Suy niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần Bát Nhật Phục Sinh

Trong đoạn Tin Mừng , cho chúng thấy được hai người trên đường đi Emmau cũng giống như hành trình cuộc sống mỗi ngày của chúng ta. Giống như họ, chúng ta cũng có thể đã không nhận ra Chúa Kitô đang hiện diện với chúng ta trong những biến cố quan trọng trong cuộc sống. Họ chỉ nhận ra được Chúa Giêsu sau khi họ lấy được sự can đảm đê mời người khách lạ dừng lại với họ “ Hãy ỡ lại đay với chúng tôi vì trời cũng đã xế chiều và ngày cũng sắp hết.” Chúa Giêsu ở lại và cùng ăn tối với họ.
            Chúng ta đã thất bại trong việc nhận ra sự hiện diện của Ngài có thể vì thực tế là chúng ta đã không có hiếu khách hay chưa đủ hiếu khách để cho phép những người lạ mặt chưa quen, những người nghèo khổ hay những người không có cũng một chí hướng với chúng ta để mời họ ngồi chung một bàn và chia sẻ món món quà sự sống với chúng ta. Đây chính là dấu chỉ Tình Yêu vô điều kiện và tuyệt vời của Thiên Chúa dành cho nhân loại con người và đó cũng vì đó mà chúng được chắc chắn rằng sẽ được tăng thêm niền vui vô tận của Nước Trời. Trong lúc chúng ta vui mừng chào đón Mùa Phục Sinh Có lẽ là thời gian để chúng suy ngẫm về hành động của chúng ta. Chúng ta đã quảng đại được bao nhiêu trong việc đáp lại lòng thương xót của Chúa ? Chúng ta đã bắt đầu nền tảng cho những công việc từ thiện để mang Tin Mừng và những thứ cần thiết đến cho các anh chị em của chúng ta. Chúng ta đã biết đọc và đều chỉnh dấu chĩ thời gian?  Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Xin hãy biến đổi chúng con thành những khí cụ cứu rỗi của Chúa cho dân Chúa.
 
Wednesday within Easter Octave,
Acts 3:1-10;   Ps. 105(104):1-2,3-4,6-7,8-9;   Lk. 24:13-35 
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”The Emmaus companions are like many of us on our daily life journey. Like them, we also may have failed to recognize Christ’s presence in various life events. They only recognized Jesus after they dared to invite this stranger to stay with them, saying: “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” Jesus stayed and shared bread and wine with them. 
Our failure to recognize his presence may be due to the fact that we are not hospitable enough to allow strangers, the poor, those who do not share our views, to sit at the same table and share the gift of life. This is the hallmark of God’s abiding love for humanity and it is also that which will surely gain for us abundant joy from heaven. As we come fresh from Easter, maybe it is time to reflect upon ourselves. 
How generous have we been in response to Jesus’ salvific act? Are we now doing concrete acts of charity to bring this Good News to our brothers and sisters in need? How are we adjusting ourselves to the signs of the times? Lord Jesus, make us instruments of Your salvation for Your people.
 
Wednesday within Easter Octave, 2024
And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:30–31
            Two of Jesus’ disciples had been discussing the events of the past week as they walked the seven-mile journey along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They previously had hoped that Jesus was the one Who would redeem Israel—but then He was killed. And three days later, there were rumors of His Resurrection, which only left them confused. As they journeyed, Jesus appeared to the two disciples, but they did not recognize Him at first. His identity was hidden from their eyes. Jesus listened to them and expressed sorrow at their lack of understanding, so He explained to them the teachings of Moses and the prophets and that the Messiah needed to suffer, die and rise on the third day. As Jesus spoke, the disciples began to understand, and their hearts burned within them. Finally, in the gift of the Holy Eucharist, in the breaking of the Bread, their eyes were opened to see that it was Jesus with them.
Why did Jesus hide His risen presence from these disciples? It appears that He did so because they lacked faith. They said, “…we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.”  But the Crucifixion was too much for them to handle. They could not comprehend why the Redeemer had to suffer as Jesus did, so they began to doubt.
