Suy Niệm Thứ Năm Tuần thứ Hai Mùa Vọng Lễ mừng Thánh Juan Diego 9/12 :

 Suy Niệm Thứ Năm Tuần thứ Hai Mùa Vọng Lễ mừng Thánh Juan Diego 9/12 :

Trong Mùa Vọng này, chúng ta hãy chuẩn bị tâm hồn để đón mừng một Ngày hồng ân, một ngày mà Thiên Chúa đãm yêu Thương của Ngài đến với nhân loại và con người chúng ta. Đó là một tình yêu tuyệt , một hồng ân bao la vì Ngài đã đem chính Con một của Ngài là Emmanuel, "Thiên Chúa ở cùng chúng ta" xuống trần gian để sống giữa chúng ta. Và cũng là Thiên Chúa đấng mà chúng ta hằng tôn thờ.

    Hôm nay ngày 6 tháng 12, Giáo hội cử hành lễ kính thánh Juan Diego, một người thổ (dân hay người dân tộc mọi) xứ Mexico, ông đúng là một mô hình của sự khiêm nhường với một đức tin đơn sơ. Tên gốc của ông là Cuauhtlatoatzin và ông là một người dân tộc nghèo gốc Aztec. Theo những lời được kể lại, Đức Trinh Nữ Maria đã hiện ra với Juan Diego tại đồi Tepeyac vùng sa mạc toàn là cây xương rồng vào sáng sớm ngày 09 tháng 12, 1531. Với những lời được ông kể lại, là Đức Trinh Nữ Maria đã xuất hiện với ông qua hình ảnh một cô gái trẻ 15 tuổi chung quanh cô được những ánh sáng chiếu toả ra và cố đã nói với Juan Diego bằng tiếng thổ dân (tiếng mẹ đẻ của ông ta) . Cô đã yêu cầu ông đến gặp Đức Giám Mục địa phương xây một ngôi nhà thờ ngay tại đây để vinh danh Mẹ. Ông Juan Diego đã do dự bởi vì ông nói với Mẹ rằng ông là một thổ dân ngu đần và không ai có thể tin được ông cả. Nhưng anh vẫn cố gắng đến toà tổng Giám kể câu chuyện của mình cho Đức Tổng Giám Mục TGP Mexico City lúc đó. Sau khi nghe ông nới về sự kiện trên đối Tepeyac ĐTG đã chỉ dẫn cho ông ngài trở về đồi Tepeyac và xin "cô ấy" cho một dấu lạ để chứng minh danh tính của cô ấy. Dấu lạ đầu tiên là đức Mẹ đã chữa lành bệnh của người chú của ông Juan. Sau đó, Đức Mẹ đã nói với ông Juan Diego đi nhạt những đoá hoa trên đồi Tepeyac Hill. Mặc dù nó là mùa đông và không có hoa nào mà nở được ngay cả những hao cây xương rồng… Ông Juan Diego nghe lời Đức Mẹ và đã nhặt được bao nhiêu hoa hồng loại Castilian, loại hoa hồng không thể nào trồng được hay có bán ở Mexico. Đức Mẹ đã sắp xếp những bông hoa trong cáo áo tilma (áo khoác ngàoài diệt bằng sơi cây xương rồng) của Juan Diego và khi Juan Diego đến toà TGM mở chiếc áo choàng của mình trước mặt Đức Giám mục vào ngày 12, những bông hoa rơi xuống sàn nhà, và hình của Đức Trinh Nữ Guadalupe đã hiện ra và in trên chiếc áo khoác tilma của Juan Dieago một cách thật kỳ diệu.

    Tới bây giờ Vương Cung Thánh Đường Đức Mẹ Guadalupe đẵ được xây rất to trên đồi Pepeyac đó và bức hình Đức mẹ hiện in trên chiếc áo tilma của Juan Diego vẫn còn được giữ lại ở đây.

    Ngày 31 tháng 7 năm 2002, Đức Giáo Hoàng Gioan Phaolô II đã phong hiển thánh Juan Diego trước khi một đám đông 12 triệu người, và một năm sau đó trong lịch chung của Giáo Hội Rôma, đã chọn ngày 9 tháng 12 nhứ thánh Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin và ngày 12 tháng 12 để mừng lễ Đức Mẹ Guadalupe.Các quốc gia vùng Bác Mỹ (Mexico, Hoa Kỳ, Cannada đã chọn Đức Mẹ Gaudalupe là bộn mạng chung của họ..

    Xin mẹ Gualalupe cầu bầu cho chúng con và giúp chúng con biết vững Tin vào Tình Yêu Của Chúa và xin cho chúng được biết bắt chước gương thánh Juan Diego biết sống đời sống đon sơ, giản dị và biết vâng theo ý thánh Chúa.

Reflection:

In Advent, we prepare ourselves to celebrate the feast of God's love for us which was so great that He sent His own son to be Emmanuel, "God with us" and to be God in pursuit of us.

Our saint for today is Juan Diego, an Indian native of Mexico, a model of humility and simple faith. His native name was Cuauhtlatoatzin and he was a poor Indian Aztec. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in the early morning of Dec. 9, 1531. in his description, she appeared to be a young girl of 15 surrounded by lights and spoke to Juan Diego in his native language. She asked that a church be built at that site in her honor. Juan Diego was hesitant because he said he was a nobody and lacked credibility. But still he tried to tell his story to the Archbishop of Mexico City who instructed him to return to Tepeyac Hill, and ask the "lady" for a miraculous sign to prove her identity. The first sign was the Virgin's healing of Juan's uncle. Then the Lady told Juan Diego to gather flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill. Although it was winter and flowers were no longer in bloom, Juan Diego found Castilian roses, not native to Mexico. The Virgin arranged the flowers in Diego's tilma cloak and when Diego opened his cloak before the bishop on December 12, the flowers fell to the floor, and in their place on the fabric of the tilma was the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, miraculously imprinted there.

Now the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe stands on that site and the icon imprinted on Juan Diego's tilma is displayed there. In July 31, 2002, the Pope canonized Juan Diego before a crowd of 12 million, and later that year included in the General Calendar of the Roman Rite, as optional memorials, the liturgical celebrations of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (December 9) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12).

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ Hai Mùa Vong

Có bao giờ chúng ta được cấp trên giao phó cho một công việc hay một mhiệm vụ gì quan trọng mà ngoài cái tầm khả năng và chuyên môn của chúng ta? chúng ta cảm thấy công việc sẽ khó khăn hơn cho chúng ta để hoàn tất. Chắc chắn những nỗi lo sợ và bất an không ngừng ảm ảnh trí não chúng ta.

Tuy nhiên, nếu tiếng Chúa đang gọi chúng ta dể phục vụ Ngài hay để làm một cái gì đó cụ thể trong tận nơi đáy lòng của chúng ta, Chúng ta phải phản ứng như thế nào? Có phải chúng ta sẽ rụt rè, sợ hãi, hay thu mình lại thụ động hay tìm cách tránh né khỏi công việc đó. Hay chúng ta cầu nguyện để tìm kiếm ân sủng và quyền năng của Chúa Thánh Thần giúp chúng ta nắm vững vấn đề, lên dự án và rồi chúng ta hành động?

Thiên Chúa của chúng ta luôn luôn giữ lời hứa với với chúng ta và Ngài sẽ không bỏ rơi chúng ta một mình, đặc biệt là những khi chúng ta đang làm theo ý muốn của Ngài. Chúng ta hãy nhớ rằng Ngài dùng các tông đồ, những người đánh cá, quê mùa và ít học thức hơn là các kinh sư và người Pharisêu, để rao giảng Tin Mừng.

Thiên Chúa đã ban cho các tông đồ những Ân Sũng , những món quà về ngôn ngữ qua sức mạnh của Chúa Thánh Thần trong ngày Chúa Thánh Thần Hiện Xuống và Ngài đã sai họ đi đến các chân trời góc biển để rao truyền Tin Mừng của Ngài cho những ai chưa từng nghe Lời Chúa. Thiên Chúa không hứa với chúng ta là “theo” Ngài, chúng ta sẽ có một cuộc sống dễ dàng, và giàu sang. Những gì Ngài đã hứa là Ngài sẽ luôn ở bên chúng ta để nắm giữ bàn tay của chúng ta và giúp chúng ta trong suốt cuộc hành trình của chúng ta, miễn là chúng ta biết luôn trung thành với Ngài. Ngài sẽ cho chúng ta những cơ hội và giúp chúng ta thành công trong công việc mà Ngài đã vạch ra cho chúng ta.

Không có công việc hay những việc phục vụ quá nhỏ hoặc quá không đáng kể. Mọi hành động nhỏ trong sự hòa hợp với ý muốn của Thiên Chúa, khi vướng mắc với nhau, chúng ta đã biến những tấm thảm đó thành các mảnh hình ghép (Puzzle) để thực hiện kế hoạch của Thiên Chúa được nên thực tế, và tất cả mọi linh hồn cũng sẽ được thừa hưởng vương quốc của Ngài trên trời. Những người không tin sẽ đến để nhận biết Giavê, Thiên Chúa chúng ta, qua những cử chỉ, hành vi thương yêu của chúng ta, và qua những việc làm thường ngày lòng tốt , lời nói và cách sống của chúng ta.

