Suy
Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Lễ Ba Ngôi ( Jn 16,12-15 )
Bài Tin Mừng chúng ta đọc hôm nay là bài giảng của Chúa Giêsu về Chúa Thánh
Thần. Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta biết rằng vào những ngày cuối cũa Ngài với bản chất con
người của Ngài: Những mặc khải của
Thiên Chúa tiết lộ cho các môn đệ của
Ngài nhưng các môn đệ sẽ không bao giờ hiểu được hoàn toàn và đầy đủ ("anh
em không có sức chịu nổi.bây giờ"). Tuy nhiên, Ngài đã an ủi họ với sự
bảo đảm và chắc chắn rằng Thần Khí sự thật
sẽ đến sau Ngài, để
hướng dẫn họ, và tất cả những người đã tin vào Ngài và
trong Chân Lý. bao gồm tất cả chúng ta
trong thời đại chúng ta),
Trong Toàn bộ
Kinh
Thánh đã cho chúng ta biết về Thiên Chúa,
và Thiên Chúa
đã công
bố tên riêng của Ngài!
cho chúng ta biết: Tên Ngài là
Nhân Từ, là Ơn Sủng, là Trung Tín
(Xh
34:6)
Thiên
Chúa tuy ba ngôi nhưng là Một vì Ngài là tất cả, và chỉ có tình yêu nhưng thật ra là bởi vì chính vì YÊU mà Ngài cởi mở, chấp nhận, đối thoại và trong mối quan hệ mật thiết của Ngài với chúng ta là
con người tội lỗi, mà Ngài thì
nhân hậu, từ bi,
ân sủng và luôn tha thứ. -Trong Ơn sủng của chính Một Thiên Chúa,
Ba Ngôi đang
hành động: Chính Chúa Cha đã xử lý
và đạt chúng ta
vào trong sự thân thiết nhất của Ngài,
Chúa Con, cùng
hợp ý với Chúa Cha, trút bỏ
chính mình, vinh quang của mình để ban cho chúng ta chính Ngài., Chúa Thánh Linh, Người đem lại sự bình an của Thánh thần với sự yêu thương và tướì xuống
sa mạc yêu thương cho nhân loại.
Trong
lời
cầu nguyện hàng ngày
của
chúng ta, chúng ta hãy cho phép
Chúa
Thánh Thần đến
để hướng dẫn
chúng ta được hiểu biết sâu sắc hơn
về Chúa Giêsu và
giáo
huấn của Ngài, và
để
giúp chúng ta áp dụng
lời
Chúa và giáo huấn của Ngài
cho
cuộc sống của chúng ta,
để
ban thêm sức mạnh cho
chúng
ta để chúng ta có thể vượt qua được những khó
khăn và thử thách
mà
chúng ta chắc chắn gặp phải gặp
trong cuộc sống, để ban phúc
lành của Chúa cho chúng ta
với
sự kiên nhẫn và lòng can đảm
để
chúng ta đối phó với đau khổ,
và
ban
cho chúng ta sự an bình và
cam
chịu chấp nhận ý muốn
của
Thiên Chúa, và biết luôn ghi giữ trong
tâm hồn chúng ta là Ngài luôn luôn
hiện diện nơi
chúng ta. Không có
con
người nào có thể được gần gủi với chúng ta
như
Con
Thiên Chúa trong
Thần
Khí ngự trong
linh
hồn chúng ta.
Vì Thiên Chúa
là một Thiên Chúa Ba Ngôi trong
Ngôi Vị Chí Thánh, Thiên Chúa là tình
yêu thực sự dịu dàng và vì thế là một nguồn gốc của niềm vui. Bài đọc thứ nhất hôm nay nói về niềm vui này,
với Lời
hoặc Khôn Ngoan của Thiên
Chúa phát sinh Hạnh phúc, sáng tạo
đang diễn ra như một
cuộc phiêu lưu tuyệt vời, một trận
đấu đầy kịch tính. Thánh Grêgôriô
Cả nói rằng sự sáng tạo tiếng vọng
vang những gì Thiên Chúa Cha đã
phát ra từ Lời của Ngài và do đó tạo ra hình
ành Ngôi Lời và dạy cho chúng ta nhiều
về Ngài. Có sinh vật, bao gồm cả chính
chúng ta, những người không chỉ vang
vọng sự khôn ngoan của Thiên
Chúa, nhưng có khả năng đáp ứng với
nó, không chỉ nghe mà hiểu, không chỉ hiểu nhưng
nói chuyện trở lại (ngay cả khi nó là chủ yếu bập bẹ). Đối với tất cả sự nghèo khó của lời nói và sự nghèo khó của tình yêu mà họ thể hiện, chúng ta có một niềm hy vọng lớn bởi vì Thiên Chúa đã không còn bị cô lập trong
bí ẩn tuyệt vời của
mình. Tình yêu của Thiên Chúa
đã được đổ, đang
được đổ, vào tâm hồn chúng ta qua Chúa Thánh Thần. Herbert McCabe tóm tắt
nó lên, như thường
xuyên, với độ chính xác tinh tế:
nói "Thiên Chúa là tình yêu"
và nói "Thiên Chúa là Cha,
Chúa Con và Chúa Thánh Thần, chỉ đơn giản
là hai cách nói cùng một điều.
REFLECTION
Today's gospel reading continues Jesus'
teaching on the Holy Spirit. He knew that at the end of his early life, many of
God's revelations would still not be fully understood by his disciples
("You cannot bear it now"). However, he comforted them with the
assurance that the Spirit of truth will come after him, to guide them, and all
believers (including all of us in our time), into all truth.
The
whole of Sacred Scripture speaks to us of him; God proclaims his own Name! This
Name is Mercy, Grace, Faithfulness (cf. (Ex 34:6). God is One since he is all
and only Love but precisely by being Love he is openness, acceptance, dialogue;
and in his relationship with us, sinful human beings, he is mercy, compassion,
grace and forgiveness.
In God's gift of himself the
whole of the Trinity is at work: It is the Father who places at our disposal
what is dearest to him; the Son who, consenting to the Father, empties himself
of his glory in order to give himself to us; the Spirit who leaves the peace of
the divine embrace to water the deserts of humanity.