Too often we are like these disciples who are confused about matters of faith and who struggle with doubts. For that reason, we must see ourselves in the persons of these disciples as they walked the road to Emmaus. Jesus offered these disciples a wonderful gift of mercy by helping them to understand His saving act. He explained to them all that was taught in Scripture regarding Him. And as these disciples listened to Jesus teach them, they slowly came to believe.
We, too, must allow Jesus to teach us about the transforming power of His death and Resurrection. We must listen attentively and allow our hearts to burn within us as we listen to His holy Word. Only in this way will we come to the level of faith we need to more fully comprehend and accept the transforming power of the Paschal Mystery.
Reflect, today, upon these disciples and their need to reflect upon the Word of God so as to understand, believe and have their eyes opened. Know that you need this same grace. You need to spend time with our Lord, immersed in His Word, listening to His voice, so that you will come to believe more fully. Allow the message of Jesus’ death and Resurrection to burn within you so that you, too, will come to believe.
My resurrected Lord, You appeared to these disciples who lacked faith and understanding and gave them the gift of Your holy teaching. Teach me, dear Lord, all that I must come to understand and know about You, Your death, Resurrection and glorious gift of new life. May Your Word burn within me and lead me to a transformation of my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Wednesday within Easter Octave, 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, each mass is a new Emmaus. In the Liturgy of the Word, I walk with your Son and he opens the Scriptures to me. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, I sit at table with your Son and receive the Bread of Life. Open my eyes today to see with faith and inflame my heart with your divine love.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Fulfillment of Genesis and Exodus: What did Jesus say to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus? They walked about seven miles together and spoke for over two hours about the Old Testament and how Jesus fulfilled everything spoken about him in the Scriptures. Jesus began his explanation with Moses and the prophets. Let’s look briefly at the five Books of Moses and how Jesus fulfills them. In Genesis, God promised a savior, who would bruise the head of the serpent. Jesus is that savior, born of Mary. Jesus is the New Adam; Mary is the New Eve. Jesus is the New Abel, the innocent one who is handed over for death by one of his brothers. Jesus is the descendant of Abraham, through whom all nations are blessed. Jesus is the New Isaac, who is sacrificed for our sins. Jesus is the king, who descends from Judah. Jesus is the New Joseph through whom the sons of Israel are saved from death. In the Book of Exodus, God frees the people from the slavery of Egypt. On the night of the Passover, the lamb was sacrificed and its blood saved the people from the angel of death. God led the people through Moses into the desert and to the Promised Land. Manna was given to the people for their journey. He established a covenant with the people at the foot of Mount Sinai, a covenant that was immediately broken by Israel. Jesus fulfills the Book of Exodus because frees the people from the slavery of sin. He is sacrificed as the Lamb of God during the Passover and his blood saves the people from eternal death. Jesus is the New Moses who leads the people on a New Exodus to the Promised Land of Heaven. Jesus gives the people of God the new manna, bread from heaven, his own body and blood. Finally, Jesus establishes a New Covenant that can never be broken.
2. The Fulfillment of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy: In the Book of Leviticus, God commands that sacrifice be offered for sin and to give thanks to God; Aaron and his sons are ordained priests; rules are established for purification and the people are commanded to be holy (19:2); the liturgical feasts of the year are also instituted (23:1-44); and twelve loaves of the bread of the presence are commanded to be placed on the table in the tabernacle. The Old Testament sacrifices are shown to be unable to take away sin; the sacrifice of Jesus, however, is able to forgive our sins. Jesus is not a Levitical priest but is rather a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Jesus will give the new law to the people and command that they be perfect and merciful and their heavenly father is perfect and merciful. Jesus brings all of the Old Testament feasts to their fulfillment. Jesus remains with his people and is really present in the Eucharist. In the Book of Numbers, Moses lifted a bronze serpent on the pole and the people were saved from the fiery serpents. Jesus taught that when he is lifted up on the Cross, he the people will come to believe in him. Through Jesus’ passion on the Cross, we are freed from the ancient Serpent, the devil. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses gives the people the second law and promises that God will raise up a prophet like him. Jesus is the prophet-like-Moses, the New Moses, who brings the old law to fulfillment.
