Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ Ba Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ Ba Thường Niên: (:  Mark 4:1-20 )
            Qua bài đọc Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu muốn dạy chúng ta hãy nên tự xét mình, để xem coi chúng ta là loại "đất" nào khi chúng ta đón nhận lời Chúa. Một số hạt giống đã rơi vào luống đất phì nhiêu đã được cày bừa và chuẩn bị trước. Số hạt giống này sẽ được nẩy mầm, bén rễ, lớn lên, phát triển và có được năng xuất cao trong mùa thu hoạch. Nước Trời là những gì như thế. Nước Trời là hạt giống mang lại sự sống mà tất cả mọi người chúng ta mong muốn và được đón nhận. Hạt giống thiêng liêng trong một số người chúng ta đã bị dẫm đạp đến chết nghẹt bởi những người khác, bởi vì sự vô tâm hay cố tình. Tuy nhiên vẫn có nhiều người trong chúng ta có một trái tim biết rộng mở và dễ tiếp nhận. Nên Hạt giống thiêng liêng của họ sẽ được đâm chồi , nẩy lộc và phát triển với sản lượng thật phong phú.
            Làm thế nào chúng ta để có thể làm cho tâm hồn chúng ta được trở nên màu mỡ hơn, để dễ hấp thụ và phát huy được Lời Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta? Đó là một vấn đề do chúng ta tự sắp xếp để thích hợp, Một khi chúng ta nhận ra được những sự phiền nhiễu hay sự cám dỗ vật chất, ham muốn những ảo ảnh của quyền lực, của niềm tự hào, ích kỷ riêng trong mỗi người chúng ta, hy vọng chúng ta có thể nhận thức được những nết xấu đó mà cố gắng thay đổi để trở nên tốt hơn. Khi chúng ta biết chuẩn bị chính bản thân của chúng ta trong sự khiêm nhường, chúng ta sẽ cởi mở hơn và dễ chấp nhận những điều gì mà Thiên Chúa đã định sẵn hay an bài trưóc cho chúng ta. Chúng ta là thữa đất phì nhiêu, màu mỡ bởi vì chúng ta biết đón  nhận tình yêu của Thiên Chúa và nhờ thế Tình Yêu của Thiên Chúa đã sinh ra và nẩy nở trong chúng ta. Và qua chúng ta, tình yêu của Thiên Chúa sẽ được sinh sôi và phát triển ở những người khác nữa.\
           
My Wednesday 3rd in Ordinary Time - Gospel text (Mc 4,1-20):
In today’s Gospel message, helps us to examine what kind of "soil" we are. Some of the seeds will fall into rich trenches in the ploughed fields, take root, grow and produce a hundred times its own weight in harvest?.             
            That's what the Kingdom of heaven is like. It's a life-giving seed that everyone desires and receives it.             The sacred seed in some people is crushed to death by others. But many people have an open and receptive heart. Their sacred seed will grow and produce abundant fruit.
            How can we make our hearts more fertile to accepting God's word in our lives?     It's all a matter of proper disposition. Once we recognize the distractions of material things, of the illusion of power, of our own selfish pride, hopefully we become more teachable.
            When we prepare ourselves in humility, we become open to whatever God has in store for us.  We are fertile because we accept God's love to be brought forth in us and through us that love will grow in others.
            Take time, in prayer, to remember our sacred seed. Where do we feel there has been stony ground, rocks, or thorniness in your life? Where are the rich fruitful trenches? Does the word of God have a fighting chance to take root in our life? Pray to our loving God who sows his seed so generously.
 
Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
“Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.” Mark 4:20
This description from the Parable of the Sower seems to describe a growing number of people in our world today. The first grouping of people mentioned in this parable have little to no faith and are represented by the seed sown on the path which is quickly consumed by satan. The second group of people have a little initial faith and are represented by seed sown on rocky ground. The passage above represents the third grouping of people who are like seeds sown in good soil but are also among thorns. The fourth are those who are like rich soil and the Word of God grows deeply in their lives. Let’s consider the third grouping of people in more detail. 
There are three evils that choke off the Word of God in our lives: “worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things.” In our day and age, there are many who encounter various types of anxieties, are consumed with a desire for material wealth and find themselves craving many other things. In all three cases, these interior temptations have the effect of overwhelming the pure Truth of the Word of God in their lives.
Anxiety is a common problem today. And though this is a psychological struggle much of the time, it also can have spiritual roots. Anxiety is the struggle of worrying excessively, nervousness about many aspects of life and an uneasiness about the future. In this case, when the Person of Jesus and the Truth of the Gospel message does not consume and direct our lives, we are left on our own to “figure it out.” And this loneliness will almost always lead us into a loss of hope, fear and lack of deep peace.
Most people who struggle with anxiety will constantly look for a cure. And one place they often look is the deceptive consolation of material wealth or the “craving for other things.” Imagine if you won a tremendous amount of money. Would this resolve your worries in life? Though you may be tempted to think it would, deep down we all know that this is a lie. Material wealth is never a reliable source of satisfaction in life. The same is true with almost everything else we “crave” in life. One thing and one thing alone can satisfy. And that one thing is God.
Reflect, today, upon those things in your life that seem to occupy your mental energy. What do you worry about, hope for, deeply desire? What do you falsely believe will relieve your interior struggles? What do you crave? Take time today to remind yourself of the irrefutable truth that God, His holy will and all that He has revealed as True is the only source of satisfaction. Seek to let that Truth sink in deeply in your heart so that the Truths of God will grow and bear the abundant good fruit you so deeply desire.
My merciful Lord, help me to be open fully to Your holy Word so that the seed of Your Word will be planted deeply in my heart. May I always reject the many lies and deceptions of the world so that I can be freed of the anxieties and fleeting pleasures of life. May I seek only the deep and sustaining delights that come from a life fully given over to You so that I will live in the peace and grace of Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Wednesday 3rd in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, thank you for sowing your Word into the depths of my heart. May the Word find in me deep, rich soil that is free of thorns. If there are rocks or thorns that need to be removed, remove them.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Three Failed Responses to God’s Word: God the Father has spread his Word throughout human history. Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, speaks about three failures to welcome the seed of the Word and bear fruit. The first failure is to be like a hardened path. Any seed that falls on the path remains outside the heart and is rejected outright. The outright indifference and rejection of God’s Word gives Satan free rein to keep the person from welcoming God’s transforming divine life. The second failure is to be like rocky ground. Unlike the hardened soil of the path, the rocky ground is welcoming soil, but it is not deep soil. This is like the person who is enthusiastic about encountering God’s Word, but whose conversion only lasts a couple weeks or months. After the initial enthusiasm passes, they quickly fall away. It is like a person who makes a New Year’s resolution, but after a month reverts to their old ways. The third failure is to be like seed sown among thorns. Unlike the hardened soil of the path, they welcome the word. Unlike the rocky soil, they have deep soil. The problem is that another type of vegetation – thorny plants – takes over. Here, Jesus identifies three things that can choke the Word and prevent it from bearing fruit: worldly cares and anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things. Which of these chokes the Word of God in my life?
2. Three Good Responses to God’s Word: The parable about the sowing of God’s Word is not completely negative. The three negative responses are contrasted with three positive and supernatural responses to God’s Word. Thirty, sixty, and one hundred fold are all harvests that exceed nature. Only empowered by God’s grace, can our works bear supernatural fruit. What Jesus’ parable teaches is that the fruit – the spiritual harvest – of divine grace is not identical in each person. We are all called to collaborate with God’s grace and bear fruit in different ways. How am I collaborating with divine grace? How is God uniquely acting in my life?
3. The Word Sits at God’s Right Hand: The Letter to the Hebrews speaks about the mystery of where Jesus, our eternal high priest, currently ministers and reigns. The author of the letter points out that the Levitical priests stand daily and frequently offer – twice daily – animal sacrifices that can never take away sins. This Levitical priesthood is in stark contrast to that of Jesus. The Levitical priests stand; Jesus sits. The Levitical priests are subject to time and repeat their actions daily; Jesus is eternal. The Levitical priests cannot take away sins through their sacrifices; Jesus’ sacrifice is perfect and effective. The Levitical priests belong to the old Covenant written on tablets of stone. Jesus establishes the New Covenant, written on the heart. Jesus reigns now at his Father’s right hand and patiently waits until his enemies are definitively made his footstool. Jesus was victorious and has conquered but only at the end of time will his victory and conquest be definitive. Even now, Jesus intercedes with us as our high priest and reigns over all creation as our king. 
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, as you sit enthroned at the Father’s right hand, intercede for me and request the good things I need to grow in holiness and continue on the path that leads to eternal life.
 
Wednesday 3rd Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, merciful sower of all that is good, grant me the grace to receive your word with humility and obedience. You have created me in your image and invited me to be part of your Church, where “those who have ears ought to hear.” Enable your words to take root in me, and spur me to spread your Kingdom.
Encountering Christ:
Pass It Down: How beautiful a grandmother’s faith is! Many of us can joyfully recall the way our grandmother had devotionals stuffed in her well-worn Bible, straining the binding or even demanding a rubber band around the whole bundle. St. Paul deeply appreciated the grandmother and mother of his precious friend, Timothy, and how they passed along their sincere faith to him. Lois and Eunice today are recalled by all of us who read the Apostle’s second letter to Timothy, and we can dream about what St. Paul would include about us if he were to write to our children or grandchildren. Have we set a courageous example that can be emulated by those who come after us? Do our words and deeds point toward Christ being at the center of our life? Would our pastor know our name as somebody who tirelessly serves our family and the Church?
Preparing for the Seed: The parable of the sower presents a broad array of potential dispositions of each seed that the sower drops; where the seed falls almost appears random. We, though, who are the beneficiaries of sacred Scripture, are blessed to have this parable explained to us again and again as our fallen nature requires. We know from the Lord’s patient explanation that where the seed falls is certainly not random. We need grace to steer away from a fruitless path of concrete indifference. We need to discover the rich deposit of faith that provides depth for planting. We need to detach from material goods that threaten to choke off our branch from the life-giving vine. May we cling to the sower so that we bear abundant fruit for the Kingdom.
Greeting the Sower: Today’s Gospel acclamation is a fine distillation of the well-known parable of the sower. The seed is the word of God—the living, breathing, and life-giving force that we have at our disposal at any moment. How much of the word of God echoes in our daily conversations? Christ is the sower—and we hear in today’s psalm that he deserves our glory and praise for his marvelous deeds, which include making this world for us firm, “not to be moved.” How grateful are we for this foundation? Lastly, the acclamation goes right to the ripe harvest, assuring the faithful that all who come in good conscience to Christ, the just and merciful sower, will live forever. What have we done to cultivate an ever more delicate conscience, driving sin from our life so as to come ever closer to the Lord?
Conversing with Christ: Lord, thank you for placing grandparents, godparents, parents, and friends in my path to help me to cultivate good soil. You know that I sometimes allow the thorns and brambles to creep in, but you, in your mercy, continue to plant good seeds. Give me the grace to humbly acknowledge my faults and strip my planting field of anything that inhibits your good seed from growing.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will perform a good examination of conscience during my night prayers.
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ Ba Thường Niên: (Mark 4:1-20 )
            Qua bài đọc Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu muốn dạy chúng ta hãy nên tự xét mình, để xem coi chúng ta là loại "đất" nào khi chúng ta đón nhận lời Chúa. Nước Trời là hạt giống mang lại sự sống mà tất cả mọi người chúng ta mong muốn được đón nhận. Hạt giống thiêng liêng trong một số người chúng ta đã bị dẫm đạp đến chết nghẹt bởi những người khác, bởi vì sự vô tâm hay cố tình. Tuy nhiên vẫn có nhiều người trong chúng ta có một trái tim biết rộng mở và dễ tiếp nhận. Nên Hạt giống thiêng liêng của họ sẽ được đâm chồi, nẩy lộc và phát triển với sản lượng thật phong phú.
            Làm thế nào chúng ta có thể làm cho tâm hồn của húng ta được trở nên màu mỡ hơn, để dễ hấp thụ và phát huy Lời Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta? Đó là vấn đề chúng ta phải tự sắp xếp để thích hợp, Một khi chúng ta nhận ra được những sự phiền nhiễu hay sự cám dỗ vật chất, hay ham muốn những ảo ảnh của quyền lực, của niềm tự hào, ích kỷ riêng trong mỗi người chúng ta, hy vọng chúng ta có thể nhận thức được những nết xấu đó mà cố gắng thay đổi để trở nên tốt hơn. Khi chúng ta biết chuẩn bị chính bản thân của chúng ta trong sự khiêm nhường, chúng ta sẽ cởi mở hơn và dễ chấp nhận những điều gì mà Thiên Chúa đã định sẵn hay an bài trưóc cho chúng ta. Chúng ta là thữa đất phì nhiêu, màu mỡ bởi vì chúng ta biết đón  nhận tình yêu của Thiên Chúa và nhờ thế Tình Yêu của Thiên Chúa đã sinh ra và nẩy nở trong chúng ta. Và qua chúng ta, tình yêu của Thiên Chúa sẽ được sinh sôi và phát triển ở những người khác nữa.\
 
