Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bay lễ Thánh Gioan Tông Đồ Ngày 27/12

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu lễ Thánh Gioan Tông Đồ Ngày 27/12
          Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta biết rằng Thánh Phêrô và Thánh Gioan tin rằng sau khi họ đã nhìn thấy ngôi mộ trống và đống quần áo niệm chôn của Chúa Giêsu đã được xếp lại để trên mồ.  
Sau những giờ phút 
Sau những giờ phút trôi qua khá dài,  dường như đó một một thời gian yên tĩnh, để suy ngẫm, "chờ đợi"  cho niềm tin bám rẽ sâu trong tâm hồn của họ. Nhưng trong khi đó, Chương 20 và 21, của Tin Mừng Thánh Gioan đã cho chúng ta thấy rất rõ ràng và cụ thể về những chi tiết và hiện tượng mà các môn đệ đã chấp nhận rằng Chúa Giêsu đã sống lại một cách rất nhanh chóng, thích ứng và tích cực. Thật là một niềm vui cho họ, nếu phải như họ có được một cơ hội để họ được gặp Ngài một lần nữa ở những nơi quen thuộc, những nơi mà  họ đã được hưởng phúc là đã  cùng vời Ngài trong những cuộc hành trình rao giảng của Ngài và nhờ đó mà họ được củng cố thêm niềm tin của họ Trong ánh sáng văn bản Tin Mừng của Thánh Gioan có thể phản ánh niềm hân hoan trên thực tế là chúng ta được gặp Chúa Giêsu trong Bí tích Thánh Thể và nghe lời nói của Ngài đã truyền đạt cho chúng ta bằng những đoạn  Tin Mừng và Kinh Thánh qua nhiều thế kỷ. Để rồi, với sự tự tin chúng ta có thể đi ra ngoài xã hội để gặp gỡ, sống  và làm việc với những người có thể chưa được nghe nói về Chúa Giêsu Kitô.          
Lạy Chúa Cha Trên Trời, chúng con cảm đội ơn Chúa đã đem đến cho chúng con Con Một của Ngài là Chúa Giêsu Chúa chúng con. Xin Chúa giúp chúng con biết chia sẻ niềm tin và món quà quý giá này với những người khác.
 
Reflection
To-day’s Gospel tells us that Peter and John believed after they had seen the empty tomb and the rolled up burial clothes of Jesus. For some hours, however, it seems to have been a quiet, reflective, “waiting” kind of believing. The remaining verses of Chapters 20 and 21, in contrast, provide us with very definite, concrete and heart warming details of how very quickly the disciples came to accept that Jesus was alive, well and active. What a joy it must have been for them to meet him again in the familiar places where they had enjoyed his company and been strengthened by it.
           The first verses of John’s first letter, like the first eighteen verses of John’s Gospel, are called the Prologue. But, while the focus of both passages is Jesus, the emphasis is very different. The first reading shows the delight of the writer in the historical person of Jesus with whom he had been privileged to spend those glorious last days in Jerusalem and by the lake.
            In the light of John’s writing we can reflect joyfully on the fact that we meet Jesus in the Eucharist and hear his words conveyed to us over the centuries. Then with confidence we can go out to meet and live with and work with those who may not yet have heard of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
            Heavenly Father we thank you for sending us Your Son, Our Lord Jesus. Help us to share this precious gift with others.
 