In God's gift of himself the
whole of the Trinity is at work: It is the Father who places at our disposal
what is dearest to him; the Son who, consenting to the Father, empties himself
of his glory in order to give himself to us; the Spirit who leaves the peace of
the divine embrace to water the deserts of humanity.
In our daily prayer, let us allow the Holy
Spirit to lead us to a deeper knowledge of Jesus and his teachings, and to help
us apply his words and teachings to our lives; to give us the strength to
overcome the difficulties and trials that we inevitably encounter; to bless us
with patience and courage to cope with suffering; and to grant us peace and
resignation to accept God's will, keeping in mind that He is always with us.
Fr. John Hardon, S.J., puts it this way: When
Jesus promised to send us the Spirit. this Spirit of Christ is now joined to
our spirit, or better, ours is joined to him. All we have to do is believe that
this is so. We need to have people near us to have them hear us and so that we
might catch what they are saying. What is true in the order of nature is also
true in the order of grace. If proximity is a measure of intimacy and if being
near someone is to be able to hear him speak, what shall we say about the
nearness of Christ to the one who believes in Him? No human being can be as
close to us as the Son of God in the Spirit that dwells in our souls.
All we have to do, therefore, is to have
faith, and open our minds in prayer.
====
Because God is a Trinity of Divine
Persons, God is truly tender love and so a source of delight. The first reading
speaks of this delight, with the Word or Wisdom of God playing happily,
creation unfolding as a wonderful adventure, a dramatic game. Gregory the Great
says that creation echoes what the Father said in uttering his Word and so
creation is Word-shaped and teaches us much about Him. There are creatures,
including ourselves, who not only echo the wisdom of God but are capable of
responding to it, not only hear but understand, not only understand but talk
back (even if it is mostly babbling). For all the poverty of our words, and the
poverty of the love they express, we have a great hope because God has not
remained isolated in his splendid mystery. God's love has been poured, is being
poured, into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Herbert McCabe summed it up,
as so often, with exquisite precision: to say 'God is love' and to say 'God is
Father, Son and Holy Spirit', are simply two ways of saying the same thing.
Sunday Holy Trinity Year C
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore,
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I
have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the
age.” Matthew
28:19–20 (Year B Gospel)
Of all the great
feasts we celebrate within the Church throughout the year, today’s Solemnity
presents us with a Mystery that is so deep and transcendent that our eternity
will be spent in perpetual contemplation. The Trinity, the life of
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, will never get old, never be fully understood,
and will be the cause of our everlasting adoration and joy. Though the Church
has used philosophical concepts to explain the Trinity, no human concept or
description will ever fully explain Who God is. Though we can point to some
general truths about God, we will never be able to fully depict the inner
essence, depth, beauty and omnipotence of the Trinity.
As we consider that
fact, it’s important to understand that the Trinity is not first a
theological mystery we try to define. Rather, the Trinity is first a
communion of Persons we are invited to know. We do not primarily come to know
God through intellectual deduction. We come to know God through prayerful union
with Him. Though theology is exceptionally useful and important, the essence of
God is beyond any and every philosophical concept we can define.
The Father, Son and
Holy Spirit are Persons. And as Persons, they want to be known. And they want
to be known primarily through a life of deep and intimate prayer. Praying to
One Person, of course, is praying to all, since they are One God. But we are, nonetheless,
called to a relationship of love with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
And though our feeble minds may not be able to fully comprehend the essence of
God, He will draw us deeper and deeper into a knowledge of Him if we let Him.
Prayer often begins
by saying prayers, by meditating upon Scripture, and by listening. But true
prayer is something much deeper. True prayer is contemplative prayer that
ultimately leads to divine union. Only God can initiate this form of prayer in
our lives, and only God, through this deep form of prayer, can communicate
Himself to us as He is. Some of the greatest mystics of our Church, such as
Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Ávila, explain in their
mystical theology that the deepest knowledge of God does not come through
concepts or images. In fact, if we wish to obtain a knowledge of God in His
essence, we must allow Him to purge every concept of Who He is so that the pure
light of His essence can be poured forth upon our minds. This knowledge, they
say, is beyond knowing “about” God. It’s the beginning of a knowledge “of” God.
Reflect, today, upon
the Most Holy Trinity. As you do, say a prayer to God asking for a deeper and
more intimate knowledge of Him. Ask Him to communicate to you His divine love
and to open your mind and heart to a deeper understanding of Who He is. Try to
humble yourself before the great Mystery of the inner life of God. Humility
before the Mystery of God means that we know how little we know about Him and
how little we know of Him. But that humble truth will help you move closer to
the deeper relationship of love to which you are called.
Most Holy Trinity,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, please draw me into a relationship of love with
You Who are one God and three divine Persons. May the mystery and beauty of
Your life become more known and loved by me each day through the gift of
transforming mystical prayer. Jesus, I trust in You.
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Jn 16,12-15 Chúa Nhật Lễ Ba
Ngôi
Hôm nay, chúng ta cử
hành trọng thể mầu nhiệm Chúa Ba Ngôi là trọng
tâm đức tin chúng ta, nơi
là khởi thuỷ mọi sự và là sau cùng của
mọi thứ.
Mầu nhiệm
của sự hiệp nhất
và của
Thiên Chúa, và đồng thời là sự hiện hữu của
Ngài trong ba Ngôi bằng nhau, nhưng trong ba bản thể khác
nhau. Chúa
Cha, Chúa Con và Chúa
Thánh Thần: sự hiệp nhất trong
cùng một sự hiệp thông và
thông công trong sự hiệp nhất. Trong ngày trọng đại này, chúng ta phải nhận
ra rằng mầu nhiện to lớn
của Thiên Chúa Ba Ngôi luôn
hiện diện trong cuộc sống của chúng ta: từ Bí Tích Rửa Tội khởi đầu cuộc sống làm con Chúa của
chúng ta, mà
chúng ta đã
nhận được tên
Chúa Ba Ngôi, cho
đến khi chúng
ta được tham dự trong
mầu nhiệm Thánh
Thể, nhờ Mầu Nhiệm
Thánh Thể này chúng ta cùng vinh danh Chúa
Cha, nhờ
qua Đức Chúa Giêsu
Kitô, Con của Ngài, và
tạ ơn Chúa Thánh Thần. Và đây cũng là dấu
chỉ mà Kitô hữu chúng ta sẽ nhận biết
nhau: đó là dấu
thánh giá, Nhân
danh Cha, và Con, và Chúa Thánh Thần.