My Wednesday 3rd in Ordinary Time - Gospel text (Mc 4,1-20):
In today’s Gospel message, helps us to examine what kind of "soil" we are. Some of the seeds will fall into rich trenches in the ploughed fields, take root, grow and produce a hundred times its own weight in harvest?. 
            That's what the Kingdom of heaven is like. It's a life-giving seed that everyone desires and receives it.             The sacred seed in some people is crushed to death by others. But many people have an open and receptive heart. Their sacred seed will grow and produce abundant fruit.
            How can we make our hearts more fertile to accepting God's word in our lives?     It's all a matter of proper disposition. Once we recognize the distractions of material things, of the illusion of power, of our own selfish pride, hopefully we become more teachable.
            When we prepare ourselves in humility, we become open to whatever God has in store for us.  We are fertile because we accept God's love to be brought forth in us and through us that love will grow in others.
            Take time, in prayer, to remember our sacred seed. Where do we feel there has been stony ground, rocks, or thorniness in your life? Where are the rich fruitful trenches? Does the word of God have a fighting chance to take root in our life? Pray to our loving God who sows his seed so generously.
 
REFLECTION 2019
In the Parable of the Seed and the Sower, Jesus teaches us how the word of God is received by people, "Listen, then if you have ears."
 How do we listen to and hear the word of God? How often have we caught ourselves distracted or preoccupied with many other things even at Mass and prayer-time!
 When asked by his disciples about the parables in his teaching, Jesus replied, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so that the more they see, they do not perceive; the more they hear, they do not understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned."
 St. Thomas Aquinas wrote "that for the knowledge of any divine truth, man needs divine help. . . while human beings have the natural capacity, even this is given to man according to man's nature."
 Knowledge and understating of the truth are graces from God. God's word, the seed sown by the sower, will grow only if we are completely open and allow it to take root, grow and bear fruit. In addition to learning to listen, hear and understand, the word of God must be lived in our lives.
 We who have received the grace of hearing the word of God are called to allow it to grow and bear fruit. We can only bear fruit if we are rooted in Jesus, if we nourish our day with prayer and especially with the Eucharist and other helps given by Jesus through the Church.. All these graces and helps, God is ready to give to us: all we need to do is to ask.
 
REFLECTION
How can we make our hearts more fertile to accepting God's word in our lives? It's all a matter of proper disposition. Once we recognize the distractions of material things, of the illusion of power, of our own selfish pride, hopefully we become more teachable.
When we prepare ourselves in humility, we become open to whatever God has in store for us. We can be sent to the most isolated places on this earth; we can find ourselves in the most challenging of circumstances; we can even encounter loneliness and despair, but we will never feel lost when we completely rely on our Lord to guide us with his teachings. We are fertile because we accept God's love to be brought forth in us and through us that love will grow in others. In that mission that we choose to partake; and on the roads he wants us to journey, that is how and where the love of God is multiplied. And the people we encounter will recognize His majesty in our little and simple ways of proceeding.
 
Reflection
In today's parable, the different environments on which the seeds fall represent how the word of God is received and followed by those to whom it is given. The rocky ground with no roots represents those not rooted in the Gospel, causing them to be hard-hearted and close-minded when they hear the word. The thorny ground represents those who are caught up with the cares of the world, with material or earthly desires. Being too attached to material things, or perhaps being too anxious about the future, may choke out the word of God from one's consciousness. 
This brings us to the seeds that fell on good soil. It is up to us to set our priorities so that Jesus's word remains the center of our lives. We do this by making room in our lives for prayer, receiving the sacraments, and doing good works. By doing so, we can assure ourselves of a bountiful spiritual harvest.
Lord, give us the grace to be ready not only to listen to your word, but to love it, keep it in our hearts, and put it into action by doing everything with great love, and for your greater glory.

