Suy
Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần Thánh
Tại sao Giu-đa đã phản bội Thầy của mình?
Sự phản bội của Giuđa được thúc dục bởi lòng tham lam, vì sự cay đắng và thất vọng với Chúa Giêsu, hay có thể là vì sự hận thù, vì vỡ mộng? cũng có thể ông Giuđa đã nghĩ rằng Chúa Giêsu đã xúc tiến công việc của Ngài quá chậm và không quyết liệt trong việc thiết lập vương quốc của Ngài. Cũng có thể ông Giuđa không có ý định là muốn cho Thầy của mình chết vì ông ta nghĩ rằng thầy của mình là đấng có quyền phép, có thể tự cứu lấy chính mình khỏi tay quân dữ. Và cũng có lẽ ông Giuđa đã mưu mẹo ép buộc Chúa Giêsu phải ra tay hành động để giải cứu dân Do Thái khỏi ách đô hộ của người La Mã thời bấy giờ... Tuy nhiên thảm kịch của Giuđa là sự từ chối, không chấp nhận Chúa Giêsu như là Thiên Chúa của sự yêu thương, khiêm tốn, Vị tha.
Meditation:
Why did Judas betray his Master? Was his treachery motivated by greed, bitter disappointment with Jesus, or hatred because of disillusionment? It may be that Judas never intended for his Master to die. Maybe he thought Jesus was proceeding too slowly and not acting aggressively enough in setting up his messianic kingdom. Perhaps Judas wanted to force Jesus' hand by compelling him to act. Nonetheless, his tragedy was his refusal to accept Jesus as he was.
Jesus knew beforehand what would befall him. As Jesus ate the Passover meal with his twelve apostles he put them under trial and suspicion (one of you will betray me) to teach them to examine themselves rightly, lest they be high minded and think themselves more strong than they were. We, also must examine ourselves in the light of God's truth and grace and ask him to strengthen us in faith, hope, and love that we may not fail him or forsake him when we are tempted. Do you pray with confidence in the words Jesus gave us to pray: Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13)?
Wednesday on holy week 2023:
The desire for money can become a powerful incentive to betray our Lord. In this Gospel passage, it seems clear that Judas’ betrayal was based on his desire for money. He most likely had some level of faith in our Lord, or he wouldn’t have become His disciple. But even if Judas did have some level of faith, his desire for money appeared to overshadow the faith he may have had.
One of the central lessons we can learn from Judas is that the desire for money is a powerful incentive for the decisions we make. So many of the great saints have taught us that the path to holiness consists, first, in a purification of all our disordered affections. And since one of the most powerful attachments that many struggle with is an attachment to money, this is an important desire to purify in all of our lives.
It’s true that material possessions are not evil when they are used for the fulfillment of God’s will. But the desire for more, for an excess, will always cloud our ability to see clearly the will of God and live for His glory alone.
Once Judas had betrayed our Lord and Jesus was arrested, recall that Judas “deeply regretted what he had done.” And during Jesus’ trial, Judas went back to the chief priests and said “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood” in an apparent attempt to stop the trial. But Jesus’ death was set in motion and could not be stopped. As a result, Judas returned the money and sadly went off to hang himself (See Matthew 27:3–5).
The desire Judas had for money clouded his thinking. And his sin did to him what sin always does. As soon as his sin of betrayal was done, Judas saw the consequences of that choice. And the consequences grieved him deeply. He learned that choosing sin ends with an empty promise. He realized that thirty pieces of silver was not worth the value of his soul. But of course, even then Judas could have repented and received the mercy of God. But he didn’t. He simply ended his life in ultimate despair.
Reflect, today, upon the witness of Judas. Use him as a source of meditation and self-examination this Holy Week. What is it in your life that you desire more than our Lord? What temptation clouds your thinking and leads you to choices that you know will end in emptiness? Strive to eradicate every disordered desire within you this day and choose wisely the will of God instead. Do not let yourself continue to believe the lies that keep you from making Jesus and His holy will the one and only focus of your life.
