Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Sáng 24/12.. (Lk. 1:67-79 )

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Sáng 24/12.. (Lk. 1:67-79 )
            Trong chúng ta, đôi khi có nhiều điều lo sợ khi nghĩ đến việc Thiên Chúa đến thăm viếng chúng ta, Vì chúng ta tin rằng việc có thể xẩy ra chỉ là sự dồng nghĩa với cơn thịnh nộ, với sự phán xét và trừng phạt. Nhưng Dacaria đã đúng: Việc  viếng thăm của Thiên Chúa đã chứng minh lòng trung tín Thiên Chúa vì Ngài đã luôn giữ đúng với lời hứa của Ngài. Đó cũng là một dấu chỉ của tình yêu trung thành và lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa, và Ngài đến để mang lại sự giải thoát, sự tự do, và đem ánh sáng của Ngài từ trời cao xuống để hướng dẫn chúng ta. Không có gì phải sợ hãi, trừ khi, chúng ta đã phản bội và chống lại những điều giáo huấn của Thiên Chúa đẵ thay thế công lý và tình thương bằng những sự lạm dụng quyền lực, tham những  và bất công. Việc đến viếng tham chúng ta của Thiên Chúa là những ân huệ và là những hồng ân bao la của Thiên Chúa ban tặng cho chúng ta, nhưng chúng ta phải biết mở rộng cánh của tâm hồn và lòng trí của chúng ta để lãnh nhận những hồng ân này.
            Có lẽ chúng ta vẫn còn sống trong những mối lo sợ này,  hay có thể, chúng ta đã trở thành những người xa lạ đối với những cảm giác của niềm vui và lòng biết ơn. Chúa Giêsu thực sự là ánh sáng ban mai từ trời cao và là sự hiện diện của lòng Thiên Chúa hay thương xót.  Mỗi ngày chúng ta có thể đón nhận Chúa Giêsu vào trong lòng của chúng ta và như thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả đã chuẩn bị cho những người khác để họ nhận được những hồng ân của Thiên Chúa. Chúng ta cũng nên chuẩn bị tâm hồn của chúng ta để đón Chúa Hài đồng đến viếng thăm chúng ta trong đêm nay và Ngài sẽ trở lại để đón chúng ta về với Ngài trong một cuộc sống mới. 
            Lạy Chúa, cởi mở lòng chúng con, để chúng con biết đón nhận những hồng ân và món quà tinh thần của Chúa ban cho chúng con hôm nay.
 
Dec 24th 4th Week of Advent (Morning)
            Many feared the visitation of God, believing that it could only mean wrath, judgment, and punishment. But Zechariah had it right: the visitation of God proved that God kept His promises. It was also a sign of God’s faithful love and tender mercy, and brought deliverance, freedom, and a guiding light from above. There was nothing to fear — unless, of course, you were opposed to all those things and dedicated instead to power and injustice. These were God's gifts — but have we opened our minds and hearts to receive them?  
            Perhaps we still live in fear or are strangers to a sense of joy and gratitude. Jesus is truly the dawning light from on high and the presence of God's tender mercy. Each day we can receive Jesus into our hearts and like John the Baptist prepare others to receive the gift of God. The visitation of God is truly new life.
Lord, open my heart to receive the gift of Your spirit.
 
December 24 in the Morning, Advent Weekday 
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David…” Luke 1:68–69
These words are the beginning of Zechariah’s song of praise, traditionally called the Benedictus, which he prayed as soon as his mouth was opened at the circumcision of his newborn son, John the Baptist. Priests and religious pray this beautiful song in the Liturgy of the Hours every morning. It recounts the whole plan of salvation that God began with Abraham, outlines the role of the prophets, and points to Zechariah’s son, John, as the “prophet of the Most High” who will “go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:76–77).
As we prepare for the great Solemnity of Christmas Day, Zechariah’s song gives us much to ponder. He begins by blessing God Who “has come to his people and set them free.” Christmas is not only about the Most High God Who took on the form of an infant long ago. It’s also an ongoing coming to us by grace and the Sacraments. That same Most High God continuously descends into our souls as He is made visible to us in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Therefore, each of us must sing Zechariah’s song with the same vigor and conviction every time we attend Mass or encounter God’s presence in our lives.
Why did God come to us? He came to set us free. Christmas must be a time when we acknowledge the ways that our sin oppresses us. We need a Savior. We need freedom. We need forgiveness. The only way to be receptive to our Savior is to humbly acknowledge how much we need Him.