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba Tuần thứ Ba Mùa Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba Tuần thứ Ba Mùa Thường Niên
Ông bà chúng ta có nói "Máu còn đặc hơn nước lã". Trong bài Tin Mừng này, Chúa đã không nói về những mối liên hệ ruột thịt gia đình, bạn bè, hàng xóm và đồng nghiệp của chúng ta, nhưng thay vào đó Ngài đã nhấn mạnh tới mối quan hệ của chúng ta với Ngài và tất cả những người đã thật sự tin vào Chúa và sống trong ơn Nghĩa của Ngài. Chúa Giêsu định nghĩa lại ý nghĩa sự liên hệ của chúng ta không phải chỉ là trong vấn đề xác thịt và máu mủ con người, mà sự liên hệ này bao gồm tất cả nhữ ai nghe, sống và thực hành theo ý của Thiên Chúa, "Đó là những người mà chúng ta thấy và gặp trong mỗi Thánh Lễ, những người sống và làm những việc lành phúc đức và những người theo chân Chúa, đó là những người thật sự là anh em, là chị em của chúng ta.
Ngưòi Việt chúng ta nói chung là thường có một sự liên kết chặt chẽ với gia đình và họ hàng của họ từ đời ông, đến đời bố, đời con cho đến đời cháu… Điều này được thực hiện một cách rất công khai trong các dịp lễ giỗ ông bà, tổ tiên hay trong dịp Tết… Đại gia đình gắn bó với nhau trong tình thân thương, và che chỡ và giúp đỡ cho nhau. Nhưng hôm nay, Chúa kêu gọi chúng ta hãy mở ra vòng tay của chúng ta rộng lớn hơn để chào đón các mối liên hệ mới trong cuộc sống của chúng ta với những người có cùng một niềm tin Công giáo với chúng ta, và đặc biệt nhất, để làm mới mối quan hệ của chúng ta với Thiên Chúa.
Thiên Chúa đang thách thức chúng ta hãy trở nên là một người tốt, Chúng ta phải luôn có niềm hy vọng. Chúng ta cũng đừng quên rằng Thiên Chúa có khả năng biến đổi chúng ta để trở nên giống như Ngài, để biết yêu thương nhiều hơn cũng như biết rộng lượng với anh chị em đồng nghiệp của chúng ta.
Ngài cũng mời gọi Chúng ta tiếp tục tìm kiếm sự hướng dẫn của Chúa Giêsu trong việc tăng cường các mối liên hệ đặc biệt mà tất cả đều được bắt nguồn từ lời khen ngợi và phượng thờ Thiên Chúa, là Cha hằng yêu thương của chúng ta.
 
Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
In this gospel, Jesus does not talk about the relationships that we have with our family, friends, but instead, He means to emphasize the relationships that are born through people congregating together to praise Him; those who become one and believe in Him. Jesus redefines the meaning of relationships. It is not just in the matter of flesh and blood, but anyone who "…does God's will…". Those people whom we see at Mass, and those who do good and follow the footsteps of Jesus, these are the people whom we should truly call our brothers and sisters.
    Many of us in general have a strong bond with their families. This is overtly practiced by having family reunions, celebrating holidays and birthdays together. There is no problem with this relationship, but Jesus calls us to open up our minds, to welcome new relationships in our life with those who have the same Catholic beliefs, and most especially, to renew our relationship with him.     Jesus shares a true and perfect relationship with us.  Where in the world can we find someone who is as compassionate, understanding, loving and forgiving as God is? He challenges us to be the best that we can be and helps us to see through the darkness.           There is always hope. Let us not forget that Jesus our Lord is capable of transforming us to become like him, to be more loving and generous to our fellow brothers and sisters.         He invites us to do this together as a community, as a real family.   May we continue to seek his guidance in strengthening these special relationships all rooted in our praise and worship of a loving Father.
 
Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
“Here are my mother and my brothers.  For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”  Mark 3:34–35
Jesus said many things that caused people to pause and think. Today’s Gospel passage is one of those times. Just prior to the passage quoted above, Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were outside looking for Him. After hearing this, instead of going to greet them, He asked those around Him, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Then He looked around and answered His own question with the above quoted Scripture.
What may have caused some people to pause and think at that time, and even now when this passage is read, is that Jesus’ comments can easily be misunderstood. Some will conclude that He was distancing Himself from His own family and that He was even disowning them to a certain extent. But nothing could be further from the truth.
First of all, we know that Jesus had a perfect love for His dear mother Mary and that she loved Jesus with a perfect reciprocal love. As for His “brothers,” it was common to refer to one’s extended family (such as cousins) as brothers and sisters. Therefore, these brothers who were coming to see Jesus were relatives to one degree or another. And though our Blessed Mother, the mother of Jesus, was perfect in every way, Jesus’ extended family was not. Recall that some of them thought Jesus was out of his mind and tried to prevent His public ministry.
But back to our question: Was Jesus disowning His family members in some way? Certainly not. Instead, He was establishing a deeper context for His new family in grace. Though biological bonds are a gift and must be respected and cherished, the spiritual bonds established by our joint conformity to the will of God is of much greater importance. Jesus simply pointed to this fact, elevating the spiritual family bond over the purely natural. Of course, it’s also important to point out that Jesus’ mother was first and foremost His mother, not only because she gave physical birth to Jesus, but primarily because she was in perfect conformity to the will of God with Him and, thus, the most intimate member of His family by grace. And the same can be true for all of us. When we conform our wills to the will of God, we become Jesus’ “mother” in the sense that He enters our world through us. And we become His “brothers and sisters” in that we become intimate members of His eternal family and enjoy a profound and spiritual union with Him.
Reflect, today, upon the fact that you are called to be so much more than just a physical brother or sister of Christ Jesus. You are called to the most intimate and transforming familial union imaginable. And this union is more fully accomplished when you seek to fulfill the will of God with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength.
My dear Lord, I desire deeply to become more fully a member of Your most intimate family in grace. Help me to always dedicate myself to the complete fulfillment of the will of our Father in Heaven. And as I conform my will more fully with that of the Father’s, draw me deeper and deeper into union with You. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I seek to do your will always. Your will is my food. Your will is holy and will bring me to everlasting happiness and beatitude. Help me to discern your will each day in prayer so that I may act as your faithful child.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The New Family of God: In the Gospel, Jesus establishes the new family of God. No longer is membership to the people of God dictated by physical descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Becoming a member of God’s new family is accomplished through faith and baptism. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus “is establishing a new family, the family of God, whose members are united around Jesus in a bond of love, familiarity, and loyalty far stronger than any blood relationships (see John 1:12; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 2:19; Hebrews 2:10-11). In doing so, he is not rejecting his earthly family; rather, he is establishing a new basis for their claim on him. That his brothers did eventually accept this new basis for kinship with Jesus is shown by the active presence in the early Church (Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5; Galatians 1:19)” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 80). In fact, both James and Simon, who were cousins of Jesus, were the first two bishops of Jerusalem (see Pitre, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary, 124-126). 
2. I Come to do Your Will: The Letter to the Hebrews contemplates the new priesthood of Jesus. The Law of Moses established the Levitical priesthood, but this was only a shadow of the good things to come. Each year the high priest would offer a bull and goat in sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. But these sacrifices were only a “remembrance of sins,” and did not effectively cleanse the people from their sins. Jesus’ sacrifice is different. It is an effective and obedient offering. Jesus assumed our human nature and was lovingly and freely obedient to the Father’s will. In this way, God took away the ineffectively sacrificial system of the Law of Moses to establish the salvation of the human race through the one all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ (see Healy, Hebrews, 199). Jesus’ sacrifice transforms our human nature from within; “it heals the self-will, pride, rebellion, and unbelief that have deeply wounded human nature ever since the fall” (Healy, Hebrews, 199).
3. Aquinas on Grace: Thomas Aquinas, whose memorial we celebrate today, has been called the “Angelic Doctor” and the “Common Doctor” of the Church. Through his writings and teachings, he influenced all of Christian doctrine and theology. One of his most important teachings was on divine grace. Meditating on Paul’s writings, Aquinas understood that the gift of grace, given to us in Baptism, makes us sharers in the divine nature. Grace regenerates us as children of God, makes us new creations in Christ, and makes the three Persons of the Triune God dwell in us. The Son of God, through grace, instills divine wisdom in us and enables us to contemplate and judge all things from a divine perspective. The Spirit of God, through grace, instills divine charity in us and enables us to love God and our brothers and sisters in a divine way. Empowered by divine grace and the infused virtues, we can merit eternal life through works of justice, love, charity, and mercy.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I thank you for bringing me into your divine family. Help me to be an obedient child of the Father. Direct my thoughts to think as you do. Pour out your Spirit into my heart and help me cry, Abba, Father.
 
Suy Niệm bài đọc thứ Ba Tuần Ba Thưòng Niên (Mark 3:31-35 )
Cha mẹ làm việc rất khổ cực kiếm tiền và để dành tiền của chuẩn bị cuộc sống mai sau cho con cái của họ. Họ hy vọng vhúng ₫ có thể có được một cuộc sống tốt đẹp. Tuy nhiên, đôi khi bố mẹ cũng tự hỏi tại sao con cái của họ dường như không nghĩ đến những sự hy sinh của họ đã dành cho chúng. Có lẽ bởi vì cha mẹ quá bận rộn, họ đã không dành đủ thời gian để gần gũi với con cái của họ. Thời gian mà bố mẹ dành để dạy dỗ, vui chơi với con cái rất là qúy giá vì đó chính là tình yêu và đó mới là những gì quan trọng mà con cái rất cần nơi bố mẹ, đi làm có tiền nhiều, con cái hư hỏng thì tiền đó có đem lại hạnh phúc cho gia đình?. .
     Tương tự như vậy, trong mối quan hệ của chúng ta với Thiên Chúa, Chúng ta đã dành bao nhiêu thời gian của chúng ta cho Thiên Chúa? Chúng ta đi dự lễ ngày Chúa Nhật và nghe lời Chúa qua những bài đọc và bài giảng : chúng ta có dành thời gian suy niệm về những gì chúng ta đã nghe? Thánh lễ là lời cầu nguyện của Giáo Hội: Chúng ta có tham gia trực tiếp với Thánh Lễ với những phần thưa đáp trong phụng vụ, có cùng với cộng đồng hát những bài hát ca đoàn hát trong thánh lễ? Do chúng ta có cầu nguyện trong Thánh Lễ với các cộng đồng Kitô hữu, và thực sự, với toàn thể Giáo Hội?
     Chúng ta có tìm hiểu thêm về kiến ​​thức và sự thân mật với Thiên Chúa?
     Trong bài đọc Tin Mừng Chúa Giêsu nói với chúng ta, "Những ai mà làm theo ý muốn của Thiên Chúa là anh chị ta và là mẹ ta." Là con cái của Thiên Chúa Cha trên trời, chúng ta phải có nhiệm vụ là làm theo ý muốn của Chúa Cha, như chúng ta cầu nguyện trong Kinh Lạy Cha mỗi ngày, "Ý Cha thể hiện dưới đất cũng như trên trời."
 
