Thứ Tư Sau Chúa Nhật 12 Thuờng niên - Gospel Mt 7:15-20

 Thứ Tư Sau Chúa Nhật 12 Thuờng niên - Gospel Mt 7:15-20

Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã cảnh báo chúng ta rằng cái dáng bên ngoài có thể bị đánh lừa chúng ta. Chúng ta không thể chỉ đánh giá con người bởi sự cái dáng đẹp trai, hay xinh xắn bề ngoài, nhưng chúng ta phải tìm hiểu nội tâm và sự suy tính của người đó.  Một con sói có thể mặc da cừu, nhưng điều đó không làm cho nó trở thành một con cừu. Đó là một sự lừa gạt, nó cố tạo ra cái giáng con Cừu ngây thơ vô tội, nhưng thật tình nó giả cừu đề gần cừu và giết cừu con để ăn thịt. Một con cừu thật sự không bao giờ có thể ăn thịt đồng bọn, thực sự nó không bao giờ có thể làm được cái điều gian ác đó. Một con sói đội lốt cừu, nó có thể thay đổi hình dáng bề ngoài của nó nhưng sẽ không thể thay đổi cái bản chất bên trong nham hiểm độc ác của Sói. Sói vẫn hoàn là sói cho dù có có dáng dấp bề ngoài của nó là những thừ gì!.

            Nhìn những hành vi của mình, những người chung quanh chắc chắn sẽ thấy được cái bản chất thật của mình, chùm nho có được từ cây nho, và những bụi gai không thể nào sản xuất được những chùm nho, đó là bản tính tự nhiên của thiên nhiên. Trái táo không bao giờ có thể thấy từ một dây leo. Tất cả mọi thứ đều có tính chất bẩm sinh riêng biệt trong thiên nhiện

            Chúng ta cần phải nhận thức được việc đúng hay sai trong cuộc sống của chúng ta và sống theo luân lý đạo đức như một người chính trực. Tiên tri Isaia đã cảnh báo: " Khốn thay những kẻ bảo cái tốt là xấu, cái xấu là tốt,những kẻ biến tối thành sáng, sáng thành tối,(Ê-sai 5:20).

            Để chúng ta tránh được những sai lầm trong cuộc sống cá nhân của chúng ta, chúng ta phải thiết thực, thật lòng và tin tưởng nơi Thiên Chúa, với lời của Ngài, và ân sủng của Ngài đó đặc điểm và cá tính! Những người thực sự thành tâm với Thiên Chúa, họ biết rằng sức mạnh của họ không tùy thuộc chính bản thân họ, nhưng là tùy thuộc nơi Thiên Chúa, Thiên Chúa sẽ ban những gì chúng ta cần đến, Ngài luôn luôn ở bên cạnh và sẵn sàng giúp chúng ta mỗi khi cần.

            Thành quả của một môn đệ được đánh dấu bằng hy vọng, đức tin và tình yêu, công lý, thận trọng, dũng cảm và tiết độ. Để theo Chúa Giêsu Kitô, chúng ta cố nên tìm kiếm những việc làm hữu ích giống như việc trồng hoa quả tốt trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, xa lánh, chối bỏ bất cứ điều gì tạo ra hậu quả xấu xa.  Chúng ta hãy cầu xin Chúa Giêsu Kitô, Chúa chúng ta giúp cho chúng ta biết can đảm để sinh hoa đẹp, trái tốt vì phần rỗi của chúng ta, chúng ta biết chối bỏ bất cứ những điều gian ác hay gây ra gương mù, gương xấu cho người chung quanh. Xin Chúa giúp chúng ta được lớn mạnh trong đức tin, hy vọng, tình yêu trong Chúa trong sự công bằng, bác ái.`

 

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time - Gospel Mt 7:15-20

            In the Gospel today, Jesus warns us that appearances can be deceiving. We can’t just judge people by the appearance; we have to find out what’s inside the Heart and brain. A wolf can wear a sheepskin, but that doesn’t make him a sheep. It’s a trick. He’s trying to look innocent, but he wants to eat the sheep, something a real sheep could never do. A wolf in sheep clothing may change his outward appearance but does not change his inner nature. He is still a wolf regardless of his appearance, and his behavior will show his true nature. Grapes come from grapevines and nowhere else. Thorn bushes cannot produce grapes. It’s not in their nature.  Apples can never grow from an ivy tree. Everything has an innate nature that will show through.

            We need to be aware of a true or false teacher in our lives and live according to moral truth and upright character. The prophet Isaiah warned against the dangers of falsehood: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20). How do we avoid falsehood in our personal lives? By being true, true to God, his word, and his grace, and that takes character! Those who are true to God know that their strength lies not in themselves but in God who supplies what we need.   The fruit of a disciple is marked by faith, hope and love, justice, prudence, fortitude and temperance.  To follow Jesus Christ, we seek to cultivate good fruit in your life and reject whatever produces bad fruit.  We ask our Lord Jesus to give us the courage to bear good fruit for His sake and reject whatever will produce evil fruit. Ask Him to help us grow in faith, hope, love, sound judgment, justice, courage, and self control.

 

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

“Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.” Matthew 7:16–17

“So by their fruits you will know them.” This is how our Gospel passage for today concludes. It offers us an exceptionally practical way by which you can discern the working of God in your own life and in the life of others.

When you look at your own life, what good fruit, born for the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God, do you see? Some people may find little to no fruit born, either for good or bad. Such complacency is, in and of itself, bad fruit. Other people may see an abundance of fruit, thus producing many consequences in this world. They influence the lives of many, and their public actions make a true difference. Sometimes for good…and other times for evil.

When discerning the actions of God in our world, we must first be very objective. The evil one is always very deceptive and regularly presents his bad fruit as good. For example, the legalization of abortion is often presented by many within our world as a “right to choose” or a “health service.” But the intentional death of any unborn child is clearly “bad fruit” from a “rotten tree.” There are even many so-called “humanitarian groups” or very wealthy “philanthropists” who present their work as “good fruit,” when it is anything but good. And on the contrary, there are many who work hard to bring forth a greater respect for life from the moment of conception to natural death, or strive to uphold the sacredness of marriage as God designed it, or work to promote the freedom to worship in accord with the will of God, but are labeled by the secular world as prejudiced, bigoted, fearmongers and even hateful. But their work, done very sacrificially, truly does bear good fruit for the Kingdom of God.

How about your own life? When you examine your actions and the fruit born of those actions, from where does that fruit originate? Does it come from a false sense of compassion, a misguided “charity,” and a fear of being criticized for standing for the truth? Or does it come from a deep love of God, an awareness of the truth God has revealed to us, and through a courageous proclamation of the pure Gospel?

Good fruit, born from the heart of the Father in Heaven, will always mirror the truths of our faith. A false sense of compassion, false accusations, persecutions and the like will flow from the rotten trees in our world. We must work diligently to be those good trees that bear the good fruit coming from God. This requires a radical commitment to do what is right in the face of the evil all around us.

Reflect, today, upon these images Jesus presents. Do you see clearly both the good and bad fruit around you? Is your life helping to foster the lies of the evil one or the truth and love of God? Look at the fruit your life bears, as well as the fruit within our world, in an objective way, comparing it to the clear and unambiguous teachings of Jesus. Seek out that good fruit with all your heart and do all you can to bring it forth, no matter the cost, and you will not only save your soul, you will also help feed others with the good fruit of Heaven.

My Lord of all truthfulness, You and You alone define the good and evil in our world. Your truth reveals the good fruit that is born to nourish the growth of Your glorious Kingdom. Give me courage and clarity of mind and heart so that I may continually do all that You call me to do so as to bring the good fruit of the Kingdom to all in need. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want to be a good tree in your orchard. Prune me and nourish me so that I may bear good fruit for your Kingdom. Cut away the stubbornness of my heart. Fill me with the warm light of your Son and the life-giving water of your Spirit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. From Promises to Covenants: When we read the Genesis story of Abram, later named Abraham, we see how God elevates each of his three promises to Abram to covenants. The first promise was that God would make Abram a great nation. As the years passed, Abram grew somewhat impatient when he didn’t see the fulfillment of that promise. In the First Reading, we hear him complain that he has no children and that one of his servants was going to end up as his heir. God responded to Abram’s complaint by asking him to contemplate the stars and number them: “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so shall your descendants be.” Abram responded to God with faith, not doubt. Now, on a clear night away from the city, we can only see between 2,000 and 4,500 stars. You reach this number of descendants in 11 to 12 generations. In response, Abram trusted that God would be faithful to his promise and covenant and that his descendants would be numerous. God added that Abram’s descendants would possess the land of Canaan. And when Abram asked for a sign, the Lord God responded by making a binding covenant. The Lord passed through the sacrificed animals alone, signifying that he would be faithful to his promise and covenant. Abram believed the Lord God, and this act of faith was rewarded with the “grant covenant” of nationhood and land: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates.”

