Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần 34 Thường Niên

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần 34 Thường Niên

Các Thánh Tử Đạo ViệtNam, cha ông chúng ta đã coi những thứ vật chất của thế này là tất cả là hư không, và sự vinh quang trở của thế giới này đã trở nên vô ích cho những người đặt niềm tin vào con người và tất cả vào những sự phát triển và bành trướng của thế gian này. Biểu tượng của người Kitô hữu chúng ta là những nhành lá cây vạn tuế (Dừa lá) vì cành là này có thể sống tươi lâu dài trong bất cứ ở thời tiết nào và cây này lúc nào cũng thấy như màu xanh lá cây. Cành lá vạn tuế này tượng trưng cho đức tin của chúng ta.

Đức Tin của cha ông chúng ta là các thánh tử đạo VN đã để lại, vì các ngài đã chịu được những sự tấn công của thế tục, một lòng giữ các điều răn của Chúa dù phải chịu những hy sinh, đau khổ và chịu chết, để chịu án phạt của thế gian vì sự công chính. Nhờ đó mà các ngài đã giúp cho chúng ta con cái của các ngài có thể thận trọng để được trưởng thành trong lương tâm và nhờ đó chúng ta có thề hướng đi theo con đường mà mà các Thánh đã mở sẵn cho chúng ta. Chúng ta cần phải chạy thật khỏe với sức mạnh của Chúa Thánh Thần đã ban cho chúng ta trong gìờ phút cuối để chúng ta có thế chiến thắng được những sự cám dỗ của trần thế như cha ông chúng ta là các thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam đã chiến thắng trong giờ sau hết.

Nov 24- Saint Andrew Dung Lac & Companion

The sufferings we undergo are not irrelevant to the witness we give concerning Jesus Christ. We all tend to look beyond a speaker’s words to his actions, his way of life. We ask ourselves if the way he lives lends credibility to his message.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says explicitly that persecutions and imprisonments will lead to our giving testimony. we celebrate the Vietnamese Martyrs today. The Vatican estimates the number of Vietnamese martyrs at between 130,000 and 300,000. Saint John Paul II canonize those whose names are known and unknown, giving them a single feast day.

The Vietnamese Martyrs fall into several groupings, those of the Dominican and Jesuit missionary era of the 17 &18th century and those killed in the politically inspired persecutions of the 19th century.

On Jun 19, 1988 Pope St John Paul 2 Canonized 117 Vietnamese martyrs, this group including 96 Vietnamese, 11 Spanish Dominicans, and 10 French members. And in March, 2000 Pope John Paul II beatified the first Vietnamese martyr, A young Vietnamese named Andrew of Phú Yên.

During the persecution, the tortures of French missionaries underwent are considered by the Vatican to be among the worst in the history of Christian martyrdom. The torturers hacked off limbs joint by joint, tore flesh with red hot thongs, and used drugs to enslave the minds of the victims. Christians at the time were branded on the face with the words Sinister and families and villages which subscribed to Christianity were obliterated.

The first Martyr in Vietnam was Andrew who came from the province of Phú Yên, in Vietnam, no one knew his last name so the church calls him Adrew PhuYen.

He was baptized in 1641 when he was about 15 years old. After a year of further formation, that he became a catechist and dedicated assistant to father Alexander de Rhodes, a Jesuit missionary.

Before the end of July 1644, the King of Vietnam wanted to stop the expansion of Christianity in the land. Father De Rhodes was asked to leave the country

After Fr. De Rhodes left the king’s official sent soldiers to Fr. de Rhodes' house in search of any catechist, but all the catechists had left on a mission. They only found young Andrew at home; They tortured him, beat Him, bound him and transferred him to the Governor's palace.

On 25 July 1644 Andrew was taken to the Mandarin or king’s official, who tried in various ways to make Andrew deny his faith". But he responded that he was a Christian and also a catechist, he can not deny his faith and can not made a bad exemple for those he taught. He said he is ready to undergo any suffering rather than abandoning the law that he professed.

Indignant at Andrew's inflexibility, the Mandarin ordered him to be taken to prison. The young Andrew was so serene and joyous at being able to suffer for Christ.

People who came to see him were asked to pray that God might give him the grace to be faithful to the end and to "respond with fullness of love to the infinite love of his Lord, who gave his life for men, by giving his own life". A day later, Andrew was taken to the Governor's public audience, where he was sentenced to death.

In the afternoon, a captain led Andrew down the to the place of execution, a field outside the city. Father De Rhodes, and many Portuguese and Vietnamese Christians, and even pagans followed the procession and witnessed the killing.

