Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần thứ bốn Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần thứ bốn Phục Sinh
Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nói rõ cho chúng ta biết rằng Chính là Chúa Cha, Đấng đã sai và chúc lành cho Ngài để  làm những việc tốt lành. Ngài cũng nói rằng nhiệm vụ của Ngài là đến với thế gian này là để làm những gì mà Chúa Cha đã sai Ngài đến để làm.
 Và đối với các thánh cũng thế.  Thánh George là một quan lớn trong quân đội La Mã, nhưng sau khi ông được rửa tội và theo Thiên Chúa, ông đã lập tức từ bỏ tất cả của cải trần thế của mình và ông đã bố thí tất cả những gì ông có cho người nghèo. Ông rời bỏ quân đội và sau đó, ông đã đứng lên làm chứng nhân cho Chúa Kitô  và đã chết vì đức tin cho Chúa Kitô. Từ cái chết can đảm, dũng khí của ông đã khuyến khích rất nhiều người khác dám chết cho Chúa. Ai đã làm cho Thánh George có đủ can đảm để làm tất cả những điều này? Chính Chúa Giêsu, Người Thầy và là đấng Cứu rỗi của ông ta.
            Thánh Adalbert là một người ngoại giáo đã theo đạo Công giáo. Ông trở thành Giám Mục Prague (Thủ đô Tiệp) và ông đã truyền bá Tin Mừng cho người Ba Lan và Hungary. Ông gặp phải nhiều sự chống đối, và cuối cùng ông đã phải chịu tử đạo trong khi cố gắng để rao giảng Tin Mừng  cho quân Phổ ở vùng Baltic và kêu gọi họ trở lại. Thánh Adalbert cũng đã lắng nghe tiếng của Thiên Chúa khi ông làm những công việc truyền bá phúc âm của mình.
  Chúng ta có nghe tiếng nói của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta? Sau khi Ngài đã  giúp chúng ta phân loại và nhận định đâu cuộc sống không có mục đích của chúng ta. Đôi khi Ngài cũng đã còn mời gọi một số người trong chúng ta làm việc cho Ngài còn nhiều hơn . Chúng ta đã có bao giờ nghe thấy tiếng gọi ấy?. Xin Chúa Thánh Thần mở long trí và giúp chúng biết nghe tiến Chúa.
 
Reflection Saturday 4th Week of Easter
In the Gospel reading, Jesus says clearly that it is the Father who enables him to do good works.  He also says that his mission is to do what the Father tells him to do.
This is also true for the saints.  St. George was a tribune in the Roman army when he converted to Christianity.  Immediately he gave up all his worldly possessions and gave them to the poor.  He left the army and was subsequently martyred for standing up for the faith.  His death inspired many others to die for the Lord.  Who inspired St. George to do all this?  Obviously, the Lord, his Master and Savior.
            St. Adalbert was a pagan convert to Catholicism.  He became the Bishop of Prague  and he evangelized the Poles and Hungarians.  Encountering much opposition, he was martyred trying to convert the Baltic Prussians.  St. Adalbert also listened to the voice of God when doing his evangelical work.   Have you heard the voice of God in your life?  After He helps sort out our aimless lives, sometimes He invites some of us to do more for Him.  Have you heard this calling?
 
