Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ 7 Tuần thứ 7 Phục Sinh
Qua Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta Thánh Phêrô dường như đã thấy chính mình đang bị rơi vào trong một tình huống khó xử mà chúng ta không thể chứng minh được một sự kiện mà chúng ta tin là có thật và đúng. Sau khi quay lưng lại với Chúa Giêsu, ông đã nhận thấy rằng mình đã có được một cơ hội khác, có lẽ ông đã nghĩ Chúa đã có sự nghi ngờ về lòng trung thành, và sự thành thực của ông. Nhưng Chúa Giêsu tin tưởng hoàn toàn vào thánh Phêrô và Ngài đã yêu cầu ông tiếp tục sứ mệnh quan trọng mà Đức Giêsu đã uỷ thác Giáo Hội của Chúa cho Thánh Phêrô, là hãy chăm sóc đàn chiên của Ngài. Với sự tin tưởng nơi thánh Phêrô, Chúa Giesu đã bất chấp tất cả những sự thiếu xót, những thất bại trong quá khứ của ông Phêrô kể cả cái tội phản bội và chối Ngài ba lần. Chúa Giêsu luôn sẵn sàng ban cho chúng ta một cơ hội thứ hai, nếu chúng ta biết nhìn nhận những tội lỗi và những yếu kém và thiếu xót của chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy nhìn thẳng vào trái tim của chúng ta và hãy thử cảm nhận tình yêu của Chúa Giêsu đã được thể hiện trong cuộc sống của chúng ta như thế nào. Chúng ta hãy thử cảm nhận mỗi buổi sáng khi Chúa cho mặt trời mọc lên cho chúng ta và mỗi cái cầu vồng Ngài cho chúng ta thấy được sau cơn mưa… Hãy chiến đấu và hãy ráng giữ lấy những cảm nhận đó trong tâm khảm của chúng ta. Hãy Ở lại với Chúa Giêsu và theo Ngài.
REFLECTION
Have we ever been in an awkward situation where we couldn't prove a point we believe is real or right? Perhaps it can be some experience we would like to share with our friends so that can to learn from it, or some theory we failed to explain in class. But we know we are right, even if we realize that we'll lose our credibility to others.
Peter seems to find himself in a similar situation. After turning his back on Jesus, he finds himself being given another chance. Perhaps there may be doubts regarding his loyalty and faithfulness. But Jesus believes in Peter and he asks him to continue this important mission. Jesus entrusts Peter with his church, with looking after his flock in spite of his past failings and transgressions.
Jesus is always willing to give us a second chance. Let us look into our hearts and feel how his love is shown in our lives. Feel each morning as he makes the sun rise for us and each rainbow, he shows us after the rain. Hold on to it. Fight for it. Stay with Jesus and follow him.
Saturday 7th of Easter 2026
Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” John 21:20–22
Just before today’s Gospel, Jesus foretold Peter’s martyrdom and concluded by saying, “Follow me,” calling Peter to focus on his mission of discipleship. Upon learning of his own fate, however, Peter became curious about John’s: “Lord, what about him?” Jesus gently redirects him: “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” Jesus’ words remind us of a crucial truth: We must focus on our personal call to follow Him rather than giving in to unhealthy curiosity.
Knowing and loving others as friends, listening to their joys and struggles with charity, differs from idle curiosity. True knowledge of someone builds selfless and loving relationships, giving us a share in God’s relational nature. The Father knows and loves the Son, and the Son knows and loves the Father, and from that love the Holy Spirit proceeds. In contrast, idle curiosity—“knowing about” someone for the wrong reasons—can lead to pride, judgment, or distraction.
In and of itself, the desire for knowledge is neither good nor bad; it is a natural inclination given to us by God. It becomes good when it leads to a desire to know the truth, particularly about God, Creation, and all matters that lead us to greater holiness. Saint Thomas Aquinas distinguishes between curiosity, the disordered pursuit of knowledge, and studiousness, a moral virtue that directs our natural desire for knowledge toward good and necessary ends. He describes studiousness as a form of temperance for the mind—a habit that moderates and orders our desire for knowledge so that it serves truth, virtue, and ultimately, God’s glory.