Sứ mệnh của Chúa Con, Chúa Giêsu Kitô,
bao gồm vào sự mặc khải của Chúa Cha, mà Ngài là hình ảnh Chân, Thiện Mỹ và trong ân sủng của Chúa Thánh Thần, cũng đã được tiết lộ bởi Chúa Con.
Ngày nay, qua những lời rao truyền trong các sách phúc âm cho thấy : Chúa Con nhận được tất cả mọi thứ từ Chúa Cha với sự hoàn toàn hiệp nhất: "Mọi sự Cha có, đều là của Thầy.",
và Chúa Thánh
Thần nhận được Thánh Thần từ Chúa Cha và Chúa Con. "Vì thế Thầy đã
nói: Người (Thánh Thần) lấy những gì của Thầy mà loan báo cho anh em". (Ga 16:15). Và trong một phần khác của cùng chương này (Ga 15:26):
"Khi Ðấng Bảo Trợ đến, Ðấng mà Thầy sẽ sai đến với anh em từ nơi
Chúa Cha, Người là Thần Khí sự thật phát xuất từ Chúa Cha, Người sẽ làm chứng
về Thầy." Từ tất cả những điều đấy,
chúng ta hãy tìm hiểu rõ về chân lý tuyệt vời và an ủi: Thiên Chúa Ba Ngôi,
Từ sự xa cách và tách biệt, đến với chúng ta,
ở trong
chúng ta và biến đổi chúng ta trong sự đối thoại của Chúa Ba Ngôi.
Và
điều này, qua Chúa Thánh Thần, nhờ đó chúng ta được hướng dẫn tới vào sự
thật toàn vẹn (x.
Ga 16:13). , Thánh Lêô Cả, có những lần, đã nói như sau : để duy
trì mầu nhiệm của Thiên Chúa trong chúng ta và,
thật vậy, miệt mài trong quê hương chúng ta ở
trên trời" (x. Phil 3:20), có nghĩa là chúng ta nóng lòng mong đợi Ðức Giêsu Kitô
từ trời đến cứu chúng ta trong Chúa Ba Ngôi
Reflection
for Sunday Holy Trinity Jn 16,12-15
Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the mystery at
the center of our faith, where everything originates from and where everything
returns to. The mystery of the unity and of God, and at the same time, his
subsistence in three equal and yet, different Persons. The Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit: unity in communion and communion in unity. In this great day,
we must realize that his great mystery is ever present in our lives: from the
very Sacrament of our Baptism —which we have received in the name of the Holy
Trinity— till our participation in the mystery of the Eucharist, which is made
for the glory of the Father, by his Son Jesus Christ, thanks to the Holy
Spirit. And it is also the signal by which we Christians recognize one another:
the sign of the Cross, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit.
The
mission of the Son, Jesus Christ, consists in the revelation of his Father,
whom He is the perfect image of, and in the gift of the Spirit, which has also
been revealed by the Son. Today, the proclaimed evangelic reading shows it up
to us: the Son receives everything from the Father in perfect unity: «All that
the Father has is mine», and the Spirit receives all that the Spirit is from
the Father and the Son. «Because of this —says Jesus— I have just told you,
that the Spirit will take what is mine and make it known to you» (Jn 16:15).
And in another part of this same chapter (Jn 15:26): «When the Counselor comes,
whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from
the Father, He will testify about me».
From
all that, let us learn the great and comforting truth: the Holy Trinity, far
from being distant and aloof, comes to us, dwells within us and transforms us
in its interlocutors. And this, through the Spirit, which guide us into the
whole truth (cf. Jn 16:13). The incomparable “Christian dignity”, which, St.
Leo the Great, at times, speaks about, is this: to keep God's mystery within us
and, thus, revel in our Earth of our own Heavenly “citizenship” (cf. Phil
3:20), that is, into the Holy Trinity's bosom.
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần 10 Thường Niên,
Ngay trong Bữa Tiệc Ly, Thánh Phêrô đã dám
tuyên bố rằng ông sẽ sẵn sàng theo Chúa Giêsu cho đến chết, nhưng sự can đảm và
nhiệt tình đó không còn nữa ngay ông ta khi nhìn thấy Chúa Giêsu đã tự nộp mình
cho quân dữ trong vừa cây dầu. Thánh Phêrô khám phá ra sự thật đáng buồn là ông
không thể theo Chúa Giêsu đến nơi thập giá với sức mạnh của sự quyết tâm nơi
mình. Mãi đến sau khi Chúa Thánh Thần Hiên Xuống thì ông ta mới nhận được sức
mạnh của Chúa Thánh Thần và có can đảm và vững tâm rao giảng Tin Mừng mà không
còn sợ hãi những khi phải đối mặt với sự bắt bớ, trừng phạt và cái chết. Mỗi
người chúng ta cũng cần phải phấn đấu để trở thành những người chân tình và
trung thành như Thánh Phêrô. Cũng như Chúa Giêsu có thể nhìn thấy chân lý phản
ánh qua các môn đệ, những người xung quanh chúng ta sẽ thấy chân lý và sự chân
thành được phản ánh trong những hành vi và việc làm của chúng ta. Trong thực
tại, thật là dễ dàng để chúng ta thổi phồng và tô điểm sự thật.
Khi chúng ta tự đầu hàng
con tim và tâm thức chúng ta với Chúa, chúng ta có thể làm chủ cuộc sống tâm
linh, tình cảm của chúng ta qua kinh nghiệm sống trong sự liêm chính, và thánh
thiện trọn vẹn. Thực tại của thiên đường, những lời hứa của một Thiên Chúa
trung thành, và một nỗi sợ hãi tội lỗi lành mạnh sẽ làm việc với nhau để hình
thành trong chúng ta một sự cam kết chân thành với chân lý, sự thật mà Chúa
Giêsu đã cho thấy. Chúng ta hãy tôi tiếp tục cầu xin Thánh Thần nắn đúc chúng ta
theo hình ảnh của Chúa Kitô. Thế giới đang chờ đợi những việc làm chúng của
chúng ta..
REFLECTION
Why is it so hard for us to be truthful? Is it
because we are afraid or insecure? Is it because we are too proud to admit that
we might be wrong? Or maybe it is hard to face the consequences of the truth.