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” John 14:12–14
How is it that we are called to do greater works than the works that Jesus Himself did? Of course, it’s true. This is our calling. We know that, because this is what our Lord promised us. This truth should fill us with gratitude for being used so powerfully by God.
Among the “greater” works of which Jesus speaks is, first and foremost, the sharing of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. As Jesus walked the earth, His mission was primarily to the people of Israel. But when He ascended to Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit upon the Church, He also empowered all who would receive the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Thus, the conversion of hearts is the greatest work that we can cooperate with.
Do you want to do great things? Most children dream of doing so because this desire is written upon our human nature. We want to make a difference. We want to be great. But too often we become confused about true greatness. We attempt to fulfill that innate desire through acts of worldly and passing greatness. We seek recognition, wealth, and other passing rewards that stem from selfish ambitions. None of these ultimately fulfill us, even if we were to achieve them to the greatest extent. For example, imagine if you won the Nobel Peace Prize, or became the leader of a nation, or became the wealthiest person alive. Would the attainment of one of these goals fulfill you? Only if it were the will of God. If not, it would be an empty and meaningless act.
Begin by looking within. Do you see the desire within you to do great things? Hopefully you do. From there, remind yourself that the greatest thing you can do, so as to fulfill the desire within you, is to do that which is the will of God for your life. Jesus says, “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” Asking in Jesus’ name means asking for the fulfillment of His will. It means asking that God use you to bring His saving grace to others any way He chooses. If you ask our Lord for this grace, He will grant it.
This form of prayer requires humility and a complete detachment from our own will. It requires that we ask the Father only for that which the Son asks the Father for us. But the reward of such a humble prayer is that God will bestow His grace and mercy on others through us. This is His perfect will.
R         eflect, today, upon this high calling. Do so by looking at the desire within your own soul for greatness and then unite that desire with God’s will as the only thing that can fulfill you. Pray for this gift every day with humility and detachment and you will become an instrument of acts that give eternal glory to God. In Heaven, this will be your eternal joy.
Providential Lord, Your will is perfect and glorious. Please help me to humble myself before You, every day, so that I will understand Your will for my life and choose it always. May I be an instrument of Your saving grace to all whom You wish to touch through me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 4th Week of Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, my deepest desire is eternal communion with you. I long to see your face and enjoy your blessedness. Guide me on my journey to you and empower me to accomplish the greater works your Son has revealed. Glorify your name!
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Face of God the Father: During the Last Supper, Philip makes a legitimate request, “Show us the Father.” His request was reminiscent of the request of Moses, who asked to see the Glory of the Lord (Exodus 33:18). During his earthly life, Moses went from talking with God “face-to-face,” to only being permitted to see the backside of God’s glory (Exodus 33:23). This change in relation is connected to his intercession and self-offering for the sinful people of Israel. In a mysterious way, however, Moses was permitted to see the glory of God at Jesus’ Transfiguration. Moses beheld the glorious face of Jesus and spoke with him and, in doing so, beheld the glorious face of God the Father. Philip and the other apostles learned the same lesson at the Last Supper.
2. The Face of God the Son: In the Old Testament, there was a longing of the people of Israel to behold the Face of God. The priests blessed the Israelites and asked: “May the Lord bless and keep you; May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.” The hope of this Old Testament blessing was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The face of the Lord shone upon Israel in and through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Whoever saw the face of Jesus saw the face of the Father. And what did the apostles and disciples contemplate in the face of Jesus? A face of humility, service, justice, peace, charity, mercy, meekness, purity, and persecution. The face of Jesus perfectly imaged the face of his Father.
3. The Face of God the Spirit: The Incarnation of the Son is complemented by the Pentecost of the Spirit. While the mission of Jesus was to assume our human nature and redeem it through his sacrificial offering, the mission of the Spirit is to sanctify our human nature and bring it to its consummation. The Spirit has manifested itself as a peaceful dove, as an enveloping cloud, as a powerful wind, and as tongues of fire. The Spirit reconciles us with the Father, brings us into the mystery of the Triune God, directs us here and there, and enkindles the Love of God and neighbor within our hearts. While the people of Babel could not understand one another due to the effects of pride and sin, the people at Pentecost became one in the Spirit, in faith, in Baptism, and in the Body of Christ. Although we do not see the face of the invisible Spirit, the Spirit brings us to contemplate as individuals and as a community the face of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have forgiven my sins and established me in a right relationship with God the Father. I have been healed and justified by your grace and granted divine sonship. Help me to live as a true child of God and heed the words of my Father in heaven.
 
