Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Ngày 29 tháng 12 /ngày thứ 5 trong bát nhật Giáng Sinh/

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng  Ngày 29 tháng 12 /ngày thứ 5 trong bát nhật Giáng Sinh/
 Nếu chúng ta tưởng tượng đến hình ảnh của bài phúc âm hôm nay, chúng ta có thể sẽ thấy khu đền thờ đầy những người qua lại giống như một khu chợ  hơn là đền thờ. Khi Đức Maria, ông Giuse mang Chúa Giêsu đến  đền thờ này, chắc chắn họ sẽ bị lạc trong những đám đông này. Một cặp vợ chồng rất đơn sơ, bình thường với một đứa trẻ thơ, họ thực sự không có gì đáng để ý. Có nhiều thầy thượng tế và người Pha-ri-sêu hiện diện và đứng giữa đám đông, họ có thể vai xánh vai với ông Giuse, nhưng không một ai trong số các giáo sĩ này của dân của Chúa đã có thể nghĩ rằng đứa trẻ này lại là "ánh sáng để soi chiếu những người ngoại giáo và cũng là vinh quang của dân Chúa,  Israel ". Thất là kỳ lạ cho dù mọi người Do Thái đang háo hức khao khát và chờ đợi Đấng Mếtsaia sẽ đến với họ,  nhưng không ai biết , kể cả các nhà lãnh đạo tôn giáo, đều nhận Ngài. Không ai, ngoại trừ ông già, Simeon, và góa già Anna.
Thiên Chúa đã nói với Simeon rằng ông sẽ được sống cho đến khi mắt ông nhìn thấy Đấng Mết-sai-a. Vì ông là một người đạo đức biết kính sợ Chúa,  và Chúa Thánh Thần đã đến với ông, Như Tin Mừng Luca đã nói. Chắc chắn là Thánh Thần Chúa đã gợi cho ông Simeon nhìn thấy được thực tại của trần thế này là thấy Thiên Chúa đang làm việc trong con người. Và ông Simeon đã thấy nơi Chúa Jêsus trong việc Ngài đã hoàn thành các lời hứa của các đấng thiên sai. Ông còn thấy được nhiều hơn thế nữa; Ông đã công nhận rằng công việc của Chúa Jêsus không là chỉ đếb thế gian để cứu rỗi dân Do Thái mà thôi, nhưng Ngài còn đến để cứu rỗi toàn thể nhân loại.
Chúng ta hãy cầu xin Chúa Thánh Linh dạy cho chúng ta cách biết nhìn vào kinh nghiệm của chính bản thân chúng ta hàng ngày và tìm ra công việc mả Thiên Chúa muốn chúng ta thực hiện trong kế hoạch cứu rỗi của nhân loại cũa Ngài..
 
REFLECTION December 29, 2017
If we try to imagine the picture of today’s gospel, we may see the temple area teemed with people. It was something like a marketplace. Jesus, Mary and Joseph came into the Temple area and immediately were lost in the milling crowds. An ordinary poor couple with a very young baby: there was really nothing worth noticing.
There were priests and Pharisees among the crowd, rubbing shoulders with the little family, yet not a single one of these religious elite of God's own people had any idea this child was "a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of [God's] people Israel." It seems very strange that though every Jew was eagerly waiting and yearning for the Messiah to come, no one, not even the religious leaders, recognized him. No one, that is, other than the old man, Simeon, and the old widow, Anna. God had told Simeon that he would live until his eyes beheld the Messiah.  He was a devout and pious man and the Holy Spirit was on him, Luke says. Undoubtedly the Spirit inspired Simeon to look at the earthly reality and see God at work in it. Simeon saw in Jesus the fulfillment of the messianic promises. He saw much more besides; he recognized that Jesus' task embraced the salvation not only of the Jewish people, but of the whole human race.
Let us ask the Spirit to teach us how to look into our daily experiences and find the task God intends us to fulfill in his plan for the salvation of all humankind.
 
