Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ Đức Mẹ Dâng Chúa Giêsu và Đền Thánh (1/2)

Lễ Đức Mẹ Dâng Chúa Giêsu và Đền Thánh (1/2)
Lời cảnh báo quá rõ ràng: trước ngàt tận thế, Thiên Chúa sẽ sai thiên sứ của Ngài đến để cảnh báo dân người là hãy tẩy rửa quốc gia. Mặc dù mục đích là để làm sạch, thanh tẩy nhưng không ai đã có nhìn tới và trông đợi vào ngày đó, vì ngày đó cũng sẽ là một ngày phán xét. Ngày trở lại của Chúa luôn luôn dự đoán với những sự sợ hãi hay lo âu. Nhưng như thường lệ là mọi thứ sẽ thường bị đổi ngược..khhác nhau.
Trước hết, khi Chúa đến, Chúa dã mang thân phận con ngươi, với hình dạng con người. Chúa Giêsu đã trở thành một trong chúng ta, Ngài cũng được chia sẻ với chúng ta trong những giới hạn của con người và những điểm yếu kém của chúng ta trong tất cả mọi thứ ngoài trừ tội lỗi. Ngài đã bị thử thách; phải vật lộn với cuộc sống; phải chịu đựng đau khổ, phiền toái như mỗi người chúng ta. Tất cả những điều này đã xẩy ra với Chúa cho một mục đích: là để Ngài có thể cảm nhận như chúng ta để tỏ lòng thương xót với chúng ta trong những lần thất bại và trong những sư yếu đuối của chúng ta. Ngài hiểu về con người với những sự yếu đuối của con người. Ngài có thể thông cảm với những kinh nghiệm con người của chúng ta thông qua của sự đau khổ của chính Ngài.
Chúng ta không cần phải lo sợ về những yếu đuối và sự sa ngã của mình. Chúng ta không phải sống trong nỗi sợ hãi của bản án đã định sẵn. Chúng ta có một người bạn và người anh luôn luôn đem ánh sáng làm rực một con đường rộng mở cho chúng ta đi. Ngài luôn mong chờ để chào đón chúng ta và Ngài sẽ giúp chúng ta trong cuộc hành trình của chúng ta về nhà Chúa .
Trước hết, khi Thiên Chúa bước vào ngôi đền thờ, như một em bé yếu đuối, bất lực. Ngài đã tiếp xúc với tất cả những mối nguy hiểm đang đe dọa trẻ em trong độ tuổi rằng: chiến tranh, nạn đói, bệnh tật, và bạo lực. Nhưng ông Simeon đã công nhận rằng Ngài sẽ là ơn cứu rỗi, là niềm vui cho nhiều người, nhưng Ngài cũng làm cho nhiều người phải khó chịu vì Ngài là mối đe dọa cho người khác.
Tóm lại, Thiên Chúa đối với chúng ta, Ngài không chống lại chúng ta, Nhưng trong thực tế, Thiên Chúa là một người trong nhóm chúng ta. Chúng ta không bao giờ phải sợ hãi hay cảm thấy bị cô đơn.
Lạy Chúa, Xin cho chúng con cùng bước đi với Ngài trong mọi cuộc hành trình của đời con.
 
Suy Niệm SG 2016
The warning was clear: before the final times, God would send his messenger to warn people and to purify the nation. Although the intent was to purify, no one would look forward to it, as it would also be a time of reckoning. The Day of the Lord was always anticipated with a certain amount of dread or fear. As is often the case, things turned out differently.
First of all, when God came, it was in human form. Jesus became one of us, sharing in our human limitations and weaknesses in all things but sin. He was tested; he struggled; he suffered. All of this was for one purpose: so that he could be compassionate with us in our own failures and weaknesses. He understood what it was like to be human. He could relate to our experience through his own. We need not fear our failures and weaknesses. We do not have to live in dread of judgment. We have a friend and brother who has already blazed a path for us. He waits to welcome us and he helps us on the journey.
When God entered the temple, it was as a frail human child. He was exposed to all the dangers that threatened children in that age: war, famine, disease, and violence. But Simeon recognized that his coming would be joyful salvation for many, but very upsetting and threatening for others. The bottom line: God is for us, not against us — in fact, God is one of us. We need not ever fear or feel alone. Lord, walk with me on my journey.
