Suy Niệm thứ Sáu Tuần Thánh, Cuộc Khổ Nạn của Chúa Kitô

Suy Niệm thứ Sáu Tuần Thánh, Cuộc Khổ Nạn của Chúa Kitô
Hôm nay, chúng ta tưởng niệm cuộc Khổ Nạn của Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Cuộc hành trình Thương khó của Ngài, bắt đầu tại nhà Tiệc Ly với Bí Tích Thánh Thể,  Vườn Cây Dầu, các cung điện của Cai Pha   thầy cả thượng tế, và vua Hêrôđê, Dinh thự của quan tổng trấn Philatô, đồi Calvary (núi sọ) nơi Chúa đã chết và ngôi mộ bỏ hoang.  Ở trong mỗi một nơi và ở trong những địa điểm này, tất cả chúng ta, mỗi người chúng ta đã làm cho Chúa Giêsu Kitô đã phải chịu đau khổ cách này hay cách khác và Ngài đã phải chết đẻ cứu chuộc chúng ta.
            Thiên Chúa có thể có thể cứu chuộc chúng ta bằng hàng ngàn cách khác nhau, Nhưng Chúa Giêsu đã chọn con đường hèn hạ nhục nhã nhất, đau khổ nhất chỉ vì yêu thương chúng ta quá đỗi. Vì quá yêu thương chúng ta mà Ngài đã từ bỏ chính cuộc sống của chính mình, để đem sự sống đến cho mỗi người chúng ta. Đó là chương trình cứu độ của thiên Chúa, chương trình của tình yêu vĩ đại nhất mà Ngài đã dành cho con người tội lỗi chúng ta. Nhất định đây không phải là sự ngẫu hứng: nhưng chính đó là điều đã được tiên báo trước trong Cựu Ước, như Chúa Giêsu đã nhắc đến những việc đó sẽ xảy ra trong nhiều lần.
            Trong Bữa Tiệc Ly, Ngài đã ban cho chúng ta của ăn, thức uống để nuôi dưỡng linh hồn chúng ta được sống đời đời; đó chính là thân mình, thịt và máu của Ngài đã hy sinh. Tại vườn cây Dầu (Ghếtsêmanê) Chúa Giêsu cầu nguyện và xin được "Vâng" theo ý của Thiên Chúa là Cha. Trên thập giá, Ngài rất tỉnh táo Ngàivà  đã thưa VÂNG  một lần nữa với Chúa Cha, Ngài dâng hiến tất cả linh hồn và thân xác của Ngài trong sự thanh thản và tự do.
            Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Đấng Cứu Thế của chúng con, với hai bàn tay của chúng con , chúng con sẽ bảo vệ Chúa với đôi bàn tay của Chúa đã ban ho chúng con, Chúng con sẽ vinh danh Chúa trong vinh quang với trí thông minh của chúng con, và chúng con sẽ ngưỡng mộ Chúa bằng với tất cả trái tim của chúng con. Chúng con sẽ làm những điều đó với Mẹ. Lạy Mẹ Maria mẹ của chúng con xin cầu cho chúng con.
 
The Passion of Christ
Today, breathe taken, we commemorate the Passion of Jesus Christ. His itinerary; the Cenacle of the Eucharist, the Garden of Olives, the palaces of Caifas and Herrod, the Pretoria of Pilate, Calvary of his death and the tomb. In each one of these places, between us all, we have made him suffer.
            God could have redeemed us in a thousand different ways. He chose the path of suffering to the point of giving up his life. "To give ones life" is the greatest show of Love there is. There is no improvising here: it was prophesized in the Old Testament, Jesus made reference to it many times; in the Last Supper He gave us the present as food, his "Body which will be given up"; at Gethsemane He prays and sais "yes" to God the Father. On the Cross, very consciously, says YES again, giving up his spirit with total freedom and serenity.
            Jesus, my Saviour, I will look after you with my hands, I will defend you with my arms, I will give you glory with my intelligence, and I will adore you with all my heart. I will do it with your, Our, blessed Mother, Mary.
 
Good Friday
Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion (Year C)
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. John 19:25–27
If you spent time this Lent pondering the beautiful image of Jesus’ mother standing by the foot of the Cross, then you have some insight into her motherly love and experience on Good Friday. She was faithful to the end. She would have been no other place than at the foot of the Cross, gazing upon the sacrificial death of her own divine Son for the salvation of the world.
