Suy niệm lễ Kính đức mẹ là mẹ hội thánh Monday after Pentecost

Suy niệm lễ Kính đức mẹ là mẹ hội thánh
Câu chuyện Vườn địa đàng trong sách Sáng Thế Ký đã dạy chúng ta rất nhiều về chính bản thân chúng ta. Chúng ta tò mò; chúng ta thiếu kiên nhẫn và chúng ta đã không tin tưởng vào Chúa như Chúa đã dạy chúng ta. Ông Adong và Êvà được sống trong hạnh phúc, vui vẻ và bình yên, họ được hưởng tất cả những gì Chúa ban cho tất cả những gì trong vườn, ngoại trừ ăn trái trên cây mà Thiên Chúa cấm. Nhưng như Adong và Êvà, con người chúng ta mong muốn hầu hết những gì mà Thiên Chúa cấm đoán, và không có gì đáng ngạc nhiên khi cả hai ông bà đã rơi vào bẫy của ma quỷ và không vâng lời Thiên Chúa. Đó không phải là tất cả là những cái xấu của chúng ta  mà còn tệ hơn thế nữa đó là khi chúng ta đối diện với Thiên Chúa, chúng ta cố đổ lỗi cho người kia.
Và bây giờ  họ cảm thấy xấu hổ và sợ hãi khi đối diện với Thiên Chúa. Họ đã nhận thức được chính bản thân họ và tin rằng bản thân của họ đã tự tách biệt chính họ với Thiên Chúa. Đó là thân phận con người của chúng ta kể từ đó;  chúng ta mong muốn được gập gặp gỡ Thiên Chúa nhưng chúng ta lại sợ hãi và xấu hổ.
Sự vâng phục và lòng tin tường của Đức Maria vào lời Thiên Chúa và sự vâng phục và trung thành của Con bà, Chúa Giêsu đã bắt đầu khôi phục mối quan hệ mà chúng ta từng có với Thiên Chúa. Khi Chúa Giêsu bị treo trên thập giá, ngài đã thiết lập mối quan hệ mẹ con giữa Đức Maria và người môn đệ Yêu dấu.  Đức Maria đã sống trong Giáo hội. Nhưng hơn thế nữa, Mẹ Maria còn tiếp sống trong cuộc sống của chúng ta khi chúng ta kêu gọi Đức Maria và Con bà bằbng cả tâm hồn và trái tim rộng mở. Chúa Giêsu đã có thể tuyên bố sự  kết thúc cái  sứ mệnh cùa Ngài ở trần gian; nhưng với chúng ta thì mới chỉ là sự bắt đầu. Chúng ta hãy tiếp tục công việc của chúng ta là hãy hướng tâm hồn và lòng mình đến với Chúa!
Lạy Chúa, xin cho chúng con luôn biết vâng lời Ngài.
 
Monday Our Lady, Mother of the Church : Monday 1st June 2020
Gen. 3:9-15,20 ; Jn. 19:25-34.
The Garden of Eden story teaches us a lot about our-selves. We are curious; we are impatient, and we do not trust God as we ought. Adam and Eve lived in a state of happiness, joy, and peace — all they had to do was refrain from eating the fruit of one particular tree. But we desire most that which is forbidden, and it is not surprising that both fell into the trap and disobeyed God. That was not all: when confronted by God, each tried to blame the other. How typical!
And now they felt shame and fear to look God in the face. They were aware of self and believed that self was separate from God. That has been our condition ever since – we desire God but are afraid and ashamed.
Mary’s trusting obedience to God and the obedience and fidelity of her son Jesus began restoring the relation- ship we once had with God. As Jesus hung on the cross, he established a mother-son bond between Mary and the Beloved disciple.
Mary would live on in the Church. But more than that, Mary lives on in our lives when we call upon her and her son with open hearts. Jesus was able to declare his mission finished — but ours is just beginning. Let us continue the work of turning minds and hearts to God! Lord, may I always be obedient to Your will.
 
