THE SECOND DAY OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR - Honoring Ancestors, Grandparents, Parents - (Matthew 15:1-6)
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
FIRST READING - Sir 44:1, 10-15
"I will now praise the godly, our ancestors, in their own time."
A reading from the Book of Sirach
1 I will now praise the godly,
our ancestors, in their own time,[b]
10 Yet these also were godly;
their virtues have not been forgotten.
11 Their wealth remains in their families,
their heritage with their descendants.
12 Through God’s covenant their family endures,
and their offspring for their sake.
13 And for all time their progeny will endure,
their glory will never be blotted out;
14 Their bodies are buried in peace,
but their name lives on and on.
15 At gatherings their wisdom is retold,
and the assembly proclaims their praises.
SECOND READING - Eph 6:1-4, 18-23
"Honor your father and mother, that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on earth"
Bài trích thư của thánh Phao-lô tông đồ gửi tín hữu Ê-phê-xô.
1 Children, obey your parents [in the Lord], for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise, 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on earth.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.
18 With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones 19 and also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.
[a] 21 So that you also may have news of me and of what I am doing, Tychicus, my beloved brother and trustworthy minister in the Lord, will tell you everything. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us and that he may encourage your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mt 15:1-6
"Honor your father and your mother."
✠From the Gospel according to Matthew
.[a] 1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?[b] They do not wash [their] hands when they eat a meal.” 3 He said to them in reply, “And why do you break the commandment of God[c] for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother shall die.’ 5 [d]But you say, ‘Whoever says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is dedicated to God,” 6 need not honor his father.’ You have nullified the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
THE SECOND DAY OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR - Honoring Ancestors, Grandparents, Parents - (Matthew 15:1-6)
Dear people of God,
In today’s Word of God, God the Father instructs all humanity to have a life of intimate union with Him so that we may listen to the Word of His commands.
The word God given to us on this second day of the Lunar New Year is: always have a heart of gratitude and filial piety toward ancestors and all our deceased loved ones that have gone before us, for they are the images of the instruments that God bestowed upon humanity in this earthly life.
If there were no ancestors and those who came before us, humanity today would be unable to build the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven right here on earth.
God the Father desires that humanity honor the merits of our ancestors for giving us life and the nurturing and upbringing they provided. It is they whom God the Father sent to cooperate with Him in the building of the entire universe, particularly in the work of procreation, so that there will be numerous children of humankind across the face of the earth.
God the Father calls upon humanity in today’s modern world to listen to His word: that is, to venerate and love those who gave us birth, for they are God’s stewards; they are the ones created by God to bring us into existence today.
This is an act of righteousness, a duty of filial piety, and an expression of gratitude from the children of men toward our ancestors.
God the Father does not teach humanity to be disrespectful or ungrateful toward those around us, especially toward those who have gone before us.
As in today’s Word of God, once a person has said that an offering has been dedicated to God the Father, then there is nothing left to be offered to parents.
That is an act of filial impiety, a human act of failure to fulfill God's commandment: that we must love our parents and ancestors who have gone before us.
We must live realistically, yet on the condition that we come to God first, then to our ancestors.
That is the right and just way for a person living in this world who desires to please God the Father: to always live in harmony, joy, and mutual love; especially, to have a heart of gratitude toward our ancestors; yet above all things, to be grateful to God.
God desires that all of humanity, on the second day of the Lunar New Year, remember our ancestors, especially for the souls of the deceased.
Each person should make sacrifices so that we can act according to God's teachings; so, through that, God will use our sacrifices to bestow the grace and blessing of salvation to the souls in purgatory.
As for our ancestors who are still living, let us always seek reconciliation and live in love, forgiveness, humility, and self-abasement before them, while treating them with respect, sincerity, and gratitude. These are the teachings that God the Father imparts to humanity in today's world: we must have the heart of fearing God the Father above all things, be grateful to all those who have given birth to us, and listen to God’s word and put it into practice.
God the Father does not desire humanity to live in disobedience to Him; nor does He want us to be ungrateful or to fail in honoring the ancestors who gave us life, for such things are not pleasing to God the Father.
God the Father desires everyone to remember that it is because of God that our ancestors exist, and because of our ancestors, we were born, and now we find happiness, and live in this world.
Therefore, today's Word of God calls upon everyone:
First and foremost, let us come to God to give Him thanks for granting us life on this earth.
-thereafter, let us be grateful to and honor our ancestors, for it was they who sacrificed and cooperated with God so that we could be born into this world.
To please God and our ancestors, each person living right here in this world should listen to and obediently follow God’s holy will.
Do not live in sinful passions anymore, and do not be concerned with seeking worldly material wealth while neglecting God the Father’s work.
Strive to seek the Kingdom of God, and strive to live each day, every second, and every minute pleasing to God the Father right here on earth.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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