Suy niệm thứ Hai sau Lễ Ba Vua Scripture: Matthew 4:12-17,23-25 . ( 1 Jn. 3:22-4:6; Mt. 4:12-17,23-25)
Cầu nguyện đòi hỏi một mối quan hệ thân mật với Chúa trong cùng một lúc cầu nguyện cũng còn bồi dưỡng mối quan hệ đó bằng cách cho chúng ta thêm sức mạnh và sự thông minh sáng suốt để làm những gì việc mà Chúa Cha luôn được làm vui lòng .
Lạy Cha ở trên trời, Xin ban cho chúng con những ân sủng của Chúa để giúp chúng con được trở nên giống như Chúa Giêsu, luôn luôn làm những gì để làm đẹp lòng Chúa, Cha của chúng con.
Four times in his First Letter, St John speaks of confidence: twice about confidence when facing God’s judgment (2:28; 4:17) and twice concerning confidence in prayer (3:21; 5:14). The whole Letter is clearly meant to be an encouragement for Christians to foster a deeper spiritual life and to do so with confidence. Thus, in different ways it stresses the importance of certainty, and hence of confidence, for the fostering of our spiritual lives.
Thus
John is quite certain of the efficacy of our prayers, for “whatever we ask we
shall receive at God’s hands.” (1 John 3:22) The reason for this certainty is
closely linked with the moral life which is an indispensable aspect of the life
of faith and an inalienable foundation for a Christian spiritual life: “we are
keeping his commandments and doing what it pleasing in his sight.”
Keeping
God's commandments does not mean a legalistic attitude to the spiritual life:
keeping the commandments is nothing other than remaining in God and being a
dwelling place for God, as John goes on to point out. Prayer demands an
intimate relationship with God while at the same time fostering that
relationship through giving us the strength and wisdom to do always what is
pleasing to the Father.
Father in heaven
grant us the grace to be like Jesus, always doing what is pleasing to You.
Monday after
Epiphany
[Jesus] went
around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of
the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. His fame
spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various
diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and
paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,
Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him. Matthew 4:23–24
Once Jesus began healing the sick, expelling demons, curing paralytics,
and performing other miracles, news about Him spread rapidly, reaching far
beyond the boundaries of modern-day Israel. Galilee comprised northern Israel,
while the Decapolis referred to a group of ten major cities in what are
modern-day Jordan, Israel, and Syria. Jerusalem, the religious and cultural
heart of Judaism, was the most important Jewish city, and Judea encompassed the
territory surrounding Jerusalem in southern Israel. Ancient Syria covered a
broader area than modern-day Syria, including parts of what are now Lebanon,
Israel, and Jordan. Jesus’ fame spread throughout this vast and diverse region,
which included Jews, Greeks, Romans, and other ethnic groups.
Today, it’s not uncommon for news stories or social media posts to go
viral, given the immediacy and vast outreach of the Internet. “Going viral” in
Jesus’ time was much different. Word-of-mouth passed from person to person,
town to town, transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries. Jews, Greeks,
Romans, and others began to hear about the astonishing things happening through
Jesus of Nazareth, prompting many to believe.
It’s true that miracles naturally draw attention, especially from those
in need of one. Many likely came to see Jesus out of curiosity or fascination.
Could the stories be true? Could He really heal the sick, give sight to the
blind, hearing to the deaf, and even raise the dead?
Sadly, much of what goes viral today is shocking or scandalous. Such
news often spreads quickly but fades just as fast. That was not the case with
our Lord. Though some were drawn to Him only because of His miracles, countless
others were completely transformed by Him, so much so that the Good News of
Jesus continues to be one of the most talked about and impactful events in
human history.
The Bible is the most widely read and published book in history and has
been translated into more languages than any other book. Despite this, billions
of people today still do not know Jesus as their Savior. Instead, they are
bombarded with shock and scandal, extreme drama, pornography, and every other
form of instant sensationalism. In an era when communication is so easy,
far-reaching, and instantaneous, we, as members of Christ’s Body, the Church,
must do all we can to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Reflect today upon the billions of people around the world who do not
know that Jesus Christ is the one and only Lord and Messiah. Imagine what could
happen if the entire world turned to Him, surrendered their lives to Him, and
sought His holy will with all their hearts. As you ponder this spiritual
challenge, prayerfully place yourself at the service of Christ and His Gospel.
Sometimes our mission is to focus on close family and friends. At other times,
we might be called to a much broader mission, even in a “viral” way. Strive to
become as holy as you can so that our Lord can use you however He chooses.
