Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 4 Mùa Chay

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 4 Mùa Chay
Trong  bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy Chúa Giêsu rất là băn khoăn bởi vì các nhà lãnh đạo người Do Thái không tin là Ngài đã đến từ Thiên Chúa. Ngài chỉ trích họ vì họ không thể nhìn thấy Thiên Chúa đang hoạt động trong các phép lạ và giáo lý của Ngài. Đáng tiếc thay là họ không thể nhận được các dấu hiệu của thời đại.
            "Để nhận được các dấu chỉ của thời đại!"  Điều này có nghĩa là khi nhìn vào những sự kiện thế tục, được xảy ra trong thế giới của chúng ta, và qua con mắt đức tin chúng ta có thể nhận ra được ý nghĩa Thiên Chúa đã đặt trong những biến cố đó. Ví dụ như sự đóng đinh của Chúa Giêsu là một sự kiện thế tục, được xảy ra trên một ngọn đồi bên ngoài thành Giêrusalem. Biến cố này đã được chính quyền dân sự ban hành, được thực hiện bởi lực lượng quân đội với võ trang của đế quốc La mã. Nhưng khi chúng ta nhìn vào biến cố thế tục này với đức tin của chúng ta, chúng ta thấy được ý nghĩa của Thiên Chúa đã đặt vào đó là: Con Thiên Chúa đã phải chịu đau khổ và chịu chết để mang lại cho chúng ta ơn cứu độ và được sống đời đời.
      Tại sao các nhà lãnh đạo Do Thái không nhìn thấy được  những ý nghĩa mà Thiên Chúa đã đặt vào trong những phép lạ của Chúa Giêsu đã làm và những lời rao giảng của Ngài? 
Bởi vì họ biết rằng nếu họ nghe theo lời Chúa để sống theo các giá trị của Chúa Giêsu, thì họ sẽ phải từ bỏ chức vụ ăn trên ngồi trốc của họ, phải từ bỏ quyền lực, sự giàu sang đang có của họ. Vì thế, họ đã từ chối để nhận biết các dấu chỉ của thời đại, để nhìn thấy Thiên Chúa trong công việc và trong cuộc đời của Chúa Giêsu.,
            Đó là cái tâm lý chung thường ngày đã ngăn cản, làm cản trở chúng ta trong việc tìm kiếm ý nghĩa của Thiên Chúa trong những biến cố  của cuộc sống. Chúng ta không muốn từ bỏ những gì mà chúng ta đang bám víu trong cuộc đời này. Do đó mà chúng ta đã trờ nên mù loà với chính mình, vì thế mà chúng ta không muốn tìm hiểu để biết những gì mà Thiên Chúa mong muốn nơi chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện để xin Chúa giúp chúng ta biết sẵn lòng mở rộng tâm hồn của Chúa ta với Thiên Chúa và biếttìm kiếm ý chỉ của Ngài cho chúng ta trong những biến cố của cuộc sống.
            "Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Xin lấp đầy tâm hồn chúng con với ơn Chúa Thánh Thần của Chúa để chúng con có thể biết lắng nghe lời của Chúa một cách chăm chú và vui vẻchấp hành và tuân theo lời Chúa."
 
REFLECTION
In today's Gospel Jesus is disturbed because the leaders of the Jewish people refuse to believe that he comes from God. He chides them because they could not see God at work in his miracles and teaching.  Unfortunately they could not read the signs of the times.
            What does this mean, "to read the signs of the times? " It means to look at a secular event, a happening in our world, and through faith to see in it the meaning God puts into it. For instance, the crucifixion of Jesus was a secular event. It happened on a hill outside of Jerusalem. It was decreed by the civil authority, carried out by the police force of the state. But we look at this secular event and our faith sees there the meaning that God put into it, the Son of God suffering and dying to bring about our eternal redemption.
            Why did the leaders of Israel not see in Jesus' miracles and preaching the meaning God put in them? Because they knew that if they did, they would have to give up their positions of power and wealth and live by Jesus' values. So they refused to read the signs of the times, to see God at work in the life of Jesus.