The desire for knowledge becomes disordered when it serves no good purpose, distracts us from our duties, or stems from pride, sensual desire, or an unhealthy fascination with evil. It is also disordered when worldly knowledge dominates our minds, drawing us away from God and spiritual matters. For example, our world is often flooded by shocking and sensational stories. Though there is a value in news stories, they can distract us from our mission and lead us into sin.
Adam and Eve’s fall resulted from pride and an unholy desire for knowledge they did not need, as the fruit was “desirable for gaining wisdom” (Genesis 3:6). Like Peter’s question about John, their distraction led them away from trust in God’s plan. Jesus’ gentle correction reminds Peter—and us—of what truly matters.
Reflect today on the importance of getting to know others and the danger of being overly curious to know about them. There are many things we do not need to know; it takes temperance of the mind to discipline ourselves so that we remain focused on our God-given responsibilities. Intemperance of the mind, stemming from pride, leads to gossip and judgment. Hence, we must continuously hear Jesus remind us: “What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”
All-knowing Lord, You know me through and through, my every action, thought, and desire. You know my sin and my virtue, my weaknesses and joys. Please give me a healthy desire to know You and all that is necessary for me to fulfill Your will. Please also purify my disordered curiosity so that I remain charitable to all and undistracted from my mission. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday 7th of Easter 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, do not let me harden my heart. Replace my heart of stone with a spirit-filled heart. Show me how to grow in my faith today and imitate your merciful love.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Questioning Jesus’ Authority: As he journeyed along the way to Jerusalem, Jesus predicted three times that members of three groups – the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders – would condemn him to death. Now, three days after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the groups openly confront Jesus and ask him two questions about his authority. Throughout Mark’s Gospel, the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders has revolved around the issue of authority (Gray, The Temple in the Gospel of Mark, 56). The leaders questioned Jesus’ authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:7), heal on the Sabbath (Mark 3:2-6), and cast out demons (Mark 3:22). Here, the leaders question Jesus’ authority to judge the temple and its rulers.
2. Jesus’ Answer: The answer to their questions is that Jesus has the same authority granted to the Son of Man in Daniel 7. Jesus’ condemnation of the Temple is the beginning of the end-times judgment foretold in Daniel 7 (see Gray, The Temple in the Gospel of Mark, 59). Instead of answering the questions about his authority directly, Jesus answers them indirectly with a question of his own about John the Baptist’s authority. The leaders wanted to respond to Jesus that John’s baptism wasn’t sanctioned either by them or by God, but they feared the crowds who believed that John’s baptism was “from heaven.” The leaders refused to believe John’s claim to be sent from God, and now show that they refuse to accept that Jesus has been sent from God. They are truly acting like the wicked tenants in the parable we will read on Monday (Mark 12:1-9). Like the wicked tenants, the religious leaders rejected the prophetic messenger sent by God – John the Baptist – and are now plotting to kill Jesus, the beloved Son sent by God the Father.
3. The Failure of Spiritual Discernment: The religious leaders’ refusal to answer Jesus revealed more than political caution; it exposed a deeper spiritual blindness. Ironically, those entrusted with discerning the things of God proved incapable of recognizing either John the Baptist or Jesus himself. Their concern was not primarily for truth but for preserving their own status before the crowds. In Mark’s Gospel, this stands in sharp contrast to the faith of the disciples and ordinary people who, despite their weaknesses, remained open to God’s action. Jesus’ response also demonstrated divine wisdom: he did not submit his authority to the judgment of those who had already hardened their hearts against God’s revelation. The passage, therefore, becomes a warning to every reader of the Gospel. One can possess religious learning, office, and influence, yet still resist God through pride, fear, or attachment to power. True recognition of Jesus’ authority requires humility, conversion, and a willingness to follow the truth God has revealed.
Saturday 7th of Easter 2022
Encountering Christ:
How Would You Be Known?: John described himself as the one “whom Jesus loved.” To our ears, it sounds like John was making a bold proclamation, calling attention to himself as the Lord’s favorite. Yet, each of us could say the same about ourselves. We are all individually, personally loved by Jesus.We are all free to place our heads on Jesus’ chest, metaphorically. If we understood the depth of the love Jesus has for us, we would not hesitate to describe ourselves as “the one whom Jesus loves.”
