Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ Ba Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Năm Tuần thứ Ba Thường Niên: (Mark 4:21-25 )
Chúa Kitô là ánh sáng của thế gian, Ngài đã đến để xua tan những bóng tối đã bao phủ tâm hồn của nhân loại, con người sa ngã.  Mỗi người chúng ta, khi nhận lãnh phép rửa tội, chúng ta nhận được ánh sáng của Chúa Kitô, chúng ta có bổn phận là phải mang chuyển những ánh sáng này đến với mọi người trong thời đại của chúng ta, ngay trong gia đình, xóm làng và những người chúng ta quen gặp. Nhưng, chúng ta có thật sự là ngọn đèn sáng như Chúa Kitô mong muốn?  Khi mọi người nhìn vào chúng ta, họ có thể biết được là chúng ta người Kitô hữu hoàn hảo?  Một số người trong chúng ta đã có thể đang cố gắng che dấu mình là một tín hữu Kitô giáo  để  được "sống một cuộc sống tốt" và không muốn ai biết  mình là người Công giáo;  nhưng những điều này có thể giúp cho người khác nhận biết được Chúa Kitô?
            Đây không phải là một câu hỏi để phô trương tôn giáo của chúng ta một cách phóng đại, nhưng có những biểu tượng không phải là sự phô trương: như đeo một cây thánh giá hoặc một huy chương thánh;  hay có  những tấm ảnh Thánh Tâm Chúa trên bàn thờ trong nhà của chúng ta;  Kiêng thịt ngày thứ Sáu, ngay cả khi chúng ta phải ăn trưa với các đồng nghiệp của chúng ta  và giải thích cho họ cái lý do tại sao. Những dấu hiệu tỏ ra bên ngoài không phải là yếu tố cần thiết của tôn giáo của chúng ta;  Nhưng những hành vi và thái độ tốt ủa chúng ta đối với người chung quanh chính là ánh sáng mà chúng ta đang chiếu toả quanh họ. Tuy nhiên, những hành động mang tính biểu tượng như vậy ít nhất có thể cho mọi người chung quanh một tia ánh sáng và nhờ đó có thể làm cho người khác muốn tìm hiểu thêm về ngòn đèn Chúa Kitô.   Lạy Chúa Giêsu,  xin cho chúng con có được sự can đảm và sự nhiệt tình để cho những người khác.được biết Chúa và tìm đến với Chúa.
 
Thursday 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Christ is the light of the world. He came to dispel the darkness that envelopes the minds of fallen humankind. We are called to be the lamp that passes on that light to the men and women of our day. But do we? When people look at us would they know we were Christians at all? Some people hide their Christianity preferring to “lead a good life” without wishing to be known as Catholics — but is this going to help anyone to come to know Christ?
            It is not a question of parading our religion in an exaggerated way, but there are unobtrusive symbols: wearing a crucifix or a holy medal; having a picture, say, of the Sacred Heart on our house door; declining to eat meat on Fridays, even when lunching with our colleagues — and explaining why. These outwards signs are not the essentials of our religion - the examples of our own attitudes and behaviour are of far greater moment.
            Nevertheless, such symbolic actions can at least show a glimmer of light which could lead others to want to see more. Then we can tell them about Christ. Lord Jesus, give me the courage and the enthusiasm to make You known to others.
 
Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
“For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.” Mark 4:22
What a fascinating little line in the Gospel for today! What does this line mean? Though many have offered various commentaries upon the meaning of this line, let’s turn to the Catechism of the Catholic Church for some insight:
In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man’s relationship with God will be laid bare. The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life… (CCC #1039).
This passage comes from the section on “The Last Judgment” rather than “The Particular Judgment.” The Particular Judgment will come for all of us at the moment of our passing from this world. It will be an accounting of our sins and virtues before God in a personal and private way. But the Last Judgment will come at the end of time and should be seen as a universal judgment upon all in a very definitive and public way. Thus, this line from the Catechism seems to suggest that both our good actions and evil ones will be revealed for all to see.
If the Scripture passage above, as well as the passage from the Catechism, are properly interpreted to mean that during the Last Judgment even our deepest sins, including those that have been forgiven through the Sacrament of Confession, will be made manifest for all to see, this idea can, at first, be a bit frightening. But it shouldn’t be. It should be liberating.
