Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ 5 Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ 5 Phục Sinh
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm này, Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta biết là Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta sự sống thật, sự sống dồi dào được xuất phát từ nơi Thiên Chúa và cho thấy kết quả hoa trái tuyệt vời. Những người trồng nho phải biết tỉa những nhánh cây nho rất cẩn thận trước khi giàn nho có thể đơm bong kết trái và cho những chum nho tốt. Chúa Giêsu đã đùng hình ảnh giàn Nho để cho chúng ta thấy có hai loại nhánh trong cùng một cây Nho trong giàn: đó là những nhánh nho (hay là chỉ về những người) biết đơm hoa kết trái và những nhành nho xấu ăn hại (người) không làm cho hoa, trái mà còn ăn hại đất màu.
Những nhánh cây cằn cỗi phải được cắt tỉa cẩn thận, để bảo tồn chất dinh dưỡng và sức mạnh cho những nhánh cây còn lại để nó sinh hoa kết trái và trái của nó được tốt hơn. Chúa Giêsu đã dùng hình ảnh này để mô tả những  cuộc sống mà Ngài là cây Nho đã sản xuất trong những người đã biết hiệp nhất với Ngài, là kết quả của "sự công chính, bình an và hoan lạc trong Thánh Thần." Chúa Giêsu nói rằng chúng ta có thể sẽ không sinh ra được hoa trái trong cuộc sống của chúng ta nếu chúng ta không ở trong và lên một với Ngài.  Hoa Quả mà ngài đã nói chính là hoa quả của Chúa Thánh Thần.
Sự thật rất đơn giản ở đây: Chúng ta là một trong hai nhánh trong cùng một cây nho. Chúng ta có thể là những nhánh Nho cho hoa trái tốt tuơi, hay chúng ta có thể là những nhánh nho cằn cỗi chẳng bao giờ nở hoa và cho trái. Nhưng nhánh nho mang hoa trái khỏe mạnh, cần phải được cắt tỉa và chăm sóc luôn. Chúa Giêsu đã hứa rằng chúng ta sẽ sinh ra nhiều hoa trái, nếu chúng ta cứ ở trong Ngài và cho phép Ngài “cắt tiả” săn sóc và làm sạch chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy tin tưởng vào sự hiện diện vĩnh cửu của Chúa nơi chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy để Chúa Giêsu là người trồng nho chăm sóc chúng ta như người làm vườn chăm sóc dàn nho của họ, để cho Ngào săn sóc, cắt tỉa, và làm sạch chúng ta để hoa trái được phát sinh ra chúng ta. Hãy để Ngài thay đổi cuộc sống của chúng ta.      "Lạy Chúa, chúng con có thể làm một với Ngài trong tất cả những gì chúng con nói và làm. Xin đưa chúng con đến gần tới Chúa đê chúng con có thể tôn vinh Chúa luôn mãi vàn đơm hoa kết trái cho Nước Chúa."
 
Reflection SG. 2016
Jesus offers true life, the abundant life which comes from God and which results in great fruitfulness. The vinedresser must carefully prune the vine before it can bear good fruit. Vines characteristically have two kinds of branches: those which bear fruit and those which do not.
            The barren branches must be carefully pruned back in order for the vine to conserve its strength for bearing good fruit. Jesus used this image to describe the kind of life he produces in those who are united with him, the fruit of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Jesus says there can be no fruit in our lives apart from him. The fruit he speaks of is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
            There is a simple truth here: We are either fruit-bearing or non-fruit-bearing. There is no in-between. But the bearing of healthy fruit requires drastic pruning. The Lord promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him and allow him to purify us. Let us trust in the Lord's abiding presence with us? Let Jesus be our vinedresser, let him purify us for fruitfulness. Let him change our lives.
“Lord, may I be one with You in all that I say and do. Draw me close that I may glorify You and bear fruit for Your kingdom.”
 
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
The first amazing thing to recognize in this passage is the simple fact that God wants to produce good fruit in your life. He also wants to bring His grace and mercy into the world through you. The vine does not produce the fruit alone but does so through the instrumentality of the branches. So if we take this teaching at face value, God is saying that He has chosen to bring His grace and mercy into your life and into the world through you.
To add greater clarity to this holy mission that we have all been given, Jesus makes a very profound statement. He says “without me you can do nothing.” When considering this line spoken by our Lord, it may be useful to reflect upon what the word “nothing” means. Saint Augustine points out that Jesus added “you can do nothing” to emphasize the fact that, by ourselves, by our own effort, we cannot even produce a “little” good fruit. For example, it would be like cutting off a twig from an apple tree and hoping that the twig will produce an apple.
The fruit that God wants to produce also takes place within your soul, in the form of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These fruits consist of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (See Galatians 5:22–23). Each one of these gifts from God will have the effect of transforming you more fully into an image of God Himself in our world. Try to take a moment to consider each one of those Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Each one is very desirable. Growing in a desire for them will help you grow in a desire for the Holy Spirit in your life.
When the Gospel passage quoted above is considered in its two parts, it is also clear that if we separate ourselves from God, then it is impossible to experience any one of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Without a firm connection to our God, we will have no love, no joy, no patience, kindness, etc. None of that is possible unless our lives are firmly connected to the Vine, Who is Christ Himself. So fostering a positive desire for these good fruits, as well as a holy fear of losing them, is useful.
Reflect, today, upon the beautiful and meaningful image given to us by Jesus of the vine and the branches. Think of a vine and then think of yourself firmly attached to that vine. Sit with that image prayerfully and let God speak to you. He wants to do great things in you and through you. If you will only cling to Him with all your heart, an abundance of good fruit will be produced.
Jesus the Vine, You are the source of all goodness, and, without You, I can do nothing. Help me to always remember how deeply I need You in my life and help me to cling to You always. Please bring forth an abundance of good fruit in my life and, through me, into the world. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the vinedresser and know exactly how I need to be pruned. Cut away the stubbornness of my heart so that I may bear spiritual fruit for your Kingdom. Do not let me be separated through selfishness and sin from your Son, the true vine. I desire to glorify your name in all that I do.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Image of the Vine: In the Gospel of John, Jesus does not tell long, narrative parables as he does in the other three synoptic Gospels. But John does record Jesus using powerful images and comparisons that are a type of ancient parable. Today’s image-parable from John is that of a vine and its branches. God the Father is compared to the vine-grower, Jesus is compared to the vine, and we are compared to the branches of the vine. If we extend the parable, the Spirit is life-giving water that fills and flows through the vine and nourishes the branches so that they can produce good fruit. The image is used by Jesus to help us contemplate what our lives are like united to him and what they are like separate from him.
2. Trinitarian Vine-Dressing: We need to be pruned by the Father, to remain united to the Son, and to be vivified by the Spirit. The Father prunes us by permitting sufferings, tribulations, and temptations in our lives. He prunes us by inviting us to make a sacrificial offering of ourselves in union with his Son’s voluntary self-sacrifice. What does remaining and abiding in union with Jesus concretely look like in our lives? Are we united with him in our thinking? Do I think about others as Jesus did and does? How do I judge them? How do I welcome them? How do I listen to them? How do I forgive them? Do my words reflect those of Jesus?Concerning the life-giving Spirit, do I experience how the Spirit dwells in me as in a Temple and is like a river flowing in and through me? How is my mind nourished by the gift of faith? How is my will inspired by the gift of hope? How am I united more and more perfectly to the Lord through the gift of charity?
3. The Fruit of the Vine: At the end of today’s Gospel passage, Jesus affirms that we glorify the Father when we bear spiritual fruit and become his disciples. We can only bear lasting fruit and store up eternal treasure when we are empowered by the life-giving “sap” of divine grace. Healthy vines produce healthy grapes, which can then be crushed and fermented, and turned into wine. And wine, we know, can be transformed into the Eucharistic Blood of Christ, the Blood of the New Covenant. This image underscores how our good works and sacrifices can be transformed through union with Christ into pleasing sacrifices, acceptable to the Father.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I am comforted to know that from the early days of Christianity until the present, there have been and will be contentious debates and discussions. I pray that all the members of the Church may always be united to you, the true vine, and guided to all truth by the Holy Spirit. Do not let me be discouraged in times of confusion.
 
