Suy Niệm Thứ Bẩy Tuần 13 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Thứ Bẩy Tuần 13 Thường Niên

Con Người chúng ta thuộc về Thiên Chúa và được Ngài yêu thương vì chính chúng ta đã được tạo nên trong chính hình ảnh của Ngài, vì thế Ngài không bao giờ có ý định tiêu diệt con người chu1ng ta Nhưng Thiên Chúa luôn làm việc, và luôn có những kế hoạch mới cho cuộc sống của chúng ta trong tương lai.  Điều quan trọng là chúng ta không nên để cho những sự tuyệt vọng hay những việc tiêu cực xâm chiếm tâm hồn của chúng ta khi chúng ta gặp phải những khó khăn; hãy tránh những sự buồn tủi hay hoài nghi vì cả hai thứ này đều là kẻ thù của chúng ta và chúng muốn tìm cách hủy hoại tâm hồn chúng ta.  Đây là những lúc của sự đấu tranh, vì thế chúng ta cần phải biết dùng thời gian này để cầu nguyên, để cũng cố đức tin của chúng ta trong niểm hy vọng, Thiên Chúa không bao giờ ngủ và bỏ quên chúng ta.
            Nếu như chúng ta chỉ biết cố gắng nắm bắt những ý tưởng mới để hoà nhập với cái tư duy cũ của chúng ta thì chúng ta chẳng khác gì như là người đổ rượu mới vào bầu da cũ, Vì bầu da cũ đã khộ cứng không thể chịu đựng sự lên men và sự ép nép của rượu mới, nên khi rượu mới lên men, thì bình da cũ không thể co giãn, đàn hồi nên phải vỡ ra, và như thế bình da cũ sẽ vỡ toang ra thì rượu mới trong bình cũng bị tuôn đổ ra bên ngoài.
            Khi chúng ta đều có những suy nghĩ hay ý tưởng mới, hình ảnh mới, hay biểu tượng mới, và cách thấu hiểu thế giới mới, chúng ta cần phải tạo nên một tâm trí và tâm hồn mới để có thể chứa đựng chúng. Những ý tưởng cũ và cách làm việc cũ kỹ đôi khi cũng phải được đặt sang một bên, nếu chúng ta muốn phát triển và  tiến lên về phía trước. Vì thế trong những môi trường mới, những ý tưởng mới cũng phải được áp dụng đối với những ý thức tâm linh của chúng ta, Như chân Phước Hồng Y John Newman nói: "Sống là để thay đổi; được hoàn hảo là phải có sự thay đổi thường xuyên. "  Chúng ta hãy không nên cứng nhắc và sợ thay đổi và Đừng nên hay cứ bám víu thật chặt vào những gì quen thuộc mà nên biết thay đổi, cầu tiến và chấp nhận thay đổi của Giáo Hội.
            Lạy Chúa xin hãy mỡ rộng tâm hồn và lòng trí của chúng con để chúng con có một tâm hồn biết cởi mở và cầu tiến.
 
Saturday 13th Week in Ordinary Time
“The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them.” Today’s first reading illustrates the importance of the blessing of the father for his elder son. However, Rebekah wants her younger son Jacob to be blessed with these special blessings instead of her elder son Esau. Parents’ blessings are of the utmost importance in our lives. Therefore one of the Ten Commandments tells us to honour our parents.
            In the Gospel Jesus tells us that as long as he is present with his disciples they need not fast. Jesus doesn’t undermine the importance of fasting in our spiritual journey. He himself fasted for forty days and forty nights before He began His public ministry. Fasting has indeed a great significance in our spiritual journey. It helps to be in communion with God. The disciples are already in the presence of the Lord. They are enjoying his company. Therefore they do not need to fast. That is what Jesus seems to be telling John’s disciples. Fasting is not end in itself. It is a means to come into the company of the Lord.       Lord, grant us the grace that we may respect our parents and always yearn for Your company.
 
Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Matthew 9:14–15
In Isaiah 54:5 and Hosea 2:16–20, God is portrayed as the divine Bridegroom who espouses Israel. By invoking this imagery, Jesus reveals His divine identity as the Bridegroom who establishes a new relationship between God and His people—a relationship initially characterized by joy, intimacy, and celebration rather than sorrow. However, Jesus quickly adds a sobering note: “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” This verse points directly to His coming Passion and death, and to our interior participation in His Passion. It is for those moments that fasting produces a necessary preparation for the sense of loss and sacrifice we are called to make throughout life.
Everyone loves a wedding, especially when celebrated by faith-filled people who anticipate a fruitful life together. As the bride walks down the aisle, her face radiates joy, and the groom waits eagerly at the altar. A holy marriage reflects the ultimate destiny of Christ and His Bride, the Church. Fidelity, unity, fruitfulness, consolation, and permanence are all aspects of the communion we are invited to share with our loving God.
These beautiful aspects of marriage prophetically anticipate what is to come, especially when the Bridegroom returns in glory to usher in the New Heavens and the New Earth. They also represent what we are invited to experience, by grace, during our earthly pilgrimage toward the final union in Heaven—a relationship with God that is grounded in joy, intimacy, and celebration.
During this pilgrimage, the Bridegroom is at times “taken away.” Spiritually speaking, this means that Christ occasionally permits His consoling presence to be withdrawn from the soul. He does this not because He abandons us, but because, in His wisdom, He desires our growth in virtue, faith, and spiritual maturity through trials. Such purification is our participation in Christ’s Passion, which both cleanses and restores the soul, transforming us into the new creation we are called to be by fully dying with and in Christ, so as to share in His new life. When the sensible consolations of grace diminish, the soul experiences spiritual fasting. Although initially painful, this fasting instills a greater urgency to seek Christ through deeper prayer. If we continually felt God’s consoling presence, our love might become self-centered—loving God only because He comforts us.
In the Old Testament, fasting primarily expressed external repentance. Jesus transforms fasting into a spiritual exercise that strengthens the soul during trials, dryness, and loss. Habitual fasting, such as weekly abstinence, disciplines our interior life, enabling us to love God even when consolation is absent.
When the Bridegroom is “taken away,” our spiritual senses sharpen, and our longing for Christ grows more fervent. Thus, Christ’s apparent absence becomes an opportunity for greater intimacy, guiding us toward a more profound, selfless love—seeking Christ Himself purely for His sake.
Reflect today on how you respond when God seems distant. Do you turn toward Him with increased trust and prayer, or do you withdraw? When God seems distant or when your prayer feels dry, do you recognize the value in those moments? Resolve to engage in forms of physical fasting and other penitential acts as a way of training yourself to enter spiritual fasting with hope and strength. Let spiritual fasting become an act of pure love, preparing your heart for the eternal marriage feast to come.
My Lord and Bridegroom of the Church, You call each of us, Your sons and daughters, into an eternal marriage of pure union and fidelity with You. Form and purify me by allowing me to share in Your Passion, so that my love may become holy, and I may love You with the same love with which You love me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 13^th Ordinary time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have united me and espoused me to yourself through your Son and the gift of your Spirit. I am yours, and you are my God. Speak tenderly to me and guide me by the hand to your eternal embrace.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Christian Asceticism? Jesus has just healed a paralytic and forgiven the man’s sins (Matthew 9:1-8). Jesus has also called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow him. He is dining in Matthew’s house, and this provokes both the Pharisees and the disciples of John to have doubts about Jesus. The Pharisees question the association with someone working for the Romans. The disciples of John are concerned about the feasting and lack of asceticism. “The disciples of John the Baptist continue as a group after their master’s imprisonment (Matthew 4:12). Given John’s commitment to an ascetic way of life (Matthew 3:4) that included fasting (Matthew 11:18), they perhaps look with suspicion on Jesus’ disciples for feasting with sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:10), and question whether they are truly committed to pursuing righteousness. In response, Jesus describes himself as a bridegroom, thus applying to himself an Old Testament image for God in his relationship to Israel (Isaiah 62:4-5)” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 134-135). Just as the people should not fast and mourn during a wedding feast, so also the people should not fast while Jesus, the Bridegroom-Messiah, is with them. However, the day will come when the Bridegroom is “taken away.” This is an allusion to Jesus’ passion and death on the Cross. When that happens, Jesus’ disciples will fast.
2. Fasting and Feasting: In one sense, the Bridegroom has been taken and reigns in heaven at the right hand of the Father. In another sense, the Bridegroom is still with us in the Eucharist and in the Church. Thus, we are called to live lives of both mournful fasting and joyful feasting. There are times during the Liturgical Year, such as Lent and most Fridays, when we are called to fast. And there are other times, such as Solemnities and Sundays, when we are called to celebrate and feast. The bridegroom is mysteriously with us and yet will return at the end of time. The bridegroom invites us to mourn and to rejoice, to sing a funeral dirge and to dance to a wedding flute. As we live out our Christian lives, we need a healthy balance between fasting and feasting, and the wisdom to discern when to ask pardon for our sins and when to rejoice in the Spirit.
3. The Restoration of God’s People: The theme of the restoration of God’s people is also present in the Gospel: Jesus is the divine Bridegroom who comes to his people as to his bride and, after his Resurrection, goes away to prepare a place for her in heaven. Jesus does not come simply to restore the old order (the old wineskins), but comes to make all things new. He brings the Old Covenant to fulfillment by establishing a new, everlasting covenant in his blood. He is the Messiah who brings New Wine to his people (see Amos 9:13-14). In the Eucharist, we share in the wedding feast of Jesus, the Lamb of God. We partake of the New Wine, which is Jesus’ Blood. The Mass is where we receive the Bread of Life, the “hidden manna” (Revelation 2:17). Jesus, the Bridegroom, has given us, his bride, the gift of the hidden manna and the new wine, for he himself is the hidden manna and the new wine.
 