3. Continuing the Mission of the Messiah: After announcing the Resurrection of Jesus to the Jewish people, and baptizing three thousand, Peter and John go to the Temple for afternoon prayer, for the daily evening sacrifice. When Peter encounters the crippled man, he ministers to him in the name of Jesus, the Lord. Peter gives the man what he has received from Jesus. Peter is able to heal because he has been empowered to heal by Jesus. “[T]his healing confirms the impression given at the beginning of Acts that Jesus would continue to speak and act through his disciples, and especially his apostles” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, p. 68). The healing restores the man to the community and its worship. He no longer remains outside the Temple but can join the liturgical assembly, and praise and give thanks to God. The healing is a sign that the Messianic age has arrived: "Then the lame shall leap like a stag" (Isaiah 35:6; see Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, p. 68).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I am called, like the disciples on the way to Emmaus and like Peter and John, to stay with you and to be sent out on a mission. Open the Scriptures to me so that I may carry the Good News of salvation to all those I meet today.
Living the Word of God: Throughout the year, as we read and hear the Scriptures, we are on the road to Emmaus with Jesus. He is the one who opens to us the Scriptures and brings us to the fullness of truth. He makes our hearts burn with love for him and the gift of the Eucharist. How can I dedicate quality time this Easter to meditating on his Word?
 
Wednesday within Easter Octave,
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my mind to understand these holy words of Scripture. Let them penetrate deep into my heart. May your presence in the word remain with me today and always.
Encountering Christ:
Understanding Salvation History: Reading the Old Testament is very important to understanding Christ. Jesus helped his disciples on the road to Emmaus to understand the Old Testament Scriptures that pointed to his coming, mission, and final redemptive gift of himself on the Cross. He was surprised at their lack of belief and perhaps at their knowledge of the Scriptures: “How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!” Later, when he appeared in the Upper Room, he did the same thing for his Apostles. He helped open their minds to understand his words: “He said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:44). Our first Mass reading tomorrow from the Acts of the Apostles (3:11-26) shows Peter imitating Christ in this way. He showed the people how the patriarchs–Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob–were part of salvation history, and how Moses and Samuel prophesied about Christ and how he was to suffer. These Old Testament accounts are meant to be read through the lens of salvation history. Jesus is truly present in his word, both the Old and New Testaments. If we ignore the Old Testament, we are ignoring a huge part of the word of Christ. As St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
Called to Communion: These two disciples were journeying to Emmaus, away from the rest of the disciples. They were “downcast” and disappointed at the death of Jesus. But, as a Good Shepherd, Jesus called them back to the fold with his physical presence on that Easter Sunday. In the same way, when Catholics fall away from their communities in the Church, Jesus calls them back with his physical presence in the Eucharist. Many Catholics who return “home” to the faith say that they missed receiving Holy Communion. Do you notice how full the pews are on Easter Sunday compared to the other Sundays of the year? Perhaps this is because Jesus extends a special grace on the day of his Resurrection, calling lax Catholics and even interested and open-minded non-Catholics to come to him. This thought might help us feel more charitable about the crowd. Whether they were there before Easter or will come back next week, they were called to Mass on Easter Sunday and they answered that call. We can pray for all those who felt called to Communion on Easter, that they might come back this Sunday and the next.
Remain in Him: Jesus revealed himself to them in the Eucharist. The disciples’ eyes were opened in the breaking of the bread. We can ask ourselves if we truly recognize Jesus in his real presence in the Eucharist. Did you know that according to a recent Pew Research study, only about half of all Catholics in the United States believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist? There is much confusion about this teaching, yet Jesus told us plainly, without a parable, “my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (John 6:55-56). Notice here that the two disciples wanted Jesus to remain with them, asking, “Stay with us.” He agreed and then gave them Holy Communion. This is how we are to “remain” in him: by receiving the Eucharist worthily and frequently and by adoring Him in the Blessed Sacrament. May Catholics everywhere appreciate the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist!
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. My physical eyes see bread, but the eyes of my soul see you. Lord Jesus, how you come to me in a humble piece of bread is still beyond the comprehension of my mind, but my soul knows and believes. Thank you for nourishing me with your very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Thank you for imbuing the Eucharist with your divine essence and for dwelling physically inside me, even for a few minutes. May I never neglect your Presence, but instead, receive you with thanksgiving and joy. 
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray for your holy presence to be recognized and adored in the Eucharist. I will make a visit to adore Jesus in the Eucharist or plan to make a special trip sometime this week.