Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ 4 Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ 4 Phục Sinh
Trong đoạn Tin Mừng hôm nay  Thánh Gioan cho chúng ta thấy những điểm chính của nhũng bài giảng mà Chúa Giêsu muốn dạy chúng ta trước Ngài bắt đầu bước vào cuộc hành trình với sự thương khó, cái chết và sự  phục sinh của Chúa Giêsu. Trong đó bao gồm phần tóm lược các nhiệm vụ của Ngài và những lời mời gọi đến đức tin. Thứ nhất, ơn gọi đến vói đức tin không phải chỉ là những gì trong thể chất con người của Thiên Chúa được đóng ấn đi kèm trong con người của Chúa Giêsu. Nhưng nó được toả lan ra bên ngoài, vì mục tiêu của họ là Chúa Cha, Đấng đã mạc khải chính mình Ngài trong Chúa Giêsu.  Thứ hai, chính Chúa Giêsu đã thực hiện sứ mệnh của Ngài và Ngài luôn luôn nhận thức rằng ông đại diện cho Cha của Ngài, và do đó, để chiêm ngưỡng Chúa Giêsu trong đức tin là để nhận ra Ngài là người đã tiết lộ cho chúng ta về Chúa Cha. Thứ ba, để tin vào Chúa Giêsu là để được giải thoát  ra khỏi bóng tối, thật vậy, vì nếu như chúng ta không Tin vào Thiên Chúa và chúng ta tự  từ bỏ chính mình và vì tội lỗi sẽ làm chúng ta xa lánh Thiên Chúa. Thứ Tư là khi chúng ta từ chối Chúa Giêsu và Giáo huấn của Ngài, chúng ta sẽ bị lên án chính chúng ta và trở nên xa lạ với Thiên Chúa. Chúa Giêsu chỉ cứu rỗi những người  biết ăn năn và hối cải.
            Qua những sách giáo lý dạy cho thấy rằng Chúa Giêsu đã vâng lời Chúa Cha và hoàn thành nhiệm vụ mà Chúa Cha đã sai khiến. Nếu trong quá khứ, những lời của Thiên Chúa, đã được truyền đạt tới dân Israel bởi ông Môisen,  và ông Môisen là phương tiện mà Chúa bày tỏ chính Ngài cho dân riêng của Ngài, Thì hôm nay Thiên Chúa đã sai con một của Ngài xuống thế với chúng ta trong ngôi Hai nhập thể để nói giáo huấn con người chúng ta.  Tất cả những ai đã chấp nhận Thiên Chúa và đến để được chia sẻ trong sự sống với Chúa Giêsu trong Thiên Chúa Cha. Nếu như đấy chính là Chúa Giêsu, và tất cả những gì Ngài đã làm, thì những điều đấy sẽ được tỏ ra cho  chúng ta thấy ai là Thiên Chúa, và những gì Thiên Chúa đã làm vì Chúa Giêsu đã nói bằng Lời Nói và bằng những hành động để cho chúng ta thấy được Chúa Cha. Để biết Chúa Giêsu là để biết được Chúa Cha ở ngay trong tâm hồn của mỗi con người chúng ta.. lạy Chúa Cha, Xin cho chúng con nhận biết Chúa Giêsu để chúng con có thể cũng nhận biết được Chúa là Thiên Chúa của chúng con.
 
Reflection Wednesday 4^th week of Easter (SG 2016)
In today’s Gospel passage, the writer John provides the key points of Jesus’ teachings before he starts on the account of Jesus’ passion and resurrection. It contains a summary of his mission and a call to faith. 
            Firstly, the call to faith is not merely an attachment to the person of Jesus. It reaches beyond him, for the goal is the Father who reveals Himself in Jesus. Secondly, Jesus himself carries out his mission always in awareness that he represents his Father, and therefore, to contemplate Jesus in faith is to recognize him as the one who reveals the Father. Thirdly, to believe in Jesus is to be liberated from darkness, that is, from the sphere of unbelief, sin and separation from God. Fourthly, to reject Jesus and his message is to condemn oneself and to become alienated from God. Jesus only saves and it is man alone who condemns or judges himself.
            The teachings show that Jesus owes his whole mission and message to the Father. If in the past, the words of God, as communicated by Moses to the people, was the means by which God revealed Himself, through Jesus, God’s very words are spoken to the people. Those who accept him come to share in the life of Jesus and his Father. If this is who Jesus is and what Jesus does, it also reveals who God is, and what God does since Jesus by word and action reveals the Father. To know Jesus is to know Father at the very heart of their being. Father, to know Jesus is to know You.
 
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.” John 12:44–45
Note that Jesus’ words in the above quoted passage start by stating that “Jesus cried out…” This intentional addition by the Gospel writer adds emphasis to this statement. Jesus didn’t just “say” these words, He “cried out.” For that reason, we should be extra attentive to these words and allow them to speak to us all the more.
This Gospel passage takes place during the week prior to Jesus’ Passion. He entered Jerusalem triumphantly and, then, throughout the week, spoke to various groups of people while the Pharisees plotted against Him. The emotions were tense, and Jesus spoke with greater and greater vigor and clarity. He spoke about His pending death, the unbelief of many, and His oneness with the Father in Heaven. At one point during the week, as Jesus was speaking of His oneness with the Father, the voice of the Father spoke audibly for all to hear. Jesus had just said, “Father, glorify your name.” And then the Father spoke, saying, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” Some thought it was thunder and others thought it was an angel. But it was the Father in Heaven.
This context is useful when reflecting upon today’s Gospel. Jesus passionately wants us to know that if we have faith in Him, then we also have faith in the Father, because the Father and He are one. Of course, this teaching on the oneness of God is nothing new to us today—we should all be very familiar with the teaching on the Most Holy Trinity. But in many ways, this teaching on the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit must be seen as new and pondered anew every day.
Imagine Jesus speaking to you, personally, and with great vigor, about His unity with the Father. Consider carefully how deeply He desires that you understand this divine mystery of Their oneness. Allow yourself to sense how much Jesus wants you to understand Who He is in relation to His Father.
Prayerfully understanding the Trinity teaches us much, not only about Who God is but about who we are. We are called to share in the oneness of God by becoming united with Them through love. The early Church Fathers often spoke of our calling to be “divinized,” that is, to share in the divine life of God. And though this is a mystery beyond complete comprehension, it’s a mystery that Jesus deeply desires us to prayerfully ponder.
Reflect, today, upon the passion in the heart of Jesus to reveal to you Who He is in relation to the Father. Be open to a deeper understanding of this divine truth. And as you open yourself to this revelation, allow God to also reveal to you His desire to draw you into Their holy life of unity. This is your calling. This is the reason Jesus came to earth. He came to draw us into the very life of God. Believe it with much passion and conviction.
My passionate Lord, You spoke long ago about Your oneness with the Father in Heaven. You speak again, today, to me, about this glorious truth. Draw me in, dear Lord, not only to the great mystery of Your oneness with the Father but also to the mystery of Your calling to me to share in Your life. I accept this invitation and pray that I become more fully one with You, the Father and the Holy Spirit. Most Holy Trinity, I trust in You.
 