In contrast to Peter's denial was Jesus' response when he was asked if he was
the Messiah. Jesus simply replied, "I am." By giving such an answer,
Jesus signed his own death warrant. Fear did not overcome him because he had
placed himself in his Father's hands and knew that God's word could never be
overcome.
At the Last Supper, Peter
said that he would willingly die for Jesus, but his bravado and enthusiasm soon
left him when he saw how meekly Jesus surrendered to his captors. Peter
discovered the sad truth that he could not follow Jesus to the cross solely by
the power of his own resolve. It was only after Pentecost that he received the
power of the Spirit and began to preach the Gospel with boldness — even in the
face of punishment and death.
Each one of us should
strive to be sincere and truthful people. Just as Jesus could see truth
reflected in his disciples, those around us should see truth and sincerity
reflected in our conduct. It is too easy to exaggerate and embellish the truth.
For example, frequently during election time, we hear people saying they do not
know whom to vote for, because they cannot trust politicians. Has anybody lost
trust in us?
As we surrender our hearts
and minds to the Spirit, we too can master our emotional life and experience a
godly wholeness and integrity. The reality of heaven, the promises of a
faithful God, and a healthy fear of sin will work together to form in us the
simple commitment to the truth that Jesus showed. Let us continue to ask the
spirit to mold us into the image of Christ. The world is waiting for our
witness.
Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said to
your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all
that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all…” Matthew 5:33–34
The purpose of an oath was to guarantee the truthfulness of the
statement made. Sometimes this can be very good. For example, many of the
Sacraments involve making a public vow before God and the Church. In these
cases, the vow is a form of oath that is solemnized so as to invite the grace
of God to enter and strengthen it. It becomes a way of making a public witness
to one’s faith and an expression of one’s need for God’s grace to be faithful
to the promise that is made.
Jesus is not speaking about these forms of public vows, oaths and
promises in the Gospel today. Instead, He is addressing a practice that some
engaged in, whereby they regularly swore on God’s name about the truthfulness
of what they were saying. The problem with this is that it takes something
solemn and sacred and carelessly turns it into something ordinary. There is no
need to “swear to God” about everything one says.
First of all, if one feels a need to call on God’s name regularly
so as to convince another of the truthfulness of their statements, then it is
most likely the case that they do so because they are struggling with
dishonesty. Oath-taking on a regular basis seems to presuppose a human tendency
to lie. For that reason, it is not ideal to go about one’s daily interactions
with this presupposition. Instead, as Christians we must strive for a
fundamental disposition of truthfulness. Jesus concludes this Gospel teaching
by saying, “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more
is from the Evil One.” In other words, work to become a person of true honesty
and integrity. Be sincere in all of your dealings, and do not begin with a
presupposition of dishonesty. Begin with the intention of complete honesty and
sincerity, and that will suffice.
Furthermore, if one were to go about their day making one oath
after another, swearing on God’s name to the truthfulness every time, this
would have the effect of lessening the solemnity of those few times when this
is a good and holy practice. Making public vows, such as marriage vows, or
public promises, such as priests make, are unique and solemn. Publicly renewing
our faith within the Church, taking an oath as one begins the responsibility of
some public office, or any other more solemn opportunity for oath-taking should
be seen as a special occasion. Therefore, our daily commitments must simply be
the fruit of our honesty and integrity as persons.
Reflect, today, upon your own daily approach to honesty and
sincerity. Do you go about your day with the goal of living in the truth,
speaking the truth and seeking the truth? Are you honest with others, seeking
good and clear communication with them? Ponder these questions and know that
interior integrity requires these virtues of honesty and sincerity. Seek that
integrity and others will benefit as they grow to trust you each and every day.
Lord, You are the source of all truth, and You are Truth Itself.
Please help me to become a daily instrument of that Truth in all that I say and
do. I choose You and Your holy will always, and I choose to be Your instrument
for all to see. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me hear your voice amid
the noise of the world. I want to respond generously to your call. I need to
discern wisely what I need to leave behind to follow your Son. Grant me a wise
and discerning heart so that I can live in your love and bring others to enjoy
life with you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Leaving the Dead: In 1 Kings 19:15-16, the Lord God gave Elijah
three anointing tasks. He was to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, Jehu to
be king over the northern kingdom of Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his
place. In today’s First Reading, Elijah carries out the third task, manifesting
his prompt obedience to God’s word. The appointment of Elisha as prophet looks
forward to an episode in the New Testament when Jesus calls a disciple to
follow him. When Elijah casts his mantle over Elisha, Elisha says to Elijah:
“Let me kiss my father and my mother goodbye, and I will follow you.” And
Elijah allows him to do so. In the Gospels, one of the disciples says to Jesus:
“Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow me,
and leave the dead to bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:21-22). The Gospel of
Luke reads: “To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first
go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their
own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:59-60).
2. The Fourth Commandment: Since children were responsible for
mourning and burying their parents and other relatives (Tobit 1:16-20; 4:3;
6:15), it could seem like Jesus violates the Fourth Commandment to honor one’s
parents. This, however, is not the case, for two reasons. First, Jesus is
calling men and women to a new family, the family of God. The new family is
formed by adherence to Jesus himself, to his Law; communion with Jesus is
filial communion with the Father – it is a yes to the fourth commandment on a
new level. It is entry into the family of those who call God Father, of those
who are united with Jesus and, “by listening to him, united with the will of
the Father, thereby attaining to the heart of the obedience intended by the
Torah” (Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth Vol. 1, 115-117). Second,
Jesus is the new Moses and brings the old law to perfection. Jesus’ authority
to interpret the law in a new way rests on his divine sonship. He has divine
authority and transfers the Ten Commandments into the context of God's
universal family. He brings the God of Israel to all nations. He is the “new
Moses,” the prophet-like-Moses that God raised up (Benedict XVI, Jesus
of Nazareth Vol. 1, 122; Deuteronomy 18:15).
