Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Thứ 4 Mùa Chay –C

 Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Thứ 4 Mùa Chay –C

Trong những ngày ở trần gian, Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta thấy Ngài chăm lo săn sóc và làm việc mục vụ cho tất cả mọi người. Nhưng Ngài đã thể hiện một tình cảm đặc biệt với những người nghèo bất hạnh, và thậm chí cho những kẻ tống tiền và gái mại dâm. Đối thủ của Ngài là những kẻ đạo đức đã chê cười nhạo báng Ngài: 'Người này tiếp đón và ăn uống với những kẻ tội lỗi (Lc 15: 2).

Sự đằm thắm và rộng lượng của Ngài cho thấy rằng trong mắt của Thiên Chúa, những loại người trên không phải là những người phải bị ruồng bỏ, từ chối làm bạn hay là những kẻ thua cuộc và không có hy vọng. Trái lại, Chúa muốn đem họ trở về với đàn con của Chúa một lần nữa. Vì vậy, trong Chúa Giêsu, những người được gắn mác “đã lạc lối” đã tìm thấy lối đi trong rạng rỡ. Như câu truyện Dụ Ngôn mà Chúa Giêsu đã nói về con chiên lạc, đồng xu bị mất hay người con trai hoang đàng.

Câu chuyện về đứa con hoang đàng nổi tiếng nhất trong Tin Mừng vừa được chia sẻ, đã được coi là câu truyện hay nhất thế giới. Câu truyện không thực sự là câu chuyện ngụ ngôn vễ người con hoang đàng vì sự tiêu xài hoang phí, nhưng câu chuyện ngụ ngôn này nói về một người cha vô cùng rộng lượng và nhân ái. Theo những cách khác nhau cả hai người con đều bị lạc lối trong cuộc sống.

Dụ ngôn cho chúng ta biết rất nhiều về chính Chúa Giêsu. Cách diễn xuất của Ngài là điểm khởi đầu của câu chuyện. Ngài giải thích lý do tại sao Ngài đón tiếp những người tội lỗi và ăn uống với họ' (c.2). Họ là những người đã bị lạc mất giữa giòng đời, họ là những người mà Ngài sẽ mang họ về cho Chúa. Đối với Chúa Giêsu, tất cả những người đi lạc lối, xa bỏ Thiên Chúa họ không thực sự là chính họ. Vì vậy, giữa những thất bại và sai lầm của mình, người con hư hỏng đã hiểu được rằng mình sẽ tìm được hạnh phúc khi trở lại với Cha của mình và tạ tội. Trong khi đó, cha anh ta đang hằng khao khát và monh chờ anh ta trở về, và ngay khi anh thoáng thấy con trai mình trở về từ xa, ông đa mau mắn chạy đến và ôm chầm lấy anh và đưa anh về nhà (c.20).

Khi họ đến nhà, người cha không càn nghe hay để ý đến lời xin lỗi và thú tội của người con, ông không một lời khiển trách nào, thậm chí không lời nhỏ trách móc, Thay vào đó, người cha rất vui mừng khi con này trở lại với ông ta, ông ta trao cho anh ta cả chiếc áo choàng danh dự, chiếc nhẫn quyền lực và đôi dép như là đã coi anh ta làm một chủ nhân trong nhà mà không phải là người làm công hay đầy tớ.

Những người Pha-ri-si nghe Chúa Giêsu kể câu chuyện này, đã bị sốc đến tận cùng vì Chúa Giêsu đã liên hệ với những người ngoại mà còn thương yêu bao bọc những người tội lỗi. Theo một cách dã man, tàn bạo, những người phanrisi đã mong muốn họ sẽ không bao giờ được sự cứu rỗi cho những người tội lỗi này mà muối  ho phãi bị hủy diệt chính đáng.

