Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu Tuần Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu Tuần Phục Sinh
Sau cuộc khổ nạn của Chúa Giêsu, các môn đệ của Chúa đã bắt đầu chán nản và ngã lòng, họ muốn trở về cuộc sống cũ, nghề kiếm sống cũ của họ, họ thức cả đêm thả lưới trong những cơn gió lạnh, họ kéo lên, thả xuống, mất bao nhiêu công sức, rách cả lưới, mất cả thời giờ mà họ cũng chẳng bắt được con cá nào. Nhiều lần trong cuộc sống của chúng ta không nhận ra Chúa. Nhưng khi chúng ta phải mang những gánh nặng của cuộc sống, hay khó khăn trong cuộc đời, chúng ta mới chạy đến nhà thờ, tìm Chúa. Còn những khi chúng ta thành công trong cuộc sống, chúng ta tự  nghĩ rằng chúng ta thành công là do sức lực, tài trí riêng của mình, chứ không phải đó là ân sủng của Thiên Chúa đã  ban cho chúng ta một cách đặc biệt. Cũng như các môn đệ thửa xưa, nếu chúng ta biết lắng nghe tiếng Chúa sai bảo chúng ta, chắc chắn trong những lúc đó, chúng ta sẽ nhận ra sự yếu đuối nơi con người của chúng ta, chúng ta mới cảm thấy sự bất lực, và chúng ta mới “sực nghĩ” ra rằng chúng ta không phải là Thiên Chúa mà chúng ta chỉ là một tạo vật đã được Thiên Chúa tạo nên và chúng ta luôn cần đến sự can thiệp của Thiên Chúa. Và chính nhờ đó mà chúng ta mới có thể cảm nhận được đức tin và nhận ra rằng "đó là Chúa Kitô đó!"
"Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Chúa là sự sống lại và là sự sống.  Xin Chúa tăng thêm lòng tin  của chúng con vào sự phục sinh của Chúa và chân lý! Xin cho chúng con đừng bao giờ phải giờ nghi ngờ về lời hứa ban sự sống của Chúa và cũng đừng để chúng con đi lạc và đánh mất sự hiện diện của Chúa"
 
Reflection:
     It is the Lord! It is important to recognize the Lord when he comes.  
     Many times we don't recognize him at all. It is only when heavy and impossible crosses come our way when we discern the presence of the Lord. When we have problems that we can solve, we attribute our success to our own brilliance and intelligence without God's help. But when the problems are too difficult and really exhaust all our strength, after trying everything and still failing, then we remember to ask God.
     It is when we have tried "fishing the whole night and caught nothing" that we realize our weakness and humanity. We discover that we are not God. That is why in this important crossroad, we can jump into faith and realize that " It is the Lord!"
 
Friday within Easter
Friday in the Octave of Easter
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead. John 21:12–14
The appearances of Jesus after His Resurrection were cloaked in mystery. Not a mystery of confusion, but a mystery of profound depth and awe. On this, the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples, Jesus first spoke to them from the shore after they had been fishing all night without catching anything. He told them to try again and to throw the net over the right side of the boat. They did so without even realizing that it was Jesus Who was speaking to them. But upon catching more than they could handle, they realized it was the Lord.
The “mystery” present in this resurrection appearance has many aspects. Why did the disciples not recognize Jesus at first? Why did Jesus instruct them to throw the net over the right side of the boat? Why was Jesus made known through this catch of one hundred and fifty-three large fish? Why was Jesus cooking breakfast for the disciples on the shore? And why did John record that “none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’” Though all of these mysteries have answers that have been offered over the centuries by the saints and great Scripture commentators, it’s useful to also simply ponder the fact that Jesus’ resurrection appearances were, indeed, cloaked in mystery.
In a mystery novel, the reader is given various vague clues to help them try to figure out the mystery and solve it. The clues are vague intentionally so as to make the solving more enjoyable and challenging. However, when it comes to a “mystery of faith,” such as the mystery of faith surrounding Jesus’ resurrection appearances, the mystery is of an entirely different sort. In these cases, the mystery is one of depth and breadth and is something that has the potential to draw us deeper and deeper into the infinite nature of God and His saving action.
Take, for example, this one line quoted above: “And none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they realized it was the Lord.” It appears that the disciples gathered around Jesus as He was preparing breakfast on the shore and sat there in awe of Him. Their silent awe of Him in this appearance reveals that words are not sufficient. Normally, when you see someone whom you are happy to see, you greet them and start talking, asking them how they are, etc. But here, the disciples remained in this holy awe, listening to Him, receiving this meal and pondering the mystery of His resurrected presence.