My divine Lord, You and You alone must become the focus of my life. You and You alone are of the greatest value in life. Help me to shed all earthly desires in life so that I will not fall into the temptations that lead to empty promises and so that I will embrace the true and fulfilling promises that come from You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Wednesday on holy week 2023:
2. Denial and Despair: Judas answered Jesus’s question about who would betray him with a deceitful question: “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” (Matthew 26:25). Judas is clearly lying here, but could he also be in denial about his betrayal? Later Judas despaired for his sin, and he committed suicide (Matthew 27:5). Denial and despair can be common reactions when we realize the gravity of our sin. The greatest tragedy of Judas was that he forgot God’s merciful love. St. John Paul II wrote, "mercy is the greatest of the attributes and perfections of God…” (Dives in Misericordia, 13). When we have sinned, may we always look to God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
3. The Hour of Divine Mercy: Jesus announced, “My appointed time draws near” (Matthew 26:18). The hour of his Divine Mercy was approaching. It was the hour of his Passion and Death on the Cross when he fulfilled his mission of salvation for all who believe in him (Romans 10:9-11). The holiest days of the year, the Easter Triduum draws near. Let us prepare our hearts to enter into the mystery of our King and Savior’s hour. May we honor his most merciful gift to us: his life that he gave “as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Conversing with Christ: Oh my Jesus, I marvel at your mercy. You, for whom all things were made, gave us everything because of your immense love for us. I am struck with wonder and gratitude. Please help me to trust in your Divine Mercy.
Meditation: Isaiah 50:4-9- Wednesday of Holy Week
Reading this one verse during Holy Week, we can be struck by how much it reminds us of Jesus’ passion. But imagine what Jesus must have felt when he heard these words. He must have realized at some point that they referred not only to the ancient prophet but to him. Do you think it struck him with terror? Or perhaps because he was the Son of God, it didn’t bother him at all.
The truth probably lies somewhere in between these two extremes. Being human, Jesus naturally experienced great distress about what was waiting for him. But then in his divinity, he could echo the Hebrew Scriptures with complete confidence: “The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced” (Isaiah 50:7). So while he certainly felt great apprehension over the ordeal that lay ahead of him, he also found strength knowing that his Father was with him and would never abandon him.
There’s a parallel here to our lives. We can’t see into the future, but we do know that we all have our own share of hardships to deal with. It could be major, like the death of a loved one, or relatively minor, like being stuck in a traffic jam for three hours. The magnitude of the challenge is not as important as how we deal with it. We can either fret about it or try our best to place it in the Father’s hands, as Jesus did.
Know that in surrendering your hardships to God, you can expect to do more than just endure them. You will find new confidence, knowing that Easter Sunday will come for you just as it did for Jesus. You know the end of the story! You will find strength in the knowledge that “all things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). Jesus didn’t come to add to your burdens. He came to carry them with you. He came to make them light. Remember: he walked the road to Calvary precisely so that he could walk with you today!
“Lord, I believe in you. I trust that you will keep me in perfect peace as I meditate on all that you have done for me.”
Sự phản bội của Giuđa được thúc dục bởi lòng tham lam, vì sự cay đắng và thất vọng với Chúa Giêsu, hay có thể là vì sự hận thù, vì vỡ mộng? cũng có thể ông Giuđa đã nghĩ rằng Chúa Giêsu đã xúc tiến công việc của Ngài quá chậm và không quyết liệt trong việc thiết lập vương quốc của Ngài. Cũng có thể ông Giuđa không có ý định là muốn cho Thầy của mình chết vì ông ta nghĩ rằng thầy của mình là đấng có quyền phép, có thể tự cứu lấy chính mình khỏi tay quân dữ. Và cũng có lẽ ông Giuđa đã mưu mẹo ép buộc Chúa Giêsu phải ra tay hành động để giải cứu dân Do Thái khỏi ách đô hộ của người La Mã thời bấy giờ... Tuy nhiên thảm kịch của Giuđa là sự từ chối, không chấp nhận Chúa Giêsu như là Thiên Chúa của sự yêu thương, khiêm tốn, Vị tha.
Why did Judas betray his Master? Was his treachery motivated by greed, bitter disappointment with Jesus, or hatred because of disillusionment? It may be that Judas never intended for his Master to die. Maybe he thought Jesus was proceeding too slowly and not acting aggressively enough in setting up his messianic kingdom. Perhaps Judas wanted to force Jesus' hand by compelling him to act. Nonetheless, his tragedy was his refusal to accept Jesus as he was.
Jesus knew beforehand what would befall him. As Jesus ate the Passover meal with his twelve apostles he put them under trial and suspicion (one of you will betray me) to teach them to examine themselves rightly, lest they be high minded and think themselves more strong than they were. We, also must examine ourselves in the light of God's truth and grace and ask him to strengthen us in faith, hope, and love that we may not fail him or forsake him when we are tempted. Do you pray with confidence in the words Jesus gave us to pray: Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13)?
The desire for money can become a powerful incentive to betray our Lord. In this Gospel passage, it seems clear that Judas’ betrayal was based on his desire for money. He most likely had some level of faith in our Lord, or he wouldn’t have become His disciple. But even if Judas did have some level of faith, his desire for money appeared to overshadow the faith he may have had.