Saturday 4^th week of easter
Opening Prayer: Here we are, Lord, on the first day of May, the month of Mary, on the first Saturday of the month, Mary’s Saturday, in the year of St. Joseph, during the Easter season. Could this moment be more spiritually rich? Bless me as I listen for your voice while I pray over these words of Scripture.
Encountering Christ:
God Bless Philip: Even though he accompanied Jesus for quite some time, Philip still missed an important truth about his master—that the Father and Jesus are one. Yet, Philip spoke from his heart when he begged, “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Like Philip, many of us are “seasoned followers of Christ,” having been with him for years in our vocations as priests, consecrated persons, or lay men and women. Like Philip, we often misunderstand Jesus when he reveals something of himself to us, even if we should know better. Philip teaches us that when we ask Jesus sincerely for clarification or greater insight, Jesus answers us. We have this beautiful description of Jesus’s relationship with the Father because Philip asked to see and understand.
Doing His Works: Once more, Jesus tells us in these lines of Scripture that by faith we can work miracles. “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these.” If we’re not doing miracles or witnessing them, the fault lies with us. Perhaps our faith is too weak. Perhaps we haven’t discerned when miracles are called for. Perhaps we aren’t ready to give Jesus all the credit. Or maybe we fail to see miracles for what they are. Is there any greater miracle than to see the light of Christ sparkle in someone’s eyes for the first time as you witness about him? Lectors, eucharistic ministers, and church musicians can be miracle workers, bringing the word to life in people’s souls by their ministries. Healing miracles happen through healing services or by our own intercessory prayers. We are miracle workers every time we act according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, for we become Christ’s hands and feet for the good of our neighbor.
Asking: Jesus told us that if we ask anything of him in his name, he will do it. What a promise! How often do we trust the Lord with our heart’s greatest desires? We think, “I want to be a saint” or “I want the conversion of my fallen-away children.” These things are certainly at the top of our list, but are they truly our greatest desires? Maybe we want to be hugged? Loved? Understood? Do we long for companionship? Physical healing? When we ask the Lord to reveal to us what our greatest desires are, the answers may surprise us. Our Lord knows what we want, so let’s have the courage to tell him the truth from the depths of our hearts. We take these things to Jesus and trust that he hears us and is working on it. And we say with St. Therese of Lisieux, “I am certain... that you will grant my desires; I know it, O my God!”
Conversing with Christ: Lord, thank you for this month of May to honor your mother and mine. Blessed Mother, watch over the souls entrusted to me. Ask your Son to please increase my faith so that I may be pleasing to him and humbly, obediently, do all that he asks of me. Like St. Therese, I am certain that Jesus knows my heart’s
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will spend ten minutes in intercessory prayer, confident that you hear and answer my prayers.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu Tuần thứ Tư Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu Tuần thứ Tư Phục Sinh
Con người làm nhiều việc khủng khiếp vì sợ hãi, sự thiếu hiểu biết, và vì tội lỗi. Cho đến ngày nay, con người chúng ta vẫn tiếp tục làm nhiều điều tiêu cực. Trong những lời rao truyền về sự đau khổ, và cái chết nhục nhã của Chúa Giêsu trên Thập Giá, Thánh Phêrô không bao giờ khiển trách người Do Thái về những sự bạo hành đó, ông chỉ nói đến sự vui mừng vì Thiên Chúa đã làm cho Đức Giêsu được sống lại từ cõi chết và tôn vinh Ngài. Thiên Chúa luôn luôn là sức mạnh và còn mạnh hơn cả tội lỗi và sự sợ hãi của chúng ta, và Thiên Chúa sẽ luôn luôn tìm cách để giáo huấn chúng ta biết sửa đổi và đem chúng ta đến sự ngay thẳng. Chúng ta đừng quá chán nản và bất mãn về tình trạng tội lỗi của thế giới, nhưng chúng ta cần phải cố gắng mang lại sự hiện diện của Thiên Chúa vào những những nơi tồi tàn và tối tăm nhất.
Trong lúc các môn đệ của Chúa qua lo âu và buồn rầu, Chúa Giêsu đã an ủi họ nói với họ là không nên để cho lòng trí và tâm hồn của họ phải gặp những khó khăn, âu sầu, lo sợ; vì sau khi tất cả, Ngài đã đi trước khi họ chuẩn bị một nơi cho họ trong tương lai. Khi được hỏi làm thế nào đê một người như chúng ta có thể tìm đến một Thiên Chúa, Chúa Giêsu đã cho chỉ cho chúng ta biết là Ngài chính là đường, là sự thật và là sự sống. Cách sống của Ngài chính là cách hay là con đường tâm linh; đưa tới sự khiêm tốn, tình yêu thương, và sự phục vụ. Chúng ta phải bước theo con đường sống theo như cách của Ngài giống như cách sống mà Ngài đã làm. Ngài là chân lý, trong đó, Ngài đã tỏ lộ bản chất thật sự của Thiên Chúa trong hình dạng con người, đó là ánh sáng và tình yêu. Đó là cách chúng ta phải nghĩ về Thiên Chúa, cũng như một mô hình cho cuộc sống của chúng ta. Ngài là sự sống, trong đó Ngài trao sự sống đời đời cho những người biết mở rộng tâm hồn và và con tim của họ. Đặt niềm tin vào Chúa Giêsu không phải là đồng ý với một mớ các học thuyết, nhưng là trung thành bước theo con đường tâm linh của Ngài. Chúa Giêsu vừa là con đường dẫn chúng ta đến Thiên Chúa và cổng Thiên Đàng, và tất cả những ai bước đi trong tình yêu sẽ tìm thấy Ngài. Chúa Giêsu, là con đường của chúng ta và là chân lý, là sự thật của chúng ta.
 
Friday 4th Week of Easter 22nd April 2019
People do many terrible things through fear, ignorance, and sin. Even today, humans continue to do many negative things. In his proclamation about the crucifixion of Jesus, Peter does not lay blame; he merely rejoices that God raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him. God is always stronger than our sin and our fear, and God will always find some way to set us straight. Let us not be overly depressed about the state of the world, but try to bring God’s presence into the darkest corners.
Jesus told his anxious disciples not to let their hearts be troubled; after all, he was going before them to prepare a place. When asked how one reaches God, Jesus pointed to himself as the way, the truth, and the life. His life is the way or spiritual path; humility, love, and service. We must follow that path just as he did. He is truth, in that he reveals the true nature of God in human form, which is light and love. That is how we must think of God, as well as model our lives. He is life, in that he grants eternal life to those who open their minds and hearts. Faith in Jesus is not agreeing to a list of doctrines but faithfully following his spiritual path. Jesus himself is both the path to God and the gate, and all who walk in love will find him.  Jesus, be my path and my truth.
 