2. The Lord Remembers His Covenant Forever: Psalm 105 is a prayer that contemplates the fidelity of the Lord to his covenants. “The psalm accents the Lord’s faithfulness to Israel: all the miracles, provisions, and acts of deliverance displayed in early biblical history show that God went to great lengths to fulfill his covenant oath to give Abraham’s offspring ‘the land of Canaan … for an inheritance’ (105:11)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 920). The covenant that God made with Abraham was reiterated to his son, Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob (Israel) (Psalm 105:9-11). We notice that God did not require Abram to walk between the covenant pieces. This means that it was a grant covenant, like that given to Noah. Just as Noah believed God, so also Abram believed. And just as God swore to Noah that he would not destroy the earth again with a flood, so also God swore to Abram that he would father a great nation and his descendants would occupy the land of Canaan. God is faithful to his covenants, even when we are not.

3. Warning against False Prophets: In the Gospel today, Jesus warns his followers to be on guard against false prophets, who claim to speak for God but actually teach in opposition to the Gospel. False prophets are wolves dressed like sheep. How can we distinguish false prophets from true teachers? “Jesus tells us to examine their behavior. On the principle that like produces like, we are to evaluate the fruits of their lives. If their actions and their character show forth good things, such as grapes and figs, then the prophet is a good and trustworthy tree. However, if the works of the alleged prophet produce prickly thistles or a harvest of bad fruit, then he has blown his cover – the self-styled prophet is really a rotten tree that cannot be trusted” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 120). With time, the sheepskin the false prophet wears will fall off, and the fruit of their works will be revealed as rotten. With time, the works of true prophets reveal that they are good and lasting. They are true sheep who faithfully heed the voice of the Good Shepherd.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the Davidic king and good shepherd who protects me from the ravenous wolves dressed as sheep. Take the fruit I produce today, purify it, transform it, and offer it to the Father as a pleasing sacrifice.

 

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2024

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want to be a good tree in your orchard. Prune me and nourish me so that I may bear good fruit for your Kingdom. Cut away the stubbornness of my heart. Fill me with the warm light of your Son and the life-giving water of your Spirit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Warning against False Prophets: In the Gospel today, Jesus warns his followers to be on guard against false prophets, who claim to speak for God, but actually teach in opposition to the Gospel. They are wolves dressed like sheep. How can we distinguish false prophets from true teachers? “Jesus tells us to examine their behavior. On the principle that like produces like, we are to evaluate the fruits of their lives. If their actions and their character show forth good things such as grapes and figs, then the prophet is a good and trustworthy tree. However, if the works of the alleged prophet produce prickly thistles or a harvest of bad fruit, then he has blown his cover – the self-styled prophet is really a rotten tree that cannot be trusted” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 120).

2. Josiah, the Last Good King of Judah: The First Reading records the discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple, while King Josiah reigned. When the Book of Sirach praises the great men of the Bible, it says this about King Josiah (640-609 BC): “The memory of Josiah is like a blending of incense prepared by the art of the perfumer; it is sweet as honey to every mouth, and like music at a banquet of wine. He was led aright in converting the people and took away the abominations of iniquity. He set his heart upon the Lord; in the days of wicked men he strengthened godliness” (Sirach 49:1-3). The only truly good kings of Judah were Hezekiah and Josiah. In Chronicles, Hezekiah and Josiah are each described as authentic sons of David; each acts like a new Solomon without Solomon’s faults. Already as a boy, Josiah “began to seek the God of David his father,” and he “walked in the ways of David his father” (2 Chronicles 34:2-3). Josiah was a religious and liturgical reformer: he was “zealous for the temple and the organization of the Levitical ministry and liturgy” (Hahn, The Kingdom of God as Liturgical Empire, 183). Josiah’s reform and renewal efforts (around 622 B.C.) were a response to finding the Book of the Law in the Temple. “He receives this book as the word of God, and it leads him to repentance and to seek prophetic insight and guidance so as to better understand it and order the life of the kingdom by its precepts” (Hahn, The Kingdom of God as Liturgical Empire, 183-184). He renewed and reestablished the covenant and enshrined God’s Law once more as the heart of the kingdom’s spiritual and community life. Josiah is the only king of Judah to fulfill the threefold injunction of Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” As the author of Second Kings, writes: “Before him [Josiah] there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might” (2 Kings 23:25).

3. Josiah’s Reforms and the Prophet Zephaniah: Josiah instituted ten reform measures for Judah and two for the northern kingdom (for Bethel and Samaria) (2 Kings 23:4-18). The destruction of the altar at Bethel is noteworthy: “Bethel had been a holy site since the days of Jacob (Genesis 28:10-15; 35:1-4). But under Jeroboam I who established a golden calf there, it had become an idolatrous shrine, and under Jeroboam II it was identified as ‘the king’s sanctuary, and... a temple of the kingdom’ (Amos 7:13). Ancient pedigree notwithstanding, the altar at Bethel was destroyed by Josiah, who also ordered the destruction of all other worship sites in Samaria. In his religious vision for Judah, the Temple in Jerusalem was to be the only place of authorized worship of [the Lord]. This conforms to the prescriptions of Deuteronomy 12” (Leclerc, Introduction to the Prophets, 209). Zephaniah was one of the prophets who prophesied during the reign of King Josiah and his prophecies can be seen as either anticipating Josiah's reform efforts (if he prophesied before 622 B.C.) or supporting them (if he prophesied after 622). The dominant theme of his book is the Day of the Lord: God is coming to judge and punish in response to the pervasive sin of Judah and its neighboring cities. Zephaniah’s judgment culminates with the indictment of Jerusalem and, like the prophet Micah, he “indicts the entire ruling establishment for its wrongdoing: the officials, judges, prophets and priests” (Leclerc, Introduction to the Prophets, 215). God, we are told, will seek out and put an end to these evildoers. Even though the threat of exile and destruction looms over the people, Zephaniah refers to the survival of the remnant of Judah. From this remnant, the people of Judah will be recreated; they will no longer be proud or haughty but rather humble and lowly. They will seek the Lord, “they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths” (Zephaniah 3:13). God will defeat those who oppress his people and bring his people home and restore their fortunes.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the Davidic king and good shepherd who protects me from the ravenous wolves dressed as sheep. Take the fruit I produce today, purify it, transform it, and offer it to the Father as a pleasing sacrifice.

 

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: Lord help me to deeply embrace your teaching in these lines of Scripture so that, by your grace, I produce only good fruit.

Encountering Christ:

Beware: False prophets have always plagued believers. These days, many succumb to false prophets such as politicians, Hollywood stars, or Instagram influencers. The fruits of these prophets are divisiveness, confusion, loneliness, and disorientation. People look for God on apps like HeadSpace, in meditation closets, or exercise classes, completely missing that God revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Our Lord counseled us to “beware” of these “rotten trees.” Like all false prophets, these lead us away from truth and happiness. If we partake of their fruit, we will not experience the peace and joy Our Lord wants to give us. 

Bearing Good Fruit: Jesus said good trees bear good fruit and cannot bear rotten fruit. Spiritually speaking, why is this so? Because good trees are rooted in Christ and fed by the Spirit. They know they owe their existence to God and give glory to him in their goodness. The fruit they bear is the spiritual consequence of a life aligned with God’s will for them. Their fruit is God’s doing, not theirs. 

You Will Know Them:  If it’s possible to know false prophets by their bad fruit, why are so many people taken in by them? One possibility is that people choose the “low-hanging bad fruit” over the less accessible good fruit. To discern good fruit from bad fruit, we must know Jesus Christ. We have to put some effort into reading, studying, asking questions–in other words, seeking–and praying. As we draw closer to Christ he gives us ways to discern good fruit from bad fruit, and good trees from bad ones. As we grow in holiness, not only do we more easily recognize good fruit, but by his work within us, we bear good fruit of our own, such as forgiveness, humility, chastity, love, mercy, and self-control. 