REFLECTION
     Parents work very hard to give and prepare their children for a good life. Yet they sometimes wonder why their children do not seem to fully appreciate their sacrifices for them. Maybe because the parents are so busy, they have not spent enough quality time with their children. Quality time spent with the ones we love is important precisely because we love them.
      Similarly, in our relationship with God, how much quality time do we spend with God? We go to Sunday Mass and listen to the readings and the homilies: have we spent time reflecting on what we have heard? The Mass is the prayer of the Church: do we participate as much as we can in the responses and the singing? Do we pray the Mass with the Christian community and, indeed, with the whole Church?
      Do I seek knowledge of and intimacy with God?
      In the Gospel reading Jesus tells us, "Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me." As children of our heavenly Father, our task is to do the Father's will, as we pray always in the Lord's Prayer,
 
REFLECTION TUESDAY 3RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
In today's gospel, we find Jesus surrounded by a crowd of people in a very concrete and compromising scene. Jesus' closer relatives had arrived from Nazareth and Capernaum. But, seeing so many people around, they chose to wait outside and send for him instead. The crowd tells Jesus: "Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you." He replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" Jesus' answer is by no means a rejection of his mother and relatives. Jesus has only recently just moved away from them to follow the divine call. It also means that, intimately, he has given them up too because he completely belongs to God the Father. Jesus actually lived what he expects from his disciples; he has chosen a spiritual family instead of an earthly one. In other places of his Gospel, Mark mentions Jesus glancing around too. Is Jesus trying to tell us that his only relatives are those who listen to him attentively? Of course not. His relatives are those who not only listen to him but those who listen to him and abide by God’s will. Jesus is saying, in other words, that only those who do his will, who put his words into their hearts and actions, are going to interpret him and know him, correctly.
If we want to understand and know in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, we must follow him zealously and reap the harvest of doing so. We will never arrive at this if we remain halfhearted Christians. We must put Jesus' words into action. Jesus is exhorting us to enter our hearts in spiritual communion with him by abiding with the Divine Will.
 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai tuần thứ Ba Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Hai tuần thứ Ba Thường Niên (Mark 3:22-30 )

Đức Chúa Thánh Thần có hai chức năng đó là : Mặc khải chân lý và sự thật của Thiên Chúa và làm cho con người chúng ta hiểu biết và có thể nhận ra được chân lý của Thiên Chúa . Nếu một người không chịu nhận sự hướng dẫn của Chúa Thánh Thần dù chỉ là một khoảng khắc thời gian, thì người ấy thế nào cùng sẽ bị mất hết khả năng để nhận ra Chân lý của Thiên Chúa. Người ấy sẽ không còn có khả năng để nhận ra những nét đẹp và sự tốt lành của Thiên Chúa nữa, mà chỉ biết nghĩ là tất cả những việc “xấu” hay sự gian ác
 Những người này thường xuyên bất tuân Luật Chúa, Cho đến một lúc nào đó hành vi phạm tội này đã trở thành một cách sống không còn có một chút e sợ (hay không có lương tâm). Đó là là hình ảnh của  những kinh sư và người những Pharisêu mà chúng ta đã được nghe trong Tin Mừng hôm nay. Đó là lý do tại sao họ có thể nhìn vào Chúa Giêsu và nói Chúa Chúa Giêsu là Hoàng Tử Beelzebul, hoàng tử của ma quỷ, của tất cả những điều ác dữ.
            Khi một người đã phạm tội phạm thượng và kêu ngạo,  thì trong tâm hồn của họ không thể ăn năn được nữa. Chỉ có một điều kiện của sự tha thứ đó là ăn năn, sám hối, thay đổi cách sống. Nhưng nếu một người đã lặp đi lặp lại từ chối sự hướng dẫn của Thiên Chúa, thì người này đã có những giá trị đạo đức của họ đảo ngược, họ coi những việc ác dữ của họ là tốt và những sự  tốt làng với ngưới ấy lạ là xấu, ác,  Người ấy nghĩ rằng họ không bao giờ có tội, hay phạm tội, vì thế họ không thể hối cải và ăn năn và do đó người ấy không bao giờ có thể được Thiên Chúa tha thứ.
            Chúng ta phải lắng nghe Lời của Chúa trong tất cả mọi ngày trong đời sống của chúng ta để cho thính giác tâm linh của chúng ta không bao giờ trở thành người bị điếc thiêng liêng.
 