Reflection:

Don't we sometimes feel that a task or service given to us is so daunting that we feel so inadequate and incapable of accomplishing it? Our fears and insecurities get the better of us. However, deep down in our hearts, we hear God calling us to service or to do something specific. Do we just cower and retreat from the task at hand, or do we seek the grace and power of the Holy Spirit to embolden us into action? We hold on to God's promise that He will not let us down, especially when we are doing His will. Let us remember that He enabled the apostles, mere fishermen who were not educated like the Scribes and Pharisees, to preach the Good News.

He gave them the gift of tongues through the power of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost and sent them to the farthest corners of the earth to evangelize those who have not heard the Word of God. God doesn't promise that following Him will be easy. What He promises is that He will always be there to hold our hand and assist us in our journey, as long as we remain faithful to Him. He will open up doors of opportunities for us to succeed in our task that He has mapped out for us. No task or service is too small or too insignificant. Every small act in consonance with God's will, when enmeshed together, forms the tapestry that completes the pieces of the puzzle to make God's grand plan a reality, that every soul will inherit His kingdom. Non-believers will come to know Yahweh, our God, through our loving acts, our random acts of kindness and the impossible will become possible.

Reflection

“Lord, you are near and all your commandments are just” (Entrance Antiphon, Psalm 119). If we read this Antiphon without reflecting whether there is any inherent connection between its two phrases, we will miss its profound logic. Let us reflect on the connection between God's nearness and the justice of his commandments. It is God's nearness, his loving presence, which makes his commandments just and an understanding of the justice of God’s commandments opens our hearts to God’s presence.

Israel’s religious experience taught them that God was close to them (Deut 4:7). Hence it was good to be near God (Ps 73:8). Therefore even if he spoke from the mountaintop, God did not speak from far away like some remote emperor, but was really speaking with that sympathetic and healing love which draws him close to the broken-hearted (Ps 34:18).

Realizing the justice of God’s commandments opens our hearts to his presence. The Commandments are primarily God’s word, and God’s word is commandment indeed, but also revelation, promise, encouragement, invitation. A recognition of this and its implications will reveal to us the loving wisdom of God’s revealed truth and the wise love that guides us by his word in the way of Christ and consecrates in the truth. (Jn 17:17). Lord be close to us, teach us and heal us.

Meditation: "He is Elijah who is to come"

Who is the greatest in the kingdom of God? Jesus praised John the Baptist as the greatest person born. Who can top that as a compliment? But in the same breath Jesus says that the least in the kingdom of God is even greater than John! That sounds like a contradiction, right? Unless you understand that what Jesus was about to accomplish for our sake would supercede all that the prophets had done and foreseen.

"Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel"

The prophet Isaiah proclaimed to the forsaken and dispersed people of Israel some 700 years before the birth of Christ that "your Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel" would come to restore his people and to make all things new (Isaiah 41:14ff). When the Messiah and Redeemer of Israel did appear John the Baptist announced his arrival. He fulfilled the essential task of all the prophets - to be fingers pointing to Jesus Christ, God's Annointed Son and Messiah. John proclaimed Jesus' mission at the Jordan River when he exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). John saw from a distance what Jesus would accomplish through his death on the cross - our redemption from bondage to sin and death and our adoption as sons and daughers of God and citizens of the kingdom of heaven.

The spirit of Elijah is sent in advance through John's words

John the Baptist bridges the Old and New Testaments. He is the last of the Old Testament prophets who point the way to the Messiah. He is the first of the New Testament witnesses and martyrs. He is the herald who prepares the way for Jesus the Messiah. Jesus confirms that John has fulfilled the promise that Elijah would return to herald the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). Jesus declares that John is nothing less that the great herald whose privilege it was to announce the coming of the Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel.

Jesus equates the coming of the kingdom of heaven with violence (Matthew 11:12). John himself suffered violence for announcing that the kingdom of God was near. He was thrown into prison and then beheaded. Since John's martyrdom to the present times the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and persecution at the hands of violent men. The blood of the martyrs throughout the ages bear witness to this fact. The martyrs witness to the truth - the truth and love of Jesus Christ who shed his blood to redeem us from slavery to sin and Satan and the fear of death. The Lord Jesus gives us the power of his Holy Spirit to overcome fear with faith, despair with hope, and every form of hatred, violence, jealousy, and prejudice with love and charity towards all - even those who seek to destroy and kill.

We proclaim the joy of the Gospel of Christ even in the midst of suffering and violence

God may call some of us to be martyrs for our faith in Jesus Christ. But for most of us our call is to be dry martyrs who bear testimony to the joy of the Gospel in the midst of daily challenges, contradictions, temptations and adversities which come our way as we follow the Lord Jesus. What attracts others to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? When they see Christians loving their enemies, being joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, pardoning injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear our adversaries. He will fill us with the power of his Holy Spirit and give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you eager to witness to the joy and freedom of the Gospel?

"Lod Jesus, by your cross you have redeemed the world. Fill me with joy and confidence and make me a bold witness of your saving truth that others may know the joy and freedom of the Gospel of your kingdom of peace and righteousness."

Meditation: Matthew 11:11-15 Saint Damasus I, Pope

If you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. (Matthew 11:14)

If a world-famous violinist were performing in a train station, would you notice? This happened in January of 2007, when the internationally acclaimed virtuoso, Joshua Bell, dressed in everyday street clothes and played his $3.5 million violin in a subway station in Washington, DC. He played for forty-five minutes while hundreds of people walked past without even pausing. Only two people stopped to listen.

On that day, Joshua Bell, who usually commands a salary of more than a thousand dollars a minute, made a total of thirty-two dollars in tips.Sometimes, people just can’t see the importance of a “common” person or a miracle that is unfolding before their eyes. This is especially true in today’s readings about Jesus and John the Baptist.

We know the Jews longed for Elijah to return and smite their enemies and usher in a new era. Yet Jesus told them that John the Baptist was the long-awaited Elijah, but they couldn’t see it.

Yes, John was the new Elijah, and that poor, unassuming baby in the manger really was the Messiah. The problem was that neither one acted the way the people expected. They were too humble. They were too countercultural.

We can fall into a similar trap. Sometimes, especially during a season like Advent, we look for dramatic spiritual experiences that will overwhelm us and magically transform our lives. We look for a Hollywood moment to heal our family’s disputes or show us the way through a tough situation. But when we do this, we forget that God is already with us, humbly working quiet miracles right before our eyes. We forget that he didn’t come to make our lives easier but to make us holier.

Today’s Gospel reading tells us that God probably won’t appear to us in a flaming chariot. But rather than become disappointed, let’s accept the other message in the reading: “Jesus is with me, playing the most intricate song of grace and love that I will ever hear.” Stop, look, and listen for him. Let his music soften your heart today.

“Lord, help me to recognize those moments of grace and glory that you have in store for me.”

Suy niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ hai Mùa Vọng

 Suy niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ hai Mùa Vọng

Trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, Khi những bất hạnh ập đến như những con mưa dai dảng trong cuộc đời, nhiều khi không phải chỉ có một cái bất hạnh, nhưng nó cứ dồn dập đến với chúng ta hết cái bất hạnh này, đến cái khác. Khi một người trong gia đình đau ốm, nếu gia đình khá giả thì không sao, nếu gia đình nghèo một tí thì chúng ta lại phải đối đầu với một vấn đề khác đi theo đó là cái khó khăn tài chính. Đây không phải là một vấn đề dễ dàng cho chúng ta, vì gánh nặng đang đè tên đôi của gia đình, nay còn dè năng hơn nữa. Có lẽ, những lần như thế chúng ta đã thực sự muốn bỏ cuộc, muốn la hét và khóc xin với Thiên Chúa cho tất cả những vấn đề phức tạp này mau mau được kết thúc?

    Mặt khác, khi phúc lành tuôn đổ đến với chúng ta, thì nhiều phúc lành khác cũng tiếp tục tuôn đến với chúng ta. Và chúng ta hãy cảm tạ Thiên Chúa cho tất cả những phúc lành Chúa ban.

    Vâng, cuộc sống có những thăng trầm của nó. Khi cuộc đời chúng ta được may mắn, và cứ my mắn. Tất cả mọi thứ đi kèm đổ vào thêm, và chúng ta sống như thể nó sẽ không bao giờ kết thúc. Nhưng khi cuộc sống của chúng ta đang đi xuống, chúng ta có cảm thấy như chúng ta đang thực sự bị rơi vào chân không, chơi vơi như kẻ chết đuối. Nếu như không có hy vọng vào sự sống còn của chúng ta. Chúng tacó thể cảm thấy như chúng ta đang ở trong sự kết thúc của thế giới.

    Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã cho chúng ta niềm hy vọng. Ngài nói với chúng ta đến với Ngài, Ngài sẽ đổi mới và thêm sức mạnh cho chúng ta. Ngài nói với chúng ta "hãy gánh lấy cái ách của Ngài." Cái ách gì của Chúa Kitô mà Ngài nói là nhẹ nhàng, và êm ái?

    Đó là làm theo ý muốn của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta.

Và ý muốn của Thiên Chúa nơi chúng ta là những gì?