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” John 14:1
In John’s Gospel, Chapters 14–17 present us with what is referred to as Jesus’ “Last Supper Discourses,” or His “Final Discourses.” These are a series of sermons given by our Lord to the disciples the night He was arrested. These discourses are deep and filled with symbolic imagery. He speaks of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the vine and the branches, the world’s hatred, and these discourses conclude with Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. These discourses begin with today’s Gospel in which Jesus addresses the coming fear, or troubled hearts, that He knows His disciples will experience.
Let’s begin by considering this first line spoken by Jesus above: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” This is a command. It’s a gentle command but a command nonetheless. Jesus knew that His disciples would soon see Him arrested, falsely accused, mocked, beaten and killed. He knew they would be overwhelmed by what they would soon experience, so He took this opportunity to gently and lovingly rebuke the fear that they would soon face. Fear can come from many different sources. Some fear is helpful to us, such as the fear present in a dangerous situation. In this case, that fear can heighten our awareness of the danger so that we proceed with caution. But the fear that Jesus was speaking of here was of a different kind. It was a fear that could lead to irrational decisions, confusion, and even despair. This was the kind of fear that our Lord wanted to gently rebuke.
What is it that causes you to fear at times? Many people struggle with anxiety, worry, and fear for many different reasons. If this is something you struggle with, it’s important to allow Jesus’ words to resonate within your mind and heart. The best way to overcome fear is to rebuke it at its source. Hear Jesus say to you, “Do not let your heart be troubled.” Then listen to His second command: “You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Faith in God is the cure for fear. When we have faith, we are under the control of the voice of God. It is God’s truth that directs us rather than the difficulty we are facing. Fear can lead to irrational thinking, and irrational thinking can lead us deeper and deeper into confusion. Faith pierces through the irrationality we are tempted with, and the truths that faith presents to us bring clarity and strength.
Reflect, today, upon whatever it is that causes you the most anxiety, worry and fear in your life. Allow Jesus to speak to you, to call you to faith and to rebuke those troubles gently but firmly. When you have faith in God, you can endure all things. Jesus endured the Cross. The disciples eventually endured their crosses. God wants to strengthen you, too. Let Him speak to you so that you will overcome whatever is most troublesome to your heart.
My loving Shepherd, You know all things. You know my heart and the difficulties I face in life. Give me the courage I need, dear Lord, to face every temptation to fear with confidence and trust in You. Bring clarity to my mind and peace to my troubled heart. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday 4th Week of Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I want to dwell in your house all the days of my life. Your house is one of eternal peace and joy, where sin and death are no more, and where every tear is wiped away. Help to experience that peace and joy even now as I journey home.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Faithful Hearts: At the Last Supper, Jesus speaks about our hearts. On the one hand, he exhorts us that we should not let our hearts give in to fear or anxiety. In fact, one of the principal missions of Jesus was to free us from the fear of death. Adam and Eve, our first parents, rejected God’s plan and will and introduced the fear of death into their lives and our lives. When Jesus was raised from the dead, he showed us that we have no need to fear death. Therefore, when one of our loved ones dies, we have the confidence that they will live on and encounter our merciful Father. Having been baptized into the death of Christ, we have hope that they will rise with Christ. Faith is not just an act of our intellect. It is an act of personal entrustment to God. In faith, we give all that we are over to God, our Father, our Savior, and our Sanctifier.
2. The Father’s House: One of the most powerful images of heaven is that of a house with many rooms or dwelling places. Many of us can be impressed by a royal palace with over one hundred rooms or a multi-million dollar mansion. The heavenly palace that awaits us infinitely surpasses any earthly mansion or palace: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” The best of home life is characterized by servicial love, tasty food and desserts, fun times and games, sacrificing for others, good conversation, gift-giving, rest, and relaxation. All of those earthly blessings are nothing compared to the blessings of heaven. Love is imperfect here on earth and will be brought to perfection in heaven. Earthly food is nothing compared to communion with God at the heavenly banquet. Any excitement we have through fun and games and competition is nothing compared to the ecstasy of heaven. No earthly conversation can compare to seeing all things through the divine essence. No earthly gift can compare to the beauty and crown of glory. No earthly rest or weekend, or retirement can compare to the eternal rest of sharing in divine life.
3. Jesus, the Way: Jesus encourages his disciples with the words, “You know the way.” While some religions proclaim a way to enlightenment, Jesus is more radical and proclaims that he himself is the Way. In the Old Testament, Abram followed the way marked out by God to the Promised Land; the people of Israel followed the way from Egypt through the wilderness to the Promised Land; and the people of Judah returned along the way from Babylon to Jerusalem. All of these were images and symbols that pointed to the future Way. Just as Abram heeded the word of God and walked along the way, we are called to heed God’s Word. Just as the people of Israel followed the cloud and pillar of fire in the wilderness, we are called to follow the cloud and fire of the Spirit in the wilderness of our lives. And just as the people of Judah were freed from captivity and returned home from exile, we are called to enjoy the freedom of the children of God, be freed from the captivity of sin, and dwell in our heavenly home.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I want to dwell with you in the Father’s house all the days of my life. You have prepared a place for me, and I look forward to the eternal gathering of God’s family in heaven. May my thoughts turn often to this heavenly dwelling as I journey through this world!
 