Saturday 13^th Ordinary time 
No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” Mt 9:16–17
The parable above teaches us that even if someone were to faithfully understand and live the authentic Law that was given through Moses and the prophets, Jesus’ new teaching of grace, the New Law, was so different that it was not simply an improvement of the old, it completely replaced it. Furthermore, many of the customs taught by the Pharisees were unfaithful representations of the Law of Moses. They had deviated from the Law’s meaning and replaced it with their own scrupulous and erroneous multiplication of external practices. Thus, Jesus’ New Law needed to break away from these deviations completely.
To use a modern example, if you were to have an old phone that had become obsolete or stopped working, you wouldn’t buy a new phone so as to remove various parts from it to try to add those parts to the old phone to fix it. Instead, you use the new phone as a complete replacement for the old one.
A central quality of the New Law of grace is that it is entirely new and transforming. Therefore, by embracing this New Law, we become entirely new creations in Christ. Grace doesn’t simply patch that which is weak and sinful in us. It transforms us, elevating our human nature to an entirely new existence. This teaching is not only directed at the misguided teachings that the Pharisees had developed over the years, it was directed at human life itself. Not only were the Jewish customs to go through a transformation, humanity itself was to go through a transformation. Everything is made new in Christ.
This teaching applies just as much to us today as it did to the Jewish people of old. Today, we not only receive the new life of grace in Baptism, but we also receive it anew and share in this ongoing transforming renewal every time we allow grace to touch us more deeply and transform us more fully into the people God wants us to be. The “new patch” and the “new wine” are always transforming, and we must look forward to this newness throughout our lives.
Reflect, today, upon the joyful discovery that awaits you every day. Discovering the New Law of grace, accepting it into your life, and allowing it to transform you will set you on a path of discovery that will never get old. It is an ongoing discovery that is far greater than anything this world has to offer. Nothing can ever compare to the gift of God alive in our lives. It will never get old. It will always be transforming. And it will always be new. Ponder this gift God offers you today and say “Yes” to it with all your heart.
My transforming Lord, You continuously offer to renew me, transform me and elevate me to the life of grace. I thank You for this Gift and desire to accept it with all my heart. May I always be ready and willing to say “Yes” to You and the transformation that awaits me as I discover this ever new treasure of Your Grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Saturday 13^th Ordinary time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have united me and espoused me to yourself through your Son and the gift of your Spirit. I am yours, and you are my God. Speak tenderly to me and guide me by the hand to your eternal embrace.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Fasting in the New Covenant: The question about fasting comes from the disciples of John the Baptist. John emphasized detachment from the things of this world and from sin. He fasted, didn’t drink alcohol, and lived an austere life in the wilderness. John was not the divine bridegroom. He was the bridegroom’s “best man.” He prepared the bride to meet her husband. Jesus is the bridegroom, and while he is with us, we should feast and rejoice. However, Jesus has also been taken away from us at the crucifixion. And so, in the time of the New Covenant, established at the Last Supper and on the Cross, there is both a cause for fasting and for feasting. We fast during Lent and are encouraged to make a sacrifice at meals, especially on Fridays, throughout the year (see Code of Canon Law, can. 1251). Fasting from good things helps us strengthen our will so that it can withstand the temptation to sin and vice.
2. Jacob and Esau: Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, gave birth to twins, Esau and Jacob. Their fraternal rivalry began at birth. Esau was the firstborn, but Jacob came out of the womb holding on to Esau’s foot, “a sign of things to come since ‘to grasp the heel,’ from which Jacob receives his name, is a Hebrew idiom that can mean ‘to deceive’ or ‘supplant.’ As the brothers grow up, Isaac favors Esau while Rebekah loves Jacob best. When Isaac is old and close to death, he calls his firstborn son, Esau, to him and tells him to hunt game and make a meal, after which Isaac will pass on to Esau the blessing” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 52). 
3. Jacob’s Desire for the Blessing of the Covenant: God had already indicated at their birth that Jacob would receive the blessing (Genesis 25:23). And the reader of the story of Jacob in Genesis knows that Esau had already sold the blessing of the firstborn son for a bowl of lentils (Genesis 25:29-34). The latter story shows that Esau was somewhat indifferent to the blessing. Esau, while not wholly bad, is indifferent to his covenant status as the firstborn and preferred the earthly good of a meal to the spiritual blessing won from him by his younger brother. Jacob, by contrast, is notable for his desire to be heir of the covenant. He greatly desires God’s blessing. “Although the sacred author does not with the people of God to emulate everything about Jacob …, his passionate desire to claim the covenant and receive the blessing are held up as models for the national character [of Israel]” (Bergsma and Pitre, A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament, 145).
 
