Suy Niệm Bài Đọc Thứ Ba Tuần 18 Thường Niên
Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay nhắc chúng ta về câu
chuyện Chúa Giêsu đi trên mặt nước. Trong Kinh Thánh, Nước là một biểu tượng của
sự nguy hiểm. Ngay từ đầu, Thánh thần Thiên Chúa bay lơ lửng trên mặt nước. Điều
này báo hiệu cho sự thống trị của Thiên Chúa trên tất cả các quyền năng và
những sự rối loạn.
Trong cả bốn Tin Mừng đều nhắc đến câu chuyện về Chúa Giêsu làm chủ trên những con sóng bão. Chiếc thuyền với Phêrô và các môn đệ khác là gợi mở cho chúng ta thấy đó Giáo Hội Công Giáo của chúng ta. Giáo Hội này đã trải qua các vùng nước như sông hồ biển cả... và Giáo Hội đã đi qua thời gian. Giáo Hội cũng đã từng trải những sóng to bão lớn, những hỗn loạn, tham nhũng, ngu xuẩn, nguy hiểm, bắt bố, tù đầy và việc chết vì Đạo chắc chắn sẽ xảy ra.
Bây giờ chúng ta đang ở trong canh thứ tư của một đêm dài, đó là khoảng thời gian đen tối nhất của canh đêm, Chúa Giêsu đi bộ trên mặt biển, điều này có nghĩa là một sự khẳng định về tính thiêng liêng của Ngài: cũng giống như Thánh Thần của Thiên Chúa lơ lửng trên vùng biển lúc ban đầu, và vậy Chúa Giêsu đã vượt qua mặt nước ngay bây giờ, Ngài đã nói với các môn đệ đang sợ hãi của Ngài là: "Hãy can đảm, đừng sợ, thầy đây. ” Nhưng còn nhiều hơn thế nữa: các con có thể cùng tham gia và chia sẻ vào sức mạnh của thầy. “Phêrô ra khỏi thuyền và bắt đầu đi trên nước về phía Chúa Jêsus.” Đây là câu chuyện của tất cả các thánh, nhừng người đã không biết sợ hãi và theo Chúa.
Reflection Tuesday 18th
Ordinary Time 2018
In Gospel today is the story of Jesus walking on the water. Water is, throughout the Scriptures, a symbol of danger. At the very beginning, the spirit of the Lord hovered over the surface of the waters. This signals God’s lordship over all of the powers of disorder
In all four Gospels there is a version of this story of Jesus mastering the waves. The boat, with Peter and the other disciples, is evocative of the Church. It moves through the waters, as the Church will move through time. Storms—chaos, corruption, stupidity, danger, persecution—will inevitably arise.
Now during the fourth watch of the night, which is to say the darkest time of the night, Jesus comes walking on the sea. This is meant to be an affirmation of his divinity: just as the spirit of God hovered over the waters at the beginning, so Jesus hovers over them now. So he says to his terrified disciples: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” But even more than that: you can participate in my power. “Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.” This is the story of all the saints.
Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Years B&C)
“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Matthew 14:27–29
Peter and the other disciples were frightened. They were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, the wind was strong, and the waves were crashing. This scene took place “during the fourth watch of the night,” which meant the time was early in the morning, between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m., when it was still dark. Jesus had been alone on a mountain praying during that night and now came walking on the water toward the disciples. When they saw our Lord, they cried out, “It is a ghost!” But then Jesus spoke the words quoted above to them, calming them and calling them to courage and trust.
Imagine yourself being with the disciples as Jesus approached. How would you react? Would you, too, be filled with fear? Perhaps it is best to answer that question from two perspectives. One is from the perspective of our fallen human nature. The other comes from the perspective of Truth. First, from the perspective of our fallen human nature, there are many things in this life that tempt us to fear. Therefore, this Gospel passage should be seen as a prophetic action of our Lord by which He tells you that He wants to come to you and meet you in your fears. What is it that gives you the most fear in your life right now? Oftentimes fear has to do with the future and the unknown. What if this or that were to happen? Fear ultimately results from a lack of faith in God and His protective care.