Wednesday 4^th week of Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you offer me the gift of eternal life through your Son. I welcome that gift today and promise to care for it and pray that it flourishes into works of love. Save me from the darkness of sin and death and bestow on me the light of faith and life.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Royal Love: Why should the Church celebrate a yearly feast in honor of the apostle, Saint Matthias? We don’t have any of his words or his apostolic actions recorded in the Bible. What the yearly celebration of his feast calls to mind is how God wants the threefold ministry of episcopal love to continue throughout the centuries until the end of time. Matthias replaced Judas as one of the twelve and was called to be a bishop, an overseer of the people of God. He was called to exercise the royal ministry of love as a king and shepherd, as one who prudently guides his sheep to eternal pastures. According to tradition, Matthias went to modern-day Georgia and ministered on the shores of the Caspian Sea. While only a few are called to be ordained bishops, every Christian has a royal and kingly role. We are all called to participate actively in Christ’s reign and exercise pastoral leadership in our own lives and our respective spheres of influence. We are called to exercise dominion over our own desires and passions and align our actions with the Father’s will, overcoming sin and temptation, and striving for holiness of life.
2. Priestly Love: Matthias was also a priest, called to conform his life to Jesus Christ. Every Christian, through their baptism, is called to be a priest. There are several key priestly actions: offering sacrifice on behalf of God’s people, prayerfully interceding for God’s people, and taking upon themselves the sin of God’s people. Every Christian is called to offer their lives as a pleasing offering to the Father in union with Christ. Every Christian is called to pray for their brothers and sisters and intercede for them. Every Christian is called to do penance for their sins and even for the sins of their brothers and sisters. Priestly love, then, is to “lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
3. Prophetic and Servant Love: Although we do not have any record of Matthias’ words, we know that he preached the Gospel. He was a New Testament prophet who communicated the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection to others. While the royal love of a bishop concerns leading and the sacrificial love of a priest concerns offering oneself, the prophetic and servant love of a deacon concerns the service of the Word, the service at the altar, and the service of charity. Now, since every Christian is a king, a priest, and a prophet through their baptism, we can, on this feast of Saint Matthias, ask ourselves the following questions about being prophets: How can I prophetically witness to Christ? How can I prophetically proclaim the Good News? How can I prophetically encourage others to follow Christ? All of this involves sharing the truth about God and humanity, encouraging people to repentance, and proclaiming God’s salvation through words and actions.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, through your passion, death, and resurrection, you have gained eternal life for all peoples and enabled them to become children of God. Help me to see how I can bring more people to know you and believe in you so that they may enjoy eternal life in your name.
 
 
Wednesday 4^th week of Easter
Opening Prayer: Good Father, you so loved the world that you gave your only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. Father, thank you for your Son. Thank you for Jesus. 
Encountering Christ:
The Holy Spirit: To cry has many meanings. It means to lament and weep in tears, to call out loudly, to strongly plead, to beg. Jesus was doing all of these. The hour was soon coming when he would be turned over to the authorities to be tortured and crucified, and he knew it. Forces had been aligning against him and increasing in hostility. One of the dangers came from his own friend. From the beginning of John’s Gospel, this moment was prophesied: “He came to what was his own but his own people did not accept him” (John 1:11). Jesus knew many would not accept him and yet begging, pleading, weeping for souls, he cried out, “I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.” How often do we contemplate the awesome reality of how far God goes to draw us to him? This reality can console us when our efforts to catechize our children and evangelize others appear futile. We do not give up. We cannot usually cry out as Jesus did, but we can cry out to Our Father in Jesus’ name and ask for courage and perseverance. “As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son in our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God” (Galatians 4:6).
The Word: Jesus had healed the sick. He had fed the hungry. He had brought the dead back to life. He had preached the Good News: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24). We meditate on these truths in Scripture frequently. We have the Bible, the traditions of the Church, and the writings of saints over more than 2,000 years to strengthen our belief. Through living by the Word, we do not condemn ourselves but hope for the promise of eternal life. This hope is a source of joy for faithful Christians. Padre Pio advises us to “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”
Our Father: Jesus tells us, “…I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me.” In the USCCB document The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church, the bishops stated, “The mission of the Lord’s entire life on earth was to glorify the Father by bringing us salvation.” The bishops explained that the Son of God was the Father’s gift, and how we receive this gift determines our path to salvation. “To begin to comprehend the tremendous gift offered by Christ through his Incarnation, death, and Resurrection, that gift which is made present to us in the Eucharist, we must first realize how truly profound is our alienation from the source of all life as a result of sin.” The more we recognize sin for what it is, the more grateful we are for our redemption, accomplished by Ch rist. The Father’s gift of his Son is both the path to salvation fueled by the Eucharist and the remedy for every obstacle that prevents our progress through the sacrament of Reconciliation. 
Conversing with Christ: Lord, I so often become discouraged, believing Satan’s lies that it is up to me to ascend in holiness. I know that the only way is always and only you. I want to receive you as our Father’s gift. I cannot earn your love. I already have it. My response should always be gratitude to the Father and eagerness to take advantage of the sacraments. 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba Tuần thứ 4 Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba Tuần thứ 4 Phục Sinh
Chúa Giêsu đã bị những người Do Thái chối bỏ. Họ đã không thể nhận ra Ngài là Đấng Cứu Thế; do đó họ hỏi Ngài một câu hỏi nhớ ngẩn: có phải ông là Đấng Cứu Thế. Câu trả lời của Chúa Giêsu rất đơn giản, Ngài đã chỉ cho họ tới Thiên Chúa Cha, người mà gọi là Cha của Ngài, và tất cả những công trình mà Ngài đã làm là Ngài làm vì danh của Chúa Cha, thậm chí Ngài còn nói với họ rằng Ngài và Chúa Cha là một. Đây là thần bí của Kitô giáo. Đó là trung tâm của Kitô giáo.
            Chúa Giê-su, là một con người hoàn toàn như chúng ta, và đã có thể tại sự kết hợp giữa Ngài với Thiên Chúa Cha là cha của Ngài qua sức mạnh của những lời cầu nguyện. Ngài trải qua những king nghiệm trong sự kết hợp này và đó là chính là nguồn gốc của lời nói và hành động của Ngài. Rút tỉa trong kinh nghiệm của sự kết hợp không thể phá vỡ  giữa Chúa Cha và Chúa Con, chúng ta cũng được mời gọi để được kết họp và  nên một với Thiên Chúa, cho dù chúng ta là giáo dân, tu sĩ hay giáo sĩ, ơn gọi này được dành cho tất cả mọi người chúng ta. Chúng ta có rất nhiều gương sang và ví dụ như : Thánh Têrêsa Avila, Thánh Joan of Arc, Thánh Inhaxiô Loyola và nhiều người khác, những người đã cảm thấy được mời gọi một cách huyền bí để đưộc kết hợp với Thiên Chúa một cách lạ lung, khó hiểu.  Và sự kết hợp này có thể có được chỉ qua việc cầu nguyện và qua sự nhạy cảm với sự thúc đẩy của Chúa Thánh Thần.
            Lạy Chúa Giêsu, xin cho chúng con, cũng như Chúa, cũng biết trau dồi và phát triển đời sống tinh thần của chúng con và ít nhất là có được một cái nhìn thoáng qua về sự kết hợp của chúng con trên trời với Chúa.
 