Saturday 13^th Ordinary time 
Opening Prayer: Lord, let me better understand your word during this time of prayer. I want to be like the wedding guests who are in the presence of the bridegroom, unable to mourn because of intimacy with you. You ask me to detach myself from the things of this world that keep me from you; enlighten me to know what these things are, and strengthen me to give them up, assured of the hope of something infinitely better.
Encountering Christ:
This One Is Different: Both John the Baptist and Jesus were accompanied by groups of men who were edified by their words and deeds. These people bore the label “disciple,” from the Latin word meaning student, learner, or follower. Those who followed John would have learned from their teacher about certain differences between him and Jesus, particularly in stature: “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Luke 3:16). These disciples, some of whom would have seen a dove land on the newly baptized Jesus, and heard a voice from Heaven saying, “This is my son” (Matthew 3:16-17), had not yet discovered the most profound difference between these two teachers, one of essence, which John had discerned from his first encounter with the divine Jesus—causing him to leap in St. Elizabeth’s womb (Luke 1:41). 
The Bridegroom Is with Us: Clear differences also existed between the practices of the two bands of disciples. For instance, one group often observed a fast and the other did not. Without a doubt, each teacher preached of the need for repentance, which can be manifested in many ways. “Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others” (CCC 1434). Jesus’ disciples did not fast in the presence of “the bridegroom,” the continual source for their joy. Today, while we have access to the bridegroom in the Eucharist, we also long for that continual union with him in joy for all eternity. St. John of the Cross once said that we cannot rise up to God if we are bound to the things of this world, reminding us that fasting from things we enjoy is a preparation for Heaven.
New Wine, Fresh Skins: Another preparation for Heaven, of course, is to reconcile with God while here on earth, by confessing our sins to “the bridegroom” in humble contrition. With souls absolved of sin, we, like new wineskins, can more effectively receive the “new wine” that Christ has in store for us, an outpouring of his grace. If we wonder what beautiful gifts a pure soul might accept from the Lord, we can look to our Blessed Mother. The Immaculate One, preserved from the stain of sin from the moment of her conception, was the epitome of a “new wineskin.” It was to this beautiful earthen vessel that the Angel Gabriel was able to proclaim “Hail, full of grace,” seeking her fiat to become the bride of the Holy Spirit, and set in motion God’s plan of salvation. May we also cooperate with God’s plan, keeping our souls clean and ready to accept God’s grace with deep gratitude. 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu Tuần 13 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu Tuần 13 Thường Niên

Đoạn Tin Mừng hôm nay đoạn cho chúng ta thấy được niềm hy vọng, vì Chúa Giêsu đến để kêu gọi và cứu chữa những con người tội lỗi. Người thu thuế Mathêô chắc chắn đã có thấu hiểu đưoơc về sự vô nghĩa của việc tích lũy của cải vật chất. Và vì thế ông đã từ bỏ tất cả để chạy theo và nghe những lời Chúa Giêsu giảng dạy.  Tất cả của cải vật chất trên thế giới và sự đam mê của chúng sẽ không thể đáp ứng cho con người chúng ta. Chỉ có Chúa Giêsu, Con Thiên Chúa là vị cứu tinh của thế giới mới có thể đem lại chúng ta những niềm vui và hạnh phúc nước trời.            Lạy Chúa Giêsu, là Đấng Cứu Thế của chúng con, xin Chúa, sưởi ấm tâm hồn của chúng con với tình yêu vị tha của Chúa. Vì tâm hồn của chúng con đang mang đầy tội lỗi; Xin tẩy sạch chúng con bằng máu quý báu của Chúa. Va xin lấp đầy tâm hồn của chúng con với sự hiện diện của Chúa Thánh Thần.  Lạy Chúa Giêsu,  tâm hồn của chúng con là của Chúa; Xin Chúa hãy chiếm hữu tâm hồn chúng con và chỉ có Chúa mới là sở hữu tâm hồn con mà thôi.
 
Reflection:
Today gospel passage gives us hope. Jesus comes to save sinners. The tax collector Matthew must have experienced the meaninglessness of accumulating riches, exploiting others, etc.  He must also have resolved to amend his ways after listening to Jesus preach. The world and all its allurements cannot satisfy man. Only Jesus, Son of God and saviour of the world, can.
            Do we believe this?  Have you finally realized this? If you are still thinking that the world can give you happiness, true happiness, Jesus is coming to you and inviting you to change your mentality. Do not be like the Pharisees who were self-righteous and who looked down on others. Jesus is willing to dine with us even if we are sinners. Are we interested in dining with him or do we prefer the company of the devil? 
 
Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.  Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.  I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”  Matthew 9:12–13
Would you describe yourself as one who is “well” or one who is “sick?” Are you among the “righteous” or the “sinners?” Be careful how you answer this question. Of course, the pride that comes with our fallen human nature often tempts us to claim that we are “well” and “righteous.” But humility will reveal the truth that we are among the “sick” and “sinners.”
This statement of Jesus is a response to the Pharisees who noticed that Jesus was dining at the house of Matthew, the tax collector, whom He had just called to follow Him. Matthew did indeed leave everything behind and followed Jesus, and then he hosted dinner for Jesus at his house. At that dinner, there were “many tax collectors and sinners” who came and sat with Jesus and His disciples, which led the Pharisees to ridicule them all.
Jesus’ response is very important for us to hear. By stating that He came not for those who were well and righteous but for those who were sick and sinners, it tells us two important things. First, it tells us that we are all spiritually sick and sinful. Second, it tells us that if we cannot humbly admit to that, and in our pride claim that we are well and are righteous, then we essentially reject Jesus, the Divine Physician, from our lives. We essentially say, “Lord, I do not need You.”
It’s also helpful to notice that Jesus was not embarrassed to be seen with sinners. He did not hesitate at all and, in fact, clearly stated that they were those whom He came for. For that reason, we should not be afraid or embarrassed to admit we are sinners who are spiritually ill and in need of our Lord. To deny that fact is to deny reality and to deny the very source of the ongoing healing we most certainly need in life. It’s a denial of our need for Christ Jesus Himself.
Do you need our Lord? Do you need interior cleansing, healing, and forgiveness every day? If it’s difficult for you to wholeheartedly say “Yes” to that question, then perhaps you struggle with the pride of the Pharisees more than you know. No matter how holy you become, no matter how deeply you pray and no matter how charitable you are, you will always need the healing and forgiveness of the Divine Physician each and every day. 
Reflect, today, upon the need you have in your life today for forgiveness. What sin do you struggle with the most? Interestingly, the holier one becomes, the more clearly they see their daily sins and their need for forgiveness and healing. If you struggle with this at all, spend time examining your conscience. Look for ways to do it more thoroughly and honestly. If you do, you can be certain that our Lord, the Divine Physician, will deeply desire to dine with you today and always.
My forgiving Lord, You are the Divine Physician Who has come to forgive and heal all of our ills. Remove my pride and self-righteousness so that I can be filled with humility and see clearly the sin in my life. As I see my sin, help me to turn to You and to trust in Your abundant mercy. You came for sinners, dear Lord, and I am one of those sinners in need. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2026
As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9
As a tax collector, Matthew was despised by much of Jewish society. He was regarded as a traitor and sinner, aligning himself with the oppressive Roman authorities. Because he was considered unclean, he would have been unwelcome in the local synagogue. Though Matthew was likely wealthy due to the lucrative nature of tax collection, neither his wealth nor Roman privileges could satisfy him. Had they fulfilled him, he would never have immediately abandoned everything at Jesus’ simple command: “Follow me.”
While little else is known about Matthew’s personal life and background, we do know that he represents anyone who prioritizes wealth and status above family and faith. Those who seek fulfillment primarily in material wealth and worldly positions inevitably experience loneliness and isolation—an inescapable truth of the human condition.
When Jesus encountered Matthew, He perceived his interior brokenness and hidden struggles. Christ saw beyond Matthew’s outward position, fine clothing, and wealth, looking directly into his heart. His two simple words—“Follow me”—pierced Matthew deeply, prompting an immediate and radical response.
After leaving his customs post, Matthew hosted a dinner at his home for Jesus and the other disciples already called. Among them were Peter, Andrew, James, and John—fishermen from Capernaum, the very town where Matthew collected taxes. Although the Gospel is silent about their interactions, it’s reasonable to speculate these disciples were among those shocked by Jesus’ decision to call Matthew and enter his home. Given Capernaum’s small size, Matthew had likely collected taxes from them personally, perhaps creating tension or resentment.
We can learn a great deal from Matthew and from the diverse group of Apostles whom Jesus gathered around Himself. As you reflect on Matthew, consider your own “customs post”—those places in your heart you created by sin and where you feel trapped by the effects of those sins: attachments, fears, and worldly ambitions. Like Matthew, Christ sees clearly beyond superficial worldly standards and directly into your deepest spiritual needs.
We should note that Saint Matthew himself recounts his own conversion within his Gospel. He positions his story among several miracles, shortly after Jesus delivered two men from demonic possession. Saint Thomas Aquinas suggests that this placement implies Matthew considered his own conversion a miraculous event. Indeed, only Matthew could fully appreciate the miraculous transformation within his soul, moving from a life defined by sin, rejection, isolation, and materialism to one of radical conversion and humble service to the Messiah.
As Matthew later reflected on his life and conversion while writing his Gospel, he undoubtedly marveled that the Messiah personally singled him out and made him one of His Apostles. What unexpected and extraordinary grace!
Reflect today on the dinner Matthew hosted immediately after his conversion. At that gathering, Matthew and the other Apostles stand as icons of whom God desires within His Church. God actively seeks out sinners—those separated, despised, rejected, and even those who have oppressed others. He calls into communion people who were previously at odds, urging them toward unity. Achieving this unity requires abandoning biases, bitterness, past grievances, prejudices, and everything that fosters division. God calls many to Himself, uniting them as members of His Body, the Church. See yourself within this community of the redeemed—not among the self-righteous—but within a family bound together by mercy, humility, gratitude, and reconciliation.
Most merciful Lord, You see beyond the surface into the hidden intentions, desires, hurts, and confusion within each of us. Despite the sin and darkness we carry, You long for our freedom, calling gently yet firmly to each soul: “Follow me!” May I, like Saint Matthew, respond to Your call immediately and wholeheartedly. Thank You for drawing not only me but all people to Yourself—even those with whom I struggle or am sometimes at odds. Unite us in Your love, mercy, and peace. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Friday 13^th ordinary time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I offer you the sacrifice of my life, united to the sufferings of your Son. I will be merciful as you are merciful. I will strive for holiness and perfection as you are holy and perfect.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Matthew and the Economy of Salvation: In the Gospel, we learn about the call of Matthew the tax collector. As a tax collector, Matthew had the ability to read and write and was not illiterate. He produced the Gospel that bears his name. One of its characteristics is the economic language used all throughout the Gospel. He speaks about the debt of sin and the credit of righteousness, about storing up heavenly treasure, about how God forgives our enormous debt and expects us to forgive the debts of others, about how we will be paid for our labor, and about how we have been entrusted with the king’s talents and need to work to build up the Kingdom of the Heavens. We are able to do all of this because the Kingdom of the Heavens that Jesus has inaugurated has broken into this world. God’s grace given to us through Jesus and the Spirit empowers us to do meritorious works of charity that build up the Kingdom and store up heavenly treasure.
2. Mercy, Not Sacrifice: The Gospel highlights the contrast between the Pharisees and Jesus and how they deal with public sinners. The Pharisees were members of a reform movement that sought to live out the Law of Moses perfectly. The danger is that they have built up many human traditions to follow the Law and have forgotten the heart of the Law. Jesus invites the Pharisees to reflect on the meaning of Hosea 6:6: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” This is a Semitic way of contrasting two things and stressing which of the two is more important. God does not reject sacrificial worship. Both mercy and sacrifice are good. What the Pharisees have done is elevate meticulous observance of the Laws of sacrifice and have neglected the loving and merciful care of the people around them. “Life and liturgy are meant to form a unity, so that love for the Lord is expressed by obedience as well as ritual offerings (CCC, 2100). Going through the motions of worship without the heart’s adherence to God is hypocrisy (Isaiah 1:11-17; 29:13)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1493). Jesus warns the Pharisees with Hosea’s words that their concern with ritual exactness has distracted them from the task of welcoming sinners back into a loving relationship with the Father.
3. Finding a Bride for Isaac: In the First Reading, Abraham is concerned with his son’s future. He doesn’t want him to marry a Canaanite woman. This anticipates a concern that marrying a foreign and pagan wife will lead to idolatry. A man will be tempted to worship the gods of his spouse (see Deuteronomy 7:1-4). The story in Genesis teaches us how God oversees everything in his providence and ensures the success of the mission of the servant to find a bride for Isaac. Both Abraham’s servant and Abraham’s son, Isaac, are presented as spiritual men who have personal and prayerful relationships with the Lord God. They sought to heed the word of God in all their
 
