Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thừ Hai Tuần thứ 5
Phục Sinh
"Ai yêu mến Thầy, thì sẽ giữ lời Thầy. Cha của Thầy sẽ yêu mến người ấy. Cha của Thầy và Thầy sẽ đến và ở lại với người ấy. " (Jn 14:23) Đây là lời hứa của Chúa Kitô đã hứa với chúng ta. Điều này cũng cho chúng ta thấy mối quan hệ mật thiết giữa Chúa Giêsu và Chúa Cha và qua đó Chúa Giêsu cũng đã muốn lôi kéo chúng ta đến một mối quan hệ gần gũi hơn với Thiên Chúa Cha. Bằng cách này, chúng ta được mời gọi để phụ thuộc hoàn toàn vào Thiên Chúa như Chúa Giêsu và qua Ngài mà Thiên Chúa đã thấy được những dấu lạ mà Chúa Giêsu đã làm. Tất cả cuộc sống của Ngài là một sự phản ánh của những sự tốt lành, quyền lực và tình yêu của Thiên Chúa. Chúng ta được mời gọi đến với cuộc đời này trong đức tin với Chúa Giêsu, như là khí cụ bình an , tình yêu và công lý của Thiên Chúa, do đó chúng ta có thể đem lại sự sống và hạnh phúc cho những người khác qua Chúa Giêsu. Điều này cũng được thực hiện bởi quyền năng của Chúa Thánh Thần luôn liên tục hành động trong và qua chúng ta. Tuy nhiên, chúng ta thường hay bị thất bại trong mối quan hệ này với Thiên Chúa bởi vì chúng ta để cho những thứ ham muốn và quyền lực của thế gian này làm ảnh hưởng và kiểm soát cuộc sống của chúng ta.
Lạy Chúa, xin ban cho chúng con những ân sủng của Chúa để chúng con luôn luôn được nhắc nhở là chúng con phải biết tập trung và tuân theo tất cả những gì mà Chúa đã dạy chúng con và chúng phải biết dựa vào Chúa Thánh Thần của Chúa để chúng con có thể được hướng dẫn trong ánh sáng cứu rỗi của Chúa..
Monday on 5th Of Easter Acts
14:5-18; Jn 14:21-26
The purpose of this promise is to express the unrestricted scope of the personal relationship between God, Jesus and the believers. This is also made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit who continues to act in and through us. However, we often fail in this relationship by allowing worldly values to influence and control our lives. We lose track of the ‘focus’ and like the ‘crowd’ in the first reading, we become attached to worldly things — wealth, power, fame and status and other inordinate attachments. We need to remain faithful and persevering in our response to the love God has so graciously given us.
Lord, grant us the grace to always be reminded of all that You have taught us and to rely on Your Holy Spirit for guidance and light.
Monday 5th Easter 2023
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” John 14:25–26
Sometimes we forget all that God has spoken to us. For example, we may have some clear experience of God’s presence in our lives, such as a powerful spiritual insight gained through prayer, a deep conviction of His voice spoken through a sermon, the transforming freedom encountered through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or some form of unmistakable clarity imparted through the reading of the holy Scriptures. When God speaks to us, imparting His Truth, strength, forgiveness and every other form of grace, we are spiritually consoled as we sense His closeness. But when trouble comes our way, those moments of clarity can be easily lost.
The disciples would have had many clarifying experiences during the three years of Jesus’ public ministry. They marveled at the spiritual authority they encountered in His sermons, witnessed countless miracles, looked on as sinners were set free, saw Jesus transfigured in glory, and watched our Lord enter deeply into prayer with the Father. Each time they encountered the power of God at work, they would have grown in their conviction that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the World. But Jesus also knew that these disciples would soon have their faith in Him shaken. He knew that as they looked on from a distance in fear as Jesus was arrested, beaten and killed, they would start to forget all that they previously experienced. Fear can cause confusion, and Jesus knew that His disciples would soon fall into that trap. For this reason, Jesus spoke the words above to His disciples. He promised them that the Holy Spirit would soon come upon them to teach them everything and to remind them all that He told them.
How nice it would be if every lesson we ever learned from God remained front and center in our lives. How nice it would be if we never allowed fear to confuse us and cause us to forget all that God has spoken to us in varied ways. Just as Jesus knew the disciples would need the help of the Holy Spirit to remember, He also knows that we need the same help from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the words spoken to the disciples above are also spoken to us. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
What lessons of faith have you learned in the past that you need to be reminded of? It is the role of the Holy Spirit to bring those lessons to mind every time we need them. Therefore, as we move closer to the glorious celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost, it is a good time to pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for the gift of remembering the many ways that God has revealed Himself to us. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit work in perfect harmony with each other, but each has a distinct role in our lives. The Holy Spirit’s role is especially to lead us day-by-day into the fulfillment of the Father’s will of becoming perfectly conformed to the Person of Christ Jesus.