December 29 2022 The 5^th day in the Octave of Christmas
Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas, December 29
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  Luke 2:33–35
When something truly supernatural takes place, the human mind that grasps that supernatural event is filled with wonder and awe. For Mother Mary and Saint Joseph, their minds were continually filled with a holy amazement at what they were witnessing.
First there was the Annunciation to our Blessed Mother. Then the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. Then the miraculous birth took place. Shepherds came to adore their child and revealed that a multitude of angels had appeared to them. Shortly after this, the Magi from the East showed up to do homage to their child. And today we are given the story of Simeon in the Temple. He spoke of the supernatural revelation he had received about this Child. Time after time, the miracle of what was taking place was placed before Mother Mary and Saint Joseph, and each time they responded with wonder and awe.
Though we are not blessed to encounter this supernatural event of the Incarnation in the same way that Mary and Joseph did, we are nonetheless able to share in their “amazement” and their “wonder and awe” by prayerfully pondering this supernatural event. The mystery of Christmas, which is a manifestation of God becoming man, is an event that transcends all time and space. It’s a spiritual reality of supernatural origin and is therefore an event that our minds of faith have full access to. Just like Mother Mary and Saint Joseph, we must hear the angel at the Annunciation, the angel in Joseph’s dream, we must witness the shepherds and Magi and, today, we must rejoice with Simeon as he gazed upon the newborn Messiah, the Savior of the World.
Reflect, today, upon how fully you have allowed your mind to engage the incredible mystery that we celebrate this holy season. Have you taken time to prayerfully read the story once again? Are you able to sense the joy and fulfillment experienced by Simeon and Anna? Have you spent time considering the minds and hearts of Mother Mary and Saint Joseph as they experienced that first Christmas? Let this deep supernatural mystery of our faith touch you this Christmas season in such a way that you, too, are “amazed” at what we celebrate.
Lord, I thank you for the gift of Your Incarnation. With Simeon, I rejoice and offer You praise and thanksgiving. Please renew within me a true sense of wonder and awe as I gaze with amazement at what You have done for me and for the whole world. May I never tire of pondering this supernatural gift of Your life. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
December 29 2022 The 5^th day in the Octave of Christmas
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I long to abide in your presence. You refresh my soul and fill me with your light, although I don’t turn to you often enough or exercise enough faith when I do remember you. But here I am now, Lord, ready to spend a few precious moments with you in the room of my heart. I want to pick up more readily on the inspirations of your Spirit. I want to be a docile instrument in your hands to serve you and your Church.
Petition: Lord, teach me to be open to your Spirit.
1. Simeon, a Man of the Spirit: Luke tells us three times in this short passage that Simeon was a man who was attentive to the Holy Spirit. The “Holy Spirit was upon him” since “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord.” Simeon was in conversation with the Spirit and learned to listen to his holy inspirations. Just as in Christ’s life we see him many times moved by the Spirit—for example, to come to be baptized by John and subsequently to be “driven by the Spirit” into the desert—so in Simeon’s life, he is not only inspired but also powerfully moved by the Spirit. We should take a moment in our meditation to admire this man who lent himself totally to the movements of the Spirit.
2. Mary, Overshadowed by the Spirit: There is no one who demonstrates docility to the Spirit more than Mary Immaculate. She didn’t put up any obstacles to the work of the Holy Spirit; as the Spirit expresses to us through the Gospel writer, “the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). As John Paul II describes it, Mary “responded with faithful obedience to every request of God, to every motion of the Holy Spirit.” As she stands here at the presentation of her firstborn son, she now hears words spoken to her through the Spirit’s instrument: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Once more, Mary acquiesces to the Holy Spirit and accepts the foretold suffering far in advance.
3. Amazed by the Spirit: All of us have heard incredible stories of moments in which the Holy Spirit intervened or directed a situation. Maybe we have experienced this in our own lives. Is there any reason why we shouldn’t? Are there any obstacles that the Holy Spirit would find in our lives? He should be the soul’s gentle guest. But how do we foster this friendship with the Holy Spirit? We have to bring silence into our hearts to distinguish his voice from the noise of so many worldly voices trying to drown out his word, and it also means we have to be docile and obedient once we have heard it.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, there are so many lessons to be learned from your presentation in the Temple. I have taken one of them: the presence of your Holy Spirit so evident in this Gospel passage. In the Christmas season, we celebrate your being among us as a tiny child. Yet, your whole life will show us how to be docile to the Holy Spirit. You have sent him so that we might not be alone. May he always accompany me in life, and may he always remind me of the many things you did and said, as you lead me to the Father’s house.
Resolution: I will spend the day attentive to the Holy Spirit and make this a particular point for my examination of conscience.
 
December 29 2021 The 5^th day in the Octave of Christmas
Opening Prayer: Lord, I present myself to you in prayer this morning as the Holy Family presented themselves to you in the temple. Bless me, speak to me, anoint me, and send me on my way with your blessing.
Encountering Christ:
1.      Obedience to the Law: Greater royalty never lived! Yet, the Holy Family considered themselves subject to the law of their day, not above it. According to the law, every firstborn male belonged to God and needed to be redeemed for a price. Mary and Joseph not only followed the prescription of the law, but they did so humbly, bringing for their offering what the poor could afford: two turtle doves. They asked for no exception, even though the law didn’t apply to them. What a lesson can be drawn from their breathtaking docility! Should we doubt that acts of obedience such as these please our Father? Jesus told St. Faustina, “My daughter, know that you give me greater glory by a single act of obedience than by long prayers and mortifications” (Diary 894). 
2.      Simeon Was Waiting: The Scriptures tell us Simon was “righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” He lived in the Spirit and allowed himself to be led by the Spirit. Inspired by the Spirit, Simon was waiting for no less than the arrival of the Savior of the world—and his expectations were met. He came to the temple in the Spirit precisely as Mary and Joseph arrived with Jesus. Simon embodied a soul who seeks first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) and received all else from God’s hand. To be so connected to the vine (John 15:5) requires obedience to God’s will, purity of intention, and great love. As we journey through the Christmas season, what keeps us from living in the Spirit like Simeon?
3.      A Sword?: Mary and Joseph were “amazed” at what was said about Jesus, but Mary was then told that a sword would one day pierce her heart. Even though God can give us consolation when we meditate on his Incarnation and our subsequent redemption, we cannot avoid trials, pains, and sufferings while we’re here on this earth. We relish consolations with hearts full of gratitude and rely on Jesus, the light of the nations and the glory of Israel, to bless us so that even our suffering is made sweet because of its redemptive power.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, I want to be a vessel of the Holy Spirit, so connected to you that “in you I live and move and have my being” (Acts 17:28). Grant me the grace to love you this way. I want to rejoice in your consolation and offer you every suffering.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will conform my will to the will of others, as appropriate, confident that my obedience will please you.
 