We see this in Zechariah’s song when he speaks of the role his son John would play in the whole plan of salvation. John was to give God’s people “knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.” Seeing our sins is essential. Our culture tempts us to downplay sin, to see it as normal or even acceptable. Some hold up their sin with great pride. We must avoid being influenced by this tendency and recognize our sin with clarity and honesty.
Understanding the kind of God we have greatly helps us to see our sin and our need for a Savior. Zechariah goes on to say, “In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Our God is not only compassionate, He offers us a “tender compassion.” He did not come to condemn, but to free us from “darkness and the shadow of death” so that we could be led into the “way of peace.” Deep down, we all want this. The only way to receive it is by listening to John the Baptist’s preaching that we must acknowledge our sins and repent.
Reflect today on the true meaning of Christmas. God became Man to save us from darkness, sin, and death. He came to set us free from all that binds us, oppresses us, and misguides us. He came to free us from the evil one’s lies and the many ways that those lies have permeated our lives and culture. Join with Zechariah today in his song of praise for the gift of salvation, and strive to pray his prayer with the same faith he had.
Blessed are You, Lord my God, for You have come to Your people to set them free. Mighty Savior, as I prepare to celebrate the great Solemnity of Christmas, please help me to see how much I need You in my life. Without You, I am lost and live in darkness and death. Free me, and help me to repent and to receive Your gift of salvation. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday Dec 24th 4th Week of Advent 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, send your Son and Spirit and do not delay so that those who trust in your compassion may find solace and relief from their coming.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Davidic Covenant: When John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, was released from his silence, the first thing he did was praise God with inspired thanksgiving. Zechariah thanks God for fulfilling the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants and looks forward to the forgiveness of sins in the New Covenant. The first part of Zechariah’s hymn of praise considers the covenant with David in the history of salvation (Luke 1:68-71). Zechariah proclaims that God has raised up for us a mighty Savior from the royal House of David. The literal phrase is “horn of salvation.” This phrase recalls the song David sang when he was delivered from his enemies: “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, … my shield and the horn of my salvation (2 Samuel 22:2-3). The horn is a symbol of God’s power. “Zechariah’s words echo the royal hymn of Psalm 132, which celebrated God’s covenant with King David and his descendants. There the Lord said, ‘I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed’ (Psalm 132:17)” (Sri, Dawn of the Messiah, 62). This new anointed king, this new son of David, will be the Messiah who will restore the kingdom and covenant of David.
2. The Abrahamic Covenant: The second part of Zechariah’s hymn considers the covenant with Abraham (Luke 1:72-75). Zechariah utters three lines that all point to this covenant. First, God is said to perform the mercy (Greek: eleos; Hebrew: hesed) promised to our fathers. Second, God is said to remember his holy covenant with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob (see Exodus 2:24; Psalm 105:8-11). Third, Zechariah recalls that God swore an oath to Abraham that he would bless all nations through his descendant (see Genesis 22:15-18). “Hesed is covenant faithfulness. So, to ‘perform hesed’ means the same thing as ‘remember his holy covenant.’ And the ‘holy covenant’ is the same thing as the ‘oath’ God swore to Abraham because the covenant is the extension of kinship by oath” (Bergsma, New Testament Basics for Catholics, 100). Our true enemy, then, is not a physical enemy like King Saul trying to kill David, or the Pharaoh persecuting the tribes of Israel in Egypt, or the Romans oppressing the Jewish people. The deliverance and liberation we need is one that transforms us, frees us from the power of sin and the devil, and leads us to persevere in holiness and righteousness.
3. The New Covenant: The third part of Zechariah’s hymn considers the role of his son, John the Baptist, and looks forward to his preparatory role in bringing about the New Covenant in Christ (Luke 1:76-79). God promised in Jeremiah and Ezekiel that the New Covenant would bring about the forgiveness of sins. In giving knowledge of salvation, Zechariah’s son, John, will not merely give lectures about salvation but will help God’s people to experience it. “While salvation can mean any rescue from danger or death, here it refers to what God’s people receive through the forgiveness of their sins. John’s mission will be to help rescue God’s people from their sins and from the consequences of their sins” (Martin, Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, 49). Zechariah sees the dawn or day breaking from on high. Luke, here, uses a word in Greek (anatole) that can mean both the dawning of the “rising sun” and the shooting forth of a “new branch.” Since the physical sun normally rises from the earth in the East, the “dawn from on high” is a symbol of the heavenly origin of this new light. The image also recalls the prophecies of a branch or shoot (Jeremiah 23:5; Zechariah 3:8) coming from the line of David. The new dawn and new branch, which come to fulfillment in Jesus, will bring light to those in darkness, free us from the fear of eternal death, and guide humanity to reconciliation and peace with God.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Radiant Dawn, Splendor of Eternal Light, and Sun of Justice, come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death. Guide me by your light and your Spirit.