If every action of our lives, both good and bad, will be made manifest for all to see at The Last Judgment, then this will result in one thing and one thing alone for those who are in Heaven: the glory of God and much rejoicing! In other words, if God reveals every sin we have committed, then He will also reveal our repentance from those sins, the purification we endured, and the forgiveness we received. Therefore, those who make up the Communion of Saints will not look upon us with judgment; rather, they will glorify God in the same way we glorify God and thank Him for His abundant mercy and forgiveness. We must always remember His forgiveness and continually rejoice in that fact. Therefore, if all truly is made manifest, then it will be so that we can all rejoice together in the incredible mercy of God and can look at each other with gratitude for all that God had done for the other.
Reflect, today, upon the possibility of that glorious moment. Imagine the freedom you will experience by allowing God to share the deepest sins and the deepest virtues of your life with all who share Heaven with you. Shame will be gone. Judgment will be gone. Rejoicing and gratitude alone will remain. What a glorious moment that will be!
My glorious Judge, I thank You for Your mercy and forgiveness in my life. I thank You for freeing me from all sin. Please continue to purify my soul and free me from even the attachment to all sin. May I never forget all that You have done for me, and may Your mercy become the cause of my eternal rejoicing and Your eternal glory. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Thursday 3^rd Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, visit me throughout the day so that I may accomplish your work. Inspire my words to give you praise and glory. Move my heart to be generous, kind, and merciful towards all.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Insiders and Outsiders: When the scribes and Pharisees turn on Jesus (Mark 3:6), and Jesus chooses the Twelve, he begins to speak in parables to those who are hostile to him and make a division between insiders – his disciples – and outsiders – those who reject him and plot against him. “Outsiders get parables with no clear point, while insiders receive the revelation of the mystery of the kingdom” (Huizenga, Loosing the Lion, 133). The large crowd heard the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-9), but not its explanation (Mark 4:10-20). In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to teach his disciples – the insiders – with four cryptic sayings. These four sayings – grouped into two pairs, with the first pair using the image of light and pointing out how we use the light of a lamp and how what is hidden will come to light, and the second pair reflecting on how, by giving generously, we will receive more from God. These four somewhat cryptic sayings will be followed by two more “seed parables” about the Kingdom of God that we will read tomorrow. 
2. The Light of the World: In the first pair of cryptic sayings, Jesus invites his disciples to consider how they use lamps: When they light a lamp, do they put it under a basket, or do they bring it out and put it on top of a lampstand? The implication is that Jesus himself is the lamp or light of the world, who has come into the world to bring the light of the Gospel to humanity. Here, “Jesus wishes to prevent a mistaken interpretation of his earlier words about the mystery of the kingdom (Mark 4:11). Despite the obscurity of the parables and the difficulties people have in understanding his teaching, his purpose is not to hide the kingdom but to make it known” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 89). The mystery of the kingdom of God, present in Jesus and hidden among them for a time, will be made visible and fully revealed. On the one hand, the secrecy about the kingdom is only temporary. One day, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Apostles will be commanded to go out into the world to proclaim it openly. On the other hand, we can never fully grasp or comprehend the mystery of the Kingdom. It is a mystery that will always – in this life – invite us to go deeper. None of us is capable of fully comprehending the reign of God over all things and how God directs all things to their consummation at the end of history. Only in heaven, when we see God face to face, will all that is hidden be brought to light.
3. Divine Generosity: Amid the parables about the Kingdom of God, Jesus encourages his disciples to be generous with others. We need to realize that God has been so generous toward us and grants us the gift of mercy without reserve. In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God the Father to forgive the debt of our sins insofar as we forgive those who have sinned against us. God is generous with his mercy, but also with his grace that empowers us to do good works. Here, Jesus promises that to the one who has, more will be given. Just as an employer entrusts a good employee with more responsibility over time, God wisely bestows the abundance of his grace upon his faithful servants. The second pair of cryptic sayings, then, invites insiders, like Jesus’ disciples, to go deeper, for no one can ever exhaust the depths of Jesus Christ. If we strive to hear well and are persistent in seeking Jesus, we will be given even more. “[W]hoever responds to Jesus with openness and a desire to learn will be given even more insight; whoever does not will lose even the little understanding he has. God’s revelation is a gift, but it is a gift that must be freely accepted” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 90).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I hear your words and parables and earnestly desire to understand them and put them into practice. Sustain me with your grace as I work through trials and resist temptation.
