Suy Niệm Chúa Nhật Lễ Lá nam A

Suy Niệm Chúa Nhật Lễ Lá Nam A
Hôm nay chúng ta đã bắt đầu vào Tuần Thánh, Tuần này rất đặc biệt và là một tuần lễ quan trọng mà chúng ta bắt đầu tưởng nhớ. Đoạn tin mừng chúng ta nghe ở đầu Thánh Lễ đã ghi nhớ việc Chúa Giêsu vào thành Giêrusalem để tham dự Lễ Vượt Qua. Năm đó, Chúa Giêsu đã trở thành Chiên Con của Lễ Vượt Qua mới, Máu của Ngài đã đổ ra vì tất cả chúng ta và chúng ta đã được ăn chính Thịt của Ngài.
Phụng Vụ Lời Chúa hôm nay kết thúc với bài Thương khó của Chúa Giêsu mà Thánh Mátthêu đã tường thuật về việc Chúa Giêsu bị phản bội, bị bắt và chết trên Thập Giá. Thật là một câu chuyện đáng để chúng ta ghi nhớ một cách chi tiết như chúng ta đã được nghe,  Chúng ta nên suy ngẫm và ghi nhớ và ráng sống trong sự giáo huấn của Giáo hội và Lời Chúa hôm nay.
            Khi chúng ta đọc Kinh Thánh, Giáo Hội nhắc nhở chúng ta là chính Thiên Chúa đang nói với dân Người, với chúng ta và Chúa Kitô đang hiện diện trong lời của Người, như chính Chúa Ki-tô đang loan báo Tin Mừng” (Quy Chế Tổng Quát Sách Lễ Rôma #29).
Đây là một bài học quan trọng để học đặc biệt là ngày hôm nay khi chúng ta đã đọc và nghe chi tiết trọng tâm của Tin Mừng. Mặc dù việc Chúa Giêsu vào thành Giê-ru-sa-lem, bữa tiệc ly (bữa ăn cuối cùng), việc Chúa bị bắt giữ, bị giải qua các phiên tòa giả hình, bị đau khổ và bị giết chết trên Thập giá đã xảy ra cách đây 2.020 năm, nhưng những sự kiện lịch sử đó được trình bày cho chúng ta ngày nay một cách độc đáo và chân thực.      
Qua việc tham dự vào việc loan báo Tin Mừng này trong Thánh Lễ hôm nay, chúng ta được hiệp nhất trong nhiệm mầu với hành động cứu độ của Thiên Chúa. Và mặc dù đôi khi tâm hồn của chúng ta có thể lang thang, nhưng Thiên Chúa thực sự hiện diện với chúng ta nếu chúng ta biết lắng nghe và hướng nhìn về Chúa.
            Khi chúng ta bắt đầu Tuần Thánh này, chúng ta hãy cố gắng bước đi từng bước với Chúa Giêsu. Khi chúng ta sống trong qua những ngày của mình trong tuần này, chúng ta hãy cố hoàn thành các công việc thường ngày trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, chúng ta hãy nhắc nhở bản thân mình về sự thật trong Tâm linh vì Tin Mừng hôm nay gói trọn cuộc khổ nạn và cái chết của Chúa Giêsu đã được loan báo cho chúng ta hôm nay, nên Ngài hiện diện rõ ràng với chúng ta theo một cách đặc biệt.
            Vào Thứ Năm Tuần Thánh, chúng ta sẽ suy niệm về Hồng ân Bí tích Thánh Thể. Vào Thứ Sáu Tuần Thánh chúng được nghe Thánh Gioan.loan báo cho chúng ta biết rõ chi tiết về cuộc khổ nạn của Chúa Giêsu trong Tin Mừng của ông. Như vậy, tuần này chúng ta bắt đầu bằng việc Giáo Hội công bố Cuộc khổ nạn và Thương Khó của Chúa Giêsu và cuộc Thương Khó được kết thúc như là một cách lôi kéo chúng ta đi sâu hơn vào mầu nhiệm Hiến Tế hy sinh và công cuộc cứu độ nhân loại của Chúa Kitô.
