Đoạn kết của bài Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy Chúa Giêsu đã bị những người Do Thái ở Jerusalem muốn tìm cách giết Ngài sau khi Ngài cho họ biệt sự thật về Ngài là Con Thiên Chúa, nhưng bằng cách nào đó Chúa Giêsu đã biến mất trước mặt họ và ra khỏi khuôn viên đền thờ mà họ không hay biết.
Trong Tin Mừng Thánh Lễ ngày mai, chúng ta sẽ đọc một đoạn trích từ chương 10 của Tin Mừng Thánh Gioan, chúng ta cũng sẽ thấy một sự cố tương tự: Người Do Thái tìm cách muốn giết Chúa Giêsu, nhưng bằng cách nào đó, Ngài đã bỏ đi trước khị họ có thể ra tay. Tất cả những sự kiện đó đã chỉ cho chúng ta đến một chân lý vĩ đại hơn. Đức Giêsu có thể từ chối cái chết theo như những cách vửa nói trên vì Ngày và thời giờ của Ngài chưa đến. Ngài có thể tránh cái chết thẳm hại trên thập giá, nhưng nếu Ngài làm như vậy, Ngài đã không vâng lời và bất trung với Chúa Cha.
Sau khi cầu nguyện trong vườn Cây Dầu, sau bữa Tiệc Ly, khi người Do Thái và lính La Mã đến bắt Ngài, Chúa Giêsu đã không hề chống cự hay tìm cách thoát than, nhưng Ngài sẵn sàng đầu hàng, và sẵn lòng, lặng lẽ để kẻ thù của mình bắt đem đi. Ngài đã rửa chân cho các môn đệ và ban cho chúng ta Bí Tích Thánh Thể. Sứ vụ mục vụ của Ngài gần như hoàn tất. Việc còn lại mà Ngài phải làm nữa đó là cái chết trên thập giá để cứu con người chúng ta khỏi tội lỗi, và đem con người chúng ta về tình yêu và lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa.. Lạy Chúa Giêsu, xin ban cho tâm hồn và trái tim của chúng con luôn luôn được biết mở rộng để đón nhận chân lý và sự thật mà Chúa đã tiết lộ cho chúng con qua sự cứu rỗi của Chúa.
At the conclusion of Jesus’ discourse to the Jews in Jerusalem during the Feast of the Tabernacles, his listeners attempted to kill him but Jesus somehow disappeared and slipped out of the Temple precincts. Something similar happened when Jesus returned to Nazareth and preached in the synagogue; his listeners were first of all amazed by his teaching and then wanted to kill him by throwing him over a cliff. Jesus also escaped on that occasion. Tomorrow, when we read an extract from chapter 10 of John’s Gospel, we see a similar incident: the Jews wanted to kill Jesus but he somehow escaped. These incidents point to a greater truth. Jesus could refuse death in this way because his time had not yet come. He could avoid death because in doing so he was not being unfaithful to his Father.
In the Garden of Olives after the Last Supper, when the Jews and Romans came to arrest him, he does not make any attempt to escape but surrenders willingly and quietly to his captors. He has washed the feet of his disciples and given us the Eucharist. His ministry is almost finished. It only remains for him to die on a cross to save us from our sins.
Lord Jesus, grant that our hearts may always be open to the truth which You have revealed for our salvation.
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area. John 8:58–59
When Moses encountered God in the burning bush, God revealed His name: I AM. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that this revelation of God’s name “is at once a name revealed and something like the refusal of a name.” It expresses that God is “infinitely above everything that we can understand or say.” He is the “hidden God.” He is also a “God who makes himself close to men” at each and every moment of our lives (See CCC #206).
In our Gospel today, Jesus identifies Himself with this hidden God. He states that He alone knows His Father and that the Father glorifies Him because He is the great I AM. To the people of that time, this was a shocking revelation, at least to those who failed to comprehend this truth in faith. But that mysterious name reveals to us not only the essence of God, it also reveals how we ought to relate to this infinite, hidden, exalted and glorious God.