Reflect, today, upon this powerful promise that our Lord gave to His disciples and to us. Pray to the Holy Spirit. Open yourself to the Spirit’s ongoing direction in your life and never allow fear to lead to confusion. Instead, allow God to dispel all confusion and to remind you of all that He has spoken to you throughout your life.
Most glorious Lord Jesus, You promised the disciples and all Your people that the Holy Spirit would be sent to us to remind us of all that You have revealed. Holy Spirit, please continuously descend upon me, teach me and guide me. Help me to never forget the many lessons I have been taught so that I will never let fear lead to confusion. Jesus, I trust in You.
Monday 5th Easter 2023
Opening Prayer: God my Father, I know that you love me. I love that you love me, and I wish to love you more in return. Teach me to keep your word, remind me of all you have told me, and make your dwelling in me so that I cannot possibly not love you!
1. Words and Commands: First, Jesus said, “Whoever observes my commandments is the one who loves me.” Then he said, “Whoever loves me will keep my word.” Are words and commands the same? For God they are. His words have the efficacy of divine commands; what he says comes to pass. “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Christ also “pre-spoke” his own Resurrection; he predicted it. Sure enough, he rose again, thus confirming everything he had taught and preached. But there is one thing that God’s word cannot command: our free love.
2. Overwhelming Love: There is no defect in divine power, but the nature of freedom is such that free love cannot be forced. Therefore Jesus, loving us as he does, is “forced” to woo us. He asks, begs, and pleads; he works, sacrifices, and demonstrates his love through countless acts of devotion. His speech at the Last Supper is a torrent of lovesickness, promising wonders if only we return his love. “I will love him,” he says. “I will reveal myself to him.” “My Father will love him.” “We will come to him.” “We will make our dwelling with him.” Such beautiful promises, but what if I allow his love in? I pray, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
3. Forever and Always and for Everyone?: Judas, struck by divine love, wanted the whole world to have Jesus too. “Master, [then] what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” He seems to ask, “Is this only here and now, for us few disciples hidden in this room? Can we not universalize this marvelous love?” Jesus replied, “Yes,” after his manner. “The world has my word, the world has my commandments. The world also has you, Judas, and the other apostles. And if they listen and heed my voice through you, my Father and I will dwell in them.” This love is for the whole world. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, hearts will requite the love of Jesus, the Father’s divine word.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I love you. I love your words and commands. I love the Father who sent you. I love the Spirit of holiness who dwells in me. I love your Church and your apostles. I love your love and everything about you.
Epriest-Monday
5th Easter
1. The Danger: It is easy to forget you, Lord, especially with all the images that are around me. Every image I harbor in my heart, every emotion I abandon myself to leaves its mark. These can come from the radio, the Internet, songs, novels… anywhere. They seem to swamp my mind and make it easier to forget you. These images and emotions can also impoverish, degrade, limit and reduce my ability to extract from life its magnificent content, usefulness, and happiness. You remind me that I should use everything only in as much as it helps me to reach you, my final goal.
2. The Gift: On the other hand, I know you have sent us the gift of the Holy Spirit. As you promise in this Gospel, he will never stop reminding me of you. All I have to do is let his projector fill my imagination with images, with thoughts, with insights. Of course, I also have to use the world’s media correctly and in moderation. Holy Spirit, I know you are near; take possession of my soul and make it all your own. Guide my every decision so that I choose what is right and reject what is evil.
3. Accepting the Gift: When I do forget, the Holy Spirit will remind me of all that Christ has said. All of the emotions and thoughts you inspire, Holy Spirit, will enrich my ability to live enthusiastically and forcefully. You will fill my mind with great and powerful images. All I have to do is open myself to you.
“The habitual difficulty in prayer is distraction. […] To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart: for a distraction reveals to us what we are attached to, and this humble awareness before the Lord should awaken our preferential love for him and lead us resolutely to offer him our heart to be purified. Therein lies the battle, the choice of which master to serve” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2729).
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I have the option of letting myself be consumed with thoughts of anger, lust, and power—thoughts that will make me grow old and become a more intense version of myself, closed in on myself. Help me take steps to avoid these temptations. Allow the Holy Spirit to animate my mind and my soul.
