Suy niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba Phục Sinh
(John 20:11-18- )
Sự kiện Chúa Kitô Phục sinh theo như kinh nghiệm của cô Maria Magdalene rất
quan trọng.
Chúng ta có thể tưởng tượng nếu như cô Maria Magdalene không ra mộ viếng Chúa?
Chúng ta có thể hình dung nếu như sau khi không thấy Chúa trong
mộ, Cô Maria không để ý
đến những lời các thiên thần nói với cô ta?
Hay chúng ta có
thể mường tượng nếu cô ta không chạy đi tìm các tông
đồ để nói với họ những gì đã xảy ra?
Sự phục
sinh không chỉ là một sự kiện lịch sử, nhưng đó là một
kinh nghiệm cần phải được rao giảng và phải
được truyền đi từ thế hệ
này sang thế hệ khác.
Tất cả chúng ta
đượcmời gọi để rao truyền
những kinh
nghiệm về cuộc sống lại của Chúa
Kitô này cho
những người khác. Chúng ta không thể gọi mình là Kitô
hữu, nếu như chúng ta chưa trải nghiệm được sự phục sinh
của Chúa Kitô trong cuộc sống của chúng ta.
Trong những giây
phút tuyệt vọng, hay trong những nỗi thất vọng, đau khổ nhất trong cuộc đời của
chúng ta, có thể ngay cả trong cái chết của
người thân yêu trong gia đình, là Kitô hữu chúng ta có những kinh nghiệm quen thuộc về sự can
thiệp của Chúa Kitô và sự sống lại của Ngài đã mang chúng ta ra “ngôi mộ” của Chúa và biến
đổi sự đau khổ của chúng ta
thành những niềm tin và Hy vọng. Niềm tin này đem chúng ta đến sự
vui mừng trong Chúa Kitô, Đấng mà thực sự đã sống lại.
Chúng ta hãy tự kiểm tra cuộc sống của chúng ta, Chúng ta nhìn lại xem có khi nào chúng ta trải nghiệm được sự sống lại của Chúa Kitô trong chúng ta, Chúng ta đã thật sự tìm thấy Chúa Kitô? Chúng ta đã nhận ra Chúa khi đang hiện diện nơi chúng ta?
REFLECTION
The event of the resurrection as experienced by Mary Magdalene is very important. Can we imagine if she did not even go looking for the Lord? Can we imagine if after not finding the Lord, she would not pay heed to what the angels told her? Can we imagine if she would not have gone to the apostles to tell them what had happened? The resurrection is not only a historical event; it is an experience that needs to be transmitted from generation to generation. We are all invited to pass this experience of the resurrection to others. We cannot call ourselves Christian, if we have not experienced the resurrection of Christ in our own lives. In moments of despair, during our deepest frustrations, perhaps even during the death of a loved one, we as Christians have experience Christ's intervention and resurrection which brings us out of the tomb and transforms our misery to a faith that enjoins us to Christ who is truly risen. Let us examine our lives, looking back, when did we experience the Lord's resurrection in us? Did we search for him? Did we recognize him?
Tuesday within Easter Octave 2023
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’ And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” Matthew 28:12–14
The Lord of all rose from the grave, conquering sin and death, making it possible for us all to share in His glorious Resurrection! Death had lost. Satan had lost. The corrupt religious leaders had lost. And all those who believed in Jesus now had their eternal hope renewed. Sadly, though, what was the greatest victory ever known for humanity, a victory that opened the doors to eternal glory for all who believe, could not be accepted by the chief priests and elders of the people. They saw to His death, and, now that He had risen, they scrambled to do all they could to hide that truth.
Pride is hard to overcome. When a person professes they are right, when in fact they are wrong, and when they are then confronted with their error, the sin of pride will inevitably tempt them to further sin. This is what we see today in this passage from our Gospel. The chief priests and elders were informed by the soldiers that when the women came to the tomb early in the morning, there was a great earthquake, and they saw an angel of the Lord descend from Heaven, roll back the stone, and sit on it. When they saw this, “The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men” (Matthew 28:4). And after they heard the angel tell the women that Jesus had risen, the guards went off to tell the chief priests and elders.
After all the miracles and powerful preaching of Jesus, you would think that the chief priests and elders would have believed. But they didn’t. And then, after hearing the testimony of these soldiers, you would think they would have fallen on their knees, repented of their hardness of hearts, and come to believe. But they didn’t. They doubled down in their sin and added sin upon sin.
