of his name when he encourages the Jerusalem Christians to welcome their former persecutor, Paul (Acts 9:26-27), and later, when he enlists Paul to help him nurture the first community comprised of both Jews and Gentiles, in Antioch (11:22-26)” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, 92). Barnabas and Paul brought a famine relief collection from Antioch to the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:30). They were also commissioned by the Church in Antioch to go on their first missionary journey throughout southern Asia Minor. They worked together up to the Council in Jerusalem in A.D. 49. After the council, they went on separate missionary journeys due to a disagreement about taking John Mark with them. Paul took Silas on his second missionary journey and Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus. Little is known about Barnabas after this, but tradition holds that he was martyred in Salamis in Cyprus.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I pray that I may be salt and light. Help me to give flavor to my preaching of your Gospel and enlighten the minds of those around me with your light. May I never lose my saltiness or extinguish the flame of your love.

Suy Niệm Thứ Hai Tuần thứ 10 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Thứ Hai Tuần thứ 10 Thường Niên
Hôm thứ ba và cả tuần trước, chúng ta được nghe về cuộc đời của ông Tôbit trong sách Tôbia, chúng ta đã suy ngẫm về những sự khổ đau vì những chuyện không may, tai nạn lớn, nhỏ, vì những thất bại trong cuộc sống. Chúng ta chắn chắn đã tự hỏi những câu hỏi, "tại sao những điều xấu lại xảy ra với những người tốt?"  đây là một trong những cẩm nhận rắc rối cho nhiều người trong chúng ta. Trong sự cảm hứng của mình, ngay trong phần đầu lá thứ thứ hai gởi cho các tín hữu Côrintô, Thánh Phaolô đã phản ánh về sự tương tác của đau khổ và niềm an ủi trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, đặc biệt là khi chúng ta cố gắng để sống cuộc sống trong Chúa Kitô. Mỗi ân sủng mà chúng ta nhận được liên quan đến một nhiệm vụ; nhiệm vụ là chia sẻ với những người khác những gì chúng ta được hưởng nơi bàn tay của Thiên Chúa. Thánh Phaolô  gợi ý là chúng ta là hãy nên áp dụng những điều tương tự cho sự đau khổ: ". Nếu chúng tôi lâm phải gian truân, ấy là để anh em được an ủi, được cứu thoát" (2 Cor 1:6)
            Nhiều người Kitô hữu cũng bị đau khổ, buồn phiền trong một cách tương tự:  Sự đau khổ đã làm họ gắn bó với sự đau khổ của Chúa Kitô để cứu rỗi thế gian và vì vậy ngay cả trong cuộc sống này,  họ đã được hưởng niềm vui và an ủi của Chúa Kitô, sự an ủi mà Chúa ban cho những ai đã chịu đau khỗ trong kiên nhẫn và yêu thương cũng như sự an ủi của sự Phục Sinh mà Ngài đã đón nhận sau cuộc khổ nạn của Ngài, sự an ủi đó là làm gia tăng đức tin, niềm hy vọng và tình yêu và niềm vui trong những gì thuộc về Chúa (Thánh Y Nhã)).
            Lạy Chúa Giêsu, xin ban cho chúng con ân sũng của Chúa và sự khôn ngoan để chúng con có thể an ủi người khác với niềm an ủi mà chúng con đã nhận được từ bàn tay của Chúa.
 
REFLECTION
On Tuesday last week, when we read an extract from the Book of Tobit, we reflected on the suffering caused by accidents great and small. The question, “why do bad things happen to good people?” is one that troubles many of us. In his very inspiring opening to his second Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul reflects on the interplay of suffering and consolation in our lives, especially when we strive to live our lives in Christ. Every grace we receive involves a mission; the mission to share with others what we enjoy from God’s hands. Paul suggests that the same thing applies to suffering: “if we are afflicted it is for your encouragement and salvation.”
Many Christians who suffer have the same approach: suffering engages them in the suffering of Christ for the salvation of the world and so even if in this life they enjoy the consolation of Christ, the consolation which he gives to those who suffer patiently and lovingly as well as the consolation of the Resurrection which he enjoyed after his passion, that consolation is an increase in faith, hope and love and joy in the things of the Lord (St. Ignatius).
Lord Jesus, grant us the grace and wisdom to be able to console others with the consolation which we received from Your hands.
 