Conversing with Christ:  Lord, false prophets abound, and their fruit seems attractive and satisfying. Protect me and those I love from consuming bad fruit. May your presence be so powerful within me that I cannot help but bear good fruit for your glory. 

 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Tư, tuần 13 Thường Niên

            Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy rằng ma quỷ có thật, hiện hữu và chúng luôn tìm cách để xâm nhập vào tâm hồn và ngay cả thân xác để hãm hãi chúng ta. Ma quỷ luôn tìm cách để tách biệt chúng ta ra khỏi tình yêu của Thiên Chúa bằng cách cám dỗ và làm cho chúng ta mù quáng và không nhìn nhận ra đâu là sự thật, và ngăn cản chúng ta làm những gì đẹp lòng Thiên Chúa.

            Làm thế nào ma quỷ và sự ác có thể thành công trong việc áp đạt quyền lực của chúng trên chúng ta?  Ma quỷ sẽ tìm cách và làm bất cứ điều gì khiến cho mọi người chúng ta phải tách rời xa Thiên Chúa, chẳng hạn như việc chúng làm cho chúng ta tin rằng chúng ta là bậc thầy của chính mình, bằng cách tập trung và đạt sự chú tâm của chúng ta vào các giá trị bên ngoài, như tham lam,ích kỷ, tự đại...

            Một khi chúng ta đang sống trong đường lối của Thiên Chúa trong tình yêu, chân lý và sự thật, Nhưng nếu chúng ta lại để cho bóng tối, với tham vọng và những lời nói dối len lỏi vào trong tâm hồn của chúng ta vả từ đó ma quỷ sẽ nắm lấy cơ hội đó đễ làm chúng ta khoe khoang, chia rẽ chúng ta và Thiên Chúa. Tuy nhiên, Thiên Chúa sẽ bao bỏ rơi chúng ta mà Ngài còn ban cho chúng ta những ân sủng và cứu chúng ta trong những tình huống tuyệt vọng, ngay cả những khi chúng ta đã làm những việc mất lòng Chúa như Chúa Giêsu đã giải thoát và cứu chữa người bị quỷ ám trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay. Điều duy nhất mà chúng ta cần phải làm là phải biết đặt niềm tin của chúng ta trong bàn tay thương yêu vô biên của Chúa, hãy tin tưởng và chắc chắn rằng Ngài sẽ không bao giờ bỏ rơi chúng ta.

            Lạy Chúa, xin giải thoát chúng con thoát khỏi mọi sự dữ của những điều gian ác, và những sự cám dỗ của tội lỗi và  ma quỷ.

 

REFLECTION WEDNESDAY, 12TH Week in Ordinary Time (2017)

     We live in a world of contradictions. Lots of people today say one thing but mean another. It is easy to be victims of so-called religious leaders who show compassion but have hidden agenda; they know and say the right words, like a performance they do.

      But as much as we need to be wary of false prophets and others who use religion to advance their selfish intentions, we do have to reflect on how we should live our Christian faith.

      A leader I knew and respected told me that the worst thing you could do to a person is to make him/her believe that you care for him/her, when indeed you do not. A so-called leader by name could do that, but a true leader strives to make a genuine connection with others, know them well and see where they are coming from.

      Jesus lived and taught the people in the way he wanted us to live. He made efforts to know his followers, to know their dreams and their fears. He connected with those he met, sinners and true followers. He did this out of his love for

people. It is this kind of love he urges us to live.

      There are no prerequisites to the following of Christ: it is free of hypocrisy and of trappings. All we have to do is to love Christ and allow ourselves to be loved by him: no pre­conditions or pretenses needed.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Ba 12th Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Ba 12th Thường Niên

Hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã đưa ra cho chúng ta ba lời khuyên: Lời khuyên đầu tiên, "Không đem vật thánh cho cho chó, hoặc ném ngọc trai trước mõn lợn.
            Chúa Giêsu đã cho chúng ta thấy sự tương phản giữa vật hiếm quý như ngọc trai và của thánh, và những con vật dơ bẩn như chó và lợn. Ngọc trai là vật có giá trị rất lớn và thậm chí được coi là vô giá được đem ra so với sự thánh thiện bởi vì Thiên Chúa là đấng thánh, là tất cả,  Ngài mời gọi chúng ta đến để chia sẻ sự thánh thiện vô cùng quý báu và vô giá, ở đây Chúa Giêsu muốn nói đến sự quan tâm của Ngài là Đức tin trong sự tinh khiết. Một đức tin mà đã được Thiên Chúa thánh hóa.         
            Theo các giáo huấn của Giáo hội đã dạy:  Không ai được nhận lãnh Mình và Máu Thánh Chúa ngoại trừ những người đã được rửa tội và đã xưng tội, dọn mình sạch sẽ, vì thế mà Chúa đã nói: "Không cho chó những gì là vật thánh" Chúa Giêsu mời gọi chúng ta đến tham dự vào bàn tiệc Thánh với Người, nhưng chúng ta phải đến một cách xứng đáng.
            Chúa Giêsu đã tóm lược giáo lý trong Cựu Ước "bất cứ điều gì bạn muốn người ta làm cho bạn, bạn hãy làm như vậy với họ" (Mt 7:12). Luật yêu thương không phải chỉ là đòi hỏi bạn tránh gây thương tích hoặc gây tổn hại cho người khác, Nhưng tình yêu tuyệt vời là một tình yêu đòi hỏi vô điều kiện và Tình yêu này phải được tỏ ra cho tất cả mọi người.
            Nếu chúng ta có thể làm cả những gì điều trên, chúng ta đã đi đúng đường mà Chúa muốn. Con đường dẫn chúng ta đến cuộc sống đời đời. Chúa đã cho chúng ta sự tự do lựa chọn con đường mà chúng ta sẽ đi, Con đường rộng thênh thang hay con đường nhỏ hẹp gồ gề khó đi.  Xin Chúa cho chúng ta được khôn ngoan để chọn con đường sẽ dẫn đến cuộc sống đời đời hơn là con đường dẫn đến cái chết và sự tiêu diệt..
            Nếu chúng ta để tình yêu và sự khôn ngoan của Thiên Chúa cai trị tâm hồn chúng ta, chúng ta có thể tin tưởng vào sự hướng dẫn và ân sủng của Người để đi theo con đường của tình yêu và sự thánh thiện
 
Reflection Tuesday 12th Odinary Gospel Mt 7:6, 12-14
Today, the Lord makes three recommendations. The first one, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine”. Second one: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you”. And the third one is: “Enter through the narrow gate.” Jesus makes a contrast in which “assets” are associated with “pearls” and to what “is holy”; and “dogs and pigs” to what is impure. Pearls were of very great value and even considered priceless. The same with holiness because God is all-holy and he invites us to share in his holiness which is very precious and priceless as well. Jesus’ concern here is purity, the purity of the faith which has been entrusted to us by God the most holy.  The early church referenced this expression with the Eucharist. According to the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, a first century church manual stated: Let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist except those baptized into the name of the Lord; for, as regards this, the Lord has said, 'Do not give what is holy to dogs.' The Lord Jesus invites us to his table, but we must approach worthily. 
            Jesus summed up the teaching of the Old Testament law “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them” (Matthew 7:12). The law of love requires more than simply avoiding injury or harm to one's neighbor. Perfect love, a love which is unconditional and which reaches out to all, always seeks the good of others for their sake and gives the best we can offer for their welfare. When we love our neighbors and treat them in the same way we wish to be treated. Loving God with all that we have and are and loving our neighbor as ourselves. How can we love our neighbor selflessly and show them kindness and concern for their welfare?  If we empty our hearts of all unkind and unloving thoughts and sentiments, then there will only be room for kindness, goodness, charity, and mercy. Saint Paul reminds us in the letter to the Romans that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).  It is the love of God that fuels our unconditional love for others, let the Holy Spirit transform our life with the purifying fire of God's love.  If we can do both what recommends above, we are on the right track the way that leads to fulfillment and life versus the way that leads to destruction and death. The Lord gives us freedom to choose which way we will go. Ask him for the wisdom to know which way will lead to life rather than to death and destruction. In the book of Deuteronomy teach us: “See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. ...Therefore choose life that you and your descendants may live (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). If we allow God's love and wisdom to rule our hearts, then we can trust in his guidance and grace to follow the path of love and holiness.
 