Resolution: I will clear my mind by filling my thoughts with God and his things.
"Ai yêu mến Thầy, thì sẽ giữ lời Thầy. Cha của Thầy sẽ yêu mến người ấy. Cha của Thầy và Thầy sẽ đến và ở lại với người ấy. " (Jn 14:23) Đây là lời hứa của Chúa Kitô đã hứa với chúng ta. Điều này cũng cho chúng ta thấy mối quan hệ mật thiết giữa Chúa Giêsu và Chúa Cha và qua đó Chúa Giêsu cũng đã muốn lôi kéo chúng ta đến một mối quan hệ gần gũi hơn với Thiên Chúa Cha. Bằng cách này, chúng ta được mời gọi để phụ thuộc hoàn toàn vào Thiên Chúa như Chúa Giêsu và qua Ngài mà Thiên Chúa đã thấy được những dấu lạ mà Chúa Giêsu đã làm. Tất cả cuộc sống của Ngài là một sự phản ánh của những sự tốt lành, quyền lực và tình yêu của Thiên Chúa. Chúng ta được mời gọi đến với cuộc đời này trong đức tin với Chúa Giêsu, như là khí cụ bình an , tình yêu và công lý của Thiên Chúa, do đó chúng ta có thể đem lại sự sống và hạnh phúc cho những người khác qua Chúa Giêsu. Điều này cũng được thực hiện bởi quyền năng của Chúa Thánh Thần luôn liên tục hành động trong và qua chúng ta. Tuy nhiên, chúng ta thường hay bị thất bại trong mối quan hệ này với Thiên Chúa bởi vì chúng ta để cho những thứ ham muốn và quyền lực của thế gian này làm ảnh hưởng và kiểm soát cuộc sống của chúng ta.
Lạy Chúa, xin ban cho chúng con những ân sủng của Chúa để chúng con luôn luôn được nhắc nhở là chúng con phải biết tập trung và tuân theo tất cả những gì mà Chúa đã dạy chúng con và chúng phải biết dựa vào Chúa Thánh Thần của Chúa để chúng con có thể được hướng dẫn trong ánh sáng cứu rỗi của Chúa..
The purpose of this promise is to express the unrestricted scope of the personal relationship between God, Jesus and the believers. This is also made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit who continues to act in and through us. However, we often fail in this relationship by allowing worldly values to influence and control our lives. We lose track of the ‘focus’ and like the ‘crowd’ in the first reading, we become attached to worldly things — wealth, power, fame and status and other inordinate attachments. We need to remain faithful and persevering in our response to the love God has so graciously given us.
Lord, grant us the grace to always be reminded of all that You have taught us and to rely on Your Holy Spirit for guidance and light.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” John 14:25–26
Sometimes we forget all that God has spoken to us. For example, we may have some clear experience of God’s presence in our lives, such as a powerful spiritual insight gained through prayer, a deep conviction of His voice spoken through a sermon, the transforming freedom encountered through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or some form of unmistakable clarity imparted through the reading of the holy Scriptures. When God speaks to us, imparting His Truth, strength, forgiveness and every other form of grace, we are spiritually consoled as we sense His closeness. But when trouble comes our way, those moments of clarity can be easily lost.
The disciples would have had many clarifying experiences during the three years of Jesus’ public ministry. They marveled at the spiritual authority they encountered in His sermons, witnessed countless miracles, looked on as sinners were set free, saw Jesus transfigured in glory, and watched our Lord enter deeply into prayer with the Father. Each time they encountered the power of God at work, they would have grown in their conviction that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the World. But Jesus also knew that these disciples would soon have their faith in Him shaken. He knew that as they looked on from a distance in fear as Jesus was arrested, beaten and killed, they would start to forget all that they previously experienced. Fear can cause confusion, and Jesus knew that His disciples would soon fall into that trap. For this reason, Jesus spoke the words above to His disciples. He promised them that the Holy Spirit would soon come upon them to teach them everything and to remind them all that He told them.
How nice it would be if every lesson we ever learned from God remained front and center in our lives. How nice it would be if we never allowed fear to confuse us and cause us to forget all that God has spoken to us in varied ways. Just as Jesus knew the disciples would need the help of the Holy Spirit to remember, He also knows that we need the same help from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the words spoken to the disciples above are also spoken to us. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
What lessons of faith have you learned in the past that you need to be reminded of? It is the role of the Holy Spirit to bring those lessons to mind every time we need them. Therefore, as we move closer to the glorious celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost, it is a good time to pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for the gift of remembering the many ways that God has revealed Himself to us. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit work in perfect harmony with each other, but each has a distinct role in our lives. The Holy Spirit’s role is especially to lead us day-by-day into the fulfillment of the Father’s will of becoming perfectly conformed to the Person of Christ Jesus.