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Opening Prayer: Jesus, prune my heart with your holy word. Bless me as I hear and reflect on your parable. May your word pierce my heart like a sharp blade and move me to loving action as your disciple.
Encountering Christ:
Discipleship Instructions: Notice that this parable is addressed to Jesus’s disciples. These are instructions for fruitful discipleship. God has chosen us, his disciples today, to bear fruit. Jesus told his disciples, “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). “Fruit that will remain” means spiritual fruits, such as the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and actions that express the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. Without prayer, worship, and Scripture reading, it is impossible to bear this kind of fruit. Jesus reminds us that we are totally dependent on remaining close to him in order to have a fruitful life: “Without me you can do nothing.” Additionally, remaining in Christ is a lifelong process. Christian disciples are not “born again,” once and done, but are constantly being filled with divine life by being connected to the life and love of the Holy Trinity each and every day.
The Word Prunes: Pruning is essential preparation for growing fruit. Imagine a grapevine that is overgrown with old or broken branches. Without pruning, it grows wild and only tiny grapes appear on the branches that do produce. God “prunes” his disciples through his word. God disciplines us when we read and reflect on his word daily. Notice how closely the word “discipline” is to “disciple.” To be a disciple is to be obedient. In Scripture, God reinforces our good actions and habits and patiently persuades us from our sinful actions and habits. St. Paul teaches us that “the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Imagine this sharp, two-edged sword gently pruning away the unfruitful parts of your life. We can ask ourselves if there is anything that is preventing us from bearing fruit. Do we spend too much time on social media, scrolling through the news, connected to our smartphones, or watching television? Do we have other habits that keep us from loving others well, such as not getting enough sleep so we are grumpy and disagreeable?
God’s Love Grows Fruit: God’s love is the energy for discipleship. It produces the fruit attached to the vine. The love of God comes through Christ the Vine and enters into our hearts, which we then pour out for others. You might think of the Holy Spirit as the essence of God’s love. Consider this passage in conjunction with the parable of the vine: “...the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). Imagine the love of God being poured into the Holy Spirit, like a river of living water (John 7:37) flowing through Christ the Vine and into our hearts (the branches), which are attached to Christ’s. This is how the love of God flows to us. It is the life and love of the Holy Trinity itself flowing into our hearts. How can we not love and serve God with confidence? The last line of the parable gives it its meaning: “This I command you, love one another” (John 15:17). We can only love others if we have the love of God flowing to us through Christ: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, your Sacred Heart is the true vine, and my human heart is a branch. Send your Holy Spirit of living water to quench my heart with your love. Your love that is like fire and passionate is also like water, refreshing and life-sustaining. Without earthly water, I would die. Without living water, I would also perish. Fill me with your love and help me pour it out to others in fruitful discipleship.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I ask you to prune me by gently taking away the things that are hindering me from bearing everlasting fruit for you.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Ba Tuần thứ Năm Phục sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Ba Tuần thứ Năm Phục sinh
“Thầy ban bình an của Thầy cho anh em, Thầy ban cho anh em không theo kiểu thế gian.”
Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu nói gián tiếp với chúng ta về thập giá: Ngài sẽ ban cho chúng ta sự bình an, nhưng với giá Ngài phải trả là sự Khổ nạn, đau đớn của Ngài trong thế giới này. Hôm nay, chúng ta được nghe những lời Ngài nói trước khi phải hy sinh trên Thập Giá, nhưng đã được viết sau khi Ngài sống lại. Với cái chết của Ngài trên Thập giá, Ngài đã đánh bại cả cái chết và sự sợ hãi. Ngài đem lại cho chúng ta hòa bình “nhưng không phải sự hoà bình của thế gian” (Ga 14:27), bởi vì như Ngài đã làm điều đó bằng cách chấp nhận những nỗi đau đớn và nhục nhã nhất: đây là cách Ngài đã chứng tỏ được tình yêu và lòng thương xót của Ngài đã dành cho con người chúng ta.
Tại sao Ngài đã làm những điều như vậy? Bởi vì, sự đau đón của con người gắn bó với sự đau khổ của Chúa Kitô đã trở thành một sự hy sinh để cứu chuộc chúng ta khỏi tội lỗi. Thánh Gioan Phaolồ 2 đã nói “Trong Thánh Giá của Chúa Kitô (...), đau khổ của con người đã được cứu chuộc” (John Paul II). Chúa Giêsu Kitô đâ âm thầm, lặng lẽ chịu đựng để làm vừa lòng Chúa Cha với sự vâng phục bằng mọi giá, mà chính sự vâng phục Ngài đã sẵn lòng hy sinh tự hiến chính bản thân của mình cho sự cứu rỗi của chúng ta.
 
Reflection
«I give you my peace. Not as the world gives peace do I give it to you»
Today, Jesus speaks to us indirectly of the cross: He will give us the peace, but at the cost of his painful “departure” of this world. Today, we read those words He said before the sacrifice on the Cross but that were written after his Resurrection. With his death on the Cross, He defeats both death and fear. He gives the peace «but not as the world gives peace» (Jn 14:27), inasmuch as He does it by going through the most excruciating pain and humiliation: this is how He proved his merciful love for man.
Why did He do it in such a way? Because thus, human pain —together with Christ's suffering— becomes a sacrifice that saves us from sin. «In the Cross of Christ (...), human suffering has been redeemed» (John Paul II). Jesus Christ quietly suffered to please the Heavenly Father with an act of costly obedience, through which He willingly offered Himself for our salvation.
 