 
Thursday 3^rd Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, visit me throughout the day so that I may accomplish your work. Inspire my words to give you praise and glory. Move my heart to be generous, kind, and merciful towards all.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Light of the World: In the first pair of cryptic sayings, Jesus invites his disciples to consider how they use lamps: When they light a lamp, do they put it under a basket or on top of a lampstand? The implication is that Jesus himself is the lamp or light of the world, who has come into the world to bring the light of the Gospel to humanity. Here, “Jesus wishes to prevent a mistaken interpretation of his earlier words about the mystery of the kingdom (Mark 4:11). Despite the obscurity of the parables and the difficulties people have in understanding his teaching, his purpose is not to hide the kingdom but to make it known” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 89). The mystery of the kingdom of God, present in Jesus and hidden among them for a time, will be made visible and fully revealed.
2. Divine Generosity: Amid the parables about the Kingdom of God, Jesus encourages his disciples to be generous with others. We need to realize that God has been so generous toward us and grants us mercy without reserve. In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God the Father to forgive the debt of our sins insofar as we forgive those who have sinned against us. God is generous with his mercy, but also with his grace that empowers us to do good works. Here, Jesus promises that to the one who has, more will be given. Just as an employer entrusts a good employee with more responsibility over time, God wisely bestows the abundance of his grace upon his faithful servants.
3. We Have Confidence: As we journey toward heaven, we do not trust solely in our own strength, as the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us. We have the confidence to enter into the heavenly sanctuary through the Blood of Jesus. As the pioneer of our salvation, he has opened a new and living way for us. We can approach the throne of God’s mercy and grace with sincere hearts and absolute trust because we have been washed clean and our hearts purified in the waters of Baptism and in the mercy of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Letter to the Hebrews encourages us to look at the members of our community and family and see how we can rouse them to love and do good works. The Pharisees thought they could grow in perfection by separating themselves from others. The Letter to the Hebrews doesn’t fall into that false line of thinking: We are in this together and should not stay away from the liturgical assembly of the Church, but encourage one another as we journey and the day of the Lord’s second advent draws near.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Light of the world and Pioneer of salvation, direct my eyes toward your heavenly throne. Do not let me be overcome by the anxieties and cares of this world. Sustain me with your grace as I work through trials and resist temptation.
 
Thursday 3^rd Ordinary Time: 
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you for calling me to this time of prayer, and I ask that you silence the distractions around me and just let me be in your presence. I know that you have something to say to me today that will be for my benefit. I want to hear you, and I want to do your will.
Encountering Christ:
The Source, and Our Hope: In the first reading, King David humbly came into the Lord’s presence with absolutely no misunderstanding of who was in charge. The awesome power granted to David had a source, and as shrewd, skilled, and courageous as David showed himself to be, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it had been God’s hand at work all along. With great gratitude, the King acknowledged his good fortune. But in a lesson to us all, he didn’t stop there. He looked to the future with hope—hope that the promise that his Lord made to his servant would truly be fulfilled. We, too, baptized into the multitudes of the chosen, cry out similarly in hope, thankful that the Lord, Our Father, keeps his promises.
No Hiding: One hundred years after the song “This Little Light of Mine” was penned for children, a television commercial in 2020 was thanking our health care workers with pandemic video footage backed by the chorus: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” Civil rights figures of the 1960s borrowed the words to animate nonviolent opposition to oppression. Sometime in between, most of us sang the refrain, maybe as a child or as a Sunday school teacher, perhaps tracing out motions in the air signifying light, an emphatic “No!”, or the world. In “light” of today’s Gospel reading, we may recall the four verses that the songwriter, Harry Dixon Loes, shares about “it” (the light freely given to us by God): Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine; Don’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine; Shine all over the whole wide world, I’m gonna let it shine, and Let it shine til Jesus comes, I’m gonna let it shine. Lord, how, and to whom, would you like my light, which is your light, to shine today?
Growing Capacity: We might find it odd when Christ tells his disciples, “to those who have much, more will be given.” This claim, at first, is hard to reconcile with Our Lord’s teachings about detaching from possessions, or that the “first shall be last.” Consider, though, this wisdom from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “God is love and in himself he lives a mystery of personal loving communion. Creating the human race in his own image...God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation, and thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and communion” (CCC 2331). As we grow our capacity to love, we shouldn’t be surprised when God gives us more to love. Welcoming children in the womb, fostering or adopting children, or otherwise brightening the lives of children (ours or others) are beautiful means by which we finite beings can grow our capacity to love selflessly, and begin to image God in his infinite love. “Let the little children come to me” (Matthew 19:14).
Conversing with Christ: Lord, thank you for your light in the world and in my heart. I recall your words to your disciples recorded by St. Matthew: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Give me the grace to be your disciple and fulfill these words today.