One of the central lessons we can learn from Judas is that the desire for money is a powerful incentive for the decisions we make. So many of the great saints have taught us that the path to holiness consists, first, in a purification of all our disordered affections. And since one of the most powerful attachments that many struggle with is an attachment to money, this is an important desire to purify in all of our lives.
It’s true that material possessions are not evil when they are used for the fulfillment of God’s will. But the desire for more, for an excess, will always cloud our ability to see clearly the will of God and live for His glory alone.
Once Judas had betrayed our Lord and Jesus was arrested, recall that Judas “deeply regretted what he had done.” And during Jesus’ trial, Judas went back to the chief priests and said “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood” in an apparent attempt to stop the trial. But Jesus’ death was set in motion and could not be stopped. As a result, Judas returned the money and sadly went off to hang himself (See Matthew 27:3–5).
The desire Judas had for money clouded his thinking. And his sin did to him what sin always does. As soon as his sin of betrayal was done, Judas saw the consequences of that choice. And the consequences grieved him deeply. He learned that choosing sin ends with an empty promise. He realized that thirty pieces of silver was not worth the value of his soul. But of course, even then Judas could have repented and received the mercy of God. But he didn’t. He simply ended his life in ultimate despair.
Reflect, today, upon the witness of Judas. Use him as a source of meditation and self-examination this Holy Week. What is it in your life that you desire more than our Lord? What temptation clouds your thinking and leads you to choices that you know will end in emptiness? Strive to eradicate every disordered desire within you this day and choose wisely the will of God instead. Do not let yourself continue to believe the lies that keep you from making Jesus and His holy will the one and only focus of your life.
My divine Lord, You and You alone must become the focus of my life. You and You alone are of the greatest value in life. Help me to shed all earthly desires in life so that I will not fall into the temptations that lead to empty promises and so that I will embrace the true and fulfilling promises that come from You. Jesus, I trust in You.
2. Denial and Despair: Judas answered Jesus’s question about who would betray him with a deceitful question: “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” (Matthew 26:25). Judas is clearly lying here, but could he also be in denial about his betrayal? Later Judas despaired for his sin, and he committed suicide (Matthew 27:5). Denial and despair can be common reactions when we realize the gravity of our sin. The greatest tragedy of Judas was that he forgot God’s merciful love. St. John Paul II wrote, "mercy is the greatest of the attributes and perfections of God…” (Dives in Misericordia, 13). When we have sinned, may we always look to God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
3. The Hour of Divine Mercy: Jesus announced, “My appointed time draws near” (Matthew 26:18). The hour of his Divine Mercy was approaching. It was the hour of his Passion and Death on the Cross when he fulfilled his mission of salvation for all who believe in him (Romans 10:9-11). The holiest days of the year, the Easter Triduum draws near. Let us prepare our hearts to enter into the mystery of our King and Savior’s hour. May we honor his most merciful gift to us: his life that he gave “as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Conversing with Christ: Oh my Jesus, I marvel at your mercy. You, for whom all things were made, gave us everything because of your immense love for us. I am struck with wonder and gratitude. Please help me to trust in your Divine Mercy.
Reading this one verse during Holy Week, we can be struck by how much it reminds us of Jesus’ passion. But imagine what Jesus must have felt when he heard these words. He must have realized at some point that they referred not only to the ancient prophet but to him. Do you think it struck him with terror? Or perhaps because he was the Son of God, it didn’t bother him at all.
The truth probably lies somewhere in between these two extremes. Being human, Jesus naturally experienced great distress about what was waiting for him. But then in his divinity, he could echo the Hebrew Scriptures with complete confidence: “The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced” (Isaiah 50:7). So while he certainly felt great apprehension over the ordeal that lay ahead of him, he also found strength knowing that his Father was with him and would never abandon him.
There’s a parallel here to our lives. We can’t see into the future, but we do know that we all have our own share of hardships to deal with. It could be major, like the death of a loved one, or relatively minor, like being stuck in a traffic jam for three hours. The magnitude of the challenge is not as important as how we deal with it. We can either fret about it or try our best to place it in the Father’s hands, as Jesus did.
Know that in surrendering your hardships to God, you can expect to do more than just endure them. You will find new confidence, knowing that Easter Sunday will come for you just as it did for Jesus. You know the end of the story! You will find strength in the knowledge that “all things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). Jesus didn’t come to add to your burdens. He came to carry them with you. He came to make them light. Remember: he walked the road to Calvary precisely so that he could walk with you today!
“Lord, I believe in you. I trust that you will keep me in perfect peace as I meditate on all that you have done for me.”
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