Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ sáu Tuần thứ 2 Phục Sinh
Trong mùa
Phục Sinh, những bài đọc cho chúng ta xem lại những việc mà của Chúa Giêsu đã
làm và tình yêu của Thiên Chúa đối với nhân loại. Hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu muốn mời
gọi chúng ta cùng chia sẻ sự thương tâm với Ngài "Ta mua ở đâu ra bánh để cho
họ ăn đây?"
Có lẽ chúng
ta cũng giống như thánh Philliphê đang ở trong cái sự suy nghĩ vật chất của thế
gian “Có mua đến hai trăm quan tiền bánh cũng chẳng đủ cho mỗi người một chút”.
Việc Chúa Giêsu đã làm phép lạ hoá bánh ra nhiều không phải là ý định của Chúa
Giêsu, những là mối quan tâm của Ngài đối với những nhu cầu cần thiết tối thiếu
của con người “Họ đã theo ta ba ngày rồi mà chẳng có gì để ăn”. Ngài không để ý
hay quan tâm đến việc mọi người muốn tôn vinh Ngài, Ngài chỉ ra tay hành động để
đáp ứng những nhu cầu cần thiết của con người bằng cả với tình thương yêu chân
tình, chứ không phải là làm để lấy uy tín cá nhân.
Chúng ta hãy suy nghĩ về cậu bé với năm chiếc bánh và hai con cá, có
bao giờ chúng ta dám từ bỏ tất cả những gì mà chúng ta đang có để chia sẽ với
những người khác?. 5 chiếc bánh và hai
con cá có thể giúp cậu ta và gia đình được no đủ trong mấy ngày trước khi về tới
nhà, thế mà cậu không ích kỷ, cậu sẵn sàng chia sẽ những chiếc bánh này với mọi
người cho dù chỉ chẳng là bao. Thế nhưng nhờ 5 chiếc bánh và hai con cá đó mà
Chúa Giêsu đã nuôi sống cả ngàn người.
Có lẽ có
những lúc, chúng ta cũng giống như đám người trong đám đông, chúng ta chạy theo
Chúa Giêsu vì chúng ta được nuôi ăn, và hy vọng sẽ có được một cuộc sống thảnh
thơi thoải mái, nhưng lại quên đi hay cố tình không để ý, hay quan tâm đến những
nhu cầu tâm linh mà Ngài đang dạy cho chúng ta? Chúng ta hãy tự hỏi chính mình là: “Tôi đã yêu
mến Thiên Chúa vì những gì Ngài có thể làm cho gia đình, cho chính bản thân của
chúng tôi? hay là chỉ biết tôi yêu mến
Thiên Chúa vì những sự tốt lành của Ngài đã đem đến cho người khác?
In this Easter season, the readings revisit the total giving of our Lord Jesus
for humankind. This time, the invitation is presented to us "Where shall
we buy bread so that these people may eat?" Do we feel like Phillip, lost
in worldly thinking? Or can we look in the direction of Jesus and see what is
going to happen with a boy with five loaves and two fish, and five thousand
men, not counting the women and children? Probably, the first time we heard the
story we were impressed by the miracle. And probably if there is such a man
today, we also would have done what the crowd had intended: take him and make
him provide all that we want!
But
that was not the intention of Jesus when he multiplied the bread and fish. His
concern was the needs of the people. He was not concerned about how people made
of him when he acted in response to the people's needs. Now look at the boy.
Are we able to give up all that we have to Jesus so that he can meet the needs
of others?
Opening Prayer: Heavenly
Father, I come to you in faith this day, wanting to hear what you are saying to
my heart. Transform my mind and heart to be more like yours.