 
Suy Niệm bài Đọc Thánh Lễ sáng Ngày 24/12
Trong bài giảng cho các tu sĩ Dòng Tên vào ngày lễ kính Thánh Saint Inhaxiô, Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô đã nhắc nhở chúng ta rằng "Điều mà chúng ta phài nhớ là không phải chúng ta xây dựng được Vương quốc của Thiên Chúa, nhưng chúng ta phải luôn luôn biết là nhờ ân sủng của Thiên Chúa làm việc trong chúng ta." Có rất nhiều tài liệu trong Kinh Thánh mà Đức Giáo Hoàng đã làm căn bản để khẳng định như thế, mà trong bài đọc thứ nhất  trong Thánh Lễ hôm nay là một ví dụ tốt.”
            Sau khi đã chiến thắng tất cả các quân thù của mình, Vua David đã muốn có ý tưởng hiến dâng vương miện của Mình cho Thên Chúa bằng việc xây dựng một ngôi nhà cho Chúa. Tuy nhiên qua bài đọc chúng ta biết rằng, trên thực tế, Chính Thiên Chúa là Đấng đã ban cho David chiến thắng, giải hoà và đem hòa bình đến với những kẻ thù của mình. Có vẻ hình như  Chúa đã nhờ tiên tri Nathan để nhắc nhở nhà Vua về sự thật này: " Chính Ta đã cất nhắc ngươi, từ một kẻ lùa chiên ngoài đồng cỏ, lên làm người lãnh đạo dân Ta là Israel.  Ngươi đi đâu, Ta cũng đã ở đó với ngươi; mọi thù địch ngươi, Ta đã diệt trừ cho khuất mắt ngươi. Ta sẽ làm cho tên tuổi ngươi lẫy lừng, như tên tuổi những bậc vĩ nhân trên mặt đất. ^‘’.." Như thế, chúng thấy, Thiên Chúa đã khiển trách vua David bằng cách đưa nhà vua trở lại với thực tế.’
            Thánh Phaolô trong thơ gởi cho giáo đoàn Roma cũng đã nhắc nhở chúng ta là: "Quả thế, mọi lời xưa đã chép trong Kinh Thánh, đều được chép để dạy dỗ chúng ta. Những lời ấy làm cho chúng ta nên kiên nhẫn, và an ủi chúng ta, để nhờ đó chúng ta vững lòng trông cậy." (Rm 15: 4). Qua câu chuyện của vua David trong bài đọc hôm nay có thế giúp chúng ta để áp dụng cho đời sống tinh thần của chúng ta: những lời của Thiên Chúa, đã và đang nói với chúng ta trong Thánh lễ, trong Bí tích Thánh Thể, Chúa đã liên tục đưa chúng ta trở lại với thực tại, về với sự hiện diện của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, cũng như chúng ta cùng đồng hành với Ngài, Đấng Emmanuel. Lạy Cha, trong mùa Chúa Giáng Sinh này, Xin Cha cho chúng con biết ơn và đánh giá cao về mầu nhiệm Chúa Giêsu nhập thể, là "Thiên Chúa ở cùng chúng con".
 
Reflection
In his homily to the Jesuits on the feast of Saint Ignatius, Pope Francis reminded us that “it is not for us to build the Kingdom of God, but it is always the grace of God working within us.” There is much biblical material to ground the Pope's assertion, and the first reading for today’s Mass is a good example.
            After all his victories, David wanted to crown his exploits by building a house for the Lord. The writer carefully notes, however, that, in reality, it was the Lord who had given David his victories and peace from his enemies. David, it seems, needed the Lord to remind him of this truth: “It was I who took you…I have been with you wherever you went…” Thus, the Lord reprimanded David by bringing him back to reality.
