Suy
Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ Nhật Mùa Chay (Luke 11:29-32 )
Nhiều người trong chúng ta cảm thấy rất là khó khăn để ăn năn, sám hối và thay đổi cuộc sống của chúng ta thật sự trong mùa chay này. Chúng ta cũng chẳng khác gì hơn những người Biệt Phái Do thái, những người đang tìm kiếm các dấu lạ hơn là chấp nhận những gì họ mà đã thấy trong suốt cuộc hành trình của Chúa Jêsus. Có lẽ, nếu chúng ta thấy Chúa Giêsu Kitô xuất hiện trước mặt chúng ta, kêu gọi chúng ta ăn năn sám hối thì lúc đó chúng ta mới chịu chấp nhận và thay đổi cuộc sống của chúng ta? hay nếu chúng ta nhìn thấy một cây thánh giá xuất hiện lơ lưởng giữa bầu trời, hoặc một cái gì đó phải làm cho chúng ta run lên, sợ hãi thì mới chịu trở lại với Chúa Giêsu? Trong trường hợp này, chúng ta đúng là những người của một "thế hệ gian ác", vì chúng ta chỉ có tin vào Chúa Kitô khi chúng ta nhận thấy được một dấu lạ nào đó mà thôi. Nếu chúng ta tin, thì chúng ta phải nên giống như những người trong thành Ninivê, những người biết nhìn nhận tội lỗi của mình, biết ăn năn sám hối khi được ông Giô-na rao giảng cho họ. Chúa Kitô đã đến để giúp chúng ta nhận ra chính mình và biết ăn năn.
Trong một Tin Mừng khác, Chúa Giêsu đã nói, "Ví như Giôna đã ở trong bụng thuồng luồng ba ngày ba đêm thế nào, thì Con Người cũng sẽ ở trong lòng đất ba ngày ba đêm thể ấy.. Chúa Kitô đã ám chỉ đến mình, với thời gian Ngài ở trong mộ đất. cũng như Giôna ra khỏi bụng của cá voi (thuồng luồng), Chúa Kitô cũng ra khỏi mộ. Đây là biểu hiệu lạ mà Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho chúng ta thấy và vẫn còn tiếp tục là dấu chỉ cho chúng tôi hôm nay. Trong thời gian chúng ta tìm thấy chính mình trong mộ, hãy tin rằng Chúa Kitô, Đấng đã đi vào cái chết và trở lại trong cuộc sống mới, Ngài sẽ không để chúng ta lại trong ngôi mộ của chúng ta và Ngài sẽ mang và giải thoát chúng ta ra khỏi ngôi mộ đó để đưa chúng ta trở lại, để cùng trải nghiệm trong cuộc sống mới với Ngài, cho dù ngôi mộ này là một thử thách, khó khăn to lớn, một lỗi phạm nghiêm trọng, một tội các hay bất kỳ một cái chết, Chúng ta có thể trải nghiệm sự phục sinh của Chúa Kitô. Ngài luôn sẵn sàng để biểu lộ vinh quang của Ngài bằng cách thực hiện dấu chỉ này trong cuộc sống của Chúng ta.
Lạy Chúa Cha trên trời, trong Mùa Chay này, Xin Chúa ban cho chúng ta một tinh thần khiêm tốn và thống hối để chúng con có thể bước theo Chúa Giêsu một cách tự tin trong con đường của sự thánh thiện đích thực.
Reflection WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of Lent
In another Gospel, Jesus said. Christ is alluding to himself, to the period he would spend in the tomb. Just as Jonah came out of the belly of the whale, Christ also came out of the tomb. This is the sign that Jesus had given us and continues to be the sign for us today. In times when you find yourself in a tomb, believe that Christ, who already entered into death and came out of it with a new life, will not leave you in your tomb and will bring you out of it to experience his new life. Whether this tomb is a heavy trial, a serious sin, a vice or any sort of death, you can experience Christ's resurrection. He is always ready to manifest his glory by performing this sign in your life.