Monday Our Lady, Mother of the Church
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
The memorial we celebrate today, which was added to the Roman Liturgical Calendar in 2018 by Pope Francis, highlights the truth that the Blessed Virgin Mary is not only the Mother of the Person of Christ, and, therefore, the Mother of God, she is also the Mother of the Church, that is, the Mother of all the faithful. The Blessed Virgin Mary is your mother. And as your mother, she is truly tender, compassionate, caring and merciful, bestowing upon you everything that a perfect mother desires to bestow. She is the fiercest of mothers who will stop at nothing to protect her children. She is a mother wholly devoted to you, her dear child.
The Gospel passage chosen for this memorial depicts our Blessed Mother standing at the foot of the Cross. She would have been no other place than directly beneath her Son as He endured His last agony. She did not flee in fear. She was not overwhelmed by grief. She did not sulk in self-pity. No, she stood by her Son with the perfect love and strength of a devoted, caring, compassionate and faithful mother.
As she stood by her Son in His hour of suffering and death, Jesus turned to her and entrusted the Apostle John to her maternal care. From the early Church Fathers until the most recent teachings of the Church today, this act of entrusting John to Mary and Mary to John by Jesus has been understood as an entrustment of all the faithful to the maternal care of Mother Mary. Mother Mary is, therefore, not only the Mother of the Redeemer, Christ Himself, she also becomes the Mother of all the redeemed, the mother of us all, the Mother of the Church.
Consider the spiritual mother you have in Heaven. A mother is one who gives life. Your mother in Heaven is entrusted with the task of bestowing upon you the new life of grace won by the Cross. And as your mother, she will not withhold anything from you that is to your benefit. A mother is also one who is tender with her children. The Immaculate Heart of our mother in Heaven is one that is filled with the greatest tenderness toward you. Though her caresses are not physical, they are much deeper. She caresses with the tenderness of grace which she imparts to you as you pray and turn to her in your need. She gives you the grace of her Son, poured out upon the Cross as the blood and water sprung forth as a font of mercy. Mother Mary pours that mercy upon you as a tender and devoted mother would. She holds nothing back.
If you are unaware of the love in the heart of our Blessed Mother for you, use this memorial as an opportunity to deepen your understanding of her role in your life. Many children take their mothers for granted, not fully understanding the depth of their love. So it is with our Mother in Heaven. We will never fully comprehend her love and her constant motherly workings in our life until we join her in Heaven face to face.
Reflect, today, upon Mother Mary standing by you in every moment of your life. See her there in your joys and in your sorrows, during your moments of temptation and struggles, in your moments of confusion and clarity. See her there by your side, bestowing every good spiritual gift upon you when you need it the most. She is a true mother, and she is worthy of your love and gratitude.
My dearest Mother, you stood by your Son with unwavering fidelity and love. You cared for Him, nurtured Him and never left His side. I also am your dear child. I thank you for your loving fidelity toward me and open my heart to the grace of your Son that you bestow upon me throughout life. Help me to be more attentive to your motherly care and to daily grow in gratitude for your presence in my life. Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Monday Our Lady, Mother of the Church 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, from the beginning, you have prepared Mary, the Mother of your Son, to be my mother. She cares for me and asks you, through her Son, to attend to my prayer and give me the good things I need. With you as my Father and with Mary as my Mother, I have nothing to fear.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Mother of the Church at Calvary: The Gospel of John presents an important dimension of Mary’s motherhood – her maternal suffering. She is at the foot of the Cross with John the Apostle. She is accompanying her Son as he suffers on the Cross and unites her maternal suffering to his. At a certain moment, Jesus looks at her and calls her “woman.” This title, given by the New Adam, indicates her role as the New Eve. Just as Eve is the mother of all human beings in the first creation, Mary will be the mother of all those who have been re-created through her Son and in the Spirit. Jesus then directs her to gaze upon John and says, “Behold, your son.” John, as the beloved disciple, represents all Christians who are loved by Jesus and strive to return his love. As the mother of the Church, Mary, at Calvary, suffers with her children and cares for them with maternal and sacrificial love. 
2. Mother of the Church after the Ascension: If we take Acts 1:12-14 as our First Reading, we contemplate another dimension of Mary’s maternal care for the Church – her maternal prayer. She is there, in the upper room, among the 11 apostles of Jesus, united with them and praying with them. We can only imagine her role in the 10 days between the Ascension and Pentecost. John took to heart the words of Jesus on the Cross and cared for her as he would his own mother. Peter was likely encouraged by Mary to choose a disciple to take up the office vacated by Judas Iscariot. She gave them an example of prayer, service, and love during those ten days in Jerusalem. Just as she was attentive to the needs of the newlywed couple in Cana, she was attentive to the needs of the early Church, especially the 120 gathered in the upper room before the Feast of Pentecost.
3. Queen-mother of the Church in Heaven: Still another dimension of Mary’s motherhood is present in her role as Queen-mother – her maternal intercession. Mary not only suffered as she gave birth to the Church at the foot of the Cross, Mary not only prayed with her children as they awaited the gift of the Spirit. Mary continues to intercede for her children at the right hand of her Son in heaven. This is what we contemplate when we pray the fifth glorious mystery. We have a mother in heaven, body and soul, crowned with glory, who listens to the prayers of each one of her children and presents them to her Son, our royal Messiah, who presents them to the Father. Our mother is always attentive to the needs of her children.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you love me so much that you gave me your Mother to be my mother. She knew your sufferings and knows mine, and is right now praying for me in heaven. Attend to the voice of your Mother and present her powerful prayers before the Father.
 