December 27, Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
Third Day of the Octave of Christmas
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. John 20:3–8
The “other disciple,” the one who “saw and believed,” was John the Apostle whom we honor today. In his Gospel, John often refers to himself as “the one whom Jesus loved.” This title indicates not that Jesus loved John more than the others but that John’s heart was perhaps the most open and receptive to Jesus’ love, allowing our Lord’s charity to fill him more completely.
Celebrating the Feast of Saint John within the octave of Jesus’ birth invites us to reflect not only on John but also on the deep and intimate love that he and Jesus shared—a love that serves as an icon of the love Jesus desires to bestow on each of us.
Today’s Gospel beautifully highlights three of John’s virtues. First, his all-consuming love for Jesus is evident in his immediate response to Mary Magdalene’s news of the empty tomb. John’s love compelled him to run to the tomb with Peter, showing how deeply he cherished his relationship with the Lord.
Second, John’s respectful nature is revealed when he arrives at the tomb first but waits for Peter, the elder and leader among the Apostles, to enter before him. This act of deference speaks volumes about John’s humility and respect for authority.
Finally, after entering the tomb, John “saw and believed.” This moment reflects the depth of his faith, a faith that did not require physical proof but was grounded in a profound trust in Jesus. John’s belief was a response to the infused gift of faith, a virtue that allowed him to recognize the truth of the Resurrection even before seeing the risen Lord.
John’s example challenges us to examine our own spiritual lives. Is our love for the Lord so strong that it draws us toward Him with the same urgency that led John to run to the tomb? Does our love for God translate into a genuine respect for others? Is our faith so deep that we trust in God’s promises without needing visible proof?
As we honor Saint John, reflect today on his identity as “the one whom Jesus loved.” His receptivity to Jesus’ love made him stand out as a model disciple. Seek to imitate John by expanding the capacity of your heart to receive more of God’s love, so that His presence within you becomes evident to others.
My loving Lord, Your Sacred Heart overflowed with love for all people. Saint John was especially receptive to that love, enabling him to love You all the more. Please give me a heart like Saint John’s so that I, too, may become Your beloved disciple. Saint John, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
December 27, Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist\
Opening Prayer: Lord God, the life of the Apostle John is a testament to the power of your grace. He went from being a young “son of thunder,” ready to call down fire upon others, to an old man who repeated to his spiritual children, “love one another.” May I likewise be so transformed by your grace.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Incarnate Word: Each of the four Gospels brings out a different yet complementary facet of the mystery of Jesus Christ. Matthew highlights Jesus as the King and the New Moses. Mark draws attention to Jesus as the Suffering Messiah and Servant of the Lord. Luke presents Jesus as the Universal and Merciful Savior. John opens his Gospel with a contemplation of Jesus as the Word of God. The Word of God, John teaches us, was eternally begotten by God the Father. All things were created through God’s Word. For centuries, the Word of God was present in the world among the chosen people of God. Some rejected him and some accepted him and were given power to become children of God. But, in the fullness of time, the Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us. The Word has brought us life, light, sonship, grace, and truth. Through his Ascension in heaven, the Word has returned to the Father and sent us the Holy Spirit to guide the Church into all truth.
2. The Eucharistic Bread: John’s Gospel is unique insofar as it presents Jesus as the Bread of Life (John 6:35-58). “The whole context of Jesus’ bread of life discourse is centered on the Jewish hopes for the coming of a new Moses and the return of manna from heaven” (Pitre, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, 98). Moses once fed the Israelites with manna in the desert, and Jesus now feeds the crowds with bread. When Jesus fed the crowds, they recognized him as the Messiah and wanted to take him by force and make him king (John 6:15). The crowds didn’t just want manna for forty years, but asked for this bread always (John 6:34). In response, Jesus launched into the bread of life discourse. Jesus spoke of his heavenly origin and the importance of believing in him, but then shifts to the importance of eating his flesh: John’s Gospel teaches us that we need to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus to have eternal life. “He who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:58). Whoever eats the new manna of the Eucharist will be raised up “on the last day” (John 6:54).
3. The Divine Bridegroom: John’s Gospel also frequently presents Jesus as the divine bridegroom. According to John’s Gospel, the first sign Jesus performed was turning water into wine at a Jewish wedding. “Before Jesus displayed his wisdom as a teacher, before he exercised his authority as an exorcist, and before he manifested his power as a healer, the first thing he did was perform a miracle in which he, though unmarried, deliberately acted like a Jewish bridegroom by providing wine for a wedding” (Pitre, Jesus the Bridegroom, 35). When Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, it symbolizes the encounter between the Bridegroom Messiah and his sinful and broken bride. The five husbands of the Samaritan woman represent Israel’s idolatry and the mixture of Israel with the five pagan nations introduced by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:24-41). Jesus the Bridegroom offers his unfaithful bride forgiveness and the water that gives eternal life. And, on the Cross, Jesus pours forth from his side sacramental gifts for his bride, the Church. The water represents the Sacrament of Baptism, which cleanses his bride, and the Spirit that sanctifies and guides Jesus’ bride. The blood signifies the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which nourishes his bride and unites her to himself in communion.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Word of God and Divine Bridegroom, I desire, above all things, the eternal life you offer. Bring the gift of your grace within me to its consummation in glory.
 
Thứ Sáu, ngày 27 tháng 12,  2019 Thánh Gioan tông đồ và  Thánh sử- Gioan 20. 2-8
Những câu cuối của bài Tin Mừng hôm nay làm cho chúng ta cảm động vì những ý nghĩa của chúng. Gioan bước vào ngôi mộ nơi đặt xác Jesus. Quần áo chôn Chúa còn cất ở đó, nhưng được sắp xếp gọn gàng. Ông đã thấy và đã tin. Ông đã nhìn thấy và đã tin mà không hề ồn ào., lớn tiếng và phấn khích cho dù sau ba ngày đầy biến động trong lúc người thầy yêu kính cũng là người bạn của ông đã bị bắt, bị làm nhục, bị tra tấn và bị đóng đinh. Ông thấy những người trong nhóm 12 với mình bị sốc nặng và sợ hại đến nỗi chối bỏ cả Thầy mình hoặc im lặng hoang mang. Bất chấp tất cả, Gioan đã đặt niền tin vào Thầy mình mà không cần tính toán hay phải suy nghĩ.
Trong bài đọc thứ nhất, Chữ “thấy” được lặp lại ba lần trong bốn câu. Theo những cách khác nhau, Ông Gioan nói với chúng ta rằng ông và các môn đệ của Chúa đã nhìn thấy Ngôi Lời hằng sống. Rõ ràng là con mắt con người trần có thể có mức độ nhìn và thấy và tin tưởng. Đấy sẽ là một bài học đáng giá để chuíng ta sống với Phúc âm của Thánh Gioan, và chú ý tới những lần hay “tần suất” nơi ​​chữ “thấy” được xuất hiện và liên quan đến Chúa Giêsu và hành động của Ngài để rồi mỗi người chúng ta theo mỗi cách để tự suy niệm và phản ứng với những gì chúng ta đã thấy. Chúng ta có thể nói rằng Thánh Gioan là người có Đức tin mạnh nhất trong nhóm người môn đệ được hình thành bên cạnh Chúa Giêsu.
Có lẽ đức tin yêu thương và gần như bản năng đặc biệt của thánh Gioan đã đem lại sức mạnh để hỗ trợ các môn đệ của Chúa được vững tin trong những giờ phút quan trọng trong giờ phút cuối của ngày thứ Năm, thứ Sáu và thứ Bảy. Và cũng nhờ đó mà giúp họ có được sự tự tin và có đủ sức để thành lập Giáo Hội của Chúa tại Jerusalem và Judea và còn hơn thế nữa. Lạy Thiên  trên Trời xin Chúa ban cho con có được một đức tin vũng mạnh và cho phép chúng con thể hiện được việc đem Con của Ngài là Chúa Giêsu chúa chúng con đến cho thế giới.
 