My saving Lord, though many in our world know of You, many do not know
You in a personal and faith-filled way. Please save souls, dear Lord, by
sending Your saving message to all. I pray for the conversion of the entire
world and offer myself to You to use me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Monday
after Epiphany2025
From that time on,
Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at
hand.” Matthew 4:17Now that our
Christmas Octave and Epiphany celebrations are complete, we begin to turn our
eyes to the public ministry of Christ. The above line from today’s Gospel
presents us with the most central summary of all of the teachings of Jesus:
Repent. However, He doesn’t say only to repent, He also says that “the Kingdom
of heaven is at hand.” And that second statement is the reason we must repent.
In his spiritual classic, The Spiritual Exercises, Saint
Ignatius of Loyola explains that the primary reason for our lives is to give to
God the greatest glory we can. In other words, to bring forth the Kingdom of
Heaven. But he also goes on to say that this can only be accomplished when we
turn away from sin and all inordinate attachments in our lives so that the one
and only focus of our lives is the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the goal of
repentance.
Soon we will celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and then we
return to Ordinary Time within the Liturgical Year. Throughout Ordinary Time,
we will reflect upon the public ministry of Jesus and focus upon His many
teachings. But all of His teachings, everything that He says and does,
ultimately points us to repentance, a turning away from sin and a turning
toward our glorious God.
In your own life, it is essential that you place before your mind and
heart the call to repentance. It is essential that you daily hear Jesus saying
those words to you: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Do not only
think about Him saying this many years ago; rather, hear it said to you, today,
tomorrow and every day of your life. There will never be a time in your life
when you do not need to repent with all your heart. We will never reach
perfection in this life, so repentance must be our daily mission.
Reflect, today, upon this exhortation from our Lord to repent. Repent
with your whole heart. Examining your actions every day is essential to this
mission. See the ways that your actions keep you from God and reject those
actions. And look for the ways that God is active in your life and embrace
those acts of mercy. Repent and turn toward the Lord. This is Jesus’ message to
you this day.
Lord, I repent of the sin in my life and pray that You give me the grace
to become free from all that keeps me from You. May I not only turn from sin
but also turn to You as the source of all mercy and fulfillment in my life.
Help me to keep my eyes on the Kingdom of Heaven and to do all I can to share
in that Kingdom here and now. Jesus, I trust in You.
Monday
after Epiphany 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for sending your
Son to inaugurate your Kingdom on earth. I am a member of that Kingdom through
my Baptism, which cured me of the stain of original sin and made me your
adopted child.
Encountering the
Word of God
1. The Epiphanic
Light of Christ: Following
Epiphany Sunday, the Gospels this week will focus on various epiphanies or
manifestations. Today, the focus is on what Jesus manifests and reveals at the
beginning of his public ministry, i.e., his announcement that the “Kingdom of
the Heavens” is at hand. Matthew tells us that after his Baptism in the Jordan
and Temptation in the Desert, Jesus left his hometown of Nazareth and began to
live in Capernaum, a town on the Sea of Galilee. Matthew mentions the lands of
Zebulun and Naphtali that formed part of the region of Galilee and recalls that
Isaiah had prophesied that these lands would experience a great light.
Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, was in Zebulun, and the fishing village of
Capernaum, where Jesus eventually took up residence, was in Naphtali. The two
regions saw a great light, the epiphanic light of Jesus Christ. This is
significant because these Galilean regions were among the first to be ravaged
by the Assyrian invasions from 733 to 732 B.C. (see 2 Kings 15:29). “Jesus
targets Galilee as the place to begin reversing the tragedies of Israel’s
history by restoring the 12 tribes in the New Covenant” (Ignatius Catholic
Study Bible: Old and New Testament, 1731). In restoring the twelve tribes,
Jesus is working toward the restoration of the Kingdom of David.
2. The Kingdom of
the Heavens: When Jesus begins to
preach, he takes up the message of John the Baptist and calls the people of
Galilee to repent. This is an invitation to the people to change their mindset.
The reason why such a change is necessary is that the Kingdom of the Heavens
has drawn near. Matthew uses the expression “Kingdom of the Heavens,” while the
other Gospels tend to use the expression “Kingdom of God.” The reason why
Matthew uses the expression is that his Gospel emphasizes the inbreaking of the
Kingdom of the Heavens here on earth. When Jesus gives a series of parables on
the Kingdom, he speaks about how good and evil will be present in the Kingdom
on earth and how the Kingdom will transform society like yeast in bread dough.
