Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ Nhất Thường Niên

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ Nhất Thường Niên Mark 1:14-20

Chúa Giêsu đã chịu phép Rửa, Chúa Cha đã xác nhận sứ mệnh của Ngài, và bây giờ Ngài bắt đầu giảng dạy về Nước Thiên Chúa. Trong đoạn Tin Mừng hôm nay đã mô tả việc Chúa Giêsu kêu gọi các môn đệ đầu tiên. Chúa Giê-su đã có sức quyến rũ qua những rao giảng và mời gọi của Ngài mà các ông Simon và Andrew, James và John, con trai của Zebedee có sự cảm hứng, ngay lập tức rời bỏ công việc đang dở dang và bỏ cha mình và đi theo Chúa.

Chữ “ngay lập tức” thì vô cùng quan trọng. Theo lời tường thuật trong Tin Mừng Thánh Gioan, bốn người họ đã gặp Chúa Giêsu. Tuy nhiên, theo thánh Macô kể lại thì cuộc gặp gỡ đặc biệt của 4 môn đệ này với Chúa Giêsu, Ngài đã kêu gọi họ đi theo Ngài trong một cuộc gặp gỡ thật khác thường và bất ngờ họ sẵn sàng rời bỏ mọi thứ để theo Chúa ngay lập tức. Họ không ngần ngại suy tính lợi hại, Họ không nghĩ về tương lai hay quá khứ. Họ chỉ biết vâng phục và chấp nhận mọi rủi ro và sự mong muốn bất ngờ này đã mang lại cho họ sự thỏa mãn trái tim của họ.

Có một sự khác biệt rất lớn giữa việc biết về Chúa Giêsu và gặp gỡ Người. Có thể khi chúng ta được rửa tội khi còn nhỏ, hoặc khi đã trưởng thành mới đáp lại món quà đức tin của Chúa, chúng ta đã biết về Chúa Giêsu. Tin Mừng hôm nay kêu gọi chúng ta đến với một cuộc gặp gỡ thân mật hơn với Chúa Giêsu là Chúa và Cứu Chúa của chúng ta. Lạy Chúa Giêsu, xin ban cho con có được đặc ân là có được một cuộc gặp gỡ sâu sắc, cá nhân với Ngài và làm thay đổi cuộc sống của chúng con.

Monday 1st week of Ordinary Time

Jesus has been baptized, the Father has confirmed his mission and now he starts to teach about the Kingdom of God. As a teacher, he began to gather disciples who would participate in his mission.

Today’s passage from Mark’s Gospel describes the calling of the first disciples. Jesus used words of invitation, which were so inspired and so strong that Simon and Andrew, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, immediately left their works and followed him.

The word immediately is extremely important. According to the account in St John’s Gospel, the four of them had already encountered Jesus. However, Mark tells of a special encounter with Jesus, who called them to follow him. This encounter was so unusual and so deep that they were ready to leave everything in order to follow him, immediately. They did not think about the future or the past. They just took a risk and yielded to this sudden desire, which fulfilled their hearts.

There is a huge difference between knowing about Jesus and meeting him. Baptized as children perhaps, or as adults responding to God’s gift of faith, we have learned about Jesus. The Gospel calls us to a more intimate encounter with Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

Jesus, grant me the grace of a deep, personal, and life-changing encounter with You.

Monday 1st week of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer: Lord, quiet my mind. Help me to take a step back from my anxieties, cares, and worries and just rest quietly with you. I long to follow you and answer your call. Please give me the grace to do so today.

Encountering Christ:

· John Arrested: John was enormously popular and regarded as a prophet. He publicly criticized King Herod for taking his own sister-in-law from his brother Philip and making her his wife. Herod was fascinated and confused by John the Baptist. His confusion was a result of hearing the truth but not wanting to make any changes in his life. When Herod arrested John, we can only imagine the impact that made on the crowds who revered John and had witnessed the amazing events surrounding the Baptism of Jesus. It was a period of growing uncertainty and political unrest. However, instead of being fearful or cautious, Jesus boldly used this moment to proclaim the time of fulfillment and the coming of the Kingdom of God. Nothing ever kept Jesus from speaking Truth. By his example, we are encouraged to put aside all fears of reaching out to others with Christ’s love.

· The Fishermen: Jesus called two sets of busy working men, Simon (Peter) and Andrew, and the brothers James and John, to abandon the tools of their livelihood and follow him. This is one of many times in Scripture where we see God call working people as they went about the business of their lives. Whether they were working the fields, fishing, or tending a flock, they were asked to abandon these tasks and answer his call. And so often, those called by God were simple folk, not particularly well-equipped for missionary activity. This certainly highlights the divine nature of the call. Only by the power of God can we fulfill our unique calling. “The Holy Spirit is the protagonist, ‘the principal agent of the whole of the Church's mission” (CCC 852).

· They Left Their Nets: How many pivotal times in the Bible we see God counting on a human “yes!” Moses agreed to confront Pharaoh, David accepted the call to defeat Goliath and become king. Most profoundly, Mary’s fiat brought the Messiah into the world. Here we see four more “yes” responses to the call of the Spirit. Why does our all-powerful God seek a “yes” from human beings? Our “yes” to God is an expression of our free will, a gift God gave each of us so as to unite ourselves to him in love. “By free will, [man] is capable of directing himself toward his true good. He finds his perfection ‘in seeking and loving what is true and good’” (CCC 1704). Every call is an invitation to love God more perfectly, and through him to love others.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I may not be called to be one of the Apostles, to be a king, or to be a famous follower of yours. I know that you are calling me to follow you nonetheless. I know that you are strong even though I am weak. Help me to trust in your strength. Today, as I ponder on this particular Gospel, I ask that you make me open to your call for my life. Grant me wisdom and a servant’s heart as I follow you.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will say a decade of the rosary, praying to discern more deeply God’s call in my life.

REFLECTION

Christ's call to conversion exempts no one. All of us stand in need of turning more and more away from selfishness and laziness, from pride and stubbornness, or from greed and possessiveness. Who of us can say that we have no sins of omission to repent of? Sins like neglecting hospitality and courtesy, failing to return something borrowed, to say thanks for a favor, or avoiding responsibility and prayer. But turning away from sin is only half the conversion process.

The other half is to turn towards something better to bring us closer to God. The easiest way to root out a bad habit is to replace it with a good one, like developing discipline to displace our irresponsibility, sharing more to stem our selfishness, or taking time to pray to cut down on our television viewing. To believe in the good news challenges us to get involved in a good cause, like the war on poverty, or fighting injustice and corruption in all its forms. It certainly does take courage to change, whether personally in our battle with something like alcohol, or socially in our struggle with something like injustice. But change is possible. For some of us, change is a must if we are ever going to hear the good news and walk the path that leads to goodness. Moreover, according to our Lord, the time is now, not later. The kingdom is here, not some place else. Like the four disciples called in the Gospel, we need to have the urgency to act at once, before it is too late.