 
02 February 2016 -Presentation of the Lord 2024
At the time of Jesus’ birth, there was a man named Simeon who had spent his whole life preparing for one significant moment. Like all faithful Jews at the time, Simeon was waiting for the coming Messiah. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would indeed see the Messiah before his death—and so this happened when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the Temple to offer Him to the Lord as an infant.
Try to imagine the scene. Simeon had lived a holy and devout life. And deep within his conscience, he knew that his life on earth would not come to an end until he was privileged to see the Savior of the World with his own eyes. He knew this by a special gift of faith, an interior revelation of the Holy Spirit, and he believed.
It’s helpful to think about this unique gift of knowledge that Simeon had throughout his life. Normally we gain knowledge through our five senses. We see something, hear something, taste, smell, or feel something, and as a result come to know it to be true. Physical knowledge is very reliable and is the normal way we come to know things. But this gift of knowledge Simeon had was different. It was deeper and was spiritual in nature. He knew he would see the Messiah before he died, not because of some external sensory perception he had received but because of an interior revelation from the Holy Spirit.
This truth begs the question, which type of knowledge is more certain? Something you see with your eyes, touch, smell, hear or taste? Or something that God speaks to you in the depths of your soul by a revelation of grace? Though these types of knowledge are different, it’s important to understand that the spiritual knowledge that is given by the Holy Spirit is far more certain than anything perceived through the five senses alone. This spiritual knowledge has the power to change your life and direct all your actions toward that revelation.
For Simeon, this interior knowledge of a spiritual nature suddenly united with his five senses when Jesus was brought into the Temple. Simeon suddenly saw, heard and felt this Child Whom he knew he would one day see with his own eyes and touch with his own hands. For Simeon, that moment was the culminating moment of his life.     
Reflect, today, upon anything that our Lord has spoken to you in the depths of your soul. Too often we ignore His gentle voice as it speaks, preferring instead to live only in the sensory world. But the spiritual reality within us must become the center and foundation of our lives. It is there where God speaks, and it is there where we, too, will discover the central purpose and meaning of our lives.
My spiritual Lord, I thank You for the countless ways in which You speak to me day and night in the depths of my own soul. Help me to be always attentive to You and to Your gentle voice as You speak to me. May Your voice and Your voice alone become the guiding direction of my life. May I trust in Your Word and never waver from the mission You have given to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
02 February 2016 -Presentation of the Lord 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I praise you and thank you for your great mercy. Help me to grow and become strong. Fill me with your wisdom and be gracious toward me.
Encountering the Word of God
1. A Priestly Presentation, Not Redemption: When Luke narrates the story of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, he refers to Exodus 13:2, which says: “Consecrate to me all the first-born; whatever is the first to open the womb among the sons of Israel, both man and of beast, is mine.” This means that the first-born sons and the first-born of the animals in Israel all belonged to God. The first-born sons of the people were to be dedicated to sacred ministry, while the firstlings of the cattle, sheep, and goats were offered to the Lord as sacrificial victims. Now, because the sons of Israel sinned at Sinai by worshipping the golden calf and the Levites rallied to the side of Moses, the descendants of Levi earned the privileges of consecration originally possessed by the first-born sons. While the Levite sons were consecrated for service, the non-Levite first-born sons of Israel had to be redeemed from their service or bought back (Exodus 34:20) with a payment of five shekels (Numbers 18:15-16). Instead of saying that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to redeem him, Luke says that they brought him up to present him to the Lord, and implies that Jesus was consecrated as a priest even though he was not a Levite.
2. Jubilee Redemption: Redemption was an important and fundamental dimension of the Jubilee Year, which Moses commanded to be celebrated every fifty years. If anyone had been sold into servitude to pay a debt or had to sell their ancestral land to pay a debt, they would be freed from servitude and their land would be returned to them during the Jubilee Year. The Jubilee Year started with the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year. This meant that the Jubilee Year began first with spiritual liberation. “On the Day of Atonement, the Israelites were symbolically redeemed from the debt of all their sin through the blood of the lamb, which foreshadowed Jesus, the true Lamb of God. Once they were redeemed and reconciled with God, redemption and reconciliation with their fellow man followed. The trumpet was blown throughout the land, and all bondage was ended and debts forgiven” (Bergsma, Jesus and the Jubilee, 44). Jesus came not to be redeemed, but to redeem us. 
