Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba Tuần 13 Thường niện

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba Tuần 13 Thường niện

Đoạn Tin Mừng của Thánh  Mathêô hôm nay rất quang trọng vì có chủ yếu là diễn tả một câu chuyện thật kỳ diệu, để cho chúng ta thấy sức mạnh và quyền năng của Chúa Giêsu,  thậm chí Ngài có quyền trên cả vũ trụ và thiên nhiên. Tuy nhiên, trong Tin Mừng này nói nên cho chúng ta biết được là những đòi hỏi nơi mỗi người chúng ta nếu chúng ta thưc sụ muốn theo và làm môn đệ của  Chúa Giêsu. Vì như chúng ta thấy, đoạn khởi đầu bài Tin Mừng là các môn đệ đã theo lên một chiếc thuyền theo sau Chúa Giêsu. Khi Chúa Giêsu đã lên thuyền và vào trong khoang thuyền, Ngài đã làm khoang thuyền này trở nên một chỗ cho chúng ta có thể đến với Ngài qua môn đệ, và qua việc từ bỏ mọi thứ mà theo Ngài.
            Câu chuyện Tin Mừng hôm nay sẽ trở trở thành một dụ ngôn cho chúng ta thấy về cuộc sống trong Giáo Hội trong sự hiệp nhất với Chúa Giêsu. Các cơn bão dữ dội là một biểu tượng của những khó khăn, những nguy hiểm về sự ngăn cấn và bắt đạo và thậm chí cả những vụ bê bối của các giáo sĩ một cách nghiêm trọng và đang làm đau khổ và ảnh hưởng đến Giáo Hội trên thế giới. Đối mặt với tội lỗi ngay bên trong hội thánh, chúng ta có thể cảm nhận như thấy rằng Thiên Chúa đang ngủ trong con thuyền hội thánh, mà Ngài đã bỏ rơi chúng ta. Như thế, chúng ta cần phải cầu nguyện cho hội thánh, như Chúa Giêsu nói chúng ta cần phải cầu nguyện với lòng can đảm và trong đức tin.           Lạy Chúa, trong những thời gian khó khăn và thử thách, Xin Chúa chúc lành cho chúng con và tất cả các thành viên của Giáo Hội có một lòng can đảm vững mạnh hơn và một đức tin sâu sắc hơn.
 
Reflection from Jesuit
This passage from Matthew’s Gospel is a fine example of the pedagogical techniques of the Evangelists. They weave together different types of material and so educate us to look into the deeper meanings of the Gospel and consequently into the deeper meaning which we can derive from or give to things that occur in our own lives.
            This passage from Matthew is essentially and primarily a miracle story, showing the power of Jesus even over nature. However, within the Gospel it is set after a number of stories about following Jesus, about discipleship. So the passage begins with Jesus getting into a boat and the disciples following him. As Jesus gets into the boat he makes it a place where we can be with him through discipleship, through following him.
            The story then becomes a parable of life in the Church in union with Jesus. The violent storm is a symbol of the difficulties, dangers and even scandals which seriously and grievously affect the Church in the world. Facing the sinful side of the church we may often feel that God is asleep, that he has abandoned us. Then we must pray, as Jesus says, with courage and faith.
Lord, in times of difficulties, bless us and all members of the Church with greater courage and a deep faith
 
Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2023
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. Matthew 8:23–24
This experience had quite an impression upon the disciples, which is evidenced by the fact that it is recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels. We also see this in the concluding words of the story after Jesus calmed the storm: “The men were amazed and said, ‘What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?’”
Traditionally, this story has been interpreted as both an image of the Church as a whole, as well as the individual soul. The boat is an image of the Church through which we Christians navigate the perils of this life. We must remain in the Church to survive. Each person within the boat represents each one of us who is a member of the Church. The violent storm is an image of the many personal struggles we endure in  life, as well as the persecutions that the Church has endured and will continue to endure until the end of time.
As the storm took hold of the boat, Jesus was asleep. But He was asleep for a reason. As we look at human history, especially the history of the Church, we find many times when God has seemed absent or “asleep” when turmoil, persecution, and hardship have arisen. Many people, if not all, have had the same experience at one time or another in life. As the disciples experience this storm, they offer us an ideal way to pray when we are tempted to despair in life. They wake Jesus and say, “Lord, save us!  We are perishing!” And though Jesus rebukes them for their lack of faith and their fear, He also responds to their pleas and calms the storm.
What should the disciples have done in this case? Should they have trusted and allowed Jesus to remain asleep? Though our Lord did rebuke them for lacking faith, this story is primarily a revelation about God’s mercy when we are tempted to fear. God knows that at times we will all feel overwhelmed and find ourselves tempted in this way. He knows our faith is not perfect, and so He allowed His disciples to set this example for us. Thus, whenever we do find ourselves overwhelmed and fearful in life, we should cry out to Him to save us. He wants us to turn to Him.
Reflect, today, upon this prayer of the disciples. If you find that you are facing some personal crisis, or a larger family difficulty that remains unresolved, or are increasingly aware of other struggles afflicting the Church or society as a whole, then try to imitate this prayer of the disciples: “Lord, save us!  We are perishing!” Though these words, at first, may seem to be words of despair, they are actually words of hope and trust. They point us to Him Who is the only source of the peace we seek in our souls, families, the Church and our world. Look for the many ways that you and others experience the feeling of “perishing,” and cry out with all your heart to our Lord to save you and all who are in need.
Most powerful Lord, I am amazed at Your divine power and ability to perfectly calm the storms that afflict Your people. Please fill me with hope and humility so that I will never hesitate to turn to You in my need and to also cry out to You for Your continuous intervention in the lives of others. Awake, oh Lord, and save Your people, for we will truly perish without You! Jesus, I trust in You.
 