            Trọng tâm của câu chuyện kể về cuộc Khổ nạn của Chúa Giêsu là biểu hiện của một tình yêu không giống ai. Một tình yêu mà chúng ta được chứng kiến trong tuần này là một tình yêu trong sáng, vị tha, hy sinh và biến đổi đến mức không thể hiểu nổi. Một tình yêu mà chúng ta đã chứng kiến là một tình yêu trong đó Thiên Chúa cho phép chính Ngài bước vào sự sỉ nhục đắng cay nhất chưa từng thấy. Cũng chỉ vì yêu thương chúng ta nên  Ngài đã làm điều này để Ngài có thể gặp chúng ta trong sự thấp hền, tội lỗi và sa ngã của chúng ta, và Ngài muốn nâng chúng ta lên tới đỉnh cao cao nhất có thể tưởng tượng được.
            Khi chúng ta bước vào Tuần Thánh này, chúng ta hãy biết rằng đó là hơn một tuần suy ngẫm. Đó là một tuần để giúp chúng ta cùng tham dự vào mầu nhiệm tình yêu thuần khiết và hoàn hảo của Thiên Chúa dành cho chúng ta. Khi chúng ta suy ngẫm về tình yêu này, chúng ta hãy để tình yêu này đối đầu với chúng ta. Hãy giữ lấy nó trong tâm hồn và trái tim của chúng ta trong suốt cả tuần thánh và hy vọng cả đời của chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy để cho tình yêu đó, tình yêu mà Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho đan Chúa cách đây khoảng 2.020 năm, được trở nên thực sự hiện diện trong chúng ta để chúng ta sẽ hiện diện trước mặt Chúa Giêsu Ki-tô Chúa và tình yêu của Ngài dành cho chúng ta nhiều hơn nữa.
            Lạy Chúa là Đấng cứu độ của chúng con, Chúa đã bước vào tuần Thương khó này với lòng can đảm và quyết tâm. Chúa đã tự chọn lấy mọi sự đau khổ và mọi sự sỉ nhục để Chúa có thể bước vào cuộc sống của chúng con một cách trọn vẹn hơn. Xin Chúa hiện diện với chúng con trong suốt tuần này và giúp chúng con không chỉ suy ngẫm về mầu nhiệm tình yêu của Chúa mà còn gặp gỡ tình yêu đó một cách thực sự và biến đổi hơn nữa..
 
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (Year A) 2026
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. John 11:32–35
Jesus’ humanity shines clearly in today’s Gospel. In the face of Lazarus’ death, Jesus is deeply moved by the grief around Him. The Gospel says He “became deeply distressed and troubled” and eventually “wept.” The Greek word for “deeply distressed,” embrimaomai, suggests a strong emotional disturbance, even indignation or anger. It could be translated as “He snorted in spirit,” indicating an involuntary, visceral response from the depth of His soul. Some commentators suggest Jesus’ anger wasn’t directed at the people weeping but at the reality of death itself, caused by sin. As God, Jesus knew death was never part of the Father’s original plan for humanity. From a divine perspective, He saw death as a consequence of sin. From this point of view, death provoked righteous indignation and deeply troubled His human heart.
As the passage continues, Jesus’ humanity is powerfully portrayed in the shortest verse in the Bible: “And Jesus wept.” Why did He weep? Saint Paul reminds us in Hebrews: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus’ tears show us that the Holy Trinity knows human pain firsthand. The Incarnate Son allowed Himself to experience sorrow, and the Father and the Holy Spirit shared in this sorrow through Him.
It’s important to note that Jesus’ sorrow was different from the weeping of Lazarus’ sisters and the others present. Jesus’ weeping uses the Greek word edakrysen, which means “to shed tears” or “weep silently.” His tears were personal, controlled, intimate, heartfelt, and full of divine compassion. In contrast, the weeping of the others is described by the Greek word klaió, meaning loud wailing, a typical expression of communal and ritualistic mourning at the time. Jesus’ grief was neither ritualistic nor excessive; it was intimate and heartfelt, born from personal sorrow and divine compassion.
We must never forget Jesus’ deep compassion, empathy, and sorrow. His human heart feels the same emotions we do—He grieves when we grieve, shares in our pain, and is moved by the hold sin has on us. After feeling these emotions at Lazarus’ death, Jesus stood outside the tomb and “cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’” (John 11:43). We can imagine the passion behind His command. In our lives, when we are tempted in sin or burdened by human weakness, we must hear Jesus calling us to freedom with the same divine authority and human passion.
Reflect today on Jesus’ humanity and how He perfectly understands everything we experience. His deep empathy for our suffering and His joy when we rise with His grace show us how intimately He knows us. God became one of us in every way, sharing in our human condition—though without sin—so that we might share in His divinity. Ponder His humanity and let His closeness draw you to Him, giving you a share in His divine life.