Friday 13^th ordinary time
Opening Prayer: Lord, you nourish me with your words in Scripture, and with your body when I answer your invitation to come to your banquet table. Never stop calling me to follow you, and give me the grace to walk in your ways, with the help of your Holy Spirit. 
Encountering Christ:
Seeing a Man: When the penetrating gaze of Jesus fell upon Matthew, the Lord saw a man. Instead of perceiving Matthew as the object of derision for the role he played in society, Jesus saw the man first and foremost as a reflection of himself, created in his image and likeness. Man’s first sin in the garden had surely tarnished this reflection, but neither that original sin, nor any subsequent sin committed by this particular man, diminished the incredible dignity that Matthew enjoyed as a child of God. Matthew had used his free will, granted by our loving God and Father, to side with the Roman authorities against the Jews, the chosen people into which he was born. But Our Lord also gave him, and gives us, a chance to turn his back on his former life and follow Christ, perfecting that will. “By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude” (CCC 1731).
Seeing a Problem: Jesus’ invitation to Matthew, a seemingly simple “Follow me,” was anything but simple. Adding the despised tax collector to his band of followers would have immediately sowed discord among the rest of the disciples. Many of them would surely see a problem with this new addition. We can imagine what they might have been thinking, or even declaring aloud: “Lord, not him!” Today, we may be preparing for our weekend and hoping to get together with family or friends. How will we respond if we find a stranger in our company? What if this stranger has a reputation? One one hand, Jesus does tell us to be “shrewd as serpents,” but he also implores us to be “harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Furthermore, although we must always speak the truth in charity regarding behaviors we witness, Scripture frequently urges us not to judge others, leaving judgment to Our Lord (Matthew 7:1, Luke 6:37, and Romans 2:1-2).
The Master’s Plan: Jesus knew exactly what he was doing when he called Matthew. His reasons soon became quite clear, at the “breaking of bread” that evening. The religious authorities, convinced of their superiority, took the opportunity to test Our Lord. Placing themselves above the sinners present at the dinner, they endeavored to have Jesus admit that the worth of the individual, and thus the degree to which the individual is worthy of attention, is somehow related to his or her behavior. They failed to acknowledge that they had misunderstood the God of Israel, the object of their intense study. They should, instead, have been studying this man right in front of them to witness how he was fulfilling the law. Jesus, always the teacher, reminded them, and reminds us, how we can draw near to God: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
 
REFLECTION 2017
     There are two key points we could consider from the Gospel reading today.
     The first is how Matthew, the tax collector, was called by Jesus. Walking by the custom-house, Jesus sees Matthew, a tax collector, Jesus simply tells him, "Follow me!" and, without any hesitation or thought, Matthew "got up [from his seat at the custom-house] and followed him."
     Matthew's response was one of great generosity and trust in Jesus: what did Matthew know about Jesus? What kind of a man was Matthew? Except that he was named among the Twelve, there is nothing more about Matthew in the Gospels. Matthew wrote the first Gospel which was written in Aramaic. Tradition says Matthew preached in Persia and Ethiopia. He was martyred in Ethiopia.
     The second key point was Jesus' reiteration of his mission in life, "Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do... I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
     This was a simplified statement of his mission, as compared to what he had read and affirmed from the prophet Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord's year of mercy." "Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen." (Lk 4:18- 19, 21)
     Hence, we see Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners; we see him forgiving sin; we hear him give the parable of the Prodigal Son and the Merciful Father. We see him promising heaven to the good thief and praising the humility and faith of the publican in his parable.
     We thank the Lord for his loving mercy for all of us, sinners that we are.
 
Reflection:
“Come to me all you that labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest”. This quotation from Matthew's Gospel, chosen for today’s Alleluia verse, has been described as “the sweetest verse in Scripture.” Although this verse occurs in a later Chapter, the Gospel passage we read today illustrate how Jesus looks for and chooses those who labour and are burdened.
            As a tax-collector, Mathew was despised and marginalized, and the friends whom he could invite to dinner in his home were tax-collectors and those whom religious leaders looked down upon as “sinners” — ordinary hard-working people who did not know the Law as the scholars did. These religious leaders presumed that the people were not capable of living according to it.
            In spite of what the leaders thought, these poor people were probably living lives of quiet desperation, and striving to live as decently as possible. They came together in Matthew’s house to be with Jesus and would have felt something of the comfort of his presence and acceptance.
            Jesus, when we are burdened by the cares and worries of life and wonder where we can find God, draw us to Yourself for spiritual rest and consolation.
 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lẽ Kính Thánh Tôma Tông Đồ

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lẽ Kính Thánh Tôma Tông Đồ
Chúng ta đang sống trong một nền văn hóa mà chúng ta phải biết tất cả mọi thứ. Nếu không có sự thật, nếu thiếu bằng chứng, thì chúng ta sẽ từ chối không tin. Đôi khi, chúng ta cũng chẳng chịu tin ngay cả khi sự thật và bằng chứng được bày ra trước mặt. Đôi khi chúng ta biết rằng đức tin đó mời gọi mọi người chúng ta phải cam kết hoàn toàn với ơn Chúa Thánh Thần (Dei Verbum5).
Ông Thomas từ chối tin vào sự sống lại của Chúa Giêsu khi các Tông đồ đã nói vợi ông về cuộc gặp gỡ với Chúa khi Chúa hiên ra với họ sau khi sống lại: “ Chúng tôi đã thấy Chúa” (Gioan 20:25). Nhưng lời nói của các Tông đồ đã không lay chuyển lòng cứng tin của ông Thomas. Ông ta biết rằng Chúa đã chết. Có lẽ ông ta đã đến mộ Chúa Giêsu vào ngày thứ bảy khi ông ta đã thấy những người lính Lamã bảo vệ đóng quân ở đó và ông ta đã tưởng rằng không có cách nào để Chúa ra khỏi ngôi mộ? Chúng ta chắc cũng có những lý do gì để đưa ra và thuyết phục lòng tin của chúng ta như thế?
            Ông Thomas đã nhìn thấy Chúa và nói Chúa:“Tôi nhớ lại lời Chúa phán: phàm ai xưng Ta ra trước mặt người đời, thì Ta cũng xưng kẻ ấy ra trước mặt Cha Ta, Ðấng ngự trên trời.” (Mt 10:32). Chúa đã mời gọi ông Thomas thực hiện đức tin đó theo từng bước, từng bước một: hãy bỏ lại sau lưng tất cả mà chấp nhận sự Phục sinh của Chúa. Ông đã thấy Chúa Giêsu làm cho ông Lazarus sống lại, và bây giờ Ngài mời gọi ông ta hãy tin vào sự sống lại của Chúa Giêsu và sự hằng sống của Ngài. Chúa là Thiên Chúa, Ngài là sự sống và sự sống thật. Chúa Giêsu cũng đang mời gọi chúng ta cũng giống như ông Thomas ngày xưa là hãy tin rằng Chúa vẫn luôn sống mãi trong cuộc sống của chúng ta.
Lạy Chúa, chúng con muốn luôn có sự hiện diện của Chúa trong cuộc đời của chúng con.
            Phúc cho những ai chưa thấy mà tin. Lạy Chúa chúng con không thể lên được thiên đàng mà không có đức tin. Những lời Chúa phán với ông Thomas đã ám chỉ những gì mà Chúa sẽ dành cho chúng con nếu chúng con biết đặt niểm tin của chúng con vào Chúa cho đến khi chết. Chúng con đã chưa có sự sống khi Chúa đến trong thế giới này, nhưng ánh sáng trong lời Chúa phán với ông Thomas, Chúng con có thêm lý do để thực hành đức tin của chúng con và cầu nguyện như ông Thomas đã làm: “Lạy Chúa tôi và là Thiên Chúa của tôi! “. Chúa, mong muốn chúng con có niềm tin vào Chúa cũng giống như Chúa muốn lòng tin của ông Thomas. Chúa Thật tuyệt vời biết bao! Giáo lý Giáo hội Công giáo dậy chúng con là “Trước hết, tin là sự gắn bó bản thân của con người với Thiên Chúa; đồng thời và một cách bất khả phân ly, tin là  tự do ưng thuận tất cả chân lý mà Thiên Chúa đã mạc khải. (Giáo lý Giáo hội Công giáo, câu 150).
Lạy Chúa chúng con muốn tin theo Chúa, vì  Chúa là Chúa của chúng con và Thiên Chúa của chúng con.
 