            Paul teaches us: “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom 15:4). We may, then, apply this story about David to our own spiritual lives: the word of God, spoken to us at each Eucharist, continually brings us back to the reality of God’s presence in our lives, accompanying us as Emmanuel.
            Father, at Christmas, deepen our appreciation of the mystery of Jesus, “God with us”.

Ngày 23/12 (Luke 1:57-66)

Ngày 23/12 (Luke 1:57-66)
Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, Thánh Luca mô tả sự ra đời của Thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả cũng như loan báo sự ra đời của Chúa Jêsus, giống như thế việc rao giảng của thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả là việc loan báo về sứ mệnh của Chúa Kitô. Thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả được Thiên Chúa chọn là một trong những tiên tri vĩ đại nhất của Ngài. Khi còn bé nhỏ, ngài bất lực và thiếu thốn. Là tiên tri, ngài đã cho chúng ta thấy sự khiêm tốn và luôn biết đặt mình vào sự phó thác nơi Thiên Chúa.
Qua phép rửa của chúng ta, chúng ta nhận được sự viên mãn của Chúa Thánh Thần. Chúng ta được cũng được rửa sạch và nhờ quyền năng của Thánh Linh mà chúng ta trở thành con cái của Thiên Chúa . Chúng ta cũng được xức dầu với ân sủng để làm tiên tri. Chúng ta làm chứng về ân sủng này qua việc chấp nhận một thái độ khiêm tốn thật trước mặt Thiên Chúa và những người chung quanh của chúng ta. Ân sủng của phép Rửa đã trao cho chúng ta một phẩm giá vượt xa Thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả.
Giống như Thánh Gioan , chúng ta được đặt tên mới. Giống như Thánh Gioan , chúng ta được ban cho một phần trách nhiệm quan trọng trong kế hoạch của Thiên Chúa, là để làm chứng cho cuộc sống mà chúng ta đã lãnh nhận trong Phép Rửa. Điều Thiên Chúa muốn chúng ta là làm chứng nhân cho Chúa Giêsu Kitô và đem Tin Mừng của Ngài đến với mọi người. Chúng ta không thể làm được điều này nếu không có sự trợ giúp của Chúa và chúng ta không thể nhận được sự trợ giúp của Chúa nếu chúng ta không có sự khiêm tốn, đó là điều mà Chúa Giêsu gọi là sự nghèo đói của tinh thần.
Tin mừng hôm nay mang lại cho chúng ta một sự suy ngẫm và nhấn mạnh tầm quan trọng của lời nói. Những khi nào và ở chỗ nào chúng ta nên sử dụng lời nói? Xin Chúa cho chúng ta biết trở thành những chứng nhân hùng biện của Thiên Chúa và biết nói lên những sự tốt lành của Ngài đối với toàn thể nhân loại. Chúng ta hãy sử dụng lời nói của chúng ta một cách khôn ngoan và làm những việc công chính với súc mạnh của tiếng nói của chúng ta.
 
My Reflection on Dec 23, 2019
In today's Gospel, Luke describes the birth of John the Baptist as announcing the birth of Jesus, just as the preaching of John the Baptist would announce the mission of Christ.
John the Baptist was chosen by God to be one of His greatest prophets. As a baby he was helpless and needy. As a prophet, he displayed the same humility and need for God.
We, too, are anointed with the grace to be prophets. We testify to this grace through embracing a truly humble attitude before God and our neighbor. The grace of baptism confers on us a dignity that far surpasses that of John the Baptist.
In our baptism we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We are justified washed clean and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we become children of God. Like John, we are given a new name. Like John, we are given a vital part to play in God's plan, which is to witness to the life that we have received in baptism. What God wants us is to be witnesses to Jesus Christ and his Good News. We cannot do this without God's help and we cannot receive God's help without humility, which is what Jesus called the poverty of spirit.
Our mouths were created to give glory and praise to God, and yet we use our mouths for many purposes other than to praise God. Sometimes we defame, curse, gossip, eat excessively and spread lies with our mouths.
The Gospel makes us ponder and underlines the importance of speech. When and where should we use it? Let us be fierce witnesses of God and speak about His goodness to all mankind. Let us use our tongues wisely and do justice to our power of speech.
 
December 23, Advent Weekday
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Luke 1:59–63
At the time of John the Baptist’s birth, it was customary for family, neighbors, and others within the community to gather for a child’s circumcision on the eighth day. According to Genesis 17:1–14, when God appeared to Abraham and established a covenant with him and his descendants, circumcision was instituted as the external sign of this covenant for every male child on the eighth day. Over time, it also became customary to name the child as part of the ceremony.