Some forms of sin can more easily be admitted, especially sins of weakness. When one is weak and falls, it may not be always easy to overcome that sin in the future, but it is easier to acknowledge it as sin when it is caused by human weakness. But a sin of weakness is much different than a sin of obstinate pride. Obstinate pride is not only hard to overcome, it’s hard to admit. It’s hard to admit our sin when it is based on our obstinacy and pride. As a result, this type of sin often leads to other sins such as ongoing deception, manipulation and anger. This is illustrated by these chief priests and elders. But if you can humble yourself and admit your sin when it comes from your pride, that humility can have a powerful and transformative effect upon your life.
Reflect, today, upon these chief priests and elders of the people. Try to ponder their hardness of heart and the sad situation they found themselves in as they attempted to cover up their error and sin. Resolve never to fall into this form of sin yourself. However, if this is a struggle for you, seek humility so that you can be freed of this heavy burden by the grace of the Resurrection of our Lord.
My resurrected Lord, You conquered sin and death and brought forth new life for all who believe in You. Give me the grace, dear Jesus, to never allow my sin of pride to keep me from being open to the glorious and transforming action You desire to do in my life. Please give me the gift of humility so that I may always turn from my sin and turn to You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Tuesday within Easter Octave 2023
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to accept your invitation to live a more mature faith in the face of desolation or disappointment.
2. “Stop Holding onto Me”: Jesus asked Mary the same question he first posed to his early followers: What do you want? Whom are you looking for? It reveals Jesus’s utmost concern for the state of our hearts. Jesus cares about where we seek comfort, security, and assurance. If not in Him, self-centeredness will frustrate and limit our desires. “Stop holding onto me.” These seemingly harsh words encourage Mary to lift her heart to the Father and ponder eternity, to elevate where and to whom she attaches her hopes and wants. His apparent reprimand is an exhortation for all of his disciples to set our hearts and minds on what is above, increasing our desire to follow him to the Father who waits for us in heaven, in the glory of eternity. St. Paul understood Christ’s words perfectly: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth” (Colossians 3:2). This invitation is for all of us.
3. Rising from Darkness: Growth in faith is a personal and continuous journey from the darkness of no faith, to partial faith, and then finally to perfect faith. Mary’s seeing is initially clouded by disappointment, grief, emotion, and unspeakable sadness at the loss of being separated from the Lord. But the sound of Jesus’s voice and the use of her name gives her clear vision. She recognizes him and is filled with hope and joy. What does she do next? She becomes a model for every Christian as she obeys the Lord’s instruction to go and tell the other disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” We are also called, by His grace, to share our real and personal encounters with the Lord.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, your Easter appearance bids me leave my tomb of self-absorption and hopelessness. Help me to look at the circumstances of my life from the renewed perspective of the Resurrection with Easter eyes. Let me not get stuck in the human limits of understanding but rather deepen and broaden my capacity for hope and faith in divine possibilities. May my humble efforts to share how you touch my life enable others in this broken and hurting world to rise from their tombs and live with hope and faith.
Tuesday within Easter Octave 2022
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17
Mary of Magdala was one of the first persons to whom Jesus appeared. She was deeply devoted to Him, especially because of the great mercy He offered her when He forgave her manifest sins and expelled seven demons from her. After He had done that, Mary became a devout follower and was one of the few who remained faithful to Him, even as He hung upon the Cross.
On the first day of the week, the Sunday after the Crucifixion, Mary came to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body in accord with Jewish custom. But when she arrived, Jesus’ body was gone. And when Jesus appeared to her as she was weeping, she didn’t immediately recognize Him, for He had His new glorified body. But when Jesus spoke her name, Mary, she recognized Him. But rather than embracing her, Jesus said, “Stop holding on to me…” Why would Jesus say this?
Even though Mary’s attachment and devotion to Jesus was beautiful and holy, it wasn’t yet perfected. She wanted her Lord Whom she had come to know and followed. She wanted her former relationship with Jesus to be returned to her. But for this reason, Jesus said, “Stop holding on to me…” Jesus wanted much more. He was telling her that her relationship with Him was soon to change for the better. No longer would He simply be her earthly companion; instead, He would soon live within her, dwell within her very heart, become one with her, and be her Bridegroom for eternity. But this could only happen once Jesus ascended to the Father in Heaven to complete His divine mission of salvation.