What about Him?: By asking Jesus, “What about John?” Peter jeopardized his potential for interior peace, according to Linda Dillow, author of Calm My Anxious Heart. “Never compare your lot with another’s,” she said, because comparing is a recipe for discontentedness. This tendency we all have displeases Jesus as well, as we can deduce by his answer to Peter: “What concern is it of yours?” We immediately stymie our progress on the path to holiness when we allow ourselves to be distracted by the success of others. Each of us has a singular, unrepeatable mission, unique gifts, and all the grace we need to succeed. Let us take to heart Jesus’ command to Peter, “Follow me,” and use our energy to accomplish the mission he gave each of us.
Beware of Misinterpretations: As students of the Master, the disciples must have mulled over Jesus’ words and actions, discussing them and trying to interpret them so that they could one day teach and preach. They may have also occasionally fallen into unhealthy speculation at times, because they misinterpreted Jesus’ comment to Peter, “What if I want him to remain until I come?” assuming that John would live forever. It’s a warning for those of us who spend time with the word, write and preach the truths of Jesus, and pastor others. We are blessed with the Holy Spirit, the rich tradition of the Church, and scholarly works to guide us, but the most reliable way to interpret Scripture for ourselves and others is to approach our responsibility prayerfully, with sincerity, purity of intention, and humility.
Saturday 7th of Easter
Encountering Christ:
What about Him: “Peter turned and saw the disciple” and he compared himself to John. He asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Why are we always concerned about what the other person receives, and whether or not we receive what we think we deserve from God? Peter and John were friends, and their friendship was built on their relationship with Christ. Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2). Peter might not have been jealous of John’s relationship with Christ, but he wanted to know what John’s path of discipleship would be. Sometimes a person becomes so familiar to us, we think we know who they are, and we judge them. Peter “saw” the disciple, and he thought he knew him. As Mother Mary Francis, PCC, says in But I Have Called You Friends, friendship begins with respect, which comes from the Latin roots “to look again” (14), but often we fail to truly see them for who they are. “The trouble is that we think we know people, and we really don’t know them at all. So we must look again and again and then again and gradually we shall get to know these people…we shall never completely understand another person. This is part of the wonder of Christ” (15-16).
You Follow Me: John’s path of discipleship would be different than Peter’s. “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” Why do some seem to have an easier path than others? The story of the soul who wanted to trade in his cross for a lighter one is a good reminder. No sooner had his guardian angel taken him to the place with crosses, he saw giant tree limbs, huge iron bars, and then he found a light cross made of a couple of twigs. “I’ll take this one!” he cried. His guardian angel replied, “This is the cross you already carry.” Our cross is tailor-made to fit our shoulders, and we have to trust that God knows what he is doing. This boring desk job, the teenager who won’t answer when I ask about her day, the wife who stares at her Instagram, the husband who works late, the disease that is slowly progressing—these crosses are given lovingly by Our Lord who gives us the grace to embrace them, carry them, grow into them.
His Testimony Is True: John asserted the truth at the end of his Gospel. He bore witness to Christ by his word and by his life. Truth can often be a fuzzy notion. When a wife asks her husband if her jeans are flattering, the best answer is always “Yes.” But Jesus is more concerned about our hearts, and if we are being faithful to ourselves and the truth that is in us. He has given us a mission and everyone is different. He called most of the Apostles to martyrdom but John lived out his life on the island of Patmos, where he composed the Book of Revelation. They were all faithful to Christ’s call to testify to the truth until the end of their days on earth.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, you know I sometimes fail to love those closest to me, those I live with, and those in my own family. Help me to be a voice of encouragement to those around me.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will support someone who is struggling to live his or her vocation by sending them a note or giving a word of encouragement.