The 5^th day in the Octave of Christmas Today’s Gospel tells the story of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. The Temple was, in practically a literal sense, the dwelling place of the Lord. In the Temple, divinity and humanity embraced, and the human race was brought back online with God.
But the sins of the nation had, according to the prophet Ezekiel, caused the glory of the Lord to depart from the Temple. Therefore, one of the deepest aspirations of Israel’s people was to reestablish the Temple as the place of right praise so that the glory of the Lord might return. When Joseph and Mary bring the infant Jesus into the Temple, therefore, we are meant to appreciate that the prophecy of Ezekiel is being fulfilled. The glory of Yahweh is returning to his favorite dwelling. And this is precisely what Simeon sees.
The old seer is a symbol of ancient Israel, watching and waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Simeon knew all of the old prophecies; he embodied the expectation of the nation; and the Holy Spirit had given him the revelation that he would not die until he had laid eyes on his Savior.
 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Ngày 28 thánh 12.. Lễ các thánh Anh hài

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Ngày 28 thánh 12.. Lễ các thánh Anh hài
Qua bài Tin Mừng, chúng ta có thể tự hỏi là làm thế nào mà những vụ giết hại các trẻ sơ sinh nam vô tội ở Bethlehem phù hợp với những niềm vui của mùa Giáng sinh. Sự kiện tàn ác này của Hêrôdê đã gây ra biết bao nhiêu đau khổ và nước mắt cho cha mẹ của những trẻ sơ sinh tử đạo. Theo các lệnh của vua Hêrôdê bắt những trẻ sơ sinh nam, vô tội và không thể tự vệ, phải chết. Những tiếng kêu la được nghe ở Ra-ma; những than thở  và khóc lóc đã thành tiếng. Bà Rachel khóc lóc  thảm thiết vì con của bà đà bị hêrôđê giết. Bà từ chối những sự an ủi của mọi người, vì con trai của bà không còn nữa.
Chúng hãycùng cầu nguyện với hội thánh: “Lạy Chúa, Các hài nhi vô tội này đã được tuyên xưng và kính nhớ đến trong ngày hôm nay, khộng phải những gì mà những hài nhi này đã làm hay tuyên xưng, nhưng đã họ chết vì Ðức Kitô. Nay được theo Người là Chiên con tinh tuyền. Xin cho chúng con có lòng tin vững mạnh nơi Chúa để miệng lưỡi chúng con chẳng ngớt tung hô:" Lạy Chúa, vinh danh Chúa ".
Chúng ta cũng không quên cầu nguyện cho những thai nhi và các trẻ em đã bị cha mẹ chối bỏ. Xin cho chúng ta có được ân sũng Chúa ban để chúng ta có thể trở nên trong trắng, thơ ngây giống như các em : "Quả thật, Ta bảo các ngươi, nếu các ngươi không hoán cải mà nên như trẻ nhỏ, các ngươi sẽ không vào được Nước Trời. ⁴ Vậy phàm ai kể mình hèn hạ như trẻ nhỏ này, thì người ấy là kẻ lớn hơn trong Nước Trời. Và kẻ nào tiếp đón một trẻ nhỏ này vì Danh Ta, tức là tiếp đón Ta . "(Mt 18: 3-5)
Chúng ta cũng hãy cầu nguyện cho tất cả các nạn nhân của sự bất công và bạo lực, đặc biệt là những sự bạo hành liên quan đến trẻ em như chúng ta đang chứng kiến mỗi ngày ngay trong đất nước của chúng và các cuộc chiến tranh, các cuộc xung đột vũ trang trên thế giới ngày nay. Đặc biệt, chúng ta hãy  cầu nguyện cho các thai nhi nạn nhân của sự ích kỷ, của những bất công và bạo lực trong xã hội của chúng ta hôm nay.
 
Reflection Holy Innocents
     We may wonder how the massacre of the innocent male infants in Bethlehem fits in with the joy of the Christmas season. The event must have caused great suffering and anguish for the parents of the martyred babies. At the order of evil King Herod these male infants, innocent and defenseless, were killed: A cry is heard in Ramah; wailing and loud lamentation: Rachel weeps for her children. She refuses to be comfoted, for they are no more.
     We pray with the Church: "O God, whom the Holy Innocents confessed and proclaimed on this day, not by speaking but by dying, grant that the faith in you we confess with our lips may also speak through our manner of life." (Collect at Mass, Feast of the Holy Innocents)
     Let us pray for children and that we be graced to become like them: "I assure you that unless you change and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes lowly like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever received such a child in my name receives me." (Mt 18: 3–5) Let us pray for all victims of injustice and violence, especially involving children as we see in present-day wars and armed conflicts in the world. Let us especially pray for victims of injustice and violence against those still unborn. 
 