Reflection Tuesday 4^th week of Easter
Jesus was rejected by the Jews. They were not able to recognize him as the Messiah; therefore they asked him a plain question whether he was the Messiah. Jesus’ reply was very simple, he referred to his Father, to the works that He did in his Father’s name. He even told them that he and the Father are one. This is the mysticism of Christianity. It is the heart of Christianity.
   Jesus, being a fully human being like us, was able to establish his union with his Father through the power of prayer. He experienced this union and it was the source of his words and actions. Learning from this unbreakable union between the Father and the Son, we, too, are called to be one with God. Whether we are lay or religious or cleric, this call is for all of us.
   We have many examples:  St Teresa of Avila, St Joan of Arc, St Ignatius of Loyola and many others, who deeply felt invited to that mystical union with God. This union is possible only through prayer and being sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Lord Jesus, may we, like You, also grow in our spiritual life and have at least a glimpse of our heavenly union with You.
 
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.”  John 10:24–25
Why is it that these people did not know that Jesus was the Christ? They wanted Jesus to speak “plainly” to them, but Jesus surprises them by saying that He already answered their question but they “do not believe.” This Gospel passage continues the beautiful teaching about Jesus being the Good Shepherd. It’s interesting that these people want Jesus to speak plainly about whether or not He is the Christ, but instead, Jesus speaks plainly about the fact that they do not believe in Him because they are not listening. They have missed what He has said and are left in confusion.
One thing this tells us is that God speaks to us in His own way, not necessarily in the way we would like Him to speak. He speaks a mystical, profound, gentle and hidden language. He reveals His deepest mysteries only to those who have come to learn His language. But to those who do not understand God’s language, confusion sets in. If you ever find yourself confused in life, or confused about the plan God has for you, then perhaps it’s time to examine how carefully you listen to the way God speaks. We could beg God, day and night, to “speak plainly” to us, but He will only speak in the way He has always spoken. And what is that language? On the deepest level, it’s the language of infused prayer.
Prayer, of course, is different than only saying prayers. Prayer is ultimately a relationship of love with God. It’s a communication on the deepest level. Prayer is an act of God within our soul by which God invites us to believe in Him, to follow Him, and to love Him. This invitation is continually offered to us, but too often we fail to hear it because we fail to truly pray.
Much of John’s Gospel, including Chapter Ten from which we are reading today, speaks in a mystical way. It’s not possible to simply read it like a novel and comprehend all that Jesus says with one read. Jesus’ teaching must be heard in your soul, prayerfully, pondered, and heard. This approach will open the ears of your heart to the certitude of the voice of God.
Reflect, today, upon the mysterious ways in which God communicates to you. If you do not understand how He speaks, then that is a good starting point. Spend time with this Gospel, prayerfully pondering it. Meditate upon Jesus’ words, listening for His voice. Learn His language through silent prayer and allow His holy words to draw you to Himself.
My mysterious and hidden Lord, You speak to me day and night and continually reveal Your love to me. Help me to learn to listen to You so that I may grow deep in faith and may truly become Your follower in every way. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Tuesday 4^th week of Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, as I contemplate the work of your Son and the work of the early Christians, I witness the power of faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. Your Son constantly invited people to believe in him, and the disciples of Jesus did the same. You invite me each day to renew and deepen my faith in your Son. I believe, Lord, help my unbelief!
Encountering the Word of God
1. A Bittersweet Feast: The Feast of Dedication was not very old in Jesus’ day. Unlike the Feast of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, which had over 1000 years of history, the Feast of Dedication was a relatively new feast in Jesus’ day. It recalled the actions of the Maccabees, who overthrew the Greek Seleucids and reconsecrated the Second Temple in 164 B.C. To this day, the Jewish people continue to celebrate the Feast of Dedication, known more popularly as Hanukkah. Jesus was very different from the Maccabees. The Maccabees were led by Judas “the Hammer,” who violently overthrew Antiochus “Epiphanes” IV. This dynasty of the Maccabees, known as the Hasmonean dynasty, eventually usurped the high priesthood under Jonathan. And so, the Feast of Dedication was somewhat bittersweet. It recalled how the Jewish people resisted the pagan influence of the Gentile Greeks under the leadership of the Hasmoneans, but also how the high priesthood of Israel was eventually usurped by that same family. And so, in Jesus’ day, there was both a false king appointed by the Romans, i.e., Herod the Great, and false high priests who were not descendants of Zadok.
2. The New Temple: The Feast of Dedication looked forward to the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy about a New Temple. When the people of Judah returned from exile in Babylon and rebuilt the Temple, they were brought to tears when they did not see the glory of the Lord descend and fill the Holy of Holies. And so, in Jesus’ day, they were still waiting for the glory of the Lord to return to the Temple. The presentation of Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple, 40 days after his birth in Bethlehem, was a fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy. The glory of God, incarnate in the baby Jesus, entered into the Temple. But ultimately, Ezekiel’s prophecy was fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus, when the cornerstone of the New Temple, not made with human hands, was laid. We share in Jesus’ death and resurrection through the Sacrament of Baptism. In this way, washed in the river of life, we become the living stones of the New Temple, the mystical Body of Christ.
3. One God, Three Persons: During the Feast of Dedication, Jesus continues his proclamation of the mystery of the Triune God. At his Baptism, we heard the voice of God the Father and witnessed the descent of the Spirit. At the Transfiguration, the voice of the Father was heard, and the Son was enveloped in the cloud of the Spirit. In the Gospel of John, Jesus announces the sending of the gift of the Spirit. In today’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims that he and the Father are not two gods, but one God: “The Father and I are one.” This means that God is undivided and that the Persons of the Trinity are consubstantial. We, as Christians, do not believe in three gods. We believe in one God, who has been revealed to us in the fullness of time as three co-equal divine Persons. God the Father eternally begets the Son and their mutual and eternal love for one another spirates the Holy Spirit, the Love of God. There are hints of the Trinity in the Old Testament, even in the first lines of Genesis. God created the heavens and the earth by speaking his Word as the Spirit hovered over the waters of the abyss. The same Triune God, who created the world from nothing, is at work in our re-creation, which unites us to the life of the Father through the Son and in the Spirit.  
 