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13–14
Is fear helpful? That depends. It depends upon which form of fear we are speaking of. First, there is a form of fear that is contrary to faith. It’s a fear that leads us to doubt and even despair. It’s a fear that results from the attack of the evil one and others who may sin against us. This form of fear is unhealthy and must be overcome through a faith that turns to our Lord with the utmost confidence and hope.
But there is also a holy fear that is most useful and one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Recall the Proverb that says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverbs 9:10). At a minimal level, this holy fear makes you aware of your sins and the consequences of those sins, especially serious sin. And this holy fear leads you to fear the punishment that results from sin, leading you to avoid serious sin. But the ideal form of “fear of the Lord” we must strive for is “filial fear,” which is the holy fear of a son or daughter of God. This fear is one that is grounded in a profound love of God and leaves you so filled with a wonder and awe of the glory, goodness and majesty of God that you are filled with a desire to please Him and give Him great glory with your life. Thus, this “fear” leads you to a desire to avoid even the smallest of sin, because, in your love of God, you not only want to avoid offending Him, you also want to honor Him to the greatest extent possible.
The Scripture passage above should lead us to, at a minimum, a fear of not entering the gate to the “road that leads to life.” It is useful to consider Jesus’ teaching in a very straightforward way. Jesus essentially says that it is quite easy to walk through the gate that is “wide” and down the road that is “broad” in this life. In other words, it’s exceptionally easy to embrace a life of sin and head toward “destruction.” Jesus further says that those who walk through this wide gate and down this broad road are “many.” This fact should be the cause of our honest daily examination. If this broad road is so easy, then we should honestly admit that we can easily find ourselves walking it.
The “narrow gate” and the “constricted” road are found and walked by only a “few,” according to Jesus’ words. Again, we should take notice of this and take it seriously. Jesus would not say this if it were not true. Therefore, if the gift of the fear of the Lord is alive in your life, and if you truly are a son or daughter of God, then you will daily strive to be one of those “few” who find this narrow way to holiness. And, ideally, you will do so out of your love for God and your desire to give Him the greatest glory you can.
Reflect, today, upon this challenging teaching of our Lord. Take Him at His word and evaluate your life in light of this teaching. What are you doing in life to be certain that you are one of those few who have begun to walk through this narrow gate? Does your love for God leave you with such a wonder and awe of the greatness of God that your deepest desire is to not only please Him but to glorify Him fully with your actions? Strive to enter the narrow gate and the constricted road and do not turn back. Though this requires much determination, sacrifice and love, the goal and end of the road are worth it.
My most magnificent Lord, You and You alone are worthy of all glory, honor and praise. May everything I do in life lead to Your glory and may I avoid everything that harms my relationship with You. I love You, dear Lord. Help me to love You and glorify You with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have entrusted me with awesome gifts. I am a steward of the sacred. I have received the natural gift of life and the supernatural gift of eternal life. I receive the Body and Blood of your Son in the Eucharist and your mercy in Reconciliation. Do not let me cast these gifts away but guide me to use them as I journey on the narrow path to you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Bringing the Sermon to a Close with the Golden Rule: In Matthew 7, Jesus begins to conclude the Sermon on the Mount with a series of insights into how we should live in the Kingdom of God. The Gospel Jesus preached and the Kingdom he established are holy and are like pearls that have been entrusted to us. We are commanded by Jesus to not misuse these gifts or waste them. We should not profane what is sacred. Jesus summarizes his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount with the golden rule: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” Ultimately, what we desire is love – to be in a loving relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters. We want God and others to be merciful toward us, and so we are called to practice mercy. We want to be forgiven by God and by others, and so we are called to forgive. We want God and others to be truthful, faithful, and just, and so we are called to be truthful, faithful, and just. We want others to use their material wealth for the good of society and the poor, and so we are called to use our material goods properly.
2. The Narrow Gate: Human life is often presented in the Bible as a choice between two ways. For example, the story of Adam and Eve was a choice between loving and obeying God and eating from the Tree of Life and rejecting and disobeying God and eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses placed before the People of Israel death and misery, life and happiness (Deuteronomy 30:1-5). He urged them to choose life! Jesus also uses the image of two different paths that lead to two different outcomes. There is the wide gate and road that many choose that lead to destruction and death. There is also the narrow gate and road that few find that lead to flourishing and life.
3. Good King Hezekiah: The story of Israel’s and Judah’s kings is often tragic. None of Israel’s 19 kings are good and only a few of the 19 kings of Judah are good. One of the good kings was Hezekiah, who reigned from 729-686 B.C. Hezekiah trusted in the Lord and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (2 Kings 18:3). He was a reformer who destroyed the idols being worshipped in Judah. When threatened with invasion by Sennacherib and the Assyrians, Hezekiah at first sought the military support of the Egyptians even though the prophet Isaiah counseled against it (Isaiah 30:1-5; 31:1-3). The First Reading tells us that Hezekiah went to the Temple of the Lord and humbly prayed to be delivered from Sennacherib. “Hezekiah rends his garments in mourning because of the Assyrians’ mockery of Yahweh and goes immediately to the Temple to pray for the Lord’s help. There he addresses God as the creator of heaven and earth, enthroned above the cherubim and king over all the kingdoms of the world. This confession of the ultimate kingship of Yahweh is a remarkable renewal of Israel’s ancient faith in God as their true king and deliverer” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 192). Isaiah delivered God’s reply to Hezekiah, pronouncing judgment on the arrogant Assyrians and words of comfort for Jerusalem. Sennacherib’s army will lay siege to Jerusalem but be mysteriously vanquished by a plague. Hezekiah composed a song of thanksgiving for his deliverance, promising to sin of God’s salvation all the days of his life. “He recounts how God has ‘cast all my sins behind [God’s] back’ (Isaiah 38:17), signaling his understanding that the heart of redemption is not physical well-being but the forgiveness of sins” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 193). Hezekiah did not cast the pearl of the kingdom before the swine of the Assyrians. He walked through the narrow gate in humility and attained life.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, the narrow gate and road are the path you took. I want to follow you on that path and carry my cross each day. Strengthen my resolve to continue on the way that leads to eternal life with the Father and the Church in glory.
 
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: 
Lord, these are sobering words. Enlighten me and help me to draw the lessons from this reflection that you have for me on this day.
Encountering Christ:
Pearls to Swine: What a vivid description Our Lord used to show us how he wants us to evangelize! When we speak of the beauty of knowing Christ to others, love demands that we first prayerfully assess their receptivity. It takes mature discernment to know what to say, how to say it, and when it will be well received. If we’re overly enthusiastic, too forceful, or speak in a churchy tone (i.e., quoting line-and-verse of the latest encyclical to someone who doesn’t even know Jesus), our listener may “tear us to pieces.” Additionally, if we overshare or proffer books, website links, etc., too much too soon, we may fail as the Lord’s emissary. Jesus wants his disciples to communicate first and foremost his love. For this purpose, he sent his Spirit to teach us what to say (Luke 12:12).
The Golden Rule: What a world we would live in if people abided by the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Our workplaces, our homes, and our communities would be a little slice of heaven on earth. This rule of life applies equally to Christians and non-Christians because the point of reference for behavior is not Christ, per se, but ourselves. However, Christ told us later in the Gospel of John to do what he has done (John 13:15). In this case, the model for our behavior is Christ himself. Not only are we to do for others what we would have them do to us, but we are called to imitate Christ’s love for others: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). We can fulfill this lofty command only by relying on the Lord’s grace.
The Narrow Gate: We can certainly surmise, looking around at our current culture, that there are many broad roads leading to destruction. But, as faithful followers of Christ, how are we expected to respond to Our Lord’s description of the narrow and constricted gate that leads to life? Only a few find it. How many is “a few”? Would this “few” include me, my family members, those I pray for, my grandparents, my future grandchildren? The best response to Jesus’s warning is to practice the sometimes elusive virtue of hope. “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit” (CCC 1817). Full of hope, we emanate peace in our dealings with others, reflecting the love of Christ in our countenance. 
Conversing with Christ: Lord, in these short lines of Scripture your admonitions are very challenging. I need to be discerning before I speak about you, to love others as you love them, and to enter through the narrow gate. And of course, I want to bring my loved ones with me. Without your grace, I can truly do none of these things. You make it very clear that I am to love you, depend on you, and trust you with everything and everyone I care about. Please send your Holy Spirit to bring me peace and confidence so 