Dec 28- Holy Innocents 2022
Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs - Fourth Day of the Octave of Christmas, December 28
When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Matthew 2:13
The most glorious event ever to take place in our world also filled some with hatred and rage. Herod, who was jealous of his own earthly power, felt greatly threatened by the message shared with him by the Magi. And when the Magi failed to return to Herod to tell him where the Newborn King was located, Herod did the unthinkable. He ordered the slaughter of every boy, two years old and younger, who was in Bethlehem and its vicinity.
Such an act is hard to comprehend. How could the soldiers carry out such an evil plot? Imagine the deep mourning and devastation so many families encountered as a result. How could a civil ruler murder so many innocent children.
Of course, in our day and age, so many civil leaders continue to support the barbaric practice of permitting the slaughter of the innocent within the womb. Thus, in many ways, Herod’s action is not that different from today.
The passage above reveals to us the will of the Father regarding not only the protection of His divine Son but also His divine will for the protection and sanctity of all human life. It was satan who inspired Herod to kill those precious and innocent children so long ago, and it is satan who continues to promote a culture of death and destruction today. What should our response be? We, like Saint Joseph, must see it as our solemn duty to protect the most innocent and vulnerable with unwavering determination. Though this newborn Child was God, and though the Father in Heaven could have protected His Son with a myriad of angels, it was the Father’s will that a man, Saint Joseph, protect His Son. For that reason, we should also hear the Father calling each and every one of us to do all we can to protect the innocent and most vulnerable, especially the child within the womb.
Reflect, today, upon the will of God for your life. In what ways is God calling you to be like Saint Joseph and protect the most innocent and most vulnerable? How are you being called to be a guardian of those entrusted to your care? Certainly on a civil level we must all work to protect the lives of those who are unborn. But every parent, grandparent and all those entrusted with responsibility for another must strive to protect those in their care in countless other ways. We must diligently work to preserve them from the evils in our world and the numerous attacks of the evil one on their lives. Ponder this question today and allow the Lord to speak to you of your duty to imitate the great protector, Saint Joseph.
Lord, give me insight, wisdom and strength so that I can work in accord with Your will to protect the most innocent from the evils of this world. May I never cower in the face of evil, and may I always fulfill my duty to protect those entrusted to my care. Saint Joseph, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Holy Innocents Dec 28-2022
Introductory Prayer: Father, I come into your holy presence this day aware that you guide my life with love. I believe that nothing happens to me unless you will it. I renew my faith in your promise of heaven, where every tear will be wiped away. Thank you for getting involved in our cruel world to heal it with your love.
Petition: Lord, may my presence today be a help to those in need.
1. Angels: We want to cry with these women who have had their children stolen from them in the most defenseless time of their lives. Human cruelty reaches so deep that it desires to maintain power by snuffing out the lives of others! Yet these children silently remind us of another reality. They remind us that there is a place where tyranny does not reign. There is a King who rules by love and whose kingdom cannot be defeated by cruelty. These children are messengers of that kingdom. They have been called to give a brief but powerful witness of the fight that this King will wage for love. They have gone ahead of him, and their mothers will find them and hold them forever one day in the presence of their King.
2. Prophets: Thy Kingdom Come! This is the cry of these children. One day this new King will reign, but it will happen through a terrible fight with death and cruelty. These children are powerful prophets of the struggle of this King. They are prophets of the drama of human history where everything is at stake. Their cries are powerful prayers that will be heard by the Father, and their cries begin to stir in that special Child the desire to give his life as a ransom for souls. He will reign by pouring out his life as a gift for these children and many souls.
3. Children: The Church has declared these children martyrs. The first saints of Christ are infants. Infants speak to us at Christmas, and their witness does not go unnoticed. These children inspire the Church and pray for her. A child speaks to us of goodness and innocence. A child reminds us of the attitude we should have before God. Christ always lives with the heart of a child, a heart that trusts completely in his Father. He shows a special predilection for children. He knows that often they are his most powerful apostles, inviting others to God’s house by the simplicity and intimacy of their love for him. How many parents have been converted or discovered a deeper relationship with Christ through the example of their children!
Conversation with Christ: Jesus, it saddens me so much to see how these children were taken from their mothers and killed. It tears my heart apart to see how today so many children are never given a chance to know their mother’s love because of the evil of abortion. I want to be a consolation to your heart, Lord. I want to give the very best of myself to you today to offer you some of the love that these children wanted to give. Let my life be a witness of unselfish love. Let me be like you.
Resolution: I will find some way of encouraging a mother of a young child
 