3. Something Greater than Elijah: Jesus, then, can do what Elijah cannot: In
Jesus, there is something greater than Elijah. We also get a sense of the
urgency and radicality of Jesus’ call. His hour is approaching. The time of the
Kingdom is here. In today’s Gospel, we see how Jesus brings the old law to
fulfillment. Not making false oaths is the bare minimum. Jesus, however,
invites his followers to not swear oaths at all and not place themselves
unnecessarily in a position of divine judgment. In everything they say and do,
Jesus’ followers are to be truthful. When Jesus calls us to follow him, he
invites us to say with the Psalmist: “You, O Lord, are my portion and cup; you,
O Lord, are my inheritance.” This inheritance makes us sons and daughters of
God who share in eternal life. Our souls are not abandoned to the netherworld
for we will rise to life with the Son.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have the words of
everlasting life. I praise you for you God and I thank you for all you have
done for me. I pray that I may always walk in the truth and in your light.
Friday Week Tenth in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I
desire each day to encounter you in prayer. I find you in your Word and in the
depths and garden of my heart. I hear your gentle voice as you walk with me and
fill me with your Spirit.
Encountering the Word
of God
1. Moses’ Concession: In the Sermon on the
Mount, Jesus refers to two connected Laws of Moses. He refers to the sixth
commandment that prohibited adultery and to the law in Deuteronomy that
regulated the practice of divorce. The intention of Moses’ Law was not to give
free rein to divorce, but to limit and regulate the practice. As Jesus would
later teach, Moses, not God, gave the concession and only gave it because of
the hardness of the people’s hearts. It was not God’s original intention for
men and women. Moses was trying to prevent certain abusive practices that were
happening, like marrying and divorcing the same woman over and over again. What
is also notable is that Moses is silent on whether or not someone could
remarry.
2. The
Fulfillment: Jesus
does two things to bring the Law of Moses to fulfillment. On the one hand, he
radicalizes the law prohibiting adultery and prohibits the vice of lust. The is
important because the exterior act of sin is rooted in the interior act.
Adultery has its origin in the capital sin of lust. The New Law offers
believers the grace and virtues to be chaste. Lust turns people into objects of
pleasure to be possessed. Chastity successfully integrates our sexuality (CCC,
2337). Instead of seeing another as an object or reducing them to their body,
we appreciate them as beloved and beautiful children of God redeemed by Jesus
and sanctified by the Spirit. On the other hand, Jesus corrects the concession
given by Moses and elevates marriage to a Sacrament that shares in the love he
has for his bride, the Church.
3. Faithful
Love: In
the New Law, several negative prohibitions have a positive reformulation. By
prohibiting divorce in the New Covenant, Jesus is commanding faithful love unto
death. The New Law offers the power to overcome lust and be chaste and the
power to resist the temptation to adultery and be faithful in marriage unto
death. Just as God the Father is faithful in love to his children and God the
Son is faithful in love to his bride, we are called to be faithful in love to
one another.
Conversing with
Christ: Lord
Jesus, teach me how to pray as I ought. I do not want to multiply words
unnecessarily. I want a true relationship with you. I will praise you and give
you thanks for all you have done. I will ask you for what I need according to
your Father’s will. I will beg for forgiveness and mercy when I fail and sin
against you.
Friday Week Tenth in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I desire each day to encounter
you in prayer. I find you in your Word and in the depths and garden of my
heart. I hear your gentle voice as you walk with me and fill me with your
Spirit.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Old Covenant Payer in Genesis: The episode with Elijah, in the First Reading,
is an eloquent testimony to the reality of our encounter with God in prayer. In
a certain sense, Elijah represents a culminating moment in the prayer of the
Old Testament: the wind, the earthquake, the fire, and God passing by, all
recall other episodes of prayerful encounters between God and his people. The
story of Adam and Eve in the garden before the fall suggests a close
relationship between God and his children. The garden was the habitual place of
encounter between God and man. After the fall, we are told that God was walking
in the garden in the cool breeze of the day (Genesis 3:8). After the fall,
man’s relationship with God continues: in the offering of the first-born of
Abel’s flock, in the invocation of the divine name at the time of Enoch
(Genesis 4:26), in Enoch’s and Noah’s walking with God (Genesis 5:24; 6:9), and
in Noah's offering that was pleasing to God (Genesis 8:20-21) (CCC,
2569). God walks with us. He is present to us and desires that we enter into
prayerful communion with him.
2. The Old Covenant Prayer of Moses and
Elijah: The First Reading also
recalls the encounters between God and Moses. God called to Moses from the fire
of the burning bush. At the foot of Mount Sinai, there was thunder and
lightning, smoke, fire, and an earthquake (Exodus 19:16-18). Later on, when
Moses asks to see God's glory, God responds: “I will make all my goodness pass
before you, and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord;’ and I will be
gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show
mercy.” God placed Moses in a cleft of a rock and covered him until he passed
by. God removed his hand, allowing Moses to see his back, but did not show him
his face. Elijah does not encounter God in the wind, the earthquake, or the
fire, but rather in a gentle, whispering breeze. The Catechism connects
Elijah’s experience with that of Moses and the Transfiguration: “Taking the
desert road that leads to the place where the living and true God reveals
himself to his people, Elijah, like Moses before him, hides ‘in a cleft of the
rock’ until the mysterious presence of God has passed by. But only on the
mountain of the Transfiguration will Moses and Elijah behold the unveiled face
of him whom they sought; ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
[shines] in the face of Christ,’ crucified and risen” (CCC, 2584).
3. New Covenant Prayer and Life: Today’s Psalm invites us to pray: “I long to
see your face, O Lord.” Our longing and waiting for the Lord is answered in the
coming of Jesus Christ. The law of the Old Covenant was incapable of
reconciling us with God; the New Covenant, established by Jesus Christ,
fulfills and perfects the Old Law. The New Law, the Catechism teaches,
is the grace of the Holy Spirit: it is a law of love because it makes us act
out of love infused by the Holy Spirit; it is a law of grace because it confers
the strength of grace to act; it is the law of freedom because it sets us free
from the ritual and juridical observances of the Old Law (CCC, 1972). In
his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brings about a fundamental revision of the way
of understanding and carrying out the moral law of the Old Covenant. Yesterday,
we saw his revision of the Fifth commandment. Today, Jesus addresses the sixth
commandment. Tomorrow, Jesus takes up the eighth commandment. In his revision,
Jesus brings the Old Law to fulfillment for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
He challenges the New People of God to a righteousness that surpasses that of
the scribes and Pharisees. In particular, we are challenged to live a radical
interior purity: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”
(Matthew 5:8). Purity of heart means life according to what the Spirit wants
and not according to what the flesh wants (Romans 8:5-10; Galatians 5:19-23).