Most compassionate Lord, You experienced human nature in its fullness. Though You never sinned, You allowed Yourself to feel the effects of our sin and suffering, filling them with Your divine compassion. Help me to always remember Your humanity, knowing that through it, I come to share in Your divinity. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (Year A) 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I praise you for your mighty works. I thank you for all that you have done for me. I adore you, for you are my Lord and my God. I humbly ask you to forgive my sins, and pour the grace of your sanctifying Spirit into my heart.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Preparing for Baptism: The Gospel during the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent is chosen especially for those preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism through OCIA. ON the Third Sunday of Lent, we read about Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman and the promise of living water. Last Sunday, we read about the healing of the man born blind through washing in the pool of Siloam at Jesus’ command. Today, we hear about the restoration of Lazarus to life. All three are images of Baptism. The living water of Baptism satisfies our spiritual thirst. The washing of Baptism brings us from blindness to seeing with eyes of faith. A person who is baptized dies with Christ as they are plunged into the waters and rises with Christ as they rise from the waters. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Through Baptism, we enter the Kingdom. Through Baptism, we share in eternal life. Through Baptism, we see all things with the light of divine wisdom. Through Baptism, we emerge from the tomb and are restored to the divine life our first parents lost through sin.
2. The Exile: On Sundays during Lent, the Church recalls, in the First Readings, the great moments of the history of salvation. This year, we have contemplated the creation of Adam and Eve and their fall, the three promises made to Abram, the Exodus under Moses, and the anointing of David as King of Israel. Today, we contemplate Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning the end of the exile. When Ezekiel made his prophecy, Israel was in exile in Babylon, and was like a dead corpse in a tomb. Despite this, God promises: “O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:12-14). Not only will God raise the dead to life, but Ezekiel also promises that the Spirit of the Lord will dwell in the hearts of the people of God. 
3. The Spirit of God Dwells in You: The Spirit of God is the focus of the Second Reading, taken from the Letter to the Romans. Paul’s understanding of our resurrection by the Spirit of God is rooted in Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones and of the people of Israel being restored to life. Paul contrasts those who are in the flesh with those who are in the Spirit. Romans 8:9 might be “the closest thing we have in Paul’s Letters to a definition of what it means to be a Christian. It is more than simply professing an apostolic creed or belonging to an apostolic church. A Christian is one who is indwelt with the Spirit. … The Christian lives in relation to Father, Son, and Spirit” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 131). Christians are both body and spirit and are suspended, so to speak, between the mortality of the Old Adam and the salvation of the New Adam. We are in a tension between death on account of sin and life on account of righteousness. “Thankfully, our present mortal condition is not permanent. Directing his gaze to the future, Paul reminds readers that the Spirit will not fully accomplish his work in believers until the resurrection of the dead” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 132). Just as the Spirit gives life to our spirits in the present, the same Spirit will give life to our bodies at the end of time. 
with Christ: Lord Jesus, send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth. Vivify me with your Spirit. Make me docile to his inspirations so that I might be ever more conformed and united to you.
 
Holy Week Made Present Today
The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.” Matthew 21:8–9
Holy Week begins. What an important week that we begin to commemorate today. The Scripture passage above comes from the Gospel that is read at the beginning of Mass to commemorate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem for the fulfillment of the Passover. That year, Jesus was to become the new Passover Lamb Whose blood was shed for us all and Whose flesh we now eat. Today’s Liturgy of the Word concludes with Matthew’s version of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest and death on the Cross. Since we are blessed to read this narrative in full detail today, it is helpful to call to mind the Church’s understanding of the Word of God.
“When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his word, proclaims the Gospel” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal #29). This is an important lesson to learn, especially today as we read the heart of the Gospel in detail. Though Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, His last supper, arrest, mock trial, suffering and death on the Cross happened 2,000 years ago, those historical events are made present to us today in a unique and real way. By participating in the proclamation of this Gospel at Mass today, we are mystically united to this saving action of our Lord. And though our minds might wander at times, God is truly present to us if we listen and see. 
As you begin this Holy Week, try to walk through it with Jesus every step of the way. As you go about your days this week, fulfilling your normal duties in life, remind yourself of the spiritual truth that because the full Gospel of Jesus’ passion and death were proclaimed to you today, He is manifestly present to you in a special way. On Holy Thursday, we will ponder the Gift of the Most Holy Eucharist. On Good Friday, we will hear Jesus’ passion proclaimed from the Gospel of John. Thus, this week begins with the proclamation of the Passion and ends with the Passion as a way of drawing us more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s saving Sacrifice.