Tuesday 5th Week of Easter
Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” John 14:27
So how does the peace that Jesus gives you differ from the apparent peace that the world gives? We all want peace in life. The desire for interior peace is written upon our very nature. And though many people make choices that lead to interior disorder and even chaos, those choices are often made out of a confused sense of what actually provides fulfillment.
For example, those who choose to feed an addiction to drugs or alcohol often began that addiction out of a misguided desire for happiness. The temporary fix experienced gives the temporary sense of well-being. But objectively speaking, it is very clear that the temporary “peace” one receives from these actions leads ultimately to a loss of the very thing they desire. And when these choices become addictions, the person often finds themself trapped in a downward spiral.
There are also countless other ways in which people find themselves seeking satisfaction and fulfillment in life. Money, promiscuity, cheating, selfishness, anger, deception, and the like are all actions that are done with the intent of some satisfaction. Our daily goal must be to unmask those deceptive actions so that we can see them for what they are and for the fruit that they produce. These are clearly among the many ways that the “world” offers us peace.
When it comes to true happiness in life, the gift of true interior peace is one of the clearest signs that we are on the right track and are making the right decisions. When we choose the will of God each and every day, those choices may be difficult and require much initial sacrifice. Love can be hard. Faithfulness to the moral law of God can be challenging. And refusing to sin is difficult. But choosing the will of God throughout our day, every day, will begin to produce within us the consoling and sustaining gift of the peace of Christ.
True peace produces strength. It leads to interior integrity and wholeness. It produces clarity of thought and certitude in convictions. God’s peace leads to more peace. It leads to choices based on well-thought-out actions of love. Peace leads us to the will of God, and the will of God leads to peace. The cyclical effect is exponential and is one of the clearest guides to happiness in life.
Reflect, today, upon whether you truly have peace in your heart. Do you recognize the still, strong and sustaining presence of God within your soul? Do your daily choices produce greater integrity of heart and clarity of mind? Do you find that you have joy and calm, even in the midst of life’s greatest challenges? Seek out this peace, for if you do, you will be seeking out the good God Who produces this glorious gift within your heart.
`           My Lord of true peace, You and Your holy will are the only path to the deepest fulfillment of all of my desires in life. When I make poor choices that lead to disorder and confusion, help me to turn to You with all my heart. Please unmask any deception I struggle with and give me the strength I need to seek You and Your peace alone. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Tuesday 5th Week of Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, your Son accomplished your will on earth out of love and bestowed the gift of peace on his disciples. Help me to fulfill your will and heed your commands today. I want to overcome the temptation to evil in my life, and I need your grace to do so. I love you and will be faithful to your holy will.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Peace with God: One of the effects of a covenant was peace. Human covenants brought about peace between the two parties. The peace that Jesus offers in the New Covenant is greater than the peace obtained through a human treaty or covenant. Ultimately, the New Covenant mediated by Jesus reconciles God and humanity. The sin of our first parents broke the original covenant of creation and estranged us from God and each other. What Jesus did was take upon himself the curse of the Old Covenant and suffer on our behalf so as to establish the New Covenant. This covenant enables us to love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. The Old Covenant, mediated by Moses, did not grant the power to fulfill the laws and regulations of the Old Covenant. All that has changed in the New Covenant. Jesus sends us the grace and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and these empower and enable us to live in supernatural peace with God.
2. Peaceful Hearts: After speaking about the gift of peace, Jesus speaks about our hearts and how the peace effected by the New Covenant frees us from anxiety and fear. The sin of Adam and Eve introduced the fear of death into our hearts. The gates of paradise were closed due to the original sin of the first Adam, but were opened by Jesus, the New Adam. And so, death, while still painful and at times tragic, is not a cause for fear. We need to trust in what Jesus has done for us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’” Jesus has been raised from the dead and has promised to return in glory. He has conquered the curse of death by dying for us. He has conquered the consequences of our sin by suffering for us. He has shown us the way to heaven, for he himself is the Way to the Father.
3. Peaceful Suffering: We need to understand what peace is and what peace is not. Peace is not the same as an easy life or the mere absence of war or trial. Jesus doesn’t promise an easy, care-free life if someone believes in him. He promises the opposite. Peace, then, is not the absence of suffering, sacrifice, and trial. Peace is defined by St. Augustine as the tranquility of order. True peace means being in communion with God and with others. When he promises peace, Jesus also alludes to the “ruler of the world” coming. This is a reference to the devil. However, in the same breath, Jesus says, “He has no power over me.” And so, when we are united to Christ, the devil has no power over us. Therefore, we can be joyful and peaceful even when we suffer or endure trials and tribulations. We have the power of Christ working within us and can do all things with Christ.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the Prince of Peace and have reconciled us with the Father through your life, death, and resurrection. Attend to my prayer today and hear my cry. Teach me to be a peacemaker so that I may enjoy the blessing reserved for the adopted children of God.
 
Tuesday 5th Week of Easter 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, your Son accomplished your will on earth out of love and bestowed the gift of peace on his disciples. Help me to fulfill your will and heed your commands today. I want to overcome the temptation to evil in my life and I need your grace to do so. I love you and will be faithful to your holy will.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The New Covenant Fruit of Peace: During the Last Supper, Jesus speaks about one of the fruits of the New Covenant: the fruit of peace. Jesus cautions his Apostles about the false peace offered by the world. Peace is not the mere absence of war or a false tolerance of others. True peace is both a heavenly messianic gift (a divine grace) and a task for us, a fruit of human effort collaborating with the gift of grace. The peace that Jesus gives is his personal peace. It represents his life, his love, and his joy. Sharing in Christ’s peace occurs by entering into communion with Christ and being in Christ. By entering into a communion of peace with the Son, the disciples share in the familial harmony and peace that the Son shares with the Father. The children of God are protected by the Father and dwell safely in the Father’s house. By receiving the Spirit, we live in spiritual tranquility and peace with the Father (see DeMeo, “Covenant Fulfillment in the Gospel of John,” p. 146).
2. The Conclusion of the First Missionary Journey: In the Acts of the Apostles, we read about the conclusion of the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas. They started their journey in Antioch in Syria, having been chosen by the Holy Spirit for this mission (Acts 13:2). They sailed first to Barnabas’ homeland, Cyprus, and then spread the Gospel in the southern part of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). They preached in the cities of Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. During their ministry in Lystra, Jews from Antioch in Pisidia and Iconium incited the people to stone Paul (possibly for blasphemy). They left him for dead outside the city. Paul, though, was undaunted by the stoning and, on the very next day, went with Barnabas to the city of Derbe. After making disciples for Christ there, Paul and Barnabas fearlessly retraced their steps and appointed presbyters (elders or priests) in cities they had evangelized. They eventually returned by boat to where they started and were commissioned: the Church of Antioch in Syria.
3. Two Lessons from the Journey: Paul and Barnabas learned two important lessons from their journey. First, we enter the kingdom of God through tribulations (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16). Preaching the Gospel means sharing in Christ's suffering and rejection. Earlier in the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples rejoiced that they had been found worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 5:41). Today’s Psalm proclaims the glory of God’s kingdom, a kingdom that is established through redemptive suffering and death. Second, Paul and Barnabas see clearly that God has opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. When the Jews rejected the Gospel message (Acts 13:45-48), they turned to the Gentiles, following the Lord's command in Isaiah 49:6. The Gentiles came to believe in Jesus Christ and received his salvation. Through their acceptance of and belief in the Gospel, the Gentiles entered into the New Covenant, established by Jesus at the Last Supper and on the Cross. On the outside, it looks like Paul and Barnabas were not granted peace. There were heated discussions between the Jews and themselves, the crowds were incited against them, and Paul was stoned. However, from God’s perspective, the two Apostles enjoyed true, divine peace and they were eager to share that peace with the Jews and the Gentiles. This peace is a fruit of reconciliation with God, a fruit of the undoing of the ancient curse of Adam, a fruit of new life in the Spirit of God.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the Prince of Peace and have reconciled us with the Father through your life, death, and resurrection. Attend to my prayer today and hear my cry. Teach me to be a peacemaker so that I may enjoy the blessing reserved for the adopted children of God.
Living the Word of God: At every mass, we hear the words of Christ: “Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you.” This is the peace that flows from the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the New Covenant. This is the peace that we share in. How can I be a peacemaker today and bring others to share in Christ’s peace?
 
