Nhiều
người trong chúng ta cảm thấy rất là khó
khăn để ăn năn, sám hối và thay đổi cuộc sống của chúng ta thật sự trong mùa chay này. Chúng ta cũng
chẳng khác gì hơn
những
người Biệt Phái Do thái, những người đang tìm kiếm các
dấu lạ hơn là chấp nhận những gì họ mà đã thấy trong suốt cuộc hành trình của Chúa Jêsus. Có lẽ, nếu chúng ta thấy
Chúa Giêsu Kitô xuất hiện trước mặt chúng ta,
kêu gọi chúng ta ăn năn sám hối thì lúc đó chúng ta mới chịu chấp nhận và thay đổi cuộc sống của chúng ta? hay
nếu chúng ta nhìn thấy một cây thánh giá xuất hiện lơ lưởng giữa bầu trời, hoặc một cái gì đó
phải làm cho chúng ta run lên, sợ hãi thì mới chịu trở lại với Chúa Giêsu? Trong trường hợp này, chúng ta
đúng là những người của một "thế hệ gian ác", vì chúng
ta chỉ có tin vào Chúa Kitô khi chúng ta nhận thấy được một
dấu lạ nào đó mà thôi. Nếu
chúng ta tin, thì chúng ta phải nên giống như những người trong thành Ninivê, những người biết nhìn nhận tội lỗi của mình, biết ăn năn sám hối khi được ông Giô-na rao giảng cho họ. Chúa Kitô đã đến để giúp chúng ta nhận ra chính mình và biết ăn năn.
Trong
một Tin Mừng khác, Chúa Giêsu đã nói,
"Ví như Giôna đã ở trong bụng thuồng
luồng ba ngày ba đêm thế nào, thì Con Người cũng sẽ ở trong lòng đất ba ngày ba
đêm thể ấy..
Chúa Kitô đã ám chỉ đến mình, với thời gian Ngài ở trong mộ đất. cũng như Giôna ra khỏi bụng của cá voi (thuồng luồng), Chúa Kitô cũng ra khỏi
mộ. Đây là biểu hiệu lạ mà Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho chúng ta thấy và vẫn còn tiếp tục là dấu chỉ cho chúng tôi hôm nay. Trong thời gian chúng ta tìm thấy chính mình trong
mộ, hãy tin rằng Chúa Kitô, Đấng
đã đi vào cái chết và trở lại trong cuộc sống mới, Ngài sẽ không để chúng ta lại trong ngôi mộ của chúng ta và Ngài sẽ mang và giải thoát chúng ta ra khỏi ngôi mộ đó để đưa chúng ta trở lại, để cùng trải nghiệm trong cuộc sống mới với Ngài, cho dù ngôi mộ này là một thử thách, khó khăn to lớn, một lỗi phạm nghiêm trọng, một tội các hay bất kỳ một cái chết, Chúng ta có thể trải nghiệm sự phục sinh của Chúa
Kitô. Ngài luôn sẵn sàng để biểu lộ
vinh quang của Ngài bằng cách thực hiện dấu chỉ này trong cuộc sống của Chúng ta.
Lạy Chúa Cha trên trời, trong Mùa Chay này, Xin Chúa ban cho chúng ta một tinh
thần khiêm tốn và thống hối để chúng con có thể bước theo Chúa Giêsu một cách tự tin trong con đường của sự
thánh thiện đích thực.
Reflection WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of
Lent
Many of us find it difficult to
believe that we need to repent of our sins and change our lives; we are like
the Pharisees who were looking for more signs than what they had already seen
throughout Jesus' ministry. Probably, if we see Jesus Christ appear in front of
us, calling us to repent then that's the only time we will convert; or if we
see a cross appear in the sky, or something to that sort, we will tremble with
fear and turn to Jesus. In that case, we are a "wicked generation"
for we will only believe in Christ if we see a sign. You may say, "but I
do believe in Jesus Christ." If we do believe, then we should be like the
people of Nineveh who repented then Jonah preached to them. Christ comes to
help us with a sign.
In
another Gospel, Jesus said. Christ is alluding to himself, to the period he
would spend in the tomb. Just as Jonah came out of the belly of the whale,
Christ also came out of the tomb. This is the sign that Jesus had given us and
continues to be the sign for us today. In times when you find yourself in a
tomb, believe that Christ, who already entered into death and came out of it
with a new life, will not leave you in your tomb and will bring you out of it
to experience his new life. Whether this tomb is a heavy trial, a serious sin,
a vice or any sort of death, you can experience Christ's resurrection. He is
always ready to manifest his glory by performing this sign in your life.