Friday 4th Week of Easter
Opening Prayer: I want to believe and follow you, Lord Jesus, but it is difficult for me at times to understand how I am to act and speak as your disciple in the circumstances of my day. I believe in you, Jesus; help my unbelief. 
Encountering Christ:
Slave and Messenger: Several verses before this Gospel passage and the few after it revealed that Jesus had an enemy among his Apostles. When Jesus said, “No slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him,” he was warning his Apostles of this sinister threat. Judas had already accepted the blood money in exchange for turning Jesus over to the authorities, but it was not too late for him to repent here. He did not. Perhaps Judas believed he was in control, able to twist events to his advantage without losing his place among his brother Apostles. Judas would soon realize he was never in control but instead had become a slave to Satan and his messenger of evil. We too often fall for the lie that we are in control of our lives. God has given every person free will, but “The exercise of freedom does not imply a right to say or do everything. It is false to maintain that man, ‘the subject of this freedom,’ is ‘an individual who is fully self-sufficient and whose finality is the satisfaction of his own interests in the enjoyment of earthly goods’” (CCC 1740). “Freedom makes a man a moral subject. When he acts deliberately, man is, so to speak, the father of his acts. Human acts, that is, acts that are freely chosen in consequence of a judgment of conscience can be morally evaluated. They are either good or evil” (CCC 1749). Jesus taught his Apostles, and teaches us, that our acts of free will are subject to two choices: good or evil. 
In Control: John writes Jesus was “…fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God […] (John 13:3), and then described the Son of God, fully empowered, stooping to wash the feet of his Apostles. This is the amazing witness of Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the meek, they shall possess the land” (Matthew 5:4). Meekness, Archbishop Fulton Sheen says, is “self-possession. That is why the reward for meekness is possession.” The Greek origin of the word meek is “strength under control.” In ancient Greece, war horses were meeked: trained to be strong and powerful yet under control and willing to submit. Jesus was fully in control of his humanity through his divinity, manifested in his obedience to the Father. This is meekness, the strength under control that Jesus witnessed to us, and we are called to imitate him.
I AM: “From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.” Jesus was taking the precious little time he had left to prepare his Apostles for what was to come. He had spent the past three years walking with them, teaching them, and witnessing what they were to do, and now it all came down to their belief in his words that he, Jesus, their friend, and Master, is God: I AM. “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” When the situation soon became out of the Apostles’ control and their Lord was taken from them, their belief was shaken but not destroyed. This outcome was helped by the witness of those who stood at his cross: the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, John, and a few others. It would be Mary Magdalene whom the resurrected Jesus sent and was received by the Apostles. When we experience our “out of control” situations, we can remember that Jesus prepares us and teaches us what to do through the graces we receive in the sacramental life of his Catholic Church. “If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.” 
Conversing with Christ: Lord, so often I try to control situations, and this leads to division and unrest instead of the unity and peace I want. You teach us that the way to unity and peace can only be achieved by surrendering our will to you. You are the way, Jesus. I will follow you. 
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Bẩy Tuần thứ bốn Phục Sinh
Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nói rõ cho chúng ta biết rằng Chính là Chúa Cha, Đấng đã sai và chúc lành cho Ngài để  làm những việc tốt lành. Ngài cũng nói rằng nhiệm vụ của Ngài là đến với thế gian này là để làm những gì mà Chúa Cha đã sai Ngài đến để làm.
 Và đối với các thánh cũng thế.  Thánh George là một quan lớn trong quân đội La Mã, nhưng sau khi ông được rửa tội và theo Thiên Chúa, ông đã lập tức từ bỏ tất cả của cải trần thế của mình và ông đã bố thí tất cả những gì ông có cho người nghèo. Ông rời bỏ quân đội và sau đó, ông đã đứng lên làm chứng nhân cho Chúa Kitô  và đã chết vì đức tin cho Chúa Kitô. Từ cái chết can đảm, dũng khí của ông đã khuyến khích rất nhiều người khác dám chết cho Chúa. Ai đã làm cho Thánh George có đủ can đảm để làm tất cả những điều này? Chính Chúa Giêsu, Người Thầy và là đấng Cứu rỗi của ông ta.
            Thánh Adalbert là một người ngoại giáo đã theo đạo Công giáo. Ông trở thành Giám Mục Prague (Thủ đô Tiệp) và ông đã truyền bá Tin Mừng cho người Ba Lan và Hungary. Ông gặp phải nhiều sự chống đối, và cuối cùng ông đã phải chịu tử đạo trong khi cố gắng để rao giảng Tin Mừng  cho quân Phổ ở vùng Baltic và kêu gọi họ trở lại. Thánh Adalbert cũng đã lắng nghe tiếng của Thiên Chúa khi ông làm những công việc truyền bá phúc âm của mình.
  Chúng ta có nghe tiếng nói của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta? Sau khi Ngài đã  giúp chúng ta phân loại và nhận định đâu cuộc sống không có mục đích của chúng ta. Đôi khi Ngài cũng đã còn mời gọi một số người trong chúng ta làm việc cho Ngài còn nhiều hơn . Chúng ta đã có bao giờ nghe thấy tiếng gọi ấy?. Xin Chúa Thánh Thần mở long trí và giúp chúng biết nghe tiến Chúa.
 
Reflection Saturday 4th Week of Easter
In the Gospel reading, Jesus says clearly that it is the Father who enables him to do good works.  He also says that his mission is to do what the Father tells him to do.
This is also true for the saints.  St. George was a tribune in the Roman army when he converted to Christianity.  Immediately he gave up all his worldly possessions and gave them to the poor.  He left the army and was subsequently martyred for standing up for the faith.  His death inspired many others to die for the Lord.  Who inspired St. George to do all this?  Obviously, the Lord, his Master and Savior.
            St. Adalbert was a pagan convert to Catholicism.  He became the Bishop of Prague  and he evangelized the Poles and Hungarians.  Encountering much opposition, he was martyred trying to convert the Baltic Prussians.  St. Adalbert also listened to the voice of God when doing his evangelical work.   Have you heard the voice of God in your life?  After He helps sort out our aimless lives, sometimes He invites some of us to do more for Him.  Have you heard this calling?

