Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu Tuần Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu Tuần Phục Sinh

Sau cuộc khổ nạn của Chúa Giêsu, các môn đệ của Chúa đã bắt đầu chán nản và ngã lòng, họ muốn trở về cuộc sống cũ, nghề kiếm sống cũ của họ, họ thức cả đêm thả lưới trong những cơn gió lạnh, họ kéo lên, thả xuống, mất bao nhiêu công sức, rách cả lưới, mất cả thời giờ mà họ cũng chẳng bắt được con cá nào. Nhiều lần trong cuộc sống của chúng ta không nhận ra Chúa. Nhưng khi chúng ta phải mang những gánh nặng của cuộc sống, hay khó khăn trong cuộc đời, chúng ta mới chạy đến nhà thờ, tìm Chúa. Còn những khi chúng ta thành công trong cuộc sống, chúng ta tự  nghĩ rằng chúng ta thành công là do sức lực, tài trí riêng của mình, chứ không phải đó là ân sủng của Thiên Chúa đã  ban cho chúng ta một cách đặc biệt. Cũng như các môn đệ thửa xưa, nếu chúng ta biết lắng nghe tiếng Chúa sai bảo chúng ta, chắc chắn trong những lúc đó, chúng ta sẽ nhận ra sự yếu đuối nơi con người của chúng ta, chúng ta mới cảm thấy sự bất lực, và chúng ta mới “sực nghĩ” ra rằng chúng ta không phải là Thiên Chúa mà chúng ta chỉ là một tạo vật đã được Thiên Chúa tạo nên và chúng ta luôn cần đến sự can thiệp của Thiên Chúa. Và chính nhờ đó mà chúng ta mới có thể cảm nhận được đức tin và nhận ra rằng "đó là Chúa Kitô đó!"
"Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Chúa là sự sống lại và là sự sống.  Xin Chúa tăng thêm lòng tin  của chúng con vào sự phục sinh của Chúa và chân lý! Xin cho chúng con đừng bao giờ phải giờ nghi ngờ về lời hứa ban sự sống của Chúa và cũng đừng để chúng con đi lạc và đánh mất sự hiện diện của Chúa"
 
Reflection:
     It is the Lord! It is important to recognize the Lord when he comes.  
     Many times we don't recognize him at all. It is only when heavy and impossible crosses come our way when we discern the presence of the Lord. When we have problems that we can solve, we attribute our success to our own brilliance and intelligence without God's help. But when the problems are too difficult and really exhaust all our strength, after trying everything and still failing, then we remember to ask God.
     It is when we have tried "fishing the whole night and caught nothing" that we realize our weakness and humanity. We discover that we are not God. That is why in this important crossroad, we can jump into faith and realize that " It is the Lord!"
 