Trong tiếng nhạc và nhảy múa trong nhà, người con cả trở về từ đồng ruộng đã phẫn nộ căm tức vì sự ghen tương. Cha anh ta đã phải ra ngoài và cầu xin anh ta vào nhà để chung vui vì sự trở lại của người em(c. 38). Nhưng anh ta cố chấp vì anh tin rằng anh đã làm mọi thứ 'đúng', và đã dành cả cuộc đời của mình để sống tốt. Thái độ của anh ta đối với người em hư đốn và bướng bỉnh của mình là một sự khinh miệt hoàn toàn.

Qua câu chuyện dụ ngôn trên, Chúa Giêsu nói rằng Thiên Chúa của chúng ta không phải là một Thiên Chúa khách sáo, mà là một Người Cha có trái tim nhân hậu và rộng lượng, không bao giờ biết ngừng yêu thương, đơn giản vì Người không bao giờ ngừng nghỉ sự cứu độ cho con người. Cho dù chúng ta có thường xuyên quay lưng lại với Chúa và ra đi để làm điều ích kỷ của riêng mình, nhưng Chúa trong câu chuyện, Ngài luôn kiên nhẫn chờ đợi chúng ta sám hối và trở về. Khoảnh khắc chúng ta bắt đầu thừa nhận rằng sự ích kỷ của chúng ta chỉ mang đến cho chúng ta sự thất vọng và đau khổ, xấu hổ, tội lỗi và tự ghê tởm, Chúa đã chạy đến ôm chúng ta và đưa chúng ta trở lại trong tình yêu thương của Ngài. Ở đó, Ngài không đối xử với chúng ta như kẻ có tội và phán xét chúng ta, nhưng với sự dịu dàng và lòng thương xót. Trong Bí tích Thánh Thể, Ngài còn  thậm chí dọn ra cho chúng ta bữa tiệc thịnh soạn như chào đón chúng ta trở về; với của ăn của uống là chính Chúa Kitô trong thân xác và máu của anh ta.

Để kết luận, hãy để tôi chia sẻ với các bạn một biến thể về câu chuyện dụ ngôn mà Chúa Giêsu kể hôm nay. Ngày xưa có hai linh mục trong cùng một giáo phận. Một trong hai người có tội là thích uống rượu và hay say sỉn, cha thường hay trễ hẹn, giáo xứ thì mang nợ quá nhiều và sổ sách thì hỗn độn. Tuy nhiên, mọi người yêu thích cha. Còn ông linh mục kia thì lại là một người quản lý giỏi có khả năng và cẩn thận, cha rất tỉ mỉ và chính xác trong mọi thứ. Việc giữ sổ sách của ông lúc nào cũng hoàn hảo và ông luôn đối xử với mọi người theo đúng các quy tắc và quy định của giáo phận. Giáo xứ của ông không có nợ. Nhưng trong thực tế, còn có nhiều tài khoản đầu tư đáng kể. Tuy nhiên, giáo dân rất ít người thích cha và hay đến với cha vì cha không có sự tế nhị, thiếu đức mến và lòng thương xót đến người khác...

Thật đáng kinh ngạc. Có lẽ chúng ta thấy hầu như có vẻ thiếu công bằng. Nhưng câu hỏi được đặt ra: Người linh mục thứ nhất đã làm gì cho mình và người linh mục thứ hai đã có gì đang thiếu xót? Chúng ta hãy thử tự hình dung và tìm ra câu trả lời lấy cho chính mình.

 

Reflection on 4th Sunday of Lent C

On all his days on earth Jesus shows pastoral care for all sorts of people. But he shows a special affection for poor unfortunate persons, and even for extortionists and prostitutes. His opponent’s sneer: 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them' (Lk 15:2).

The warmth and generosity of his human caring and welcome show that in the eyes of God they are not ‘rejects’, ‘outcasts‘, losers’ and 'no-hopers'. On the contrary, God wants to put them back together again. So in and through Jesus, those labelled the ‘lost’ come to meet the God of the lost. It’s for their sake and in their defence, that Jesus speaks his famous parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.