Reflect, today, upon the ways that our Lord comes to you. It’s easy to miss Him since His ongoing presence in our lives is also mysterious. Imagine if the disciples would have ignored Jesus’ call to “Cast the net over the right side of the boat…” If they would have ignored that command, they may have never come to realize it was the Lord. Reflect upon the ways that our Lord speaks to you. Do you respond? Do you recognize Him? Do you allow yourself to be drawn into this holy awe of His divine presence? Follow the example of the disciples and be on the lookout for the ongoing presence of our Lord all around you.
My divine Lord, You are constantly present to me, day and night, and yet I so often fail to perceive You and adore You. Help me to become more aware of Your presence in my life. As I do, help me to enter more deeply into these holy mysteries with love, devotion and awe. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday within Easter 2024The Third Time the Risen Jesus Was Revealed: According to John, the revelation at the Sea of Galilee (also known as the Sea of Tiberias) was the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples. The first time was on the first day of the week, on the Sunday after his passion and death. On that first day, Jesus appeared throughout the entire day to various disciples and, in the evening, to those gathered together in Jerusalem. Jesus appeared a second time on the eighth day, once again on a Sunday, when Thomas was present with the other disciples. The third appearance, according to the Gospel of John, takes place on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The disciples likely traveled for five days to Galilee from Jerusalem, having spent the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Jerusalem. They likely rested on the Sabbath after their five-day journey. When evening came and night fell, Peter and six other disciples began fishing on the Sea of Galilee. On Sunday morning, Jesus calls out to the tired fishermen from the shore and asks them whether they caught anything. It is not by chance that the appearances and revelation of the Risen Jesus happen each week on Sunday. Every Sunday we too encounter the risen Jesus in the Word of God and in the Bread of Life. The place of the miraculous catch of fish also recalls the previous sign of the multiplication of the loaves and fish (John 6:1-15). Just as the risen Jesus provides a meal with Eucharistic overtones to the crowds and to his disciples, so also his disciples are to go and bring all nations to the table of the Eucharist, feed them with the Word of God, and give them the Bread of Life.
Fishing according to the Word: Jesus’ seven disciples – Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two others – caught nothing by themselves. However, following the indications of Christ, they caught a great number of fish – 153 to be exact. Unlike the earlier scene in the Gospel of Luke (5:6), the net of fish was not torn. Thomas Aquinas interprets this to mean that the Church in this world – signified by the torn net – can be ripped by heresy. But in the future, in heaven – signified by the unbroken net – there will be no schisms and peace will reign. The untorn net symbolizes the unity of Jesus’ disciples and the Church’s mission. “The disciples, whom the risen Jesus has sent into the world, are to go and bear witness to him, much as they go out fishing. Without Jesus’ assistance, they will fail in their mission. But if they are obedient to him and cooperate with the Spirit working in them, they will bring others to faith in Jesus […]. The disciples are to bring all people to Christ, just as they bring the catch to him. Illumined by the Church’s tradition, the scene of Peter hauling the untorn net ashore can be seen as indicating the special role of Peter’s ministry in the apostolic mission of bringing disciples to Christ and preserving their unity” (Martin and Wright, The Gospel of John, p. 350).
3. The Trial of Peter and John: In the Acts of the Apostles, we find Peter proclaiming the truth of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. He is interrupted by the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees. The Sadducees, in particular, did not believe in a resurrection. Peter and John are arrested and judged the following day by the seventy-one members of the Sanhedrin. Unlike his timid responses to the servant girl on the night of Jesus' trial, Peter is fearless and is filled with the Holy Spirit. He proclaims that the crippled man was healed in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the stone, rejected by the elders of Israel, who has become the cornerstone of God's New Temple. Faith in Jesus bestows forgiveness of sins and salvation, and there is no salvation through anyone else. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus is the Lord of all and the judge of the living and the dead. Jesus is the one mediator between God and men. Jesus Christ continues his presence and work of salvation in the Church and by means of the Church, which is his body (See Declaration Dominus Iesus: On the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church, n. 16).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you revealed yourself to your disciples and gave them the grace, courage, and strength to proclaim your resurrection to the entire world. Empower me like your disciples with your Holy Spirit to be a bold witness to your resurrection.
Living the Word of God: Do I see each Sunday mass as an encounter with the risen Christ? How can I better prepare for this encounter and help my family and friends also experience the merciful love of God in the mass?
