Suy Niệm Thứ bẩy Tuần Phục Sinh

 Suy Niệm Thứ bẩy Tuần Phục Sinh

Qua sách Công Vụ Tông đồ, chúng ta thấy các Tông đồ đã quá sợ hãi, và trốn kín trong căn phòng trên lầu mà các cửa đã được khóa kín, họ run sợ những người do thái lùng bắt họ mỗi khi nghe những bước chân đi bên ngoài. Nhưng sau lễ Ngũ Tuần, Họ đã được biến đổi, và bây giờ họ đã ngang nhiên họ cười vào mặt những kẻ bắt nạt họ cho dù cái chết đang đe dọa trước mắt. Sau khi họ bị kéo lê tới trước mặt những nhà chức trách, thầy thượng tế, họ đã được cảnh cáo là phải im miệng và không được rao giảng về Chúa Giêsu đã sống lại nữa, nhưng họ đã phản ứng ngược lại và trả lời rất cứng rắn:” bất cứ điều gì Chúa muốn, chúng tôi làm, và Thiên Chúa muốn chúng tôi phải tiếp tục việc rao giảng của chúng tôi”.

Đôi khi chúng ta có thể bị choáng ngợp với sự sợ hãi, nhưng với ơn thiêng liêng của Chúa Thánh Thần ở trong chúng ta, chúng ta có thể làm bất cứ điều gì và tuân theo thánh ý của Thiên Chúa chính là sức mạnh và niềm vui của chúng ta. Bằng những nỗ lực riêng của mỗi người, chúng ta có thể làm được những việc tối thiểu; nhưng nếu chúng ta biết dựa vào ân sủng của Thiên Chúa, chúng ta có thể làm được bất cứ những gì chúng ta muốn làm theo ý Chúa. Thế giới hôm nay đang cần những chứng nhân biết vui tươi và can đảm. Lạy Chúa, xin ban cho chúng con sự can đảm không bao giờ cạn.

 Saturday of Easter Week Sat 2nd April 2016

The apostles had been broken and terrified men. They cowered behind locked doors, listening in dread for the footsteps of their persecutors. But after Pentecost, it was a different story. They were transformed, and they laughed in the face of bullying and death threats. After being dragged before the authorities, they were warned to keep their mouths shut and not proclaim the risen Jesus again. Their response was simple: whatever God wants, we do, and God wants us to continue our proclamation. Sometimes we can be overwhelmed with fear, but with God’s spirit within us, we can do anything. Strength and joy come from doing the right thing and obeying the will of God.

The original shorter ending of Mark ended abruptly with the women running away and telling no one what they had seen, for they were terrified. It took the appearance of the Lord and his missioning speech to change their hearts and minds. Again, fear was powerful, but God can overcome all and make weak people into courageous witnesses for the faith. Alone and by our own efforts we can do little; with the Lord’s grace, we can do just about anything. The world needs joyful and courageous witnesses.

Lord, grant me unfailing courage.

 

Saturday in Octave Easter Week

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have risen from the dead! I have spent this week in celebration of your Resurrection trying to penetrate this great mystery. Help me in today’s time of prayer to understand that you are really speaking to me, asking me to move, and motivating me to have greater love and passion for you. Let the faith to which you call me penetrate and transform my whole life. 

Encountering Christ:

They Did Not Believe: Mark gave us a quick summary of the events surrounding Jesus’ Resurrection, but he did so in a way that emphasized this hard fact: these disciples, even though they were the ones who had been chosen by Christ and had seen his miracles many times, did not believe the message of the Resurrection. Mary of Magdala was a very credible witness, and the two from Emmaus certainly told the truth, but the other disciples just couldn’t believe. For many reasons, we can also sometimes find it hard to believe in God. In our day, “poor (or nonexistent) catechesis, a fiercely secular culture, public hostility toward Catholicism, traumatic harm or loss, scandal caused by the sins of believers” (On Losing the Faith, David G. Bonagura, Jr., “The Catholic Thing”), or our own sin can darken our intellect and cause us to lose faith. Faith is an infused virtue given by God as a gift, but we must also cultivate it in our lives. If we feel our faith is weak, let us beg the Lord for an increase in faith. The Lord loves to answer this prayer on our behalf. 