In this way, through life according to the Spirit and by praying in union with
the Son, we truly enter into communion with God.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, teach me how to pray as I
ought. I do not want to multiply words unnecessarily. I want a true
relationship with you. I will praise you and give you thanks for all you have
done. I will ask you for what I need according to your Father’s will. I will
beg for forgiveness and mercy when I fail and sin against you.
Friday Week Tenth in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, open my
heart to accept your saving words. Bless me as I reflect upon your gift of
marriage to the world.
Encountering Christ:
Jesus Protects the Sacrament: Christ himself
instituted each of the seven sacraments, and here we have a biblical example
that shows Jesus elevating marriage to a sacrament. Marriage is important and
sacred. In the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, a man and a woman choose to love,
honor, and cherish their beloved spouse in order to grow in holiness and love
together. In this passage, Jesus indicated the importance of the sacrament by
placing clear boundaries around the marriage vows, the sacred words of the sacrament.
These vows are the form of the sacrament which the man and the woman promise to
each other. In fact, the ministers of Holy Matrimony are the man and the woman,
not the priest or deacon, who instead act as a witness to the marriage. The
Catechism teaches “that the spouses, as ministers of Christ's grace, mutually
confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent
before the Church” (CCC 1623).
Marriage, A Sturdy Boat:
Marriage between a man and a woman reflects the covenantal relationship between
Christ and his Church. The exclusive, faithful love between a man and a woman
is a sign to the world of the love that God has for his Church. Marriage is a
vocation, and therefore a path to holiness. In a recent letter to married
couples, Pope Francis wrote these encouraging words to married couples:
“Marriage, as a vocation, calls you to steer a tiny boat–wave-tossed yet
sturdy, thanks to the reality of the sacrament–across a sometimes stormy sea.
How often do you want to say, or better, cry out, like the Apostles: ‘Teacher,
do you not care that we are perishing?’ (Mark 4:38). Let us never forget,
though, that by virtue of the sacrament of Matrimony, Jesus is present in that
boat; he is concerned for you and he remains at your side amid the tempest.”
Indissoluble Bond of Love:
Jesus, as the author of the sacrament, underscored the importance of the
marriage vocation and rebuked the temptations to sin that can attack this
shared vocation between man and woman. Adultery attacks the bond of love
between the married couple. In fact, not just the physical act of adultery, but
even the lust that proceeds the physical act attacks the bond. Divorce seeks to
dissolve an indissoluble bond; it ignores the truth that marriage is for life.
Later in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus makes this point even more strongly:
“Some Pharisees came forward and tested him by asking, ‘Is it lawful for a man
to divorce his wife for any reason whatsoever?’ He replied, ‘Have you not read
that from the beginning the Creator “made them male and female” and said: “That
is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the
two become one flesh”? And so they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore,
what God has joined together, let no one separate’” (Matthew 19:3-6).
Conversing with Christ:
Thank you, my Jesus, for instituting the sacrament of Marriage. Through it you
have given married couples a path of holiness in their way of life. I am sorry
for any sins I have committed that go against your plan for marriage. Help me
to always protect the bond of married love. Make your holy presence known to
all married couples, and strengthen them as they traverse the sometimes stormy
seas of married life. Bless them with the virtues they need for their state in
life.
REFLECTION 2017
In the Gospel reading Jesus clarifies that
adultery is committed not only in deed but also in thought and in the heart:
"Do not commit adultery. But I tell you this: anyone who looks at a woman
to satisfy his lust has in fact already committed adultery with her in his
heart."
Jesus also declares the
indissolubility of Christian marriage. In the parallel passage in the Gospel of
Mark, Jesus refers to the Old Testament, "Man has to leave father and
mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body. So they
are no longer two but one body. Therefore let no one separate what God has
joined." (Mk 10: 7- 9)
In the Gospel reading Jesus
says that we should prefer to lose our eye or whatever part of the body
responsible for the sin, rather than risk damnation because of sin. If
something or some place might cause us to sin, avoid it. If a show brings
lustful thoughts and acts, avoid it. Do we have any real choice? The following
of Christ is not easy: Jesus speaks of the narrow path. Jesus says that his
disciples, following a crucified Lord, should also be ready to carry their own
crosses. But if we love the Lord, nothing is difficult to give; with God's
grace, nothing is impossible
Suy Niệm
Tin Mừng thứ Năm Tuần 10 Thường Niên
Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta biết là nếu chúng
ta là những người theo Chúa Giêsu, thì
chúng ta cũng chưa chắc đã thực hành theo đúng như các điều luật viết trong sách luật của ông Môisen. Chúa Giêsu đã cảnh báo các môn đệ là những sự độc ác có thể gây ra do lòng tức
giận Ngài khuyến khích họ nên tìm kiếm sự hòa giải với tất cả những ai mà chúng ta đã làm điều gì sai
trái với họ hoặc những
ai mà đã làm điều sai
trái với chúng ta. Sự tức giận có
thể gây ra tổn hại về sức khỏe và tinh thần của chúng ta. Chúng
ta không nên cầm giữ, dồn nén bất cứ một sự oán giận
nào trong lòng của chúng ta và tất cả những chuyện cũ đầy
cay đắng không khoan dung trong tâm hồn
của chúng ta. Chúa
Giêsu đã dạy rõ ràng là chúng
ta không nên sử dụng những
từ ngữ, (kiểu chơi chữ) để gây hại, làm tổn thất tinh thần cho những
người khác.
Chúa
Giêsu cho chúng ta biết là điều
kiện cần thiết để đến với Ngài
là chúng ta cần phải biết hòa thuận và
kính trọng với mọi người chung quanh cho dù họ là bất cứ hạng nười
nào. Nếu chúng ta nuôi dưỡng sự oán giận với người khác trong
lòng thì chúng ta không xứng đáng để tiến tới
gần bàn thờ của Thiên Chúa.