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent 2026
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Luke 11:29
Today’s Gospel takes place during the midpoint of Jesus’ public ministry. By this time, He had healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, preached many powerful sermons, and changed many hearts. Despite that, many in the crowds still did not believe in Him and demanded more signs.
Additionally, the Pharisees were becoming increasingly hostile toward our Lord. In Luke’s Gospel, they confront and criticize Jesus several times before this passage. In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses His rebuke to these Pharisees and the unbelieving crowds.
If Jesus’ generation was “an evil generation,” what would He say about our own? In many ways, we are becoming a global culture. While there are countless faithful followers of Christ worldwide, evil seems to be more pervasive today, perhaps more noticeable due to the ease of worldwide communication.
Though Jesus delivered His sermons to specific people in His time, His words transcend time and are meant for every generation. When He says, “This generation is an evil generation…,” we must understand that He is also speaking to us today.
When Jesus says His generation “seeks a sign,” He points out a common human temptation. Many approach the Gospel skeptically, demanding irrefutable proof that they should change their lives, believe in the Good News, and abandon sin. In today’s world, some even glorify sin, treating virtue as outdated or foolish. This distorted outlook leads many to disregard the most important sign of all—Jesus’ Death and Resurrection.
Yet Jesus is clear: “…no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Jonah’s three days in the belly of the fish prefigured Jesus’ three days in the tomb. In other words, Jesus’ Death and Resurrection is the one and only sign given to us. This is striking because so many fail to pay attention to this ultimate sign of salvation. In the end, we can only change ourselves and hope that our conversion becomes a witness to others.
Do you believe in this sign? Do you believe that Jesus’ Life, Death, and Resurrection is the sole path to salvation? Most likely, you do. But how deep is that belief?
Though Jesus performed many miracles during His earthly ministry, He did so as a response to the faith already present in those around Him. Today, the same is true. Physical miracles mean little compared to the saving Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. They are merely reflections of the greatest miracle—eternal salvation. If you truly want to witness a miracle, turn to this supreme gift of grace and mercy. Believe with all your heart, and you will witness the transformation of your soul, which is the greatest miracle of all.
Reflect today on Jesus’ rebuke of the evil surrounding us, which demands proof but refuses to see the one sign that truly matters. The only proof Jesus offers is the grace that transforms us. When we discover and embrace this grace, we will know, believe, and be changed. Open your heart to the miracle of conversion that God desires to bestow upon you, and become a witness of Christ’s greatest miracle for others to see.
My miraculous Lord, though many in every age seek superficial signs, You offer the one true miracle that brings salvation—Your Life, Death, and Resurrection. Please help me to believe with unwavering faith, and protect me from the evil of this generation. Transform my heart so that I may be the fruit of the miracle You wish to give the world. Jesus, I trust in You.
WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of Lent 2021
A sign from Heaven would have been some externally manifest proof of Who Jesus was. Granted, Jesus had already performed numerous miracles. But it seems that this was not enough. They wanted more—and that desire is a clear indication of a stubbornness of heart and a lack of faith. So Jesus could not and would not give them the sign they wanted.
Instead, Jesus says that the only sign they will receive is the sign of Jonah. Recall that the sign of Jonah was not very appealing. He was thrown over the side of a boat and swallowed by a whale, where he remained for three days before being spit up on the shores of Nineveh.
Jesus’ sign would be similar. He would suffer at the hands of the religious leaders and civil authorities, be killed and be placed in a tomb. And then, three days later, He would rise. But His Resurrection was not one in which He came forth with rays of light for all to see; rather, His post-Resurrection appearances were to those who already manifested faith and already believed.
The lesson for us is that God will not convince us of the matters of faith through powerful and Hollywood-like public manifestations of God’s greatness. Instead, the “sign” we are offered is an invitation to die with Christ so that we can personally begin to experience the new life of the Resurrection. This gift of faith is interior, not publicly exterior. Our death to sin is something we personally and interiorly do, and the new life we receive can only be seen by others by the witness of our lives that are changed.
