Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Ba Tuần thứ Năm Phục sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Ba Tuần thứ Năm Phục sinh
“Thầy ban bình an của Thầy cho anh em, Thầy ban cho anh em không theo kiểu thế gian.”
Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nói gián tiếp với chúng ta về thập giá: Ngài sẽ ban cho chúng ta sự bình an, nhưng với giá Ngài phải trả là sự Khổ nạn, đau đớn của Ngài trong thế giới này. Hôm nay, chúng ta được nghe những lời Ngài nói trước khi phải hy sinh trên Thập Giá, nhưng đã được viết sau khi Ngài sống lại. Với cái chết của Ngài trên Thập giá, Ngài đã đánh bại cả cái chết và sự sợ hãi. Ngài đem lại cho chúng ta hòa bình “nhưng không phải sự hoà bình của thế gian” (Ga 14:27), bởi vì như Ngài đã làm điều đó bằng cách chấp nhận những nỗi đau đớn và nhục nhã nhất: đây là cách Ngài đã chứng tỏ được tình yêu và lòng thương xót của Ngài đã dành cho con người chúng ta.
Tại sao Ngài đã làm những điều như vậy? Bởi vì, sự đau đón của con người gắn bó với sự đau khổ của Chúa Kitô đã trở thành một sự hy sinh để cứu chuộc chúng ta khỏi tội lỗi. Thánh Gioan Phaolồ 2 đã nói “Trong Thánh Giá của Chúa Kitô (...), đau khổ của con người đã được cứu chuộc” (John Paul II). Chúa Giêsu Kitô đâ âm thầm, lặng lẽ chịu đựng để làm vừa lòng Chúa Cha với sự vâng phục bằng mọi giá, mà chính sự vâng phục Ngài đã sẵn lòng hy sinh tự hiến chính bản thân của mình cho sự cứu rỗi của chúng ta.
 
Reflection
«I give you my peace. Not as the world gives peace do I give it to you»
Today, Jesus speaks to us indirectly of the cross: He will give us the peace, but at the cost of his painful “departure” of this world. Today, we read those words He said before the sacrifice on the Cross but that were written after his Resurrection. With his death on the Cross, He defeats both death and fear. He gives the peace «but not as the world gives peace» (Jn 14:27), inasmuch as He does it by going through the most excruciating pain and humiliation: this is how He proved his merciful love for man.
Why did He do it in such a way? Because thus, human pain —together with Christ's suffering— becomes a sacrifice that saves us from sin. «In the Cross of Christ (...), human suffering has been redeemed» (John Paul II). Jesus Christ quietly suffered to please the Heavenly Father with an act of costly obedience, through which He willingly offered Himself for our salvation.
 
Tuesday 5th Week of Easter
Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” John 14:27
So how does the peace that Jesus gives you differ from the apparent peace that the world gives? We all want peace in life. The desire for interior peace is written upon our very nature. And though many people make choices that lead to interior disorder and even chaos, those choices are often made out of a confused sense of what actually provides fulfillment.
For example, those who choose to feed an addiction to drugs or alcohol often began that addiction out of a misguided desire for happiness. The temporary fix experienced gives the temporary sense of well-being. But objectively speaking, it is very clear that the temporary “peace” one receives from these actions leads ultimately to a loss of the very thing they desire. And when these choices become addictions, the person often finds themself trapped in a downward spiral.
There are also countless other ways in which people find themselves seeking satisfaction and fulfillment in life. Money, promiscuity, cheating, selfishness, anger, deception, and the like are all actions that are done with the intent of some satisfaction. Our daily goal must be to unmask those deceptive actions so that we can see them for what they are and for the fruit that they produce. These are clearly among the many ways that the “world” offers us peace.
When it comes to true happiness in life, the gift of true interior peace is one of the clearest signs that we are on the right track and are making the right decisions. When we choose the will of God each and every day, those choices may be difficult and require much initial sacrifice. Love can be hard. Faithfulness to the moral law of God can be challenging. And refusing to sin is difficult. But choosing the will of God throughout our day, every day, will begin to produce within us the consoling and sustaining gift of the peace of Christ.
True peace produces strength. It leads to interior integrity and wholeness. It produces clarity of thought and certitude in convictions. God’s peace leads to more peace. It leads to choices based on well-thought-out actions of love. Peace leads us to the will of God, and the will of God leads to peace. The cyclical effect is exponential and is one of the clearest guides to happiness in life.