Dec. 28 Holy Innocents 2020
Opening Prayer: Lord, thank you for this opportunity to come before you in prayer. Help me to continue to celebrate your birth during this octave of Christmas. May I draw from this sobering story in today’s reading some guidance for my day.
Encountering Christ:
1.      Jesus Born into Difficult Times: Herod had temporal power and wielded it carelessly, resulting in the slaughtering of innocent children. How often it happens that those in power make decisions that seem senseless in our eyes. The death of these innocent infants, however, was not in vain. They were the first witnesses to the reality of the contradiction of Christ and, in this, also received their reward as martyrs. Jesus comes near when we offer him the small sufferings we endure daily. Our sufferings might, in fact, require enduring the tyranny of difficult leaders, as did this generation. What does it look like to witness to Christ when not everyone rallies around us? How are we living this Christmas season witnessing to Christ?
2.      Joseph Responded to the Prompting of God: St. Joseph was given the mission of guardian to the Redeemer. He used his whole humanity–his power, his strength, his skill in carpentry, and his discipline in prayer–to carry out his work as a father and provider. He was very aware of the need to respond to the inspirations God gave him. In this moment, Joseph put his trust in God and responded promptly to what the dream revealed to him. He knew his docility would require building a new, temporary life in Egypt for his family, and it must have taken courage for him to go forward. In our own life, there are things God asks of us that take courage. We can call on St. Joseph for strength to do Our Lord’s will no matter how inconvenient. 
3.      Jesus Was Guarded by a Father: Although Jesus is God, he was given and needed the gift of an earthly father in the person of St. Joseph. Joseph’s loving care and concern for the Blessed Mother and her infant Jesus wasn't recorded in the Scriptures. Nor were his sacrifices for the daily provision for his family. It’s possible that Joseph felt insignificant and unequipped for his role as Jesus and Mary’s guardian. At times we can feel insignificant and wonder if our “yes” to the Lord matters? Just as Our Lord selected St. Joseph to parent Jesus, he has chosen us to know, love, and serve him in this time and place. Nothing–no action of ours–is insignificant if it is offered to the Lord with love. As Brother Lawrence says, "We can do little things for God...It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God."
Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord, there are men in this world who do not protect the innocent, who fail to stand firm and strong in virtue. This could be disconcerting, but I also know there are good and truly humble and holy men like St. Joseph, who strive to love and protect the innocent. Thank you, Lord, for all people who stand up for the truth in this age. May I have the strength, the courage, and the faith to imitate St. Joseph in his protection of the innocent, and in the humble, quiet work of everyday life he no doubt offered up to you.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I want to witness to my faith in you when the moment presents itself. Come Holy Spirit.
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Ngày 28 thánh 12.. Lễ các thánh Anh hài
Opening Prayer: Lord, this is a difficult passage. Your ways can be hard to understand. Open my heart and my mind so I can hear your voice speaking to me through your word.
Encountering Christ: 
1. Does It Sound Familiar? The story of the flight into Egypt is not the first time in the Bible where God shows us what he is able to accomplish when human weakness and even sin come into the picture. Remember Joseph and the colored tunic story in the Old Testament? There are a few parallels between the two stories. Both stories ended in Egypt and both Josephs were led there by dreams. Both times their stay in Egypt was brought about by others’ sin. Joseph in the Old Testament was sold as a slave because his brothers were jealous. St. Joseph, in the New Testament story, led the Holy Family to Egypt because of Herod’s jealousy. As we think about how hard it must have been for the Holy Family to flee to an unknown land, we can remember that evil doesn’t have the last word in God’s plan. Divine Providence, in both cases, integrated mysterious human ways into the great story of salvation.
2. The Mystery of Human Freedom: The story of the flight to Egypt reminds us that nothing escapes God’s providence. Today’s Gospel passage mentions two prophecies that were fulfilled despite Herod’s evil choices. Ever since Adam and Eve fell into original sin, and all through salvation history, as illustrated in the Old Testament story of Joseph, God writes straight with crooked lines. We see this too in the crucifixion of Christ—out of the greatest evil ever imagined, God was able to bring about the greatest good: the salvation of all. So many questions rise in our human minds. Can someone’s evil act be God’s will at the same time? Why does God allow the innocent to die? When we bring our questions to God, we allow him to answer with his presence, to show us who he is—the Lord of life and history. He won’t necessarily unravel the mysteries we ponder, but he will infuse our souls with grace and peace as we allow his providence to become evident in our own life, in our own salvation history. 
3. St. Joseph’s Obedience: Like St. Joseph’s obedience, our obedience many times involves responding in moments when things don’t seem to go according to God’s plan. We can imagine how difficult it might have been for St. Joseph. Did he wonder why God allowed his family to be in such danger? Or why so many children died at Herod’s hand? Many times we expect God’s plan to be free of evil. That expectation was dashed when Adam and Eve committed original sin. God reminds us that in this world we experience imperfection—other people’s and our own. The story of redemption teaches us that obedience to God’s will is not about making sure things are perfect. Obedience to God’s will is trusting that he will show us the way, as he showed St. Joseph. As Christians, we believe that God draws greater good from evil when we remain in him and let him lead. 
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I believe that nothing escapes your providential gaze. Help me believe that you draw good out of the evil I see around me and the things that have hurt me in the past. And if the mystery is too deep, or too painful to grasp in this moment, bring your peace to my soul so that I may heal through your divine power.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make an act of trust, remembering that you are with me and you will lead me through any difficulties or injustices that I experience.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng lễ Thánh Gioan Tông Đồ Ngày 27/12

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng lễ Thánh Gioan Tông Đồ Ngày 27/12
            Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta biết rằng Thánh Phêrô và Thánh Gioan tin rằng sau khi họ đã nhìn thấy ngôi mộ trống và đống quần áo niệm chôn của Chúa Giêsu đã được xếp lại để trên mồ.  Sau những giờ phút trôi qua khá dài,  dường như đó một một thời gian yên tĩnh, để suy ngẫm, "chờ đợi"  cho niềm tin bám rẽ sâu trong tâm hồn của họ. Những trong khi đó, Chương 20 và 21, của Tin Mừng Thánh Gioan đã cho chúng ta thấy rất rõ ràng và cụ thể về những chi tiết và hiện tượng mà các môn đệ đã chấp nhận rằng Chúa Giêsu đã sống lại một cách rất nhanh chóng, thích ứng và tích cực. Thật là một niềm vui cho họ, nếu phải như họ có được một cơ hội để họ được gặp Ngài một lần nữa ở những nơi quen thuộc, những nơi mà  họ đã được hưởng phúc là đã  cùng vời Ngài trong những cuộc hành trình rao giảng của Ngài và nhờ đó mà họ được củng cố thêm niềm tin của họ 
Trong ánh sáng văn bản Tin Mừng của Thánh Gioan có thể phản ánh niềm hân hoan trên thực tế là chúng ta được gặp Chúa Giêsu trong Bí tích Thánh Thể và nghe lời nói của Ngài đã truyền đạt cho chúng ta bằng những đoạn  Tin Mừng và Kinh Thánh
qua nhiều thế kỷ. Để rồi, với sự tự tin chúng ta có thể đi ra ngoài xã hội để gặp gỡ, sống  và làm việc với những người có thể chưa được nghe nói về Chúa Giêsu Kitô.
            Lạy Chúa Cha Trên Trời, chúng con cảm đội ơn Chúa đã đem đến cho chúng con Con Một của Ngài là Chúa Giêsu Chúa chúng con. Xin Chúa giúp chúng con biết chia sẻ niềm tin và món quà quý giá này với những người khác.
 