Suy Niệm Ngày 24- Lễ Sinh Nhật Thánh Gian Tẩy Giả

Suy Niệm Ngày 24- Lễ Sinh Nhật Thánh Gian Tẩy Giả

Thánh Gian Tẩy Giả được sinh ra trong hoàn cảnh kỳ lạ. Khi đến lúc đặt tên cho đứa trẻ Gioan. Những người than, hàng xóm đã tập trung trong bữa tiệc gia đình và muốn đặt tên đứa trẻ theo tên của người cha là Zechariah. Nhưng bà Elizabeth không tán thành và bà tuyên bố rằng con trẻ phải đặt tên là Gioan theo như lời sứ thần truyền cho ông Zachariah, thế nhưng bà đã bị những người bà con trong thân tôđc phản đội. Họ đành gọi ông Zechariah để hỏi ý ông, Vì ông bị Chúa phạt câm nên ông đã xin tấm bảng và ông viết là Gioan Sau đó ông đã hết bị câm và ca ngợi Thiên Chúa trong sự ngạc nhiên của mọi người..

Trong Kinh thánh, việc đặt tên của một người biểu thị vai trò và đóng góp độc nhất của người đó cho kế hoạch cứu rỗi của Chúa. Bằng cách tách tên Thánh Gioan ra khỏi lịch sử gia đình của mình, Người viết Tin Mừng này đã thu hút sự chú ý của chúng ta về nguồn thiêng liêng của tên Thánh Gioan. Thánh Gioan được hình thành nhờ sự can thiệp của Thiên Chúa, được đặt tên theo mệnh lệnh của Thiên Chúa. Nói cách khác, tên Gioan đích thực đã được đích thân Chúa chọn. Và trong việc nêu tên của Thánh Gioan, chúng ta được hướng dẫn để suy nghĩ về ý nghĩa cá nhân của Thánh Gioan trong lịch sử. Như Tháng Phaolô đã cho cúng ta thấy trong bài đọc thứ hai, với Thánh Gioan tẩy Giả, nhiệm vụ rảo giảng Tin Mừng của Chúa Giêsu bắt đầu.

            Có lẽ, hôm nay là thời điểm tốt để chúng ta suy ngậm về tên của chính mình, cũng như về vai trò và đóng góp mà chúng ta đang thực hiện cho kế hoạch cứu rỗi của Thiên Chúa. Chúng ta hãy nhớ rằng, sự ra đời của chúng ta không phải là một sự ngẫu nhiên hay một sự kiện không đáng kể trong con mắt của Thiên Chúa. Chúa đưa chúng ta vào thế giới với một mục đích và chúng ta phải có trách nhiệm khám phá và hoàn thành cái nhiệm vụ đó với tất cả những khả năng tốt nhất của chúng ta.

Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con khám phá ra được cá vị trí và vai trò độc đáo của chúng con trong lịch sử làm người trong nhân loại của chúng con

 

24th June - The Nativity of St John the Baptist: - Is. 49:1-6; Lk. 1:57-66,80

John the Baptist was born under strange circumstances. Now the time had come for his parents to name the child. The relatives and neighbours who had gathered for the ceremony expected the child to be named after his father, Zechariah. When Elizabeth intervened and stated that the child’s name would be John, her proposal was met with objection. They appealed to Zechariah. His affirmation that “His name is John” evokes surprise and a sense of wonder.

            In the Scriptures, the naming of a person signifies his or her unique role and contribution to God’s plan of salvation. By disassociating John’s name from his family history, the Gospel writer draws our attention to the divine source of John’s name. John, who was conceived by divine intervention, was named by divine mandate. In other words, John’s name was personally chosen by God. And by stating the naming of John, we are led to reflect on John’s personal significance in history. As Paul points out in the second reading, with John the Baptist, the mission of Jesus begins.

            Perhaps, today is a good time to reflect on your own name, as well as on the role and contribution you are making to God’s salvific plan. Remember, your birth was no accident or an insignificant event in God’s eyes. God brought you into the world for a purpose, and you have a responsibility to discover and fulfill it to the best of your ability. Lord, help me discover my unique place and role in history.

 

24th June - The Nativity of St John the Baptist

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. Luke 1:65–66

John the Baptist was formed by the hand of the Lord. Saint Thomas Aquinas goes so far as to say that John was sanctified in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth, as is written: “He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15). From the moment that the Blessed Virgin Mary greeted Elizabeth and John leaped for joy, the hand of the Lord was upon John, making him holy and leading him to the fulfillment of God’s holy will.

John’s early life is not recorded for us, other than in the passage quoted above. We are told that he “grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.” We should see in this passage the truth that John was not only sanctified within the womb of his mother but that, throughout his childhood and on into adulthood, he remained deeply united to God and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Today we honor one particular aspect of John’s life—his birth. We know that he was blessed to not only be born into the blessed family of Elizabeth and Zechariah but that the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, was also his relative and was present at his birth. Zechariah, his father, gave him the name “John” even though it would have been the custom to call him Zechariah after his father. Zechariah did this in obedience to the Archangel Gabriel, who appeared to him prior to John’s birth and instructed him to do so.Great mystery and excitement surrounded the birth of John, and there is little doubt that those who were present at his birth would have been caught up in the intrigue and hope of who he would become. And John didn’t disappoint. It was of him that Jesus one day would say, “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John…” (Luke 7:28).

Though you may not have had the privilege of being sanctified in the womb of your mother, or to have had your father receive a revelation from the Archangel Gabriel prior to your birth, you are, nonetheless, called to be guided by the hand of the Lord each and every day. God wants you to become “strong in spirit” so that you can fulfill the unique will given to you. We honor the great saints, in part, because they give us an example of how to live. For that reason, we must see in each of their lives the model to which we must conform. The primary witness set by Saint John the Baptist is that he was unwaveringly obedient to God and to being formed by His hand. The result was the glorious fulfillment of his unique mission in life, all the way to giving his life as a martyr.

Reflect, today, upon the very real fact that, though you were not sanctified in the womb, you were sanctified by Baptism. From there, you were strengthened by the Spirit through Confirmation and are regularly fed by the Most Holy Eucharist. In many ways, you are just as blessed as John. Reflect upon the simple yet profound fact that God wants to use you for His holy mission. He gives to you some particular mission He has not entrusted to another. Say “Yes” to that mission today so that you, too, will be seen as “great” in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Lord of all greatness, You sanctified Saint John the Baptist in the womb, and You continued to pour forth Your grace upon him throughout his life. He responded to You and fulfilled his glorious mission. I thank You for the sanctification given to me by my Baptism and strengthened through Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist. Help me to be open to all the graces You wish to bestow so that I may fulfill the unique mission given to me. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

the Birth of St. John the Baptist June 24- 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you guide the course of history and know all things. You prepared your people to receive your Son as their Messiah and Redeemer and to receive the grace of the New Covenant. I welcome your Son today as my Lord and my God and humbly ask for the gift of your Spirit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Three Months Have Passed: Three months have passed since we celebrated the Annunciation to Mary and the Incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God. Mary, we recall, did not remain in Nazareth, but rose in haste to go and serve her cousin Elizabeth, who, according to the words of the angel Gabriel, was six months pregnant. For three months, Mary attended to the needs of her cousin and served with generous charity. Today, we celebrate the birth – the nativity – of John. The name “Elizabeth” means “My God’s oath.” Her name and the line, “the Lord has shown great mercy toward her,” recall God’s covenant mercy and fidelity. “God has kept his word and his covenant with Elizabeth, and granted her a blessing as a faithful daughter of his people” (Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Solemnities and Feasts, 310). The name of Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah, means “YHWH has remembered.” The song he will sing praises God for his faithfulness. He proclaims that God’s covenant oaths to David, concerning an everlasting throne, and to Abraham, about a blessing for all nations, will be fulfilled. “God’s covenant oath to Abraham (Genesis 22:16-18) nears its fulfillment in the preparatory role played by John’s parents. Even their names symbolize that God remembers (Zechariah) his oath (Elizabeth) and will soon fulfill it through the mission of John and Jesus” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1832).