Reflect, today, upon the true sign God has given you. If you are one who seems to be waiting for some manifest sign from our Lord, wait no longer. Look at the crucifix, see Jesus’ suffering and death, and choose to follow Him in a death to all sin and selfishness. Die with Him, enter the tomb with Him and allow Him to bring you forth interiorly renewed this Lent, so that you can be transformed by this one and only sign from Heaven.
My crucified Lord, I gaze upon the crucifix and see in Your death the greatest act of love ever known. Give me the grace I need to follow You to the tomb so that Your death will triumph over my sins. Free me, dear Lord, during the Lenten journey so that I will be able to fully share in Your new life of the Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.
WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of Lent 2024
1. Jonah’s Call to Repentance: The main message of the Book of Jonah is that God wants all people, not just Israel, to repent from their sins and receive his merciful salvation. When Jonah first heard the call of God to preach repentance to Assyria, the ancient enemy of Israel, he refused to do it. The last thing Jonah wanted was for the capital city of the Assyrians, Nineveh, to be spared! That is why Jonah tried to flee by ship to Tarshish to get as far from the city of Nineveh as possible.
WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of Lent 2021
Opening Prayer:
Encountering Christ:
Demanding a Sign: Despite the fulfillment of dozens of major Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah, some in the crowd demanded yet more signs from Jesus. He offered another chance to these unbelievers by clearly stating that he was “something greater” than Jonah of the Old Testament, who was a sign of God’s love for the Ninevites, or King Solomon, who was sought for his wisdom by the Queen of Sheba. Jesus, himself, was the sign to Israel and the promised Messiah. Pagans such as the Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba turned their hearts to God when they met his imperfect messengers. These Jews had the most perfect sign in their midst, the Son of God himself, yet many did not believe.
Nhiều người trong chúng ta cảm thấy rất là khó khăn để ăn năn, sám hối và thay đổi cuộc sống của chúng ta thật sự trong mùa chay này. Chúng ta cũng chẳng khác gì hơn những người Biệt Phái Do thái, những người đang tìm kiếm các dấu lạ hơn là chấp nhận những gì họ mà đã thấy trong suốt cuộc hành trình của Chúa Jêsus. Có lẽ, nếu chúng ta thấy Chúa Giêsu Kitô xuất hiện trước mặt chúng ta, kêu gọi chúng ta ăn năn sám hối thì lúc đó chúng ta mới chịu chấp nhận và thay đổi cuộc sống của chúng ta? hay nếu chúng ta nhìn thấy một cây thánh giá xuất hiện lơ lưởng giữa bầu trời, hoặc một cái gì đó phải làm cho chúng ta run lên, sợ hãi thì mới chịu trở lại với Chúa Giêsu? Trong trường hợp này, chúng ta đúng là những người của một "thế hệ gian ác", vì chúng ta chỉ có tin vào Chúa Kitô khi chúng ta nhận thấy được một dấu lạ nào đó mà thôi. Nếu chúng ta tin, thì chúng ta phải nên giống như những người trong thành Ninivê, những người biết nhìn nhận tội lỗi của mình, biết ăn năn sám hối khi được ông Giô-na rao giảng cho họ. Chúa Kitô đã đến để giúp chúng ta nhận ra chính mình và biết ăn năn.