Tuesday 5th Week of Easter
Opening Prayer:  Jesus, may your peace reign in my heart; I believe that you have called me to this (cf. Colossians 3:15). Still my mind and still my heart to hear your words in this Gospel and live them out in my life.
Encountering Christ:
Peace of Christ: All of our readings this week take place during the Last Supper. These are Christ’s parting words to his disciples. He gives them not only his words but his peace. His peace will remain with them and carry them through the storm of his Passion and death to his Resurrection. We all yearn for this true peace, and Christ gives it to us as a free gift. So why are our hearts still troubled when we believe that his peace is with us? It could be because we have a worldly understanding of peace. The world says that peace will happen when everything around us is perfect, when we are not suffering, when there is no war in our world, in our homes, or in our hearts. This will not happen until we reach heaven, but Jesus promises us peace now. The peace that the world cannot give is internal, not external. It lives within each of us when we recognize God’s presence there.
Rejoice!: Jesus told his disciples that he was going away from them. How might the disciples have felt about this? Fearful, grieving, confused, disbelieving, anxious, distrusting? Jesus directed them to the emotion they should be feeling: joy. He said that if they loved him they would be rejoicing because he was about to accomplish his saving mission. This was truly cause for rejoicing! Later in the Last Supper Discourses, Jesus came back to this point: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy...I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (John 16:20-22). On the very day of his Resurrection, Jesus kept his promise when he returned to the disciples in the upper room: “ Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20). The risen Christ came back to them and reminded them of the peace he had left for them. They indeed rejoiced when they looked upon his wounds. Many times in our lives we experience things that seem like cause for anxiety, fear, or grief. Sometimes events in our lives simply do not seem to make sense. But “we know that all things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). This, too, is a cause for rejoicing.
In the Father’s Hands: Jesus told his disciples of his leaving and returning so they could believe. He tried to prepare them, gently reminding them that what would transpire was what God the Father had commanded him to do. This is the peace he gave them—the peace that comes from understanding that Jesus’s suffering and death was part of God’s plan for salvation. Everything is in the Father’s hands, even and especially the things that are painful or confusing. St. Elizabeth of France said, “ I do not know what will happen to me today, O my God. All I know is that nothing will happen to me but what you have foreseen from Eternity. That is sufficient, O my God, to keep me in peace.” We can ask ourselves if anything causes us anxiety and then place whatever it is in our Father’s powerful, gentle hands.
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, you are my peace, the true peace the world cannot give. Place your peace deep into my heart and let it reign there, covering all that I do in binding it together in perfect harmony (cf. Colossians 3:14-15). When I am grieving, please remind me of the peace you have given me. Help me be a bearer of your peace into the world. Let me be an instrument of your peace at all times. When I am afraid, help me to trust in you. When I am confused, give me your clarity. When I am anxious, help me to have a childlike trust in the Father’s providence for me.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray the Peace Prayer of St. Francis and seek to be an instrument of your peace in a concrete way today.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ 5 Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai Tuần thứ 5 Phục Sinh
"Ai yêu mến Thầy, thì sẽ giữ lời Thầy. Cha của Thầy sẽ yêu mến người ấy. Cha của Thầy và Thầy sẽ đến và ở lại với người ấy. " (Jn 14:23) Đây là lời hứa của Chúa Kitô đã hứa với chúng ta. Điều này cũng cho chúng ta thấy mối quan hệ mật thiết giữa Chúa Giêsu và Chúa Cha và qua đó  Chúa Giêsu cũng đã muốn lôi kéo chúng ta đến một mối quan hệ gần gũi hơn với Thiên Chúa Cha. Bằng cách này, chúng ta được mời gọi để phụ thuộc hoàn toàn vào Thiên Chúa như Chúa Giêsu và qua Ngài mà Thiên Chúa đã thấy được những dấu lạ mà Chúa Giêsu đã làm. Tất cả cuộc sống của Ngài là một sự phản ánh của những sự tốt lành, quyền lực và tình yêu của Thiên Chúa. Chúng ta được mời gọi đến với cuộc đời này trong đức tin với Chúa Giêsu, như là khí cụ bình an , tình yêu và công lý của Thiên Chúa, do đó chúng ta có thể đem lại sự sống và hạnh phúc cho những người khác  qua Chúa Giêsu. Điều này cũng được thực hiện bởi quyền năng của Chúa Thánh Thần luôn liên tục hành động trong và qua chúng ta. Tuy nhiên, chúng ta thường hay bị thất bại trong mối quan hệ này với Thiên Chúa bởi vì chúng ta để cho những thứ ham muốn và quyền lực của thế gian này làm ảnh hưởng và kiểm soát cuộc sống của chúng ta.
            Lạy Chúa, xin ban cho chúng con những ân sủng của Chúa để chúng con luôn luôn được nhắc nhở là chúng con phải biết tập trung và tuân theo tất cả những gì mà Chúa đã dạy chúng con và chúng phải biết dựa vào Chúa Thánh Thần của Chúa để chúng con có thể được hướng dẫn trong ánh sáng cứu rỗi của Chúa..
 
Monday on 5th Of Easter Acts 14:5-18;  Jn 14:21-26
‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we shall come to Him and make our home with Him.’ This is the promise of Christ to us. This also reveals the intimate relationship between  Jesus and the Father that draws us to a closer relationship with them. By this, we are called to have total dependence on God like Jesus through whom God is made visible by the signs Jesus did. His whole life is a reflection of God's goodness, power and love. We are called to this life of faith in Jesus as God’s instruments of peace, love and justice, thus giving life to others through Jesus.
            The purpose of this promise is to express the unrestricted scope of the personal relationship between God, Jesus and the believers. This is also made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit who continues to act in and through us. However, we often fail in this relationship by allowing worldly values to influence and control our lives. We lose track of the ‘focus’ and like the ‘crowd’ in the first reading, we become attached to worldly things — wealth, power, fame and status and other inordinate attachments. We need to remain faithful and persevering in our response to the love God has so graciously given us.
Lord, grant us the grace to always be reminded of all that You have taught us and to rely on Your Holy Spirit for guidance and light.
 