The naming of a child in Jewish tradition was significant. A child’s name connected him to his family and continued the family lineage. It was a way of honoring the family member whose name the child was given. Customarily, the firstborn male was named after his father or another significant relative. That’s why the family and friends who gathered for John’s naming and circumcision were surprised when he was not named Zechariah after his father and even more surprised when he was given the name John, a name that no other relative had.
The inclusion of this story in the Gospel narrative indicates that John’s name and its departure from Jewish custom hold special significance. Giving him a name that no other family member had was God’s way of indicating that John’s family, identity, and mission extended beyond his blood relatives. The name John means “God is gracious” or “God has been gracious.” Hence, John’s name points beyond his life to God, the Source of grace. His mission was universal, preparing the way of the Lord for all people. Through John, the gateway of God’s grace and mercy is proclaimed, and Jesus, the source of grace and salvation, enters. 
As we reflect on John the Baptist and his unique identity, we should also ponder our own identity in Christ. While family is the first and most important community where we come to know God and learn to love, God also calls us to an identity that transcends our biological family. We receive our most important identity through baptism. Just as circumcision was the sign of the Old Covenant, baptism is the sacrament that initiates us into the New Covenant in Christ.
Through baptism, we take on a new identity and become members of the one, eternal family of God. All who are in a state of grace are brothers and sisters in Christ, with God as our Father and the Blessed Virgin Mary as our spiritual mother.
Reflect today on your identity in Christ. In many cultures, it is customary to receive a new name at baptism, symbolizing this new identity. Ponder the identity given to you through baptism, the identity that defines who you truly are. Embrace this identity with all your heart.
My Lord and God, in You and You alone do I find my true identity. Through my baptism, I have entered into Your family of grace and become a child of Your Father in Heaven. Please help me to fully embrace this Christian identity and dignity, always living as the child of God I am called to be. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Reflection on Dec 23, 2025
Opening Prayer: Almighty and ever-living God, as the Nativity of your Son according to the flesh draws near, I pray that your merciful love flow to me from your Word, who chose to become flesh of the Virgin Mary and establish his dwelling among us.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Rejoicing in God’s Mercy: The Gospel about John’s birth reveals three fundamental attitudes we should have as Christians. The first is exemplified by Elizabeth, who, with her neighbors and relatives, rejoiced in God’s mercy. Elizabeth longed for a child, and her prayer was finally heard. She suffered sterility, but did not give up hope or abandon her trust in the Lord. When she conceived, she turned her thoughts to God in gratitude. She saw the response to her prayer as a display of God’s mercy (eleos). Mercy is not something we are owed. It is freely given. Elizabeth and her relatives and neighbors were likely thinking about the gift of a child. But what they did not know was the future of that child, and how he would prepare the people for the coming of their merciful Lord in the flesh. In our daily prayer, we need to imitate Elizabeth and rejoice in all the merciful actions of God towards us. We need to trust that our heavenly Father will respond in ways that far surpass what we desire.
2. Blessing God: Another fundamental attitude of Christian living is found in Zechariah. He has been punished with silence for nine months. He was a righteous man, but doubted the Lord’s message through the angel. When he confirmed that the child should be named John, this can be seen as an act of faithful obedience to the Lord. Zechariah did just as the angel Gabriel had commanded (Luke 1:13). The name, “John,” means “YHWH is gracious.” This act of faithful obedience, in contrast to his earlier doubt, loosed his tongue, and he broke out in a song of praise. “He spoke blessing God” (Luke 1:64). Zechariah was not angry with God after nine months of silence, but rather wanted to praise God for the great things he had done and will do. Often God permits us to suffer only to lead us to a greater love, trust, and holiness. Zechariah was not a bad person, but he had room to grow. In our lives, we need to imitate Zechariah and, as Psalm 34:1 says, bless the Lord at all times.
3. Taking Things to Heart: Luke speaks about a fear that came upon the neighbors of Zechariah and Elizabeth. This is not a servile fear, but the filial fear that is the beginning of wisdom. It is a fear of the Lord that humbly recognizes who God is and who we are. The prideful of heart do not take steps toward wisdom. Arrogance and pride blind us because they give us a false picture of God, the world, and ourselves. The third fundamental attitude is seen in those who heard the things that God had done for Elizabeth and Zechariah and took them to heart. Humility and spiritual poverty allow a soul to contemplate in prayer God’s merciful and just actions in the world. A humble soul is patient and does not presume to have all the answers. 