 
Friday within Easter
Opening Prayer: Jesus, thank you for revealing yourself to your disciples so that they could reveal you and your love to the world. Thank you for calling me to be your disciple. Please teach me what you want me to learn in this Gospel passage, and help me to live it out in my life.
Encountering Christ:
Remain with Christ: Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus at first when she questioned the “gardener” (Jesus) at the empty tomb (John 20:15). The disciples in the boat did not immediately recognize Jesus either. The Catechism teaches that after his Resurrection, “the risen Jesus enjoys the sovereign freedom of appearing as he wishes: in the guise of a gardener or in other forms familiar to his disciples, precisely to awaken their faith” (CCC 645). Because Mary Magdalene remained faithful to him through his Passion, he revealed himself to her first (John 20:16). St. John, who also remained with Jesus during his Passion and “who had also lain close to his breast during the supper” (John 21:20), was the first in this passage to recognize him, saying, “It is the Lord.” When we remain with the Lord, in good times and in bad, it is easier for us to recognize his presence in our lives. Scripture teaches, “The Lord is with you when you are with him, and if you seek him he will be found” (2 Chronicles 15:2). Are you able to recognize when God is working in your life? Are your days flexible enough to give you a little time to reflect on the ways that the Holy Spirit is guiding you and working through you and others?
We Are Fruitful with Christ: This Gospel passage speaks to the nature of the Church. It is a hidden parable here at the end of the Gospel of John. The sea is the world, and the boat is the Church. The fish symbolizes those who will come into the Church. Remember that Jesus told his disciples when he first called them that they would become “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). The net, though full of a multitude of large fish, was not torn, symbolizing the unity and universality of the Church. The Apostles’ evangelical preaching is the “net” that will catch people and convert them to Christ. They were Christ’s very first priests. Notice also that when the Apostles first set out to fish, they caught nothing. Then when Christ directed them, the net was so abundantly full that they had to drag it back to shore. How are we, Jesus’s disciples today, following him and therefore fulfilling the apostolic mission to be “fishers of men?” Do we allow Christ to direct all our actions, making them fruitful?
One Hundred Fifty-Three Fish: In the other Gospel accounts, Jesus gave his disciples the command to proclaim the Gospel to all people (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47). The symbolism of the 153 different fish is the Johannine account of this command. St. Jerome claimed that, at that time, the Greeks had cataloged 153 species of fish, and “that number would indicate that the Apostles were going to win converts to the Church from people of every nation on earth” (The Didache Bible commentary). Ezekiel foretold of fishermen pulling up all the fish of the sea in his vision of the Temple stream. Freshwater flowed from the Temple’s sides into a wonderful stream. He wrote, “Wherever it flows, the river teems with every kind of living creature; fish will abound. Where these waters flow they refresh; everything lives where the river goes. Fishermen will stand along its shore from En-gedi to En-eglaim; it will become a place for drying nets, and it will abound with as many kinds of fish as the Great Sea” (Ezekiel 47:9-10). We can ask ourselves what part we play in carrying out Christ’s command to bring all peoples to Jesus and therefore to Christianize the world. 
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, help me remain near you. Help me notice when you are working in my life. Show me the power and love that you have given me to share with the world. Help me offer all that I do to you so that I may bear fruit, fruit that will last (John 15:16). Give me the courage to be your fisher of men, casting my net into the deep (Luke 5:4) in order to share your love and life with all people.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will take time to stop and reflect on how God is working in my life and in the world. When I notice God working, I will say, “It is the Lord.” 
 
Fri 25th April 2014; Friday within Easter Octave , Acts 4:1-12; mJn. 21:1-1
In the first reading, we observe the contrasting manner in which the ordinary people responded to the preaching of Peter, as opposed to the rulers, elders, scribes and priests. Many among the people, which included 5000 men, heard the word and believed. The rich, learned and powerful, who were “greatly disturbed” responded by arresting and placing the apostles in prison
            At the ensuing trial, Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, preached that it is only through the Name of Jesus will humanity be saved. No other name or power can save us. Neither can any amount of wealth, possessions or titles. Only our belief in him and our faithfulness to his word will.
            In the Gospel, when his disciples were fascinated by the splendour and immensity of the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus told them that what we think in human terms as being great and mighty will become nothing one day. Riches, power and titles will not protect us when the Risen Lord returns.
            Jesus praised the poor widow because she gave all she had to God.
At the end of time when Jesus returns, what will he praise us for? That we, like the rulers, elders, scribes and priests, kept and safeguarded the Law? That we, like the rich in the Gospel, gave plenty of money to the Church? That we, like King Herod, constructed a magnificent building or carried out church projects and plans? What do you think Jesus will praise you for?