Reflection
To-day’s Gospel tells us that Peter and John believed after they had seen the empty tomb and the rolled up burial clothes of Jesus. For some hours, however, it seems to have been a quiet, reflective, “waiting” kind of believing. The remaining verses of Chapters 20 and 21, in contrast, provide us with very definite, concrete and heart warming details of how very quickly the disciples came to accept that Jesus was alive, well and active. What a joy it must have been for them to meet him again in the familiar places where they had enjoyed his company and been strengthened by it.
            The first verses of John’s first letter, like the first eighteen verses of John’s Gospel, are called the Prologue. But, while the focus of both passages is Jesus, the emphasis is very different. The first reading shows the delight of the writer in the historical person of Jesus with whom he had been privileged to spend those glorious last days in Jerusalem and by the lake.
            In the light of John’s writing we can reflect joyfully on the fact that we meet Jesus in the Eucharist and hear his words conveyed to us over the centuries. Then with confidence we can go out to meet and live with and work with those who may not yet have heard of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
            Heavenly Father we thank you for sending us Your Son, Our Lord Jesus. Help us to share this precious gift with others.
 
Dec 27- Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
Third Day of the Octave of Christmas, December 27
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. John 20:1–3
It’s interesting that Saint John refers to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” Of course, Jesus loved all people. He loved all of the disciples. But in John’s Gospel, this unique title of the beloved disciple is given to John.
Saint John the Apostle may be understood as this beloved disciple for many reasons. First, recall the special closeness and affection John shows Jesus at the Last Supper when John reclined next to Him. Recall, also, that it was John alone who stood at the foot of the Cross with Jesus’ mother and that Jesus entrusted His mother to John and John to His mother. And note in the passage above that it was John who first ran to the empty tomb as soon as Mary Magdalene revealed her discovery to him. Furthermore, many scholars believe John to be the youngest disciple. And as a younger disciple, he may have received special fatherly-like attention from our Lord.
However, John may also be understood as the beloved disciple for another reason. Simply put, this is how John saw himself as he wrote his Gospel account. John may have done so because telling the story of Jesus’ life was deeply personal to him. His own love and affection for his Lord was the central and most consuming passion of his soul. And it appears that as John speaks of Jesus, and of his own encounters with Jesus, John was compelled to prayerfully ponder the holy and spiritual love that Jesus had for him. Thus, it appears that John could not speak of his encounters with our Lord without also identifying the divine love that united them. It’s as if every time his Gospel story spoke of an encounter he had with Jesus, John was overwhelmed by the simple fact that Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, knew him and loved him personally. And so he was compelled to state that fact over and over.
In this case, it’s quite beautiful, on a spiritual level, to ponder John’s soul. He was clearly a man who was deeply touched by God in the Person of Jesus. And after Jesus ascended into Heaven, it appears that John’s holy love for Jesus only grew. As he went forth as an Apostle, preaching about the salvation that comes through his Savior and dear friend, he clearly grew closer to our Lord day by day. When John wrote his Gospel toward the end of his life, his heart was clearly aflame with divine love as he was intensely looking forward to being fully united with his Lord in Heaven.
As we honor this unique and holy Apostle, reflect, today, upon the simple truth that you are also invited to share in the holy and intimate love shared by Jesus and Saint John. Ponder the fact that our Lord also loves you with perfect charity, intimacy and totality. If you can gaze upon the love in the heart of this beloved disciple, then you, too, can share in that love and become a beloved disciple yourself.
My beloved Lord, the love You bestowed upon the disciple John was perfect in every way. After Your ascension into Heaven, You continued to deepen Your relationship with him, drawing him ever closer to Your Sacred Heart. Please pour forth upon me that same love and draw me into Your Heart so that I, too, will become Your beloved disciple. Saint John, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Dec 27- Feast of St. John
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, we have just celebrated your birth and here we are in the empty tomb! Your time, like ours on earth, was so brief! G. K. Chesterton said you moved like a lightning bolt through your life. May I too have a similar impact, no matter the length or brevity of my time here on earth. Let me make the most of the time you have given to me to share the good news with everyone. 
Encountering Christ:
1. First Day: This very “first day of the week” was unlike any other. Sunday is considered day one of a seven-day week, the first day of the seven days of creation. But because Christ was born, died, and rose again, putting an end to death, re-creating the world, and making all things new, the ancient Christians called this new first day of creation the EIGHTH day. Now Sunday is not just the “first day of the week,” but the holiest of all days. Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) states: “Sunday looks not only backward but forward. Looking toward the Resurrection means looking toward the final consummation. With the Day of the Resurrection coming after the Sabbath, Christ, as it were, strode across time and lifted it up above itself. The (Church) Fathers connected with this the idea that the history of the world as a whole can be seen as one great week of seven days corresponding to the ages of a man’s life. The eighth day, therefore, signifies the new time that has dawned with the Resurrection…In the liturgy, we already reach out to lay hold of it. But at the same time, it is ahead of us…” Such a short time we have on this earth, but now, thanks be to God, as believers we celebrate eight days a week! Let us use our time well! “Night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).
2. Outrun: Did John hesitate outside the tomb because of fear? Sorrow? Or could it have been out of reverence for Peter? How do we handle situations when we know we can outrun, outdo, outpreach, out____ a brother or sister in Christ? Does it mean we are always supposed to? Perhaps the one whom “Jesus loved” knew how to act because he had so often heard the Savior’s heart beating while laying his head upon his chest. Let’s ask for humility today so that we can revere one another in imitation of John. 
3. A Closer Look: We read that Peter saw “the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.” Why should this matter? There are many theories, one being that the Greek word ὀθονίων-(othoniōn) used for “handkerchief” (or “cloth that covered his head”) also means “napkin.” In the first century, if your napkin was rolled up–not simply tossed onto the table–it signified you were not finished, that you would return to finish your meal. Was this a signal to the Apostles that Jesus intended to return? That what has happened here was purposeful? Was Jesus saying, “Don’t lose hope! Work with Me!”? John grasped the Lord’s meaning and went in, and “saw and believed.” And the rest is history. May we too see, believe–and change history! 
Conversing with Christ: Oh Jesus, make me mindful always that you are worthy of my praise. Help me treat others with the self-sacrificial love you have shown me. Give me a heart to work while I can–while I have the breath to speak of your amazing love–knowing full well, you will come again. Glory, Hallelujah!
Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will take time to ponder where in my life and ministry I need to “run” and where I need to “pause” in order to build up your Kingdom in a way that most pleases you. Help me to be mindful that you will come again, and possibly soon!
 
