Suy Niệm Thứ Ba Tuần 8 TN -Mark 10:28-31
Bài Tin Mừng hôm nay tiếp theo bài đọc hôm qua. Sau khi Chúa bảo người thanh niên giàu có về bán tài sản của mình đem bố thí và theo ngài.... nhưng người thanh niên này đã buồn bã ra đi... Chính vì thế mà Phêrô đã hỏi Chúa Giêsu "Tôi bỏ tất cả theo thầy, Phần tôi, tôi sẽ được gì đây?" với bản tính con người, Các môn đệ đã cũng mong đợi một vài lợi ích tài chính hoặc vật chất cho lòng trung thành của họ? Vì vậy, Chúa Giêsu đã bảo đảm với họ rằng họ sẽ được hoàn trả hơn một trăm lần, nhưng không phải bây giờ.
Từ khi nghe tiếng mời gọi theo Chúa, các môn đệ đã để lại sau lưng tất cả mọi thứ vì lợi ích của Ngài và vì công việc của Ngài và điều này bao gồm những sự bách hại; đây là mối đầu tư của họ. Nhưng phần thưởng là rất lớn, đó là sự sống đời đời. Nhưng không phải trong cuộc sống này vì rất khó có thể sống theo như ý Thiên Chúa muốn mà không vác lấy thánh giá Chúa trao ban.
Đấy chính là thực tại trong cuộc sống tình yêu hy sinh của một người theo ý Chúa. Như khi người đời thường nói, "Không đau khổ, thi không đạt được kết quả tốt. Không chéo, không vương miện". Tất cả Mười hai môn đệ đầu tiên của Chúa Giêsu đã chịu tử đạo, ngoại trừ Gioan. Không biết bao nhiêu người trong số các tiền nhân Việt Nam của chúng ta cũng bị đàn áp và tử đạo vì Chúa và vì lợi ích của Tin Mừng phúc âm.
Tuy nhiên, có hai loại tử đạo:- những người chết vì đức tin trong tay của kẻ thù, và những người cống hiến cuộc đời của mình để phục vụ Giáo Hội trong sự cứu rỗi các linh hồn mà đã chết đi một cách lặng lẽ, không được chú ý, không ai biết đến.
"Lạy Chúa Giêsu, chúng con muốn đi theo Chúa để được làm môn đệ của Chúa và yêu thương Chúa hết lòng với tất cả những gì chúng con có. Xin Chúa hãy điền vào tâm hồn chúng con với đức tin mạnh mẽ, với hy vọng, và tình yêu vô vị lợi, để chúng con luôn luôn có thể tìm thấy được sự bình an và niềm vui trong sự hiện diện của Chúa."
REFLECTION
Today we continue Gospel from yesterday.When Jesus tell the young man whatv to do to have enternal life, But because he was so rick, and he did not want to give up his well to follow Jesus. For that reason Peter actually asking Jesus "What's in it for me?" When Jesus called his first disciples to follow him, they laid down their boats, their fishnets, left their families, and immdiately went with him and today in the Gospel:
- Did the disciples expect some sort of financial or material gain for their service and follow Jesus?
So Jesus reassures them that they would be repaid a hundred times over; but not now, not just yet. At the present time, they leave behind everything for his sake and the sake of his work and this includes persecutions; this was their investment. But the rewards are great, very great, in the eternal life. It is not possible to live as God wills us to do without a cross. This is the reality of sacrificial love in the life of a person following God's will.
As the saying goes, "No pain, no gain. No cross, no crown." All of Jesus' first Twelve suffered martyrdom except John. Many of our saints also suffered persecution and martyrdom for Christ's sake and for the sake of the gospel.
However, there are two kinds of martyrdom; those who die for the faith in the hands of the enemy, and those who dedicate their lives to serving the Church for the salvation of souls and who die quietly, unnoticed. "Lord Jesus, we want to follow you as your disciple and to love you wholeheartedly with all that we have. Fill our heart with faith, hope, and love that we may always find peace and joy in your presence."
Tuesday week 8th in Ordinary Time 2023
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up
house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my
sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more…” Mark 10:29–30
Jesus’ statement above is in response to Peter who said to Him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” It was as if Peter were patting himself on the back, attempting to highlight just how much he and the other disciples had sacrificed to follow Jesus. And it was true, they did give up everything of their former life. They left home, their occupation, their relationships and everything that had been part of their daily established life in response to the call of Jesus. They were truly all in.
In hearing this statement from Peter, Jesus does not give the expected response. He doesn’t say to Peter, “Yes, you have, that’s very impressive Peter. Good job and thank you!” Instead, Jesus immediately explains to Peter that the sacrifice he and the others have made is worth it. Their unwavering commitment to follow Jesus would be repaid with gifts beyond their imagination. Thus, Jesus was saying that the gifts that He would bestow upon them would be exponentially greater than every sacrifice they made.