At times, we also seek favors from our Lord that are purely temporal. Though we do need to trust Him for “our daily bread,” meaning, for all the basic necessities of life, we must realize that the gifts God wants to give us far surpass anything in this world. The supernatural gift of grace, the gift of the Indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity, the gift of oneness with our Lord is what we are made for and is the end goal and desire of our Lord.
Reflect, today, upon these words Jesus spoke to Mary: “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.” But do so with the knowledge that, now, Jesus has indeed ascended to the Father. Therefore, He now invites us all to cling to Him as He reigns in Heaven. Ponder the deep desire in the heart of our Lord that you cling to Him with every fiber of your being. He wants to dwell within you, to become one with you and to transform you in every way. This holy union is now being enjoyed for all eternity by Saint Mary of Magdala, and this same gift is being offered to you. Cling to Him and never let go, for this will be your eternal joy.
My risen and ascended Lord, You now reign in Heaven in perfect glory and splendor. Draw me into Your glorious life and invite me to cling to You with all my heart. I invite You, dear Lord, to come and make Your dwelling within me so that I can hold on to You forevermore. Jesus, I trust in You.
Tuesday within Easter Octave, Acts 2:36-41; Ps.
33(32):4-5,18-19,20,22; Jn. 20:11-18
Mary did not recognize Jesus, not because she was blinded by her tears or because it was still dark. Recognizing the Risen Jesus was not and never is a matter of mere physical sight: it always comes because of the prior gift of faith and love for Jesus in his humanity.
In contemplating the risen Christ, we must note two guiding facts: the Resurrection as an event is not described in the Gospels. The Gospels present accounts of the appearances of the risen Jesus. Our prayer, then, is not oriented towards an event but towards the person of Jesus in order to increase our faith and hope in him and our love for him. The second fact is that Jesus does not appear to those without faith or those who rejected him, such as Herod, the High Priest, Pilate. He appeared to those who believed in him and loved him, even if their faith was sometimes very fragile and their love still required strengthening by the coming of the Holy Spirit — people like ourselves. He appeared to those who were “his own” (Jn 13:1). He appeared to them to offer them — and to us — his love and acceptance and a new hope which would strengthen them. May your kindness be upon us, O Lord, for we have put our hope in You.
Tuesday within
Easter Octave 2022
Opening Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am overcome by your power, mercy, and goodness. You are truly Christ the Victor! You revealed yourself to Mary Magdalene after your Resurrection; please reveal yourself to me now in your word.
Encountering Christ:
1. Recognizing Christ: This Gospel reading is a continuation of the Gospel passage that was proclaimed on Easter morning: John 20:1-9. At the end of that passage, Peter and John had run to the empty tomb and found only Christ’s burial cloths. In this passage, we return to Mary Magdalene, who was waiting outside the tomb weeping. She believed that Jesus had been taken from the tomb, perhaps by the gardener or the Roman guards: “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him” (John 20:13). Then Jesus merely spoke her name, revealing himself to her. Mary Magdalene heard his voice and recognized it. Then Mary ran to cling to Jesus, overcome with joy at finding the Lord. We can ask ourselves if we have parts of our lives that we believe are lost or are broken. Jesus transforms those losses, hurts, and failures. His Resurrection is the greatest victory, able to overcome the greatest foes: sin and death. Christ surely has dominion over the smaller foes we must face. Let’s ask for that special Easter grace of transformation.
Chúng ta hãy tự kiểm tra cuộc sống của chúng ta, Chúng ta nhìn lại xem có khi nào chúng ta trải nghiệm được sự sống lại của Chúa Kitô trong chúng ta, Chúng ta đã thật sự tìm thấy Chúa Kitô? Chúng ta đã nhận ra Chúa khi đang hiện diện nơi chúng ta?
The event of the resurrection as experienced by Mary Magdalene is very important. Can we imagine if she did not even go looking for the Lord? Can we imagine if after not finding the Lord, she would not pay heed to what the angels told her? Can we imagine if she would not have gone to the apostles to tell them what had happened? The resurrection is not only a historical event; it is an experience that needs to be transmitted from generation to generation. We are all invited to pass this experience of the resurrection to others. We cannot call ourselves Christian, if we have not experienced the resurrection of Christ in our own lives. In moments of despair, during our deepest frustrations, perhaps even during the death of a loved one, we as Christians have experience Christ's intervention and resurrection which brings us out of the tomb and transforms our misery to a faith that enjoins us to Christ who is truly risen. Let us examine our lives, looking back, when did we experience the Lord's resurrection in us? Did we search for him? Did we recognize him?