Monday 5th Easter 2024
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” John 14:25–26
Sometimes we forget all that God has spoken to us. For example, we may have some clear experience of God’s presence in our lives, such as a powerful spiritual insight gained through prayer, a deep conviction of His voice spoken through a sermon, the transforming freedom encountered through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or some form of unmistakable clarity imparted through the reading of the holy Scriptures. When God speaks to us, imparting His Truth, strength, forgiveness and every other form of grace, we are spiritually consoled as we sense His closeness. But when trouble comes our way, those moments of clarity can be easily lost.
The disciples would have had many clarifying experiences during the three years of Jesus’ public ministry. They marveled at the spiritual authority they encountered in His sermons, witnessed countless miracles, looked on as sinners were set free, saw Jesus transfigured in glory, and watched our Lord enter deeply into prayer with the Father. Each time they encountered the power of God at work, they would have grown in their conviction that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the World. But Jesus also knew that these disciples would soon have their faith in Him shaken. He knew that as they looked on from a distance in fear as Jesus was arrested, beaten and killed, they would start to forget all that they previously experienced. Fear can cause confusion, and Jesus knew that His disciples would soon fall into that trap. For this reason, Jesus spoke the words above to His disciples. He promised them that the Holy Spirit would soon come upon them to teach them everything and to remind them all that He told them.
How nice it would be if every lesson we ever learned from God remained front and center in our lives. How nice it would be if we never allowed fear to confuse us and cause us to forget all that God has spoken to us in varied ways. Just as Jesus knew the disciples would need the help of the Holy Spirit to remember, He also knows that we need the same help from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the words spoken to the disciples above are also spoken to us. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
What lessons of faith have you learned in the past that you need to be reminded of? It is the role of the Holy Spirit to bring those lessons to mind every time we need them. Therefore, as we move closer to the glorious celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost, it is a good time to pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for the gift of remembering the many ways that God has revealed Himself to us. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit work in perfect harmony with each other, but each has a distinct role in our lives. The Holy Spirit’s role is especially to lead us day-by-day into the fulfillment of the Father’s will of becoming perfectly conformed to the Person of Christ Jesus.
Reflect, today, upon this powerful promise that our Lord gave to His disciples and to us. Pray to the Holy Spirit. Open yourself to the Spirit’s ongoing direction in your life and never allow fear to lead to confusion. Instead, allow God to dispel all confusion and to remind you of all that He has spoken to you throughout your life.
Most glorious Lord Jesus, You promised the disciples and all Your people that the Holy Spirit would be sent to us to remind us of all that You have revealed. Holy Spirit, please continuously descend upon me, teach me and guide me. Help me to never forget the many lessons I have been taught so that I will never let fear lead to confusion. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Monday 5th Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth. Inflame my heart with the grace of your Spirit. Enlighten my mind with the wisdom of your Spirit. Remind me of all that your Son did and taught. Help me to be docile to your commandments.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Love in Action: At the Last Supper, Jesus teaches his disciples that love is not merely a passive feeling or emotion, but something much deeper. True love – love for God above all things and love of neighbor – is expressed in action, sacrifice, and self-giving. Love is connected by Jesus to observing his commandments and keeping his word. He commands us to put God in the first place, to resist the temptations to power, pride, pleasure, and possessions, to be detached from earthly goods, to serve the poor, and to be docile to the Spirit. Keeping Jesus’ word means frequently meditating on His teachings and parables, especially those related to the Kingdom of God, and putting them into practice. It means listening to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and embracing the life Jesus lived – a life, for example, of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. 
2. Love and Indwelling:  Jesus complements his teaching on love and keeping the commandments by speaking at the Last Supper about the mystery of divine indwelling. Keeping the commandments is not the goal of our lives or the covenant with God, but is the way we stay in a loving and covenant relationship with God. It is the way we maintain the divine life we have gratuitously received from God the Father through Jesus Christ. Through our baptism and the effusion of divine grace, the triune God dwells within us in the depths of our being. The presence of the Word within us especially guides our thinking through the gift of wisdom. The presence of the Spirit within us especially guides our actions through the gift of charity.
3. Our Loving Advocate: Knowing that he will be crucified the following day, Jesus reveals the mystery of the Spirit at the Last Supper. He promises that the Father will send the Spirit to us in his name and that the Spirit will accomplish two important works. First, the Spirit will teach us everything. This plays out in our individual lives and the history of the Church. Jesus is the definitive Word of the Father and the fullness of divine revelation. But the Spirit guides the Church to understand what Jesus, the Word of God, has revealed. The second work of the Spirit that Jesus highlights is remembrance – the Spirit will remind the Apostles and us of what Jesus told them. Some of this is captured in a written form in the four Gospels. Over the course of a few decades, the four evangelists were at work: the Apostle Matthew wrote down what he heard Jesus say and what he saw Jesus did; the evangelist Mark wrote down what Peter preached to the Gentiles in Rome about Jesus’ words and life, the evangelist Luke wrote down what eyewitnesses and others, like Paul, knew about Jesus’ teaching and actions, and the Apostle John complemented what the other evangelists wrote through what he taught the early Christian community about Jesus’ signs and teaching. All four were inspired by the Holy Spirit, who guided their writing by reminding them of what Jesus told his disciples and accomplished in his public ministry.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for sending the Spirit to teach and guide the members of your Body, the Church. I love you, Lord, and desire to obey the commandments of you and your Father. Reveal your love to me and comfort me with your merciful grace.
 
