Friday January 1 2021): Suy Niệm: Luca 2:16-21 (Lễ Mẹ là Mẹ Thiên Chúa.)

 Friday January 1 2021): Suy Niệm: Luca 2:16-21 (Lễ Mẹ là Mẹ Thiên Chúa.) 

Hôm nay chúng ta Mừng lễ Mẹ là mẹ Thiên Chúa, Khi tưởng nhớ đến Đức Maria là chúng ta ghi nhớ đến những hồng ân của Thiên Chúa , Vì Thiên Chúa đã làm biết bao việc kỳ diệu tuyệt vời cho những con người thấp hèn, khiêm tốn, với tấm lòng đơn sơ. Vậy hôm nay chúng ta mừng lễ Đức Mẹ là Mẹ Thiên Chúa. Chúng ta cần phải tự hỏi: Làm thế nào mà Đức Maria nhận được một vinh dự như vậy? Trong thư Thánh Phaolô gửi tín hữu Galatians đã hé mở cho chúng ta thấy. Như chúng ta đã được biết, "Thiên Chúa đã sai Con một của Ngài xuống thế gian và được sinh ra bởi một người nữ, theo quy định của luật định thế gian ..." Không có gì đặc biệt về "người nữ." Nhưng đấy không phải là cái nhìn sâu sắc quan trọng vào các ân sủng của Thiên Chúa với Mẹ Maria và mỗi người chúng ta? Thiên Chúa thực hiện việc làm của Ngài qua con người bình thường đơn sơ của thế gian này để biểu sự hiện kỳ diệu của Ngài. Qua cuộc sống đầy đức tin đơn sơ của Mẹ Maria đã có, mỗi người chúng ta, hãy chia sẻ và hy vọng trong vinh quang. Khi chúng ta chào hỏi nhau "Happy New Year!" Giáo Hội Mẹ đòi hỏi chúng ta tôn vinh Mẹ Thiên Chúa. Một trong nhiều lý do tốt để tôn vinh Mẹ Maria hôm nay là chúng ta rất vui mừng hồ hởi bởi vì chúng ta đang bắt đầu một năm mới của cuộc sống, Và ai là người xứng đáng được gọi là Mẹ của sự sống hơn là Mẹ Thiên Chúa? Mẹ Maria đã cho Chúa Giêsu môt cuộc sống con người bình thường, như Chúa Giêsu nói: "Ta đến để họ (con người) có thể có sự sống, và có nmột cuộc sống thật đầy đủ" Một cuộc sống thể chất tốt đẹp, thì sẽ có một cuộc sống tinh thần tốt đẹp hơn, đó là điều sẽ làm cho mọi người chúng ta đưọc hạnh phúc trong năm mới này! God bless you in the coming new year.

REFLECTION : Luke 2:16-21
To remember Mary is to remember the God of grace, who does great things for the lowly, the humble, and the simple-hearted. Yet today we proclaim Mary as the Mother of God. We need to ask ourselves: How did Mary get such an honor? St. Paul's letter to the Galatians provides a clue. We are told, "God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law..." Nothing very special about "the woman." But isn't that the key insight into God's ways of grace with Mary and each of us? God works through the simple ordinary people of the world to manifest his wonders. Through the simple faith-filled life of Mary we have, each of us, a share in and a hope of glory. As we greet one another "Happy New Year!" Mother Church asks us to honor the Mother of God. One of the many good reasons for honoring Mary today is that we are happy because we are beginning a new year of life. And who deserves to be called the Mother of Life more than the Mother of God? She gave human life to Jesus who said: "I came that they may have life, and have it to the fullest." A better physical life, a better spiritual life - that will make everyone happy in this NEW YEAR!

REFLECTION
January first used to be celebrated as the Octave Day of Christmas and the
Circumcision and Naming of Jesus. The celebration has been changed to the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God., the principal and most important title and role of the Blessed Virgin Mary. "Mother of God" is the literal translation of Mater Dei in Latin and Theotokos in Greek, the "Bearer of God," which was defined at the Council of Ephesus in 431.
The Gospel reading still celebrates the circumcision and naming of Jesus in accordance with Jewish law and custom: truly God, he was also truly man and subjected himself to all the usual conventions and practices of man, except that he was sinless. Made man through Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is the redeemer of the world.
Celebrating Jesus and Mary at the beginning of each year, we are reminded to dedicate the whole year to the Lord, realizing that each one of us in our own and specific way is tasked to be a "bearer of God." We are tasked to bring Christ to everyone and to everything in our lives, to our families, friends and work associates, to those who have lost their longing for God, to those who have been alienated from God -that each one of them may find and recognize God's presence in the world.
Through this celebration the Church challenges and encourages us to pray for the Lord's Holy Spirit to enable us to be earnest bearers of goodness, hope and love, bearers of Christ to one another. May Mary, Mother of God and our blessed Mother, who pondered all these mysteries in her heart, inspire and guide us today and throughout the coming year.

Opening Prayer:

 Holy Spirit, through this prayer lead my soul to a deeper faith, a stronger hope, and a more passionate love for God and others. Strengthen my faith through the example of Mary, mother of Jesus and my mother, so I can live my life helping to bring Jesus to the world like she did.

Encountering Christ:
1. The Light of Faith: After the Annunciation, the Gospel tells us that the angel departed from Mary (Luke 1:38). The angel had not explained how every detail of Jesus’s birth would happen, how Joseph would finally take her into his home, how they would have to travel to Bethlehem for the census. Like all of us, Mary had to hold on in faith to the promise. She had to trust God although she did not know the specifics. Mary must have been consoled when the shepherds arrived at the manger and shared the story about the angels appearing to them. Their visit was a confirmation that everything was happening according to God’s plan. At times we can feel like our faith gives us just enough light to take the next step. We can be consoled and grateful when Our Lord sends little confirmations to encourage us along the journey.
2. Mary’s Heart: “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Mary knew how to make a prayer of her life. She had learned that she could discover the hand of God in everything, and she knew that the story of salvation was unraveling before her eyes. She was awed before the mystery, the baby she was holding in her arms. Being always open and receptive to the life of God within her prepared her for the mission of being the Mother of God. In our life, God is also speaking constantly through our circumstances. Our own stories of salvation are being unraveled every day. Blessed Mother, pray that we are receptive and open!
3. The Shepherds: Mary noticed how the shepherds were poor and simple, not wealthy or powerful. But that might have not surprised her, since she knew how God had chosen her, how he had looked at her lowliness (Luke 1:46), and through her sought to establish a kingdom with no end (Luke 1:33). Mary did not hesitate to humbly share in the joy of salvation with those shepherds. She opened her heart to glorify God with them. Let us look at the example of Mary, Mother of God and our mother, and learn to humble ourselves, opening our hearts to love all people unconditionally, expecting that God will do amazing things through us for his glory.

Conversing with Christ:

 Lord Jesus, thank you for becoming a man like us. Thank you for the gift of your mother. Help me to learn from her so I can also bring you to today’s world and share your love as she did.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I want to find some time to pray a rosary or a decade of the rosary to ask Mary, your mother and my mother, to help me live my faith as she lived it.