The Kingdom of the Heavens is like a seed that will start out very small but
grow to international dimensions and welcome the Gentile nations. Only at the
end of time will good and evil be definitively separated.
3. The Gospel of
the Kingdom: Jesus often taught on
the Sabbath in the synagogues of Galilee. In those synagogues, he proclaimed
the Gospel of the Kingdom. This was the good news that the ancient Kingdom of
David would be restored. In 2 Samuel 7, God swore a covenant oath to David that
his kingdom would last forever. Jesus, the royal son of David, came to fulfill
that covenant oath. The Kingdom of David was not restored as a political
kingdom with military power and earthly wealth. It was restored as a spiritual
kingdom and liturgical empire, with earthly and heavenly dimensions. In the
Gospel, we see Jesus heal every disease and sickness. These physical healings
were signs (CCC, 547-550) that pointed to something greater,
to the future spiritual healings in the Sacraments of the Church. The Church is
the seed and beginning of the Kingdom of the Heavens inaugurated on earth by
Christ (CCC, 567). “By freeing some individuals from the earthly evils
of hunger, injustice, illness, and death, Jesus performed messianic signs.
Nevertheless, he did not come to abolish all evils here below, but to free men
from the gravest slavery, sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God’s
sons and causes all forms of human bondage” (CCC, 549).
Conversing with
Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to hear
the Gospel of your Kingdom each day as I speak with you in prayer and meditate
on your Word. It is a Kingdom of justice, love, mercy, purity, meekness,
humility, peace, charity, and grace.
Monday
after Epiphany 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for sending your
Son to inaugurate your Kingdom on earth. I am a member of that Kingdom through
my Baptism, which cured me of the stain of original sin and made me your
adopted child.
Encountering the
Word of God
1. Zebulun and
Naphtali: All this week, the Gospels
will focus on various epiphanies or manifestations. Today, the focus is on the
beginning of Jesus’ ministry and his announcement of the “Kingdom of the
Heavens.” Matthew tells us that after his Baptism in the Jordan and Temptation
in the Desert, Jesus left his hometown of Nazareth and began to live in
Capernaum, a town on the Sea of Galilee. Matthew mentions the region of Zebulun
and Naphtali. This is significant because these Galilean regions were the first
to be ravaged by the Assyrian invasions from 733 to 732 B.C. (see 2 Kings
15:29). “Jesus targets Galilee as the place to begin reversing the tragedies of
Israel’s history by restoring the 12 tribes in the New Covenant” (Ignatius
Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testament, 1731). The fishing village of
Capernaum, where Jesus took up residence, was on the border between the two
ancient regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. Isaiah 9:1-2 foretells a “latter time”
when God will restore hope to Galilee. The regions will see a great light, and
this is the epiphanic light of Jesus Christ.
2. The Kingdom of
the Heavens: When Jesus begins to
preach, he takes up the message of John the Baptist and calls the people of
Galilee to repent. This is an invitation to change their mindset. The reason
why such a change is necessary is that the Kingdom of the Heavens has drawn
near. Matthew uses the expression “Kingdom of the Heavens,” while the other
Gospels tend to use the expression “Kingdom of God.” The reason why Matthew
uses the expression is that his Gospel emphasizes the inbreaking of the Kingdom
of the Heavens here on earth. When Jesus gives a series of parables on the
Kingdom, he speaks about how good and evil will be present in the Kingdom and
how the Kingdom will transform society like yeast in bread dough. The Kingdom
of the Heavens is like a seed that will start out very small but grow to
international dimensions. The Kingdom of the Heavens will transform society and
make it more just and charitable. Only at the end of time will good and evil be
definitively separated.
3. The Gospel of
the Kingdom: Jesus taught in the
synagogues of Galilee. He proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom. This is the
good news that the ancient Kingdom of David would be restored. God promised
David that his kingdom would last forever, and Jesus, the royal son of David,
came to fulfill that covenant promise. The kingdom of David was not restored as
a political kingdom with military power and earthly wealth. It was restored as
a spiritual kingdom and liturgical empire. Jesus heals every disease and sickness.
These physical healings were signs (CCC, 547-550) that
pointed to the future spiritual healings in the Sacraments of the Church, the
seed and beginning of the Kingdom of the Heavens inaugurated on earth by Christ
(CCC, 567). “By freeing some individuals from the earthly evils of
hunger, injustice, illness, and death, Jesus performed messianic signs.