It is this same mentality that blocks us from finding God's meaning in the events of our lives. We do not want to give up what we cling to. Therefore, we blind ourselves so as not to learn what it is he wants of us. Let us pray for openness to the Lord and to finding his will for us in the events of our lives. "Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may listen to your word attentively and obey it joyfully."
 
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
“How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?” John 5:44
It’s quite normal and healthy for a parent to praise a young child for the good that they do. This healthy positive reinforcement is a way of teaching them the importance of doing good and avoiding what’s wrong. But human praise is not an infallible guide of what is right and wrong. In fact, when human praise is not based in the truth of God, it does great damage.
This short Scripture quote above comes from a lengthy teaching from Jesus about the difference between human praise and “the praise that comes only from God.” Jesus makes it clear that the only thing that has value is the praise that comes from God alone. In fact, earlier in this Gospel, Jesus says clearly, “I do not accept human praise…” Why is that?
Turning back to the example of a parent praising a child for the good they do, when the praise they offer is truly a praise of their goodness, then this is much more than human praise. It is praise from God given through a parent. A parent’s duty must be to teach right from wrong in accord with the will of God.
As for the “human praise” of which Jesus speaks, this is clearly praise of another that is void of the truthfulness of God. In other words, Jesus is saying that if someone were to praise Him for something that did not originate from the Father in Heaven, He would reject it. For example, if someone were to say of Jesus, “I think He would be a great governor of our nation because he could lead a revolt against the current leadership.” Obviously such “praise” would be rejected.
The bottom line is that we must praise one another, but our praise must only be that which originates from God. Our words must be spoken only in accord with the Truth. Our admiration must only be of that which is the presence of God alive in others. Otherwise, if we praise others based on worldly or self-centered values, we only encourage them in sin.
Reflect, today, upon the praise you give and receive. Do you allow misguided praise of others to misdirect you in life? And when you compliment and praise another, is that praise based on the Truth of God and directed to His glory. Seek to give and receive praise only when it is grounded in the Truth of God and directs all to His glory.
My praiseworthy Lord, I do thank You and praise You for Your perfect goodness. I thank You for the way that You act in perfect union with the will of the Father. Help me to listen only to Your voice in this life and to reject all the misleading and confusing voices of the world. May my values and choices be guided by You and You alone. Jesus, I trust in You
 
Thursday 4th week of Lent 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are at work bringing all creation to its consummation. You work through your Son and Spirit so that I may share in your eternal rest and divine life. Help me to do the good deeds, empowered by your grace, that lead to the resurrection of life.
 Encountering the Word of God
 1. The Work of the Servant of the Lord: In the First Reading God speaks to the Suffering Servant about his mission and commissions him. The Lord tells the Servant that he has been given as a covenant to the people. This Servant is revealed in the New Testament to be Jesus Christ, who establishes the New Covenant in his blood. Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection will truly restore the land, free those imprisoned by sin, enlighten those in darkness, and give heavenly food and living water to those who hunger and thirst. The people, referred to as Zion, think that the Lord has forsaken them after the fall of David’s Kingdom. But God responds that he does not forget them, nor will he ever forget them, and uses the image of the unchanging love a mother has for her child. God will comfort his people in their exile and show mercy to them despite their sins. In sending his only begotten Son to save us from sin and death, the Lord reveals to us that he “is gracious and merciful.” He is faithful, holy, just, and near to those who call upon him.
 2. The First Work of God: In the Gospel, Jesus declares that God is his Father. The works and signs that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, accomplishes are in full agreement with the works of the Father. The Son is the Word and Image of the Father and does what he “sees” the Father doing. In the Gospel passage we read, Jesus speaks about two of these divine and fatherly works. The first work concerns the bestowal of life. The Father, Jesus says, has life in himself. He raises the dead and gives life. The Father eternally gives life to the Son. The Son, in turn, gives life to those who believe in the Father and the Son. 
