Suy Niệm Thứ Bẩy tuần 3 Phục Sinh

 Suy Niệm Thứ Bẩy tuần 3 Phục Sinh

Hôm nay chúng tiếp tục Mừng của Thánh Gioan hôm thứ Năm và hôm qua với câu Chúa Giêsu nó "chính là Ta là Bánh hằng sống bởi trời xuống! Ai ăn bánh này, thì sẽ được sống đời đời. Và bánh Ta sẽ ban, ấy là thịt mình Ta vì sự sống thế gian"(Jn 06:51), . Và cũng vì những lời này mà một số môn đệ của Ngài đã bỏ Ngài ra đi vì họ thấy khó có thể chấp nhận?

Tại sao những người môn đệ này lại cảm thấy nó khó để chấp nhận những lời của Chúa Giêsu? Có lẽ rất nhiều người đã bị con mắt thế gian che dậy, cộng với cái long tự cao vì họ biết Chúa Giêsu là con của một người thợ mộc quê mùa. Và trong thâm tâm của họ, họ vẫn còn có những ham muốn riêng của họ về sự vật thế gian và không nhận ra bản tính Thiên Chúa của Chúa Giêsu,  Con Thiên Chúa đã nhập thể làm người. Trong Matthew câu 22 đoạn 14, viết Chúa Giêsu nói: "Nhiều người được gọi, nhưng ít người được chọn." Nhiều người được mời đến vương quốc của Thiên Chúa, nhưng chỉ có một số ít người nhận ra Chúa Giêsu là Chúa và là đấng Cứu Chúa Thế của họ, và họ là những người sẽ được chọn để vào nước Trời.\

Thế nào là để chấp nhận Chúa Giêsu? Để chấp nhận Chúa Giêsu có nghĩa là chúng ta phải biết đáp lại lời kêu gọi của Ngài, Có nghĩa là chúng ta thật sự tham gia tích cực với Ngài trong cuộc khổ nạn của Ngài trong bất cứ mọi kể giá. Sứ mệnh của chúng ta là trở thành những người tông đồ để loan truyền Lởi của Chúa cho tất cả những người vẫn chưa được nghe và biết đến Chúa,  để gieo những hạt giống và để đem ân sủng của Thiên Chúa tới với mọi người và giúp làm cho Lời của Chúa được sinh sôi và lớn lên trong trái tim của họ cho đến khi Lời Chúa được nở rộ trong họ. Nhiệm vụ của chúng ta không phải là chỉ tìm đến vương quốc của Thiên Chúa một mình, nhưng là để mang lại càng nhiều linh hồn cùng đến tới Thiên Chúna với chúng ta.

        Chúng ta có trung tín theo đuổi sứ mệnh của chúng ta để theo Chúa Giêsu? hay là chúng ta đang mang những linh hồn khác lánh xa Thiên Chúa và Nước Trời bằng những lời nói khích bác, bằng sự chia rẽ và bằng lối sống ích kỷ của chúng ta? Hay là chúng ta đã chọn việc bỏ Chúa giống như một số các môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu đã làm trong đoạn Tin Mừng hôm nay vì chúng ta chưa sẵn sàng vác thập giá của chúng ta và theo Chúa?                                                                                                                  

Reflection Saturday 3rd week of Easter

What is it that some of the disciples find hard to accept? In John 6:51, Jesus says, "I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh and I will give it for the life of the world."

Why did they find it hard to accept the words of Jesus? There were many who got stuck with knowing Jesus as the son of a carpenter. Their hearts were still hardened by their own desires of worldly things and didn't recognize the divine nature of Jesus, that he is the Son of God incarnate. In Matthew 22:14, Jesus said, "Many are called, but few are chosen." Many are invited to the kingdom of heaven, but only those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be chosen to enter the kingdom.

What does it mean to accept Jesus? It means that we respond to his call, that we take active participation in his passion regardless of the price. Our mission is to be apostles who will spread the word of God to all those who haven't heard it yet, to plant the seed and let God's grace grow in their hearts until it reaches full bloom. Our mission is not to go to God's kingdom alone, but to bring as many souls with us.