The story of the lost son, the most famous just shared, has been called ‘the greatest short story in the world’. It’s not really the parable of a prodigal, i.e. of a spendthrift, as it’s usually called, but the parable of an incredibly generous father of two sons (see v.11), who in different ways both have lost their way in life.

The parable tells us a great deal about Jesus himself. His own way of acting is the starting-point of the story. He’s explaining why he 'welcomes sinners and eats with them' (v.2). They’re the lost ones, the ones he’s bringing home to God. For Jesus, all persons who have strayed from God are not truly themselves. So, in the midst of his failures and mistakes the lost son comes to understand that he will be happy again only in the company and home of his father. Meanwhile his father is longing for him to return, and as soon as he catches a glimpse of his son returning, he starts running along the road to embrace him and bring him home (v.20).

When they reach the house, the father cuts short the son’s prepared speech. There’s no reprimand, not even a small dose of 'I told you so ...' There’s no pay-back, no penance, no punishment and no recriminations. Instead the father is so glad to have his son back with him again that he gives him the robe of honour, the ring of authority, and the sandals of a son.

The Pharisees, to whom Jesus was telling this story, would have been shocked to the core at how Jesus was keeping company with people who were not only outsiders but ‘sinners’, contact with whom would bring defilement. In a sadistic way they were looking forward not to the saving but to the destruction of those whom they so easily and so self-righteously labelled ‘sinners’.

At the sound of music and dancing the eldest son comes in from the fields. His father goes out to him and pleads with him to come to the party (v.38). This eldest son believes he has done everything 'right', and has spent his whole life slaving away on the family farm. His attitude to his wayward brother is one of utter contempt. He even calls the prodigal not ‘my brother' but 'your son'.

In the details of his story, Jesus is saying that our God is not a mean book-keeping God at all, but a warm, gracious and generous Father who never stops loving, simply because he never stops wanting to save. No matter how often we may turn our backs on God and go away to do our own selfish thing, God, as in the story, waits patiently for us to come to our senses and return home. The moment we begin to admit that our selfishness has brought us only frustration and misery, shame, guilt, and self-loathing, God comes running to hug us and take us back. There he treats us not as our mistakes and sins deserve, but with tenderness and compassion. In the Eucharist he even throws a party and lavishes ‘welcome home’ gifts upon us – Christ himself in his body and blood.

In conclusion, let me share with you a variation on the story Jesus told. Once there were two priests in the same diocese. One of them drank too much, he was often late for appointments, the parish was deep in debt and his bookwork was a mess. Yet the people loved him. The other priest was a very capable and careful manager. He was very meticulous and exact in everything. His book-keeping was impeccable and he always treated everyone according to all the rules and regulations of the diocese. His parish had no debt. In fact, it owned substantial investments. Yet his people didn't think much of him or warm to him at all.

That’s amazing. It seems unfair. It begs the question: 'What did the first priest have going for him that the second one lacked?” Let’s try to figure that one out for ourselves!

 

Fourth Sunday of Lent - Year C

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable. Luke 15:1–3

This is good news! Our Lord “welcomes sinners and eats with them.” For that reason, there is room at His table for you!

Sometimes it’s hard to admit that we are sinners. Of course we know in our minds that we are. But our pride can easily lead us to justify our sin, downplay it and conclude that we are not that bad after all. If you find yourself thinking this way, be careful. Doing so will make you like the Pharisees and scribes in the passage above. Clearly they did not see themselves as sinners, which is why they condemned Jesus for welcoming sinners and eating with them. 

The passage above comes from the beginning of Chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel and serves as an introduction to three subsequent parables. First, our Lord tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep, then the Parable of the Lost Coin, and then the Parable found in the rest of today’s Gospel passage, the Parable of the Lost Son. In the first parable, the shepherd who finds his lost sheep rejoices. In the second parable, the woman who finds her lost coin rejoices. And in the parable we read today, the father who finds his lost son rejoices and throws a party to celebrate.