Trong một Tin Mừng khác, Chúa Giêsu đã nói, "Ví như Giôna đã ở trong bụng thuồng luồng ba ngày ba đêm thế nào, thì Con Người cũng sẽ ở trong lòng đất ba ngày ba đêm thể ấy.. Chúa Kitô đã ám chỉ đến mình, với thời gian Ngài ở trong mộ đất. cũng như Giôna ra khỏi bụng của cá voi (thuồng luồng), Chúa Kitô cũng ra khỏi mộ. Đây là biểu hiệu lạ mà Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho chúng ta thấy và vẫn còn tiếp tục là dấu chỉ cho chúng tôi hôm nay. Trong thời gian chúng ta tìm thấy chính mình trong mộ, hãy tin rằng Chúa Kitô, Đấng đã đi vào cái chết và trở lại trong cuộc sống mới, Ngài sẽ không để chúng ta lại trong ngôi mộ của chúng ta và Ngài sẽ mang và giải thoát chúng ta ra khỏi ngôi mộ đó để đưa chúng ta trở lại, để cùng trải nghiệm trong cuộc sống mới với Ngài, cho dù ngôi mộ này là một thử thách, khó khăn to lớn, một lỗi phạm nghiêm trọng, một tội các hay bất kỳ một cái chết, Chúng ta có thể trải nghiệm sự phục sinh của Chúa Kitô. Ngài luôn sẵn sàng để biểu lộ vinh quang của Ngài bằng cách thực hiện dấu chỉ này trong cuộc sống của Chúng ta.
Lạy Chúa Cha trên trời, trong Mùa Chay này, Xin Chúa ban cho chúng ta một tinh thần khiêm tốn và thống hối để chúng con có thể bước theo Chúa Giêsu một cách tự tin trong con đường của sự thánh thiện đích thực.
Reflection WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of Lent
In another Gospel, Jesus said. Christ is alluding to himself, to the period he would spend in the tomb. Just as Jonah came out of the belly of the whale, Christ also came out of the tomb. This is the sign that Jesus had given us and continues to be the sign for us today. In times when you find yourself in a tomb, believe that Christ, who already entered into death and came out of it with a new life, will not leave you in your tomb and will bring you out of it to experience his new life. Whether this tomb is a heavy trial, a serious sin, a vice or any sort of death, you can experience Christ's resurrection. He is always ready to manifest his glory by performing this sign in your life.
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent 2026
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Luke 11:29
Today’s Gospel takes place during the midpoint of Jesus’ public ministry. By this time, He had healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, preached many powerful sermons, and changed many hearts. Despite that, many in the crowds still did not believe in Him and demanded more signs.
Additionally, the Pharisees were becoming increasingly hostile toward our Lord. In Luke’s Gospel, they confront and criticize Jesus several times before this passage. In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses His rebuke to these Pharisees and the unbelieving crowds.
If Jesus’ generation was “an evil generation,” what would He say about our own? In many ways, we are becoming a global culture. While there are countless faithful followers of Christ worldwide, evil seems to be more pervasive today, perhaps more noticeable due to the ease of worldwide communication.
Though Jesus delivered His sermons to specific people in His time, His words transcend time and are meant for every generation. When He says, “This generation is an evil generation…,” we must understand that He is also speaking to us today.
When Jesus says His generation “seeks a sign,” He points out a common human temptation. Many approach the Gospel skeptically, demanding irrefutable proof that they should change their lives, believe in the Good News, and abandon sin. In today’s world, some even glorify sin, treating virtue as outdated or foolish. This distorted outlook leads many to disregard the most important sign of all—Jesus’ Death and Resurrection.
Yet Jesus is clear: “…no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Jonah’s three days in the belly of the fish prefigured Jesus’ three days in the tomb. In other words, Jesus’ Death and Resurrection is the one and only sign given to us. This is striking because so many fail to pay attention to this ultimate sign of salvation. In the end, we can only change ourselves and hope that our conversion becomes a witness to others.
Do you believe in this sign? Do you believe that Jesus’ Life, Death, and Resurrection is the sole path to salvation? Most likely, you do. But how deep is that belief?
Though Jesus performed many miracles during His earthly ministry, He did so as a response to the faith already present in those around Him. Today, the same is true. Physical miracles mean little compared to the saving Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. They are merely reflections of the greatest miracle—eternal salvation. If you truly want to witness a miracle, turn to this supreme gift of grace and mercy. Believe with all your heart, and you will witness the transformation of your soul, which is the greatest miracle of all.