Monday 5th Easter 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth. Inflame my heart with the grace of your Spirit. Enlighten my mind with the wisdom of your Spirit. Remind me of all that your Son did and taught. Help me to be docile to your commandments.
Encountering the Word of God
1. God’s Plan: God brings to fulfillment his plan of salvation through Jesus’ redemptive passion and death on the cross. This plan is crowned by the sending of the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the new people of God and accomplishes the redemption of all nations. This redemption is accomplished by the Spirit in different ways. On the one hand, the gift of saving grace is given through the Gift of the Holy Spirit. On the other, the Spirit is the Spirit of truth, who after Christ’s departure to the Father, preserves “among the disciples the truth which he had announced and revealed” (John Paul II, May 17, 1989). The essential task of Christ’s apostles and disciples is to remain in God’s truth and be led by the Holy Spirit to the knowledge of all truth (John 16:3). The Spirit bears witness to Christ and disclose the content of revealed truth within the Church, so that she may proclaim it to the whole world (John Paul II, May 17, 1989).
2. The Spirit and the Christ: The Holy Spirit does not present another revelation apart from Christ but rather recalls the words and deeds and saving mystery of Christ. The Spirit glorifies Christ and reveals what has already been said by Christ. “Thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, the Church not only recalls the truth, but remains and lives in the truth received from her Lord” (John Paul II, May 17, 1989). The Spirit is man’s true Counselor; he is the Defender and Advocate of man, the Mediator who intercedes for us. He is the one who takes our side, even though we are guilty of sin. He defends us from the penalty due to our sins and saves us from the danger of losing eternal life and salvation (John Paul II, May 24, 1989). To save the world, the Spirit convinces the world of sin and demonstrates the guilt of the world in rejecting Christ and turning its back upon God.
3. The Empowering Spirit: In the First Reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, the Spirit empowers Paul and Barnabas to speak out boldly on behalf of Jesus the Lord. God confirms their word by granting signs and wonders to occur through their hands. The two apostles are persecuted by the people, but defended by the Holy Spirit, who moves them to flee to the cities of Lystra and Derbe, where they will again proclaim the Gospel. The Spirit is close to the Apostles when they must profess the truth, justify it, and defend it. The Spirit inspires them and speaks through their words (John Paul II, May 24, 1989). Like Jesus and Peter, Paul heals a crippled man, who professes belief in Jesus Christ. Paul and Barnabas have to react quickly to the reaction of the people, who mistakenly equate them with Greek gods and want to offer sacrifice to them. The healing of the crippled man is not a proclamation of the Apostles’ divinity, but a confirmation of the truth of the Gospel message, namely, that the people should turn from pagan idols to the living God, who is the creator of all things. Creation speaks to all men and women of the one, true God’s goodness, beauty, power, and providential care.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for sending the Spirit to teach and guide the members of your Body, the Church. I love you, Lord, and desire to obey the commandments of you and your Father. Reveal your love to me and comfort me with your merciful grace.
Living the Word of God: Just as he opened the minds and hearts of those who heard Paul and Barnabas, so also the Spirit opens our minds and hearts to the mystery of God, who is at work in human history, and of his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. In faith and through faith, we are guided by the Holy Spirit to the understanding of the Gospel and urged on by the Spirit to preach the Gospel to all men and women. Am I willing to let God open my mind and heart? What is the Spirit urging me to do today?
 
Epriest-Monday 5th Easter
1. The Danger: It is easy to forget you, Lord, especially with all the images that are around me. Every image I harbor in my heart, every emotion I abandon myself to leaves its mark. These can come from the radio, the Internet, songs, novels… anywhere. They seem to swamp my mind and make it easier to forget you. These images and emotions can also impoverish, degrade, limit and reduce my ability to extract from life its magnificent content, usefulness, and happiness. You remind me that I should use everything only in as much as it helps me to reach you, my final goal.
2. The Gift: On the other hand, I know you have sent us the gift of the Holy Spirit. As you promise in this Gospel, he will never stop reminding me of you. All I have to do is let his projector fill my imagination with images, with thoughts, with insights. Of course, I also have to use the world’s media correctly and in moderation. Holy Spirit, I know you are near; take possession of my soul and make it all your own. Guide my every decision so that I choose what is right and reject what is evil.
3. Accepting the Gift: When I do forget, the Holy Spirit will remind me of all that Christ has said. All of the emotions and thoughts you inspire, Holy Spirit, will enrich my ability to live enthusiastically and forcefully. You will fill my mind with great and powerful images. All I have to do is open myself to you.
“The habitual difficulty in prayer is distraction. […] To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart: for a distraction reveals to us what we are attached to, and this humble awareness before the Lord should awaken our preferential love for him and lead us resolutely to offer him our heart to be purified. Therein lies the battle, the choice of which master to serve” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2729).
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I have the option of letting myself be consumed with thoughts of anger, lust, and power—thoughts that will make me grow old and become a more intense version of myself, closed in on myself. Help me take steps to avoid these temptations. Allow the Holy Spirit to animate my mind and my soul.
Resolution: I will clear my mind by filling my thoughts with God and his things.