Return, again, to the passage above that introduces these three parables: “Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus.” Once they drew near, Jesus spoke to them about the joy of finding that which was lost. Perhaps as Jesus initially spoke about the finding of the lost sheep and lost coin, this would have resonated with these tax collectors and sinners to a certain degree. But then our Lord tells them the long and detailed story about this boy who disrespects his father, takes his inheritance, squanders it on illicit living, and ends up with nothing. The story expresses the confusion of this boy, his desperation, his guilt and his shame. We learn of his interior thinking, reasoning, fears and anxiety.

As you ponder this parable, try to understand the effect that it would have had upon the tax collectors and sinners who all drew near to our Lord. They were spiritually hungry, just as the prodigal son was. They had a past full of regret, just as this boy. They were unsatisfied in life and were looking for a way out, just as this son of the loving father was. For these reasons, those tax collectors and sinners who drew near Jesus would have been mesmerized by all that Jesus taught them and filled with hope that they, too, could share in the joy that was so generously bestowed upon this wayward son.

Reflect, today, upon the touching image of these tax collectors and sinners drawing near to Jesus. Though they may have had a certain fear and caution, they would have also had hope. Try to understand what they must have thought and felt as they heard this story of the father’s abundant mercy. Think about how they would have related as they discovered that there was hope for them, too. If you struggle with being like the scribes and Pharisees, reject that temptation. Instead, see yourself as one of those sinners who drew near to our Lord and you will be the cause of joy in the Heart of the Father in Heaven.

Most loving and compassionate Lord, tax collectors and sinners were drawn to You. They found in You someone Who could free them from the burdens they carried within. Please help me to see myself as one of those humble souls in need of You and Your mercy. I reject my pride that leads me to self-justification and pray for humility so that I can come to You and gladden the Heart of the Father in Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Fourth Sunday of Lent - Year C 2025

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have reconciled us to yourself through your Son, Jesus Christ. You did not give up on me when I sinned against you but sought me out and ran toward me and embraced me when I turned to you.

 Encountering the Word of God

1. The Day after the Return of the Prodigal Son: In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the younger son returns to his father’s house without any hope of reconciliation. The parable tells us that the younger son had either contrition or attrition for his sins and confessed his sins to his father and that the father forgave his son’s sins. Contrition, confession, and forgiveness… but there is one more step in the process that was hinted at but not spoken about – that of reconciliation. The day after the party celebrating his return, several reconciliations were needed. The father and the younger son needed to work on repairing their relationship. The younger son needs to show his love through filial obedience – working in the fields, helping run the family business, helping around the house, and so on. The two brothers also need to be reconciled. Everything now belongs to the older son and there is a real question about whether or not he will forgive his brother and work to repair their relationship. The younger son also needs to be reconciled with his mother, if she is still alive, and with the household servants. He really messed up, and likely squandered a third of his father’s property. Feelings of betrayal, envy, and resentment all need to be addressed. Have I confessed any sins and been forgiven by God but still need to work on reconciliation and repairing relationships that were broken?

2. The End of the Exodus: In the First Reading, we continue to meditate on the great events in the history of salvation. The passage from Joshua records the last Passover during the 40 years of exodus wandering in the wilderness. The scene follows the crossing of the Jordan River into the Promised Land. The time of their slavery in Egypt has ended: as the Lord said: “Today, I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.” As well, the time of their trial and testing in the wilderness has ended. The time of the manna in the desert has ended. Now, the people, under the leadership of Joshua, must begin the conquest of the Promised Land. All of this can be seen as a symbol of our life in Christ, the New Joshua: we have been freed from the slavery of sin – our reproach has been removed – through the waters of Baptism and now we are called to work to extend the Kingdom of God in the world, led by Jesus and his Spirit. God feeds us with the New Manna every time we celebrate the New Passover of our Lord.

