Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Năm tuần thứ 3 Mùa Vọng

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Năm tuần thứ 3 Mùa Vọng

Trong đoạn cuối của bài đọc thứ Nhất hôm nay, Tiên tri Isaiah đại diện cho Thiên Chúa , và thực sự ông đã thừa nhận rằng ông phải bỏ rơi Israel, nhưng chỉ trong "một thời gian ngắn". Và sau đó, Thiên Chủa sẽ đến vả an ủi họ với một lời hứa mới “nhưng vì lòng thương xót vô bờ, ta sẽ đón người về tai hợp" (Is 65:7)

Tên của Isaiah có nghĩa là "Thiên Chúa là sự cứu rỗi", và sự mặc khải gồm chứa trong cái tên là một đặc điểm nhân cách của mình. Ông dạy rõ ràng rằng Đức Chúa Trời sẽ không cứu chúng ta bằng vũ lực và bạo hành, những lại là bằng sự đau khổ, sự đau khổ của một "người Tôi Tớ" rất đặc biệt. Chúng ta tin rằng ngưòi tôi tớ này chính là Chúa Giêsu, và vì vậy, khi chúng ta chuẩn bị cử hành mầu nhiệm cao cả và linh thiêng trong ân sủng của Chúa Giêsu giáng sinh, chúng ta hãy lắng nghe với tâm hồn thống hốio, cùng với niềm hy vọng mà tiên tri Isaia đã tìm cách để mang đến và làm sống lại trong trái tim của chúng ta.

Chúng ta hãy học và hiểu rõ trong sự kiên trì và nhẫn nại là Thiên Chúa không cứu chúng ta thoát khỏi những sự khổ đau nhưng qua sự đau khổ đó mà chúng ta hãy cố tìm thấy sự an ủi dịu dàng của Thiên Chúa, ngay cả những khi mà tội ác đã tấn công thế giới của chúng ta với rất nhiều những sự khổ đau.

Lạy Chúa, khi chúng ta cảm thấy cô đơn và bị bỏ quên, xin ban cho chúng con những niềm hy vọng lớn lao, với sự bảo vệ trọn vẹn, Xin Chúa luôn nhớ dẫn đưa chúng con trở về trong bàn tay thương êu của Chúa.

Reflection-Is. 45:6-8,18,21-26, Ps. 85(84):9-14, Lk. 7:19-23

Toward the end of this passage from Isaiah, the prophet represents God as admitting that he had indeed abandoned Israel, but affirms that this abandonment was only “for a brief moment”. Then there follows the consolation of a great divine promise: “with great tenderness, I will take you back”. Isaiah’s name means “The Lord is salvation”, and the vision contained in the name was a characteristic of his personality. He taught clearly that God would not save us by means of force and violence, but rather through suffering, the suffering of a very special “Servant”. We believe this Servant to be Jesus, and so, as we prepare to celebrate the great mystery and grace of Jesus’ birth, let us listen with an attentive heart to the hope which Isaiah seeks to bring alive in our heart.

Let us understand with great patience that God does not save us from suffering but through suffering let us try to find God’s consoling tenderness even in the middle of the great evil that afflicts our world with so much suffering.

Lord, when we feel desolate and abandoned, fill us with the great hope that, with great tenderness, You will always truly take us back to yourself.

Thursday 12- 16, 3rd Week of Advent

Opening Prayer: Lord, may I always acknowledge your righteousness and accept the plans you have for me. Please do not allow me to be blinded by the lures and charms of this world. Keep my focus on you. Thank you for the gift of this new day and this time for reflection with you. Slow me down and let me rest in the assurance of your love.

Encountering Christ:

1. His Righteousness: Today’s first reading ends with this promise from God: “Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, my love shall never leave you” (Isaiah 54:10). God’s love for each and every one of us is unshakeable. His plans are perfect. To “acknowledge his righteousness,” the people in the crowds had to give him the proper place in their lives. They had to acknowledge him as their Lord, Savior, and Messiah. Today we are offered the same choice. Do we make an act of faith each and every day, acknowledging Jesus as Our Lord and the author of our lives? Or do we turn away as the Pharisees and scholars did, convinced of the excellence of our own plans, the importance of our work, and the superiority of our intellect?

2. Rejoicing or Rejection? Today’s responsorial psalm extols God’s saving love: “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.” In the Gospel we see the crowds, hungering for meaning, purpose, and salvation. They followed John, and their searching led them to the Messiah. They rejoiced at what they had found. In stark contrast, the Pharisees and scholars rejected what they saw. Their narrow worldview and hard hearts didn’t allow them to see the reality in front of them. We are all constantly striving and seeking to achieve our goals, to find true happiness. In the busyness of life we can get caught up in our to-do lists or our perfectionism and miss what is right before our eyes. God’s love and mercy are constant. We only have to stop and invite him in.

3. The Deepest Longings: Jesus asked the people what exactly they were looking for. As he pointed out, they did not go to see John because he was weak or uninspiring. They didn’t rush to see him because he was wealthy or handsomely garbed. They went out into the desert to see him because he spoke words of hope and salvation. As John foretold, Jesus speaks the words that fulfill the deepest longings of our hearts. We all want to be loved, to feel that our lives have meaning and purpose. We know that the “handsome garments” of this world, as lovely and enjoyable as they may be, will not fulfill this deep need in our hearts. Jesus reassures us that what we seek is available to us. In his Kingdom, each and every one of us is equally cherished and loved by the Father. Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel–“among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he”–imply and confirm his great and personal love for each of us. We are all equals in the love of our Father, who has a beautiful and perfect plan for every human being. It is up to us whether or not we invite him into the daily work, struggles, sufferings, and joys of our lives.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, I give you thanks for this time with you. Let me savor the implicit meaning of today’s Gospel. When you say that the least person in the Kingdom is greater than John, you are revealing just how special I am to you. Let me rest in the assurance of your deep and abiding love for me.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will reflect on the words of Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord; plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).