From all the perspectives that we can use to gaze upon the Cross, the perspective of Jesus’ own mother is the best. The soldiers stood there mocking our Lord, perhaps some confused and perhaps some even feeling pity for Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees looked on with contempt and self righteousness, doubling down on their hatred and jealousy. Most of the Apostles had fled, one of them betraying Jesus and another denying that he even knew our Lord. But Jesus’ own mother, accompanied by some other holy women and the beloved disciple, John, stood there with love, offering consolation to the Heart of Jesus.
The love shared between mother and Son at the foot of the Cross was twofold in the heart of Mary. Her love for her Son expressed her unwavering fidelity to Him. It dispelled all fear. It was singularly focused. It was all-consuming. As she shared this love for her Son, she truly consoled Him. This is a significant fact to ponder. Since Jesus was the Son of God, He didn’t need the human consolation of His mother’s love at that moment. But by becoming human, Jesus chose to accept her love. In that act of acceptance, He allowed her human love to console His human heart. This consoling and steadfast love expressed the perfection of human love.
The second form of love shared between mother and Son at the foot of the Cross was the love given by
time to the moment of her conception, freeing her from Original Sin. Jesus’ love on the Cross transformed her, retroactively, into the Immaculate Conception and enabled her to know Jesus not only as her Son but also as her Savior. Jesus’ love in that moment on the Cross is also expressed in His unwavering commitment to care for her in her human state. He gave her to John to care for her as his own mother and, in so doing, He gave her to all of us who stand at the foot of the Cross with her as our own spiritual mother.
If you want to understand the love of God, look no further than this immaculate and perfect love shared between mother and Son at the foot of the Cross. Today, especially, you are invited to stand with the Apostle John and gaze upon this shared love of mother and Son. John is there as an invitation to you to stand with them and to share in this holy exchange of love.
As you witness this love, think about your own life and what it would take for you to participate in such love. Consider the courage and strength you need. The ability to forgive all who harmed you. Freedom from all bitterness. Unwavering commitment. Perfect affection. These, and many other qualities that were present in the hearts of mother and Son at the Cross are all qualities that God wants to bestow upon you. He wants you to bring them into every relationship in your life. He wants the perfection of this love to come upon you and for you to  express this love always.
Reflect, today, on this Good Friday, upon this most holy scene of the love of this mother and this Son. As you do, try to examine your own life. As you look at this mother and Son’s many virtues, allow that gaze to reveal to you the ways you need to grow in virtue. The Mother of God is now your mother, and the Son of God is now your Savior. Speak to them, listen to them, love them and allow the love that flows from their hearts to penetrate your own so that you can receive their love and share it with others.
My dying Lord, You freely embraced human death for the salvation of the World. It was the greatest act of love ever known. As You hung upon the Cross in agony, Your own dear mother, the Immaculate Conception, stood by You, receiving Your love in its fullness and offering her love to console Your suffering soul. Please draw me into that love and help me to not only receive it but also to offer it to all in need. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Good Friday 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, today I contemplate the sorrowful passion of your Son. I see the great love your Son has for me and his willingness to die for me. Help me respond generously to your Son’s love and offer my life to you in union with his.
Encountering the Word of God
1. One Word in Matthew and Mark: When we read the Passion Narrative in Matthew and Mark, we are struck by the fact that Jesus only says one word from the Cross: “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?” This is an important facet of the mystery of the passion and death of Jesus. Mark and Matthew emphasize how Jesus experiences abandonment and yet, in the end, is vindicated. Jesus was abandoned by his disciples and closest friends. And he brought what he was experiencing to prayer on the Cross. While it could seem like Jesus fell into despair, the opposite is the case. What Jesus actually did was to bring to mind and prayer a psalm, Psalm 22, which begins with the line, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” As the psalm progresses, it narrates the passion: “I am scorned; despised; all who see me mock me; they have pierced my hands and my feet; they divide my garments among them; for my clothing, they cast lots” (Psalm 22:7-19). The psalm culminates in an act of hope and a prayer for vindication: “But you, Lord, do not stay far off; my strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword, … Save me from the lion’s mouth. I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the assembly I will praise you” (Psalm 22:20-27). The psalm contemplates how all the earth will turn to the Lord. On the lips of Jesus, the psalm proclaims that Jesus will live, that his descendants will serve the Lord, and that they will experience deliverance (Psalm 22:28-32).