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, King of all nations and keystone of the Church, come and save us, whom you formed from the dust of the earth and in whom you breathed your life-giving Spirit.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Hai Ngày 22 tháng 12, năm 2021 Matthêu 1:1-17

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Hai Ngày 22 tháng 12, năm 2021 Matthêu 1:1-17
Qua đoạn trong Phúc Âm hôm nay, Thánh Matthêu cho chúng ta thấy nguồn gốc của xác thịt con người của Chúa Giêsu, để chứng minh rằng chúa Giêsu cũng là con người phàm xác thịt như chúng ta, cũng có cha, có mẹ, có ông bà tổ tiên.  Phúc âm cũng cho chúng ta biết tầm quan trọng của nguồn gốc của con người, của gia đình. Cũng như Chúa Giêsu, cũng có một gia đình, có cha là Giuse và mẹ là Maria, môt gia đình luôn yêu thương và biết hy sinh cho nhau. Chúa Giêsu yêu thương quý trọng cha mẹ mình và là một tấm gương tốt sáng cho tất cả chúng ta biết rằng chúng ta cũng phải tôn trọng và vâng lời cha mẹ.
Qua phép rửa, tất cả chúng ta đã thuộc về gia đình của Thiên Chúa, Chúng ta đều là con cái Thiên Chúa, Thiên Chúa là Cha chúng ta ở trên trời, và có nhiều chỗ ở cho dành riêng cho chúng ta ở trên đó và Chúa Giêsu đã đi trước để chuẩn bị một nơi cho mỗi người chúng ta.
Giống như người con hoang đàng đã một lần sa ngã, lầm lỡ sống trong tội lỗi và đã xa lìa Thiên Chúa, chúng ta chỉ cần đến với Cha chúng ta ở trên trời với lòng ăn năn, sám hối, Ngài luôn luôn sẵn sàng chờ đợi và đón mừng khi chúng ta trở về với vòng tay rộng mở của ngài. Chúa đang mong chờ chúng ta trong bí tích Hòa giải, chúng ta đã sãn sàng đến và làm hòa với Chúa chưa? Nhất là trong những ngày mà chúng ta đang chuẩn bị đón mừng Chúa trong Giáng Sinh, làm người.
 
Meditation:
Facing death, Jacob called his sons together and blessed them.
For our reflections on the mystery of Christ, the blessing given to Judah, selected for today’s first reading, is the most significant as it includes Judah’s descendants, David and Jesus: “The sceptre shall not pass from Judah until he comes to whom it belongs.” That first of all refers to King David, but only as a symbol of the Messiah. The angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary reveals the true meaning of this blessing: “the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the house of Jacob and his reign will have no end.” (Lk 1:32-33). Matthew’s Gospel was designed in many ways to demonstrate that Jesus was truly the Messiah, since all the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in him. Thus Matthew begins with a genealogy, demonstrating that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, through Jacob, Judah and David.
The Alleluia verse proclaims that God’s divine wisdom guides creation with power and love. The first reading and the Gospel, each in its own way, demonstrate that God guides human history to its fulfilment in Jesus with the same wisdom, power and love.
 
December 22, Advent Weekday
Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior… He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.”  Luke 1:46; 52–53
The last two sentences quoted from our Blessed Mother’s song of praise give us much to ponder. She, who is the Mother of God and full of grace, rejoiced that God “cast the mighty down from their thrones” and “the rich he sent away empty.” It’s understandable that she rejoiced in God Who “has lifted up the lowly” and “has filled the hungry with good things,” but the first two statements might give us pause.
In this context, when people are “mighty” and “rich,” we must understand this to mean those who act in a self-sufficient way, not recognizing their need for God. This tendency is easy to fall into. It is especially tempting for those who are successful in life. Without a deep prayer life and awareness of God’s activity in our lives, we can easily fall into the trap of thinking that we are in charge of our own destiny. When this happens, the most merciful thing God can do for us is to cast us down from our self-sufficient throne and send us away to experience the emptiness of our worldly riches.
The key to happiness in life is not attaining great power or riches. The key is found in humility, by which we recognize our absolute need for and dependence on God. Why? Because as the great Saint Augustine wrote in his book Confessions, “You have formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You, oh Lord.”