    Điều căn bản đầu tiên và quan trọng nhất là yêu mến Thiên Chúa, và yêu thương tha nhân như chúng ta yêu bản thân mình. Cụ thể, Thiên Chúa mời gọi chúng ta trở nên giống như Ngài, là vị tha, dám cho những cái tốt nhất của chúng ta cho người khác mà không cần dự dự. Chúng ta có thể làm điều này nếu chúng ta nhận ra được là Thiên Chúa đã yêu thương chúng ta bao nhiêu trong Chúa Giêsu Kitô, và Ngài vẫn còn tiếp tục yêu thương chúng ta bao nhiêu mỗi ngày!.

    Hạnh phúc là khi chúng ta được làm việc cho Chúa, cho Chúa Giêsu, bởi vì chúng ta yêu mến Ngài. Đây chính là ơn gọi của mỗi người Kitô hữu chúng ta, là biết yêu thương như Chúa Giêsu yêu thương chúng ta. Quả thật, cái ách của Chúa êm ái, và cái gánh của Chúa thì êm ái và rất nhẹ nhàng.

Reflection:

"When it rains it pours." You must have heard this saying. A lot of people don't like the rain because it's wet, it's bothersome. It's difficult to commute when it rains because traffic is heavy. The feeling becomes worse when the rain is strong and continuous because the effect is flooding.

    When misfortune strikes, it's not just one, but one after another. When someone in the family gets sick, another problem comes like financial difficulty. Then the house needs major repair, then… the list goes on and on. It's not easy and oftentimes we really want to just give up and scream and cry asking God when will all these problems end?

    On the other hand, when blessings come our way, more blessings follow. It comes one after another as well. And we give thanks to God for all the blessings.

    Yes, life has its ups and downs. When we are up, we are up. Everything comes pouring in, and we live as if it will never end. But when we are going down, it feels like we are really crashing and drowning as if there is no hope for our survival. It may feel like it is the end of the world.

    In the Gospel, Jesus gives us hope. He tells us to come to him and he will refresh us. He tells us to "take his yoke." What is this yoke of Christ which he says is easy and light? It is to do the will of God in our lives. And what is God's will for us? It is basically to love God first and foremost, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Concretely, God invites us to be like him, to be unselfish, to give our best to others without reserve. We can do this if we realize how much God has loved us in Jesus Christ and how much He continues to love us every day. Happiness is in doing things for God, for Jesus, because we love Him. This is our vocation as Christians – to love as Jesus loved. Truly, his yoke is easy and his burden light.

Wednesday 2nd week of Advent:

Meditation:

What kind of yoke does the Lord Jesus have in mind for each one of us? And how can it be good for us? The Jewish people used the image of a yoke to express their submission to God. They spoke of the yoke of the law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of the kingdom, the yoke of God. Jesus says his yoke is "easy". The Greek word for "easy" can also mean "well-fitting". Yokes were tailor-made to fit the oxen well for labor. We are commanded to put on the "sweet yoke of Jesus" and to live the "heavenly way of life and happiness". Oxen were yoked two by two. Jesus invites each one of us to be yoked with him, to unite our life with him, our will with his will, our heart with his heart.

Jesus carries our burdens with us

    Jesus also says his "burden is light". There's a story of a man who once met a boy carrying a smaller crippled lad on his back. "That's a heavy load you are carrying there," exclaimed the man. "He ain't heavy; he's my brother!" responded the boy. No burden is too heavy when it's given in love and carried in love. When we yoke our lives with Jesus, he also carries our burdens with us and gives us his strength to follow in his way of love. Do you know the joy of resting in Jesus' presence and walking daily with him along the path he has for you?

    In the Advent season we celebrate the coming of the Messiah King who ushers in the reign of God. The prophets foretold that the Messiah would establish God's kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. Those who put their trust in God and in the coming of his kingdom receive the blessings of that kingdom - peace with God and strength for living his way of love, truth, and holiness (Isaiah 40). Jesus fulfills all the Messianic hopes and promises of God's kingdom. That is why he taught his disciples to pray, "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). In his kingdom sins are not only forgiven but removed, and eternal life is poured out for all its citizens. This is not a political kingdom, but a spiritual one.

Freed from the burden of sin and guilt

The yoke of Christ's kingdom, his kingly rule and way of life, liberates us from the burden of guilt and disobedience. Only the Lord Jesus can lift the burden of sin and the weight of hopelessness from us. Jesus used the analogy of a yoke to explain how we can exchange the burden of sin and despair for a yoke of glory, freedom, and joy with him. The yoke which the Lord Jesus invites us to embrace is his way of power and freedom to live in love, peace, and joy as God's sons and daughters. Do you trust in God's love and truth and submit to his will for your life?

    "Lord Jesus, inflame my heart with love for you and for your ways and help me to exchange the yoke of rebellion for the sweet yoke of submission to your holy and loving word. Set me free from the folly of my own sinful ignorance and rebellious pride that I may wholly desire what is good and in accord with your will."

 Meditation: Isaiah 40:25-31 2nd Week of Advent

Have you not heard? The Lord is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 40:28)

The Israelites needed a wake-up call. Living in exile, surrounded by pagan gods, many of them began to think that Yahweh was just one among many deities. So while we may think that the prophet’s question is almost comical—of course God created everything—he was very serious. The people should never forget who God really is!

We may not be surrounded by pagan gods, but the daily grind of our busy schedules can certainly numb us to the astounding realities of who God is. We can become so used to the “concept of God” that we forget how real, how powerful, and how all-encompassing he is. In fact, many of us probably see a crucifix every day, whether at our homes or in church. But how often are we awestruck at God’s immensity? The maker of the universe is our friend! He who separated the heavens and the earth is our Father!

God is so much more than an abstract concept or a distant deity. The Israelites in exile faced the temptation to relegate God to the margins, considering him the “god” that their ancestors worshipped in Jerusalem. Some of them thought that the

Babylonian gods were better and were more suited to their situation. Don’t let that happen to you! Remember that the God we worship, the God of your ancestors, is a living, active, all-powerful God. He isn’t one viable option among many competitors. He is, and everything else comes from him.

As you pray today, let the reality of God, your heavenly Father, fill your imagination. Read today’s first reading aloud, slowly and prayerfully, and ask the Holy Spirit to amaze you with the immensity of who God is. Let this passage stretch your thoughts and give you a glimpse of the depth and breadth of the One who made you and who loves you. And then bow down before him. Worship him. Proclaim his greatness. As you do, you’ll find him drawing you into a deeper love for him and a greater surrender to his ways. His love for you will fan into flame your love for him!

“Almighty God, I bow before you. I can’t even begin to describe how amazing you are! All I can do is sit in awe and surrender my life to you.”

Suy Niệm Lễ Dức Mẹ Vô Nhiễm Nguyên Tội. (December 8):

Suy Niệm Lễ Dức Mẹ Vô Nhiễm Nguyên Tội. (December 8):

Hôm nay toàn thể Giáo hội Công giáo chúng ta vui mừng với niềm hân hoan trong ngày lễ Đức Mẹ Vô Nhiễm nguyên tội. "Hát lên mừng CHÚA một bài ca mới, vì Người đã thực hiện bao kỳ công.." (Ps 98: 1) Vâng đúng thế, sự kỳ diệu thực sự là Thiên Chúa đã kêu mời Đức Maria, một người thiếu nữ Israel, được sinh ra trong sự tinh khiết và tinh tuyền. Và Chúa là Thiên Chúa đã chọn cô để làm Mẹ con của Ngài. Đây chính là dấu chỉ của tình yêu mà Thiên Chúa đã dành cho Mẹ Maria, một tình yêu thật là vô biên và vô lượng của Thiên Chúa dành cho Mẹ Maria và cho nhân loại.

    Khi Mẹ Maria nghe lời chào của sứ thần Garbriel, Mẹ đã khà sửng sốt, lo sợ, nhưng sứ thần của Thiên Chúa đã bảo đảm với mẹ tất cả đều là những việc sẽ xảy đến đều là do những hoạt động của Chúa Thánh Thần. "Maria, xin đừng sợ, vì bà đẹp lòng Thiên Chúa. Và này đây bà sẽ thụ thai, sinh hạ một con trai, và đặt tên là Giêsu. (Lk 1:32-32)

    Ai mà không lo sợ khi nghe đến những điều như thế? Nhưng Thiên Chúa chắc chắn là mọi sự được thực hiện bởi Chúa Thánh Thần. Chúa Thánh Thần sẽ ngự xuống trên mẹ, và sức mạnh của Đấng Tối Cao phủ rợp bóng trên Mẹ và Người con trẻ được sinh ra sẽ được gọi là đấng thánh, là Con Thiên Chúa ..."    Làm thế nào Mẹ Maria có thể nói không? Tất cả cuộc sống của Mẹ, Mẹ sống rất giản dị, đơn sơ, Mẹ đã sẵn sàng vâng lời để chiều theo ý muốn của Chúa Cha. Trong cuộc sống của mẹ tất cả là vâng phục theo ý Chúa.... "Vâng, tôi đây là nữ tỳ của Chúa, xin Chúa cứ làm cho tôi như lời sứ thần nói". Với lòng tin yêu và niềm tin vững chắc nơi Thiên Chúa mà mẹ đã xin Vâng cho dù là Mẹ không biết là cuọc đời của Mẹ sẽ Thiên Chúa đưa về đâ? Mẹ đã phó thác hoàn toàn cả của đời của mẹ nơi Thiên Chúa với sự tin tưởng và yêu thương của Thiên Chúa.