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 4 Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 4 Phục Sinh
            Mùa Phục Sinh là mùa mang lại cho chúng ta một thông điệp của hy vọng trong sự sống lại với Chúa Kitô trong cuộc sống mới. Trong bài Tin Mừng, Chúa Kitô cho chúng ta biết rằng bất cứ ai tiếp đón một trong những người Ngài gởi đến là tiếp nhận Ngài.  Và bất cứ ai tiếp nhận Chúa Kitô là tiếp nhận Chúa Cha, Ngưòi  đã sai Chúa Giêsu Kitô đến.
            Qua phép rửa tất cả chúng ta được Chúa Kitô giao nhiệm vụ và sai đi để tham gia với Ngài trong nhiệm vụ rao truyền Tin Mừng của Ngài đến với mọi người. Mỗi người chúng ta được kêu gọi nên thánh; chúng ta có nhiệm vụ phải thay đổi lối sống của chúng ta cho tốt hơn, để được sống lại với Chúa Kitô trong cuộc sống mới, để trở nên những chứng nhân tình yêu của Ngài và là niềm hy vọng trong sự sống lại và sự chiến thắng của Ngài.
            Chúa Giêsu đã bảo đảm với chúng ta rằng Ngài sẽ ở lại với chúng ta cũng như Ngài đã sai chúng ta đến để làm chứng cho Ngài, Ngài hứa với chúng ta là Ngài sẽ ban ân sủng của Ngài cho chúng ta và sẽ hỗ trợ chúng ta  trong việc chia sẻ Tin Mừng tuyệt vời của Ngài cho tất cả mọi người được  biết  là Chúa Giêsu Kitô đã sống lại, và Thiên Chúa đã yêu thương chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy tin tưởng vào Ngài trong những lời kêu gọi và và hợp tác với Ngài sứ mạng tuyệt vời này.
 
Reflection Thursday 4th of Easter 2016
            The season of Easter gives us the message of hope in rising to new life with Christ.  In the Gospel reading, Christ tells us that whoever receives the one he has sent receives him. And whoever received Christ receives the Father who has sent him.
            In baptism all of us are commissioned and sent by Christ to join him in his mission.  We are called to holiness; we are tasked to change for the better, to rise to new life with Christ, to become witnesses of his love and of hope in his resurrection and triumph. 
            Jesus' words assures that he will be with us as he send us to be his witnesses, He assures us of his grace and assistance to share the wonderful news that Christ has risen, that God loves us.  Let us trust him in this wonderful call and mission.
 
Thursday 4^th week of Easter 2025
When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.” John 13:16–17
During this, the Fourth Week of Easter, we return to the Last Supper and will spend a few weeks considering the discourse Jesus gave that Holy Thursday evening to His disciples. The question to ask yourself today is this: “Are you blessed?” Jesus says that you are blessed if you “understand” and “do” what He teaches His disciples. So what did He teach them?
Jesus offers this prophetic action by which He took on the role of a slave by washing the disciples’ feet. His action was much louder than words, as the saying goes. The disciples were humbled by this act, and Peter, at first, refused it. There is little doubt that this humble act of service, by which Jesus lowered Himself before His disciples, made a strong impression upon them.
The worldly view of greatness is much different than the one Jesus taught. Worldly greatness is a process of elevating yourself in the eyes of others, striving to let them know just how good you are. Worldly greatness is often driven by a fear of what others may think of you, and a desire to be honored by all. But Jesus wants to be clear that we will only be great if we serve. We must humble ourselves before others, holding them and their goodness up, honoring them and showing them the deepest love and respect. By washing their feet, Jesus completely abandoned the worldly view of greatness and called His disciples to do the same.
Humility is difficult to understand at times. This is why Jesus said, “If you understand this…” He realized that the disciples, as well as all of us, will struggle with understanding the importance of humbling ourselves before others and serving them. But if you do understand humility, you will be “blessed” when you live it. You will not be blessed in the eyes of the world, but you will be truly blessed in the eyes of God.Humility is especially accomplished when we purify our desire for honor and prestige, when we overcome all fear of being mistreated, and when, in place of this desire and fear, we desire abundant blessings upon others, even before ourselves. This love and humility is the only way to this mysterious and profound depth of love.
Reflect, today, upon this humble act of the Son of God, the Savior of the World, lowering Himself before His disciples, serving them as if He were a slave. Try to imagine yourself doing this for others. Think about various ways that you can more readily go out of your way to put others and their needs before your own. Seek to eliminate every selfish desire you struggle with and identify any fear that keeps you from humility. Understand this gift of humility and live it. Only then will you be truly blessed.
My humble Lord, You set for us the perfect example of love when You chose to serve Your disciples with great humility. Help me to understand this beautiful virtue and to live it. Free me from all selfishness and fear so that I may love others as You have loved us all. Jesus, I trust in You
 