2. John and the Essenes: The last line of today’s Gospel passage tells us that John was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. This points to the possibility that at a young age, John joined the Essenes of Qumran, a community living in the desert near the Dead Sea. Where John began his ministry of baptism was within walking distance of Qumran. “Both John and the Qumranites placed great emphasis on washing with water in conjunction with repentance for sins” (Bergsma, Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls, 33). John seems to have extended baptism not only to Jewish men but also to women and even to Gentiles. Isaiah 40:3, which announced the voice in the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord, was important to both the Qumran community and to John. John claims that his baptism of repentance was only a preparation for the one who was to come after him. That John was sent as a child to the Essenes lines up with their practice of celibacy and of welcoming other persons’ children to be taught and form part of the community. Zechariah and Elizabeth were elderly and from priestly families, and could have entrusted John’s upbringing to the Essene community. It is possible that John later left the community when he disagreed with them about who would receive salvation. The Essenes seemed to focus on the elite among Israel who would be saved by the coming Messiah. Through John’s meditation and study of the prophet Isaiah, “he eventually found himself at odds with the community that had formed him. For the prophet Isaiah clearly prophesied a coming salvation for all nations, in other words, all the Gentiles. … John was insistent that God’s message of salvation should go out to all the people, not just an elite among Israel – and the argument led to his expulsion from the community(Bergsma, Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls, 40-41).

 3. Paul’s Preaching about John the Baptist: The Second Reading is taken from an important sermon Paul gave in the synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:16-41). The theme of his sermon was the Good News that the promises of the Davidic covenant were fulfilled by the Resurrection of Jesus. Paul first summarized Israel’s history and how God was faithful to his covenants. Israel was chosen by God to bless and redeem the nations, a purpose that God revealed to Abraham and began to fulfill through David. Paul asserted that the covenant promises made to David have been fulfilled: “God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel as savior, Jesus” (Acts 13:23) (see Pimentel, Witnesses of the Messiah, 117). Paul proclaims that John the Baptist’s ministry and baptism of repentance were a preparation for the salvation brought by Jesus. This salvation was extended and sent out to the whole world through the ministry of the Apostles. It is the same salvation in Christ that we have graciously received.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you came to save all humanity. You call me to share in your mission and bring the Good News of salvation to everyone I encounter. Help me to overcome my fear of proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed to my family, coworkers, and friends.

 

Suy Niệm Lễ Kính Sinh Nhật Thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả- 24/6 

Tại sao sự ra đời của Thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả lại được mang tính chất phụng vụ quang trọng như vậy trọng giáo hội? Thưa là bởi vì một cách thực tế, cuộc đời của Thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả, từ đầu đến cuối, là kiểu sống mà mỗi người chúng ta nên cố bắt chước và sống như thế.

Bằng cách tập trung sự chú ý của chúng ta vào Thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả, hôm nay phụng vụ mời gọi chúng ta suy ngẫm về ý nghĩa của việc trở thành một người Kitô giáo. Tất nhiên, một người Kitô giáo là một môn đệ hoặc môn đồ của Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Nhưng, với tư cách là một người Kitô Giáo thì những ý nghĩa cụ thể của việc theo Chúa Giêsu Kitô là gì? Một ngụ ý ở đây là: theo Chúa Giêsu Kitô, thì người Kitô giáo phải là một người Công Giáo chân chính, một người luôn biết đứng lên để chống lại nền văn hóa bại hoại của xã hội hiện tại. Thánh Gioan tẩy giả là một người có mô hình rõ ràng và thuyết phục của người đi ngược lại với văn hóa của người Do thái. Vì vậy, khi chúng ta suy ngẫm về cuộc đời của thánh Gioan, chúng ta sẽ học được rất nhiều điều về cách đi theo Chúa Jêsus liên quan đến việc chúng ta trờ thành những người đi ngược lại với nền văn hóa bại hoại trong xã hội ngày nay.

Có rất nhiều lãnh vực trong cuộc sống hiện đại mà chúng ta, là những người môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu Kitô được kêu gọi để chống lại những văn hoá đi ngược lại với thiên nhiên và đi ngược lại với 10 điều răn Chúa dạy.

Hôm nay chúng ta hãy suy ngẫm về ba lãnh vực trong cuộc sống của chúng ta ngày nay:

Trong lãnh vực đầu tiên của chúng ta là : chúng ta phải biét tự nhận bản thân chính mình. Khi chúng ta tự nhận biết là ai, chúng ta chấp nhận mình là một người có sự khác biệt với những người khác. Ông Gioan tẩy giả biết rất rõ ràng là ông ta là ai và ông không phải là ai. Như ông đã nói với người Do thái hỏi ông: "các ông đã nghĩ rằng Tôi là? Tôi không phải là Đấng Cứu Thế. Nhưng là một người đang đến sau tôi, Tôi không xứng đáng để cở dép cho Người." Và ông ta biết ông ta là ai, ông chỉ là: một tiếng nói trong sa mạc, một người được gởi đến để chuẩn bị đường cho Chúa đi. "Ông ta biết rằng ông ta là người đi trước để báo trước về Đấng cứu thế. Chúng ta cũng đi ngược cái văn hóa, chống lại cái bản sắc của chúng ta. Mỗi chúng ta là người được Thiên Chúa yêu thương và ban tặng sự sống con người ngay từ lúc chúng ta được tao thầnh trong bào thai của người mẹ. Mỗi người chúng ta, ai cũng đều có phẩm giá con Người và có giá trị vô hạn trước mặt Thiên Chúa không phải vì về những gì chúng ta làm, nhưng vì chúng ta được tác tạo trong hình ảnh của Thiên Chúa.Chúng ta là người đã được thánh hiến khi chúng ta chịu Phép rửa tội, chúng ta được dự phần vào đời sống thần linh của Thiên Chúa và được kêu gọi trở nên môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Chúng ta là những con người yếu đuối, chúng ta có những điểm mạnh và điểm yếu, vì thế mỗi ngày chúng ta được mời gọi để hoán cải để nên thánh. Giống như Thánh Gioan Tẩy giả, mỗi người chúng ta phải biết trung thực về con người của chính mình. Điều này sẽ khác biệt như thế nào trong văn hóa của chúng ta về sự thụ động và tự mạo nhận chính mình.

Thứ hai, các giá trị làm ảnh hưởng đến sự lựa chọn và quyết định của chúng ta. các giá trị của Thánh Gioan Tẩy giả cũng rõ ràng và chắc chắn. Sự thật được bắt nguồn từ Lời Chúa. Vì thế, ông Gioan đã đối mặt với những người có cuộc sống đạo đức giả. Thiên Chúa là trọng tâm Sự thật. Vì vậy, ông Gioan đã tuyên bố: "Ngài phải tiến lên, còn tôi phải suy giảm." Đây là sự biển đổi. Vì vậy, ông Gioan đã thách thức con người chúng ta phải biết cải cách cá nhân và thay đổi con tim của mình, chúng ta phải có sự chung thủy. Và vì thế, ông ta đã chết đi với một cái chết của một người tử đạo để làm chứng cho sự thật. Giống như thánh Goan Tẩy giả, chúng ta cũng phải chống lại cái nền văn hóa trên những giá trị mà chúng ta hình thành và chúng ta đang sống. Chúng ta phải coi lẽ thật làm kim chỉ nam của chúng ta vì lẽ thật được bắt nguồn từ Lời Chúa và được Giáo hội dạy dỗ. Sự thật đó chính là Phúc Âm của Cuộc sống và là sự huy hoàng của chân lý, và sự thật là trọng tâm trong cuộc sống của chúng ta với Thiên Chúa. Sự thật về cuộc sống trong mọi giai đoạn, bắt đầu từ khi chúng ta được tạo thành trong lòng mẹ và được kết thúc khi chúng ta chết trong tự nhiên; đó chính là lẽ thật về lối sống có đạo đức. Giống như thánh Gioan Tẩy giả, mỗi người chúng ta được hình thành và phải sống trong những giá trị được tích hợp với Sự thật. Điều này sẽ là những khác biệt giữa cách sống của chúng ta với những văn hóa mà các giá trị của nó là giả tạo, dối trá và trống rỗng.