    Chúng ta được mời gọi hãy sống và làm theo gương của Mẹ để biết sẵn sàng mở lòng và tâm trí của chúng ta cho những hành động của Chúa Thánh Thần để chúng ta có thể trở thành công cụ của sự cứu rỗi.

    Lạy Mẹ Maria, xin Me là Kim chỉ Nam của chúng con để hướng dẫn chúng con biết cách sống theo ý Chúa trong thế giới ngày nay và giúp chúng con biết sẵn sàng vâng theo Thánh Ý của Thiên Chúa và biết cảm tạ Chúa với những việc kỳ diệu mà Chúa đã thực hiện nơi chúng con bằng với tình yêu của Chúa....

Reflection:

Today the entire Catholic Church celebrates with joy and exultation the feast of the Immaculate Conception. "Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done a marvelous thing." (Ps 98:1) Yes, marvelous indeed is His call to Mary, a woman of Israel, born pure and immaculate. The Lord God chose her to the mother of His Son. This is a sign of God's gratuitous and immeasurable love for Mary and for mankind.

When Mary heard the angel's greeting, she was greatly troubled, but the angel assured her of the action of the Holy Spirit. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ... you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call him Jesus..." Who would not be greatly troubled? The angel continued: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the most high will overshadow you. The child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God..." How could Mary say no? All her life, she was just a simple, available, listening woman attuned to the Father's will. Total availability seems to be part of her innermost being... "I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your words." Although Mary did not know how far God would take her, she surrendered herself completely, trusting and loving God.

    We are invited to follow her example to open ourselves to the action of the Holy Spirit that we may become instruments of salvation.    Mary, be our guide in today's world so that we may become more available to God and thankful for the wonders of His love. 

The Immaculate Conception Dec 8

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, draw me into this time of prayer with you, on this feast day of your mother. Your whole Church rejoices today, in Heaven and on earth, for this singular privilege that you wished to give your mother: In anticipation of the saving merits of Jesus Christ, you wished to preserve her from the stain of original sin. Let me enter into this time of prayer and be moved in awe, as you wished to be, by the beauty of your mother’s fiat. May her words also take flesh in my own life, Jesus.

Encountering Christ:

1. Her Name Was Mary: The Evangelist St. Luke introduced this young woman to us simply: “and the virgin’s name was Mary.” The angel’s title reflected the truth that she is filled with grace, with God’s life in her soul. He made the invitation on God’s behalf, and she pondered it. Yet, was her soul so united to God that thinking about something to herself was also a sharing of it with the Lord? As she pondered what this might mean, was she not also asking God to help her know how to respond to him? So bound was her heart to his that she did nothing alone; everything was shared with him. How different would our lives be if we strove to live in the same way?

2. Heaven Meets Earth as Never Before: What other moment in the history of humanity has existed, quite like this—where God was ready to enter the world he created in a way never imagined before, taking upon himself our human nature and becoming like us, in all things but sin, so as to save us? St. Bernard and many others contemplated this scene in which the messenger of God approached a young girl while the rest of the created world, all the angels and patriarchs, waited in anticipation and suspense for her reply. In this moment of prayer, let us ask for the grace to enter into that moment, to experience that suspense and great admiration for Mary’s free and loving response to God.

3. Earth Responds to Heaven as Never Before: What other moment in history has a child offered so perfect and complete a response to her Father’s daring invitation? What other fiat offered such perfect beauty, purity, and homage to the living God? In the sincere offering and acceptance of this young girl before her Lord, all the fíats of the Old Covenant found fulfillment, and yours and mine also find a home. May our hearts be moved by this wonder: God wished to make himself vulnerable to Mary’s response, and he opens himself to receive our fiats as well.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I wish to let this truth settle and make a home in my heart: You invite me, as you invited your Mother, to cooperate with God in the plan of salvation of the world. Let this scene and these truths resonate in my heart, Jesus, and bring your desires to take flesh in my life: fiat. Mother, may I be drawn into your fiat, in awe, with a desire to love and give myself to God too.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will strive to imitate Mary by responding with docility and acceptance to your inspirations throughout the day: fiat.

Reflection:

Today we hold up the Virgin Mary as a source inspiration. For anyone of us, it would be extraordinary to make it through a single day without committing some sort of sin — a lie, an act of impatience or anger, the giving in to a base desire. By way of contrast Mary lived each day in God’s grace.

    Mary could have sinned. She was capable of sinning but didn’t; unlike all of us who are capable of sinning. But through the grace of God and by her choices she remained sinless her whole life. Mary lived her whole life in the state in which Adam and Eve lived before their sin. Her life, like ours, was a series of choices between good and bad, self and other, God's will and her own.

    Her glory, for which all generations will call her blessed, is that in every instance she said, “I am your servant. Let it be done to me in accordance with your word.” She, who was full of grace, said, “Your will be done, not mine.” She relied upon God her whole life and thus is a role model for all of us.

    I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God.

Meditation: "For with God nothing will be impossible

Do you want to live a grace-filled life? The angel Gabriel salutes Mary as "full of grace". To become the mother of the Savior, Mary was enriched by God with gifts to enable her to assume this awesome role. There is a venerable tradition among many Christians, dating back to the early church, for honoring Mary as the spotless virgin who bore the Son of God in her womb. A number of early church fathers link Mary's obedience to this singular grace of God. "Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race... The knot of Eve's disobedience was united by Mary's obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith" (Irenaeus, 2nd century).

    Faith is the key that unlocks the power of God's kingdom in our lives

    What is the key that can unlock the power and grace of God’s kingdom in our personal lives? Faith and obedience for sure! When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they immediately experienced the consequence of their action - separation from the God who loved them. God in his mercy promised them a Redeemer who would pay the price for their sin and the sin of the world. We see the marvelous unfolding of God's plan of redemption in the events leading up to the Incarnation, the birth of the Messiah. Mary's prompt response of "yes" to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers. Mary believed God's promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do God's will, even if it seemed difficult or costly.

    God gives us the grace to say "yes" to his will and to his transforming work in our lives

God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heart-felt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives the grace, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in God's promises and do you yield to his grace?

"Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified "yes" to your will and to your plan for my life."

WAU- Meditation: Luke 1:26-38 The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you! (Luke 1:28)

From a 2014 homily by Pope Francis on the feast of the Immaculate Conception:

Mary was preserved from original sin, from that fracture in communion with God, with others and with creation, which deeply wounds every human being. But this fracture was healed in advance in the Mother of the One who came to free us from the slavery of sin. The Immaculata was written in God’s design; she is the fruit of God’s love that saves the world …

The mystery of this girl from Nazareth, who is in the heart of God, is not estranged from us. She is not there and we over here. No, we are connected. Indeed, God rests his loving gaze on every man and every woman! By name and surname. His gaze of love is on every one of us. The Apostle Paul states that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4). We too, from all time, were chosen by God to live a holy life, free of sin. It is a plan of love that God renews every time we come to him, especially through the sacraments.

Pope Francis went on to tell us that in Mary we can see our primary vocation: not to do all manner of things but simply to be loved by God and transformed by his love:

Look to [Mary], our mother, and allow her to look upon us, for she is our mother and she loves us so much; let us allow ourselves to be watched over by her so that we may learn how to be more humble, and also more courageous in following the Word of God; to welcome the tender embrace of her Son, Jesus, an embrace that gives us life, hope, and peace.

    “You are all-beautiful, O Mary! Hear our prayer, graciously hear our plea: May the beauty of God’s merciful love in Jesus abide in our hearts,
and may this divine beauty save us and the entire world” (Prayer of Pope Francis).

The angel came to her and said, Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you

Today, the Gospel plays a tune made up of three notes. Three notes which, in our society, are not always that well-tuned: one note of doing, one of friendship and another one of coherence of life. Nowadays, we all have very busy lives, but, do we have a plan? Today, when we are navigating through a world of communications, are we capable of being alone in our own company for a while? Today, in the information era, are we letting it shape who we are?

A plan. Mary, a young woman «betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David» (Lk 1:28). Mary has a plan. Of human proportions, evidently. Nevertheless, God comes into her life to bestow on her another project... of divine proportions. Today, He wants to come into our lives too, to give our everyday human tasks divine proportions

A presence. «Do not fear, Mary» (Lk 1:30). We just do not go and build the first thing that comes into our head! Lest our addiction to “doing” were to become a way to hide a void. Marriage, a life of servitude, our profession, should not mean a leap in the dark. «(...) Full of grace, the Lord is with you» (Lk 1:28). Presence that accompanies and provides a new meaning. Trust in God, which —indirectly— brings us to trust others. Friendship with God that renews our friendship with others, too.

To shape ourselves. Today, when we are confronted with so many stimuli, so often conflicting, it is necessary to give unity and shape to our life. Mary, says saint Louis Mary Grignion, «is the living mound of God». «A sculptor, explains Grignion, can make a statue in two ways: By using his skill, strength, experience and good tools to produce a statue out of hard, shapeless matter; or by making a cast of it in a mold (...). The second is quick, easy, straightforward, almost effortless and inexpensive, but the mold must be perfect and true to life and the material must be easy to handle and offer no resistance». Mary is the great mold of God. Do we turn to Her by being ourselves material that easy to shape?