3. A Merciful and Faithful High Priest: Jesus, as a newborn firstborn son only forty days old, did not need to be redeemed or bought back from priestly service. Luke tells us that there was a man in Jerusalem, named Simeon, who was looking for the “consolation of Israel.” This phrase refers to the time when the Lord God would rescue his people and restore the Kingdom of David (see Isaiah 40:1; 52:9; 61:2-3). As our eternal high priest, Jesus did not come to liberate his people from Gentile rule and reestablish a political kingdom. He came to free us from the slavery of sin and the fear of death and establish the Kingdom of God. He resurrects the fallen Kingdom of David in a spiritual way. Jesus rules, not from a temporal and earthly throne in an earthly city, but from his throne at the Father’s right hand. The Letter to the Hebrews proclaims the great mystery of how Jesus assumed our human nature and destroyed death by dying. Having lived our life, having suffered what we suffer, and having been tested as we are tested, he has solidarity with us, understands our condition, and is merciful toward us.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, merciful and faithful high priest, console me and speak tender words of mercy towards me. As I contemplate you as a baby presented in the Temple, grant me a child-like simplicity and the joy of being in the Father’s house.
02 February 2016 -Presentation of the Lord 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I come before you today attentive to your life-giving Word. I am called to turn from the things of this passing world and to look toward the things of heaven. The things of this world cannot offer me lasting happiness. In you alone, I find the eternal happiness I desire and seek.
Encountering the Word of God
1. David Instructs Solomon: In the First Reading, King David gives his last will and testament to his son Solomon. David tells him to follow the mandates of the Lord as they are written in the Law of Moses. David also directs Solomon to punish David’s enemies and reward David’s loyal supporters (1 Kings 2:5-9). In his testament, David recalls the covenant oath that the Lord made about his kingdom enduring forever. The Lord God promised that if David’s royal sons were faithful, they would experience the blessings of the covenant. If they were unfaithful – and many of them were – they would trigger the curses of the covenant and be chastised. 
 2. The Law of Moses and the Kings of Israel: The Law of Moses was very clear about what things the kings of Israel should avoid. These prohibitions included amassing great wealth, having many wives, and stockpiling weapons of war (Deuteronomy 17:16-17). They were commands to resist disordered temptations and desires for possessions, pleasure, and power. While Solomon sought to be a wise ruler in his youth, his heart became corrupted over time, and he violated all three of the royal prohibitions of the Law of Moses greatly (1 Kings 10:14-11:13).
 3. Jesus, the New David, Instructs the Twelve: Just as David instructed Solomon about how to reign, so also Jesus, the Son of David, instructed the future pastors of his Church on how they were to govern. Jesus granted authority to the Twelve and this is symbolized in the walking stick or staff they are to carry. Unlike Solomon, who relied on the security of gold, the Apostles are to move about among the towns and villages of Galilee without money or food and rely on God’s providence and care and the generosity of those they serve. Unlike Solomon who began to worship false gods and build sanctuaries for demons like Chemosh and Molech (2 Kings 11:7), the Twelve are to drive out many demons in their ministry. Unlike Solomon, who consolidated his kingdom by gathering chariots and warhorses, the Kingdom of God the Apostles preach is one of trusting in God, being healed in body and spirit, and repenting from sin. One day, after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the Apostles will be sent out into the whole world and be given the authority to forgive sins in Jesus’ name.
 2. The Law of Moses and the Kings of Israel: The Law of Moses was very clear about what things the kings of Israel should avoid. These prohibitions included amassing great wealth, having many wives, and stockpiling weapons of war (Deuteronomy 17:16-17). They were commands to resist disordered temptations and desires for possessions, pleasure, and power. While Solomon sought to be a wise ruler in his youth, his heart became corrupted over time, and he violated all three of the royal prohibitions of the Law of Moses greatly (1 Kings 10:14-11:13).