 
Dec. 27th 2020
Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to take this time to open my mind and my heart to whatever it is you want to say to me today. I know and believe you are present to me. You are the living God. Like St. John, may my life be one of constantly seeking to know you, finding you, and following you.
Encountering Christ:
1.      They All Ran: Knowing, truly knowing Jesus brought an eagerness to the disciples’ hearts that pushed them to physical exertion trying to discover what had become of his body. Mary ran in her excitement and bewilderment to share that Jesus’ body was missing from the tomb. At the news, John and Peter ran with great anticipation, despite the danger of being arrested. Jesus wants us to run to him with eager hearts as did the disciples. When we truly seek him and his truth we always discover more than we initially imagined. How many times in life has Christ beckoned us, “come to me”? How God’s love has changed us! In this holy season of Christmas, how might we run to the Lord with greater enthusiasm? Let us ask the Lord to increase our longing to discover him in all the ways he shows up in our lives.
2.      John’s Reverence: John bent and saw the burial cloths but did not enter. He would not enter the tomb first because he deferred to Peter, knowing that the Lord had given Peter a leadership position at the service of the Church. John knew Peter well, both his strengths and his weaknesses. John knew of Peter’s denial during Christ’s Passion. Many times, the Lord places someone in leadership over us who is not perfect. Trusting in God’s ways, we are sometimes called to defer (provided that doing so would not be sinful). Because we are all incorporated into the Mystical Body, the Church, and called to live our own unique vocation within it, we build up the body of Christ when we put aside our own judgment and humbly acquiesce to someone else’s leadership for the glory of God.
3.      He Saw and Believed: Although the Resurrection was foretold by Christ, John did not know exactly what would happen. This “disciple whom Jesus loved,” the one who laid his head on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper, and who accompanied Jesus closely throughout his Passion, was able in an instant to view the evidence present in the empty tomb and believe that his Lord had risen. What thoughts might have crossed John’s mind and heart as he stood there holding burial cloths? Was he recalling the raising of Lazarus from the dead? Jesus’ proclamation, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6)? Moments from the Last Supper when Jesus instituted the Eucharist and Holy Orders? Jesus’ last words from the cross, “It is finished”? In an instant, the fragments from the life of Christ that John witnessed fell into place painting an undeniable portrait of a God who loves us beyond telling. John would spend his last years striving to share with all of us just how much God cares for each of us with an infinite, personal, and unrepeatable love.
Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord, just as John was a beloved disciple, so I am also called to run to you with eager expectation and discover just how much you love me. In this season of Christmas, as I contemplate you in the manger where your body is wrapped not in burial cloths but swaddling clothes, I ask for the gift of seeing and believing. 
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pause before you wrapped in swaddling clothes, thanking you for living, dying, and rising for love of me. 

Dec 26- Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ kính Thánh Têphanô Tử Đạo

Dec 26- Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ kính Thánh Têphanô Tử Đạo
Có lẽ chúng cảm thấy là lạ kỳ khi Giáo Hội mừng kính đặc biệt về cái chết của một vị thánh ngay sau ngày chúng ta mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh. Một số người nói rằng có thề là Giáo Hội để nhắc nhở chúng ta rằng niềm vui và đau khổ, vinh quang và thập giá không bao giờ có thể tách rời trong cuộc sống của một người Kitô hữu. Điều này đúng. Cũng như như chúng ta đang suy niệm về Lời Chúa trong bài đọc hôm nay, Ngài cũng  nhắc nhở cho chúng ta là Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta tất cả những Ân Sủng mà chúng ta cần để chúng ta có thể sống trong cuộc sống này đó chính là Chúa Giêsu.
Lễ kính thánh Stêphanô tử Đạo luôn luôn là một cơ hội để nhắc nhở một lần nữa chúng ta hãy nhìn Chúa Hài Nhi đang trong nằm trong máng cỏ của tâm hồn chúng ta và tự hỏi con : "chúng ta có vẫn muốn ôm ấp Chúa Hài Nhi bé nhỏ này ở trong tâm hồn của chúng ta, thậm chí chúng ta có thể phải chịu đau khổ và mất nmạng sống mình vì danh Chúa Kitô? "Nếu được như thế thì chúng ta cũng như Thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả, Chúng ta phải trở nên nhỏ bé và thấp hền đê danh Chúa được Vinh danh và cả sáng.
 