At the heart of the story of the Passion of Jesus is the manifestation of a love like no other. The love we witness this week is a love that is so pure, so selfless, so sacrificial and so transforming that it is beyond comprehension. The love that we witness is one in which God permits Himself to enter the deepest humiliation ever seen. He does this so that He can meet us in our lowliness, sin, and fallenness, and raise us up to the highest heights imaginable.
As we enter this Holy Week, know that it is more than a week of reflection. It’s a week of participation in the mystery of God’s pure and perfect love for you. As you reflect upon this love, allow it to confront you. Keep it on your mind and heart throughout the week. Allow that love, offered some 2,000 years ago, to become truly present to you so that you will be more present to our Lord and His love for you.
My saving Lord, You entered this week of Your Passion with courage and determination. You freely chose to embrace every suffering and every humiliation You would endure so that You could enter my life more fully. Please be present to me throughout this week and help me to not only ponder this mystery of Your love but to also encounter that love in a real and transforming way. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Opening Prayer: Jesus, thank you for dying to save me from my sins. Open my heart to hear your law of love and then write it on my heart.
Encountering Christ: 
1. Food for Disciples: Jesus and his disciples gathered for Passover, the Jewish Feast of Unleavened Bread. At the Last Supper, Jesus offered his own precious Body and Blood and became our feast of unleavened bread, the Most Holy Eucharist. Christ himself became our Passover: “For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus not only provides the feast; he is the feast. Just as Jesus provided himself as food for his first disciples, he feeds his disciples today in the same way so that we might have the strength and virtue to carry out the new commandment he gave us at the Last Supper: “...love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13:34). Love has become the law. When we love one another as Jesus commands, we fulfill the law of the new covenant.
2. Blood of the Covenant: The Blood of Christ is the seal of our new covenant with God. Jeremiah foretold this everlasting covenant, the laws of which would be written on human hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34). This covenant means that our sins have been forgiven through Christ’s death. St. Paul tells us, “When Christ came as high priest...he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption...For this reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant” (Hebrews 9:11-15). We live in a way that shows that this new covenant is written on our hearts when we are faithful and obedient and, most of all, by loving one another as God has loved us.
3. Stay with Jesus: What courageous love the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Mary Magdalene, and St. John showed when they stood at the foot of the Cross. Imagine the fear and grief they had to overcome to stand in devotion to Christ at his Crucifixion. They stayed with him through his death and followed his body to be buried, keeping vigil: “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there, facing the tomb” (Matthew 27:62). As we enter into this Holy Week, may God give us the grace to be loving, constant disciples. May we stay with Jesus as he travels from Bethany to Jerusalem to Gethsemane and Calvary. Finally, may we sit with the women, filled with hope, and bravely face the tomb.
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, please replace my stony heart with a new heart of flesh, and then write your law of love deep inside it. Holy Spirit, come to me that I can follow the law of love by loving others as you love me (cf. Ezekiel 36:26-27, John 13:34). Father, help me remain constant in my love for you, especially in this Holy Week.

Suy Niệm Thứ 7 Tuần thứ 5 Mùa Chay

Suy Niệm Thứ 7 Tuần thứ 5 Mùa Chay

Thật là buồn để thấy được sự tính toán phức tạp của người Pharisêu. Chúa Giêsu đã chữa lành bao nhiêu người bệnh tật. Chúa Giêsu đã biến cải bao nhiêu người trở lại theo Chúa. Chúa Giêsu cũng đã làm cho kẻ đã chết được sống lại. Thế nhưng những người Pharisêu đang lo lắng, và tìm cách ngăn cản và sát hại Chúa Giêsu.Việc này thật là rất khó khăn cho họ. Vì cuộc sống của Ngài, lời nói của Ngài, và phép lạ của Ngài đều rất thuyết phục. Tất nhiên, những người Pharisêu có thể được thuyết phục, nếu họ chỉ tin rằng Chúa Giêsu là Đấng Thiên sai,  họ sẽ không cần phải làm việc khó nhọc để tìm cách ngăn chặn những người khác tin vào Chúa.
            Họ có vẻ lo lắng với việc ngăn chặn người La Mã đến và phá hủy Thành Jerusalem hơn với việc nhận ra Chúa Giêsu thực sự là Đấng Cứu Thế.  Sự lo lắng của họ không phải là vô căn cứ vì bốn mươi năm sau, một Đấng Thiên sai giả đã bắt đầu một cuộc chiến chống lại quận đội La Mã, và Jerusalem đã bị phá hủy, và người Do Thái đã bị phải lưu đày. Những người Pharisiêu đã đoán đúng về những hậu quả của một Đấng Thiên Sai giả mạo, nhưng họ dường như đã mất hy vọng thực sự ở nơi Đấng Thiên sai thật sự.