Suy Niệm đoạn kết Tin Mừng thánh Gioan (John 21:20-25) ,
Thứ Bẩy sau tuần thứ 7 Phục Sinh
Trong bài đọc thứ nhất, chúng ta được nghe việc Thánh Phaolô đến Rome trong xích sắt và gông cùm. Trong thời gian ở đó, Thánh Phaolô đã tìm cách để gặp gỡ những người La Mã gốc Do Thái để giải thích trường hợp của mình với họ. Ngay cả trong hoàn cảnh khó khăn, Phaolô đã nắm lấy cơ hội để rao giảng Tin Mừng của Chúa Giêsu Kitô cho người Do Thái ở đó. Trong đoạn kết của Tin mừng theo Thánh Gioan hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy ông Phêrô nóng lòng muốn biết số phận của người mộn đệ Chúa yêu, Nhưng Chúa Giêsu nói với Phêrô là đừng quan tâm việc đó, vì việc đó chẳng có liên quan gì tới Phêrô cả, Việc của Phêrô là “hãy theo Chúa”. Phêrô và Phaolô cà hai đều là những Tông đồ cao cả của Chúa Kitô, Nhưng hãy coi sự khác biệt giữa hai người:
- Phaolô gặp Chúa Kitô trên đường đến Damascus để bắt đạo. Ông đã hứa hoàn toàn theo Chúa Kitô. Tất cả cuộc sống của ông đã mong muốn và dành cho việc rao giảng về Chúa Giêsu kitô và sự cứu rỗi của Ngài.
- Mặt khác, còn Phêrô lúc nào cũng lúng túng và loạng choạng trong những ngày theo làm môn đệ của Chúa. Có những lúc chúng ta nghĩ rằng Phêrô làm được việc, nói đúng ý Chúa thì ngay lúc ấy ông lại nói sai hoặc làm điều làm mất lòng Chúa. Tuy nhiên, theo thời gian, nhờ ân sủng Chúa ban, Phêrô đã lớn lên và trưởng thành trong đức tin và trở thành vị lãnh đạo thực sự của Giáo Hội ban đầu theo như ý của Chúa.
Là môn đệ của Chúa Kitô, chúng ta sẽ không bao giờ và không thế nào có thể giống nhau hoàn toàn,.Mỗi người chúng ta đều có cái độc đáo riệng, có mỗi cá tính và sự suỹ nghĩ riêng, khác nhau. Vì thế Đức Kitô mời gọi chúng ta theo Chúa vì cái bản chất riêng, hay năng khiếu riêng của mỗi người. .Như vậy, chúng ta không có sự so sánh giữa mình với những người khác hoặc các sứ vụ và thiên chức của họ. Chúa Giêsu mời gọi chúng ta theo Ngài, theo kế hoạch riêng mà Ngài dành cho chúng ta. Chúng ta phải dành nhiều thời giờ cầu nguyện để xin ơn Chúa thánh thần soi sáng để biết thánh ý Chúa cho cuộc sống của chúng ta hơn là chúng ta phải quá bận tâm để so sánh hay phân bì về những gì người khác đang làm hoặc không làm cho Chúa
REFLECTION
Just before the beginning of today's Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, "Follow me." Peter starts walking behind Jesus. His mind should be focused on "follow me," on discipleship, but it's wandering. Jesus had just confirmed Peter's appointment as chief shepherd of his flock and had hinted Peter would die a martyr. So as he's walking behind Jesus, Peter looks back at John and asks Jesus, "What about John? What's going to happen to him?" Jesus is a bit short-tempered with Peter, "That's none of your business, Peter, your business is to follow me."
Peter has fallen into a very common human failing: not looking at oneself to find worth and value, but looking to another person as a point of comparison against which to measure one's own worth. It didn't matter that Peter and John were to die different types of death. That one was to die a violent death and the other was to live a long life and come to his end in peace, did not make the two apostles rivals in honor or prestige nor did it make the one greater or less than the other. If each of them followed the path Jesus assigned to him, both would be his servants, his disciples.
This is the source of our glory: not being greater than other men or women, but being in the service of the Lord in whatever capacity he has allotted to each of us. Let's ask ourselves today: Do we find our glory in the service of Christ, or do we insist that our worth can be determined only by how we measure up against the success of others in Christ's service.
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