As Jesus revealed His identity, He did not say, “before Abraham came to be, I was.” He says, “I AM.” This reveals that Jesus not only existed before Abraham, but that His existence transcends all time. He always and everywhere IS. Though this might seem overly philosophical to some, it is an important concept to understand for two important reasons. First, it gives us greater insight into God. But, second, it reveals to us how we ought to relate to God every day.
God is not a God of the past. He is not a God of the future. He is a God of the present moment. If we are to enter into a relationship with God, then we must realize that we can only encounter Him in the present moment. He is the Here and Now, so to speak. And we must seek Him here and now, in this present moment alone.
Sometimes we find ourselves dwelling on the past. To the extent that our past has helped or hurt us in this present moment, we need to address it. But the way this is done is by seeking God’s healing grace today, allowing the past to disappear into His abundant mercy. Other times we try to live in the future, becoming anxious about what is to come. But God does not dwell in the future for, to Him, all time is here and now. Therefore, we ought not to become anxious about the future, worry about it or try to live in it now. All we have is this present moment, and it is in this moment that God comes to meet us. He is here, and we must meet Him here, turning to Him and His grace today.
Reflect, today, upon this deep and mysterious revelation from our Lord. Think about his identity as the great “I AM.” Ponder that name. Ponder its meaning. See it as a way by which Jesus is inviting you to encounter Him in this present moment alone. Live in this moment. The past is gone; the future is not yet here. Live where God exists, here and now, for that is the only place that you will meet our Lord.
My Lord, You are the Great I Am. You transcend all time. Help me to meet You today, to let go of the past, to look forward to the future, and to live with You in this moment alone. As I meet You here, dear Lord, help me to love You with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.
Encountering the Word of God
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I praise you for your marvelous works and the covenant you have made with us. Even though we acted like rebellious children and abandoned you, you did not abandon us. You are faithful forever.
1. Jesus, the Light of God: In John 8, Jesus continues his long discussion with the Judeans in the Temple (John 8:2-58). The chapter began by narrating Jesus’ encounter with the scribes and Pharisees, who tested him and wanted him to contradict either his doctrine of mercy by allowing the stoning of the adulteress or to contradict the Law of Moses by prohibiting it (John 8:3-11). Jesus successfully avoided the trap, revealed their hypocrisy, and restored the adulteress to life. Jesus then proclaimed that he is the light of the world and that those who follow him will have the light of life. He also introduced the theme of his divine sonship, referring to God as his Father (John 8:12-20). Just as he is the Light and bestows the light of life on us, so also he is the Son and can bestow divine sonship on us.
2. Jesus, the Son of God: When Jesus is lifted up on the Cross, lifted from the grave, and lifted into heaven, the people will know that he is equal to God because he is the eternal Son of God (John 8:21-30). To those who believe in him, Jesus reveals that true freedom is achieved not by physical descent from Abraham, but through sharing in the faith of Abraham (8:31-41). The people are challenged by Jesus’ teaching and signs and can no longer remain indifferent to him: they either reject him and belong to the devil (8:44-47) or accept him and share in his divine sonship. The children of the devil are slaves to sin; the children of the Father enjoy the freedom of the Spirit. Those who remain in the Word of God will never see death.