Thursday 4^th week of Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are all-powerful and know all things. You know how my life will unfold and how I will be judged. I renew my trust in you that you will guide me and bring me to safe harbor. Strength me in times of temptation and trial so that I may share in the victory of your Son.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Washing Feet at the Last Supper: It is understood that John wrote his Gospel for several reasons: first, to defend the divinity of Jesus; second, to add to what the other three Gospels already proclaimed; and third, to proclaim the mystery of the sacraments of the Church. John, then, did not need to recount the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. What he wanted to add to those narrations in Matthew, Mark, and Luke were Jesus’ actions, the commandment of love, and the promise of sending the Holy Spirit. What does the washing of feet mean? First, it recalls the ritual washings commanded by Moses. These ritual washings symbolized how the people of God needed to separate themselves from the uncleanliness of sin. Second, they recalled the ritual washing of the bride before her marriage. The marriage between God and humanity would be consummated on the Cross of Jesus. And so we see Jesus at the Last Supper humbly washing his bride’s feet. Third, the washings signified the self-emptying of Jesus. Jesus assumed our human nature and identified himself with the humble actions of a servant. In this way, the washing of feet symbolically anticipated his death on the Cross. Fourth, the humble action of washing feet looks forward to the ministry of the Church, which seeks to cleanse the new people of God from their sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation after the fundamental and initial washing of Baptism.
2. Believe that I AM: At the Last Supper, Jesus highlights how he is telling his disciples beforehand what is going to happen to him so that they may believe that he is God, “that I AM.” From the other Gospels, we know that Jesus announced his passion, death, and resurrection three times on the final journey to Jerusalem. At the Last Supper, he announced that he would be betrayed and that this betrayal was pre-announced in the Psalms. As Psalm 41:8-10 proclaims: “All those who hate me; they imagined the worst about me … Even my trusted friend, who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.” If we continue to read Psalm 41, it goes on to manifest hope that God will grant his servant the grace and gift of resurrection: “But you, Lord, take note of me to raise me up that I may repay them” (Psalm 41:11). Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead, and raise the just to eternal life and condemn the unjust to eternal death.
3. Receiving Jesus: At the end of today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about the mystery of receiving his disciples, himself, and his Father. When we receive either one of Christ’s disciples or someone in need, we are receiving Jesus. We need to receive the poor because in receiving them, caring for them, and giving ourselves to them, we receive Jesus, care for Jesus, and give ourselves to Jesus. And when we receive Jesus and welcome him, we receive and welcome the Father, who sent and sends Jesus. 
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Christ and the Son of God. You have called me to be your disciple and follow you on the way that leads to the Cross. Keep me close to you so that I may learn your ways and truly be your disciple in this world.
Thursday 4^th week of Easter
Opening Prayer: Lord, you taught the Apostles to pray, and they were unstoppable in their mission as your messengers. Help me to pray well now, so I can hear your words of encouragement and be sent out to help my wounded brothers and sisters. 
Encountering Christ:
Christ’s Messengers: Jesus sent out the Apostles; in fact, that is what the word “Apostle” means—someone who is sent out, a messenger. They had been given a message uniquely their own; no one else could duplicate it. They had been with Jesus during his life.  Although most of them ran away, they were nearby when he died. They were witnesses of the empty tomb and then saw him risen from the dead. They were witnesses to the Resurrection. As his first-hand witnesses, the Apostles were sent out by Jesus to spread the Good News—that Jesus had risen from the dead and that through his death and Resurrection we are all saved from sin. Later, St. Paul was also called an Apostle because he saw the Risen Lord while on his way to Damascus.  
Respect: Since the Apostles were sent by Christ, they received the same respect from the early Christians as would have been given Jesus if he had come to them. The Apostles were their (and our!) link to Jesus. In fact, the early Church used this criterion to decide what books would be in the New Testament: If there was reasonable evidence that a book had been written by one of the Apostles, or at least a disciple who had contact with Jesus, the early Church considered it a part of the New Testament. The authorship of some books was in doubt, and those did not make it into the New Testament. The early Church respected the words of these messengers chosen by Jesus as if Jesus had written them himself.
We Are Also His Messengers: Jesus also sends us. We aren’t apostles in the same way the Twelve and St. Paul were Apostles, but we are still called to bear witness to Jesus.  We are called to witness to his love in our life: all the things he has done for us, all of his favors and gifts, and the graces he has given us to help us grow into better, more virtuous people. The longer we have followed him, listened to him speak in our hearts, and felt his power in our everyday life, the more we can bear witness to him. Jesus gives us all of these things for our benefit, but also so that we can also spread the good news. By our lives, we can bring hope to others in this world who need it so much!

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng ngày 14 tháng 5 Lễ Thánh Mathhia Tông Đồ