Chúa Nhật thứ 5 Phục Sinh Năm C

Chúa Nhật thứ 5 Phục Sinh Năm C
Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta biết Chúa Giêsu đã đến để cho chúng ta thấy vinh quang của Thiên Chúa. Và giờ đây chúng ta đã thấy vinh quang của Người trên thập giá trước toàn thế giới. Thiên Chúa yêu thế gian đến nỗi đã ban Con Một của Người vào tay chúng ta. Và từ Chúa Giêsu hiến mình, chính mạng sống của Người, từ tình yêu đó, Người chữa lành chúng ta, cứu rỗi chúng ta, một lần nữa ban cho chúng ta những gì chúng ta đã được sinh ra: vinh quang mà Thiên Chúa ban cho mỗi người chúng ta.
Đây là vinh quang của Người: Chúa Kitô bị đóng đinh trên thập giá, mọi người chối bỏ Người, mọi người mà Người yêu thương đã bỏ rơi Người và trên thập giá, Người nhìn xuống và dang rộng vòng tay và `nói: "Lạy Cha, xin tha thứ cho họ, vì họ không biết việc họ làm".
Tuần trước, chúng ta đã suy ngẫm về Chúa Giêsu là Người Chăn Chiên Nhân Lành, lắng nghe tiếng Chúa và đi theo Người. Và hôm nay, chúng ta được kêu gọi suy ngẫm về việc phục vụ tình yêu của chúng ta trong Chúa Giêsu. Trong Tin Mừng, Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho chúng ta một điều răn mới: "Như Thầy đã yêu thương các con, các con cũng hãy yêu thương nhau". (Jn. 13:34)
Chúa Giê-su nói thêm, "Nhờ điều này mà mọi người sẽ biết rằng các con là môn đồ của Thầy, nếu các con yêu thương nhau." (Jn. 13:35) Bằng cách chiếu sáng tình yêu thương đối với nhau, những người khác sẽ biết rằng chúng ta là môn đồ của Chúa Giê-su. Những lời này của Chúa Giê-su nhắc chúng ta nhớ đến Thư thứ nhất của Thánh Gioan: "Hỡi kẻ rất yêu dấu, chúng ta hãy yêu thương nhau, vì tình yêu đến từ Thiên Chúa; phàm ai yêu thương thì được sinh ra từ Thiên Chúa và biết Thiên Chúa. Ai không yêu thương thì không biết Thiên Chúa, vì Thiên Chúa là tình yêu." (1 Jn. 4:7-8) "Thiên Chúa là tình yêu, và những ai ở trong tình yêu thương thì ở trong Thiên Chúa, và Thiên Chúa ở trong họ." (1 Jn. 4:16)
Thánh Gioan cũng còn nói thêm: “Những ai nói rằng: ‘Tôi yêu mến Thiên Chúa,’ mà lại ghét anh chị em mình, thì là kẻ nói dối; vì ai không yêu anh chị em mình mà mình thấy, thì không thể yêu Thiên Chúa mà mình không thấy. Điều răn mà chúng ta có từ Người (Chúa Giêsu) là: ai yêu Thiên Chúa thì cũng phải yêu anh chị em mình nữa." (1 Jn. 4:20-1) Tình yêu mà chúng ta dành cho anh chị em mình trong Chúa Kitô chỉ là sự phản ánh tình yêu mà chúng ta dành cho Thiên Chúa.
Nếu chúng ta yêu Thiên Chúa, chúng ta tìm cách làm vui lòng Người trong mọi sự. Để làm vui lòng Thiên Chúa, chúng ta phải vâng theo điều răn của Chúa Giêsu là yêu thương nhau. Nhờ vâng theo điều răn này, tình yêu của chúng ta được hoàn thiện trong Chúa Giêsu để Cha trên trời có thể yêu thương chúng ta như Người yêu Con Một của Người. Tình yêu hoàn hảo đoàn kết con cái Thiên Chúa, không có ngoại lệ.
Nếu anh chị em chia rẽ nhau, thì tình yêu của Thiên Chúa ở đâu? Nếu cha mẹ từ bỏ mặc con cái hoặc con cái liên tục không vâng lời cha mẹ, hay coi thường, không kính phục cha mẹ thì tình yêu của Chúa ở đâu?
Tình yêu của Chúa ở đâu,  khi dân chúng cùng một quốc gia chia rẽ nhau?  Người vô tội bị sát hại. Trẻ em bỏ mồ côi, Phụ nữ và trẻ em bị ngược đãi. Đây có phải là sự phục vụ tình yêu trong Chúa Giêsu không?
Tình yêu của Chúa ở đâu khi những đứa trẻ chưa chào đời bị giết bỏ (phá thai)?  Sự sống của người già và người bệnh đươc chính phủ hân hoan cho phép bác sĩ giúp tự sát? Người cao tuổi bị con cái hay người thân bỏ rơi. Người giàu cướp bóc người nghèo. Những người tự nhận là Kitô giáo nhân danh Chúa giết hại lẫn nhau. Đây có phải là sự phục vụ tình yêu trong Chúa Jesus không?
Anh chị em thân mến trong trong Chúa Kitô.
Chúng ta đang lừa dối ai? Không phải chúng ta đang lừa dối chính mình sao? Khi sự bất thường đã trở thành sự chuẩn mực, có phải chúng ta đang tỏa sáng trong sự phục vụ tình yêu trong Chúa Giêsu không?
Thật vậy, chúng ta đang lừa dối ai ngoài chính mình? Chính Chúa đã tạo ra mỗi người chúng ta có khả năng, không phải tình yêu của con người, thứ dễ dàng bị mất và tổn thương, nhưng có khả năng mang tình yêu của Thiên Chúa như những công cụ của Thiên Chúa. Và tình yêu mà chúng ta dành cho nhau không phải là tình yêu của chúng ta. Mà đó chính là tình yêu của Thiên Chúa. Và sự tha thứ mà chúng ta dành cho nhau không phải là sự tha thứ của chúng ta, mà là sự tha thứ của Thiên Chúa. Và sự quan tâm dành cho nhau cũng là sự quan tâm của Thiên Chúa dành cho mỗi người chúng ta.
Vì vậy, hôm nay, khi chúng ta nói rằng chúng ta phải yêu thương nhau, Chúa biết rằng chúng ta sẽ thất bại hết lần này đến lần khác. Bất cứ khi nào chúng ta nghĩ về sự tha thứ, đó không phải là điều dễ dàng vì chúng ta quá yếu đuối. Nhưng hãy nghĩ, hãy chỉ cần suy ngẫm trong một khoảnh khắc, chúng ta không thể tha thứ cho nhau bằng sự tha thứ của mình. Nhung chúng ta và Chúa Giê-su Kitô cùng nhau chia sẻ sự tha thứ của Chúa Cha cho toàn thể nhân loại. Và chúng ta hãy nhìn lại người mà chúng ta không thể tha thứ.  Bởi vì chúng ta chưa thấy được là người đó cũng là vinh quang của Thiên Chúa. Vì Chúa không tạo ra rác rưởi. Ngài không đùa giỡn với cuộc sống. Mỗi người chúng ta đều có một số phận vĩnh cửu và có một lòng tốt vĩnh cửu. Chúng ta hãy nghĩ về những điều này. Nếu chúng ta đáp lại người nghèo bằng cách thể hiện sự ích kỷ, đòi hỏi và kiêu ngạo của mình, chúng ta sẽ chỉ đáp lại cái ác và ma quỷ. Cách duy nhất để đáp lại điều đó là cách Chúa Giêsu đáp lại trên thập tự giá khi nói rằng: "Lạy Cha, xin tha thứ cho họ, vì họ không biết việc họ làm."
Hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu muốn chúng ta tham gia vào cử chỉ đó khi chúng ta quay lại với nhau, và nhìn đi nhìn lại cho đến khi chúng ta có thể hiểu tại sao Chúa Giêsu lại chết vì người đó.
Tôi chắc rằng chúng ta sẽ đồng ý rằng khi tha thứ cho ai đó, chúng ta thực hiện bước đầu tiên để chữa lành bản thân và chữa lành cuộc sống của mình và cuối cùng, với tư cách là dân một nước, với lòng biết tha thứ cho nhau cho tất cả mọi người, chúng ta có thể chữa lành cả thế giới.

                                                   
 
My Homily for the 5th Sunday of Easter Year C
Today’s Gospel tells us Jesus has come to show us God’s glory. And now we have seen his glory on a cross before the whole world.
God so loved the world He gave His only Son into our hands. And out of Jesus giving himself, his own life, out of that love, He heals us, saves us, gives us once again what we were born with: the glory that God gives to each and every one of us. This is His glory: nailed to a cross, everybody denying him, everyone He loved has deserted Him and, on the cross, He looks down and opens his arms and he says, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
Last week, we reflected on Jesus as the Good Shepherd, hearing His voice and following Him. And today, we are called to reflect on our service of love in the Lord Jesus.
In the Gospel, Jesus gave us a new commandment, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." (Jn. 13:34) To this, Jesus added, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (Jn. 13:35) By shining in love towards one another, others will know that we are the disciples of Jesus.
These Words of Jesus remind us of the First Letter of St. John:  "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1 Jn. 4:7-8) "God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them." (1 Jn. 4:16)
Saint John also said: “Those who say, 'I love God,' and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him (Jesus) is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also." (1 Jn. 4:20-1) The love that we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ is but a reflection of the love that we have for God.  If we love God, we seek to please Him in all things.  To please God, we must obey the commandment of Jesus to love one another. By our obedience to this commandment, our love is perfected in the Lord Jesus so the heavenly Father may love us as He loves His only begotten Son. Perfect love unites the children of God, (pause) without exception.
If brothers and sisters are divided among each other, where is the love of God?  If parents disown their children or the children continuously disobey their parents, where is the love of God? Where is the love of God when a nation is divided? The innocent is murdered. The children are orphaned.  The women and childrent are abused. Is this a service of love in the Lord Jesus? Where is the love of God when the unborn are aborted?
The life of the elderly and the sick is terminated. The seniors are abandoned by their relatives. The rich rob the poor. Those claiming to be Christians are killing each other in the name of God. Is this a service of love in the Lord Jesus? 
My brothers and sisters in Christ.   Who are we deceiving? Are we not deceiving ourselves?   When the abnormal has become the norm, are we shining in a service of love in the Lord Jesus?  Indeed, who are we deceiving but ourselves?  It is God who has made each and every one of us capable, not of human love, which is so easily lost and battered, but capable of bearing the love of God as instruments of God.  And the love we show to each other is not our love. It’s God’s love. And the forgiveness that we give each other is not our forgiveness, it’s God’s forgiveness. And the caring for each other is also God’s caring for each and every one of us.
So, today, when we say we must love one another, God knows that we will fail again and again. Whenever we think about forgiveness, it is not an easy thing to do because of our weaknesses. And yet think, think just for one moment, we’re not asked to forgive with our forgiveness.  We and Jesus Christ together share the Father’s forgiveness for all humanity. And look again at that person we cannot forgive. Because we have not seen that he, too, is God’s glory. For God does not make trash. He doesn’t fool around with life.  Each one of us has an eternal destiny and has an eternal goodness.
Let us think of these things. If we respond to the poor by showing our selfishness, demands, and arrogance, we will only respond to evil. The only way to respond to that is the ways of Jesus responding on the cross saying, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” 
Today, Jesus asks us to be part of that gesture when we turn to each other, and look and look until we can understand why Jesus would die for that person. I’m sure we would agree that it is in forgiving someone that we take the first step to healing ourselves and healing our lives and, ultimately, as a people, with forgiveness for all, we can heal the world.
 
