Thứ Năm- Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Ngày- 21 tháng 12.2023

Thứ Năm- Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Ngày- 21 tháng 12.2023

Đức Maria thực sự là một mẫu người gương mẫu cho chúng ta nên bắt chước sống trong Mùa Vọng nhất là việc chuẩn bị cho việc Chúa Cứu Thế đến. Đức Maria đã được Thiên Chúa Cha chuẩn bị để xứng đáng làm mẹ Con của Người ngay từ lúc đầu Maria mới được tạo thành trong lòng bà Thánh Anna. Là người phụ nữ Israel trung thành với Thiên Chúa Giavê, Maria đã biết cầu nguyện xin cho sự xuất hiện của Đấng Thiên sai ngay từ lúc còn bé. Khi Maria còn là một cô gái trẻ, Maria đã khám phá ra rằng mình chính là một phần trong câu trả lời của Thiên Chúa nhưng theo một cách trổi vượt xa hơn những lời cầu xin mà Maria đã xin: không phải là Đấng Thiên sai chỉ là con của Maria, mà con trai của Maria cũng chính là Thiên Chúa. Sự đồng ý tán thành của Maria với Tổng lãnh Thiên Thần Gabriel, đã khởi sự việc chuẩn bị sẵn sàng cho sự ra đời của Đức Giêsu, Đấng Thiên sai.

Qua việc đến viếng thăm và săn sóc bà Elizabeth, Đức Maria đã mang Chúa Giêsu trong lòng, như thế Maria đã trở thành người ra đi truyền giáo đầu tiên, người mang sứ điệp Tin Mừng đầu tiên đến với người chị họ của mình. Maria đã thay đổi hoàn toàn lịch sử con người. Đức Maria đã mang lại niềm vui không thể tin được đến cho  bà Elizabeth và Gioan Tẩy giả khi còn trong bụng của bà vì Maria mang Chúa Kitô đến với họ. Và cũng chính vì thế mà Đức Maria đã vui mừng và cất lên tiếng ca ngợi Thiên Chúa với lời kinh Magnificat.

Để mang lại niềm vui cho người khác trong mùa Giáng sinh này, chúng ta nên bắt chước Đức Maria là hãy mang Chúa Kitô đến với mọi người. Ngài là món quà tuyệt vời nhất mà chúng ta có thể mang đến cho bất cứ ai mà chúng ta yêu mến. Tất cả các món quà vật chất trên cõi đời này đều không có gì sánh bằng. Nếu không chia sẻ Chúa Giêsu với người thương yẻu của chúng ta, chúng ta sẽ không cho những người thân yêu của chúng ta những gì là thiết thực và bền lâu. Hãy mang Chúa Kitô đến với mọi người.

Xin Chúa Giáng Sinh ban cho chúng ta có can đãm và nghị lực để bắt chước Đức Maria về đức tin, vì đức tin đó sẽ hướng dẫn cho chúng ta đi trọn cuộc hành trìmh đức tin của chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy lắng nghe nhịp đập của trái tim và sự suy ngẫm của Đức Maria, để Giáng sinh của chúng ta có thể có hiệu quả như lần Giáng Sinh đầu tiên hơn hai ngàn năm trước.

 

December 21, Advent Weekday

Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.   Luke 1:39–40

We are presented today with the glorious story of the Visitation. When Mary was about two months pregnant, she traveled to be with her cousin Elizabeth who was to give birth within a month. Though much could be said about this as an act of familial love given from Mary to Elizabeth, the central focus immediately becomes the precious Child within the womb of Mary.

Imagine the scene. Mary had just traveled about 100 miles. She was most likely exhausted. As she finally arrived, she would have been relieved and joyful at the completion of her journey. But Elizabeth says something quite inspiring at that moment, which elevates the joy of all present, including the joy of Mother Mary. Elizabeth says, “For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44). Again, imagine the scene. It was this tiny child within Elizabeth’s womb, John the Baptist, who immediately perceived the presence of the Lord and leaped for joy. And it was Elizabeth who immediately perceived the joy in her child living within her womb. As Elizabeth expressed this to Mary, who was already joyful at completing her journey, Mary was suddenly all the more overjoyed at the realization that she had brought to Elizabeth and John the Savior of the World living within her womb.