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I want to boldly proclaim the Gospel in my family, my workplace, and in my community. Enlighten my mind and heart to know how and when to proclaim you as the Son of God and Savior of the world.
 
Tuesday 4^th week of Easter
Opening Prayer: Jesus, reveal the Father to me. I want to draw closer to you. I know only through you am I able to know the father. Lead me, Good Shepherd, to our heavenly home.
Encountering Christ:
It Was Winter: “The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter.” John’s Gospel is rich in providing signs to direct minds and hearts. Every word has meaning. Winter symbolizes many things: cold, waiting, end, death, a precursor to spring and its new life. In these lines of Scripture, “It was winter” means that the long wait for the Messiah was coming to an end. Death would soon be defeated. The winter of Satan’s reign would soon pass into the spring of Jesus’ Kingdom. Those who were not Jesus’ sheep were there to do battle. Those opposed to Jesus gathered around to debate him and cause confusion among the crowds. 
And Jesus Walked About: “And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.” The Portico of Solomon was on the east side of the Temple and offered protection from the cold winds of the desert, once again referencing winter. It was a feast day, so many Jews from distant lands were arriving and Jesus was “walking about” them. Psalm 87, today’s responsorial psalm, encouraged the dispersed Jews of 6 B.C. who were living in foreign lands to remain children of Zion, God’s people. Jesus was doing the same here. We can imagine Jesus’ walking about looking in the hearts of those who had come from far away, acknowledging their hopes and desires. And none of them realized that their God was looking lovingly upon them first. Where are the areas of waiting in our life? Places of winter cold or death? God is at this moment walking about those places in our souls. Pope Francis offers us this encouragement: “The Word bec ame flesh and dwelt among us. ‘Dwell’ is the verb […] to signify this reality: It expresses a total sharing, a great intimacy. And this is what God wants: He wants to dwell with us; he wants to dwell in us, not to remain distant.”
But You Do Not Believe: “But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” How hurt Jesus must have felt to be among his own people and not be recognized. Every person desire to be acknowledged, affirmed, and appreciated for who he or she is. Our usual response is to self-protect by putting on masks to hide our vulnerability. Jesus wanted to be known and loved, but his response was completely different. God who is Love remained vulnerable and open. Jesus, which means “God Saves,” continued to seek his lost sheep. Jesus, who is Emmanuel, continued to dwell among them even when they failed to recognize him. When it feels like a long winter has settled in our souls, we remember that we are not alone. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is walking about in us. We welcome him. 
Conversing with Christ: Lord, where do I fail to see you? Help me to acknowledge your presence in my life. Help me to see and help me to respond. I want to be found by you, Lord. 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ Tư Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ Tư Phục Sinh
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy hình ảnh của Chúa Giêsu qua người chăn chiên lành và đã miêu tả mối quan hệ mật thiết giữa chiên cừu và người chăn vì cả hai đều có kiến thức và sự hiểu biết lẫn nhau.
Tuy nhiên, bài Tin Mừng hôm nay Thánh Gioan muốn truyền đạt nhiều hơn nữa. Vì Chúa Giêsu không phải chỉ là một mục tử tốt lành mà Ngài cũng là cánh cổng. Ngài không phải chỉ hướng dẫn những con chiên của Ngài đến với ơn cứu rỗi, Nhưng Chúa Giêsu cũng còn là đường đưa chúng ta đến với ơn cứu rỗi và sự cứu rỗi chính là Ngài. Những kẻ trộm cắp đến để ăn trộm, ăn cắp, giết người để hủy diệt. Nhưng Chúa Giêsu đến để ban cho con người chúng ta cuộc sống. Chúng ta thường xuyên nhận được cuộc sống khi chúng ta phát triển trong tự do.
Qua bài đọc trong sách Công vụ Tông Đồ mô tả cách mà Thiên Chúa đã truyền cảm hứng cho thánh Phêrô để loan báo cho những người trong Giáo Hội tại Jerusalem một sự tự do nhất định cho các tín hữu mới.
Những người không Do Thái có thể trở thành tín hữu và môn đệ của Chúa Kitô mà không bị những hạn chế của lề luật như chế độ ăn uống của người Do Thái. Đây không phải là một thông điệp dễ dàng để loan báo cho những nhà lãnh đạo, kể cả thánh Phêrô để chấp nhận. Tuy nhiên, thánh Phêrô đã cho chúng ta thấy rõ ra rằng là nếu Thiên Chúa muốn chúc lành và ban tặng cho những ai đã theo sự đổi mới của Chúa Kitô có cùng một Chúa Thánh Linh mà Thiên Chúa đã ban cho các các Tông Đồ của Ngài, và lđã giúp cho thánh Phêrô (và những người kế vị các thánh Tông đồ) biết cách để có thể sống theo như cách của Thiên Chúa.
Lạy Chúa, Chúa là mục tử và là sự cứu rỗi tôi. Trường hợp trong cuộc sống mà chúng con đã được Chúa mời gọi chúng con lớn lên trong sự tự do?
 