5th Sunday of Easter Year C
When Judas had left them, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once.” John 13:31–32
If the life we live here and now is all we will ever have, then it makes sense to believe that death is our worst enemy. But as we know, this life is but a grain of sand in the ocean in comparison to eternity. For that reason, we must see death as our passing into the glories that await. The death of a loved one is difficult for sure. And when we face our own death, there are many temptations we might experience toward fear of the unknown. But if the Son of God chose to endure death itself, then we must work to see death differently.
Today’s Gospel passage speaks of Jesus’ coming death as His glorification. “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.” Jesus spoke these words right after Judas left the Last Supper to betray Him. From an earthly perspective, it is unlikely that anyone would consider their betrayal and brutal death as the moment when God is glorified. But from a heavenly and eternal perspective, Jesus’ death was the greatest glorification He could offer to the Father. This only makes sense when we put on the mind of God.
As we continue to celebrate our Easter Season, we look beyond the suffering of Christ to see the fruit of His suffering. We see that death was defeated and that Jesus will now forever live in His glorified and resurrected body in Heaven. He will forever carry the marks in His hands, feet and side, and those marks will forever glorify the Father. The Resurrection of Christ changes everything, including death. For that reason, we must continually work to put on the mind of God and see our human lives as He sees them.
What is it that you live for in this life? What are your goals and ambitions? If you find that you focus excessively upon immediate pleasures, material wealth, selfish objectives and passing ambitions, then it is time to ponder the lesson of Jesus’ glorification. By facing His own death as an opportunity to glorify the Father, Jesus made it possible for us to do the same. And though there will always be a healthy sorrow associated with the passing of a loved one, the hope of Heaven and eternal glory must become the lens through which we see all things in this life.
When you look at your life, it is essential to see the cross that God has given to you. That is because your cross is the gateway to this eternal glory. Each person’s cross will be different. A cross is not simply our suffering; it’s our call to live sacrificially. This is love. It’s the calling we are given to lay our lives down for others. To serve others. To forgive every wrong, to love every sinner, to show mercy and compassion toward those in need. And to do all of this in response to God’s perfect will. The crosses in our lives are opportunities for love in its purest form. This is how Jesus saw His Cross and this is how we must see ours.
Reflect, today, upon death, but try to look at it as a calling to give of yourself sacrificially out of love. The best way to prepare yourself for a glorious death is to live in the love of God here and now. To the extent that you can do that, God will be glorified as you share in the glory given to Christ.
My loving Lord, You transformed death itself into the perfect means by which You gave glory to Your Father and were glorified Yourself. Please help me to enter into Your mind so that I can see my life as You see it and to live for that eternal glory to which I am called. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
5th Sunday of Easter Year C
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you invite me to share in your heavenly glory. You have willed that I be united to your Son and bear fruit for your Kingdom. Never let me be parted from you and your love. But if I fail, call me to repentance and restore me to divine sonship in your Son.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Divine Glory and Love: The Hebrew word for glory is “kavod.” It is used about 200 times in the Old Testament. It refers to the visible manifestation of God’s covenant presence. God wills to dwell among his people and this culminated in the Incarnation: “The Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we beheld his glory” (John 1:14). Christ is the New Temple and his Body, particularly in the Eucharist, is where the glory of the Lord now dwells. Why is this moment, when Judas leaves the Last Supper to betray Jesus, considered the “glory” of the Son of Man? “It is because Jesus has just consented to the will of the Father, consented to the total act of self-gift that will lead to the Cross. This is the true glory of God: not simply that he is the all-powerful Creator, but that his love extends to the point of giving up his divine prerogatives and giving himself into the hands of his creatures to make them his sons and daughters (Phil 2:5-11)” (Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Year C, 152).
2. The End of Paul’s First Missionary Journey: The First Reading is not taken from the Old Testament, but from the New. For fifty days, we are celebrating Jesus’ resurrection and awaiting the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost. We often read from the Acts of the Apostles during Easter. In this way, we learn about how the Church spread after Jesus’ resurrection. A key lesson from the First Reading is that the Church will grow through suffering: “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships (tribulations) to enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Acts 14 narrates how the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas came to an end and how they appointed priests (presbyters: elders) in each church they founded. The Apostles were conscious of the need to appoint leaders to continue their ministry and exercise authority in their absence. Paul and Barnabas will bring their experiences to the Council in Jerusalem (A.D. 49), which will decide how to welcome the Gentiles into the Kingdom of God established by Jesus.
3. The New Jerusalem: In the Second Reading, we read from the concluding chapters of the Book of Revelation. The book can be read in many different ways. Firstly, it can be read historically and, according to this reading, the book narrates what happened in the forty years that passed from Jesus’ resurrection to the destruction of Jerusalem. In a second way, it concerns the history of the world until the end of time. Pagan kingdoms, focused on possessions, power, and pleasure, will always oppose the Gospel proclaimed by the Kingdom of God. The divine Kingdom, inaugurated by Christ, fulfills a promise of the Lord God made to David that his Kingdom would last forever. Thirdly, the Book of Revelation is a book about our individual spiritual lives and the battle to overcome the evil of sin. Each one of us is a New Jerusalem where God dwells through grace. In a fourth way, the Book of Revelation reveals what will happen before the end of time. The New Jerusalem has descended from heaven to earth in the Church, but awaits its definitive establishment at the end of time, when every tear will be wiped away and sin will be no more.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to experience your glory here on earth in prayer, in the liturgy, and in the Eucharist. I know that I can glorify you through humble service empowered by your grace. Show me concretely how to serve my