3. The Second Work of God: The second work concerns judgment. The Father himself does not judge, but instead has given all judgment to his Son. By becoming man and assuming our human nature, Jesus enters into solidarity with humanity. He can sympathize with our weakness. He understands us and was tested in all things as we are. He undergoes suffering and is transformed by suffering. He became like us in all things but sin and took upon himself the fate of sinful humankind (see A. Vanhoye, A Different Priest, 159-160). Our passage from death to life, our sharing in Christ's passion, death, and resurrection, depends on hearing the voice of the Son and responding to him in faith, as well as doing good deeds through the grace of God. We should recall that the Father sent the Son into the world not to condemn it but to save and redeem it (John 3:16). Those who reject the Father and the Son, those who love darkness rather than light (John 3:19), share in the resurrection of condemnation. Those, on the other hand, who believe in the Father and the Son and do good deeds – meritorious works of love and charity empowered by divine grace – will share in the resurrection of life. To all who receive the Word, to all who believe in his name, the Word gives power to become children of God.
 Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are coming to judge the world. You know our weaknesses and struggles. Be merciful to me when you judge me. Help me to repent and turn from sin as I journey toward you and your Father.
 Living the Word of God: What good deeds or works of charity am I called to do today? How can I feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, or visit the sick today? How can I counsel, instruct, comfort, and forgive today?
 
Thursday 4th week of Lent
Opening Prayer: Lord, thank you for this opportunity to enter into your relationship with the Father. I welcome your revelations today and humbly ask that you give me the grace to know your will and act upon it.
Encountering Christ:
Clear Testimony: When Jesus was questioned by the Jews, he drew their attention to the mission of John the Baptist. “The testimony he gives on my behalf is true,” Jesus told them. “But I have a greater testimony.” Jesus was clearly identifying himself as the Messiah, the one whose sandal straps John was unworthy to untie. John’s mission was winding down as Jesus was accomplishing the works the Father sent him to do. We can see the divine plan of salvation clearly unfolding in these few lines of the Gospel. Yet many of Jesus’s listeners missed it. Why? “I know that you do not have the love of God in you,” Jesus said. May we nurture and safeguard the sanctifying grace in our souls so that these words of Jesus are never directed at us.
Christ Is Always Reaching Out: When Christ was on trial before the Sanhedrin during his Passion, he was quiet and did not defend himself. When he was taken before Herod, he did not say a word. To Pontius Pilate, he said very few words. In today’s Gospel passage, when he is asked to give evidence that he is who he proclaims to be, he speaks eloquently of the testimony of John the Baptist and insists that God the Father also testifies on his behalf. The Scriptures, he says, speak of him as well. It's as if Jesus is trying his very best to convince the unbelievers one more time about his Sonship and his mission. Likewise, he never tires of speaking into our lives! In moments of doubt or long periods of spiritual drought, we can be confident that Jesus is there, reaching into our lives through our prayer, the sacraments, and our circumstances to speak his truth into our soul. He never abandons us.
All for Good: Does it seem that Christ was being hard on the Jews? Jesus never ceases trying to reach us with the truth. If we are blind, deaf, or dumb to his message, it can take a lot to awaken us. Christ was very blunt here: “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.” In every encounter, Christ is looking out for our good. Whether we perceive harsh words, difficult circumstances, or unexplained suffering, we can be reassured that Christ knows what we need and can work it all out for our benefit. “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you point me to your loving Father! Help me to recognize your voice in my life and to see the evidence of the love that you are sharing with me. When difficulties arise, increase my faith so that I can confidently proclaim that you are at work.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will jot down three blessings that you have given me, as an effort to recognize that you are at work in my life.
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ 4 Mùa Chay
Trong  bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy Chúa Giêsu rất là băn khoăn bởi vì các nhà lãnh đạo người Do Thái không tin là Ngài đã đến từ Thiên Chúa. Ngài chỉ trích họ vì họ không thể nhìn thấy Thiên Chúa đang hoạt động trong các phép lạ và giáo lý của Ngài. Đáng tiếc thay là họ không thể nhận được các dấu hiệu của thời đại.