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of faith I received with baptism. I believe all that you have revealed, though I recognize that my faith is still small. I now submerge my weak faith in your overflowing goodness and mercy, and I trust in you completely. I love you, my Lord, and my God, with all my mind, heart, soul, and strength.
Petition: Lord, increase my faith.
1. “I Will Not Believe.” Lord, I live in a culture where I have to know everything. If there are no facts, if I lack evidence, then I refuse to believe. At times, Lord, even with facts and evidence in front of me, I still refuse to believe. I know, Lord, that faith calls for man “to commit his entire self to God” (Dei Verbum5). Thomas refuses to do this when the apostles share the exciting news: “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But their news does not correspond to what Thomas knows. He knows that you died. Maybe he went to the tomb on Saturday. He would have seen the guards stationed there and would have imagined that there was no way to take you from the tomb. Do I come up with convincing reasons not to believe? If I do, how can I answer better through faith?
2.“Do Not Be Unbelieving But Believe.” Lord, Thomas looks at you in the Upper Room as you say this. I recall the words: “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). You invite Thomas to take that step of faith: to leave behind what he knows and to accept your Resurrection. He had seen you raise Lazarus, and now you invite him to believe that you are forever alive. You are God, both living and true. There in the Upper Room, you invite me, as you did Thomas, to believe that you are alive in my life. Lord, I want you to have a strong presence in my life.
3.“Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen and Have Believed.” Lord, I cannot make it to heaven without faith. Your words to Thomas allude to what lies in store for me if I believe until death. I was not alive when you walked on the earth, but in the light of what you say to Thomas, I have all the more reason to exercise my faith and pray as Thomas did: “My Lord and my God.” You desire my faith, Lord, just as you desired Thomas’. How great you are, Lord! “Faith is first and foremost a personal adherence of man to God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 150). I want to adhere to you, my Lord, and my God.
 
Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle, July 3
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20:24–25
Though Saint Thomas is best remembered for doubting Jesus’ Resurrection, God used him in glorious ways. Because God is all-powerful, even Thomas’ doubt was transformed into a source of grace for the Church and a model of true faith and conversion. In Thomas, we see the journey from doubt to faith, from absence to confession, from fear to peace—an invitation for each of us to make the same journey.
Saint Thomas, called Didymus—meaning “Twin”—was not present when the risen Christ first appeared to the assembled Apostles. His absence was no accident but part of God’s providential plan. When the other disciples testified, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas struggled to believe. His absence symbolizes the effect of isolation from the Church or from an active life of prayer, which can leave us vulnerable to doubt and disbelief. His heart demanded tangible proof: “Unless I see the mark of the nails… I will not believe.” In this, Thomas articulates a cry that echoes in every human heart: we long for certainty, yet struggle to trust without the proof we demand.
One week later—on the day now celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday—Jesus once again entered the locked room and stood among them, radiating peace: “Peace be with you.” His first words were directed not to the whole group, but to Thomas, addressing his wounded faith with tender love: “Put your finger here and see my hands… bring your hand and put it into my side.” Jesus does not shame Thomas; He invites him. He invites him to touch the very wounds that conquered death, to enter into the mystery of Divine Mercy not only intellectually, but physically and spiritually.
After being confronted by the Living Christ, Thomas is transformed. In that pivotal moment, he prays one of the greatest confessions of faith in all of Scripture: “My Lord and my God!” With profound clarity, he proclaims the divinity of Christ. The doubting disciple becomes the believing Apostle, who will later be sent forth to bear witness to the ends of the earth.
Thomas’ journey invites us to reflect on our own. Like Thomas, we are sometimes absent from encounters with the risen Lord. Failure to pray daily, to attend Mass faithfully, to confess our sins, to nourish our souls through spiritual reading, adoration, retreats, or parish missions can isolate us from Christ and diminish our faith. Absence from these means of grace can open the door to spiritual doubt and weakness.
If these struggles are familiar to you, take heart in the example of Saint Thomas. If your faith has faltered—especially if you experience serious doubts—or if worldly concerns have drawn you away from the life of grace, then let Thomas’ prayer become your own: “My Lord and my God!” He professed faith in what he saw, so that we might profess faith in Christ whom we do not yet see. That simple little prayer, prayed with the certainty of faith and with sincere passion in the heart, sparks greater faith and brings us the clarity we need.
Reflect today on Thomas being absent from Jesus’ first Resurrection appearance on Easter Sunday. Try to feel his disappointment and doubt. Thomas carried those feelings for an entire week until Jesus appeared again. See yourself in him by identifying any times you have felt the same. Then move forward to the moment, one week later, when Thomas was present as Jesus appeared to them. With him, listen to Jesus invite you to touch His wounds. Profess with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” Repeat that prayer and try to sense Thomas’ newfound passionate belief. It is that belief our Lord desires from all of us who do not see with our eyes but come to know Him in our spirit.
My Lord and my God! I do believe in You and profess that belief with all my heart. When I struggle with my faith, when I falter, or when I become distracted from my life of prayer and devotion, please remind me of Saint Thomas. Place his words repeatedly on my lips so that I may continuously cry out with him, “My Lord and my God!” Saint Thomas, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle 3-7 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I renew my faith in your Son. I humbly ask for help to overcome any unbelief that remains. I trust in you, Lord, and will spend my life in the service of your Kingdom. Grant me your peace.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Jesus Waited: Each encounter with the Risen Jesus has very unique and personal notes. We can ask, “Why did Jesus wait to encounter Thomas?” Jesus could have easily appeared to Thomas on Easter Sunday, wherever he was. Instead, Jesus knew that it was best for Thomas to wait. Thomas was tested all week: Would he believe the other apostles and the women who said that Jesus appeared to them and had risen from the dead? The longing in his heart to see his Lord built up day after day. And when Jesus appeared, Thomas was ready for his great act of faith: “My Lord and my God!” The story of Thomas teaches us that God knows the times and the places. He knows when we are ready and when we are not. God is gentle, patient, and meek. Love cannot be forced. When God seems to be absent in our lives, we need to be like Thomas and allow the longing for God to grow, so that when he appears we may welcome him as Thomas did. 
2. All Christians are Called to Be Like Thomas: The story of Thomas teaches an important lesson for all those who came after the first generation of Christians who knew and saw Jesus in his earthly life and after his resurrection. Jesus pronounces a blessing upon all those who will not see his resurrected body: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Every Christian who is baptized is welcomed into this faith in the Risen Jesus. When we bring our children to the baptismal font, we are confessing, “My Lord and my God!” And Jesus, from heaven, sees our act of faith, and pours out his blessing upon our family and us.
3. Bringing the Gospel to India: Thomas the Apostle eventually made his way to India some two decades after his encounter with the Risen Jesus. Tradition holds that after evangelizing in Syria and Persia, he arrived in Western India, at Muziris in present-day Kerala, around A.D. 52. He established seven churches over the course of two decades. He was martyred near Madras around A.D. 72. Stories are told of how he performed miracles before members of the Brahmin caste to demonstrate the truth of the Gospel he preached. He worked to bring the people from idolatry to the worship of the God of Jesus Christ
 