This story should teach us much about what is most important in life. Yes, it’s important to reach out in love to others. It’s important to care for our relatives and friends when they need us the most. It’s important to be sacrificial with our time and energies for the good of others, because through these acts of humble service, we certainly share the love of God. But most importantly, we must bring Christ Jesus Himself to others. Elizabeth was not filled with joy first and foremost because Mary was there to help her in her pregnancy. Rather, she was overjoyed primarily because Mary brought her Jesus, her Lord, living within her womb.

Though we do not bring Christ in the same way as our Blessed Mother did, we nonetheless must make this our central mission in life. First, we must foster a love and devotion to our Lord so deep that He truly dwells within us. Then, we must bring Him who dwells within us to others. This is unquestionably the greatest act of charity we will ever be able to offer to another.

Reflect, today, not only upon your mission to invite your Lord to dwell within you as our Blessed Mother did but also upon your Christian duty to then bring Him who dwells within you to others. Do others encounter Christ living within you with joy? Do they sense His presence in your life and respond with gratitude? Regardless of their response, commit yourself to this holy calling of bringing Christ to others as an act of the deepest love.

Lord, please do dwell within me. Come and transform me by Your holy presence. As You do come to me, help me to then become a missionary of Your divine presence by bringing You to others so that they may encounter the joy of Your presence. Make me a pure instrument, dear Lord, and use me to inspire all whom I encounter every day. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Dec 21 2023

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, increase my faith, hope, and love, so that I may live as you would have me do. I ask for the grace to open my heart and mind to your Word during this meditation.   May this time of prayer assist me to more perfectly fulfill my duties of daily life.

Encountering Christ:

1.      Mary’s Dialogue with the Unborn Jesus: An expectant mother converses with the child in her womb. “What will you look like? How will you laugh? What will your hopes and dreams be?” It is a time of tremendous love and joy, but not without some trepidation: “Will I be a good mother?” Mary, like any mother, would have had a similar dialogue with Jesus in her womb. However, she would also contemplate the mystery of her son’s divinity: “Son of the Most High… Emmanuel, God with us.” She would love and adore her son and her God in her womb. Amazingly, we are called to a similar intimacy with Christ. In the encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharista, Saint John Paul II said that when Mary received Christ, body and blood, in her womb in the Incarnation, it anticipated our reception of Christ, body and blood, in the Eucharist (cf. n. 55).

2.      Christ Impels Us to Serve: Mary conceived Christ in her womb and then made haste to help Elizabeth. When Jesus resides within a soul, he will always send him or her out. We are a missionary Church. Even the cloistered orders are missionaries at heart, which is why the Church named Saint Thérèse of Lisieux a patron of the missions. Any act of love directed towards God or neighbor strengthens our disposition to love more. Additionally, when we possess God’s sanctifying grace in our soul, God himself loves in and through us. Mary, the mother of God, revealed her missionary heart by making haste to help Elizabeth. We, too, are missionary disciples.

3.       “Blessed Is the Fruit of Your Womb”: Elizabeth and John were filled with joy in the Spirit upon hearing Mary’s greeting. However, their joy resided not so much in the fact that Mary came to help with chores; rather, it lay in their encounter with Christ. Incarnate for only a few days, already Jesus was building the Kingdom of God, with a little help from his mother. More than practical formulae, or great projects, what the Church has to offer is Christ himself. He is precisely what the world needs. Therefore, in our own apostolic endeavors, we must keep in mind the centrality of communicating Christ to souls. If our heart is full of Christ, then he will come out through all our actions. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I thank you for the gift of receiving you in the Eucharist, body, soul, and divinity. I am not worthy of such intimacy with you, but it is both your gift and invitation. Give me the grace to confidently speak with you, sharing my hopes, dreams, and fears. Allow me to hear your inspiration and respond with a generous heart. Finally, like Mary, help me to seek to serve you in my neighbor.

Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will seek to share Jesus with one other person, either through word or action.

 

Thứ Năm- Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Ngày 21 tháng 12 .

Chuyến viếng thăm bà Elizabeth của Đức Maria trước khi Chúa Giêsu sinh ra có gì là quan trọng? Ân sủng của Thiên Chúa, giống như những tin mừng xốt giẻo cần phải được chia sẻ.

Đức Maria thể hiện trong hành động rất thực tế. Thiên Chúa đã đến thăm Đức Maria. Vì thế, giờ đây, Đức Maria lại mang Chúa đến với người bà con của mình đó là bà Elizabeth và Gioan đứa trẻ trong lòng bà. Món quà Thiên Chúa trao ban thật vô giá,  không có giá trị và lợi nhuận cá nhân nhưng để chia sẻ, tự hiến và phục vụ. 