            Họ đã sống trong hoài nghi, trong khi người Kitô hữu cần phải được có lòng tin. Họ đã mất hy vọng, trong khi Người Kitô hữu sống bằng hy vọng. Họ yêu chính bản thân của họ và chức vụ của họ và hoàn cảch sồng của họ, trong khi đó người Kitô hữu phải yêu mến Thiên Chúa trên hết mọi sự và yêu thương người khác như chính mình. Những lời của Cai-pha, "thà một người chết thay cho dân, còn hơn là toàn dân bị tiêu diệt.” (Jn 11:51).  đã nói lên với ý định quá thấp kém: Việc làm phản bội một người vô tội vì lời nói và hành động của Chúa Giêsu có thể được xem như không được thuận lợi cho họ vĩ họ sợ những người La Mã bắt bớ. Và Cai-phe đã trở thành một cộng tác viên chp giặc..
            Tuy nhiên, những lời của Caipha cũng được thánh Gioan nói với chúng ta đó là một lời tiên tri. Cai-phe là thầy cả thượng phẩm, và Thiên Chúa đã sử dụng ông ta cho mục đích riêng của Thiên Chúa. “Thà để một người vô tội chết phải chết thay cho chúng ta. Thật là một sự tốt lành vì Chúa đã hy sinh cho tình yêu, chỉ vì tội lỗi của loài người chúng ta, mà Chúa Giêsu đã phải chịu khổ hình, và chịu chết để cứu chúng ta được sống đời đời. Và thật là một sự tốt lành, không phải là vì chúng ta là những kẻ hèn và chúng ta sung sướng khi nhìn thấy người khác chết vì tội lỗi của chúng ta, nhưng bởi vì nếu chúng ta chết vì tội lỗi của chúng ta, chúng ta sẽ không được sống lại, nhưng khi Chúa Giêsu đã chết cho tội lỗi của cả thế giới, người vô tội sẽ đền thay cho những người tội lỗi, Ngài có quyền phó mạng sống của Ngài mình xuống và cho nó được sống lại một lần nữa. Đó là việc tốt lành hơn cho chúng ta là vì một người vô tội phải chết thay cho toàn thế giới, nhưng chỉ khi nào mà con người vô tội có thể, bởi cái chết của mình, tiêu diệt sự chết.
 
Reflection
It is so sad to see the convoluted logic of the Pharisees. Jesus is healing people. Jesus is converting sinners back to following God. Jesus is raising dead people back to life. The Pharisees are worried how they can put a stop to all of it. It will be very difficult. His life, his words, and his miracles are all very convincing. Of course, the Pharisees could have just been convinced. If they had just believed that Jesus was the Messiah, they would not have had to work so hard to prevent others from believing.
            They seem more worried with preventing the Romans from coming and destroying Jerusalem than with whether Jesus was actually the Messiah. Their worries are not unfounded. Forty years later, a false Messiah would start a war with the Romans, and Jerusalem would be destroyed, and the Jews forced to leave. The Pharisees were right about the consequences of a false Messiah, but they seem to have lost real hope in the coming of the actual Messiah.
            They had become cynical, whereas a Christian needs to be trusting. They had lost hope, whereas a Christian lives by hope. They loved themselves and their positions and their situation, whereas a Christian must love God above all things and their neighbors as themselves. The words of Caiaphas, “it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people” are said with the lowest intention: to betray an innocent man because his words and actions might not be looked upon favorably by the persecuting Romans. Caiaphas has turned into a collaborator.
            However, the words of Caiaphas are also, St. John tells us, a prophecy. Caiaphas was the high priest, and God would use him for God’s own purposes. It is better for us that an innocent man should die in our place. It is better, for us, that Jesus gave up his life to save ours. It is better, not because we should be such cowards that we gladly see someone else die for our sins, but because if we died for our own sins, we would not have risen again, but when Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, the innocent for the guilty, he had the power to lay his life down and take it up again. It is better for us that an innocent man should die instead of the whole world, but only if that innocent man can, by his death, destroy death.
 
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” John 11:45–48
Tomorrow we begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Today’s Gospel recounts events shortly after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, which took place in Bethany, near Jerusalem—just days before He would ride into the city on a donkey, greeted with shouts of “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (John 12:13).