Monay 4th Week of Easter
The image of the Good Shepherd portrays an intimate relationship between the sheep and their shepherd. There is a mutual knowledge and familiarity.  Yet the gospel writer wants to convey even more. Jesus is not only the shepherd; He is also the gate. He not only leads the sheep to salvation, Jesus the way to salvation and salvation itself. The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus comes to give life and to give life to us in abundance.
            We often receive life when we grow in freedom. The reading from Acts describes how God has inspired Peter to proclaim to the Church leaders in Jerusalem a certain freedom for new believers. People who are not Jewish can become believers and followers of Christ without taking on the restrictions of Jewish dietary laws. This was not an easy message for the leaders, including Peter, to accept. Ultimately, however, Peter points out that if God wants to bless and gift these new followers of Christ with the same Spirit God has given to the leaders themselves, how can Peter (or anyone else) stand in God’s way?
            Lord, You are my shepherd and salvation. Where in my life are You inviting me to grow in freedom?
 
Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
“But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.” John 10:2–4
Do you recognize the voice of the Shepherd? Does He lead you each and every day, guiding you into His holy will? How attentive are you to what He speaks each day? These are some of the most important questions to ponder.
Recognizing God’s voice is something that many people struggle with. There are often many competing “voices” that speak to us each and every day. From the latest news in the headlines, to the opinions of friends and family, to the temptations all around us within the secular world, to our own self-drawn opinions, these “voices” or “ideas” that fill our minds can be hard to sort through. What is from God? And what is from other sources?
Recognizing the voice of God is indeed possible. First of all, there are many general truths that God has already spoken to us. For example, everything contained in the Holy Scriptures is the voice of God. His Word is alive. And when we read the Scriptures, we become more and more familiar with God’s voice.
God also speaks to us through gentle inspirations that result in His peace. For example, when considering a certain decision you may need to make, if you present that decision to our Lord prayerfully and then remain open to whatever He wants of you, oftentimes His answer comes in the form of a deep and certain peace of heart.
Learning to recognize the voice of God in your daily life is accomplished by building an interior habit of listening, recognizing, responding, listening some more, recognizing and responding, etc. The more you hear the voice of God, the more you will recognize His voice in the most subtle of ways, and the more you come to hear the subtleties of His voice, the more you will be able to follow. In the end, this is only accomplished by an ongoing habit of deep and sustaining prayer. Without that, it will be very difficult to recognize the voice of the Shepherd when you need Him the most.
Reflect, today, upon how attentive you are to God in prayer. What does your daily prayer look like? Do you spend time each day listening to the gentle and beautiful voice of our Lord? Do you seek to form a habit by which His voice becomes clearer and clearer? If not, if you do struggle in recognizing His voice, then make the decision to establish a deeper habit of daily prayer so that it is the voice of our loving Lord Who leads you every day.
Jesus, my Good Shepherd, You speak to me each and every day. You are constantly revealing to me Your most holy will for my life. Help me to always recognize Your gentle voice so that I can be led by You through the challenges of life. May my life of prayer become so deep and sustaining that Your voice always echoes within my heart and soul. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Monday 4th Week of Easter
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the Gatekeeper and have entrusted the role of Good Shepherd to your Son, Jesus Christ. Throw open the gates of eternal life to me and help me listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd who calls me by name and leads me to the pastures of eternal life.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Shepherd: In the Gospel, Jesus alludes to himself as the shepherd of the sheep. He is our leader and enters first through the gate, the gate of heaven and eternal life. He criticizes the religious leaders of Israel, who, in his day, were acting like thieves and robbers and not as authentic shepherds. They were taking advantage of their positions for personal gain. Instead of laying down their lives for the flock, for their sheep, they fell into the temptations that this world offers, the temptations of power, possessions, and pleasure. By contrast, Jesus resisted those temptations and sought only to love his sheep and will their good, the good of salvation, by giving his own life for them. He truly is the Good Shepherd who leads his sheep to good pasture – the verdant fields of eternal life – and the water of the Spirit. 
2. Lamb: When we read about shepherds, sheep, and sheepgates in the Gospel of John, we cannot forget that Jesus was earlier identified by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God. Both in the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation, this is a key identification of Jesus. Jesus is both “Good Shepherd” and “Lamb of God,” just as he is both “faithful and merciful high priest” and “sacrificial victim.” He is mysteriously both the one who offers and the one who is offered. The offering of a lamb harkens back to the Book of Genesis, when Abraham was called to offer his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham trusted that God would provide a lamb, and, in his only-begotten and beloved Son, God did! While the lambs offered in the Temple were ineffective at taking away our sins, Jesus’ one self-offering was effective. As his cousin John proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” We hear these same words at mass when the Eucharist is held up and the priest proclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God; behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”
3. Sheepgate: Jesus is not only the Good Shepherd who leads and protects his sheep and lambs; he is not only the Lamb of God sacrificed on the Cross for our sins; he is also the sheepgate. Whoever enters through Jesus the Sheepgate will be saved. Jesus is the way that leads to eternal life. He has opened the gates of heaven, which were locked due to the sin of our first parents. He himself is the gate through whom we enter into divine life. We enter in the Spirit, through the Son, and to the Father. We need to be on guard about false gates, those gates set up by thieves and robbers. The false gates include those set up by many of the Pharisees, who indulged in self-righteousness, loved the praise of men, and were confident in their own works. The true gate, by contrast, is exemplified in Jesus and is one of humility, service, sacrifice, mercy, peace, justice, purity, grace, virtue, and charity.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd, call me by name today. Protect me from evil and lead me to the refreshing water of eternal life. Help me to imitate you as the Good Shepherd and care for those entrusted to me.