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’ And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” Matthew 28:12–14
The Lord of all rose from the grave, conquering sin and death, making it possible for us all to share in His glorious Resurrection! Death had lost. Satan had lost. The corrupt religious leaders had lost. And all those who believed in Jesus now had their eternal hope renewed. Sadly, though, what was the greatest victory ever known for humanity, a victory that opened the doors to eternal glory for all who believe, could not be accepted by the chief priests and elders of the people. They saw to His death, and, now that He had risen, they scrambled to do all they could to hide that truth.
Pride is hard to overcome. When a person professes they are right, when in fact they are wrong, and when they are then confronted with their error, the sin of pride will inevitably tempt them to further sin. This is what we see today in this passage from our Gospel. The chief priests and elders were informed by the soldiers that when the women came to the tomb early in the morning, there was a great earthquake, and they saw an angel of the Lord descend from Heaven, roll back the stone, and sit on it. When they saw this, “The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men” (Matthew 28:4). And after they heard the angel tell the women that Jesus had risen, the guards went off to tell the chief priests and elders.
After all the miracles and powerful preaching of Jesus, you would think that the chief priests and elders would have believed. But they didn’t. And then, after hearing the testimony of these soldiers, you would think they would have fallen on their knees, repented of their hardness of hearts, and come to believe. But they didn’t. They doubled down in their sin and added sin upon sin.
Some forms of sin can more easily be admitted, especially sins of weakness. When one is weak and falls, it may not be always easy to overcome that sin in the future, but it is easier to acknowledge it as sin when it is caused by human weakness. But a sin of weakness is much different than a sin of obstinate pride. Obstinate pride is not only hard to overcome, it’s hard to admit. It’s hard to admit our sin when it is based on our obstinacy and pride. As a result, this type of sin often leads to other sins such as ongoing deception, manipulation and anger. This is illustrated by these chief priests and elders. But if you can humble yourself and admit your sin when it comes from your pride, that humility can have a powerful and transformative effect upon your life.
Reflect, today, upon these chief priests and elders of the people. Try to ponder their hardness of heart and the sad situation they found themselves in as they attempted to cover up their error and sin. Resolve never to fall into this form of sin yourself. However, if this is a struggle for you, seek humility so that you can be freed of this heavy burden by the grace of the Resurrection of our Lord.
My resurrected Lord, You conquered sin and death and brought forth new life for all who believe in You. Give me the grace, dear Jesus, to never allow my sin of pride to keep me from being open to the glorious and transforming action You desire to do in my life. Please give me the gift of humility so that I may always turn from my sin and turn to You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to accept your invitation to live a more mature faith in the face of desolation or disappointment.
2. “Stop Holding onto Me”: Jesus asked Mary the same question he first posed to his early followers: What do you want? Whom are you looking for? It reveals Jesus’s utmost concern for the state of our hearts. Jesus cares about where we seek comfort, security, and assurance. If not in Him, self-centeredness will frustrate and limit our desires. “Stop holding onto me.” These seemingly harsh words encourage Mary to lift her heart to the Father and ponder eternity, to elevate where and to whom she attaches her hopes and wants. His apparent reprimand is an exhortation for all of his disciples to set our hearts and minds on what is above, increasing our desire to follow him to the Father who waits for us in heaven, in the glory of eternity. St. Paul understood Christ’s words perfectly: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth” (Colossians 3:2). This invitation is for all of us.
3. Rising from Darkness: Growth in faith is a personal and continuous journey from the darkness of no faith, to partial faith, and then finally to perfect faith. Mary’s seeing is initially clouded by disappointment, grief, emotion, and unspeakable sadness at the loss of being separated from the Lord. But the sound of Jesus’s voice and the use of her name gives her clear vision. She recognizes him and is filled with hope and joy. What does she do next? She becomes a model for every Christian as she obeys the Lord’s instruction to go and tell the other disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” We are also called, by His grace, to share our real and personal encounters with the Lord.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, your Easter appearance bids me leave my tomb of self-absorption and hopelessness. Help me to look at the circumstances of my life from the renewed perspective of the Resurrection with Easter eyes. Let me not get stuck in the human limits of understanding but rather deepen and broaden my capacity for hope and faith in divine possibilities. May my humble efforts to share how you touch my life enable others in this broken and hurting world to rise from their tombs and live with hope and faith.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17
Mary of Magdala was one of the first persons to whom Jesus appeared. She was deeply devoted to Him, especially because of the great mercy He offered her when He forgave her manifest sins and expelled seven demons from her. After He had done that, Mary became a devout follower and was one of the few who remained faithful to Him, even as He hung upon the Cross.