Reflect, today, upon this powerful promise that our Lord gave to His disciples and to us. Pray to the Holy Spirit. Open yourself to the Spirit’s ongoing direction in your life and never allow fear to lead to confusion. Instead, allow God to dispel all confusion and to remind you of all that He has spoken to you throughout your life.
Most glorious Lord Jesus, You promised the disciples and all Your people that the Holy Spirit would be sent to us to remind us of all that You have revealed. Holy Spirit, please continuously descend upon me, teach me and guide me. Help me to never forget the many lessons I have been taught so that I will never let fear lead to confusion. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: God my Father, I know that you love me. I love that you love me, and I wish to love you more in return. Teach me to keep your word, remind me of all you have told me, and make your dwelling in me so that I cannot possibly not love you!
1. Words and Commands: First, Jesus said, “Whoever observes my commandments is the one who loves me.” Then he said, “Whoever loves me will keep my word.” Are words and commands the same? For God they are. His words have the efficacy of divine commands; what he says comes to pass. “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Christ also “pre-spoke” his own Resurrection; he predicted it. Sure enough, he rose again, thus confirming everything he had taught and preached. But there is one thing that God’s word cannot command: our free love.
2. Overwhelming Love: There is no defect in divine power, but the nature of freedom is such that free love cannot be forced. Therefore Jesus, loving us as he does, is “forced” to woo us. He asks, begs, and pleads; he works, sacrifices, and demonstrates his love through countless acts of devotion. His speech at the Last Supper is a torrent of lovesickness, promising wonders if only we return his love. “I will love him,” he says. “I will reveal myself to him.” “My Father will love him.” “We will come to him.” “We will make our dwelling with him.” Such beautiful promises, but what if I allow his love in? I pray, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
3. Forever and Always and for Everyone?: Judas, struck by divine love, wanted the whole world to have Jesus too. “Master, [then] what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” He seems to ask, “Is this only here and now, for us few disciples hidden in this room? Can we not universalize this marvelous love?” Jesus replied, “Yes,” after his manner. “The world has my word, the world has my commandments. The world also has you, Judas, and the other apostles. And if they listen and heed my voice through you, my Father and I will dwell in them.” This love is for the whole world. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, hearts will requite the love of Jesus, the Father’s divine word.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I love you. I love your words and commands. I love the Father who sent you. I love the Spirit of holiness who dwells in me. I love your Church and your apostles. I love your love and everything about you.
1. The Danger: It is easy to forget you, Lord, especially with all the images that are around me. Every image I harbor in my heart, every emotion I abandon myself to leaves its mark. These can come from the radio, the Internet, songs, novels… anywhere. They seem to swamp my mind and make it easier to forget you. These images and emotions can also impoverish, degrade, limit and reduce my ability to extract from life its magnificent content, usefulness, and happiness. You remind me that I should use everything only in as much as it helps me to reach you, my final goal.
2. The Gift: On the other hand, I know you have sent us the gift of the Holy Spirit. As you promise in this Gospel, he will never stop reminding me of you. All I have to do is let his projector fill my imagination with images, with thoughts, with insights. Of course, I also have to use the world’s media correctly and in moderation. Holy Spirit, I know you are near; take possession of my soul and make it all your own. Guide my every decision so that I choose what is right and reject what is evil.
3. Accepting the Gift: When I do forget, the Holy Spirit will remind me of all that Christ has said. All of the emotions and thoughts you inspire, Holy Spirit, will enrich my ability to live enthusiastically and forcefully. You will fill my mind with great and powerful images. All I have to do is open myself to you.
“The habitual difficulty in prayer is distraction. […] To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart: for a distraction reveals to us what we are attached to, and this humble awareness before the Lord should awaken our preferential love for him and lead us resolutely to offer him our heart to be purified. Therein lies the battle, the choice of which master to serve” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2729).
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I have the option of letting myself be consumed with thoughts of anger, lust, and power—thoughts that will make me grow old and become a more intense version of myself, closed in on myself. Help me take steps to avoid these temptations. Allow the Holy Spirit to animate my mind and my soul.
Resolution: I will clear my mind by filling my thoughts with God and his things.
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