Monday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:1–3
Today we are given the incredibly high calling of the Beatitudes to ponder. These lessons were taught by Jesus on a hill just north of the Sea of Galilee. Many were coming to Jesus to listen to Him preach and to witness His many miracles. They flocked to Him in this remote location, and Jesus had them recline as He preached what is now referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount.” This sermon is found in Chapter 5 through 7 of Matthew’s Gospel, and it takes place shortly after Jesus began His public ministry.
What a way to begin His public ministry! This teaching of Jesus was brand new and must have left many people mesmerized. Jesus no longer taught only the precepts of the Old Testament, such as the Ten Commandments; He now elevated the moral law to a level never conceived of before.
As the people listened to this new teacher speak with new authority and wisdom, they may have been excited and confused at the same time. To hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be merciful and clean of heart, and to be a peacemaker could have been accepted. But why was it that being poor, mournful, and meek were considered blessings? And even more challenging, why was it good to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness or insulted and falsely accused because of Jesus?
When Jesus’ new and radical teaching is clearly understood, it is not only His first disciples who may have been confused and excited at the same time. You, too, if you truly listen to His teachings and understand what He means, will find that you may be challenged to the core of your being. Jesus’ teaching must be embraced, fully, and without hesitation.
The Beatitudes are our call to perfection. They lay out for us the path by which we travel to the heights of holiness and obtain the glory of Heaven. They are our fine-tuned and detailed road map to the fullness of happiness and joy. But they also call us to a radical transformation of our minds and in our actions. They are not “easily” embraced, in the sense that they require that we turn from every selfish tendency we have and choose to live free of every earthly temptation, attachment and sin. Perfection awaits those who listen to, understand, and embrace the Beatitudes.
Reflect, today, upon the beginning of this challenging Sermon on the Mount. Try to find time to take each Beatitude to prayer. It is only through prayer and meditation that the full meaning of each of these invitations to holiness will be understood. Start with the call to interior poverty of spirit. This Beatitude calls us to complete detachment from all that is not part of God’s will. From there, consider the importance of mourning over your sin, of seeking purity of heart and humility in all things. Ponder each Beatitude and spend time with the one most challenging to you. Our Lord has much to say to you through this sermon. Don’t hesitate to allow Him to lead you to the heights of holiness through it.
Lord of all holiness, You are perfect in every way. You lived every virtue and Beatitude to perfection. Give me the grace to open myself to You so that I may hear You call me to perfection of life and so that I may respond generously with my whole life. Make me holy, dear Lord, so that I will find the happiness and fulfillment You wish to bestow. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Monday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I am blessed to be a member of the New Covenant People of God. Help me to appreciate and value what that means. Humanity walked in darkness for centuries but now has the light of Christ and his words of eternal life. I have received that light and those words, and I thank you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Transforming Curses into Blessings: During the next twelve weeks our weekday Gospel will be taken from the Gospel according to Matthew. One of the characteristics of Matthew’s Gospel are the five discourses Jesus delivers. When Jesus ascends the mountain, he sits down and delivers the New Law in the Sermon on the Mount. In this first discourse and the other four, he is acting as the New Moses. In the Old Covenant, given by Moses, there were blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (see Deuteronomy 28). Moses promised things like material prosperity, numerous offspring, and victory over enemies to those who obey God’s voice and observe God’s commandments. He also promised frustration, disease, famine, plagues, exile, foreign invasion, and fruitless labor on those who disobey God’s commandments and statutes. In the New Covenant, Jesus transforms some of the old curses (poverty, mourning, persecution) into the path to New Covenant blessings. In the New Covenant, material wealth, prosperity, accomplishments, and bodily pleasure can be dangerous. They can easily lead a person to trust more in themselves and the things of this passing world than in their Heavenly Father. On the other hand, our suffering in this life and our good works (of justice, charity, and mercy), united to Christ and empowered by divine grace, lead to eternal blessings.
2. Christ our Exemplar: Jesus gives the supreme example of how to live the beatitudes. Jesus talks the talk and walks the walk. He is poor in spirit, with no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:30). He is the one who mourns as the man of sorrows. He hungers and thirsts for righteousness. He is the merciful one who calls his followers to practice mercy (Matthew 18:21-35). He is pure of heart and loves his Father with an undivided love. He is the prince of peace who is persecuted for the sake of righteousness. He is innocent and yet is insulted and persecuted as he is crucified (Matthew 27:39-44). Jesus not only models the New Law for us but also promises to give us the Holy Spirit and the grace to fulfill the demands of the New Law.
3. The Prophet Elijah: The First Reading, from the First Book of Kings, picks up the story of Israel’s Kingdom. Back in February, during the fifth week in Ordinary Time, we read from the First Book of Kings and learned how and why the Kingdom of David and Solomon was split into the southern Kingdom of Judah and the northern Kingdom of Israel. During Ordinary Time, weeks six through nine, and during Lent and Easter, the Liturgy of the Word breaks from the history of David’s kingdom but picks it up again in week ten. Today we encounter the figure of the prophet Elijah. He ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of the wicked King Ahab (874-853 B.C.). His ministry of renewal aimed at fighting against Baal worship in the Northern Kingdom and calling the people back to the Lord. The First Reading reveals that the Canaanite god, Baal, who was the god of storm and rain, is really no god at all. It is YHWH, the God of Israel, who brings and withholds the rains. The feeding of Elijah with bread and meat recalls how God fed Israel with bread (manna) and meat (quail) in the wilderness (see Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The First and Second Book of the Kings, 49). In many ways, the life of Elijah shows how he is a new Moses figure. Jesus, however, is the ultimate New Moses.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I thank you for the gift of the New Law and for the grace of the Holy Spirit to fulfill it. You truly have the words of eternal life and have marked out the path that leads to eternal beatitude. Help me to choose this path always in all that I do.