Have we been faithful in pursuing our mission, or have we brought souls farther away from God and from His kingdom with our worldliness, our selfishness? Or have we chosen to walk away like many of the disciples did during Jesus' time because we are not ready to take up our cross and follow him?

 

Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” John 6:66–67

Today’s Gospel concludes the beautiful and profound sermon on the Bread of Life (see John 6:22–71). When you read this sermon from beginning to end, it is noticeable that Jesus moves from more general statements about the Bread of Life that are easier to accept to more specific statements that are challenging. He concludes His teaching just prior to today’s Gospel by saying very directly, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” After Jesus said this, many who had been listening to Him left Him and no longer followed Him.

There are generally three common attitudes people have toward the Most Holy Eucharist. One attitude is that of profound faith. Another is that of indifference. And a third is what we find in today’s Gospel: disbelief. Those who walked away from Jesus in today’s Gospel did so because they said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” What a great statement and question to ponder.

It is true, in a certain way, that the teaching of Jesus on the Most Holy Eucharist is a hard saying. “Hard,” however, is not bad. It’s hard in the sense that belief in the Eucharist is only possible through a faith that comes from a deep interior revelation from God. In the case of those who walked away from Jesus, they heard His teaching, but their hearts were closed to the gift of faith. They remained stuck on a purely intellectual level, and, thus, the idea of eating the Flesh and Blood of the Son of God was more than they could comprehend. So who could accept such a statement? Only those who listen to our Lord as He speaks to them interiorly. It is only that interior conviction that comes from God that can be proof of the truthfulness of the Holy Eucharist.

Do you believe that when you consume that which appears to be only “bread and wine,” you are actually consuming Christ Himself? Do you understand this teaching of our Lord on the Bread of Life? It is a hard saying and a difficult teaching, which is why it must be taken very seriously. For those who do not flat out reject this teaching, there is also the temptation to be somewhat indifferent to the teaching. It can easily be misunderstood to be just symbolism in the way our Lord talks. But the symbolism is much more than just symbolism. It’s a profound, challenging, and life-changing teaching of how we share in the divine and eternal life our Lord wishes to bestow upon us.

Reflect, today, upon how deeply you believe this hard saying of Jesus. The fact that it is a “hard” saying should make you seriously examine your own faith or lack thereof. What Jesus teaches is life-changing. It’s life-giving. And when clearly understood, you will be challenged to either believe with your whole heart or turn away in disbelief. Allow yourself to believe in the Most Holy Eucharist with your whole heart and you will find that you are believing one of the most profound Mysteries of Faith.

My glorious Lord, Your teaching on the Most Holy Eucharist is beyond human comprehension. It is a mystery so deep that we will never fully understand this precious gift. Open my eyes, dear Lord, and speak to my mind so that I may listen to Your words and respond with the deepest faith. Jesus, I trust in You.

Saturday 3rd week of Easter 2023

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, I unite myself to you today in prayer. I come to you thirsty for your truth, hungry for your mercy. I ask you to quench the thirst of my soul through the light of your revealed word and to satisfy my hunger with the gift of your forgiveness, mercy, and love.  

Encountering Christ: 

1. “No One Can Come to Me Unless It Is Granted Him by My Father”: The Father gave Christ to us through the Incarnation, so that Christ’s life and sacrifice can become an ongoing source of spiritual renewal for us. The Father’s gift of faith enables us to heed not only the voice of Jesus but to follow him, to suffer for him, and to accept the extraordinary invitation to “eat his flesh and drink his blood.” The Father has given us everything we need to come to Christ. He asks only that we open our hearts to accept the gift of his Son.

2. “To Whom Shall We Go?”: Jesus had just proclaimed that his flesh was food and his blood was drink, and he knew these words were shocking to the ears of disciples who had not yet received the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Truly, many were so scandalized they lost their faith in Jesus and “returned to their former way of life.” But not Peter and his close friends. What fortitude! What faithfulness! What love they showed! We know that sometimes following Christ can make us uncomfortable. We stand alone in a crowd. We endure the murmuring of others. We feel like quitting. In those moments when our faith feels wobbly, may we have the grace of Peter to pray with all humility, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” 

3. Faith and Conviction: “We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” Notice Peter did not say to Christ, “We believe,” but, “We have come to believe.” Perhaps he was implying that these words of Jesus challenged even the faith of the apostles. Over their three years of close association with Christ, the apostles had matured in faith. Christ had taught them to think spiritually, step by step. Our spirits long to share the mind of Christ, to see and understand the spiritual realities of our world. Are we willing to accompany Christ closely? Are we willing to allow ourselves to be taught by Him, even when we are confused for the moment by what we learn? 