Would you be happier if you were rich or poor? Powerful or powerless? Famous or unknown? These questions cannot be answered because neither riches nor poverty, power nor powerlessness, fame nor obscurity have anything to do with true happiness. Though each person falling into any of these categories can find happiness, the categories themselves do not determine that happiness. True happiness comes by discovering God within one’s spiritual poverty and hunger.
When we perceive our souls correctly, we will understand Saint Augustine’s famous quote. We will realize that God alone fulfills us, and that doing His will enables us to become who we were created to be. When that discovery happens, we will hunger and thirst for God, and doing the will of God will become the all-consuming desire of our souls. Our God, in His great mercy and love for us, loves such a humble and hungry soul, lavishing spiritual riches upon it.
Reflect today on the intense interior fulfillment our Blessed Mother had. She did not live in a lavish castle with numerous servants. She was not the governor of her town, exercising great temporal power. But she was happy beyond what we can imagine because in her lowliness, humility, and hunger for God, she found perfect satisfaction. As you ponder her happiness, seek her intercession and strive to follow her example, no matter what temporal or worldly situation you find yourself in.
Dearest Mother Mary, you rejoiced and proclaimed God’s greatness, not because of any material or passing blessings God gave you but because of the spiritual richness you possessed within your soul. Please pray for me, that I will discover God’s presence in my life as the true source of fulfillment and will hunger for Him with every desire of my soul. Mother Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
December 22, Advent Weekday 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, my soul proclaims your greatness, and I rejoice in you as my Savior. You have looked upon me with your merciful gaze and done great things for me. You humble me when I am prideful and exalt me when I am poor in spirit. You have come to my aid and always remained faithful to your promises.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Poor and Humble: As we continue to read in the Infancy Narrative in the Gospel of Luke and prepare ourselves for the Nativity of our Lord, we encounter Mary’s canticle, known as the Magnificat. It is a canticle that reveals the spirituality of the poor (the anawim), “those faithful who not only recognize themselves as ‘poor’ in the detachment from all idolatry of riches and power, but also in the profound humility of a heart emptied of the temptation to pride and open to the bursting in of the divine saving grace” (Benedict XVI, February 15, 2006). The soul of Mary’s canticle and prayer is the celebration of divine grace: She recognizes that the Lord God, the Almighty, has done great things for her. Her prayer manifests that she knows that she is not alone in her experience of God’s grace. She has a mission that God has entrusted to her and she is part of salvation history. She remains humble even while recognizing how she has been greatly blessed by God and how all generations will call her blessed. How can I model my prayer on Mary’s prayer of praise? 
2. A Sevenfold Praise of God’s Power: Mary praises God for seven actions that he has done repeatedly throughout history. First, the Lord has shown his power and the strength of his arm. All creation gives witness to the power of God, who has created all things and continues to sustain them. Israel especially witnessed the Lord’s power when he performed great signs and wonders as he delivered them from Egypt and guided them through the desert to the Promised Land. Mary reflects on how this power is manifested in the scattering of the proud of heart. Just as the people of Babel were scattered as they pridefully tried to ascend to the heavens, so also the people of the northern tribes of Israel were scattered by the Assyrians, and the people of the southern tribes of Judah were scattered to Babylon in captivity. Mary sees how God can cast down the mighty from their thrones and lift up the lowly. No authority is greater than God’s, and no one is so broken that God cannot heal them. 
3. The Promise of Mercy: As Mary continues her praise of God’s seven actions, she contrasts how God feeds the hungry and despoils the rich. Pride, power, and possessions can all be temptations that lead us away from God. And so, God mercifully casts down the powerful, scatters the prideful, and sends the rich away empty. By contrast, God also mercifully lifts up the lowly, helps his humble servants, and feeds those who are physically and spiritually hungry. God gives the gift of grace to us so that we can store up heavenly treasure. Mary’s prayer ends with a praise of God, who remembers his covenantal promise made to Abraham to bless all nations through his descendant. This blessing comes to us through the sending of the Holy Spirit by Jesus. Through this blessing, our sins are forgiven, and we are introduced into the family of God as adoptive sons and daughters.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the one who has accomplished great things. You saved the fallen human race by assuming our human nature and freeing us from the curse of death. Help me, with your Spirit, to sing a hymn of praise glorifying you and the Father.