This was not a belittling of Peter’s self-sacrifice; rather, it was a form of encouragement by Jesus. He was encouraging Peter, and the other disciples, to have full confidence in their decision to follow Him. Their sacrifice would yield a hundredfold return. That is truly a good investment.
It can be tempting for us all, at times, to feel as though God asks too much of us. It’s true that God asks much of us. He asks everything from us. He asks for the complete and total gift of our lives to Him. He calls us to abandon all selfishness and to dedicate ourselves to His holy will without exception. But if we understand the reward of our self-giving, then the sacrifices we make will pale in comparison to the reward.
Reflect, today, upon whether or not you can say those words with the Apostle, Saint Peter: “Lord, I have given up everything to follow You.” Have you truly given your life completely to Christ Jesus? Are there things that you still hold back, not wanting to “sacrifice” for our Lord? Ponder those words of Peter and allow yourself to see the areas of your life you still need to surrender over to Jesus. And as you do so, allow the reward promised by our Lord to motivate you to the point that you truly hold nothing back and truly have given up everything to follow His holy will.
My generous Lord, You ask everything of me. You ask me to abandon everything in my pursuit of Your perfect will. Give me the grace I need to answer Your call and to live sacrificially for You without counting the cost. You are generous beyond description, dear Lord, and I trust that following You will produce an abundance of good fruit. Jesus, I trust in You.
Tuesday week 8th in Ordinary Time 2023
What about Us?: Peter had just heard Jesus tell everyone how hard it can be to enter the kingdom of heaven. “It is easier for a camel to pass through [the] eye of [a] needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:25). They were all amazed. In this context, Peter voiced the thought that was probably on everyone’s mind: “We have given up everything and followed you.” In other words, “What about us?” God bless Peter for his frankness. Without his outburst, we would have missed the consolation Jesus offered next. We should never hesitate to tell the Lord what’s really on our minds. He knows already and loves us anyway. The very act of praying from our heart unleashes graces from Jesus’s Sacred Heart.
Tuesday week 8th in Ordinary Time 2022
Truly, there is no one who has left house for my sake and for the Gospel who will not receive his reward in the present time and in the world to come eternal life
Today, just like that landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard, the Lord is seeking disciples, followers and friends. His, is a universal call. A captivating offer, the Lord entrust us with! On one condition, though. One condition that may dishearten us: «For my sake and for the Gospel» you are to leave «house, brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children, or lands» (cf. Mk 10:29).
But, is there any compensation? Shall there be any reward? Shall we make any gain out of it? Peter, in the name of the Apostles, reminds the Master: «We have given up everything to follow you» (Mk 10:28), as if asking: what benefit shall we get?
The Lord's promise is very generous: «but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time (…) and in the age to come eternal life» (Mk 10:30). He cannot be surpassed as far as generosity. But He adds: «even in the midst of persecution». Jesus is very realistic and He does not want to deceive anybody. To be a disciple of his, if we are truly so, will bring us troubles and problems. However, Jesus considers persecutions and troubles a reward, for they help us to grow, if we accept and live through them as an opportunity to gain in maturity and responsibility. Whatever act of sacrifice makes us more like Jesus Christ who, by dying in the Cross, saves us.
We have always time to revise our life and get closer to Jesus Christ, especially during the times of Advent and Lent. Through prayer and the sacraments, these times and all times, we can find out whether we are amongst the disciples He is seeking, and decide which our answer must be to that call. Next to radical responses (such as those from the Apostles) there are others. For many, “to leave house, brothers or sisters, or father or mother…” will just mean whatever unable us to live deeply in Jesus' close friendship and, as a consequence, become his testimony before the world. And this is urgent, don't you think so?
Meditation:
What's the best investment you can make with your life? The gospel presents us with a paradox: we lose what we keep, and we gain what we give away. When we lose our lives for Jesus Christ, we gain a priceless treasure and an inheritance which lasts forever. Whatever we give to God comes back a hundredfold. Generosity flows from a heart full of gratitude for the abundant mercy and grace which God grants. Do you give freely and generously? And why do you give, for reward or for love?
Should we be surprised if we lose favor and experience ridicule, intimidation, and injury when we take a stand for truth and righteousness? In place of material wealth, Jesus promised his disciples the blessing and joy of rich fellowship with the community of believers. No earthly good or possession can rival the joy and bliss of knowing God and the peace and unity he grants to his disciples. The Lord wants to fill our hearts with the vision of heaven and with his joy and peace. Do you know the joy of following the Lord as his disciple? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the joy of the gospel and the knowledge of God’s personal love.