Thứ ba, phong cách sống của chúng ta phải là mô hình về cách chúng ta sống cuộc sống từng ngày. Lối sống của thánh Gioan Tẩy giả rất đơn giản, thậm chí rất khắc khổ. Chúng ta phải đi ngược lại với văn hóa về phong cách sống thực tại của chúng ta. Chúng ta nên kiểm thảo coi xem chúng ta có sống đơn giản và không giả tạo? Chúng ta có dùng nguồn lực Chúa ban cho một cách có trách nhiệm, có phúc lợi của gia đình của chúng ta và biết quảng đại với những người thực sự nghèo khó và thiếu thốn không? Quần áo của chúng ta mặc có phản ánh đến cơ thể chúng ta là đền thờ của Chúa Thánh Thần không? và, qua thứ đó chúng ta có đáng được tôn trọng? Chúng ta có coi trọng những người khác trong cuộc sống của chúng ta và kính trọng họ trên cả những thứ vật chất? chúng ta có dành nhiều thời giờ cho họ hơn là dành thời giờ để kiếm được nhiều tiền hơn?

Giống như John the Baptist, mỗi người chúng ta phải có một lối sống để cho Tin Mừng của Chúa Kitô được lan toả khắp nơi, và có ảnh hưởng rộng lớn hơn. Đây chính là điều khác biệt giữa nền văn hóa của chúng ta với phong cách sống không đích thực của thế giới hiện tại. Cuối cùng, chúng ta phải phản ảnh cái văn hóa thực chất của người Kitô giáo, chúng ta phải sống trong bản chất thực sự của người Kitô giáo, trong tất cả mỗi ngày trong cuộc sống, không phải là chỉ trong ngày Chủ nhật. Chúng ta được kêu gọi và thách thức để tuyên xưng đức tin của chúng ta bằng phong cách sống hợp thời trang của chúng ta, bởi những giá trị mà chúng ta hình thành, bởi những bản sắc riêng mà chúng ta phản ánh, luôn sẵn lòng đặt Chúa Giêsu là trọng tâm trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của chúng ta. Chúng ta phải chống lại văn hóa sự chết hiện tại bằng những hành động của chúng ta hơn là những lời nói không: "Chúa Giêsu là Chúa."

Đó là những gì mà thánh Gioan tẩy giả đã làm. Đó là điều chúng ta phải cố gắng làm và để sống với cuộc sống của thánh nhân trong chúng ta. Đó là thông điệp của ngày hôm nay ngày lễ kính nhớ ngày sinh nhật của Gioan Tẩy Giả.

 

REFLECTION the Birth of St. John the Baptist June 24

Why is the Birth of St. John the Baptist given such liturgical importance? Because in a real way, the life of St. John the Baptist, from beginning to end, is the kind of life each one of us should be living. By focusing our attention on St. John, the Baptist, today's liturgy is inviting us to reflect on what it means to be a Christian. Of course, a Christian is a follower or disciple of Jesus Christ. But what are the concrete implications of following Jesus Christ, of Christian discipleship?

One implication is this: to follow Jesus Christ, to be a genuine Christian, demands standing against the culture. The disciple of Jesus Christ is counter-cultural. St. John the Baptist is a clear and convincing model of the counter-cultural person. So, by reflecting on his life, we learn a great deal about how following the Lord Jesus involves our being counter-cultural in today's society. There are many areas in contemporary living in which you and I, as disciples of Jesus Christ, are called upon to be counter-cultural. Let me propose for our reflection today three: (1) self-identity, (2) values, (3) life-style.

First, self-identity. Self-identity implies understanding and accepting who one is as a person. John the Baptist was very clear about who he was and was not. John would say: "Who do you suppose that I am? I am not the Messiah or Savior. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet." John knew who he was: a voice crying out in the wilderness, one called to prepare the way of the Lord." He knew that he was the herald of the Messiah, the servant of the Lord, a light to the nations. We too must be counter-cultural in terms of our self-identity. Each of us is a person loved by God and gifted with human life at conception. Each one of us is a person of infinite dignity and worth, not because of what we do, but because of who we are in the sight of God, namely a person consecrated at Baptism, given a share in God's own divine life and called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We are people with strengths and weaknesses, invited daily to conversion and holiness. Like John the Baptist, each one of us must be honest about who we are. How different this will be in our culture of restlessness and self- pretensions.

Second, values. Values influence our choices and decisions. John the Baptist's values were likewise clear and certain. There was truth rooted in the Word of God. So, he confronted hypocritical religious living. There was the centrality of God. So, he proclaimed: "He must increase, I must decrease." There was conversion. So, he challenged people to personal reform and to a change of heart. There was fidelity. So, he died a martyr's death for the sake of truth. Like John the Baptist, we too must be counter-cultural in terms of the values we formulate and by which we live. We must make the truth our guiding principle, the truth that is rooted in God's Word and taught by the Church. The truth that is The Gospel of Life and The Splendor of the Truth, the truth about the centrality of God in our lives and in the world. The truth about life in every stage, beginning at conception and ending at natural death; the truth about moral living. Like John the Baptist, each of us must formulate and live values which are integrated with the Truth. How different this will be in our culture whose values are fake, false and, therefore, empty.

Third, life-style. Life-style implies the pattern of how we go about living life day by day. John the Baptist's lifestyle was simple, even very austere. We must be counter-cultural in terms of our life-style. Do we live simply and without pretense, using responsibly our resources for the welfare of our families and the support of those who are truly poor and in need? Does our clothing reflect the understanding that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, deserving of respect? Do we value the persons in our lives above material things, so that we spend more time with them than with earning more money? Like John the Baptist, each one of us must fashion a lifestyle that will make the Gospel easier to preach, to see, to influence. How different this will be in our culture with its self-centered and inauthentic life-style. Ultimately, we must be counter-cultural in terms of being really Christian, genuinely Christian, in all of life, not just at the Sunday liturgy. We are called and challenged to declare by the life-style we fashion, by the values we formulate, by the self-identity we reflect, the centrality of Jesus in our daily lives. We must be counter- cultural by proclaiming more through action than by words: "Jesus is Lord." That is what John the Baptist did. That is what we must try to do and to be, in reliving his life in ours. That is the message of today's feast, celebrating the birth of John the Baptist.

Suy Niệm in Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ 12 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm in Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ 12 Thường Niên
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã dậy chúng ta không nên phán xét bất cứ ai và chúng ta cũng chẳng có quyền xét đoán ai cả (ngoài chúa Giêsu là đấng thẩm phán nhân từ) bởi chúng ta không thể hiểu những gì đã và đang xảy ra cho người khác và chúng ta chẳng hiểu nổi những đau khổ riêng của họ. Hơn nữa chúng ta không có đủ những sự kiện bằng cớ để lên án người khác. 
            Chúa Giêsu đã nói một trong những lý do mà chúng ta thường làm hằng ngày là lên án người khác vì muốn tìm cách để dìm họ xuống và đưa mình lên cao hơn hơn ai hết. Trong khi chúng ta đang săm soi tập trung vào những thiếu sót nhỏ nhặt của người khác, mà chúng ta không nhìn ra cái sai, cái xấu của mình vì chúng ta đang bận rộn và tìm cách để che đậy những cái khuyết điểm nghiêm trọng của chính chúng ta; trong đó có những tội nói hành, nói xấu, nói sau lưng người khác đệ uy tín của họ.   Mặt khác, chúng ta thường không thích hay miễn cưỡng để khen thưởng hay khíck lệ hay đánh giá về một người nào đó một cách khách quan.
Hôm nay Chúa muốn chúng ta hãy chịu khó nhìn vào chính mình một trung thực hơn và không nên xét đoán, phê bình những người khác một ách tiêu cực, Bời vì chúng ta thường nghĩ tốt về mình và nghĩ xấu về người khác, thích khoe khoang về mình nhiều hơn là những gì chúng ta cần phải nghĩ đến về những người khác nữa.
Lạy Chúa xin giúp chúng con biết lắng nghe, và đừng bao giờ xét đoán người khác, biết khiến tốn mà không khoe khoang về chính mình và nghĩ tới sự thật, và biết tôn trọng những người khác.
 