Bài Giảng Chúa Nhật Thứ 4 Mùa Phục Sinh Năm C

Bài Giảng Chúa Nhật Thứ 4 Mùa Phục Sinh Năm C

Hôm nay, Giáo hội muốn chúng ta suy ngẫm về nhu cầu linhy mục những người chủ chiên. Vì vậy, chúng ta gọi hôm nay là Chúa Nhật Chúa Chiên Lành hoặc Chúa Nhật cầu nguyện cho Ơn Gọi Thiên triệu và chúng ta được mời gọi cầu nguyện cho ơn gọi linh mục, đời sống tu trì và mọi ơn gọi.
Chúa Nhật tuần trước, chúng ta đã suy ngẫm về mối quan tâm của Chúa Giêsu khi ban cho chúng ta một vi đứng đầu Mục Tử, là Thánh Phêrô. Chúng ta đã thấy Chúa Giêsu tha thứ cho ông vì đã chối Chúa ba lần và Chúa Giêsu đã nói với ông hãy chăn chiên của Ta, hãy chăm sóc đàn chiên của Ta.
Theo cách đó, Người đã biến ông Phêrô thành một người chủ chăn. Chúa Giêsu tiếp tục công việc chăn dắt dân Người thông qua ông Phêrô và các cộng sự của ông (các tông đồ và môn đệ), và thông qua những người kế vị họ, các Đức Giáo hoàng, các giám mục, linh mục, phó tế, giáo lý viên và những người giáo dân đạo đức.
Điều đầu tiên chúng ta cần nhớ là mỗi người ở đây đều có một ơn gọi! Mỗi người ở đây, bất kể chúng ta đang ở trong tình trạng nào trong cuộc sống, đã và đang được Chúa gọi qua Chúa Thánh Thần để dâng hiến những món quà đặc biệt của mình để mang lại lợi ích cho phần còn lại của cộng đồng hoặc giáo xứ của chúng ta. Do đó, “Chúa Nhật cầu cho ơn gọi” không chỉ dành cho một số ít người được chọn theo ơn gọi tu trì trực tiếp; mà dành cho TẤT CẢ chúng ta ở đây. Mỗi người chúng ta cần suy ngẫm về ơn gọi cụ thể của mình và cách chúng ta có thể đáp lại ơn gọi đó vì hạnh phúc của toàn thể cộng đồng giáo xứ và Giáo hội.
Thứ hai, chúng ta cần giúp đỡ người khác, và không trở thành rào cản đối với họ khi họ đáp lại ơn gọi cụ thể của họ và ân sủng mà Thiên Chúa ban cho họ qua Thánh Thần của Người. Nếu tất cả chúng ta tích cực đáp lại lời kêu gọi đó, chúng ta sẽ là một cộng đồng tuyệt vời biết bao! Bởi vì, nhờ ân sủng của Thiên Chúa, “Chúng ta là dân của Người, là chiên của đàn chiên của Chúa.”
Bài đọc Chúa Nhật hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nói rõ ràng với chúng ta rằng chúng ta là món quà của Chúa Cha ban cho Chúa Giêsu, chúng ta thuộc về Người và không ai có thể cướp chúng ta khỏi tay Người và Người sẽ ban cho chúng ta sự sống đời đời.
Ba điều này rất quan trọng. Thứ nhất, chúng ta là món quà của Chúa Cha ban cho Chúa Giêsu. Chúng ta không tự mình đến với Chúa Giêsu; không, chúng ta được Chúa Cha dẫn đưa tới Chúa Giêsu. Đây quả là một suy nghĩ an ủi tuyệt vời vì Thiên Chúa Cha rất quan tâm đến chúng ta và thấy chúng ta rất quý giá đến nỗi Người quyết định giao phó chúng ta cho Con của Người.
Thứ hai, không ai có thể cướp chúng ta khỏi Chúa Giêsu Christ. Đúng vậy, chúng ta có thể tự mình từ chối Chúa Giêsu, nếu chúng ta có đủ ngu ngốc để làm như vậy. Nhưng không ai có thể cướp chúng ta khỏi Người. Với điều này trong tâm trí, chúng ta không cần phải sợ khi bị ngược đãi hay cám dỗ.
Thứ ba, Chúa Giêsu sẽ ban cho chúng ta sự sống đời đời; thực vậy, chính sự sống của Người mà Người chia sẻ với chúng ta; sự sống thiêng liêng. Không có điều gì vĩ đại hơn có thể xảy ra với chúng ta hơn là được đưa lên thiên đàng để sống với Thiên Chúa mãi mãi.
Chúa Giêsu cũng tuyên bố rất rõ ràng: "Ta và Cha là một". Đây là Chúa Jesus tuyên bố công khai về thần tính của mình. Việc Người là con người thì rõ ràng với tất cả những ai nghe Người. Nhưng khi Người nói: "Ta và Cha là một" là một tuyên bố về thần tính vượt ngoài mọi nghi ngờ.
Trong bài đọc Phúc âm, Chúa Giêsu  tuyên bố, "chiên thuộc về Ta thì nghe tiếng Ta". Và Người cũng nói: "Ta là người chăn chiên tốt lành. Ta biết chiên Ta và chiên Ta biết Ta". Chỉ khi lắng nghe Chúa Giêsu, như Người lắng nghe chúng ta, chúng ta mới có thể biết Người, như Người biết chúng ta. Lắng nghe Chúa Giêsu, theo nghĩa sâu sắc đó, là một khía cạnh quan trọng của ý nghĩa là trở thành người theo Người.
Trong ngày Chúa Nhật cầu nguyện cho ơn gọi này, chúng ta hãy cầu xin Chúa Giêsu, Chúa Chiên Lành hướng dẫn tất cả chúng ta và ban cho chúng ta có sức mạnh và lòng can đảm để tất cả chúng ta có thể trở thành những người chăn chiên trung thành, gương mẫu và làm gương cho nhau trong đức tin.
Chúng ta hãy để hành động, lời nói và việc làm của chúng ta luôn là nguồn cảm hứng, và để ngày càng có nhiều người tin vào Chúa qua chúng ta. Mong rằng mỗi người chúng ta dành nhiều thời giờ và nỗ lực hơn để theo đuổi ơn gọi của mình trong cuộc sống, và xin Chúa, Người Chăn chiên Lành ban phúc lành cho mỗi người chúng ta và luôn ở bên chúng ta...
Và hôm nay chúng ta cảm ơn những người mẹ của mình, cầu nguyện cho họ và tôn vinh họ bằng cách mừng Ngày của Mẹ, dâng những người mẹ của chúng ta lên bàn thờ của Chúa và cầu nguyện cho họ. Đây là ngày để chúng ta biết ơn thừa nhận sự thật rằng không ai trong chúng ta có thể đáp lại, theo cùng một mức độ, tất cả tình yêu mà những người mẹ của chúng ta đã dành cho chúng ta. Mẹ của chúng ta là những người chủ chăn tốt lành mà tất cả chúng ta đều đã trải nghiệm. Họ đã cho chúng ta sự sống, nuôi dưỡng chúng ta, cho chúng ta ăn, dạy dỗ chúng ta, kỷ luật chúng ta và thể hiện tình yêu hy sinh của Chúa Kitô đối với chúng ta, những người con cái của họ, thực hành lệnh truyền yêu thương của Chúa Kitô: "Hãy yêu thương người khác như Ta đã yêu thương các con". Chúng ta hãy nhớ rằng chúng ta có hai người mẹ, một người mẹ trần gian và một người mẹ trên trời. Vì vậy, chúng ta hãy trao phó những người mẹ trần gian của chúng ta cho Mẹ Thiên đàng, Đức Maria, mẹ của Chúa Giêsu như món quà cuối cùng của Chúa dành cho chúng ta khi Người đang hấp hối trên thập giá. Chúc mọi nguòi co dược một ngày tốt lành