During the final months of His life, Jesus often stayed out of the public eye to avoid those plotting His death. However, He briefly emerged to perform His final recorded miracle: raising Lazarus from the dead. This miracle became the decisive moment that prompted the Pharisees to actively plot against Him. Some witnesses reported it to the authorities, and the Sanhedrin feared Jesus’ growing popularity would provoke a Roman persecution upon the Jews.
At the high priest Caiaphas’ suggestion, they decided it was better for Jesus to die than for the nation to suffer. As high priest, Caiaphas spoke prophetically—even unknowingly—about Jesus’ death, saying, “It is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish” (John 11:49–50). Commenting on this, St. Augustine teaches: “This passage shows that the Spirit of prophecy can even work through wicked people to reveal future events” (Tractate 49 on the Gospel of John).
Knowing that God’s omnipotent power can use even evil actions to accomplish His divine plan should console us when we encounter injustice or malice in our own lives. Jesus was never a victim of circumstance; He remained in full control of His mission. At His arrest, He reminded His disciples: “Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father, and He will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53).
Jesus could have commanded the angels to overthrow the Sanhedrin and the Roman authorities, taking His place as an earthly king by force. But instead, He chose to submit to the Father’s will, allowing the malice of Caiaphas to set His Passion in motion. Though Caiaphas acted with selfish intent, God, in His providence, used this evil act to advance His plan of salvation for all who would turn to Him in faith.
This insight is essential as we enter the “Holy Weeks” of our lives—those times of trial, suffering, or injustice that we do not always fully understand. When we encounter crosses, it is easy to see them as obstacles to joy and peace. But Romans 8:28 reminds us: “All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” Every cross, injustice, or hardship is within God’s providential care, just as Holy Week was. When we trust Him, even the evil we experience can be transformed into a path toward God’s glory and for our good.
Reflect today on the perfect wisdom of God’s plan, which used even the sins of wicked people to bring about salvation. Consider any crosses, sufferings, or injustices you currently face. Instead of giving in to anger or despair, have faith that God can use them for good. If you remain in God’s grace, trust that whatever He permits in your life is an expression of His almighty power and love, working all things for His glory and your good. Just as Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem, knowing that great suffering awaited Him, so too must we turn our eyes to our own “Jerusalem”—to the challenges and difficulties we encounter—and trust that God will work all things for good.
All-powerful Lord, nothing deterred You from fulfilling Your Father’s will. Your mission was to save many souls and to do so through the instrumentality of both the good and the wicked. Evil was conquered because You, in Your goodness, drew even greater good from it. Please help me to imitate You and to participate in Your glorious victory over sin and death by uniting every injustice and suffering I endure with Your Passion so as to achieve Your glory and victory in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent -2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you instituted the feasts of Israel to sanctify the year and to look forward to their fulfillment in your Son. I hope that my year, weeks, and days may continue to be sanctified by prayer and liturgy. 
Encountering the Word of God
1. Caiaphas’ Prophecy: The Gospel of John makes a subtle but important contrast between the high priesthood of Caiaphas and the high priesthood of Jesus. John points out that Caiaphas was “high priest for that year.” In this way, he indicates that Caiaphas’ claim to the high priesthood was very suspect. Instead of reigning for life, high priests, in Jesus’ day, were often appointed by the civil authorities. At the same time, John notes that Caiaphas still exercised a prophetic role. Although Caiaphas, when he spoke, was thinking solely in earthly terms, about one man dying so that the nation did not perish, his words were profound when applied to the death of Jesus: Jesus, the innocent Son of God and Son of Mary, died for us, so that we might live. It truly is better that Jesus takes upon himself our sin and endures the curse of the Old Covenant so that he can forge an unbreakable New Covenant. Caiaphas didn’t perceive the prophetic depth of his words. Even when the priests called out at the foot of the Cross, “his blood be on us and our children,” they didn’t know the prophetic depths of their words. They thought they were claiming that they were innocent, and just in crucifying Jesus. But what they actually said, without truly knowing it, was, “We need to be washed clean by the blood of the lamb.” We can make this our prayer: May the blood of Christ be on us and wash us clean!