On the first day of the week, the Sunday after the Crucifixion, Mary came to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body in accord with Jewish custom. But when she arrived, Jesus’ body was gone. And when Jesus appeared to her as she was weeping, she didn’t immediately recognize Him, for He had His new glorified body. But when Jesus spoke her name, Mary, she recognized Him. But rather than embracing her, Jesus said, “Stop holding on to me…” Why would Jesus say this?
Even though Mary’s attachment and devotion to Jesus was beautiful and holy, it wasn’t yet perfected. She wanted her Lord Whom she had come to know and followed. She wanted her former relationship with Jesus to be returned to her. But for this reason, Jesus said, “Stop holding on to me…” Jesus wanted much more. He was telling her that her relationship with Him was soon to change for the better. No longer would He simply be her earthly companion; instead, He would soon live within her, dwell within her very heart, become one with her, and be her Bridegroom for eternity. But this could only happen once Jesus ascended to the Father in Heaven to complete His divine mission of salvation.
At times, we also seek favors from our Lord that are purely temporal. Though we do need to trust Him for “our daily bread,” meaning, for all the basic necessities of life, we must realize that the gifts God wants to give us far surpass anything in this world. The supernatural gift of grace, the gift of the Indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity, the gift of oneness with our Lord is what we are made for and is the end goal and desire of our Lord.
Reflect, today, upon these words Jesus spoke to Mary: “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.” But do so with the knowledge that, now, Jesus has indeed ascended to the Father. Therefore, He now invites us all to cling to Him as He reigns in Heaven. Ponder the deep desire in the heart of our Lord that you cling to Him with every fiber of your being. He wants to dwell within you, to become one with you and to transform you in every way. This holy union is now being enjoyed for all eternity by Saint Mary of Magdala, and this same gift is being offered to you. Cling to Him and never let go, for this will be your eternal joy.
My risen and ascended Lord, You now reign in Heaven in perfect glory and splendor. Draw me into Your glorious life and invite me to cling to You with all my heart. I invite You, dear Lord, to come and make Your dwelling within me so that I can hold on to You forevermore. Jesus, I trust in You.
Mary did not recognize Jesus, not because she was blinded by her tears or because it was still dark. Recognizing the Risen Jesus was not and never is a matter of mere physical sight: it always comes because of the prior gift of faith and love for Jesus in his humanity.
In contemplating the risen Christ, we must note two guiding facts: the Resurrection as an event is not described in the Gospels. The Gospels present accounts of the appearances of the risen Jesus. Our prayer, then, is not oriented towards an event but towards the person of Jesus in order to increase our faith and hope in him and our love for him. The second fact is that Jesus does not appear to those without faith or those who rejected him, such as Herod, the High Priest, Pilate. He appeared to those who believed in him and loved him, even if their faith was sometimes very fragile and their love still required strengthening by the coming of the Holy Spirit — people like ourselves. He appeared to those who were “his own” (Jn 13:1). He appeared to them to offer them — and to us — his love and acceptance and a new hope which would strengthen them. May your kindness be upon us, O Lord, for we have put our hope in You.
Opening Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am overcome by your power, mercy, and goodness. You are truly Christ the Victor! You revealed yourself to Mary Magdalene after your Resurrection; please reveal yourself to me now in your word.
Encountering Christ:
1. Recognizing Christ: This Gospel reading is a continuation of the Gospel passage that was proclaimed on Easter morning: John 20:1-9. At the end of that passage, Peter and John had run to the empty tomb and found only Christ’s burial cloths. In this passage, we return to Mary Magdalene, who was waiting outside the tomb weeping. She believed that Jesus had been taken from the tomb, perhaps by the gardener or the Roman guards: “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him” (John 20:13). Then Jesus merely spoke her name, revealing himself to her. Mary Magdalene heard his voice and recognized it. Then Mary ran to cling to Jesus, overcome with joy at finding the Lord. We can ask ourselves if we have parts of our lives that we believe are lost or are broken. Jesus transforms those losses, hurts, and failures. His Resurrection is the greatest victory, able to overcome the greatest foes: sin and death. Christ surely has dominion over the smaller foes we must face. Let’s ask for that special Easter grace of transformation.
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