Lời nói " Xin Vâng" cho một ân sủng tung mở cánh cửa dẫn đến một kho đầy những hồng ân được  đáp trả,  Trước hết là phúc lành của người mẹ già và sau đó là  niềm vui nhảy mừng của đứa bé chưa sinh. Chuyến thăm của Thiên Chúa được thừa nhận và được đón mừng hân hoan. Thiên Chúa đã viếng thăm dân của người trong quá khứ và còn được  tiếp tục đi vào cuộc sống của chúng ta.  Mùa Vọng , Mùa của hy vọng vui mừng, Chúng ta hãy mang Thiên Chúa  đến cho  những người cần được chúc phúc.

            Lạy Cha, xin khoả lấy hồn chúng con với ơn Chúa Thánh Tần, và ban cho chúng con niềm vui mừng trong việc tìm kiếm Chúa một cách chân thành hơn, Xin cho long tin của chúng con được phát triển và trưởng thành trong lời Hứa của Chúa, là được thấy niềm hy vọng trong sự vui mừng của nước Trời, và tình yêu của chúng con dành cho Chúa là tất cả những gì của chúng con.

 

Reflection on: Luke 1:39-45

What is the significance of Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth before the birth of Jesus? God's grace, like good news, is something that must be shared. Mary demonstrates in practical action. The Lord has visited her. So now she brings the Lord to her cousin Elizabeth and the child John in her womb. God's gifts are not for personal price and profit but for self- giving, sharing and service. Saying "Yes" to one grace opens the door to a whole storehouse of graced responses, first the elderly mother's blessing and then the unborn child's dance for joy. God's visit is acknowledged and then celebrated. The God who has visited his people in times past continues to come into our lives. Let us bring him to those who need his blessing.

 

December 22, Advent Weekday

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”  Luke 1:46–47

        There is an age-old question that asks, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Well, perhaps it’s an age-old “question” because only God knows the answer to how He created the world and all the creatures within it.

Today, this first line from the glorious song of praise of our Blessed Mother, the Magnificat, poses to us another question. “Which comes first, to praise God or to rejoice in Him?” Perhaps you’ve never asked yourself that question, but it’s worth pondering both the question and the answer.

This first line of Mary’s song of praise identifies two actions taking place within her. She “proclaims” and she “rejoices.” Think about those two interior experiences. The question can be better phrased like this: Did Mary proclaim God’s greatness because she was first filled with joy? Or was she filled with joy because she first proclaimed the greatness of God? Perhaps the answer is a bit of both, but the ordering of this line in Sacred Scripture implies that she first proclaimed and as a result was filled with joy.

This is not just a philosophical or theoretical reflection; rather, it is a very practical one that offers significant insight into our daily lives. Oftentimes in life we wait to be “inspired” by God before we thank and praise Him. We wait until God touches us, fills us with a joyful experience, answers our prayer and then we respond with gratitude. This is good. But why wait? Why wait to proclaim the greatness of God? 

Should we proclaim the greatness of God when things are difficult in life? Yes. Should we proclaim the greatness of God when we do not feel His presence in our lives? Yes. Should we proclaim the greatness of God even when we encounter the heaviest of crosses in life? Most certainly yes.

Proclaiming the greatness of God should not only be done after some powerful inspiration or answer to prayer. It should not only be done after we experience the closeness of God. Proclaiming God’s greatness is a duty of love and must always be done, every day, in every circumstance, no matter what. We proclaim God’s greatness primarily because of Who He is. He is God. And He is worthy of all our praise for that fact alone.

Interestingly, however, the choice to proclaim the greatness of God, both in good times and in difficult times, often also leads to the experience of joy. It appears that Mary’s spirit rejoiced in God her Savior primarily because she first proclaimed His greatness. Joy comes from first serving God, loving Him and giving Him the honor due His name.

Reflect, today, upon this twofold process of proclaiming and rejoicing. Proclaiming must always come first, even if we feel as though there is nothing to rejoice about. But if you can commit yourself to the proclamation of the greatness of God, you will suddenly find that you have discovered the deepest cause of joy in life: God Himself.

Dearest Mother, you chose to proclaim the greatness of God. You acknowledged His glorious action in your life and in the world, and your proclamation of these truths filled you with joy. Pray for me that I may also seek to glorify God each and every day, no matter what challenges or blessings I receive. May I imitate you, dear Mother, and share also in your perfect joy.  Mother Mary, pray for me.  Jesus, I trust in You.