"Lord Jesus, I want to follow you as your disciple and to love you wholeheartedly with all that I have. Fill my heart with faith, hope, and love that I may always find peace and joy in your presence."
Bài Tin Mừng hôm nay tiếp theo bài đọc hôm qua. Sau khi Chúa bảo người thanh niên giàu có về bán tài sản của mình đem bố thí và theo ngài.... nhưng người thanh niên này đã buồn bã ra đi... Chính vì thế mà Phêrô đã hỏi Chúa Giêsu "Tôi bỏ tất cả theo thầy, Phần tôi, tôi sẽ được gì đây?" với bản tính con người, Các môn đệ đã cũng mong đợi một vài lợi ích tài chính hoặc vật chất cho lòng trung thành của họ? Vì vậy, Chúa Giêsu đã bảo đảm với họ rằng họ sẽ được hoàn trả hơn một trăm lần, nhưng không phải bây giờ.
Từ khi nghe tiếng mời gọi theo Chúa, các môn đệ đã để lại sau lưng tất cả mọi thứ vì lợi ích của Ngài và vì công việc của Ngài và điều này bao gồm những sự bách hại; đây là mối đầu tư của họ. Nhưng phần thưởng là rất lớn, đó là sự sống đời đời. Nhưng không phải trong cuộc sống này vì rất khó có thể sống theo như ý Thiên Chúa muốn mà không vác lấy thánh giá Chúa trao ban.
Đấy chính là thực tại trong cuộc sống tình yêu hy sinh của một người theo ý Chúa. Như khi người đời thường nói, "Không đau khổ, thi không đạt được kết quả tốt. Không chéo, không vương miện". Tất cả Mười hai môn đệ đầu tiên của Chúa Giêsu đã chịu tử đạo, ngoại trừ Gioan. Không biết bao nhiêu người trong số các tiền nhân Việt Nam của chúng ta cũng bị đàn áp và tử đạo vì Chúa và vì lợi ích của Tin Mừng phúc âm.
Tuy nhiên, có hai loại tử đạo:- những người chết vì đức tin trong tay của kẻ thù, và những người cống hiến cuộc đời của mình để phục vụ Giáo Hội trong sự cứu rỗi các linh hồn mà đã chết đi một cách lặng lẽ, không được chú ý, không ai biết đến.
"Lạy Chúa Giêsu, chúng con muốn đi theo Chúa để được làm môn đệ của Chúa và yêu thương Chúa hết lòng với tất cả những gì chúng con có. Xin Chúa hãy điền vào tâm hồn chúng con với đức tin mạnh mẽ, với hy vọng, và tình yêu vô vị lợi, để chúng con luôn luôn có thể tìm thấy được sự bình an và niềm vui trong sự hiện diện của Chúa."
Today we continue Gospel from yesterday.When Jesus tell the young man whatv to do to have enternal life, But because he was so rick, and he did not want to give up his well to follow Jesus. For that reason Peter actually asking Jesus "What's in it for me?" When Jesus called his first disciples to follow him, they laid down their boats, their fishnets, left their families, and immdiately went with him and today in the Gospel:
- Did the disciples expect some sort of financial or material gain for their service and follow Jesus?
So Jesus reassures them that they would be repaid a hundred times over; but not now, not just yet. At the present time, they leave behind everything for his sake and the sake of his work and this includes persecutions; this was their investment. But the rewards are great, very great, in the eternal life. It is not possible to live as God wills us to do without a cross. This is the reality of sacrificial love in the life of a person following God's will.
As the saying goes, "No pain, no gain. No cross, no crown." All of Jesus' first Twelve suffered martyrdom except John. Many of our saints also suffered persecution and martyrdom for Christ's sake and for the sake of the gospel.
However, there are two kinds of martyrdom; those who die for the faith in the hands of the enemy, and those who dedicate their lives to serving the Church for the salvation of souls and who die quietly, unnoticed. "Lord Jesus, we want to follow you as your disciple and to love you wholeheartedly with all that we have. Fill our heart with faith, hope, and love that we may always find peace and joy in your presence."
Jesus’ statement above is in response to Peter who said to Him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” It was as if Peter were patting himself on the back, attempting to highlight just how much he and the other disciples had sacrificed to follow Jesus. And it was true, they did give up everything of their former life. They left home, their occupation, their relationships and everything that had been part of their daily established life in response to the call of Jesus. They were truly all in.
In hearing this statement from Peter, Jesus does not give the expected response. He doesn’t say to Peter, “Yes, you have, that’s very impressive Peter. Good job and thank you!” Instead, Jesus immediately explains to Peter that the sacrifice he and the others have made is worth it. Their unwavering commitment to follow Jesus would be repaid with gifts beyond their imagination. Thus, Jesus was saying that the gifts that He would bestow upon them would be exponentially greater than every sacrifice they made.