 
Tuesday 13^th Ordinary Time 2023
Opening Prayer: I know you are here with me right now, Lord. I know you are thinking of me and eager to give me the graces I need to live this day to the full. I know you are looking at me with a gaze of personal and determined love. You created me, Lord, redeemed me, and accompanied me each moment through your Holy Spirit. Please open my mind and heart so that I can receive the light and strength of your grace through this time I spend with you in prayer.
Encountering Christ:
1. The Opportunities Storms Give Us: Why does Jesus permit storms in our lives? He didn’t have to let that storm come up as he and his Apostles were making their way across the sea. He shows clearly later on that he has power over the forces of nature at work in the storm. Why didn’t he exercise that power ahead of time so that the storm wouldn’t even come up in the first place? At least one reason for permitting storms is that they give us opportunities to get to know Jesus better. At the end of this passage, after the crisis is over, St. Matthew tells us: “The men were amazed and said, ‘What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?’” Until this point, Christ’s followers had witnessed amazing things: marvelous healings, dramatic exorcisms, and powerful preaching. This experience, however, shows them another side of Christ’s lordship: his power over the forces of nature. Their understanding, their knowledge of Jesus, still had room to grow. Maybe Jesus permitted this storm precisely so that they would come to know him better through the experience and through what he would show them in that experience. Maybe that’s why Jesus permits storms in our lives too. Somehow, being in a boat with Jesus as the storm rages on gives us a chance to know him more fully and, thus, to love him more deeply.
2. The Mystery of Faith: When his disciples wake him to share their panic with him, Jesus asks, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” The disciples must have looked at him as if he were crazy. Or maybe they looked at each other questioningly, wondering if their Lord had lost his marbles. A good number of Christ’s followers were fishermen, familiar with boats and storms. And those expert navigators feared for their lives amid this storm: “Lord, save us!” they cried out, “We are perishing!” From a normal human standpoint, their situation was clear and dire. But Jesus doesn’t chastise them for failing to make an accurate human evaluation of the situation. He challenges them on a different level, the level of faith. All his teaching and miracles have had the single purpose of stirring up in his follower's faith. We must encounter Jesus and believe in him, trust in him. Only then can his grace penetrate and transform us. This is because God is a real person, and so our relationship with him must be based on something besides mathematical computations. We must throw in our lot with him, believing and trusting, as we must do with any friend if we want the friendship to grow and flourish. Jesus has given us all many direct and indirect experiences of his goodness and his trustworthiness. How deeply have they nourished our faith? Our reactions during life’s storms can tell us.
3. In the Same Boat: Jesus and his disciples were in the same boat. Jesus isn’t a Savior who redeems us from a distance. Jesus wants to be close to us. The whole Christian mystery broadcasts that amazing truth. In the Incarnation, God himself becomes a human being and walks with us here in this fallen world. On the Cross, God himself absorbs into his own body and soul all the many types of suffering that we can’t seem to avoid in our journey through life. He travels the dusty roads of Galilee with his disciples. He speaks with Nicodemus around the fire at night. He touches lepers and weeps with those who mourn. In Jesus, God shows us that he truly is with us. He is in our boat. Jesus is “Emmanuel”—God with us. The problem, from our perspective, is that we so easily forget this. The storms of life throw us into a panic. The noise of life drowns out the voice of truth. The distractions of life obstruct our view of the bigger picture as God has revealed it. When will I decide to live according to the truths that I believe? When will I accept the truth of God’s unlimited, unconditional, unmitigated love for me and interest in my life? Will it be today?
Conversing with Christ: Thank you for coming into my boat, Lord. Thank you for caring enough about me to walk with me and protect and enlighten me. Today I just want to savor this gift of your presence. I am never alone. Even the storms that batter me are part of your plan for my life. Nothing can separate you from me because you are all in for me. Please teach me, Lord, to live with greater awareness of your presence. Grant me the grace never to forget that even when the storms rage, you are with me in my boat, and with a mere word, you can rebuke the winds and calm the sea. You are my Lord and my brother, and I never want to leave your side.
Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will put some kind of faith reminder (crucifix, image, rosary, post-it with a verse) in a place where I tend to feel more acutely the stresses and anxieties of life (desk, car, kitchen). Whenever I see it I will make a little act of faith, telling Jesus that I do believe in him and asking him to increase my faith. 
 