Encountering
Christ:
Miracles: John set the stage for this miracle, noting, “The
Jewish feast of the Passover was near.” Immediately, we are invited to draw a
correlation between this miracle and the Passover, which Jesus would bring to
fulfillment in his own flesh, and which we continue to live with intensity
during this Easter season. In this sense, the miracle recounted in today’s
passage is eminently Eucharistic. Although we were not among the hungry crowd
delighted by the abundance of fish and bread, our experience may not be so different
from theirs. At Mass, we observe the miracle of an abundance of Eucharistic
bread, broken and distributed by Jesus in the personhood of his priest to the
hungry crowd. “You come to me and unite yourself intimately to me under the
form of nourishment. Your Blood now runs in mine, your soul, Incarnate God,
compenetrates mine, giving courage and support. What miracles! Who would have
ever imagined such!" (St. Maximilian Kolbe).
From Jesus’
Heart: What must have been in
Jesus’ heart, as he looked upon this crowd and knew that his own Passover was
drawing near? Perhaps we could read today’s passage in light of the verses from
John 3, which have been carrying us through this week. Jesus, our light and
love, looked out over the crowd. His heart was moved to pity as he turned to
his apostles, asking them to assist him, inviting them to a deeper faith. He
fed the crowds superabundantly. In return, he sought only to be loved as the
Son of God. This is Jesus who came not to condemn us but to save us. He who gave
us his own flesh to eat: what would he not do for our salvation, for the life
of the world?
Miracle: What began as, “What good are these for so many?” became,
“Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” This miracle
came about because the Apostles trusted in the Lord who asked for their few
resources. When they brought their meager offerings to be blessed by him
(again, this passage foretells of the Eucharist, which Jesus would also take,
bless, break, and give [Matthew 26:26]), those offerings became life-giving to
others. Our Lord delights to work with our poverty to bring about his Kingdom.
Let us take heart, trusting that he will never laugh at the littleness we can
offer, but wishes, rather, to bless it for the life of the world. “Be patient
because the weaknesses of the body are given to us in this world by God for the
salvation of the soul. So they are of great merit when they are borne
patiently” (St. Francis of Assisi).
Conversing with
Christ: Jesus, you accepted
the few resources your Apostles had to offer you and made of that very poverty
something great for the world. In the Eucharist, too, you take what seems an
ordinary piece of bread and make of it your Body and Blood. If you can do this,
then you can make something of my own littleness. Here I am, Jesus; you know me
better than I know myself. I want to be a vehicle of your grace for others.
Work a miracle of new life in me, Risen Jesus.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will strive to make an act of
trust, giving over to you some way in which I feel inadequate so that you can
make of my littleness a vehicle for your grace.
Friday of 2nd Week of Easter
Opening Prayer:
Lord, thank you for this opportunity to sit quietly with
your word. Please bless me and those I love as I pray and seek your holy will.
Encountering Christ:
·
Nobody’s
Perfect: Did Philip fail
Jesus's test by his response, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not
be enough for each of them to have a little”? What about Andrew? Andrew pointed
out the young boy with the loaves and fishes, but added hesitatingly, “...what
good are these for so many?” Neither apostle answered with the faith of Mary
who said “Fiat” (Luke 1:38) and “They have no more wine.” (John 2:3); or the
nobleman who “took Jesus at his word and departed” and his son was cured (John
4:50); or the man with leprosy who said, “If you will it you can make me
clean,” (Mark 1:40); or the two blind men who believed Jesus could cure them
(Matthew 9:28). Was Jesus put off by Philip and Andrew’s timid responses?
Apparently not, because he worked the multiplication of loaves and fishes
anyway, involving them in the distribution and cleanup. We can draw consolation
from this story when we fail to rise to a spiritual challenge. Our Lord doesn’t
demand perfection from us. As long as we stay close to him, Jesus will
continually draw us into the work of the kingdom, in spite of our
weaknesses.
·
Have Them
Recline: Jesus ordered Philip,
Andrew, and the rest of the disciples to “Have the people recline” as he
prepared to work the miracle. What anticipation there must have been among the
apostles and the crowd as Jesus had the loaves and fishes brought before him!