The second perspective from which we might see this passage is that of the full Truth. The truth is that the disciples not only had no need to fear, they actually had every reason to rejoice and be at peace. While on that boat, in the middle of the sea, in the middle of the night, during strong winds, it was God Himself, the Great I AM, Who was coming to protect them, care for them, and lead them safely to shore. Jesus’ “it is I” could actually be translated more literally “I AM” in reference to Jesus’ divinity.
The last word in the passage quoted above is what Jesus speaks to all of us when we fall into fear and worry. Jesus says, “Come.” This word is a command and is a word spoken to you. It’s a good word to prayerfully meditate upon and hear spoken to you during every struggle and fear you endure.
Reflect, today, upon this Gospel passage and try to insert yourself into it. See the waves, wind, and darkness as symbols of whatever it is that troubles you the most. As you do, close your eyes and see Jesus, the Great I AM, coming to you. Gaze at Him and hear Him tell you to trust Him. Hear Him say to you, “Come.” Peter initially trusted and began to walk on water when he came to Jesus, but he quickly allowed his fear to set in and took his eyes off Jesus. As soon as he did, he began to sink. Turn your eyes to Jesus, keep them firmly fixed on Him, ignore the temptations in life that lead you to fear, and trust in God. He commands you to do so out of love.
My saving Lord, You are God, the Great I AM, the Creator, Ruler and King of all. You and You alone are worthy of all my trust, dear Lord. When I struggle in life and allow fear to overwhelm me, please call to me and give me the wisdom and courage I need to fix my eyes firmly upon You and to come to You without faltering. Jesus, I trust in You.
Tuesday 18th Ordinary Time 2023
Opening Prayer: Here I am Lord in your presence, offering to you this new day with its pleasant and unpleasant moments. I beg you to strengthen my faith, hope, and charity, so that on this day I may do with a loving heart what you ask of me.
The Pharisees and the Law: The Pharisees learned from Moses to follow the law to please God and thus be faithful to the covenant. We do the same when we follow the Ten Commandments or the teachings of the Church. However, Jesus purified the law and taught us to fulfill it, not out of duty or with self-righteousness, but for pure love of God without any other personal interest, “for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). Spiritual death comes from selfishness, self-justification, pride, and impurity in our actions, but the Holy Spirit can fill our actions with charity and make us worthy of eternal life. We are called to accomplish our duty with love for God. “Whatever someone does, if he does it for a temporary utility, he does it like a slave and consequently does not keep the Sabbath” (St. Augustine, Sermon 33 on the Old Testament).
Suy Niệm Bài Đọc Thứ Ba Tuần 18 Thường Niên
Trong Tin Mừng, ông Phêrô có thể bước đi trên mặt nước trên hồ, khi ông biết tập trung vào Chúa. Trong khoảng khắc lo lấng, ông mất sụu tập trung vao Chúa nên sự sợ hãi đã dìm kéo ông và ông đã bị nhận chìm trong nước.
Đôi khi, chúng ta đã quá lo lắng về nhũng thú vật chất của thế giới, chúng ta cũng đã làm mất đi sụ tập trung vào Chúa và do đó đức tin của chúng ta cũng đã bắt đầu bị chìm trong trong nhũung côn sóng vật chất. Chúng ta đừng nên để những lo lắng của thế giới lấy đi sự tập trung của chúng ta ra khỏi tầm tay của Thiên Chúa.
Lạy Chúa, xin ban cho chúng con có được nhũung ân sủng và biết tập trung vào Chua luôn luộn, cũng như giúp chúng con biết tin tưởng vào Chúa mãi mãi.
Meditation
In the Gospel, Peter is able to walk on the water as long as he is focused on the Lord. The moment he loses that focus, the fear of the water grips him and he sinks into the water. Sometimes, caught up in the worries of our world, we also lose our focus on the Lord and as a result start sinking in our faith. Let not the worries of the world take away our focus from the Lord.
Lord, grant us the grace to be focused on You always as we put our trust in You.
Reflection:
Faith is a free gift from God and is beyond our logical understanding and human control. And this is why pray for the gift of faith even as small as a mustard seed. This takes grace from above and we must continually strive to beg for this grace. We cannot expect our faith to grow through our human efforts and constraints.
As much as faith is a gift from God, fear is a human trait. It is in our daily experiences that we have fears to face. It is perhaps this reason why we bend our knees to seek for God's assuring presence in our world. .