Reflection Monday of 12th Week in Ordinary Time
There must be few of us to whom today’s Gospel does not apply. How many of us can say that we never sit in judgment on others, that we never speak disparagingly of others? Gossiping is one of our favorite pastimes and it is done mostly in the absence of those we criticize. We don’t have the courage to say things to a person's face.
et, as Jesus says, we have no right to pass judgment on anyone because, so much of the time, we simply do not have all the facts nor can we enter into the mind of another person. And, as Jesus says, one of the reasons we knock people down is to lift ourselves up. While we are nitpicking focusing on the trivial failings of others, we are actually trying to cover up our own much more serious shortcomings — of which behind-the-back bitching of others is one. On the other hand, we are often very slow to offer an objective appraisal of another person when asked.          
Let us take an honest look at ourselves and reflect on the content of our conversations with others. It usually says a lot more about ourselves than what we think we are saying about others.
 
Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus said to his disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” Matthew 7:1–3
Sadly, this tendency is far more common than most of us would like to admit. We live in a world in which it is very common to condemn, criticize and judge. This growing secular tendency, in turn, powerfully influences our thinking and actions.
Why is it so easy to judge others? Why is it so easy to see the failures of others, dwell on their sin, point out their weaknesses and speak of their faults to others? Perhaps part of the reason is that many people are not at peace within their own souls. In an unfortunate way, condemning another brings with it a certain twisted satisfaction. But it’s a “satisfaction” that will never satisfy. The desire to condemn, criticize and judge will only grow all the stronger the more these actions are committed. If you struggle with these sins, then listen to the words of Jesus. “Stop judging…”
Oftentimes the person who judges others does not even realize they are judging. This is why our Lord poses the question, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” If that stings even a little bit, then know that our Lord asks that question of you. And He asks it with deep love for you, desiring that you will hear Him, understand, and respond. 
The truth is that being judgmental of others causes far more harm to the one who judges than to the one who is judged. Certainly being judged is not pleasant. But the act of being judged by others is not a sin. However, the act of judging others is a sin. And it can be a grave sin. This sin leaves the one who judges with an empty and angry heart. Love is lost in the soul who judges.
If these words seem unpleasant, that’s because they are. But sometimes we need to face the unpleasant truth in order to change. The Cross was unpleasant, but it was also the greatest act of love ever known. Facing our sin of judgmentalness is unpleasant, but doing so is the only way to be free. Honesty with ourselves is an act of love given to God, to ourselves and to those whom we need to stop judging.
Reflect, today, upon these challenging words from Jesus. Read the Scripture passage above a few times and then prayerfully ponder it. Use it as an examination of your own conscience. Try to be honest, humble and attentive to any ways that Jesus speaks this to you. Some will find that they have grave tendencies toward judgmentalness. Others will see less serious ways. But everyone who lacks complete perfection will find some ways in which they need to be more compassionate, merciful, forgiving and understanding of others. Be open to these truths and allow our Lord to lift the heavy burden of this sin from your own life.
My merciful Lord, You and You alone are the true Judge. Only You judge with mercy and justice. Give me the grace I need to abandon my own self-righteous judgmentalness so that I will be free to love You and to love others with my whole heart. Free me from the burden of these sins, dear Lord, so that I can more easily see Your goodness in others and rejoice in Your presence in their lives. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
12th Week in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me to see myself with true humility. Help me to see my strengths and weaknesses. Help me to know how I have collaborated with your grace and when I have rejected your help.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Three Promises to Abram: The First Reading, taken from Genesis 12, is one of the most important passages in the entire Old Testament. It contains the key to understanding all the events in the Bible from Abraham to Jesus Christ. In sum, God made three promises to Abram. The first was that he would make Abram a great nation. This promise was elevated to a covenant in Genesis 15 and was initially fulfilled under Moses, who brought the nation of Israel out of slavery and to the border of the land of Canaan promised to Abram. The second promise was that Abram’s name would be great. This means that Abram would be the start of a royal dynasty. This promise was also raised to the level of a covenant in Genesis 17. The promise and covenant were initially fulfilled under King David, who was promised an everlasting kingdom. The third promise was that Abram, in some mysterious way, would be a blessing for all nations. This promise was elevated to a covenant in Genesis 22 and was fulfilled in the death of Jesus, who poured out from his side the blessing and forgiveness of the Holy Spirit upon all nations in the New Covenant.
2. The People of the Lord God: When we read the Bible, especially the Old Testament, we often hear how the Lord God chose the people of Israel to be his own. At first glance, this could seem like an arrogant claim. But when we discern how God works, we see that God chooses to work with the humble. God didn’t choose Abraham, Israel, Moses, or Mary because they were the strongest, the most intelligent, or the most powerful on earth. He chose them because they were lowly. Moses was deemed the humblest man on earth. Mary declared that she was the humble maidservant of the Lord. As we pray in today’s Psalm: The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness. The proud do not fear the Lord with filial fear or hope in the Lord. They are full of themselves, self-sufficient, self-righteous, and confident in their own powers. God doesn’t work with the proud of heart. He leaves them in their own hands to fall. By contrast, the humble, those whose souls wait for the Lord, who trust in him to defend them, are those with whom the Lord God can work and do great things.
3. Beams and Splinters: One of the most important lessons from the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ admonition, “Stop judging!” How our lives would be different if we truly practiced this! Jesus is not inviting us to be naïve or to turn a blind eye to evil. But he ardently wants us to recognize that we are not God and are not omniscient. We can barely judge our own hearts; how then can we pretend to judge rightly the hearts and innermost intentions of our brothers and sisters? Jesus wants us to look first to ourselves and remove any wooden beams that prevent us from seeing clearly. Only then are we able to discern the splinter or eyelash – the symbol of a small fault or imperfection – in our brother’s eye. You have probably experienced how good it is to receive counsel from a wise and holy person. Their counsel is truly valuable. They can see clearly with eyes of faith and spirit-infused wisdom. And with them, we can discern the path forward, having removed both beams and splinters.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the innocent one without any beams or splinters in your eye. All things are clear to you, and you know all things. You know my heart and what I need to do to love you and my brothers and sisters more perfectly. Guide me and teach me so that I may help those around me and in my life.
 
12th Week in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord, you know human nature so well! Bless me as I reflect on your words so that I may be a messenger of your mercy, not of judgment.
Encountering Christ:
1.         Stop Judging: Jesus’s command was pretty clear in this passage—in one sense. Rash judgment and criticism of others is a sin, one that can easily become a habitual pattern of mind and speech. It is this tendency Jesus warns us against here. Why is it that, in an emotional encounter, it can be a lot easier to criticize someone than to stay silent or praise them? Jesus said, “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). We need to form our hearts to look at the positive in life’s circumstances! As St. Maximilian Kolbe says, “Do not criticize! To speak only of the faults of others does not represent total reality, for every man, in addition to his faults, also has virtues, a good side.” 
2.         Judging Has Consequences: Did you ever notice that when you smile at a stranger, he or she has a tendency to smile back? A small sliver of heavenly joy has been shared between two souls. Unfortunately, however, when we adopt a critical caustic tone toward others, they tend to respond with the same tone, and no joy has been exchanged. Perhaps blinded by the wooden beam in our own eye, we have closed ourselves off to a sharing of goodness by judging the other. What we fail to notice is the presence of a divine spark in that person. Jesus is there, even if they’re not aware of it. A harsh word spoken against our brother or sister is spoken against Christ.  
3.         Removing His Splinter: Jesus calls us to live virtuous lives (to extract the beam from our own eyes) so that we can prayerfully judge the actions of others. How else are we to remove the splinter from our brother’s eye? Once we have identified the beam in our own eye and realized our complete dependence on God for the grace to reform, we are ready, with great charity, to identify a splinter in another’s eye and strive to help remove it as an act of familial love. 
Conversation with Christ: Lord, over and over again you call me to recognize my sinful nature, the beam in my eye, and turn to you for mercy and forgiveness. Then, full of love and gratitude for the freedom I have been given to live as a child of the Father, humbled not hypocritical, I am prepared to approach others as an extension of your mercy and invite them to turn away from sin. This loving fraternal correction bears no resemblance to criticism or rash judgment that stems from a hardened heart.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will examine myself for “beams” that blind me from seeing your presence in my brother or sister.