Suy Niệm Lễ Dức Mẹ Vô Nhiễm Nguyên Tội. (December 8):

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, draw me into this time of prayer with you, on this feast day of your mother. Your whole Church rejoices today, in Heaven and on earth, for this singular privilege that you wished to give your mother: In anticipation of the saving merits of Jesus Christ, you wished to preserve her from the stain of original sin. Let me enter into this time of prayer and be moved in awe, as you wished to be, by the beauty of your mother’s fiat. May her words also take flesh in my own life, Jesus.

Encountering Christ:

Her Name Was Mary: The Evangelist St. Luke introduced this young woman to us simply: “and the virgin’s name was Mary.” The angel’s title reflected the truth that she is filled with grace, with God’s life in her soul. He made the invitation on God’s behalf, and she pondered it. Yet, was her soul so united to God that thinking about something to herself was also a sharing of it with the Lord? As she pondered what this might mean, was she not also asking God to help her know how to respond to him? So bound was her heart to his that she did nothing alone; everything was shared with him. How different would our lives be if we strove to live in the same way?

Heaven Meets Earth as Never Before: What other moment in the history of humanity has existed, quite like this—where God was ready to enter the world he created in a way never imagined before, taking upon himself our human nature and becoming like us, in all things but sin, so as to save us? St. Bernard and many others contemplated this scene in which the messenger of God approached a young girl while the rest of the created world, all the angels and patriarchs, waited in anticipation and suspense for her reply. In this moment of prayer, let us ask for the grace to enter into that moment, to experience that suspense and great admiration for Mary’s free and loving response to God.

Earth Responds to Heaven as Never Before: What other moment in history has a child offered so perfect and complete a response to her Father’s daring invitation? What other fiat offered such perfect beauty, purity, and homage to the living God? In the sincere offering and acceptance of this young girl before her Lord, all the fíats of the Old Covenant found fulfillment, and yours and mine also find a home. May our hearts be moved by this wonder: God wished to make himself vulnerable to Mary’s response, and he opens himself to receive our fiats as well.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I wish to let this truth settle and make a home in my heart: You invite me, as you invited your Mother, to cooperate with God in the plan of salvation of the world. Let this scene and these truths resonate in my heart, Jesus, and bring your desires to take flesh in my life: fiat. Mother, may I be drawn into your fiat, in awe, with a desire to love and give myself to God too.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will strive to imitate Mary by responding with docility and acceptance to your inspirations throughout the day: fiat.

Suy niệm Thứ Ba Tuần 2 Mùa Vọng

 Suy niệm Thứ Ba Tuần 2 Mùa Vọng

Bài dụ ngôn trong Tin Mừng hôm nay đã cho chúng ta thấy được hai cái bài học. Trước tiên, Thiên Chúa yêu thương mọi con người lầm lạc, tội lội, hay những người đã bị gạt bỏ ra ngoài lề của xã hội chúng ta. Họ là những người rất cần được sự chú ý như những người khác. Chính Chúa Giêsu đã hy sinh chẳng màng sự nguy cơ, sự an toàn của 99 con chiên còn lại để mang 1 con chiên lạc bị mất được trở về lại an toàn với đàn chiên. Không một ai có thể hư mất trước mặt Thiên Chúa.

    Thứ hai, Thiên Chúa yêu cũng thương yêu mỗi con chiên trong số 99 còn lại như chính con chiên đi lạc. Bài học này có lẽ là làm chúng ta khó có thể hiểu và chấp nhận được bởi vì 99 con chiên còn lại sẽ phải bơ vơ không người coi giữ. những con chiên này bắt buộc phải tự lo lấy cho chính bản thân trong một môi trường nguy hiểm không mấy an toàn trong khi Ngài tìm kiếm con chiên lạc.

    Một số người trong chúng ta có thể tự hỏi: Đâu là tình yêu bình đẳng trong trường hơp này, Hy sinh 99 con chiên để tìm một con? Nhưng, trọng tâm của bài học thứ hai, Chúa muốn dạy chúng ta là: Sự yêu thương không chỉ chú ý tới sự có mặt, nhưng cũng còn chú ý đến sự tin tưởng. Chúa Giêsu tin tưởng những con chiên còn lại sống gắn bó với nhau và giữ vững niềm tin. Theo kinh nghiệm sống, chúng ta biết có lẽ cách tốt nhất để cảm nhận được tình yêu thuơng không phải chỉ khi chúng ta được công nhận nơi công cộng , mà còn cả khi chúng ta đã được phó thác trong niềm cậy tin.

    Dụ ngôn hôm nay có thể được áp dụng với những người đã vô tình hay cố ý đi lầm đường, lạc lối, hoặc những người đã bị cám dỗ, sa ngã đã làm những điều qua khủng khiếp cho linh hồn họ phải xa lầy và lạc lối. Tất cả sẽ được đón tiếp trở lại với niềm vui như nhau, Chúng ta có thể tự hỏi chính mình: Chúng ta có đã sẵn sàng để tha thứ và tiếp nhận những người đã làm những điều sai trái chúng ta, không phải chỉ là sự miễn cưỡng nhưng luôn là sự sẵn sàng tha thứ với tình yêu chân thật và niềm vui mừng hân hoan.

    Lạy Chúa, Chúa chính là vị Mục Tử Nhân Lành!, Xin dạy và thánh hóa chúng con biết trở nên giống Chúa… Biết Tha Thứ, biết Yêu thương

REFLECTION Matthew 18:12-14

In today’s Gospel, some of us may be wondering. What is the love of equality in this case; Sacrifice 99 sheep to find one that stray? The focus of

    Today’s Gospel passage is: God wants us to know: that love is not just about attention it is also about trust. Jesus trusted the remaining sheep to stay together and keep the faith. We know from experience, that perhaps the best way to feel love is not only to feel that we were recognized but also that we were trusted.

    Advent is not about waiting for Jesus' coming to receive his love and attention. It is also realizing that Jesus has trusted us to keep the faith, spread the Word, and help our neighbor. When we have fully accepted his trust then perhaps we can say that we are truly prepared for Jesus' coming into our hearts.

Reflection (SG)

Jesus is that shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep in the hills and sets out to look for the one lost sheep. Jesus knows that the Father wills not even one be lost. God loves each and every one of us and will do anything to save us from harm. God sends his only Son Jesus to come to us to bring every one of us back to God.

    Very often we are one of the ninety-nine. We are in a safe place. We put all our attention in what is achievable and do what is cost-effective. We have no time for those who fall behind. We regard them as a hindrance to progress. We want to get rid of them as if they were baggage, rather than to carry them along in a neighborly manner; we have no room for what is not in our projects. This is not Christ-like!.

    Christian teachers, social workers, parents, church leaders … we can model ourselves on the Good Shepherd, looking out for those who fall behind, or we can remain up in the hills counting our blessings. But if we are complacent, we will lose track of Jesus, who is out there somewhere looking for lost sheep. Lord Jesus, thank You for looking out for me. Don’t give up on me, Lord!

    

Meditation: God carries us in his bosom

Do you know what it's like to lose your bearings and to be hopelessly adrift in a sea of uncertainty? To be alone, lost, and disoriented without a sense of direction is one of the worst fears we can encounter. What we would give to have a guide who would show us the way to safety and security, the way to home and family. Scripture comforts us with the assurance that God will not rest until we find our way home to him. The Scriptures use the image of a shepherd who cares for his sheep to describe what God is like. God promised that he would personally shepherd his people and lead them to safety (Isaiah 40:11). That is why God sent his only begotten son as the Messiah King who would not only restore peace and righteousness to the land, but who would also shepherd and care for his people with love and compassion. Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:11).

    What can we learn from the lesson of Jesus' parable about a lost sheep? This parable gives us a glimpse of the heart of a true shepherd, and the joy of a community reunited with its lost members. Shepherds not only had to watch over their sheep by day and by night; they also had to protect them from wolves and lions who preyed upon them, and from dangerous terrain and storms. Shepherds often had large flocks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds or thousands. It was common to inspect and count the sheep at the end of the day. You can imagine the surprise and grief of the shepherd who discovers that one of his sheep is missing! Does he wait until the next day to go looking for it? Or does he ask a neighboring shepherd if he might have seen the stray sheep? No, he goes immediately in search of this lost sheep. Delay for even one night could mean disaster leading to death. Sheep by nature are very social creatures. An isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered, disoriented, and even neurotic. Easy prey for wolves and lions!

    The shepherd's grief and anxiety is turned to joy when he finds the lost sheep and restores it to the fold. The shepherd searches until what he has lost is found. His persistence pays off. What was new in Jesus' teaching was the insistence that sinners must be sought out time and time again. How easy to forget and be distracted with other matters while the lost become prey for devouring wolves of the soul. The Apostle Peter reminds us that the "devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

    God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that we be saved and restored to friendship with him. That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to fellowship with God. God is on a rescue mission today to save us from the destructive forces of sin and evil. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, watches over every step we take. Do you listen to his voice and heed his wise counsel? Do you follow the path he has set for you - a path that leads to life rather than death?

    "Lord Jesus, nothing escapes your watchful gaze and care. May I always walk in the light of your truth and never stray from your loving presence."