In today's Gospel reading, we hear Jesus asking us to have complete trust in him, as he chastises Peter as he began to sink while walking on the water, "Man of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Mt14: 31)
Indeed why did Peter doubt when our Lord was so close by?
Now is the time for us to believe and the trust that our Lord is always close by our side.
Let us pray for faith in Christ to help us live on confidently amidst many uncertainties in our lives. And when we feel overwhelmed, at that very instant, he will take us and pull us to safety. Lord, please help us to always have faith. Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Trong cả bốn Tin Mừng đều nhắc đến câu chuyện về Chúa Giêsu làm chủ trên những con sóng bão. Chiếc thuyền với Phêrô và các môn đệ khác là gợi mở cho chúng ta thấy đó Giáo Hội Công Giáo của chúng ta. Giáo Hội này đã trải qua các vùng nước như sông hồ biển cả... và Giáo Hội đã đi qua thời gian. Giáo Hội cũng đã từng trải những sóng to bão lớn, những hỗn loạn, tham nhũng, ngu xuẩn, nguy hiểm, bắt bố, tù đầy và việc chết vì Đạo chắc chắn sẽ xảy ra.
Bây giờ chúng ta đang ở trong canh thứ tư của một đêm dài, đó là khoảng thời gian đen tối nhất của canh đêm, Chúa Giêsu đi bộ trên mặt biển, điều này có nghĩa là một sự khẳng định về tính thiêng liêng của Ngài: cũng giống như Thánh Thần của Thiên Chúa lơ lửng trên vùng biển lúc ban đầu, và vậy Chúa Giêsu đã vượt qua mặt nước ngay bây giờ, Ngài đã nói với các môn đệ đang sợ hãi của Ngài là: "Hãy can đảm, đừng sợ, thầy đây. ” Nhưng còn nhiều hơn thế nữa: các con có thể cùng tham gia và chia sẻ vào sức mạnh của thầy. “Phêrô ra khỏi thuyền và bắt đầu đi trên nước về phía Chúa Jêsus.” Đây là câu chuyện của tất cả các thánh, nhừng người đã không biết sợ hãi và theo Chúa.
In Gospel today is the story of Jesus walking on the water. Water is, throughout the Scriptures, a symbol of danger. At the very beginning, the spirit of the Lord hovered over the surface of the waters. This signals God’s lordship over all of the powers of disorder
In all four Gospels there is a version of this story of Jesus mastering the waves. The boat, with Peter and the other disciples, is evocative of the Church. It moves through the waters, as the Church will move through time. Storms—chaos, corruption, stupidity, danger, persecution—will inevitably arise.
Now during the fourth watch of the night, which is to say the darkest time of the night, Jesus comes walking on the sea. This is meant to be an affirmation of his divinity: just as the spirit of God hovered over the waters at the beginning, so Jesus hovers over them now. So he says to his terrified disciples: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” But even more than that: you can participate in my power. “Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.” This is the story of all the saints.
“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Matthew 14:27–29
Peter and the other disciples were frightened. They were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, the wind was strong, and the waves were crashing. This scene took place “during the fourth watch of the night,” which meant the time was early in the morning, between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m., when it was still dark. Jesus had been alone on a mountain praying during that night and now came walking on the water toward the disciples. When they saw our Lord, they cried out, “It is a ghost!” But then Jesus spoke the words quoted above to them, calming them and calling them to courage and trust.
Imagine yourself being with the disciples as Jesus approached. How would you react? Would you, too, be filled with fear? Perhaps it is best to answer that question from two perspectives. One is from the perspective of our fallen human nature. The other comes from the perspective of Truth. First, from the perspective of our fallen human nature, there are many things in this life that tempt us to fear. Therefore, this Gospel passage should be seen as a prophetic action of our Lord by which He tells you that He wants to come to you and meet you in your fears. What is it that gives you the most fear in your life right now? Oftentimes fear has to do with the future and the unknown. What if this or that were to happen? Fear ultimately results from a lack of faith in God and His protective care.
The second perspective from which we might see this passage is that of the full Truth. The truth is that the disciples not only had no need to fear, they actually had every reason to rejoice and be at peace. While on that boat, in the middle of the sea, in the middle of the night, during strong winds, it was God Himself, the Great I AM, Who was coming to protect them, care for them, and lead them safely to shore. Jesus’ “it is I” could actually be translated more literally “I AM” in reference to Jesus’ divinity.