Bổn phận đầu tiên của chúng ta là phải cố gắng hết sức để
hòa giải với những người mà chúng ta đã làm họ mất lòng hay những người đã
làm mất lòng chúng ta trước khi chúng ta bước đến trước bàn thờ để dâng lễ hay cầu nguyện. Và chỉ có được thế, thì chúng ta mới sẵn
sàng được tâm hồn và xứng đáng dâng vật lễ của chúng
ta lên Thiên Chúa một cách đẹp lòng Ngài. Và
đấy là những gì có thể giúp chúng ta tìm thấy sự an
bình trong ân sủng của Thiên Chúa.
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay Chúa muồn chúng ta hãy nhìn vào chính cuộc sống của chúng ta và thử xem coi chúng
ta đã sống và giữ những điều mà Chúa Giêsu Kitô đã dạy. Chúng ta có ý thức và cư xử với mọi người trong tình thần hoà giải,
thân thiện trong hoà bình? Hãy tự xét coi: chúng
ta có cần phải xin lỗi ai đó trong cuộc sống của chúng ta? chúng ta đã có sự tha thứ cho
người có lỗi với chính mình? Chúng
ta có tìm kiếm hòa giải, cho dù chúng ta chỉ là một trong những nạn nhận bị người khác xúc phạm?
Xin cho lời của Chúa trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, trở thành một
cái nhiệt kế tình yêu hàng ngày của chúng ta đối với Thiên Chúa và đối với anh
chị chung quanh chúng ta.
Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time 2023
“You have
heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills
will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his
brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be
liable to fiery Gehenna.” Matthew 5:21–22
The passage quoted above gives us three deepening levels of
sin that we commit against another. These sins were new teachings not contained
in the Old Testament. By this teaching, Jesus’ call to radical holiness and
love of neighbor is made very clear. The first level of sin is simply to be
“angry” interiorly. The sin of anger is an interior attitude of disgust toward
another. Jesus says that the consequence of having anger toward another is that
you will be “liable to judgment.” The second level of sin is when you say to
another “Raqa.” This Aramaic word is difficult to translate but would
include some form of expression of one’s anger toward another. It would be a
derogatory way of saying to another that they are unintelligent or inferior.
The third level of sin Jesus identifies is when you call another “fool.” This
word is an even stronger expression of Raqa and would be a
verbal criticism of them, indicating that the person is a lost soul in a moral
sense. It’s a strong moral condemnation of another that is expressed.
So, do you struggle with anger? Jesus’ calling to freedom
from all levels of this sin is a high one. There are many times in life when
our passion of anger is stirred up for one reason or another, and that passion
leads to one of these levels of sin. It’s a common temptation to want to
condemn another with whom you are angry in the strongest way possible.
It’s important to understand that this new teaching of Jesus
is truly not a burden when understood and embraced. At first, it can seem that
these laws of our Lord against anger are negative. That’s because lashing out
at another gives a false sense of satisfaction, and these commands of our Lord,
in a sense, “rob” us of that satisfaction. It can be a depressing thought to
think about the moral obligation to forgive to the point that disordered anger
disappears. But is it depressing? Is this law of our Lord a burden?
The deep truth is that what Jesus teaches us in this passage
is, in many ways, more for our own good than that of others. Our anger toward
another, be it interior, verbally critical or all-out condemning, can be
hurtful toward the person with whom we are angry, but the damage these forms of
anger do is far worse for us than them. Being angry, even interiorly, even if
we put on a happy face, does great damage to our soul and our ability to be
united to God. For that reason, it is not this new law of our Lord regarding
anger that is the burden, it is the anger itself that is a heavy burden and a
burden from which Jesus wants you free.
Reflect, today, upon the sin of anger. As you do, try to see
your disordered anger as the real enemy rather than the person with whom you
are angry. Pray to our Lord to free you from this enemy of the soul and seek
the freedom that He wants to bestow.
My merciful Lord, You call us to perfect freedom from all
that burdens us. Anger burdens us. Help me to see the burden that my anger
imposes upon me and help me to seek true freedom through the act of forgiveness
and reconciliation. Please forgive me, dear Lord, as I forgive all who have
hurt me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Thursday
10th Week in
Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want to imitate your patient
love. When someone offends me or corrects me, I will not react in anger or
rashly, but seek the truth in love. When I offend someone, I will seek out
their forgiveness and make amends.
Encountering the
Word of God
1. True
Righteousness: When Jesus invoked the
example of the Pharisees in the Sermon on the Mount, this likely caused some
concern. The Pharisees called themselves the “separated ones” and sought to
live according to the Law of Moses as perfectly as possible. They developed
elaborate traditions over time that ensured perfect fulfillment. They were
admired by the people for their righteousness and holiness. When Jesus tells
his disciples that they need to surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees,
this might have been perceived as an impossible task. How could a person do
this? The righteousness of the Pharisees was only a flawed human attempt to be
holy and righteous. True righteousness is only possible through the grace Jesus
offers us. And so, we can surpass the human righteousness of the Pharisees with
the spiritual righteousness offered to us by Christ.
2. Fulfillment as
Radicalization and Internalization: Jesus shows what this true righteousness looks like by radicalizing the
Old Law in the New. While the Old Law often concentrated on external practices
that could easily be verified, the New Law will focus on the heart. This
internalization of the Law was promised by Moses, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. Moses
promised that God would circumcise the heart. Ezekiel spoke about the cleansing
of the heart, and Jeremiah spoke about the law being written on the heart in
the New Covenant. This is exactly what Jesus does in the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus’ Sermon is not merely a moral exhortation. He incarnates in himself the
practice and promise of the Beatitudes. He is able to exhort his followers
because he has lived what he preaches with perfection.
3. Grace Empowered
Fraternal Love: The Old Law prohibited
murder – the killing of the innocent. Yet, there was also a tension in the Law
of Moses. Moses also commanded the extermination of entire cities when the
people of Israel entered the Land of Canaan. Are we to love our neighbor and
hate our enemy? What Jesus does in the Sermon is show that we need to overcome
rage and anger, insults, and belittling our brothers and sisters. Not only
should we love our family and neighbors, but we should extend this love to our
enemies. This is only possible if we have hearts that are filled with the Love
and grace of God.
Conversing with
Christ: Lord Jesus, I desire to
practice righteousness. I want to remain in a right relationship with the
Father, with you, and with the Spirit. I ask for your grace so that I may do
good works that give glory to God and merit eternal life.