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle 3-7
“Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” John 20:27–29
Thomas the Apostle, in many ways, represents each and every one of us in this exchange with Jesus. We’d like to believe that we always believe and are not unbelieving. But it’s important to admit the humble truth that we may not believe as deeply as we should. And it’s important to reflect upon our own reaction to the blessings that others receive that we do not.
Recall that Thomas was not among the other Apostles when Jesus first appeared to them. Therefore, when Thomas returned and heard that Jesus had appeared and that he missed His appearance, he clearly felt bad. Unfortunately, the sorrow Thomas felt at not being present when the Lord appeared to the others left him with a certain bitterness rather than joy. This is the sin of envy. Envy is a certain sorrow over the blessings others receive that we do not. Ideally, Thomas would have rejoiced at the blessing that the other Apostles received by encountering the risen Lord. But, instead, his sorrow at missing this even left him sad. He said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Why was Thomas absent from this encounter with our Lord? Perhaps it was by divine providence, in that God wanted Thomas to set an example for us. If so, then one example Thomas set was that we must humbly rejoice in the blessings others receive when we are not also the recipient. Of course, if Thomas were there, then it would have been easier for him to share in the joy. But, in many ways, Thomas’ absence provided him an even greater opportunity. An opportunity that he failed to embrace.
When you see others receive blessings from God, how do you respond? Many people respond by immediately looking at themselves, wishing they were blessed in the same way. They struggle with envy. They think, “I wish I had received that blessing.” This form of envy is not always easy to see. For that reason, Thomas is given to us as a witness of what not to do in this situation.
Of course, Thomas is not a horrible person, which is why Jesus does later appear to him. That time, Thomas spoke words that are traditionally spoken as a devotion by the faithful at Mass when the Consecration occurs. He said, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus then gently rebukes Thomas by saying, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” But this gentle rebuke was an act of love, in that Jesus wanted Thomas to ponder the reason for his unbelief. Jesus clearly wanted Thomas to examine the unbelief caused by envy, which appears to have led to an intentional lack of faith.
Reflect, today, upon this holy Apostle. Today, Saint Thomas the Apostle is among the great saints in the Kingdom of Heaven. God used him to teach us these important lessons about envy, humility and faith. Let his weakness, from which he fully recovered, help you examine your own struggle with envy over the blessings that others receive that you do not. Learn to rejoice always in the ways that God is at work in our world and learn to grow in humility, so that when others are blessed in ways that you are not, you react as Saint Thomas ultimately did: “My Lord and my God!”
My most generous Lord, You pour forth Your blessings upon others, day and night. As I see those blessings, help me to overcome all temptations toward envy so that I may rejoice in Your grace given to all. You are my Lord and my God, and I thank You for every way that You bless my life and the lives of those around me. Fill me with a deeper gratitude, dear Lord, for every grace and blessing I see every day, especially those graces not given directly to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle 3-7
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I renew my faith in your Son. I humbly ask for help to overcome any unbelief that remains. I trust in you, Lord, and will spend my life in the service of your Kingdom. Grant me your peace.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Jesus Waited: Each encounter with the Risen Jesus has very unique and personal notes. We can ask, “Why did Jesus wait to encounter Thomas?” Jesus could have easily appeared to Thomas on Easter Sunday, wherever he was. Instead, Jesus knew that it was best for Thomas to wait. Thomas was tested all week: Would he believe the other apostles and the women that Jesus appeared to them and was risen from the dead? The longing in his heart to see his Lord built up day after day. And when Jesus appeared, Thomas was ready for his great act of faith: “My Lord and my God!” The story of Thomas teaches us that God knows the times and the places. He knows when we are ready and when we are not. God is gentle, patient, and meek. Love cannot be forced. When God seems to be absent in our lives, we need to be like Thomas and allow the longing for God to grow, so that when he appears we may welcome him as Thomas did. 
2. All Christians are Called to Be Like Thomas: The story of Thomas teaches an important lesson for all those who came after the first generation of Christians who knew and saw Jesus in his earthly life and after his resurrection. Jesus pronounces a blessing upon all those who will not see his resurrected body: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Every Christian who is baptized is welcomed into this faith in the Risen Jesus. When we bring our children to the baptismal font, we are confessing, “My Lord and my God!” And Jesus, from heaven, sees our act of faith, and pours out his blessing upon us and our family.
3. Bringing the Gospel to India: Thomas the Apostle eventually made his way to India some two decades after his encounter with the Risen Jesus. Tradition holds that after evangelizing in Syria and Persia, he arrived in Western India, at Muziris in present-day Kerala, around A.D. 52. He established seven churches over the course of two decades. He was martyred near Madras around A.D. 72. Stories are told of how he performed miracles before members of the Brahmin caste to demonstrate the truth of the Gospel he preached. He worked to bring the people from idolatry to the worship of the God of Jesus Christ.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you know me better than I know myself. You know the depths of my heart. Grant me true knowledge so that I may better serve my brothers and sisters. Help me to know my strengths and my weaknesses, and where I need your grace.
 