The last word in the passage quoted above is what Jesus speaks to all of us when we fall into fear and worry. Jesus says, “Come.” This word is a command and is a word spoken to you. It’s a good word to prayerfully meditate upon and hear spoken to you during every struggle and fear you endure.
Reflect, today, upon this Gospel passage and try to insert yourself into it. See the waves, wind, and darkness as symbols of whatever it is that troubles you the most. As you do, close your eyes and see Jesus, the Great I AM, coming to you. Gaze at Him and hear Him tell you to trust Him. Hear Him say to you, “Come.” Peter initially trusted and began to walk on water when he came to Jesus, but he quickly allowed his fear to set in and took his eyes off Jesus. As soon as he did, he began to sink. Turn your eyes to Jesus, keep them firmly fixed on Him, ignore the temptations in life that lead you to fear, and trust in God. He commands you to do so out of love.
My saving Lord, You are God, the Great I AM, the Creator, Ruler and King of all. You and You alone are worthy of all my trust, dear Lord. When I struggle in life and allow fear to overwhelm me, please call to me and give me the wisdom and courage I need to fix my eyes firmly upon You and to come to You without faltering. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Here I am Lord in your presence, offering to you this new day with its pleasant and unpleasant moments. I beg you to strengthen my faith, hope, and charity, so that on this day I may do with a loving heart what you ask of me.
The Pharisees and the Law: The Pharisees learned from Moses to follow the law to please God and thus be faithful to the covenant. We do the same when we follow the Ten Commandments or the teachings of the Church. However, Jesus purified the law and taught us to fulfill it, not out of duty or with self-righteousness, but for pure love of God without any other personal interest, “for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). Spiritual death comes from selfishness, self-justification, pride, and impurity in our actions, but the Holy Spirit can fill our actions with charity and make us worthy of eternal life. We are called to accomplish our duty with love for God. “Whatever someone does, if he does it for a temporary utility, he does it like a slave and consequently does not keep the Sabbath” (St. Augustine, Sermon 33 on the Old Testament).
Trong Tin Mừng, ông Phêrô có thể bước đi trên mặt nước trên hồ, khi ông biết tập trung vào Chúa. Trong khoảng khắc lo lấng, ông mất sụu tập trung vao Chúa nên sự sợ hãi đã dìm kéo ông và ông đã bị nhận chìm trong nước.
Đôi khi, chúng ta đã quá lo lắng về nhũng thú vật chất của thế giới, chúng ta cũng đã làm mất đi sụ tập trung vào Chúa và do đó đức tin của chúng ta cũng đã bắt đầu bị chìm trong trong nhũung côn sóng vật chất. Chúng ta đừng nên để những lo lắng của thế giới lấy đi sự tập trung của chúng ta ra khỏi tầm tay của Thiên Chúa.
Lạy Chúa, xin ban cho chúng con có được nhũung ân sủng và biết tập trung vào Chua luôn luộn, cũng như giúp chúng con biết tin tưởng vào Chúa mãi mãi.
In the Gospel, Peter is able to walk on the water as long as he is focused on the Lord. The moment he loses that focus, the fear of the water grips him and he sinks into the water. Sometimes, caught up in the worries of our world, we also lose our focus on the Lord and as a result start sinking in our faith. Let not the worries of the world take away our focus from the Lord.
Lord, grant us the grace to be focused on You always as we put our trust in You.
Faith is a free gift from God and is beyond our logical understanding and human control. And this is why pray for the gift of faith even as small as a mustard seed. This takes grace from above and we must continually strive to beg for this grace. We cannot expect our faith to grow through our human efforts and constraints.
As much as faith is a gift from God, fear is a human trait. It is in our daily experiences that we have fears to face. It is perhaps this reason why we bend our knees to seek for God's assuring presence in our world. .
In today's Gospel reading, we hear Jesus asking us to have complete trust in him, as he chastises Peter as he began to sink while walking on the water, "Man of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Mt14: 31)
Indeed why did Peter doubt when our Lord was so close by?
Now is the time for us to believe and the trust that our Lord is always close by our side.
Let us pray for faith in Christ to help us live on confidently amidst many uncertainties in our lives. And when we feel overwhelmed, at that very instant, he will take us and pull us to safety. Lord, please help us to always have faith. Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
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