2. Desert Dwelling: In the three months leading up to his final Passover, Jesus spent a good amount of time with his disciples in the desert. During this time, he only left the wilderness to go to Bethany to restore his friend Lazarus to life. The town of Ephraim was about 13 miles north of Jerusalem. But it was near the desert and allowed Jesus to spend time with his disciples before his Paschal Mystery – his passion, death on the cross, resurrection from the dead, and ascension into heaven. Jesus still had much to teach them about how they were to exercise leadership in the Church. The other three Gospels emphasize what Jesus taught on the way to Jerusalem and how Jesus taught his disciples lessons about poverty, fidelity in marriage, and humility. Jesus’ disciples are to take up their daily cross, be detached from the things of this passing world, be faithful in love, and humbly serve their brothers and sisters.
3. The Third Passover: Many of the events of the Gospel of John are connected to the Jewish Feasts. In particular, John highlights three Passovers. At the first Passover, Jesus cleansed the Temple and spoke with Nicodemus about the need to be reborn of water and the Spirit. As the second Passover approached, Jesus multiplied the bread near the Sea of Galilee and spoke to his disciples about the Eucharist, the bread that gives eternal life. At the third Passover, Jesus will transform the old rite of Passover through his sacrifice. He will be the lamb that is sacrificed. His body will be the unleavened bread that is shared. His blood will be the chalice of wine that is drunk. This is the way that we will share Jesus’ one effective sacrifice throughout time until he comes again! Every mass is a new Passover and thanksgiving for the saving action of God.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the true high priest, who is meek and humble of heart, poor in possessions, but rich in the Spirit. You loved your Bride, the Church, and gave your life to sanctify her and wash her clean.
 
 Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
 The Effects of Jesus’ Ministry
So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” John 11:47–48
Jesus’ public ministry had two primary effects upon the people. For many, they were coming to believe in Him and were hanging on His every word. They sought Him out and began to understand that He was the promised Messiah. This was the response of faith. But the reaction of the chief priests and the Pharisees was far more worldly. In the passage above, we see a group of religious leaders who are completely consumed with worldly concerns to the point that these concerns drown out all matters of faith.
As the Sanhedrin convened and discussed what they should do, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, spoke up and gave advice that perfectly depicts this worldly vision. He said, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” Caiaphas and many other religious leaders at the time appeared to be far more concerned with their worldly status and power than they were with matters of true faith and eternal salvation. If they were men who deeply loved God and sought only His holy will, then they would have rejoiced that Jesus’ ministry was so fruitful in the lives of the people. They would have offered thanks to God, day and night, for the privilege of seeing the prophecies of old about the Messiah come to fruition before their own eyes. They should have had joy and gratitude, and they should have allowed those spiritual blessings to grow within them and give them the courage they needed to go forth and die with our Lord if necessary. But instead, they chose their comfortable lives and worldly status above the truth, and they decided that Jesus needed to die.
One beautiful truth to reflect upon within this context is that God uses all things for His glory and for the salvation of those who believe. With this meeting of the Sanhedrin, these men began to plot the death of Jesus. Eventually they used deceit, manipulation, intimidation and fear to accomplish their goal. But even though from a worldly perspective these misguided religious leaders “won,” from a divine perspective, God used their evil to bring about the greatest good the world had ever known. Through their malice, Jesus’ passion and death gave way to the new life of the Resurrection.
Reflect, today, upon the fact that God is able to use all things for our good. Be it in the midst of corruption, persecution, discord, sin, illness or any other evil in life, when we turn to God in faith and surrender, He is able to transform all things and bring forth an abundance of good fruit through them if we only let Him and trust in faith. Prayerfully surrender over to God, today, any of the above concerns that have affected you, and allow yourself to believe the simple truth that nothing can keep you from the glorious fulfillment of the will of God. All things can help toward the salvation of your soul and end in God’s eternal glory.
My glorious Lord, You were loved by many but also hated by some. Those with power and authority could not see beyond their worldly ambitions, so they began to plot against You. Give me the grace, dear Lord, to see every act of evil inflicted upon me as an opportunity for You to bring forth good. You are glorious, dear Lord. May You be glorified in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 5th Week of Lent
Opening Prayer: Lord, bless me and enlighten me as I read this Gospel. I want to come to know you better, and love you more today than I did yesterday. 
Encountering Christ:
Silence: Today’s Gospel does not have any spoken words by Jesus. The only action shared by John is that Jesus decided not to appear in public anymore and left for another region. Some began to ask themselves, “Will he not come to the feast?” At times in our life, Jesus seems to disappear and all we hear are the grumblings of other voices that tell us, “Jesus is not relevant. Jesus does not care anymore. Jesus has other things to think about.” When we read the Scriptures, we know that this is not true. “He is still about his Father’s business.” Faith is not merely the feeling that God is present. It is an assurance that God is with us at all times in all circumstances. 