And what joy Jesus must have felt to work a miracle that would prefigure the
Holy Eucharist, feed thousands of people, and edify so many more souls who
would meditate on this Scripture years later. Even more important to Jesus was
the fulfillment of his Father’s will and the glory he brought to his Father by
this miracle. When we are out and about doing the work of the kingdom, we can
appreciate the miracles, large or small, and we relish the consolations, but we
must attribute all the glory to God, in imitation of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
·
No Waste: Jesus ordered the disciples to “Gather the fragments
left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” He could certainly have made
exactly what was required, so why were there leftovers? When Jesus asked that
the broken pieces be collected, was he thinking of the Eucharist? Was he
reminding us that the bread, broken and distributed by priests at altars all
over the world, should be consumed and never wasted? Was he urging us not to
“waste” the superabundant graces we receive there? Let’s recommit ourselves to
reverent reception of the Eucharist, prayerfully anticipating our reception of
the host and celebrating afterward in silent prayer, so as not to “waste” a
single grace from Jesus.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, you fed five thousand men on that hillside. How
many thousands have you fed since then with your Eucharist? Thank you for this
Scriptural prefiguration of the Eucharist. Help me to receive you more
reverently each time I attend Mass and worship you more ardently in Adoration.
Resolution: Lord,
today by your grace I will make a Eucharistic visit, receive the Eucharist at
Mass, or make a spiritual communion with a heart full of gratitude.
Despite having
seen so many wonderful things Jesus had done- healing the sick, expelling
demons, bringing the dead back to life, Philip could not see how five thousand
people could be fed in a deserted place.
Faced with
problems, we often worry much and do not look at possible opportunities. Our
idea of the possible is of course limited by our own experiences in our daily
lives. Philip failed to imagine what the miracle-worker Jesus could do in such
a difficult situation.
Jesus fed five thousand people with five barley loaves and two fish, with twelve baskets filled with left-overs. The miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes looked forward to the daily miracle of the Eucharist; it also showed God's abundant generosity. What miracles do we dare ask God for ourselves?
The feeding of the multitude
manifests how God lovingly provides. With him, we will never be hungry. He
feeds our spiritual and physical needs. He loves us so much that He created the
plants and the animals for our sustenance as well as the people around us to
care for us. Unfortunately, we oftentimes take all these blessings for granted.
Have we not abused our environment? There is too much wastage on the food,
water, power, etc. around as if these resources will never run out. We throw
away things without consideration. Have we ever thought that what we throw out
could be of use to others who could not afford as well we could? Christ himself
set the example of prudence and frugality when he told his disciples to
"gather up the left-over fragments, that nothing may be lost" (Jn
6:12). This only shows how much he values every grain of blessing. What God
provides us is a gift. As a simple gesture of our appreciation and gratefulness
to His gift, we should not put any of it to waste.
Reflection
SG 2016-04-06
For some 2000 years, followers of
Jesus have continued to proclaim His resurrection and that He is Lord of all
and Savior of the world. During that time, with various reasons and excuses,
efforts have continually been made to suppress and silence the witness and
religious practices of Jesus’ followers. It’s no different today, where we
still see and experience discrimination and prejudiced attitudes,
anti-Christian actions of individuals, social groups, governments and states.
Disaffected ‘lapsed’ Christians sometimes add their voices too.
Among ourselves, sometimes we feel
discouraged by all this opposition, perhaps even shaken in our faith by former
Christians who seem to have lost the faith we shared. Have they, and maybe also
ourselves sometimes, forgotten or discounted Jesus’ words that He would always
be with us? Have we forgotten the wise words of a respected community leader
and teacher of the law in Jerusalem?
The religious leaders were
embarrassed, irritated and angered by what Peter and the other apostles were
publicly saying and doing, the ‘disturbance’ they were causing. They wanted to
silence or get rid of them. (So, what is new?) One of the leaders, Gamaliel,
advised caution and at the same time quoted recent similar occurrences. If this
new movement is just a human invention, he said, it will die out by itself. But
if it’s really God’s work, it will survive no matter what action is taken
against it.
Lord, we rejoice in being “Easter
people”, having the risen Lord among us as the rock of our faith.
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