Monday Our Lady, Mother of the Church
Opening Prayer: Dear Mother Mary, thank you for being my Mother. Be with me as I seek to follow your Son, Jesus. St. John, thank you for being such a model disciple that Jesus entrusted his mother to you. Mary Magdalene, your penitence, perseverance, and faithfulness throughout Christ’s Passion inspires me. All you holy men and women, pray for me. 
Encountering Christ:
Our Blessed Mother: Jesus gave us a wonderful gift as he died on the cross: Mary our Blessed Mother. Notice that he gave John to Mary first: “Woman, behold, your son.” Just as a mother holds her child at once when she gives birth, Jesus entrusted John to her loving care. Then he gave Mary to John: “Behold, your mother.” As Christian disciples, we are given to Mary, and she is given to us as well. We can ask ourselves, do we truly love and honor our Mother Mary as we should? Are we grateful for her motherly protection? 
Stand at the Cross: Mary and the other disciples stood at the foot of the cross. This is an interesting detail to consider. Mary did not sit or even kneel. She stood with strength while she bore the sorrow of her son’s Passion and death. When you are faced with trials and need strength, try standing at the foot of the cross. Find a crucifix in your home or go to the sanctuary at church and stand there next to it in imitation of Mary. Stand and pray for Christ’s strength: “Passion of Christ, strengthen me!”
To Jesus through Mary: No one was closer to Jesus than Mary, his Mother. She carried him in her womb. She loved and taught him as a child. She was his first disciple. Along with Sts. John and Mary Magdalene, Mary remained close to Jesus to the last. She was with him throughout the good and the bad. She is our Mother, and she wants to be with us through our joys and sufferings as well. In Heaven, Mary is still close to Jesus. When we pray to her, she brings him our needs. If we want to grow close to Jesus, we draw close to Mary. St. Louis de Montfort wrote, “Mary is the quickest, shortest, and easiest path to Jesus.” May we seek to imitate her and so imitate Christ. 
Conversing with Christ: My Jesus, thank you for the gift of Mary, your Blessed Mother and mine. I am sorry for the times that, through my sin, I have failed to be the child of God and child of my Mother that you want me to be. Please give me the grace of a willing heart, a heart that seeks to imitate you and Mary. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Resolution: Lord today by your grace, I will pray a rosary in thanksgiving for Mary, my Blessed Mother.
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ Mừng Mẹ là mẹ Giáo Hội Thứ Hai sau lễ Hiện Xuống
Đức Mẹ đã được ban nhiều danh hiệu, để nhấn mạnh vai trò của Mẹ trong sự kết hiệp với Chúa Giêsu Con của Mẹ trong công cuộc cứu rỗi của Chúa. Mẹ đã có rất nhiều danh hiệu bao gồm cả những cái tên nơi mà Mẹ đã hiện trên trái đất. Những danh xưng khác của Mẹ được lấy từ Kinh thánh, thêm vào sự hiểu biết trong những  mầu nhiệm của Thiên Chúa Cha trên Trời. Một danh hiệu đáng lẽ phải được dùng phổ thông và rộng rãi ngay từ thời Chúa Giêsu đã phải chết trên Thập giá, đó là danh hiệu Mẹ của Giáo hội, và tên này chính là động căn bản được xuất phát từ những lời của Chúa Giêsu đã với Mẹ Maria ngay lúc Ngài còn trên thập giá: “Hỡi bà, này là con bà” [ Ga 19: 26-27]. Đứng dưới chân thánh giá Mẹ Maria và Thánh Gioan là biểu tượng của Giáo hội, do đó, khi trao cho Mẹ Maria cho môn đệ yêu dấu của Ngài chăm sóc, Chúa Giêsu đã ngầm trao Mẹ Mria coi sóc và phù trợ cho Giáo hội với tư cách là Mẹ của Giáo hội.  Thánh Ambrose của Thành Milan đã dùng danh hiệu này cho Mẹ Maria từ thế kỷ thứ 4, nhưng đó chỉ được sdùngvtrng địa phương. Cho tới khi thời Giáo hoàng Paul VI đã chính thức dùng danh hiếu này trong Công đồng Vatican II. Và ĐGH Phanxicô muốn giáo hội mừng nhớ mMẹ vào Mi thứ Hai sau lễ Chúa Thánh Thần Hiện Xuống -viồ đấy cũng là Ngày sinh hhật của Giáo Hội.
Maria, Mẹ của Giáo hội, xin Mẹ chăm sóc chúng con và hướng dẫn chúng con đến sự thánh thiện hơn trong cuộc sống mà chúng con đang sống hầu giúp chúng con có thể thực sự trở thành môn đệ yêu dấu của Chúa Giêsu, Con của Mẹ.’
 
Our Lady, Mother of the Church: Monday June 9 June 2025
Gen. 3:9-15,20 or Acts 1:12-14; Ps. 87(86):1-2,3,5,6-7; Jn. 19:25-34)
Our Lady has been given many titles, stressing her role in union with her Son Jesus in God’s work of salvation. Many of the titles include the names where it is believed Our Lady appeared on earth. Other titles are taken from Scripture, adding levels of understanding to the mystery of the Mother of God. One title which should have been widely in use from the time of Jesus’ death on the Cross, is “Mother of the Church”, which essentially derives from Jesus’ words to his Mother from the cross:  “Woman, behold your Son” [Jn 19:26-27].
Standing at the foot of the cross Mary and John are symbolic of the Church, thus in giving Mary into the care of the Beloved Disciple, Jesus is implicitly giving the Church into Mary’s care as Mother of the Church. St Ambrose of Milan used the title for Mary already in the 4th century, but it only came into universal use in the Church when Pope Paul VI officially used it during Vatican Council II.
Mary, Mother of the Church, take care of us and guide us to a greater holiness of life that we may truly become beloved disciples of Jesus, Your Son.