REFLECTION
For our reflection today, we concentrate on one verse: "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, never have forgiveness." What exactly is this unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit?  The Holy Spirit has two functions: to reveal God's truth to people and to enable people to recognize that truth when they see it and hear it. If a person refuses the guidance of the Holy Spirit long enough and often enough, he will in the end become incapable of recognizing the truth when he sees it. He can no longer recognize God's beauty and goodness. He comes to a stage when his own evil seems to him good and when God's good seems to him evil. He so often and consistently disobeys God's will to a point that this sinful behavior becomes a way of life with no qualms or conscience. That was the stage to which the Scribes and Pharisees had come. That is why they could look at Jesus and say that he was Beelzebul, the prince of devils, the all evil one.
Why should a sin against the Holy Spirit be unforgivable? What differentiates it from all other sins? When a person reaches that stage, repentance becomes impossible. There is only one condition of forgiveness and that is penitence. But if a person, by repeated refusing God's guidance, has got his moral values inverted until evil to him is good and good to him is evil, he is conscious of no sin, he cannot repent and therefore he can never be forgiven. So long as a person sees loveliness in Christ, so long as he hates his  sin even if he cannot leave it, there is still hope for repentance and forgiveness. It is only when serious sin means nothing at all, when Christ means nothing anymore, that's when a person has shut himself out from the love of God and his kingdom. There is a dreadful warning here. We must listen to God in all our days that our spiritual hearing never becomes spiritual deafness.
Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” Mark 3:22
By this time, Jesus was fully engaged in His public ministry. He had healed the sick and lame, cast out many demons, called the Twelve Apostles and given them authority over evil spirits, and preached the Good News to many. Just prior to this Gospel passage, some of Jesus’ own extended family had criticized Him, claiming that Jesus was out of His mind. Then the scribes began their public condemnation of our Lord.
The scribes were faced with a dilemma. They saw Jesus cast out demons from those who were possessed, so they needed to come up with an explanation. They concluded that Jesus was able to cast out demons by the power of the prince of demons. Jesus goes on to address the scribes’ criticism by identifying their condemnation as a sin against the Holy Spirit. Jesus explains that every sin can be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Spirit. He says that “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” Why is that?
In this case, the sin against the Holy Spirit is not only the false condemnation spoken by the scribes against Jesus. First and foremost, their sin is one of obstinacy. They spoke falsely about our Lord, which is a grave sin, but what’s worse is that they did so in such a way that they remained firmly grounded in their error. They refused to humble themselves and reconsider their error. And it is this stubbornness that leaves them with an “everlasting sin.”
Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from this passage is that we must avoid remaining stuck in our pride in an obstinate way. We must always be humble and be ready and willing to reexamine our actions. Humility will help us to perpetually remember that we can easily become misled in life. And though this will happen from time to time in various ways, if we remain humble and open to change, then we can always receive the mercy of God and find forgiveness. But if we are prideful and continually refuse to admit our errors, then we are also potentially guilty of a sin against the Holy Spirit.
Reflect, today, upon any tendency you have in your life to be stubborn. Stubbornness can be a virtue when the stubbornness is an unwavering commitment to the Gospel and to the will of God. However, you must always intentionally reexamine the path you are on so that you can change when that path begins to deviate from the Truth of God. Humble yourself this day and allow God’s voice to lead you back from any errors with which you now struggle.
My merciful Jesus, I sin every day and will continue to fail to follow You with perfection. For this reason, I thank You for Your abundant mercy. Please help me to always be open to that mercy by regularly re-examining my decisions in life. Give me humility, dear Lord, to always repent and to turn back to You when I stray. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Reflection Monday 3rd Week in Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I rejoice in the generous offer of your mercy. Help me to see the good in others and leave the judgment of the human heart to you alone. You know my heart and what I most need. Cleanse me from my sin and grant me your grace.
Encountering the Word of God
1. He is Possessed: In the Gospel, the scribes from Jerusalem tried to explain Jesus’ power as something demonic rather than divine. The scribes couldn’t deny that Jesus was doing mighty works – healings and exorcisms – but they could try to reframe all of Jesus’ actions. By doing this, they showed that they were trapped by ideology. When a person is an ideologue, they tend to impose their main idea on reality and filter everything through that one lens, instead of humbly discerning the truth that reality presents. Jesus didn’t conform to the traditions the Pharisees built upon the Mosaic Law and their practice of not associating with Gentiles, tax collectors, and public sinners. In response to the Pharisees’ accusation, Jesus showed that their logic was faulty. He asks them: Why would Satan empower him to drive Satan out and dismantle Satan’s kingdom? It just doesn’t make sense. But their adherence to their ideology has made them blind to the truth.
2. The Rejection of Mercy: The only real possibility is that Jesus is empowered by God, not Satan, to do his mighty works. The healings and exorcisms Jesus performs are signs that the time of salvation, prophesied by Isaiah and the other prophets, has arrived. Jesus warns the Scribes from Jerusalem that they are about to commit the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This means that they are hardening their hearts and rejecting God’s forgiveness and mercy. All sins can be forgiven by God except the rejection of his merciful forgiveness. They denied the good that Jesus was doing by granting forgiveness to sinners and healing the sick. They were calling Jesus’ gift of mercy demonic when it is truly divine.
3. Mediator of a New Covenant: We have been reading from the Letter to the Hebrews for two weeks now. The first ten chapters of the letter make the case that Jesus is superior to all the mediators of the Old Covenant. According to Jewish thought, the covenant was mediated by the angels to Moses, and then by Moses to Joshua, and then to the High Priest. Chapters 1-2 argued that Jesus is superior to the angels. Chapters 3-4 argued that Jesus is superior to Moses and Joshua. Chapters 5-10 make the case that Jesus is superior to the Levitical-Aaronic High Priests. The covenant that Jesus mediates is new and superior. By dying, Jesus delivered us from the curses of the Old (first) Covenant. In the New Covenant, we are offered the promise of eternal life. In his first humble appearance, two thousand years ago, Jesus took away the sins of many through his sacrifice on the Cross. In his second glorious appearance, at the end of time, Jesus will bring salvation “to those who eagerly await him.”
Conversing with Christ: Come, Lord Jesus! I lift my eyes to the horizon and await your glorious advent. You are my Lord and Savior. I am your servant. You are my brother, my kinsman who has mercifully redeemed me from the darkness of sin and death!
 