Comment: Fr. Damien LIN Yuanheng (Singapore, Singapore)

    «Your Father in heaven (…) doesn't want even one of these little ones to be lost»

    Today, Jesus challenges us: “What do you think of this?” (Mt 18:12): what kind of mercy do you practice? Perhaps, we, “practicing Catholics”, having drunk copiously of God's mercy in his sacraments, could come to a point to think that we are already justified in the eyes of God. We run the danger of unconsciously becoming the pharisee who slights the tax-collector (cf. Lk 18:9-14). Though we might not speak it aloud, we might think that we are already blameless before God. Some symptoms of this pharisaical pride taking root could be impatience before the defects of others; or thinking we are already beyond reproach.

    The disobedient prophet Jonah, a Jew, was adamant when God showed pity the Assyrian city of Nineveh. Yahweh reproached Jonah’s intolerance (cf. Jon 4:10-11). His human outlook set a limit to divine mercy. Do we also set limit to God's mercy? We too have to heed Jesus' lesson: «Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful» (Lk 6:36). In all likelihood, we still have a long way to go to imitate God's mercy.

    How should we understand the mercy of our heavenly Father? Pope Francis said that «God does not pardon with a decree but with an embrace». God's embrace of each one of us is called “Jesus Christ”. Christ manifests God's fatherly mercy. In John chapter four, Christ did not make light of the sins of the Samaritan woman. Instead, God's mercy heals by helping the Samaritan woman come face to face with the full reality of her sin. God's mercy is fully consistent with truth. Mercy is not an excuse to cut corners. Yet, Jesus must have elicited her repentance with so much tenderness that the adulterous woman felt herself “wounded by love” (cf. Jn 8,3-11). We too have to learn how to help others come face to face with their mistakes without shaming them, with great respect for them as fellow brothers in Christ, and with tenderness. In our case, also with humility, knowing that we ourselves are “vessels of clay”.

Comment: Fr. Joaquim MONRÓS i Guitart (Tarragona, Spain)

It is the same with your Father in heaven: there they don't want even one of these little ones to be lost.

    Today, Jesus makes it known that God wants all men to be saved and «doesn't want even one of these little ones to be lost» (Mt 18:14). With the parable of the shepherd who looks for the sheep that has gotten lost, he presents us with a figure that deeply moved the first Christians. In the title page of the Catechism of the Catholic Church we find, engraved, the figure of Jesus the Good Shepherd who as early as in the catacombs of Rome is present among the first images of the Lord.

    God's desire for our salvation is so strong that, from the uttering of these words, up to His unconditional sacrifice of the Cross, it is Christ who is looking for us so that we can —with complete freedom— come back to his friendship. We Christians need to share this same desire: that all be saved and get to know the Truth! As Josemaria Escrivá liked to say, «we are all sheep and shepherd». There are people —our husband or wife, our children, relatives and friends, etc.— for whom we may be the only chance they have of recovering the happiness of faith and a life of grace.

    We can always leave aside ninety-nine percent of the things we are doing, to pray for and help that person whom we have near, that we love and that we know is missing something in their soul. With our prayer and mortification, and with our loving faith, they can achieve the grace of conversion, just as Saint Monica got her son Augustine to become the “first modern man”, one who knows how to explain in "The Confessions" the way in which grace acted in the conversion that would lead to his sanctity.

    We ask the Mother of the Good Shepherd for the joy of many conversions.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai tuần thứ Hai mùa Vọng.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai tuần thứ Hai mùa Vọng.

Nhiều người trong chúng ta đã thấy hình ảnh của những cảnh tàn phá do chiến tranh, động đất, hoặc lũ lụt. Điều ngạc nhiên là thường sau một vài năm mọi thứ đều được xây dựng mới và coi như không có gì đã từng xảy ra. Trong bài đọc thứ nhất, Tiên tri Isaiah đã dùng những hình ảnh của sự bừng nở và những thành quả trong sa mạc để chỉ cho chúng ta thấy Thiên Chúa đã ban sự sống mới cho những cuộc sống đã bị tan vỡ như thế nào.

    Ngay cả sau khi thất bại, hay gặp phải những chuyện không may, hay những thứ khó khăn, chúng ta nên nhớ rằng Thiên Chúa luôn phục hồi niềm hy vọng và cho chúng ta một tương lai tươi mới. Thiên Chúa muốn mọi người chúng ta được hạnh phúc và thịnh vượng; nhưng khi những sự việc đó không xảy ra như yhế là vì con người chúng ta thường hay có những sự chọn lựa sai lầm hoặc đã trở thành nạn nhân của những người khác.

    Trong sự tuyệt vọng của những người bạn bè thân thiện nhất của người bất toại hôm nay đã làm cho họ không còn cách nào hơn là đưa người bất loại lên mái nhà và thòng anh ta xuống trước mặt Chúa Giêsu. Chúa đã thương xót và tha thứ tất cả mọi tội lỗi cho anh ta và đã cho anh ta được được bình phục và được trở nên nguyên vẹn như mọi người. Điều này không có nghĩa là Thiên Chúa ông đã trừng phạt ông ta vì những tội ông ta đã phạm mà Chúa để ông ta đã phải bị bại liệt, những thật ra ông ta chính là tù nhân của một cuộc sống rối loạn và hư hỏng. Những người biệt phái và luật sĩ đã cho rằng Chúa Giêsu đã phạm tội phạm thượng vì Chúa đã tha tội cho người bại liệt, vì chỉ có Thiên Chúa mới có thể làm được điều đó, nhưng Chúa Giêsu đã nhấn mạnh cho họ biết rằng việc tha thứ tội lỗi và chữa lành tất cả đều là một phần của lòng từ bi và lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa. Việc dung chữ không quan trọng mà việc tỏ lòng từ bi, nhân hậu mới là đìều thiết yếu. Trong Chúa, chỉ có ánh sáng, sự sống và tình yêu. Tất cả những điều khác được bắt nguồn từ trí tưởng tượng của con người. Lạy Chúa, Xin Chúa chữa lành cho chúng con và ban xuống cho chúng con được tràn đầy hy vọng.

Monday: "Your God will come and save you'"

Many of us have seen pictures of scenes of devastation from war, earthquake, or flood. It is surprising that often after a few years everything looks new and as if nothing had ever happened. The reading from Isaiah uses images of a blossming and fruitful desert to show us how God gives new life to shattered lives. Even after failures, tragedies, and difficulties of all kinds we should remember that God restores hope and gives us a future. God desires that people be happy and flourish; when that does not happen, it is usually because people have made bad choices or become the victims of others.

So desperate were the friends of the paralytic that they lowered him through the roof to Jesus. The Lord forgave his sins and restored him to health and wholeness. This does not mean that he was being punished for his sins, only that he was a prisoner of a disordered and broken life.

The authorities were outraged that he forgave sins — only God can do that — but Jesus insisted that forgiving sins and healing were all part of the compassion and mercy of God. It doesn’t matter which words are used — compassion is the essential part. In God there is only light, life, and love. — anything else springs from human imagination. Lord, heal me and fill me with hope.

Monday 2nd of Advent

Opening Prayer: Dear Jesus, I draw close to you again for this time of prayer. Let me receive your word in my life today. Prepare my heart for your coming. Jesus, you are so good. Here you are, waiting for me to draw close to you. You are ready to receive me and listen to the deepest longings of my heart, perhaps even before I recognize my need to voice them. Let me enter this time of prayer and sit beside you, listen to you, and receive the word that you wish to speak to me. Don’t let the challenges and disappointments keep me back. I wish to give you my whole life, Jesus.

Encountering Christ:

1. Come In and Sit Down: Entering this passage, we take our place in the scene. What resonates most in our hearts as we encounter God’s word here? Perhaps we take a seat beside the teachers of the law, drawing nearer to get to know a bit more about this Jesus and his message. Or maybe we sit down–hidden, anonymous–one of the crowd about to witness a great miracle. Or perhaps we are carrying a loved one on that mat, in place of the paralytic. Or are you and I also paralytics, in need of the Lord’s healing? Placing ourselves in this scene, we humbly seek Our Lord’s unique blessings.

2. Redirected Plans: The paralytic’s friends could not find a way in, but they didn’t give up at the first or the second “no.” They continued looking for a way to bring their friend to Jesus. We can sometimes get frustrated when our best efforts to reach out to Jesus seem to fail. What, or who, are we trying to bring to Jesus this Advent? How might Jesus be inviting us to press on—to find a creative, even if different or unexpected way, to break through the crowd, so as to bring souls to him?

3. Faith That Jesus Sees to the Heart: Perhaps it surprises us, as it did the teachers of the law, that Jesus didn’t ask the paralytic or the Pharisees what they wanted. He simply said to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven.” He saw right into the heart of this man and knew what he most needed. So too, he knew the hearts of the Pharisees. Perhaps they sincerely wondered, “Only God can do this. And yet, he has done this. What must that mean?” And Jesus answered, again, not with his voice, but with an unvoiced question, “Are you wondering if I have this authority? Let me show you: I will make the paralytic walk again and I will cleanse his sins.” What question might Jesus find in our own hearts as this Advent journey continues?

    Conversing with Christ: You desire this season of Advent for my soul much more than I do. Make me long for your coming more and more. I need you, Jesus, just as this paralytic and his friends–and even these Pharisees–also needed you. I trust in you, Good Jesus, and I love you. Move my heart to respond to you in greater love, one step closer, on this Advent journey to the manger side.

    Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray throughout the day, “Jesus, I surrender to you. Take care of everything,” as an expression of my desire to let you do what and when you wish. 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật thứ Hai Mùa Vọng Năm C

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật thứ Hai Mùa Vọng Năm C

Hôm nay Giáo hội đã dùng những câu đầu trong bài Tin Mừng để trình bày cho chúng biết rõ một thời điểm rất thực trong lịch sử. Đây không chỉ là những ghi chép lịch sử đơn giản. Nhưng đã tiết lộ cho chúng ta một sự thật sâu sắc hơn: Chúa Giêsu đến đúng lúc. Ngài thực sự bước vào thực tế của chúng ta. Không phải là huyền thoại, không phải là những ảo tưởng huyền bí, nhưng đó lịch sử, đó là hiện tượng thực sự và có thật.

    Qua sự Nhập thể của Chúa Giêsu, Con Thiên Chúa đã bước vào thế giới con người chúng ta như chưa từng có trước đây và chính Ngài đã thay đổi nó, Ngài đã cứu chuộc thế giới và nhân loại mãi mãi về sau.

Chúa Giêsu đã không đến một cách tượng trưng; sự xuất hiện của Chúa Giêsu là có thật, có lịch sử và chỉ có Ngài là đấng vĩ đại nhất, hơn bất cứ ai khác mà chúng ta có thể tưởng tượng trong lịch sử con người. Ngài đã mặc lấy xác thịt con người như chúng ta và đến với thế giới của chúng ta để cứu chuộc chúng ta, để cứu chuộc thế giới. Đây là buổi bình minh tuyệt vời mà Mùa Vọng đến để loan báo. Có lẽ Chúa Thánh Thần thúc đẩy tâm hồn chúng ta nhận ra được lẽ thật này để chúng ta có lòng tin cậy và tình yêu thương dâng tràn trong tâm hồn chúng ta.

    Cũng giống như lời nói và hành động đều phải có ý nghĩa, lời nói và hành động phải đi đôi với nhau không chỉ đơn thuần như bề ngoài mà thế giới ảo tưởng của chúng ta gợi ý. Đấng Cứu Thế đến với con người và Ngài sẵn sàng chấp nhận hậu quả tồi tệ nhất trong việc cứu chuộc mà chúng ta cần vì Ngài rất mong muốn được cứu rỗi chúng ta. Cuộc khổ nạn của Chúa Kitô đã được gợi ý, trong câu chuyện kể về sự ra đời của Ngài như trong Tin Mừng hôm nay nhắc tới Annas và Caiaphas. Chúng ta sẽ gặp lại những người này vào trong Tuần Thánh. Mầu nhiệm Nhập thể và sự Phục sinh không thể tách rời nhau. Chúng ta hãy xin Chúa giúp cho chúng ta để Chúa Thánh Thần lay động tâm hồn chúng ta, để Ngài thì thầm những lẽ thật này vào lúc mà chúng ta gặp phải những đau khổ trong cuộc đời chúng ta, Ngài sẽ đến và gặp chúng ta ở đó.

    Qua lời lời tiên tri Ê-saia tiên đoánvể ông Gioan tẩy giả, người là tiếng kêu trong sa mạc hay trong đồng vắng, kêu goi mọi người hãy thống hối ăn năn vì sự cứu chuộc sắp đến. Lời của Tiên Tri Êsaia cũng gợi lên cho chúng ta nhận ra lời của Thiên Chúa trong Sáng thế ký, Đấng đã nói và mọi thứ đã thành hiện thực. Lời Chúa có hiệu quả. Chúa đã thực hiện những gì mà Ngài đã hứa. Ở đây, Chúa đã thực hiện lời hứa của Ngài là sai một Đấng Thiên sai hay một đấng Messiah. Trong hành trình Mùa Vọng cho đến Bethlehem, chúng ta hãy mời Chúa Thánh Thần đến với chúng và xin Ngài nhắc nhở chúng ta về những lời Ngài đã hứa và đã thực hiện trong chúng ta.

    Lạy Chúa Giêsu, chúng con tin rằng Chúa đã chọn đi vào thế giới của chúng con; thế giới của con người và đã mặc lấy xác thịt con người yếu đuối như chúng con, hầu cứu chuộc chúng con, để chúng con có thể sống hiệp nhất với Chúa một lần nữa. Chúa mời gọi chúng con cùng đồng hành mỗi ngày với Chúa để chúng con được gần Chúa hơn và được đến với vòng tay vĩnh cửu của Chúa trên Thiên đường với Chúa.

    Hôm nay, chúng con vẫn tiếp tục sống trong Mùa Vọng này, và chúng con cầu xin Chúa với niềm hy vọng Xin Chúa hãy thực hiện những lời hứa của Chúa với Chúng con. Xin Chúa hãy cho chúng con niềm hy vọng và sự tin tưởng để chờ đợi, và cho chúng con được sống trong tình yêu và được lớn trong Chúa và tiếp tục làm môn đệ theo chân Chúa. Xin Chúa giúp chúng con biết san bằng những ngọn núi trong lòng chúng con vì đó là chướng ngại vật cẳn ngăn con đến với Chúa. Xin Chúa giúp chúng con đắp đầy những thung lũng cho cao vì chúng con đang chìm đắm trong thế giới trần tục đầy tội lỗi khi chúng con cố gắng theo chân Chúa. Lạy Chúa, Xin Chúa hãy giúp chúng con biết làm thẳng những con đường dẫn con đến với trái tim Chúa. Lạy Chúa xin Chúa thực hiện lời Chúa hứa với chúng con..

Homily for Second Sunday of Advent - Year C - 2021

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, I join your Church in prayer as we are one Sunday closer to celebrating the birth of your Son. You know how much I need Christ to be born anew in my life, and how much the world needs his birth. Prepare my heart and our world, a world made by your hands, for his coming. You are the Radiant Dawn that rises never to set again. Root my life in the hope that you are faithful to your promises. Let me receive the word that you have for me today.

Encountering Christ:

God Comes in Time: The first verses of this chapter are dedicated to situating this reading in a very real moment in history. These are more than simple historical notes. They reveal to us a deeper truth: God comes in time. He truly enters our reality. Not generically, not virtually, but truly. Through his Incarnation, the Son of God enters the world as never before and changes it–redeems it–forever onward. He has not come symbolically; his coming is real, historical, and greater than anyone could imagine. He has taken on our flesh and comes to redeem us, to redeem the world. This is the great dawn which Advent comes to proclaim. Perhaps the Holy Spirit stirs our hearts to sit with this truth and let trust and love well up in our hearts.

He Loved Them to the End: Just as words and actions have meaning–they are not inconsequential or merely superficial as our virtual world might suggest–Christ comes, ready to assume the consequences of the redemption we so need and he so desires for us. His Passion is hinted already, in this telling of his birth, by the mention of Annas and Caiaphas. We will meet them again later in Holy Week. The mystery of the Incarnation and the Resurrection cannot be separated. May we allow the Holy Spirit to move our hearts, to let him whisper this truth into a place of suffering in our lives: He comes to meet us there.

The Voice: This passage attributes Isaiah’s prophecy to John the Baptist, who is the voice crying out in the wilderness, the message of the coming redemption. It also evokes the voice of God in Genesis, who spoke and things came to be. God’s word is effective. It does what it says. Here, his word brings to fulfillment his promise to send a Messiah. In our Advent journey to Bethlehem, let us invite the Holy Spirit to remind us of the promises he has made and fulfilled.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I believe that you have chosen to enter our world–my world–and to take on our flesh, redeem us, so that we can live in union with you again. You invite me to walk each day closer to Heaven’s eternal embrace with you. For now, I continue living this Advent season, and I ask you with great hope: Fulfill your promises to me. Give me hope and trust to wait, and great love to keep on following you. Level the mountains in me that are obstacles to you. Raise up the valleys in which I sink as I try to follow you. Straighten the paths that lead me to your heart, Lord. If you say it, it will be done.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will spend some time in prayer and ask you to show me what mountains, valleys, or twisted roads in my life are keeping me from accepting the fulfillment of your promises.

Reflection Sunday 2nd of Advent

"A voice crying out in the desert" is how the prophet Isaiah spoke of the person and work of the Precursor John the Baptist. John the Baptist preached; he prophesied; he chastised and castigated wrong-doers. Like all other prophets, he seemed to be crying out in a desert, in a huge seemingly empty space.

To the crowds who came to see and hear him, he spoke bluntly, "You brood of vipers! How will you escape when divine punishment comes? Produce now the fruits of a true change of heart, and do not deceive yourselves by saying, 'Abraham is our ancestor.' For I tell you, God can make children of Abraham from these stones. The axe is already laid to the root of the tree and every tree that fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (Lk 3:7 -8)

John the Baptist baptized with water signifying penance and repentance; he prophesied the coming of a greater One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. "John announced the Good News to the people until Herod had put him in prison. For John reproached Herod for living with Herodias, his brother's wife, and for his evil deeds. Then Herod added another crime to all the rest he had committed: he put John in prison." (Lk 3:18b – 20)

Prophets may not be easy to live with, then and now. John ate differently and dressed quite exotically and simply: "John had a leather garment around his waist and wore a cloak of camel's hair; his food was locusts and wild honey." (Mt 3:4) And he resolutely refused to be silenced in what he felt was God's task for him, even against the ruling king.

When we meet John the Baptist or any true prophet in our life, we should remember one thing: we should listen no matter what we see; even if we may not like the messenger. We should listen to a prophet's message: it is relevant and is for us.