Andrew exhorted the Christians to remain firm in their faith, not to be saddened by his death, and to pray for him so he could be faithful to the end. He was executed with some blows of a lance and, finally, when he was about to be beheaded, he cried out the name of Jesus in a loud voice. Andrew accepted the sacrifice of his life for the faith and love of Christ. He died at 19 years of age.

In March, 2000 Pope John Paul II beatified the first Vietnamese martyr, A young Vietnamese named Andrew of Phú Yên.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần 34 Thường Niên

Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta được mời gọi mạnh dạn đứng lên để làm chứng cho Thiên Chúa. Trong thời đại của chúng ta ngày nay, chúng ta hầu như không còn nghe thấy có những người bị ném vào hầm cho sư tử ăn thịt, hay bị giết vì đức tin vào Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Lịch sử của Giáo hội Việt Nam cho chúng ta biết là rất nhiều người Việt Nam ở trong những thế kỷ từ 17 đến 20 đã phải từ bỏ mạng sống của họ vì thập giá hay vì danh Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Đấy là những vị tử đạo thực sự. Ngày này, những người tử đạo thật sự là những người có lòng tin mạnh mẽ vào sự thật, chân lý và dám đứng lên để bảo vệ cho nền hoà bình và chân lý với lòng dũng cảm và niềm tin, hạnh phúc và hòa bình, họ dám chấp nhận một thực tế phũ phàng cho cuộc sống của họ. Nhiều gia đình có thể bị phân chia vì sự khác biệt về niềm tin, nhưng những người làm chứng cho tình yêu của Thiên Chúa, sẽ đem tình yêu đó chiếu toả đến những người khác với một tình yêu vô vị lợi và không có điều kiện .

Trong thời điểm hiện tại, Làm thế nào chúng ta có thể làm chứng cho tình yêu của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta? Làm bổn phận công dân, đóng thuế một cách đầy đủ. Tham dự thánh lễ ngày Chủ nhật hàng tuần. Hãy tìm hiếu và học hỏi lời Chúa. Hãy tôn trọng sự sống của con người từ lúc mới được thụ thai cho đến khi chết một cách tự nhiên, Không chung sống, “gần gũi” với người khác phá (không quan hệ tình dục) trước khi hôn phối, hoặc dùng thuốc ngừa thai, mặc dù mọi người khác chung quang đang làm điều đó. Mọi người có thể cười và nhạo bắng chúng ta khi chúng ta mặc những bộ quần áo kín đáo, không hở hang như những các cô gái trong thời buổi hôm nay. Hãy vâng lời cha mẹ, thầy cô giáo, các linh mục và những người quyền thế. Tóm tăt là chúng ta hãy cố gắng tuân theo các điều răn của Chúa dạy và yêu thương nhau như Chúa Kitô đã yêu thương chúng ta.

"Lạy Chúa Giêsu Kitô, bởi cái chết của Chúa trên thập tự giá, Chúa đã chuộc tội chúng con và đã cứu chuộc toàn thế giới. Xin Chúa khỏa lấp tâm hồn chúng con với niềm hy vọng để mang lại niềm vui, lòng can đảm, và sự táo bạo để chứng kiến chân lý, sự thật về tình yêu của Chúa đã dành cho những người tội lỗi như chúng con được chiến thắng những quyền lực của tội lỗi, Satan, và sự chết. "

Reflection:

Today's Gospel is inviting us strongly to bear witness to God. In this day and age, we hardly hear of people being fed to the lions or slaughtered because of their faith in Jesus Christ. The history of the primitive church tells us of so many accounts of people who gave up their lives in the name of Jesus Christ. These are the real martyrs. The true kind of martyr who believes strongly in the truth and stands up to it, with courage and faith, happily and peacefully accepting the reality of his/her life. Families may be divided because of differences of beliefs but the one who bears witness to the love of God, radiates this love so much so that he/she can love unconditionally the other person.

How can we be witnesses in this present time to the love of God in our lives? Pay taxes correctly. Go to mass on Sunday. Be studious. Be Pro-life. Say no to pre-marital sex or to drugs even if everyone is doing it. People may laugh at you saying you are too modest in dressing because you are wearing a skirt that is knee-length when all other girls are wearing skirts one foot above the knees. Be obedient to your parents, to the teachers, to the priests and those in authority. In short obey the commandments and love one another as Christ has loved us.

Wednesday 34th Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I believe in you and in your words, even when they are difficult. Open my heart to understand the supernatural meaning of the Gospel. Strengthen me when I am afraid, and give me a love that is stronger than death. Amen.