Reflection Monday 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to be your humble servant, attentive to my faults and full of hope in the promise that you will be with me always, until the end of the age. Thank you for sending your advocate to be the sweet guest of my soul as I make my pilgrim’s journey towards you. 
Encountering Christ:
Strong Man: At the age of thirty, David was anointed king, and the first reading proclaimed that he grew in power since the Lord was with him. David cultivated the gifts he was given, and his strength, already legendary since his slaying of Goliath, grew immeasurably throughout his forty-year reign. This strong man, however, when he eventually let down his guard, allowed sin to enter in—first lust, then sins of the flesh, then even murder of the tragic figure Uriah. Did the Lord abandon this strong man, leaving him to his own devices? No, David turned his gaze away and fell. Our history of salvation includes many such fallen men and women. Thankfully, David, a man after God’s own heart, came to terms with his evil deeds and showed each of us how to be meek and humble before God.
House Divided: Jesus spoke of a house divided. How does such a house stand? Into the complicated history of salvation, figures such as Martin Luther, Henry VIII, and John Calvin arose in the sixteenth century to sow division. Today’s saint, Frances de Sales, preached in those days (and acted according to) the axiom, “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrel full of vinegar.” His approach allowed him to persuade his father to accept his vocation to the priesthood. He went on to lead a Counter-Reformation movement by developing pamphlets about the truths of the Catholic faith and sliding them under the doors of his neighbors. It is recorded that some 40,000 Calvinists returned to the Catholic Church as a result. Wherever division occurs, we, the followers of Christ, first are asked to choose sides. “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). But what does the Lord want us to do about the division? “Follow me,” he says. Christ spoke the truth in love throughout his ministry and asks us to do the same to heal division. 
The Sweet Guest: The scribes accused Jesus of having an unclean spirit because they did not understand that his power over demons, illness, and even death, came from the God that they exhaustively studied but did not yet adequately understand. We can make similar mistakes when we fail to attribute our blessings to God, commit offenses against him, and conclude that he will never forgive us. The Holy Spirit, the endless love of the Father for the Son and the perfect reciprocal love of the Son for the Father, wants us to invite him to be the guest of our soul. He wants to bring us power, light, and life, and to forgive even the most wretched of our sins. In the company of the Holy Spirit, we need not fear pharisaical denials of God.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit, the sweet guest of our soul. Help me to be attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, particularly as I reflect on how I have been living out my Christian faith. I sincerely want to fortify “my house” with your word and your sacrament; let me not be distracted from opportunities to do just this today.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace let me perform a good examination of conscience, and see where I have opportunities to improve.
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Hai tuần thứ Ba Thường Niên
            Có chúng ta sẽ không bao giờ nhận ra được cái tầm quan trọng của sự hy sinh của Chúa Kitô trên thập giá cho đến khi chúng ta thấy tất cả những tội lỗi của chúng ta và chứng kiến ​​những tội lỗi  và sư đau khổ qua sức của người khác. Nhiều người trong chúng ta phạm tội bởi vì những vấn đề riêng của chúng ta, bởi vì chúng ta không thể chấp nhận sự chối bỏ của xã hội, vì nghèo khó, bị thiếu thốn vật chất, vv.  Chúng ta có thể làm những điều xấu, phạm tội vì chúng ta không thể chấp nhận được sự đói nghèo của chúng ta, sự bất công chống lại chúng ta, vv Ai được miễn trừ khỏi cái vấn đề này và đau khổ?
            Ngay cả Chúa Giêsu cũng phải chịu đựng nhưng Ngài đã chấp nhận mà không nổi loạn, Ngài không phạm tội. Chúa Giêsu đã chết không phải vì tội lỗi của Ngài, vì Ngài là đấng vô tội, nhưng vì tội lỗi của chúng ta, sự ích kỷ của chúng ta, và chúng ta thiếu tình yêu thương, thiếu kiên nhẫn,  và sự thờ ơ của chúng ta và tất cả các tội phạm khác mà loài người đã xúc phạm. Cái chết để cứu độ chúng ta của Ngài trên thập giá thật là tuyệt vời, và như vậy không có ai có thể phải tuyệt vọng với những tội lỗi của mình.
            Trong Tin Mừng hôm , chúng ta thấy các thầy thông luật đã tuyên bố rằng Chúa Giêsu là một công cụ của ma quỷ và nhờ thần quỷ để làm phép lạ. Thật là xấu hổ và thất vọng khi thấy những thái độ mà những người pharisêu này đã làm, họ bất chấp những phép lạ và tất cả những điều tốt đẹp mà Chúa Giêsu đã làm, họ đã mù quáng và không thể nhìn thấy bàn tay của Thiên Chúa làm việc qua Chúa Giêsu.
            Chúng ta hãy cầu xin Chúa giúp cho tâm hồn và trái tim của chúng ta sẽ không bị mù quáng như những người Pharisêu mà không thể nhìn thấy sự hiện diện và hành động của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống hàng ngày của chúng ta.
Những người đang có đầy đũ vật chất và mọi thứ như sự giàu có của cải, tham vọng và quyền bính, có thể rất khó để thấy sự hiện diện và hành động của Thiên Chúa vì những thứ phù phiến bên ngoài đã làm mù cặp mắt đức tin của họ. Chúng ta phải liên tục cầu nguyện để có thể nhận thấy sự hiện diện và hành động của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng ta.
 
REFLECTION 2017
We will never realize the magnitude of Christ's sacrifice on the cross until we see all our sins and witness the deep sufferings and sins of others. Many of us sin because of our problems, because we cannot accept rejection, being poor, being deprived, etc. We do bad things because we cannot accept our poverty, injustices committed against us, etc. Who is exempt from problems and suffering?  Even Jesus suffered but he did so without rebelling. And without sinning, Jesus died not for his sins for he was sinless, but for our sins, our selfishness, our lack of love, our impatience and indifference and all the other crimes humankind has committed. His saving death on the cross was so great that no one should despair of his sins.
            In the Gospel reading we see the teachers of the Law claiming that Jesus was a tool of the devil. It is so hard and so disappointing to see how these men, despite the miracles and all the good things Jesus was doing, could not see the finger of God working through him.
            We pray that our minds and hearts would not be so blind and unable to see God's presence and action in our daily lives. People, who are so full of themselves, their wealth and possessions, ambitions and aspirations, could easily fail to see God's presence and actions. We should be in constant watch to see God's presence and actions in our lives.