July 3^rd, Lễ kính Thánh Tôma Tông Đồ
Hôm nay chúng ta mừng lễ kính Thánh Thomas, Thánh Tông Đồ. Thiên Chúa kêu gọi chúng ta. Khi chúng ta nghe thấy tiếng gọi đó, chúng ta đáp lại tiếng Chúa trong đức tin và bắt đầu thực nghiệm cuộc hành trình con người Kitô hữu đích thực. Trong cuộc sống, đôi khi, nhiều người trong chúng ta nghi ngờ con đường Chúa đã đặt ra trước chúng ta. Như Thomas đã không tin Chúa đã sống lại, chúng ta cũng khao khát có những bằng cớ chứng minh. Khoảnh khắc của lòng dũng cảm nơi chúng ta đang bị gián đoạn bởi những khoảnh khắc của sự sợ hãi.
Trong Tin Mừng Gioan, chúng ta đã nghe thấy lòng can đảm của Thomas khi ông đã nói với các môn đệ khác khi Chúa nói Chúa sẽ trở lại Giêrusalem, " Chúng ta hãy cũng đi, và chúng ta có thể cùng chết với Ngài " Tuy nhiên, ngay sau đó, chúng ta đã nghe thấy Thomas tỏ lộ sự lo lắng: "Lạy Chúa, chúng con không biết biết Chúa đi đâu, thì làm thế nào chúng con có thể biết đi đường nào?"
Cảm xúc con người của Thomas nhắc nhở cho chúng ta biết rằng chúng ta cần một Đấng Cứu Rỗi. Chúng ta cần nhớ câu trả lời hùng mạnh của Chúa Giêsu cho thánh Thomas khi Ngài hỏi, "... Ta là Đường, là sự thật, và là sự sống, không ai đến với Chúa Cha, mà không qua Thầy" (Ga 14: 5-7)
 
REFLECTION Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
     Today we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas, Apostle. We all know him as the "doubting" Thomas who declared he would not believe that Christ was risen until he saw and touched the wounds of Christ.
     Despite the witness of the other apostles, Thomas lacked faith. We too are very much like him, especially in times of great trial and suffering, we feel that the Lord has abandoned us. However, it is precisely in those low moments that we should experience the saving power of the risen Lord. It is in those moments that we discover the light of Christ in the midst of our darkness.
    How do we know we have faith? Jesus performed many miracles because of the faith of those needing the cures or the freedom from unclean spirits. We have to show our faith in our deeds, in the way we act. In his letter St. James wrote, "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you.
    "If a brother or a sister is in need of clothes or food and one of you says, 'May things go well for you, be warm and satisfied,' without attending to their material needs, what good is that? So if it is with faith without works: It is totally dead." (Jas 2: 14 -17)
    Faith is lived and shown when we do good deeds to others.
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ Thánh Tôma (7/3/2014)
Thế giới chúng ta sống hôm nay có thể là một nơi rất cô đơn, mặc dù chúng ta đang sống giữa thành thì náo nhiệt,  đặc biệt là ở các thành phố hiện đại. Con người sống trong một cộng đồng nhân loại đã và đang giảm sút về chất lượng,  Vì nhiều người đã tỏ ra ích kỷ, thích sống một cuộc sống cô lập vì không muốn chia sẻ với người khác, hay cũng có nhiều người bị cô lập một mình vì những người hác đã đẩy vào chỗ đó.  
            Trong thơ thánh Phaolô viết cho dân thành Ê-phê-sô hôm nay có nói một câu rất tuyệt vời và an ủi;
 “Anh em không còn phải là người xa lạ hay người tạm trú, nhưng là người đồng hương với các thánh, và là người nhà của Thiên Chúa, bởi đã được xây dựng trên nền móng là các Tông Ðồ và ngôn sứ, còn đá tảng góc tường là chính Ðức Kitô Giêsu . Trong Người, toàn thể công trình xây dựng ăn khớp với nhau và vươn lên thành ngôi đền thánh trong Chúa.  Trong Người, cả anh em nữa, cũng được xây dựng cùng với những người khác thành ngôi nhà Thiên Chúa ngự, nhờ Thần Khí.” Vì thế chúng ta nên trân trọng nhau và tìm kiếm sự hiện diện của Thiên Chúa ngay giữa chúng ta. Chúng ta không bao giờ phải cô đơn một mình hoặc bị bỏ rơi.
            Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay ho ch1ng ta thấy: Thánh Tôma cũng giống như rất nhiều người trong chúng ta. Ông hoài nghi; có lẽ ông không muốn bị tổn thương và thất vọng. Thật sự không phải dễ dàng cho chúng ta để tin vào việc sống lại của Chúa trong cuộc Phục Sinh hơn hai ngàm năm trước so với ngày nay. Chúa đáp lại lời yêu cầu của ông và cho ông thấy rõ những bằng chứng thể lý ngay trên than thể của Ngài đê chúng thực là Ngài đã thực sự là Chúa đã sống lại từ cõi chết  và rất sống động. Tuy nhiên, Chúa Kitô cũng cho Tôma một cảnh báo; là “may mắn cho những ai không thấy mà tin”. Đấy là là một câu lời tốt được đặt ra và tìm kiếm, nhưng chúng ta cũng cần phải tin tưởng vào chính lòng trí và tâm hồn, trái tim của chúng ta và tìm hiểu rõ hơn để suy nghĩ và phân biệt nơi những kinh nghiệm riêng của chúng ta.
  Mỗi người chúng ta được Chúa ban cho tất cả những gì mà chúng ta cần phải có để nuôi dưỡng và duy trì đức tin của chúng ta. Cái trở ngại lớn nhất của chúng ta là sự sợ hãi. Sống trong đức tin luôn luôn đòi hỏi chúng ta phải có sự can đảm để chấp nhận sự không may của trần thế và sự sẵn sàng đớn nhận những thử thách mà Thiên Chúa muốn gởi đến nơi chúng ta. mặc dù không ai muốn và ham thích những thử thách do.
   Lạy Chúa, Xin ban cho chúng con một đức tin sắc bén và sâu sắc để chúng con có được lòng dũng cãm cảm để đặt tin của chúng con vào Chúa, để chúng con có thể chấp nhận những gì mà Chúa muốn đem đến với chúng con.
 
3rd July 2014,  ST THOMAS, APOSTLE   Eph. 2:19-22;  Ps. 116(115):1, 2 Jn.20:24-29 
The world can be a lonely place, especially in modern cities. Human community has declined in quality and many people feel isolated and alone. Ephesians has wonderful words of comfort; we are no longer aliens or strangers, but members of the household of God. We have many ‘family members’ and friends — those who worship the Lord with us. Not only that, we form a holy temple and dwelling place of God. We should treasure one another and look for the presence of God right in our midst. We are never alone or abandoned.
Thomas was like so many of us. He was skeptical; perhaps he did not want to be hurt or disappointed. It was not any easier to believe in the resurrection on the first Easter than it is today. The Lord granted his request and gave him physical proof that it was indeed he, risen from the dead and very much alive. But he also gave Thomas a warning — blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. It is good to question and to search, but we also need to trust our hearts and learn to discern from our own experience. Each of us is given what we need to nurture and sustain our faith. Our biggest obstacle is fear. Stepping into faith always requires a bit of a risk and a willingness to let go of control.  Lord, deepen my faith.