Suy Niệm Thứ Bẩy tuần 3 Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Thứ Bẩy tuần 3 Phục Sinh
Hôm nay chúng tiếp tục Mừng của Thánh Gioan hôm thứ Năm và hôm qua với câu Chúa Giêsu nó "chính là Ta là Bánh hằng sống bởi trời xuống! Ai ăn bánh này, thì sẽ được sống đời đời. Và bánh Ta sẽ ban, ấy là thịt mình Ta vì sự sống thế gian"(Jn 06:51), . Và cũng vì những lời này mà một số môn đệ của Ngài đã bỏ Ngài ra đi vì họ thấy khó có thể chấp nhận?
Tại sao những người môn đệ này lại cảm thấy nó khó để chấp nhận những lời của Chúa Giêsu? Có lẽ rất nhiều người đã bị con mắt thế gian che dậy, cộng với cái long tự cao vì họ biết Chúa Giêsu là con của một người thợ mộc quê mùa. Và trong thâm tâm của họ, họ vẫn còn có những ham muốn riêng của họ về sự vật thế gian và không nhận ra bản tính Thiên Chúa của Chúa Giêsu,  Con Thiên Chúa đã nhập thể làm người. Trong Matthew câu 22 đoạn 14, viết Chúa Giêsu nói: "Nhiều người được gọi, nhưng ít người được chọn." Nhiều người được mời đến vương quốc của Thiên Chúa, nhưng chỉ có một số ít người nhận ra Chúa Giêsu là Chúa và là đấng Cứu Chúa Thế của họ, và họ là những người sẽ được chọn để vào nước Trời.\
Thế nào là để chấp nhận Chúa Giêsu? Để chấp nhận Chúa Giêsu có nghĩa là chúng ta phải biết đáp lại lời kêu gọi của Ngài, Có nghĩa là chúng ta thật sự tham gia tích cực với Ngài trong cuộc khổ nạn của Ngài trong bất cứ mọi kể giá. Sứ mệnh của chúng ta là trở thành những người tông đồ để loan truyền Lởi của Chúa cho tất cả những người vẫn chưa được nghe và biết đến Chúa,  để gieo những hạt giống và để đem ân sủng của Thiên Chúa tới với mọi người và giúp làm cho Lời của Chúa được sinh sôi và lớn lên trong trái tim của họ cho đến khi Lời Chúa được nở rộ trong họ. Nhiệm vụ của chúng ta không phải là chỉ tìm đến vương quốc của Thiên Chúa một mình, nhưng là để mang lại càng nhiều linh hồn cùng đến tới Thiên Chúna với chúng ta.
        Chúng ta có trung tín theo đuổi sứ mệnh của chúng ta để theo Chúa Giêsu? hay là chúng ta đang mang những linh hồn khác lánh xa Thiên Chúa và Nước Trời bằng những lời nói khích bác, bằng sự chia rẽ và bằng lối sống ích kỷ của chúng ta? Hay là chúng ta đã chọn việc bỏ Chúa giống như một số các môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu đã làm trong đoạn Tin Mừng hôm nay vì chúng ta chưa sẵn sàng vác thập giá của chúng ta và theo Chúa?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
Reflection Saturday 3rd week of Easter
What is it that some of the disciples find hard to accept? In John 6:51, Jesus says, "I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh and I will give it for the life of the world."
Why did they find it hard to accept the words of Jesus? There were many who got stuck with knowing Jesus as the son of a carpenter. Their hearts were still hardened by their own desires of worldly things and didn't recognize the divine nature of Jesus, that he is the Son of God incarnate. In Matthew 22:14, Jesus said, "Many are called, but few are chosen." Many are invited to the kingdom of heaven, but only those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be chosen to enter the kingdom.
What does it mean to accept Jesus? It means that we respond to his call, that we take active participation in his passion regardless of the price. Our mission is to be apostles who will spread the word of God to all those who haven't heard it yet, to plant the seed and let God's grace grow in their hearts until it reaches full bloom. Our mission is not to go to God's kingdom alone, but to bring as many souls with us.
Have we been faithful in pursuing our mission, or have we brought souls farther away from God and from His kingdom with our worldliness, our selfishness? Or have we chosen to walk away like many of the disciples did during Jesus' time because we are not ready to take up our cross and follow him?
 