3. Reconciliation and Recreation: In the Second Reading, Paul speaks to the Corinthians about their new life in Christ: “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God has reconciled us to himself through Christ and entrusted the ministry and message of reconciliation to the Apostles and the Church. Paul implores the people of God in Corinth to “be reconciled to God.” Reconciliation with God and our brothers and sisters is possible because of what God did for us in Christ Jesus: “For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus was like us in all things but sin. He lived our life, was tested and tempted as we are, and yet was victorious. Jesus took the old, broken creation, and made it new, sanctifying it with his Spirit.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you recreated the world through your incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection. You now sit enthroned at the Father’s right hand, interceding for the new creation until the time of its consummation and your glorious return in glory.

 

My Homily for Fourth Sunday of Lent - Year C 2022

I remember when I was high school, one of my cousin who also were in school, but he quitted school in the middle of school year in 10^th grade and joint the army secretly, no one knew where he was about… month later, we knew that his father picked him up from Army training and gave him a great punishment after he got home.

   Today, Jesus tells us a parable about a young man who has a good father; a father who gives his son everything, including freedom. The son, however, abuses his freedom; he brings heartbreak and shame to his father. The young man may have considered himself a brave rebel, but his rebellion brings its own punishment. Not that the father wants the punishment. It is a natural consequence of the son's choices.

   When the boy hits bottom. He then does something genuinely courageous. Instead of despairing, instead of shifting the blame, he admits, "I have sinned." Here are his exact words, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son."

During Lent we say those words: "I have sinned." We say them in our morning prayer and in the evening when we look back over the day. At Mass we admit, "I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do."

This is not "Catholic guilt." It's simply facing the facts - and it has a positive side. Admitting sin means recognizing ones enormous potential. Like that younger son, great gifts have been placed in our hands. How much good we can do if we begin with gratitude! When I look back over a day, I do recognize moments of light; when, with God's help, I have done something good. But that same light also causes me to see shadows, moments when I have gone my own way, separated myself from the loving Father. I have sinned.

This daily examination has a benefit not only for getting to heaven; but also in this world. We admit our sins and then say to Jesus, "With your help I will stand up and make a fresh start. Thank you for giving me a new opportunity as you did for that younger son. With your grace tomorrow I will do better."

In making a fresh start, we Catholics have a particular gift: the Sacrament of Confession. It's not a counseling session, although sometimes a penitent will ask for advice, and sometimes the priest will have a wise word. The priest does not represent himself in the confessional, He represents Jesus. As St. Paul says in today's reading, "We are ambassadors of Christ." And he adds that Jesus, even though completely without sin, "became sin for our sake that we might become the righteousness of God."

Jesus became sin! You and I have sinned, but Jesus became sin. What does that mean? I do not know for sure, but I will say this: As we saw from the parable of the Prodigal Son, sin brings punishment and shame. It results in misery and alienation, separation from God and other people. Now, Jesus who committed no sin, took our punishment and shame upon himself. In his day, nothing caused more fear than the Roman method of capital punishment. The cross involved terrible torture; it systematically shamed and humiliated the condemned man. In going to the cross, Jesus took our shame, our punishment upon himself.

And how does that transfer take place? Once again, I quote Paul: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me." (Gal 2:20) When I say to God, "I have sinned," he doesn't so much see e, but his Son, Jesus.**

Like the young man in Jesus' parable, the actual confession may take less than a minute. Confession is not a counseling session. It's not about the priest and in the end, it's not even about the penitent. It's about Christ and uniting ourselves to Jesus. He has already done the real work.

Sometime ago, one of friend tell me he doesn't feel forgiven. This happens especially as one gets older and the consequences of past sin become more evident. It can help keep a person humble, but it can also be one of the ways the devil works on us. He says, "of course you can't be forgiven. If people knew the real you, they would spit on you." When that feeling begins to overwhelm us, let us say to Jesus,” I trust in you. I have sinned, but you have taken my sins and my shame to the cross." Look at the crucifix, take it in your hand and say, "Jesus, I trust in you."

This Sunday - as Holy Week approaches - Jesus invites us to go to the Father and say, "I have sinned." Then trust that when the Father sees you and me, he sees Jesus. And he embraces us with joy. Amen.