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng ngày 14 tháng 5 Lễ Thánh Mathhia Tông Đồ
Mặc dù Chúa muốn chọn chúng ta làm môn đệ của Ngài, nhưng Ngài cũng tôn trọng sự tự do của chúng ta trong việc chúng ta ra quyết định. Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta nghe Chúa Giêsu nói: "Không phải là các con đã chọn thầy nhưng là thầy đã chọn các con, và thầy cử các con ra đi, để các con sẽ được sinh hoa kết trái và hoa trái ấy sẽ tồn tại mãi mãi." Cũng như trong việc chúng ta tự do lựa chọn những người mà chúng ta thích và muốn làm bạn. Chúa Giêsu cũng chọn những người mà Ngài rất thích được làm bạn, hầu Ngài chia sẻ tình yêu vĩnh cửu và niềm vui mà Ngài mang đến với những người đó từ nơi Chúa Cha. Chúa Giêsu truyền dạy cho chúng ta là hãy yêu thương nhau như Ngài đã yêu thương chúng ta. Chúa Giêsu đã lựa và chọn chúng ta và ban cho chúng ta một nơi trong thế giới có ý nghĩa và mục đích trong cuộc sống; và ngược lại, chúng ta cũng phải biết cảm nhận và cam kết với sự hợp tác này.
Những người ở lại trong tình yêu thương của Chúa Kitô sẽ được sinh sôi, đơm hoa kết trái mãi mãi. Năng suất cao không có nghĩa là tài quản lý hoặc thành tựu. Cũng như việc tuân thủ trong tình bạn của Chúa Kitô không đòi hỏi sự trì trệ.Thiên Chúa là tác giả mọi cuộc sống, do đó mối quan hệ với Thiên Chúa hằng sống phải là sống sống động trong mọi tâm hồn. Cầu nguyện để cho kết quảhoa trái được phát triển trong tình yêu thương, nhưng tình yêu này phải được phát xuất ngay từ trong đáy lòng của chúngta cũng như là Chúa Kitô đã đem những việc làm tốt đẹp cho thế giới để: "nhờ Lời mà họ sẽ tin vào Con,.. và thế gian tin là Cha đã sai Con." (Gioan 17: 21).
Thánh Matthias, Thánh Tông Đồ, xin cầu cho chúng con.
[St. Matthias đã được chọn để thay thế Judas Iscariot thành một trong số 12 Tông Đồ. Thánh Mathia đã rao giảng Tin Mừng ở vùng Palestine và đã bị ném đá đến chết.]
 
May 14th- St Matthias, Apostle
Much as God reverences our freedom in decision-making, it is the Lord who chooses us when it comes to discipleship. In today’s gospel, we hear Jesus say: “You did not choose me but I chose you, and I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” 
            As we freely choose who we want to be friends with, Jesus chooses those whom he loves to be his friends, to share the abiding love and joy that comes to him from the Father. Jesus commands us to love one another as he has loved us. Jesus’ choosing of us gives us a place in the world and a sense of purpose in life; and in return, we feel a sense of commitment to this partnership.
            Those who abide in Christ’s friendship will be productive — to bear fruit that will last.  Productivity does not mean management or achievement. Nor abiding in Christ’s friendship entails stagnation. God is the author of life, so a relationship with the living God must be lively. Fruit that lasts grows out of the brotherly love that comes from the heart, as well as from the good works that come from professing Christ to the world: “so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.” (John 17:21).  St. Matthias, Apostle, pray for us.
[St. Matthias was chosen to take the place of Judas Iscariot as an Apostle.  He worked in Palestine and was stoned to death.]
 
Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle, May 14
“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.” John 15:16
After Judas betrayed our Lord, the Apostles gathered together to pick someone to succeed him. They decided it should be someone who had been with them from the beginning. They prayed for guidance and cast lots “and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles” (Acts 1:26).
Little is known about the ministry of Saint Matthias. Being chosen as one of the Twelve makes him a bishop of the early Church. Various traditions state that he preached in the territory of either modern-day Ethiopia, Turkey or Georgia—perhaps all of these territories. He is thought to have been killed for his faith, either by stoning or by beheading or both, which is why he is today honored as a martyr.
As we honor Saint Matthias, we honor more than just a man who became an Apostle and preached the Gospel with His life, we also honor the divine plan by which God has chosen to use weak and humble instruments to further His Kingdom. The Gospel passage above certainly applies to Saint Matthias, as well as to all of us to one extent or another. It was God who “chose” Saint Matthias, as well as each and every one of us, for the purpose of going forth to “bear fruit that will remain.” But this form of good fruit, the fruit that has eternal consequences, can only be produced when we ask for it from the Father in the name of His Son Jesus.
Asking the Father to produce good fruit through us in the name of Jesus His Son does not mean that we get to choose what we ask of the Father. Rather, asking “in Jesus’ name” must be understood to mean that we ask the Father only what the Son has asked. We choose to share in the one eternal prayer of the Son that the will of the Father be fulfilled. And in praying this way, we commit ourselves to unity with His holy will.
Sometimes we can all find ourselves asking God for this favor or that. We can place before Him our preference and our will. But if we want to be used by God, to become an instrument of His grace so as to bear an abundance of good fruit, then we must humbly set aside our own will and allow God to be the one Who chooses our mission and appoints us to His holy task. Detachment from our own will and humble submission to the will of God is the only way to bring forth God’s Kingdom.
Reflect, today, upon God’s choice to call you to share in His divine mission. How He calls is up to God, but you can be certain that He does call you and invites you to share in His mission. Be open to any way that God appoints you to bear good fruit and humbly seek to conform your will to the Father’s plan as you pray in Jesus’ holy name.
Lord Jesus, You have perfectly fulfilled the will of the Father in all things, and You have chosen me and appointed me to share in Your divine mission. Help me to open my mind and will to all that You call me to do, so that I, too, may be an instrument of the Kingdom of Your Father in Heaven. I make this prayer in Your most holy name. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle, May 14
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.