Saturday of the Third Week of Easter
As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” John 6:66–67
Today’s Gospel concludes the beautiful and profound sermon on the Bread of Life (see John 6:22–71). When you read this sermon from beginning to end, it is noticeable that Jesus moves from more general statements about the Bread of Life that are easier to accept to more specific statements that are challenging. He concludes His teaching just prior to today’s Gospel by saying very directly, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” After Jesus said this, many who had been listening to Him left Him and no longer followed Him.
There are generally three common attitudes people have toward the Most Holy Eucharist. One attitude is that of profound faith. Another is that of indifference. And a third is what we find in today’s Gospel: disbelief. Those who walked away from Jesus in today’s Gospel did so because they said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” What a great statement and question to ponder.
It is true, in a certain way, that the teaching of Jesus on the Most Holy Eucharist is a hard saying. “Hard,” however, is not bad. It’s hard in the sense that belief in the Eucharist is only possible through a faith that comes from a deep interior revelation from God. In the case of those who walked away from Jesus, they heard His teaching, but their hearts were closed to the gift of faith. They remained stuck on a purely intellectual level, and, thus, the idea of eating the Flesh and Blood of the Son of God was more than they could comprehend. So who could accept such a statement? Only those who listen to our Lord as He speaks to them interiorly. It is only that interior conviction that comes from God that can be proof of the truthfulness of the Holy Eucharist.
Do you believe that when you consume that which appears to be only “bread and wine,” you are actually consuming Christ Himself? Do you understand this teaching of our Lord on the Bread of Life? It is a hard saying and a difficult teaching, which is why it must be taken very seriously. For those who do not flat out reject this teaching, there is also the temptation to be somewhat indifferent to the teaching. It can easily be misunderstood to be just symbolism in the way our Lord talks. But the symbolism is much more than just symbolism. It’s a profound, challenging, and life-changing teaching of how we share in the divine and eternal life our Lord wishes to bestow upon us.
Reflect, today, upon how deeply you believe this hard saying of Jesus. The fact that it is a “hard” saying should make you seriously examine your own faith or lack thereof. What Jesus teaches is life-changing. It’s life-giving. And when clearly understood, you will be challenged to either believe with your whole heart or turn away in disbelief. Allow yourself to believe in the Most Holy Eucharist with your whole heart and you will find that you are believing one of the most profound Mysteries of Faith.
My glorious Lord, Your teaching on the Most Holy Eucharist is beyond human comprehension. It is a mystery so deep that we will never fully understand this precious gift. Open my eyes, dear Lord, and speak to my mind so that I may listen to Your words and respond with the deepest faith. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 3rd week of Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, every day I am faced with a decision to believe and follow you and your Son or return to my former way of life. Strengthen my resolve to follow you always. You truly give me life in your Son. I never want to be separated from you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. This Saying is Hard: At the beginning of today’s Gospel passage, we hear about the disciples who grumbled against Jesus’ teaching about himself as the Bread of Life and the need to eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life. They refused Jesus’ invitation to Eucharistic conversion. Instead of embracing the newness of life and the gift of the Eucharist, many of Jesus’ disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. “They returned to a way of life without Jesus. They chose his absence rather than his presence in their lives. Instead of accompanying him, they walked alone. Their rejection of the gift of Jesus’ word, body, and blood meant they would not walk with him. And neither could he send them on mission” (Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Homily at the U.S. National Eucharistic Congress, July 24, 2024).
2. Do You Also Want to Leave? Jesus asks each one of us, “Do you also want to leave me like the others did?” We hope we can answer like Peter and remain with Jesus and abide in him. Thus, Peter’s question, “To whom shall we go?” seems to have two answers. On the one hand, we need to go to Jesus. He has the words of everlasting life. Without Jesus, we are nothing. Jesus is the Holy One sent by the Father to redeem and save us from sin and death.
3. To Whom Shall We Go? On the other hand, we need to take what we have received and go to others. “Like Peter, we should believe with conviction. Jesus does not impose himself on anyone. He appeals to our interior freedom. Faith and conviction are our gifts to Jesus, who gives himself to us. … Will you stay with Jesus? … Those who choose to stay with Jesus will be sent by Jesus. The gift of his presence and love for us will be our gift to people. We should not keep Jesus to ourselves. That is not discipleship. That is selfishness. The gift we have received, we should give as a gift. Have you experienced the tenderness of Jesus towards his tired disciples, offering them time to rest and to eat, as recounted in the gospel today? Go and share Jesus’ tender love to the weary, the hungry, and the suffering. Have you experienced Jesus’ compassion and guidance when you were like sheep without a shepherd? Go and share Jesus’ shepherds’ caress to the lost, confused, and weak. Have you experienced Jesus’ wounded heart uniting those who are separated from each other, as St. Paul states in his letter to the Ephesians? Go and share Jesus’ gift of reconciliation and peace to those who are divided” (Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Homily at the U.S. National Eucharistic Congress, July 24, 2024).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have pronounced my name and invited me to rise with you to new life. You invite me to follow you even when others reject you and the mysteries you reveal. You can do great things in and through me, and I entrust myself to you today.
 
Saturday 3rd week of Easter 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, every day I am faced with a decision to believe and follow you and your Son or return to my former way of life. Strengthen my resolve to follow you always. You truly give me life in your Son. I never want to be separated from you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Doing the Works Jesus Did: Jesus promises that those who believe in him will do the works that he accomplished (John 14:12). In today’s Gospel, Peter includes himself in the group of those who have come to believe in Jesus as the Holy One of God, and, in the First Reading, we see Peter accomplish the works of Jesus Christ. During his public ministry, Jesus restored at least three people to life: Jarius’ daughter (Matthew 9:24-25; Mark 5:40-42; Luke 8:49-56), the widow’s son (Luke 7:11-17), and his friend Lazarus (John 11:1-44). These miracles and signs are all invitations to faith. Jesus tells Jairus: “Do not be afraid; only have faith” (Mark 5:36; Luke 8:50); he tells his disciples: “Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there because now you will believe" (John 11:15); and he asks Lazarus' sister Mary: "Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:26). Jesus' miracles attest that the Father has sent him. They invite belief in him. “By freeing some individuals from the earthly evils of hunger in justice, illness, and death, Jesus performed Messianic signs” (CCC, 549). Peter has experienced Christ and seen his works and, through an act of faith, enters more deeply into communion with Jesus and with the Father. His confession today at Capernaum, “You are the Holy One of God,” parallels his confession at Caesarea Philippi, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16).
2. Reactions to Jesus’ Bread of Life Discourse: The Gospel presents two different reactions to Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse. There were many disciples who murmured in protest. Despite the signs and miracles Jesus has done, they refuse to accept his teaching about the Eucharist: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). They refuse to believe, break away from Jesus, and will not accompany him any longer. The opposite response is that represented by Simon Peter, who says to Jesus: “Lord, you have the words of eternal life; and we have come to believe and are convinced that you of the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). Peter walks by faith and is confident that by following Jesus he will receive the promise of eternal life. We learn today that faith is a gift from God that we freely reject or freely accept. That is why Jesus says: “No one can come to me unless it is granted to him by the Father” (John 6:65). God’s grace moves us and assists us in making an act of faith. We freely collaborate with God’s grace; our hearts are moved and converted to God; God opens the eyes of our mind, bringing us out of our spiritual blindness, and enables us to accept and believe the truth (CCC, 153). That truth is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, sent by the Father to redeem us and save us and bring us into the unity of his family, the Church. In Christ and through him, we are invited to become, in the Holy Spirit, God's adopted children and heirs of his blessed life (CCC, 1).
3. Peter’s Two Miracles: In the First Reading, we hear of Peter leaving Jerusalem to minister to the new people of God in Judean towns near the Mediterranean Sea. Just as he did miracles in Jerusalem, Peter works a miracle in the name of Jesus Christ in Lydda and says to the paralyzed man, named Aeneas: “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up.” Peter has received power from Jesus and exercises it in Jesus’ name. As well, he invites Aeneas to a deeper faith in Jesus, who now reigns in heaven. In a second miracle, Peter imitates the words of Jesus to the little girl. Jesus said in Aramaic: “Talitha qum,” which means, “Little girl, rise up!”. And Peter likely said in Aramaic: “Tabitha qum,” which means, “Tabitha, rise up!”. In this way, “Luke continues to show that what the apostles do and say in Acts is continuing what ‘Jesus did and taught’ in the Gospel (Acts 1:1). This occurs as they exercise great faith, confident in Jesus’ power and in their own authority to speak and act in his name under the leading of the Holy Spirit” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, p. 165).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have pronounced my name and invited me to rise with you to new life. You invite me to follow you even when others reject you and the mysteries you reveal. You can do great things in and through me and I entrust myself to you today.