Nevertheless he did not come to abolish all evils here below, but to free men
from the gravest slavery, sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God’s
sons and causes all forms of human bondage” (CCC, 549).
you in prayer and meditate on your Word. It is a Kingdom of justice,
love, mercy, purity, meekness, humility, peace, charity, and grace.
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng
Thứ Hai sau Lễ Hiển Linh (ba Vua)
Trong thế gìới của của
chúng ta, có
rất nhiều thần thánh và không phải tất cả trong số thần thánh này thần thánh nào cũng tốt cà hoặc thậm chí hữu ích. Thánh Gioan Tẩy Già có một sự hướng dẫn tốt để biết
phân biệt: Liệu thần thánh hay Thần Khí này có giúp chùng ta xác định được việc Thiên Chúa đã đến trong thân xác? Nếu chỉ nghe theo tiếng thần khí (Chúa Thánh Thần) mà chúng ta khẳng
định được Thiên Chúa đã đến trong
thân xác, và Chúa Giêsu là con Người thật mà không phải là một huyền
thoại, ý tưởng, hoặc ý thức hệ,
Thì chúng ta có thể tin rằng Chúa Giêsu đã đến với chúng
ta để cùng tham dự vào trong cuộc sống con người và trong thế giới của chúng ta môyt cách sâu sắc, đó là tất cả những
gì về sự nhập thể của Chúa Kitô.
Thánh Gioan cũng đã bảo đảm với chúng ta rằng Chúa Giêsu là một con người trong chúng ta, nhưng Ngài có quyền lực và sức mạnh hơn bất cứ một lực lượng thế tục nào. Chúng
ta không nên sợ hãi, nhút nhát, hay
không nghiêm khắc về tinh thần, nhưng tự hành xử như
những người đến từ Thiên Chúa.
Trong Tin Mừng Thánh Matthêu hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu bắt đầu sứ vụ rao
giảng của Ngài ở
Galilê, và điều này đã được miêu
tả đúng như là những lời mà các tiên tri loan báo trước kia, và đến nay đã được thực hiện . “Những người ở trong bóng
tối đã thấy một ánh sáng, và ánh sáng tuyệt vời là chính Chúa Giêsu và sứ điệp của ngài với Đức Chúa Trời.”
Thông điệp đầu tiên của Thánh Gioan là nói về những triều đại của
Thiên Chúa đang đến gần và tầm
quan trọng của việc mở tâm trí
và trái tim con người chúng ta để biết đón
nhận Thông điệp đó. Đó là những gì
gọi là 'ăn năn', là sám hối” và có nghĩa là: chúng ta cần phải biết thay đổi cách mà chúng ta suy nghĩ và nhìn vào thế giới hôm nay. Thiên Chúa đi vào trong lịch sử của con người nhân
loại theo một cách
mới và
nó đòi hỏi cái nhìn sâu sắc tinh
thần để nhận thức ra
được các hoạt động của Thiên Chúa trong
thế giới này, hôm nay. Chúng ta phải biết luôn cởi mỡ với tình yêu thương của Thiên Chúa và cách sống mới sẽ cho phép con người chúng ta tham dự vào lịch sử mới
và đầy thú vị này. Chúa
Giêsu đã đến trong thân xác con người bằng xương, bằng thịt như chúng ta và cũng vì thế mà cuộc sống của chúng ta sẽ không bao giờ còn được coi như cũ xưa nữa. Chúng ta cẩn đổi mới tâm hồn chúng ta. Lạy Chúa. Xin Chúa mở lòng trí và trái tim của chúng
con
Reflection
There are many spirits in the world
and not all of them are good or even helpful. John has a good guide to
discernment: Does the spirit affirm or deny that Jesus has come in the flesh?
Listen only to those spirits that affirm his coming in the flesh, for Jesus is
not a myth, idea, or ideology. Jesus is
deeply involved in human lives and in our world — that is what the incarnation
is all about. John also assures us that Jesus is within us and is far more
powerful than any worldly force. We should not be fearful, timid, or
spiritually lax, but conduct ourselves as people who are from God. In Matthew’s
Gospel, Jesus began his ministry in Galilee, and this was portrayed as the
fulfillment of prophecy. The people who dwell in darkness had seen a great
light, and that great light was Jesus himself and his message from God.
His first message was
about the approaching reign of God and the importance of opening one's mind and
heart to receive it. That is what ‘repentance’ means — changing how one thinks
and views the world. God entered human history in a new way and it requires
spiritual insight to be aware of God's activity in the world. Being open to God’s love and to a new way of
living will enable one to participate in this new and exciting history. Jesus
has come in the flesh and our lives will never be the same again.
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