Friday, December 27, St. John the Apostle and Evangelist
The last words of today’s Gospel are as moving as they are significant. John entered the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid. The burial clothes were there, neatly arranged. He “saw and believed.” He saw and believed without fuss and excitement even after a tumultuous three days during which his master and friend had been arrested, humiliated, scourged and crucified. He saw his fellow disciples shocked into fearful denial or bewildered silence. Despite all, he believed without long discussion and reflection.
In the first reading the word “see” is repeated three times in four verses. In different ways John tells us that he and the disciples had seen “the Word of life”. Obviously there can be degrees of seeing and believing. It would be a worthwhile exercise to go through John’s Gospel and note how often the word “see” occurs in relation to Jesus and his actions and then reflect on how people reacted to what they had seen.
Could it be said that John was at the very believing heart of the group which formed around Jesus?
Maybe John’s loving and almost instinctive faith provided a steady, human support to his fellow disciples in those crucial hours of late Thursday, Friday and Saturday and enabled them to emerge as confident and competent founders of the Church in Jerusalem and Judea and beyond.
Heavenly Father, grant me a faith which will enable me to show Your Son to the world.
 
December 27, Third Day of the Octave of Christmas, Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. Jn 20:1-3
            It’s interesting that Saint John refers to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” Of course, Jesus loved all people. He loved all of the disciples. But in John’s Gospel, this unique title of the beloved disciple is given to John. Saint John the Apostle may be understood as this beloved disciple for many reasons. First, recall the special closeness and affection John shows Jesus at the Last Supper when John reclined next to Him. Recall, also, that it was John alone who stood at the foot of the Cross with Jesus’ mother and that Jesus entrusted His mother to John and John to His mother. And note in the passage above that it was John who first ran to the empty tomb as soon as Mary Magdalene revealed her discovery to him. Furthermore, many scholars believe John to be the youngest disciple. And as a younger disciple, he may have received special fatherly-like attention from our Lord.
However, John may also be understood as the beloved disciple for another reason. Simply put, this is how John saw himself as he wrote his Gospel account. John may have done so because telling the story of Jesus’ life was deeply personal to him. His own love and affection for his Lord was the central and most consuming passion of his soul. And it appears that as John speaks of Jesus, and of his own encounters with Jesus, John was compelled to prayerfully ponder the holy and spiritual love that Jesus had for him. Thus, it appears that John could not speak of his encounters with our Lord without also identifying the divine love that united them. It’s as if every time his Gospel story spoke of an encounter he had with Jesus, John was overwhelmed by the simple fact that Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, knew him and loved him personally. And so he was compelled to state that fact over and over.
In this case, it’s quite beautiful, on a spiritual level, to ponder John’s soul. He was clearly a man who was deeply touched by God in the Person of Jesus. And after Jesus ascended into Heaven, it appears that John’s holy love for Jesus only grew. As he went forth as an Apostle, preaching about the salvation that comes through his Savior and dear friend, he clearly grew closer to our Lord day by day. When John wrote his Gospel toward the end of his life, his heart was clearly aflame with divine love as he was intensely looking forward to being fully united with his Lord in Heaven.
As we honor this unique and holy Apostle, reflect, today, upon the simple truth that you are also invited to share in the holy and intimate love shared by Jesus and Saint John. Ponder the fact that our Lord also loves you with perfect charity, intimacy and totality. If you can gaze upon the love in the heart of this beloved disciple, then you, too, can share in that love and become a beloved disciple yourself.
My beloved Lord, the love You bestowed upon the disciple John was perfect in every way. After Your ascension into Heaven, You continued to deepen Your relationship with him, drawing him ever closer to Your Sacred Heart. Please pour forth upon me that same love and draw me into Your Heart so that I, too, will become Your beloved disciple. Saint John, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You.