Thursday 10th Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want to imitate your patient
love. When someone offends me or corrects me, I will not react in anger or
rashly, but seek the truth in love. When I offend something I will seek out
their forgiveness and make amends.
Encountering the Word of God.
1. Elijah’s Trust in the Lord: The First Reading
tells us about the end of a long drought in the northern Kingdom of Israel.
Elijah knows the rain is coming and tells the wicked King Ahab to eat and
drink, for the famine and drought are over. Elijah himself climbs Mount Carmel
to wait for the rain as it comes in from the sea. He is bent over, possibly in
prayer, and does not raise his eyes to the sea. Instead, he has his servant
inform him of what takes place. He trusts fully in God’s word and does not need
to see to believe. In the servant’s seventh report, the servant tells Elijah
that he sees a small cloud, rising from the sea, which indicates that the
promised rain is near. Although the story is not as powerful as the one we read
yesterday about Elijah calling forth fire from the sky to consume the
sacrifice, it does teach us an important lesson about God’s providence. The
Lord watches over us. This is recalled in today’s psalm, which praises God for
his loving care. God has visited the land and watered it with rain. This is
necessary for an abundant and rich harvest.
2. Salvation from Sin and Death: It is important to remember that when we pray
to God we should not limit ourselves to asking for our material needs. Today’s
psalm can be read in the light of Jesus Christ and we see that there is a much
greater visitation that will take place – the Incarnation of the Son of God.
Jesus brings us, not earthly water that lasts for a time, but living water that
gives eternal life (4:14). We need salvation, not just from famine or drought,
but from sin and death. God, in his providence, did not leave us to ourselves
when our first parents sinned against him but sent his only Son to save us.
3. Wounds against Charity: When we present ourselves before God, we
do so as people redeemed in Christ. We form part of the Body of Christ and are
bound with others in love. Having something against our brothers or sisters
wounds this unity and charity. Calling them “fools” goes against the peace and
joy that Christ brings. Our righteousness or holiness does not consist
primarily in fulfilling detailed external rites. The Pharisees were confused on
this point. Our righteousness and holiness are found in union with Christ. This
union with Christ and the communion we share with others in Christ is a gift
that we need to accept and protect. That is why Christ tells each one of us
today: “Go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer
your gift.”
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I desire to practice
righteousness. I want to remain in a right relationship with the Father, with
you, and with the Spirit. I ask for your grace so that I may do good works that
give glory to God and merit eternal life.
Thursday 10th Week in Ordinary Time:
Matthew 5:20-26
Thursday
of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time 2023
Introductory
Prayer: Father of love, the
source of all blessings, you have led me throughout my life, and you lead me
still. Thank you for your paternal care. Jesus, Son of God, you died for me on
the cross to pay for my sins and manifest your unconditional love for me. Thank
you for showing me the way home to the Father. Holy Spirit, sweet guest of the
soul, you heal me and strengthen me and set me on fire from the most intimate
depths of my soul. Thank you for your loving presence within me.
Our
Hearts: Jesus is speaking here
in particular about anger, a desire for revenge or an attitude that refuses to
forgive. Jesus always brings us back to the human heart. Actions flow from
decisions made in the heart, even if not immediately evident. When we cultivate
a sentiment in our heart – be it good or evil - it will eventually find ways of
coming to fruition. “If you are angry do not sin; do not let the sun go down on
your anger or you will give the devil a chance” (Ephesians 4:26). Any unwillingness
to forgive leads to resentment in the heart and ultimately destroys lives and
relationships. “What does it mean to forgive, if not to appeal to a good that
is greater than any evil?” (Pope Saint John Paul II, Memory and Identity, p.
15).
2. Insults Are Grave
Matters: “Sticks and stones may
break my bones…” Each one of us knows firsthand the penetrating power of words.
One may edify or destroy, enhance or tarnish, heal, or wound with them. It is
rather striking that Jesus refers to insults towards “a brother or sister:” in
other words, insulting those closest to us, especially those closest to our
hearts. It is no revelation that those we love the most are also the ones most
capable of wounding us deeply, and vice versa. What dagger could ever penetrate
more than an unkind word from a loved one? The true revelation is that God
takes each word we speak seriously. In fact, he will hold us accountable for
them because the words are an outward manifestation of what we have in our
hearts. The power of words reveals the weight of words.
3. Hold No
Grudges: “If you remember that
your brother or sister has something against you…” This phrase makes us shift a
little in our seats. Jesus gives us a tremendous view into God’s heart. God’s
very essence is a unity of love – three persons, one nature. We are made in
God’s image and to live forever in union with God. But so, too, are my brothers
and sisters. If we have done anything to wound the union of love with those
around us, we must repair the breach. In fact, it is so important to God (and
so important for us) that God will not accept our “offering” if we have
consciously wounded the unity with those around us. Bring those particularly
difficult relationships to prayer, and draw the strength from God to love as we
should. He will not ask for some virtue and then refuse his grace.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, teach me to love
and help me to be a saint. You have created me and called me to the Catholic
faith. Help me to live that faith generously, living the primacy of love in my
daily life. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.
REFLECTION
In today's Gospel we hear about anger. We also hear that if we are to be
followers of Jesus, it is not enough to follow the letter of the law. The
disciples are warned against the evil that anger can bring and they are
encouraged to seek reconciliation with anyone who has wronged them or whom they
have wronged. Anger places our spiritual health in danger. There should be no
holding on to old resentments that fill us with uncharitable bitterness. Jesus
is clear about not using the power of words to inflict harm on those around us.
Jesus set down an essential condition to come to him. We need
to be at peace with our neighbor. Many of us have suffered because we have
stopped speaking to each other, unwilling to reach out because of stubbornness
or pride. If we harbor resentment towards another, we are told not approach the
altar of God. Our first duty is to try to reconcile and then come to the altar.
Only then are we ready to offer the gift of ourselves in a manner that is
pleasing to God. This is what can help us to find peace that comes to us by
God's grace.
s we reflect on today's Gospel, let us look at our own lives
and see if we are following Jesus' teaching. Are we consciously acting as
peacemakers? Is there somebody in our lives to whom we need to give an apology?
Is there somebody we still have not forgiven? Do we seek reconciliation, even
when we are the one who was offended? May Jesus' teaching, in today's Gospel,
become the thermometer of our daily love for God and for each other.