Encountering Christ:

· Praise in a Fiery Furnace: The sufferings we undergo are not irrelevant to the witness we give concerning Jesus Christ. We all tend to look beyond a speaker’s words to his actions, his way of life. We ask ourselves if the way he lives lends credibility to his message. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says explicitly that persecutions and imprisonments will lead to our giving testimony. The one follows from the other. In Daniel 3, the three young men thrown into the fiery furnace were miraculously preserved, and sang praise to God. “And they walked about in the midst of the flames, singing hymns to God and blessing the Lord.” It is precisely their position of weakness in the midst of persecution that lends their praise of God its authority, causing the Babylonian king to convert.

· Cross That Leads to Life: Christ can exhort us to bear suffering bravely because he first bore it himself. In his Passion he took on the sins of the world and suffered through to the end, his own death. Christ does not demand what we cannot bear, nor what he himself has not already undergone. What’s more, he says that “not a hair on your head will be destroyed,” because he knows that our suffering leads to eternal life. This is again prefigured in the book of Daniel: “And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their mantles were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.”

· Because of My Name: “They will have you led before kings and governors because of my name…You will be hated by all because of my name.” We know that the divine name is eponymous for God himself. When we suffer because of the one we love, the suffering can be transformed into joy. The Apostles gave us this example: “Then the Apostles left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:41-42). Christ wants to give us this supreme freedom that the Apostles had, the freedom we receive when we love ardently.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, into your hands I commend my spirit. You know the obstacles and disappointments I face. You are aware of my setbacks, limitations, and failings. I offer everything to you so that you can transform it into a fount of grace and seeds of eternal life.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will take stock of those things which trouble me or cause me pain and offer them back to you.

2018REFLECTION 

In the first reading we see God in glory praised and worshipped by the heavenly hosts. In the Gospel reading Jesus warns his followers that they would be persecuted and suffer because of their faith in him. But he assures them of his guidance and protection. Jesus speaks of trials and persecutions as an "opportunity to bear witness." At the same time he gives his followers assurance, "Do not worry in advance." In the midst of great difficulties and challenges, Jesus gives us comfort and hope, "Not a hair of your head will perish. Through perseverance you will possess your own selves." Indeed throughout the two millennia since Christ, beginning with the Holy Innocents and the deacon St. Stephen, many have heroically given their lives in witness to their belief and love of Christ and his Church.

Today's chaotic world mirrors Jesus' ominous predictions. Persecution, distrust and hate proliferate among peoples and nations. We live in confusion and uncertainty. Justice and equality are at risk among so many. But we trust in Jesus' words as his followers have done so through two millennia. We continue to look for opportunities to bear witness and stand for truth. We continue to trust in Christ's promise and support. How strong is our faith in Christ? Are we firm in believing in his promise of redemption despite so many trials and dark times? Are we able to persevere through adversity to find ourselves?

Comment: Fr. Manuel COCIÑA Abella (Madrid, Spain)

Through perseverance you will possess your own selves

Today, we pay attention to this short but sharp sentence of our Lord, which sticks into our soul and makes us wonder: why perseverance is so important? why does Jesus tell us our salvation depends upon the exercise of this virtue. Because the disciple is no more than his Master —«you will be hated by all for my name's sake» (Lk 21:17)—, and if the Lord was a sign of contradiction, we, his disciples, must necessarily be one too. The belligerents will get hold of the Kingdom of God, those who fight against the enemies of the soul, those who energetically combat, as St. Josemaria Escriva liked to say, “this most beautiful war of peace and love”, which Christian life consists of. All roses have thorns, and the way to Heaven is not without difficulties and obstacles. This is why, without the cardinal virtue of fortitude, our good intentions would turn out unfruitful. And perseverance is part of fortitude. Perseverance, concretely, drives us to the strength we need to carry our contradictions with joy. Perseverance, in its maximum degree, is accomplished at the Cross. This is why, perseverance confers freedom by granting the possession of oneself through love. Christ's promise is indefectible: «Through perseverance you will possess your own selves!» (Lk 21:19), and this is so because what is saving us is the Cross. It is the strength of love that gives each one of us the patient and joyous acceptance of God's will, when, in a first moment, it upsets —as it happens at the Cross— our poor human will. Only in a first moment, because afterwards, the overflowing energy of perseverance is liberated to help us understand the difficult science of the Cross. This is why, perseverance engenders patience, which goes much beyond simple resignation. Even more so. It has nothing to do with stoical attitudes. Patience decisively contributes to understand that the Cross is, well before pain, essentially love. Our Mother in Heaven, who understood better than anyone else this saving truth, will help us understanding it too.