Monday 26th Dec St Stephen, Proto martyr
Isn’t it strange to see how the Church puts the commemoration of a saint’s death immediately after the celebration of our Lord’s birth? Some say that it is to remind us that joy and sorrow, the glory and the Cross can never be separated in the life of a Christian. This is true. As I meditate on the Word of God in today’s readings, He is telling me the same thing: that a Christian is one who is so willing to give his entire life just to embrace fully the greatest gift that God has given him — Jesus, “God with us.”
            The Feast of Saint Stephen is always a great opportunity to remind us Christians to gaze once more on the Child lying in the manger of our hearts and ask ourselves, “Am I still willing to embrace this Holy Infant dwelling in me, even if it costs my entire life to do so?” For this is what it means to decrease so that Christ may increase in us. Father, let me experience how much You love me by not withholding from me Your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus, so that I may embrace him fully, even if giving up my entire life is what it takes to have him.
 
26th Dec St Stephen, Proto martyr
“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19–20
These words of our Lord came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen, the Church’s first martyr. Saint Stephen was martyred within a couple of years after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven. He was one of seven deacons who the Apostles appointed to assist them in their work of caring for the poor as the Church began to grow.
Stephen was a man of deep faith and was filled with the Holy Spirit. After he was appointed deacon, he began to preach with boldness. Among his listeners were members of the synagogue of Hellenistic Jews. Stephen debated them vigorously and proved himself to be full of wisdom and power, performing many signs and wonders in their midst. But this only led his listeners to become outraged to the point of seeking his death. As a result, they made false claims that Stephen was preaching against the Temple and the Law of Moses.
In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7:2–53), Stephen responded by giving a long and detailed speech by which he explained the full truth of Jesus in light of the Old Testament. Stephen concluded by saying, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors.” This infuriated his listeners in the synagogue even more. After this, something truly miraculous happened. Stephen had a vision. He looked up to Heaven and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” He saw his Lord, standing at the right hand of the Father. And it was his proclamation of this vision that finally drove the infuriated crowd to drag him out of the synagogue and city and to stone him to death. Stephen’s story, however, ended in a beautiful and inspired way. As the crowd was stoning him, he spoke two powerful statements. First, he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And then he prayed in a loud voice,  “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
As mentioned above, the words our Lord speaks in the Gospel today came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen. First of all, we see that Jesus’ prediction that some of His followers would be handed over to deaths by their own kinsmen came true in the life of Saint Stephen. But Jesus also promised that when this would happen, “You will be given at that moment what you are to say.” And it will be the Spirit of the Father “speaking through you.” And that’s exactly what happened with Saint Stephen. First, he was given a glorious vision of Heaven. Second, he was inspired to fully surrender his spirit over to Jesus. And third, he was inspired to pray for his persecutors and forgive them. These words and actions did not come from Stephen alone. They were the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that when one is persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, the Father will be especially present and give powerful inspiration at the moment of need.
Reflect, today, upon the profound truth that God never abandons us. In fact, when we suffer the most or endure persecution, rejection or any form of mistreatment, God is especially present. Look at your own life and consider those moments that you find most challenging. Pray to Saint Stephen and ask him to pray for you so that you will be open to the inspired words and actions of our Lord when you need them the most.
Most glorious Saint Stephen, please pray for me. Pray for me especially when I experience the heaviest crosses in my life. Pray that I, like you, will be open to God’s inspiration and grace at those times I need it the most. St. Stephen, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
26th Dec St Stephen, Proto martyr
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I humbly come before you today, you who came to earth so meekly, born to die, to show us how to live. Today we celebrate one who had great trust in you, who took your words to heart. May we, too, be like Saint Stephen: “angel-faced” and heavenly minded in all we do. Lord, I humbly ask for this grace: to be filled with your Spirit to enable me to think like you and speak boldly of you and persevere to the end.
Encountering Christ:
1. Beware: Today we read “Beware of men.” What a warning! We ourselves are mere “men” when we are not filled with your Spirit and relying on the Lord. How easy it is for us to fall into prideful thinking.“I got this,” “I can do this,” and “I am in control” are just some of the thoughts of “men.” How contrary to that thinking are the Lord’s ways. Only with God are “all things possible.” Only with God do we have the grace to combat thinking like “men.” Let us heed the warning of Saint Paul, “See to it that no one captivates you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). May we have the “mind of Christ” to discern when we are falling into the world’s ways versus the Lord’s ways. 
2. No Worries: How impossible it is for those of us thinking like “men” to avoid anxiety and worry. It is so easy to act like a Christian and so difficult to react like one. When our hearts are filled with God’s grace, however, we will hear him telling us what to say “in the moment.” If we rely on grace, the Lord promises that the Father will speak through us. Today, the day after we celebrate the Lord’s birth, let us ask for the grace to be born ever anew so that the Lord may always and everywhere “speak through us” in word, thought, and deed. 
3. Hated by All?: We must ask ourselves which banner we will march under. God’s? Or the worlds? Sometimes the choice is very obvious, and at other times there is only a subtle dividing line between a good or evil action. Let’s pray for the clarity to know what to do in any given moment and the desire to speak well always. Perhaps, by our example, we will inspire others to do the same.
Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord, only by your grace can we think, speak, and live according to your will in this fallen world. Only by trusting and fully relying on you can we persevere to the end and be saved–but oh, happy day when we do! Lord, bless us so that one day we will be “angel-faced” like Stephen, and by our life’s witness help to plant and water the seeds for the future of the Church. 
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will say a little prayer before I open my mouth to give my opinion.