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
While still more people gathered in
the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks
a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Luke 11:29
The
crowd seemed to be a mixed bunch. First, there were those who wholeheartedly
believed in Jesus. The Twelve, for example, left everything behind to follow
Him. His mother and various other holy women believed in Him and were His
faithful followers. But within the growing crowd, it appeared that there were
many who questioned Jesus and wanted some form of proof of Who He was. Thus,
they wanted a sign from Heaven.
A
sign from Heaven would have been some externally manifest proof of Who Jesus
was. Granted, Jesus had already performed numerous miracles. But it seems that
this was not enough. They wanted more—and that desire is a clear indication of
a stubbornness of heart and a lack of faith. So Jesus could not and would not
give them the sign they wanted.
Instead,
Jesus says that the only sign they will receive is the sign of Jonah. Recall
that the sign of Jonah was not very appealing. He was thrown over the side of a
boat and swallowed by a whale, where he remained for three days before being
spit up on the shores of Nineveh.
Jesus’
sign would be similar. He would suffer at the hands of the religious leaders
and civil authorities, be killed and be placed in a tomb. And then, three days
later, He would rise. But His Resurrection was not one in which He came forth
with rays of light for all to see; rather, His post-Resurrection
appearances were to those who already manifested faith and already believed.
The
lesson for us is that God will not convince us of the matters of faith through
powerful and Hollywood-like public manifestations of God’s greatness. Instead,
the “sign” we are offered is an invitation to die with Christ so that we can
personally begin to experience the new life of the Resurrection. This gift of
faith is interior, not publicly exterior. Our death to sin is something we
personally and interiorly do, and the new life we receive can only be seen by
others by the witness of our lives that are changed.
Reflect,
today, upon the true sign God has given you. If you are one who seems to be
waiting for some manifest sign from our Lord, wait no longer. Look at the
crucifix, see Jesus’ suffering and death, and choose to follow Him in a death
to all sin and selfishness. Die with Him, enter the tomb with Him and allow Him
to bring you forth interiorly renewed this Lent, so that you can be transformed
by this one and only sign from Heaven.
My
crucified Lord, I gaze upon the crucifix and see in Your death the greatest act
of love ever known. Give me the grace I need to follow You to the tomb so that
Your death will triumph over my sins. Free me, dear Lord, during the Lenten
journey so that I will be able to fully share in Your new life of the
Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.
Reflection WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of
Lent 2025
Opening
Prayer: Lord God, you call to me to
repent, to turn from a life of sin to a life of grace. I want this so much. Sin
leaves me empty and unfulfilled. Only you truly satisfy my deepest desires. My
happiness is found in you alone.
Encountering
the Word of God
1.
The Offer of Mercy to the Gentiles: The
primary message in today’s Lenten Gospel is the call to repentance. As Jesus
journeys to Jerusalem, he recalls the figures of Jonah and Solomon and how both
ministered to the Gentiles. Jonah was sent as a prophet to the city of Nineveh;
Solomon welcomed the Queen of the South (the Queen of Sheba) to his court. In
this way, both Jonah and Solomon prefigure Jesus, who sends out the Gospel to
all nations. Unlike the Ninevites, who repented at the preaching of Jonah, many
in Jesus’ day (those in “this generation”) rejected Jesus and his message of
salvation and mercy. Earlier, in Nazareth, the townspeople rejected Jesus’
message that mercy would be offered to the Gentiles (Luke 4:25-29). What Luke’s
Gospel teaches is that the merciful salvation of God is offered not just to the
covenant people of Israel but will be extended in and through the New Covenant
in Jesus’ blood to all nations.
2.
Prophet and King: As Jesus journeys to Jerusalem
to die for us and rise on the third day, he also teaches the crowds about his
identity. He compares himself to both a prophet and a king. In this way,
“readers are reminded that Jesus is both prophet and king (Luke 7:16; 19:38).