2. Three Words in Luke: A different but complementary facet of the passion is brought out in Luke, who records Jesus’ words asking the Father to forgive his persecutors, promising eternal life to the repentant thief, and commending his spirit to the Father. While Matthew and Mark emphasize how Jesus was abandoned for a time but would be later vindicated, Luke emphasizes how Jesus is concerned with those around him. When Jesus says: “Into your hand, I commit my spirit,” Jesus praying with another psalm, Psalm 31. It is a prayer of confidence in God’s protection: “In you, Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me; incline your ear to me; make haste to rescue me! Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to save me” (Psalm 31:1-3). The one praying commits themselves to God and asks for redemption: “Free me from the net they have set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, Lord, God of truth” (Psalm 31:5-6). The one praying acknowledges their distress, affliction, and sorrow, but ends the prayer with confidence in the Lord: “They conspire together against me; they plot to take my life. But I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My destiny is in your hands; rescue me from my enemies, from the hands of my pursuers. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your mercy. Do not let me be put to shame, for I have called to you, Lord. Put the wicked to shame; reduce them to silence in Sheol” (Psalm 31:14-18).
3. Three Words in John: John narrates how Jesus entrusts the beloved disciple to his mother and entrusts his mother to the beloved disciple, says “I thirst” to fulfill the Scriptures, and proclaims “It is finished,” when he drinks the wine. John emphasizes Jesus as the king who reigns victorious from the Cross. In John, Jesus on the Cross is not only presented as the King but also as a priest with a seamless garment and as a bridegroom who pours out sacramental gifts of water and blood on his bride, the Church. While the majority of Jesus’ disciples and followers abandoned him, there are those like the women, his mother, and John who remained by his side. Like John, we have been entrusted to the care of Mary. And like John, we are called to care for the Church, represented most perfectly in Mary.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are my king, my faithful and merciful high priest, and my bridegroom. You opened the way to heaven, to your Father. I will follow you and seek the things that are above.
 
Good Friday
Opening Prayer: Jesus, as I spend time reflecting on the sad event of Good Friday, help me see in a new way the different choices people made on this day in history. Help me learn from their actions. Enlighten me through your word so that I can follow you. Speak to me, and open my ears so that I can hear you. 
Encountering Christ:
Defense and Betrayal: Peter was one of the men whose actions and words are central to the story of Good Friday. He was swift to draw his sword to defend his teacher, leader, and friend. Shortly afterward, he was quick to deny even knowing him. Isn’t this the story for most of us as we try to live out our Christian life? Sometimes, we are on fire for God, filled with zeal and conviction as we make our way through the joys and challenges of our vocations. Other times, we falter and fail, letting Jesus down in both our words and actions. Like the apostle Paul, we can honestly say, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). We can take consolation in the fact that the great St. Peter, chosen to be the first Pope of the early church, wavered when Jesus was arrested. Although Peter did not stay with Jesus at the foot of the cross, he returned with zeal to help spread the Gospel after Jesus’ Resurrection. When we feel that our weakness and sins inhibit our ability to do great things for God, we can remember St. Peter. And when we are tempted to think we are weak and worthless, we can be assured that this does not come from God but from the enemy of our souls. God can use our weak efforts to accomplish great things when we trust in him.
Cowardice and Injustice: Pilate was another key player on this infamous day. He was known as an ineffectual leader whose cowardice allowed Jesus to be put to death. In Matthew 26:24, we read, “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’” Pilate was uniquely positioned to stop the torture and death of a man he suspected was innocent, and quite simply was too afraid to do it. God may place us in such a moment where we are asked to use our authority to do the right thing. May we acknowledge that our authority is God-given–meant for the good of our families, our communities, and the world–and have the courage to use it well.
The Rich Men: Two other men made difficult choices on this sad day. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were prominent Pharisees who followed Jesus. Both did so secretly. The terrible news of Jesus’ execution was a catalyst for their bravery and generosity. They boldly came out of hiding and used their resources to give Jesus an honorable tomb and the costly oils needed to properly anoint his body. We can speculate that they regretted not being more public in their admiration for Jesus while he was alive. However, their acts of generosity and public support of Jesus surely won favor with God. Since Jesus had just been put to death for treason, their newfound openness was a brave choice to make. They were not able to stop his death, but they did what they could do, using their wealth and prominence to give Jesus a dignified burial. Their example shows us that it is never too late to take a stand for Our Lord. 
Conversing with Christ: Lord, today in Scripture I see the many people who were there during your suffering and death. As I read their stories, I ask that you fill me with Peter’s zeal and repentance when I fall short. As I consider Pilate, I ask that you give me courage and wisdom in the areas of my life where I have authority. And when I reflect on the actions of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, give me a heart to publicly acknowledge you and the generosity to use my human resources to further your Kingdom. On this sad commemoration of your death, give me a renewed love for you and the courage to commit to following you all the days of my life. 
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray the rosary, meditating on the sorrowful mysteries.