3. Abraham Saw Jesus’ Day: In today’s Gospel, Jesus once again takes up the story of Abraham and says “Abraham rejoiced to see my day.” The Judeans do not know how to understand this saying. Jesus is less than fifty years old and Abraham died long before his appearance. How, then, did Abraham see this day of Jesus? We first need to understand that Jesus’ day is the day of the coming of the Messiah, the day of the Lord, the day when the promises made to Abraham are fulfilled (Genesis 12:2). The First Reading today recalls the second of the three covenant promises made to Abraham: the promise of a great name and royal descendants. There are several possible ways to understand Abraham “seeing” the day of Jesus. The first way Abraham saw this day is by faith. Abraham believed in and trusted God and saw the fulfillment of God’s promises through the gift of faith. He saw Jesus’ day with the eyes of faith. In response to his act of faith, God rewarded Abraham with a covenant that promised that one of his descendants would arise to bless all nations (Genesis 22:16-18). The second way Abraham saw the day of Jesus is at the manifestation of Mamre (Genesis 18:1-8). This happened when three men approach the tent of Abraham, share a meal, and promise that Sarah will give birth to a son. There is an ancient tradition that the central figure is none other than the Son of God. The third and most probably way is Abraham saw the day of Jesus at the binding of Isaac on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:1-18). Abraham’s son Isaac was spared that day and Abraham foresees the future day when God himself will provide the Lamb of sacrifice. Just as Isaac, the son of the promise, carried the wood up the hill and was placed on the altar of sacrifice, so, one day, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, will carry the wood of the Cross up the same mountain and be sacrificed for our sins. Abraham received his son Isaac back alive and thus “sees a preview of the Father surrendering his Son to death and receiving him back in the Resurrection” (see Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament, 179).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I embrace in faith the mysteries of your life but recognize that I can never fully comprehend or exhaust them. I welcome this and will seek to share more deeply in the mysteries of your life through the liturgy and the service of charity.
Living the Word of God: Like Abraham, we too should rejoice as we experience the day of Jesus. Having been baptized into Christ, we walk by faith and know that we will receive the inheritance of the children of God. Second, Jesus comes to us today in the Eucharist. We receive his Body and Blood, a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Third, we see the victory over sin and death when we contemplate Jesus on the Cross. We rejoice because we contemplate God’s love for us. We deserved death but were instead given new life in Christ. How can I rejoice in Jesus today?
Đoạn kết của bài Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy Chúa Giêsu đã bị những người Do Thái ở Jerusalem muốn tìm cách giết Ngài sau khi Ngài cho họ biệt sự thật về Ngài, và Ngài là Con Thiên Chúa, nhưng bằng cách nào đó Chúa Giêsu đã biến mất trước mặt họ và đi ra khỏi khuôn viên đền thờ mà họ không hay biết.
Sự việc này đã từng xảy ra một cách tương tự khi Chúa Giêsu trở về Nazareth và rao giảng trong hội đường ở làng Nazarét; Tất cả những người đồng hương của Ngài lúc đầu đã tỏ vẻ ngạc nhiên vì những lời giảng dạy của Ngài, Nhưng sau đó vì ghen tức mà họ đã muốn giết Ngài bằng cách muốn ném Ngài xuống vực đá. Nhưng Chúa Giêsu cũng đã ra đi trước mặt họ và họ cũng chẳng dám làm gì.
Tất cả những sự kiện đó đã cho chúng ta đến một chân lý, một sự thật vĩ đại hơn. Đức Giêsu có thể từ chối cái chết vì Ngày và thời giờ của Ngài chưa đến. Ngài có thể tránh cái chết thẳm hại trên thập giá nếu như Ngài muốn, Ngài đã làm như vậy, Nhưng Ngài không làm thế, Ngài chấp nhận cái chết thảm hại vì Ngài đã chọn để vâng theo ý Chúa Cha.
At the conclusion of Jesus’ discourse to the Jews in Jerusalem during the Feast of the Tabernacles, his listeners attempted to kill him but Jesus somehow disappeared and slipped out of the Temple precincts. Something similar happened when Jesus returned to Nazareth and preached in the synagogue; his listeners were first of all amazed by his teaching and then wanted to kill him by throwing him over a cliff. Jesus also escaped on that occasion. Tomorrow, when we read an extract from chapter 10 of John’s Gospel, we see a similar incident: the Jews wanted to kill Jesus but he somehow escaped. These incidents point to a greater truth. Jesus could refuse death in this way because his time had not yet come. He could avoid death because in doing so he was not being unfaithful to his Father.
In the Garden of Olives after the Last Supper, when the Jews and Romans came to arrest him, he does not make any attempt to escape but surrenders willingly and quietly to his captors. He has washed the feet of his disciples and given us the Eucharist. His ministry is almost finished. It only remains for him to die on a cross to save us from our sins.
Lord Jesus, grant that our hearts may always be open to the truth which You have revealed for our salvation.
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