Reflect, today, upon whether you truly have peace in your heart. Do you recognize the still, strong and sustaining presence of God within your soul? Do your daily choices produce greater integrity of heart and clarity of mind? Do you find that you have joy and calm, even in the midst of life’s greatest challenges? Seek out this peace, for if you do, you will be seeking out the good God Who produces this glorious gift within your heart.
`           My Lord of true peace, You and Your holy will are the only path to the deepest fulfillment of all of my desires in life. When I make poor choices that lead to disorder and confusion, help me to turn to You with all my heart. Please unmask any deception I struggle with and give me the strength I need to seek You and Your peace alone. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Tuesday 5th Week of Easter 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, your Son accomplished your will on earth out of love and bestowed the gift of peace on his disciples. Help me to fulfill your will and heed your commands today. I want to overcome the temptation to evil in my life and I need your grace to do so. I love you and will be faithful to your holy will.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The New Covenant Fruit of Peace: During the Last Supper, Jesus speaks about one of the fruits of the New Covenant: the fruit of peace. Jesus cautions his Apostles about the false peace offered by the world. Peace is not the mere absence of war or a false tolerance of others. True peace is both a heavenly messianic gift (a divine grace) and a task for us, a fruit of human effort collaborating with the gift of grace. The peace that Jesus gives is his personal peace. It represents his life, his love, and his joy. Sharing in Christ’s peace occurs by entering into communion with Christ and being in Christ. By entering into a communion of peace with the Son, the disciples share in the familial harmony and peace that the Son shares with the Father. The children of God are protected by the Father and dwell safely in the Father’s house. By receiving the Spirit, we live in spiritual tranquility and peace with the Father (see DeMeo, “Covenant Fulfillment in the Gospel of John,” p. 146).
2. The Conclusion of the First Missionary Journey: In the Acts of the Apostles, we read about the conclusion of the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas. They started their journey in Antioch in Syria, having been chosen by the Holy Spirit for this mission (Acts 13:2). They sailed first to Barnabas’ homeland, Cyprus, and then spread the Gospel in the southern part of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). They preached in the cities of Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. During their ministry in Lystra, Jews from Antioch in Pisidia and Iconium incited the people to stone Paul (possibly for blasphemy). They left him for dead outside the city. Paul, though, was undaunted by the stoning and, on the very next day, went with Barnabas to the city of Derbe. After making disciples for Christ there, Paul and Barnabas fearlessly retraced their steps and appointed presbyters (elders or priests) in cities they had evangelized. They eventually returned by boat to where they started and were commissioned: the Church of Antioch in Syria.
3. Two Lessons from the Journey: Paul and Barnabas learned two important lessons from their journey. First, we enter the kingdom of God through tribulations (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16). Preaching the Gospel means sharing in Christ's suffering and rejection. Earlier in the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples rejoiced that they had been found worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 5:41). Today’s Psalm proclaims the glory of God’s kingdom, a kingdom that is established through redemptive suffering and death. Second, Paul and Barnabas see clearly that God has opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. When the Jews rejected the Gospel message (Acts 13:45-48), they turned to the Gentiles, following the Lord's command in Isaiah 49:6. The Gentiles came to believe in Jesus Christ and received his salvation. Through their acceptance of and belief in the Gospel, the Gentiles entered into the New Covenant, established by Jesus at the Last Supper and on the Cross. On the outside, it looks like Paul and Barnabas were not granted peace. There were heated discussions between the Jews and themselves, the crowds were incited against them, and Paul was stoned. However, from God’s perspective, the two Apostles enjoyed true, divine peace and they were eager to share that peace with the Jews and the Gentiles. This peace is a fruit of reconciliation with God, a fruit of the undoing of the ancient curse of Adam, a fruit of new life in the Spirit of God.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the Prince of Peace and have reconciled us with the Father through your life, death, and resurrection. Attend to my prayer today and hear my cry. Teach me to be a peacemaker so that I may enjoy the blessing reserved for the adopted children of God.
Living the Word of God: At every mass, we hear the words of Christ: “Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you.” This is the peace that flows from the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the New Covenant. This is the peace that we share in. How can I be a peacemaker today and bring others to share in Christ’s peace?