Threat to Power: Why was the Sanhedrin worried? They thought that Jesus had become a threat. They worried that people would follow Jesus and incite the Romans to take away their nation. They wanted to retain their power over the Jews. How ironic! Jesus never threatens their power. His operating principle is love. When we follow Jesus, we lose only what’s not good for us and, in the end, we find our true selves.
God Uses Everything: Our Lord put prophetic words in the mouth of Caiphas, the high priest, who said, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” No one in the room saw the real truth in those words. In fact, they began to plan to kill Jesus. But with the benefit of hindsight, we can marvel at this and appreciate how God can communicate to us in the most unexpected ways. As believers, we look for God in every situation. 
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, strengthen my faith. You are continually sharing yourself with me. Sometimes I can feel your closeness and sometimes I cannot. Build my faith so that I can trust in your presence in all circumstances of my life. Your love for me does not increase or decrease. You always love me. 
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần thứ Năm Mùa Chay.
Theo truyền thống của người Do Thái Giáo từ mấy ngàn năm qua cho đến ngày nay, hàng năm Do Thái Giáo có tục lệ là thanh tẩy con người (bản thân của họ) trước ngày lễ Vượt Qua (Passover Feast). Trong những ngày này, nhiều người Do Thái, sẽ đến Giê-ru-sa-lem, hoặc tụ họp với nhau như một gia đình để cùng nhau ăn uống và cử hành ngày Lễ Vượt qua (Passover) lễ tưởng nhớ những ngày mà ông bà tổ tiên của họ được Thiên Chúa cứu ra khỏi sự nô lệ tàn ác trong xứ Ai Cập.
            Chúng ta là những Kitô hữu Công giáo, chúng ta cũng trải qua một cuộc hành trình suốt 40 ngày trong mùa Chay để ăn chay, sám hối và thanh luyện tâm hồn để mừng đón ngày Lễ Vượt Qua ngày mà Chúa Giêsu Kitô đã chịu chết để làm vật hy sinh dâng lên Chúa Cha như con chiên mà ngưòi Do thái đã giết trong ngày Vượt Qua trên đất Aicập, Nhờ máu con chiên đã đỗ ra được bôi trên ngưỡng cửa mà cứu họ sống, thì hôm nay máu của Chúa Kitô cũng đã đổ ra để cứu cho chúng ta được sống. Vì tội lỗi của con ngưới chúng ta đã phân cách chúng ta ra khỏi tình yêu của Thiên Chúa, và Hôm nay, Giáo hội đã dùng thời gian 40 ngày Mùa Chay này mỗi năm để nhắc nhở chúng ta phải ăn chay, và sám hối những lỗi lầm của mình trước mặt Thiên Chúa và anh chị của chúng ta và để giúp  chúng ta biết tìm đường trở lại với Tình yêu của Chúa qua bí tích hòa giải.
Để ăn năn hối cải những tội lỗi của chúng ta, chúng ta nên tự xét mình và kiểm tra những việc làm, những hành động của chúng ta và dốc lòng thống hối, ăn năn đền tôi bằng những việc bác ái và siêng năng cầu nguyện nhiều hơn. Để được đến gần và để đoàn tụ với Thiên Chúa trong tình yêu của Ngài, chúng ta cần phải thực hiện việc thanh tẩy hồn xác của chúng ta, để chúng ta được xứng đáng đón nhận lòng nhân hậu, và thương xót  của Thiên Chúa và được sống trong tình yêu chân thật của Ngài.
            Thật vậy, như những người Do Thái tìm kiếm và rình bắt Chúa Giêsu trong đền thờ, còn chúng ta, chúng ta đang chờ đón sự vinh hiển của Chúa Phục Sinh. Chúng ta hãy chuẩn bị để tiếp đón Chúa  vinh quang trong ngày Phục Sinh của Ngài bằng cách thanh tẩy chính chúng ta và hoà giải với Ngài qua bí tích Giải tội..
            Lạy Chúa Giêsu, chúng con là những môn đệ của Chúa, xin giúp cho chúng con có thể luôn luôn biết can đảm và sẵn sàng hy sinh để tuân thủ với sự mong muốn của Chúa, để sẵn sàng chịu đau khổ và chết cho Chúa vì đức tin, và để chúng con cũng có thể được chia sẻ sự chiến thắng và vinh quang của Chúa trên Nước Trời.