Fridayday within Easter Octave 2022
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead. John 21:12–14
The appearances of Jesus after His Resurrection were cloaked in mystery. Not a mystery of confusion, but
spoke to them from the shore after they had been fishing all night without catching anything. He told them to try again and to throw the net over the right side of the boat. They did so without even realizing that it was Jesus Who was speaking to them. But upon catching more than they could handle, they realized it was the Lord.
The “mystery” present in this resurrection appearance has many aspects. Why did the disciples not recognize Jesus at first? Why did Jesus instruct them to throw the net over the right side of the boat? Why was Jesus made known through this catch of one hundred and fifty-three large fish? Why was Jesus cooking breakfast for the disciples on the shore? And why did John record that “none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’” Though all of these mysteries have answers that have been offered over the centuries by the saints and great Scripture commentators, it’s useful to also simply ponder the fact that Jesus’ resurrection appearances were, indeed, cloaked in mystery.
In a mystery novel, the reader is given various vague clues to help them try to figure out the mystery and solve it. The clues are vague intentionally so as to make the solving more enjoyable and challenging. However, when it comes to a “mystery of faith,” such as the mystery of faith surrounding Jesus’ resurrection appearances, the mystery is of an entirely different sort. In these cases, the mystery is one of depth and breadth and is something that has the potential to draw us deeper and deeper into the infinite nature of God and His saving action.
Take, for example, this one line quoted above: “And none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they realized it was the Lord.” It appears that the disciples gathered around Jesus as He was preparing breakfast on the shore and sat there in awe of Him. Their silent awe of Him in this appearance reveals that words are not sufficient. Normally, when you see someone whom you are happy to see, you greet them and start talking, asking them how they are, etc. But here, the disciples remained in this holy awe, listening to Him, receiving this meal and pondering the mystery of His resurrected presence.
Reflect, today, upon the ways that our Lord comes to you. It’s easy to miss Him since His ongoing presence in our lives is also mysterious. Imagine if the disciples would have ignored Jesus’ call to “Cast the net over the right side of the boat…” If they would have ignored that command, they may have never come to realize it was the Lord. Reflect upon the ways that our Lord speaks to you. Do you respond? Do you recognize Him? Do you allow yourself to be drawn into this holy awe of His divine presence? Follow the example of the disciples and be on the lookout for the ongoing presence of our Lord all around you.
My divine Lord, You are constantly present to me, day and night, and yet I so often fail to perceive You and adore You. Help me to become more aware of Your presence in my life. As I do, help me to enter more deeply into these holy mysteries with love, devotion and awe. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Fridayday within Easter Octave 2022
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to listen for your voice's guidance and respond with faithful and loving obedience, confident that you will bless and multiply all I do for good. 
Encountering Christ: 
1. I Am Going Fishing: Peter was struggling, lost, and floundering. Not surprisingly, he turned back to where he felt secure, comfortable, and in control, taking the other disciples with him. What does his response to stress say to me about my own life? Do I recognize how inner confusion leads to thoughts of self-reliance or cowardness? “We have caught nothing!” Peter’s decision resulted in a night of futile fishing with empty nets and empty hearts. What “boats” do we cling to that have us toiling in vain? The Lord wants to speak to our hearts about those places in our life where false securities are hiding us from him.
2. It Is the Lord: Jesus stood on the shore as a beacon who remained steadfast, vigilant, and faithful, but they did not recognize him. “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” Responding negatively, they realized the night’s deceit. Jesus had invited the disciples to let go of and cast aside the nets entangling them in apprehension and fear. Only when they obeyed his command did incredible results follow. Out of love, John, the beloved disciple, called out, “It is the Lord.” Peter was not the first to recognize Jesus but was the first to respond. As John loved and Peter acted on this love, let us intuitively jump into the water to get close to the Lord. Let’s ask Him to show us where He wants us to be open to accepting His will. He may surprise us! 
3. Come: How tenderly and sensitively Jesus dealt with his beloved disciples. Likewise, he knows our needs and our hunger. How open and aware are we of God’s kind care for us in each moment? The disciples caught such a great number of fish, and yet the net did not break. The disciples learned to bend themselves in obedience to what Jesus was asking of them and to trust that he would bless and make their efforts fruitful. They learned that “Without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). None of them were bold enough to ask, “Who are you?” because they knew he was the Lord. On the shore, taking the bread, Jesus revealed himself in the Eucharist as a privileged place for an encounter with the Risen Jesus. When we receive the Eucharist, we can spend time speaking to Him, asking Him to stay with us, to bless and multiply our efforts to be obedient to Him.  
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, you are always at the water’s edge of my ordinary life. You know how to nourish me with your word and warm me with the fire of your love in the Eucharist. Help me, in turn, to nourish, heal, and love those in my life and all I encounter today. Let me never tire of listening for your voice and heeding your command in faithful obedience. I put my trust in your grace to do marvels working through my faithfulness, humility, and sincerity of heart. 
Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will see all situations as opportunities for loving with attentive kindness and gentleness to accept and respond to the needs of others before my own.