            "Để nhận được các dấu chỉ của thời đại!"  Điều này có nghĩa là khi nhìn vào những sự kiện thế tục, được xảy ra trong thế giới của chúng ta, và qua con mắt đức tin chúng ta có thể nhận ra được  ý nghĩa Thiên Chúa đã đặt trong những biến cố đó. Ví dụ, sự đóng đinh của Chúa Giêsu là một sự kiện thế tục, được xảy ra trên một ngọn đồi bên ngoài thành Giêrusalem. Biến cố này đã được chính quyền dân sự ban hành, được thực hiện bởi lực lượng quân đội với võ trang của đế quốc La mã. Nhưng khi chúng ta nhìn vào biến cố thế tục này với đức tin của chúng ta, chúng ta thấy được ý nghĩa của Thiên Chúa đã đặt vào đó là: Con Thiên Chúa đã phải chịu đau khổ và chịu chết để mang lại cho chúng ta ơn cứu độ và được sống đời đời .'
            Tại sao các nhà lãnh đạo Do Thái không nhìn thấy được  những ý nghĩa mà Thiên Chúa đã đặt vào trong những phép lạ của Chúa Giêsu là và những lời rao giảng của Ngài? Bởi vì họ biết rằng nếu họ nghe theo lời Chúa để sống theo các giá trị của Chúa Giêsu, thì họ sẽ phải từ bỏ chức vụ ăn trên ngồi trốc của họ, phải từ bỏ quyền lực, sự giàu sang đang có của họ. Vì thế, họ đã từ chối để nhận biết các dấu chỉ của thời đại, để nhìn thấy Thiên Chúa trong công việc và trong cuộc đời của Chúa Giêsu.,
            Đó là cái tâm lý chung thường ngày đã ngăn cản, đã cản trở chúng ta trong việc tìm kiếm ý nghĩa của Thiên Chúa trong những biến cố  của cuộc sống. Chúng ta không muốn từ bỏ những gì mà chúng ta đang bám víu trong cuộc đời này. Do đó mà chúng ta đã trờ nên mù loà với chính mình, vì thế mà chúng ta không muốn tìm hiểu để biết những gì mà Thiên Chúa mong muốn nơi chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện để xin Chúa giúp chúng ta biết sẵn lòng mở rộng tâm hồn của Chúa ta với Thiên Chúa và biết tìm kiếm ý chỉ của Ngài cho chúng ta trong những biến cố của cuộc sống.
            "Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Xin lấp đầy tâm hồn chúng con với ơn Chúa Thánh Thần của Chúa để chúng con có thể biết lắng nghe lời của Chúa một cách chăm chú và vui vẻ chấp hành và tuân theo lời Chúa."
 
REFLECTION
In today's Gospel Jesus is disturbed because the leaders of the Jewish people refuse to believe that he comes from God. He chides them because they could not see God at work in his miracles and teaching.  Unfortunately they could not read the signs of the times.
            What does this mean, "to read the signs of the times? " It means to look at a secular event, a happening in our world, and through faith to see in it the meaning God puts into it. For instance, the crucifixion of Jesus was a secular event. It happened on a hill outside of Jerusalem. It was decreed by the civil authority, carried out by the police force of the state. But we look at this secular event and our faith sees there the meaning that God put into it, the Son of God suffering and dying to bring about our eternal redemption.
            Why did the leaders of Israel not see in Jesus' miracles and preaching the meaning God put in them? Because they knew that if they did, they would have to give up their positions of power and wealth and live by Jesus' values. So they refused to read the signs of the times, to see God at work in the life of Jesus.
It is this same mentality that blocks us from finding God's meaning in the events of our lives. We do not want to give up what we cling to. Therefore we blind ourselves so as not to learn what it is he wants of us. Let us pray for openness to the Lord and to finding his will for us in the events of our lives. "Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may listen to your word attentively and obey it joyfully."