It is not easy to be a prophet, then and now. If somehow we have been tasked to bring a message, to spread the word that will save people profoundly, we have the obligation to complete the task. This obligation is not only because we wish to be faithful to God who gives the task but also to be faithful to our own selves. We complete ourselves when we complete our assigned task, when we obey God's holy will.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuàn thứ Nhất Mùa Vọng

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuàn thứ Nhất Mùa Vọng

Trong các bài trong tuần này, Tiên tri Isaiah loan báo vào một thời điểm khi "những người điếc được nghe, người mù được thấy." Thời gian đó đã xảy ra trong bối cảnh mà chúng ta được thấy trong các bài Tin Mừng trong tuần này.. Chúa Giêsu đã bộn rộn với sứ vụ, làm phép lạ, chữa lành, và rao giảng Tin Mừng qua các thị trấn và làng mạc của Israel, nơi mà nhiều người mù được Chúa cho thấy, và điếc được chúa cho nghe, và kết quả là họ ca ngợi và tạ ơnThiên Chúa .

Chúng ta có thể nghĩ đó chỉ là những việc Chúa làm trong thời gian quá khứ, và câu chuyện của Chúa Giêsu được coi như đã hoàn thành lời tiên tri của tiên tri Isaiah. Chúa Giêsu không còn hiện diện với chúng ta trên trái đất này nữa và như thế làm con người chúng ta có thể khó tin. Điều này có thể rất đúng vì Chúa Giêsu đã không ở đây như hơn 2.000 năm trước, Nhưng với Đức Tin, chúng ta đã nhận được rằng Chúa Giêsu vẫn luôn luôn còn ở với chúng ta. Ngài hiện diện ngay trong tâm hồn và trong thân xác của chúng ta qua Bí Tích Thánh Thể. Ngài đang ở đây giữa chúng ta và lắng nghe lời chúng ta khấn nguyện và Ngài cũng đã đáp lại lời cầu nguyện của chúng ta, và Ngài cũng vẫn đang ở đây, vẫn đang tích cực làm việc với chúng ta và qua chúng ta Ngài đã chữa lành cho những người đau bệnh, cho phép người mù được nhìn thấy và những kẻ điếc nghe được như Chúa Giêsu đã cùng với các Tông Đồ trong nhiệm vụ của họ 2000 năm trước. Ngày này, Ngài cũng đã và đang hiện diện với chúng ta trong Giáo Hội, nơi mà mọi người Kitô hữu đến với nhau như một cộng đồng để công bố Lời của Ngài và làm tròn bổn phận của chúng ta là môn đệ của Người.

Điếu mà tất cả chúng ta phải làm là hãy tin tưởng và xây dựng đức tin của chúng ta, và hãy nhớ rằng Chúa Kitô rất muốn được ở ngay bên cạnh chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy gạt bỏ đi tất cả những mối nghi ngờ, sự cứng lòng tin và phải biết rộng mở tâm hồn chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy cùng nhau cầu nguyện với gia đình và với cộng đoàn giáo hội của chúng ta vì Chúa Kitô ở Ngay giữa chúng ta. Vi Chúa nói :"Vì ở đâu có hai ba người họp lại nhân danh Thầy, thì ta ở giữa họ." (Mt 18:20)”

Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con biết đến gần Chúa với lòng tự tin và sự tin tưởng vào sức mạnh trong ơn Cứu chuộc và lòng thương xót của Chúa. Xin Chúa giải thoát chúng con khỏi mọi sự nghi ngờ và sự bất tín của chúng con, để chúng con có thể đến gần với Chúa một cách tự tin và một cách dạn dĩ hơn với những lời cầu xin rất chân thành. Xin cho Nước Chúa trị đến và Ý Chúa được thực hiện nơi chúng con.

REFLECTION Saturday after 1st Sunday Of Advent

Isaiah proclaims a time when "the deaf shall hear [and] the eyes of the blind shall see." That time came amid Jesus' busy ministry through the towns and villages of Israel, where many blind and deaf people were healed and, as a result, they praised God in thanksgiving. We may think that that time is now in the past. The story of Jesus, after all, has fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. Jesus is no longer physically present here on earth and it would be unwise to count on miracles.

As it may be true that Jesus is not here in the same presence as He did more than 2,000 years ago, Jesus is very much still with us. He is with us spiritually in our hearts and physically with us through the Holy Eucharist. He is here listening to us and answering our prayers and he is here still actively working with us and through us to heal the sick, to enable the blind to see and the deaf to hear. He was with the Apostles during their very first missions and he is very much present as we in the Church come together as a community to proclaim His Word and do our duty as His followers.

All it takes is for us to believe and to build our faith, and to remember that he is very much alongside us. Let us cast away the doubts and open our hearts. Let us pray together with our families and with our church community. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Mt 18:20).

"Lord, help me to draw near to you with confidence and trust in your saving power and mercy. Free me from doubt and unbelief that I may approach you confidently and pray boldly with expectant faith. Let your kingdom come and may your will be done in me."

Saturday after 1st Sunday Of Advent For 

Opening Prayer: Jesus, thank you for shepherding me yourself. Help me to hear your voice in your word and follow it always.

Encountering Christ:

The Lost Sheep: Let’s take a moment to imagine Jesus looking over the crowd with pity. He looked at his people and saw despair, confusion, sinfulness, and want. He saw no one leading them in the right direction. They were spiritually wandering aimlessly: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Sheep that stray away from the fold can get lost or hurt, or die easily: “They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the wild beasts” (Ezekiel 34:5). Jesus fulfilled Ezekiel’s prophecy of the Good Shepherd: “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness” (Ezekiel 24:11-12). Jesus himself seeks out the lost, hurt, and blind. He binds them up and heals them himself.

God with Us: The false religion of Deism teaches that there is a creator, but that he does not care for the earth or its people. He simply created the universe, set creation in motion, and now leaves us to fend for ourselves. No, God will not abandon or forsake us. God has been here for us for all time. He leads us in all circumstances: “It is the Lord who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8). He is our Good Shepherd. He leads, feeds, protects, guides, and teaches us himself: “The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst. No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, while from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: ‘This is the way; walk in it,’ when you would turn to the right or to the left” (Isaiah 30:20-21). He is with us in the Eucharist, spiritually and physically present for us at every sacrifice of the Mass and in every Catholic tabernacle. His name is Emmanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14).

He Still Shepherds Us: Jesus also ensured that his sheep would be cared for after his time on earth was over. First, he gave his authority to the Apostles, empowering them to drive out demons, heal, and even raise the dead (Matthew 10:1). Later he gave them authority to forgive sins, an even larger share in his plan for salvation (John 20:22). This authority of the Apostles was transmitted down through the centuries to our bishops today. There is a clear line of apostolic succession from St. Peter to Pope Francis. The authority of Christ is passed down through these ordained men from age to age, ensuring that we will not be left comfortless (John 14:18). We have the guidance of the Church to shepherd us. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, who pours forth from Christ and God the Father to comfort and teach us in all things (John 14:26). Christ himself continues to shepherd us through the Holy Spirit and the teachings of the Church. We are not aimless sheep in danger; we are beloved sheep.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, it is so amazing to me that you shepherd me yourself. I am sorry for the times when I have strayed away from your gentle guidance and protection. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit and your one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church to guide me. Jesus, help me to stay safe and cared for by staying close to the fold of your Church. Jesus, I trust in you to shepherd me through all things. 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will consider if I have not been docile to your voice, my Good Shepherd. I will repent and make a plan to confess any rebellion to your will in my heart.

Saturday after 1st Sunday Of Advent

Encountering Christ:

1. We Are the Downtrodden: What is there to harvest when the sheep themselves look so downtrodden? Where is the Church to find vocations to the priesthood, consecrated life, and holy matrimony when even the small group of the faithful who actually follow Christ are “troubled and abandoned”? We all sometimes feel needy, ragtag, and unprepared for our mission. Even little daily tasks can overwhelm us. Never fear! When Jesus looked out at his followers, it wasn’t that his chest swelled with pride at such a glorious band of apostles. Rather, “his heart was moved with pity for them.” We ourselves are silly sheep, not regal lions, and Our Lord knows this. The task given to us–to the Church–will always seem too great, but Christ asks us to remain humble and trust in him because he is the master of the harvest.

2. Just Twelve?: We know from other Gospel accounts that Jesus sent out more than twelve disciples, but here Matthew mentions only these dozen. What are so few workers for so great a harvest? This passage gives us another illustration of God’s logic of election. He chose Abraham and decreed that through him the nations should find blessing. He set apart his people Israel to be holy, in order to become a light to the nations. He chose the prophet Jonah to preach to the massive city of Nineveh. God elects his chosen ones because he loves them and so that through them many may be saved. The Church may always be small, but she is called to be holy for the sake of the many outside her gates.

3. Our Mission: So let the adventure begin! Let’s preach the word, cure the sick, serve our neighbors. The stakes are high indeed, but if we begin generously with the few (“the lost sheep of the house of Israel”), we will, by God’s grace, help save the many (“the harvest is abundant”). We have received the gift of Christ’s love and mercy without cost; now we are to give that gift to others without counting the cos.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, please give me courage so that I do not despair at the size of the task before the Church. I want to be your close disciple; I long for intimacy with you. When you send me out, please remain with me, O Master of the harvest!

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will look for ways to preach your word boldly.