 3. Jesus, the New David, Instructs the Twelve: Just as David instructed Solomon about how to reign, so also Jesus, the Son of David, instructed the future pastors of his Church on how they were to govern. Jesus granted authority to the Twelve and this is symbolized in the walking stick or staff they are to carry. Unlike Solomon, who relied on the security of gold, the Apostles are to move about among the towns and villages of Galilee without money or food and rely on God’s providence and care and the generosity of those they serve. Unlike Solomon who began to worship false gods and build sanctuaries for demons like Chemosh and Molech (2 Kings 11:7), the Twelve are to drive out many demons in their ministry. Unlike Solomon, who consolidated his kingdom by gathering chariots and warhorses, the Kingdom of God the Apostles preach is one of trusting in God, being healed in body and spirit, and repenting from sin. One day, after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the Apostles will be sent out into the whole world and be given the authority to forgive sins in Jesus’ name.
 Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are my king and my God. You have the words of everlasting life. The story of Solomon is tragic. He had a wise and understanding heart in his youth but was foolish in his old age. I do not want my life to end in tragedy. Guide my heart to love you more each day, to avoid the temptations of this world, and to be a light to all those I meet today.
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ Đức Mẹ Dâng Chúa Giêsu và Đền Thánh (Feb 2)
Mỗi một người trong chúng ta được Thiên Chúa đưa vào một cuộc sống riêng của mỗi người với một mục đích riêng và rõ ràng. Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta được chứng kiến cảnh Đức mẹ và Thánh Giuse dâng Chúa Giêsu trong đền thờ, và Thiên Chúa đã ban cho mỗi người một vai trò cụ thể như những người được nhắc tới trong Tin Mừng.
Qua người đạo đức như ông Simeon và và Bà Tiên tri Anna Thiên Chúa cho chúng ta thấy rõ ràng rằng Chúa Giêsu thật sự là Đấng Cứu Thế như lời Ngài đã hứa qua các Tiên Tri.  Ông Simeon và bà Anna cũng nhắc nhở chúng ta về giá trị của sự im lặng và cầu nguyện: họ cống hiến cuộc đời mình để cầu nguyện trước mặt Thiên Chúa.   Trong thế giới nhộn nhịp và hối hả của chúng ta hôm nay, chúng ta ít người có đủ thời giờ để cầu nguyện trong yên tịnh. Trong lời cầu nguyện của họ, Thiên Chúa đã hứa với ông Simeon và bà Anna rằng họ sẽ nhìn thấy Đấng Cứu Thế trước khi họ nhắm mắt. Và hôm nay Họ đã nhận được phần thưởng đó là đã nhìn thấy được Thiên Chúa của họ, " "Giờ đây, lạy Chúa, xin thả tôi tớ Người về, chiếu theo lời Người trong bình an,  Bởi chưng mắt tôi đã thấy ơn Người cứu độ." (Lc 2: 29)
Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con có được sự kiên nhẫn trong việc cầu nguyện và gíup chúng con biết chú tâm suy niệm sâu sắc hơn về lòng nhân ái và tình yêu thương của Chúa.
 
REFLECTION PRESENTATION OF THE LORD – SG Friday 2nd Feb 2018
For centuries, the people of God waited for God’s messenger, the one who would usher in the final days. Malachi described him as one that would purify the temple and priesthood. He would come in the spirit of Elijah, and prepare the people to meet God. In the New Testament, he was associated with John the Baptist.
We all wait expectantly, but patience is difficult for most people. Jesus asks us to be prepared always, so that we might be ready to meet him whenever he comes. Jesus is a compassionate and faithful high priest because he suffered and struggled, and his testing was real. He is like us in all things but sin. Our own suffering and struggle should make us compassionate and merciful towards others, just like Jesus. The Lord entered the temple, as the prophecy in Malachi promised. Jesus was presented to the Lord and the proper offering made, in accordance with Jewish law.
Two individuals — Anna and Simeon — recognized Jesus and proclaimed him. They had been waiting patiently and attentively — and that is a mark of holiness. They listened and watched with great sensitivity and attention, without distraction. Their vigilance was rewarded, just as ours will be, when we learn to wait on the Lord.  Lord, teach me to wait patiently.