Jesus Rebuked Them: When Jesus visited the disciples, he rebuked them for doubting the messengers of his Resurrection. All faith is built essentially on this element of trusting in the witnesses who have shared their belief with us. When we struggle with our faith, we are fortunate to have access to an enormous cloud of witnesses–saints, doctors of the church, faithful family and friends, spiritual directors–to whom we can turn. Let us have the courage to take our doubts or even crises in faith to others who can guide us, advise us, and pray for us while we gather strength from the Holy Spirit to increase in faith. 

They Were Sent: These disciples received a rebuke from Christ for their lack of faith, and in the same instance were sent to preach the Gospel to the whole world. By our Baptism, we too are commissioned to preach the Gospel (CCC 1213)—all of us! Although we are sinners, we are commanded to invite others into the family of Christ. We may be rich or poor, talented or simple, docile or stubborn. It doesn’t matter because there are no exceptions to the call to evangelize. Faith is not a private act. It brings us into a relationship with other believers (who are strengthened by our faith) and all of God’s people who need to hear the message of salvation.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I am slow to believe, like your disciples, and I am slow to go out and speak about you to others. Renew my conviction, renew my fervor, renew my faith in you. Give me the heart of an apostle who is on fire! Give me the bold certainty that you gave your great saints, so I can convince others to believe.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will take a moment to speak with someone about how blessed I am by my faith.

 

Saturday of Easter Week

Opening Prayer: Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in your word. May the truth of your life, death, and Resurrection permeate my identity. May I be rooted in your truth and proclaim your Gospel to every creature in all that I say and do.

Encountering Christ:

Excitement and Urgency: After reading portions of Easter accounts from John, Matthew, and Luke this week, today we hear Mark’s account. It is interesting to compare each of the Gospel writers’ accounts of this story and compare their writing styles, the details they choose to highlight, and the way that each of them proclaims the Resurrection of the Lord. Mark’s account encapsulates the other Gospels’ Resurrection accounts. In a single paragraph, Mark concisely tells how Jesus revealed himself to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18) and how the disciples did not believe her testimony (Luke 24:11). He gives a two-sentence account of the appearance of Christ on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). Finally, we hear how Jesus appeared to the disciples in the upper room (Luke 24:36-49) and sent them into the world with their mission to baptize and proclaim the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20). Mark moves quickly through these events, bringing a sense of excitement and urgency to the Gospel. Do you feel a sense of excitement and urgency when you encounter the Gospel and our shared call to proclaim it to the world?

Christ Our Light: One thing in common with all the Gospel accounts is that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb just before dawn. The darkness had been dispelled, and the light of life had risen (John 8:12). Jesus, the radiant dawn, “comes forth like a bridegroom from his canopy, and like a hero joyfully runs its course. From one end of the heavens it comes forth; its course runs through to the other; nothing escapes its heat” (Psalm 19:5-7). During Advent we pray for the light of Christ to come to us. Now at Easter, we celebrate his glorious light that has been fully revealed. He is the glorified Christ, victorious over sin and death. John proclaimed at the beginning of his Gospel that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). At Easter, Jesus crushed the darkness of death, once for all. This is surely good news worth proclaiming.

Christ Our Hope: Also in common in all four Gospels is the account of the Resurrection. “The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ” (CCC 638). Christ’s mission on earth began in the manger at Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph cared for him until the time of fulfillment was at hand (cf. Mark 1:15). He taught and healed the people until his hour–the hour of our salvation–had come (cf. John 17:1). He suffered, died, was buried, and descended into hell. He defeated death when he rose again on the third day and ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father (Nicene Creed). He did all this for us so that we could have a share of his Resurrection. He did this so we too could rise again, not by our own power, but by and through Christ: “He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself” (Philippians 3:21). In the Eucharist, we are given a foretaste of the Resurrection of our bodies when the glorified, heavenly Body and Blood of Christ are united with our earthly bodies and we become holy temples for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (cf.1 Corinthians 6:19). St. Irenaeus wrote, “Just as bread that comes from the earth, after God's blessing has been invoked upon it, is no longer ordinary bread, but Eucharist, formed of two things, the one earthly and the other heavenly: so too our bodies, which partake of the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, but possess the hope of resurrection.” Christ, our hope, has truly risen! May we confess this truth to every creature, as God commanded.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I truly believe that you came to accomplish this unimaginable truth for all of mankind. You came to teach and heal and to be an example of virtue for us to imitate. Better yet, you came to set us free from sin and death, and you were victorious. Help me to live from this deep truth. Bless me with the confidence I need to fully embrace and live out this truth and proclaim it to all that I encounter. May my life reflect your self-giving love to all.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will share your good news with someone in a genuine, joyful way.