This was not a belittling of Peter’s self-sacrifice; rather, it was a form of encouragement by Jesus. He was encouraging Peter, and the other disciples, to have full confidence in their decision to follow Him. Their sacrifice would yield a hundredfold return. That is truly a good investment.
It can be tempting for us all, at times, to feel as though God asks too much of us. It’s true that God asks much of us. He asks everything from us. He asks for the complete and total gift of our lives to Him. He calls us to abandon all selfishness and to dedicate ourselves to His holy will without exception. But if we understand the reward of our self-giving, then the sacrifices we make will pale in comparison to the reward.
Reflect, today, upon whether or not you can say those words with the Apostle, Saint Peter: “Lord, I have given up everything to follow You.” Have you truly given your life completely to Christ Jesus? Are there things that you still hold back, not wanting to “sacrifice” for our Lord? Ponder those words of Peter and allow yourself to see the areas of your life you still need to surrender over to Jesus. And as you do so, allow the reward promised by our Lord to motivate you to the point that you truly hold nothing back and truly have given up everything to follow His holy will.
My generous Lord, You ask everything of me. You ask me to abandon everything in my pursuit of Your perfect will. Give me the grace I need to answer Your call and to live sacrificially for You without counting the cost. You are generous beyond description, dear Lord, and I trust that following You will produce an abundance of good fruit. Jesus, I trust in You.
What about Us?: Peter had just heard Jesus tell everyone how hard it can be to enter the kingdom of heaven. “It is easier for a camel to pass through [the] eye of [a] needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:25). They were all amazed. In this context, Peter voiced the thought that was probably on everyone’s mind: “We have given up everything and followed you.” In other words, “What about us?” God bless Peter for his frankness. Without his outburst, we would have missed the consolation Jesus offered next. We should never hesitate to tell the Lord what’s really on our minds. He knows already and loves us anyway. The very act of praying from our heart unleashes graces from Jesus’s Sacred Heart.
Truly, there is no one who has left house for my sake and for the Gospel who will not receive his reward in the present time and in the world to come eternal life
Today, just like that landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard, the Lord is seeking disciples, followers and friends. His, is a universal call. A captivating offer, the Lord entrust us with! On one condition, though. One condition that may dishearten us: «For my sake and for the Gospel» you are to leave «house, brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children, or lands» (cf. Mk 10:29).
But, is there any compensation? Shall there be any reward? Shall we make any gain out of it? Peter, in the name of the Apostles, reminds the Master: «We have given up everything to follow you» (Mk 10:28), as if asking: what benefit shall we get?
The Lord's promise is very generous: «but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time (…) and in the age to come eternal life» (Mk 10:30). He cannot be surpassed as far as generosity. But He adds: «even in the midst of persecution». Jesus is very realistic and He does not want to deceive anybody. To be a disciple of his, if we are truly so, will bring us troubles and problems. However, Jesus considers persecutions and troubles a reward, for they help us to grow, if we accept and live through them as an opportunity to gain in maturity and responsibility. Whatever act of sacrifice makes us more like Jesus Christ who, by dying in the Cross, saves us.
We have always time to revise our life and get closer to Jesus Christ, especially during the times of Advent and Lent. Through prayer and the sacraments, these times and all times, we can find out whether we are amongst the disciples He is seeking, and decide which our answer must be to that call. Next to radical responses (such as those from the Apostles) there are others. For many, “to leave house, brothers or sisters, or father or mother…” will just mean whatever unable us to live deeply in Jesus' close friendship and, as a consequence, become his testimony before the world. And this is urgent, don't you think so?
What's the best investment you can make with your life? The gospel presents us with a paradox: we lose what we keep, and we gain what we give away. When we lose our lives for Jesus Christ, we gain a priceless treasure and an inheritance which lasts forever. Whatever we give to God comes back a hundredfold. Generosity flows from a heart full of gratitude for the abundant mercy and grace which God grants. Do you give freely and generously? And why do you give, for reward or for love?
Should we be surprised if we lose favor and experience ridicule, intimidation, and injury when we take a stand for truth and righteousness? In place of material wealth, Jesus promised his disciples the blessing and joy of rich fellowship with the community of believers. No earthly good or possession can rival the joy and bliss of knowing God and the peace and unity he grants to his disciples. The Lord wants to fill our hearts with the vision of heaven and with his joy and peace. Do you know the joy of following the Lord as his disciple? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the joy of the gospel and the knowledge of God’s personal love.
"Lord Jesus, I want to follow you as your disciple and to love you wholeheartedly with all that I have. Fill my heart with faith, hope, and love that I may always find peace and joy in your presence."
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