Tuesday 13^th Ordinary Time 2022
Opening Prayer: Lord, I come to you today to give you thanks for all the blessings in my life. Please help me to remember that, no matter how dark this life gets for me, you are always in my boat and always ready to restore calm in my heart.
Encountering Christ:
1.      In the Darkest Times, Pray: “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” comes from Psalm 130 and is a de profundis prayer: “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications” (v. 1-2). Psalm 130 is the official prayer of the Church for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It is the prayer offered at the darkest times of our lives, when we feel completely powerless to help ourselves. Jesus sleeping in the midst of a storm is a very powerful image of God’s sovereignty over even the darkest times in our lives. St. Therese of Lisieux used to meditate on this passage in times of inner confusion or darkness. Yet she wouldn’t wake the Lord. For her, it was enough just to sit beside him as he slept. 
2.      Yet You Are There: Notice that Jesus said “O you of little faith.” These men had faith, but it was just too little. Their faith, like ours, grows only when it is tested. The Father knows what we need even before we ask. Jesus is always with the Father, and that reality is the key to peace in the storms of life. Do we believe that the Father will not try us beyond our strength? Do we believe that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains? Lord, please increase our faith.
3.      The Power of Jesus: Just before this passage, in Matthew 8, Jesus cleansed a leper, healed a centurion’s servant, and healed many at the house of Peter. He was truly a physical healer. Here, we also saw his power over nature; even the winds and the seas obeyed him. Yet, all these healings pale in comparison to his power to heal us from the worst affliction of all and the only one that matters: sin. Jesus came to take away sin by becoming sin and crucifying it on the cross, in his very person. He paid a price we couldn’t pay for our sins that he didn’t commit. There is no greater love–and no greater power–than the power of Jesus Christ, the only son of God. The Gospels of Mark (4) and Luke (8) also tell their version of this calming of the storm at sea. In his famous painting of “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee,” Rembrandt depicted this scene in all its terror. When we imagine ourselves in the scene, how do we react?
Conversing with Christ: Lord, I know you are with me in all the storms of my life. I know that you will never leave me orphaned. Help me to cry out to you in desperate times. Lord, I believe. Increase my faith.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray with Psalm 130 and, if possible, commit it to memory.
 
Meditation: 
How can we fight fear with faith? Jesus' sleeping presence on the storm-tossed sea reveals the sleeping faith of his disciples (Matthew 8:25). They feared for their lives even though their Lord and Master was with them in the boat. They were asleep to Christ while he was present to them in their hour of need.
Why are you afraid? 
The Lord is ever present to us. And in our time of testing he asks the same question: Why are you afraid? Have you no faith (Matthew 8:26)? Do you recognize the Lord's presence with you, especially when you meet the storms of adversity, sorrow, and temptation? Whenever we encounter trouble, the Lord Jesus is there with the same reassuring message: "It is I, do not be afraid" (Matthew 14:27).
Faith nourished with the word of God 
What are the characteristics of faith and how can we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. Believing is only possible by grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and who opens the eyes of the mind to understand and accept the truth which God has revealed to us. Faith enables us to relate to God rightly and confidently, with trust and reliance, by believing and adhering to his word, because he is utterly reliable and trustworthy. If we want to live, grow, and persevere in faith, then it must be nourished with the word of God.
Let the love of Christ rule your heart and mind 
Fear does not need to cripple us from taking right action or rob us of our trust and reliance on God. Courage working with faith enables us to embrace God's word of truth and love with confidence and to act on it with firm hope in God's promises. The love of God strengthens us in our faith and trust in him and enables us to act with justice and kindness towards our neighbor even in the face of opposition or harm. Do you allow the love of Jesus Christ to rule in your heart and mind, and to move your will to choose what is good in accordance with his will?
"Lord Jesus, increase my faith in your redeeming love and power that I may always recognize your abiding presence with me. Give me courage and strength to face every difficulty, trial, and temptation with trust in your saving help and guiding presence."