Conversing with Christ: Lord, when so many leave and abandon you, I desire to remain faithfully by your side, but my faith is also weak. It is easy for me to become confused. Please strengthen me in faith, hope, and love. 

Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will take some time to ponder a situation in life that is hard for me or a doctrine of the Church that I do not fully understand and ask you to enlighten my mind and help me to come to believe that which you proclaim as truth.

 

Saturday 3rd week of Easter  2021

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, speak to me as I turn my hearts to you now in prayer. I long to belong more completely to you by meditating on your word. You have told me that you want to remain in me. You ask me if I wish to leave also, but you are going nowhere. You are right here with me and faithful always. I turn my heart to you and ask you to speak to your servant now. Amen. 

Encountering Christ: 

Does This Shock You?: Jesus had just said some pretty mysterious things about bread, blood, life, and death. And he asked his disciples, “Does this shock you?” These words of Christ were objectively hard to hear. To hear and understand Jesus’s teaching in the Gospels–to unlock their deepest meaning–we need to build our faith by inviting the Spirit to speak into our hearts. “The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.” Come Holy Spirit! 

Lack of Faith: Jesus was not discouraged by the lack of faith among those in the crowd and among the disciples. He attributed it to the plans of the Father—those who were to come to him were those called by the Father. We can imitate Jesus when our plans seem to go awry. All we do, our success and our failures, we offer to the Father, and he will be glorified. 

To Whom Shall We Go: When Jesus turned to his faithful followers to ask if they also wanted to leave him, he abandoned himself to their freedom. He does the same with us. Jesus respects our freedom in each moment and appeals to us to love him. What amazing humility the Son of God demonstrates to reach out to all of humanity with this constant invitation. Peter answers for each one of us—to whom shall we go? Who else can provide all that Jesus gives us? 

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, your humility is admirable and attractive, just as Peter’s enthusiasm and honesty are as well. We want to follow you and pray with St. Peter: “To whom shall we go?” There is nowhere else, no one else who we want to follow. We are gladly among those the Father has granted to come to you. Help us follow you more sincerely and passionately! 

Resolution: Lord today by your grace I will express my love for you by obeying your teaching, especially those I find particularly difficult to follow.

 

eflection:

Today, we have just read in the Gospel Jesus' allocution about the Bread of Life, which is Himself, offering us his body as nurture for our souls and for our Christian life. And, as it usually happens, we have to contemplate two different —if not opposite— reactions, from those who are listening to him.  His language is too hard for some, too incomprehensible for their mentality, closed to the Lord's saving Word; St. John says, somewhat sadly, that «after this many disciples withdrew and no longer followed Him» (Jn 6:66). It is the same evangelist who gives us a clue to help us understanding the attitude of these persons: they would not believe, they would not be willing to accept Jesus' teachings, which were, so often, inexplicable for them.

But, on the other hand, we can see the Apostles' reaction, led by St. Peter: «Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We now believe» (Jn 6:68-69). It is not that the twelve are smarter, or even better, nor do they understand the Bible any better; but they are indeed more modest, more trusting, more open to the Holy Spirit, more docile. Every now and then, we can spot them in the Gospels when making mistakes, unable to understand Jesus, arguing over who is more important and even daring to correct the Master when he announces them his Passion; but they are always faithful, by his side. Their secret: they truly loved Him. St. Augustine expresses it this way: «Good habits leave no trace in our soul, but good loves do (...). Truly, this is all love is about: to obey and believe whom you love». In the light of this Gospel we may wonder: where have I placed my love? what faith and what obedience have I to the Lord and to what the Church teaches? What kind of docility, simplicity and trust do I live with regards to God's things?