 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bảy Tuần Tuần Bát Nhật Phục Sinh  (Act” 4:13-21 ; Mk. 16:9-1)

            Hành vi Sợ hãi thường có kiểm soát con người và ngăn cản con người chúng ta nói lên sự thật. Sự sợ hãi là một vũ khí rất lợi hại . Các quan chức do thái đã đe dọa Phêrô và các tông đồ và ra lệnh cho họ phải giữ thing lặng về Chúa Giêsu và về việc chữa bệnh mà các tông đổ đã làm vì danh Chúa Gisêsu . Trong thời điểm này các tông đồ có thể tất cả đã rút lui để trỡ về với một cuộc sống yên tĩnh và an bình, nhưng với những điều đó họ khó mà có được một cuộc sống ! Họ không thể giữ im lặng, nhưng niềm vui và hân hoan trong họ thì không thể kiềm chế được . Khi chúng ta đang thực sự tuân theo Thiên Chúa, thì sẽ có một sức mạnh vượt trội hơn nhiều so với bất cứ quyền lực trần thế nào; nhờ đó chúng sẽ lấy mất đi sự sợ hãi của chúng tôi và tăng thêm lòng can đảm và trí tuệ cho chung ta.

Trong một thời gian , sự sợ hãi và nghi ngờ ngăn cản những người theo Chúa Giêsu rao giảng Tin Mừng . Họ chỉ không thể tin được rằng Ngài còn sống. Sự phục sinh đã được không những chỉ là việc khó tin từ thở  đó cũng cho tới bây giờ . Nhưng sau này họ đã có bằng chứng rõ ràng của họ đó là: Chúa Giêsu. Và đó là chìa khóa; chúng ta không thể thuyết phục bất cứ ai về sự phục sinh , trừ khi đó là điều hiển nhiên trong cuộc sống của chúng ta. Chúa Giêsu nói với họ hãy đi  và loan báo tin mừng cho tất cả các tạo vật; và điều đó không có nghĩa là bằng lời nói, nhưng bằng tất cả những hành động và thái độ thường ngày của chúng ta phải đi xa hơn lời nói của chúng ta Chúng ta phải trở thành những người làm bằng chứng sống cho Chúa Phục Sinh mà chúng ta đã ta công bố .  Lạy Chúa, xin đổ đầy trái tim của chúng con  với niềm vui của Chúa Phục Sinh.

 

Sat 26th April 2014 Saturday within Acts 4:13-21;   Mk. 16:9-15  

Fear is often used to control people and to prevent them from speaking the truth. Fear is a very powerful weapon. The authorities threatened Peter and the apostles and ordered them to keep silent about Jesus and about the healing that had been done in his name. At this point they could have all retired to a quiet and peaceful life — but that would not even have been a life! They could not keep silent — the joy and wonder in them just could not be contained. When we are truly obeying God — a power far superior to any earthly power — we lose our fear and are filled with courage and wisdom.

            For a while, fear and doubt prevented the followers of Jesus from proclaiming the Good News. They just could not believe that he was alive. The resurrection was just as difficult to believe then as it is now. But then they had their proof: Jesus himself. And that is the key - we cannot convince anyone of the resurrection unless it is evident in our own lives. Jesus told them to go out and give the joyful news to all creation — and that doesn't necessarily mean by words. Actions and attitudes are often far more eloquent and convincing than words. We must become the living proof for the Risen Lord we proclaim.

            Lord, fill my heart with the joy of the Risen Lord.