Reflect today on Jesus’ rebuke of the evil surrounding us, which demands proof but refuses to see the one sign that truly matters. The only proof Jesus offers is the grace that transforms us. When we discover and embrace this grace, we will know, believe, and be changed. Open your heart to the miracle of conversion that God desires to bestow upon you, and become a witness of Christ’s greatest miracle for others to see.
My miraculous Lord, though many in every age seek superficial signs, You offer the one true miracle that brings salvation—Your Life, Death, and Resurrection. Please help me to believe with unwavering faith, and protect me from the evil of this generation. Transform my heart so that I may be the fruit of the miracle You wish to give the world. Jesus, I trust in You.
WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of Lent 2021
A sign from Heaven would have been some externally manifest proof of Who Jesus was. Granted, Jesus had already performed numerous miracles. But it seems that this was not enough. They wanted more—and that desire is a clear indication of a stubbornness of heart and a lack of faith. So Jesus could not and would not give them the sign they wanted.
Instead, Jesus says that the only sign they will receive is the sign of Jonah. Recall that the sign of Jonah was not very appealing. He was thrown over the side of a boat and swallowed by a whale, where he remained for three days before being spit up on the shores of Nineveh.
Jesus’ sign would be similar. He would suffer at the hands of the religious leaders and civil authorities, be killed and be placed in a tomb. And then, three days later, He would rise. But His Resurrection was not one in which He came forth with rays of light for all to see; rather, His post-Resurrection appearances were to those who already manifested faith and already believed.
The lesson for us is that God will not convince us of the matters of faith through powerful and Hollywood-like public manifestations of God’s greatness. Instead, the “sign” we are offered is an invitation to die with Christ so that we can personally begin to experience the new life of the Resurrection. This gift of faith is interior, not publicly exterior. Our death to sin is something we personally and interiorly do, and the new life we receive can only be seen by others by the witness of our lives that are changed.
Reflect, today, upon the true sign God has given you. If you are one who seems to be waiting for some manifest sign from our Lord, wait no longer. Look at the crucifix, see Jesus’ suffering and death, and choose to follow Him in a death to all sin and selfishness. Die with Him, enter the tomb with Him and allow Him to bring you forth interiorly renewed this Lent, so that you can be transformed by this one and only sign from Heaven.
My crucified Lord, I gaze upon the crucifix and see in Your death the greatest act of love ever known. Give me the grace I need to follow You to the tomb so that Your death will triumph over my sins. Free me, dear Lord, during the Lenten journey so that I will be able to fully share in Your new life of the Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.
WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of Lent 2024
1. Jonah’s Call to Repentance: The main message of the Book of Jonah is that God wants all people, not just Israel, to repent from their sins and receive his merciful salvation. When Jonah first heard the call of God to preach repentance to Assyria, the ancient enemy of Israel, he refused to do it. The last thing Jonah wanted was for the capital city of the Assyrians, Nineveh, to be spared! That is why Jonah tried to flee by ship to Tarshish to get as far from the city of Nineveh as possible.
WEDNESDAY, 1st Week of Lent 2021
Opening Prayer:
Encountering Christ:
Demanding a Sign: Despite the fulfillment of dozens of major Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah, some in the crowd demanded yet more signs from Jesus. He offered another chance to these unbelievers by clearly stating that he was “something greater” than Jonah of the Old Testament, who was a sign of God’s love for the Ninevites, or King Solomon, who was sought for his wisdom by the Queen of Sheba. Jesus, himself, was the sign to Israel and the promised Messiah. Pagans such as the Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba turned their hearts to God when they met his imperfect messengers. These Jews had the most perfect sign in their midst, the Son of God himself, yet many did not believe.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, I thank you for your
words and your presence. You are truly a God of second chances. Forgive me for
the times I have doubted you, ignored you, or strayed from your ways
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