Indeed, he is greater than these forerunners, and the ‘prophets and kings’ who
came before him would have wished to see and hear him (Luke 10:24)
(Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 229). The prophetic message of Jesus
far surpasses that of Jonah: Jonah was able to preach repentance, but could not
forgive sins. The royal wisdom of Jesus far surpasses that of Solomon. Solomon
was able to teach how to live a good life but was unable to give the power and
grace to do so. Both Jonah and Solomon were flawed figures. Jonah wanted
Nineveh to perish and cared more about a plant that provided shade than the
salvation of an entire city. Solomon was so wise in his youth, but he allowed
his heart to turn away from God and to idolatry in his old age. Jesus, by
contrast, forgave his enemies, even as they crucified him. As well, Jesus
persevered to the end and merited eternal salvation for all humanity.
3.
The Sign of Jonah: Jesus points the crowds to the
story of Jonah but also tells them that he, as the Son of Man, is greater than
Jonah. Jonah was reluctant to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh, the
sworn enemy of Israel. Jesus is greater than Jonah because he never hesitated
to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations. The conversion of
the city of Nineveh was a great sign that God was at work in and through Jonah.
But the conversion of Nineveh only lasted for a time, and eventually, the city
was destroyed in 612 B.C. – as announced and celebrated by the prophet Nahum.
The conversion of the Gentiles, brought about by the preaching of the apostles
and the centuries of Christians who followed them, is a great sign of the
authenticity of Jesus’ work and message. Throughout the centuries, peoples and
nations have continued to embrace the Gospel, turn from sin, and turn toward
God. The mustard seed planted by Christ has grown into a great tree that has
welcomed and continues to welcome the birds of all nations.
Conversing
with Christ: Lord Jesus, I want to believe.
Help my unbelief! Increase my faith, hope, and love. I want to live the Gospel
in my life so that I may attain eternal glory with you.
Reflection WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of
Lent
Opening Prayer:
Dear Jesus, light a fire within me. May I seek you as fervently
as the queen sought Solomon’s wisdom. May I repent of my sins as wholeheartedly
as did the Ninevites. Kindle in me the desire to follow you in all of my ways.
Encountering Christ:
Demanding a Sign: Despite the fulfillment of dozens of major Old Testament
prophecies regarding the Messiah, some in the crowd demanded yet more signs
from Jesus. He offered another chance to these unbelievers by clearly stating
that he was “something greater” than Jonah of the Old Testament, who was a sign
of God’s love for the Ninevites, or King Solomon, who was sought for his wisdom
by the Queen of Sheba. Jesus, himself, was the sign to Israel and the promised
Messiah. Pagans such as the Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba turned their
hearts to God when they met his imperfect messengers. These Jews had the most
perfect sign in their midst, the Son of God himself, yet many did not
believe.
Recognizing Our Lord: There is a warning here for followers of Christ today. Do we
pick and choose which teachings of the Church conveniently align with our own
opinions and desires? Or do we acknowledge “something greater” in Christ Jesus,
and trust in the wisdom of his bride the Church? Jesus warns that the men of
Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba will condemn the generations who fail to
acknowledge God in their midst. We must take this warning to heart.
Seeking God at Great Cost: The Queen of Sheba went to great trouble and
expense to seek out the wisdom of Solomon. A pagan ruler of Saba, in Southwest
Arabia, she became a believer after visiting Solomon and learning of the God of
Abraham. The people of Nineveh, a pagan Assyrian stronghold, converted to faith
in the Lord when Jonah preached repentance to them. Seeking and following Jesus
can be a costly undertaking. It can require painful detachment, lots of
sacrifice, and little failures along the way. Yet, this process of
transformation reaps for us eternal rewards beyond our imagining. “For this
momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen;
for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians
4:17-18).
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I thank you for your words and your
presence. You are truly a God of second chances. Forgive me for the times I
have doubted you, ignored you, or strayed from your ways. Strengthen my faith
in you. I pray for true conversion in my heart.
WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of Lent
In
the first reading Yahweh castigates his people Israel for their sins and
transgressions against him.
In the Gospel reading, in similar fashion, Jesus castigates the
people for their hardness of heart and unwillingness to see and to listen to
his message. He reminds them that the Queen of the South traveled far to listen
to Solomon and yet "here (today) there is greater than Solomon"; the
people of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes at the preaching of Jonah and
yet "here (today) there is greater than Jonah."
As we begin the season of Lent let us take seriously the message
of repentance for our sins: "0 my God, I am heartily sorry for having
offended thee and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and
the pains of hell; but most of all because I have offended thee, my God, who
are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of
thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen."
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